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totally corrupt and entirely depraved 1
B. If your question is, whether man is as i
wicked as he can be, I should answer no; |l
for the word says, “evil men and sedneers j |
•hall tvax worse and worse, deceiving and : |
being deceivedbut. if your question is, j
whethei the degree of original corruption
is the same in all men, as I understand the ,
Bible, it is even so. For “as iy. water, face
answereth to face, so th’- heart of man to
man.” Piov. xxvii. 19. Or, if your ques
tion is, whether in fallen man, apart from
regenerating grace, there is anything spir
itually good in the sight of God, 1 must
still say no. Horn. iii. 10—20.
?,!• Are not the developments of natural j
depravity diflerenl in difl'eient men, and do j
not tij||se developments depend upon free ;
will i
11, These disclosures of a sinful heart an ;
varied by constitution, lialiit,education, rank ■
•in life, and by God’s piovidentiai govern-J
‘nient. Things which tin not depend on the
free will of the agent, but rather on the All
wise Disposer. So one man’s depravity
runs in one channel, another’s in another.
One is unjust, one lewd, another a slander
er, one a inufTlerer of blasphemer. Ate.: sec
an enumeration of the tjje flesh,
in Gal. v. 19-21. My dear Sir, this is a
painful and humiliating topic; but forming
my views from scripture testimony, I hear
tily subscribe to Paul’s declaration to the
Romans : “For when ye were the servants