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CHARACTERISTICS OF CHRIST'S PREACHING.

twilight region of natural theology-from the cold and cheerless sphere of the heathen moralist. He had no resemblance, he afforded not the slightest countenance, to the preacher of whom it has been well said:

"How oft when Paul has served him for a text,

Has Plato, Tully, Epictetus preached!"

The morality he inculcated was enforced by highly spiritual motives. It was in this respect eminently evangelical. It was closely linked with the cross. Its sanctions and incitements

were mainly gathered from the great scheme of redemption.— American Repository.

OWEN ON INDEPENDENCY.

I set myself seriously to inquire into the controversies then warmly agitated in these nations. Of the Congregational way I was not acquainted with any one person, minister or other; nor had I to my knowledge seen any more than one in my life. My acquaintance lay wholly with ministers and people of the Presbyterian way. But sundry books being published on either side, I perused and compared them with the Scriptures and with one another, according as I received ability from God. After a general view of them, as was my manner in other controversies, I fixed on one to take under peculiar consideration, which seemed most methodically and strongly to maintain that which was contrary, as I thought, to my present persuasion. This was Mr. Cotton's book "of the Keys." The examination and confutation of which, merely for my own satisfaction, with what diligence and sincerity I was able, I engaged in. What progress I made in that undertaking I can manifest to any by my discourses on that subject, and animadversions on that book yet abiding by me. In the pursuit and management of this work, quite beside and contrary to my expectation, at a time wherein I could expect nothing on that account but ruin in this world, without the knowledge, or advice of, or conference with any one person of that judgment, I was prevailed on to receive those principles to which I had thought to have set myself in opposition. And indeed this way of impartially examining all things by the word, comparing causes with causes, and things with things, laying aside all prejudiced respects to persons or present traditions, is a course that I would admonish all to beware of, who would avoid the danger of being made Independents.

IS THE WORLD MAD?

Is man intended for immortality? If he be-what is this life to him? Certainly of no consequence, but as it fits him for immortal happiness or misery. He then is surely a madman who gives his chief attention to this life and the things of it. The accomplishment of his temporal schemes requires a world of thought and labor; which after all are a great deal more likely to miscarry than to succeed. But if they do succeed so as to raise him to wealth and power-is he happy? Or had it not been better for him to have been poor and powerless? If the afflictions that attend on his worldly exaltation have not convinced him of his mistake, and he be still fool enough to be pleased with prosperity; his delusion must vanish at the near approach of a death which must probably throw his too worldly mind, at least into a total uncertainty about his condition in eternity. Now though this man had become a Croesus or a Cæsar, hath he not made a very little man of himself? These two stand on record, the first for his captivity, the second for his assassination. The christian may and therefore ought to plan for somewhat higher and more permanent. Poor Croesus! Wretched Cæsar! As heathens they ought, for they might have pursued a wiser and a better scheme of life as Solon and Atticus did. But for a christian, with heaven and eternity open to him, to scheme for a minute portion of the riches possessed by the former, or for a paltry share of the power to which the latter attained, is exhibiting an example of greater contentment and humility than his religion requires of him. There is a species of riches and also of power infinitely exceeding all this world can raise us to, which may be arrived at with absolute certainty and with far less struggle than the painted clouds and shadows pursued here below. The worst we can say of Alexander and Cæsar is that their lives were founded on a mistake and passed in the dark; but what can be said of a christian in broad daylight eagerly pursuing what he knows to be trifles, in preference to that which he confesses to be of infinite moment? What a saint might he be if he had any idea of the right avarice and ambition! What says your counting-house-your evening festivity-your closet? Are you quite sane?

P. S.

THE LAW OF GOD.

By Dr. Duffield, U. S.

There is no proof that God has ever altered the provisions of his moral law, or ever will. The law given on Mount Sinai, and published by an audible voice in the ten commandments, was not then for the first time enacted. The law is coeval with our race, and is wisely, wonderfully, and benevolently adapted to the nature of man. It has been enacted for the express purpose of promoting the happiness of mankind. A deviation from it he declared, in the very infancy of our race, would be ruinous. Its violation would be followed with death, and death has followed in one regular and steady flow from the first parent of the race till the present hour. It is true, that the specific form in which God presented his law was that of positive statute, prohibiting Adam and Eve from the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; but this was a mere circumstance, intended to put to the test the obedience of the first pair. It was so prescribed, and they stood in such a relation to God, that its violation was equivalent to the violation of every precept of the decalogue. The violation of a positive statute, which was made the test of obedience to an entire code, would not fail to be regarded as the violation of all; and indeed the principles of a man's conduct, which are too weak to prevent him from violating the law in one respect, cannot be safely relied on in any other, were temptations are equally strong, and circumstances equally favourable to sin. Hence the Spirit of God has declared, "He that offends in one point is guilty of all." It was the same law, enjoined on man in innocence, that now asserts its claims and authority over man in guilt and rebellion. God punished the violation of that law, in the first instance, with death, and death yet reigns over the guilty children of men. The constitution remains inviolate on the part of God, although broken on the part of man. His enactment of the moral law on Sinai, and the explicit and peculiarly pointed and solemn exposition of that law by Jesus Christ, show plainly, that whatever man may think and hope, God has not changed the code under which we live. The apostle Paul has shown that the heathen world are all under the same law, and that far as the race is found, God is

pursuing, in the infliction of death upon transgressors, the vindication of the honor and authority of his law. Death is the wages of sin, and death reigns and triumphs with as much uniformity, and as certainly, in consequence of sin, as physical evil comes on the violation of the laws of nature. Men do not expect a change in the latter;-they see the uniform results that flow from their violation, and whether they will, or not, the instincts of their being command their respect for them. Why then, when age after age, and generation after generation, they see death sweep over our guilty race, will they anticipate a change in God's moral constitution? The laws of nature have been occasionally changed by miraculous interpositions of divine power, but where is there an example of a sinner ever having escaped from death, save Enoch and Elijah, whom he exempted from the execution of this law of his moral government? What right or reason can the sinner have to hope for escape from the punishment so justly due to his sins? Will God alter his law for his convenience? Where is the pledge or proof the sinner has, that he either will or can do so? Are we directed to the scheme of redemption? We reply:

The salvation of Jesus Christ never was intended to invalidate in the least degree the authority of the moral law. "I came," says Christ, "not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it." By his own example of perfect and perpetual obedience, he has magnified that law, and shown how God and all holy beings regard and honor it. And can it be, that after having set such an example-having labored and suffered so much to vindicate the good and holy law of God, he will grant the sinner permission to violate it, or look with allowance on his sins? He has indeed atoned for our sins, and rendered it consistent for God to forgive those their sins who will repent and turn from their transgressions. But all this does not affect the claim of God's law, or render void our obligations to it. The very design of his redemption is to bring men off from their rebellion, and to establish them in the love and observance of his law-to make all who will accept the proffered pardon zealous of good works, and conscientious in their observance of the commands of God. If, therefore, the sinner has learned to hope in his mercy, and can live in the indulgence of any one sin, or the neglect of any duty, he is perverting the grace of God into licentiousness. He is expecting what God declares shall never be.

It is indeed true, that the sinner's obedience is not required in order to merit heaven, nor to establish a plea of justification before God, on the ground of personal obedience. But if God offers pardon freely through Christ, and declares that he will justify all transgressors freely through the redemption which there is in him, provided they believe, how can that affect their natural and rightful obligations to do his will? He that says he believes and hopes in the mercy of God for salvation, through Jesus Christ, while he does not conscientiously keep the commandments of God, shows that his mind is blinded, and his conscience defiled. It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for God to suffer the wicked to pass to heaven, who claim the privilege of being saved without a diligent, faithful, and conscientious observance of his will.

God affords proof in the experience of every unconverted sinner, that he does not recede from his law, and will not allow him to violate it with impunity. Although he may think, that impunity thus far may afford presumptive ground to hope for it in all time to come, yet will he find his mistake ere long. "Although a sinner do evil a hundred times," says the wise man, "and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he feareth not before God." The retributions of a God of justice will overtake him. Of this God furnishes abundant proof long before the hour of awful and signal vengeance.

Take the transgressor, of whatever character, and interrogate him in relation to the thoughts of his mind and the feelings of his heart. What painful forebodings, what agitation and perturbation of spirit! What seasons of gloom and dejection oppress and distress him! To the eye of man, he seems gay and full of glee, but could we enter his heart, what crowds of envyings, and fears, and jealousies, should we find distract him in his retirement! The youthful drunkard does, indeed, as he quaffs his cups, and raises the lewd and lustful song, vainly think himself happy; but when recovering from his debauch, and beginning to reflect on his conduct, who would envy him his feelings? How does his eye drop before the gaze of purity and innocence, and his cheek grow red with blushes, when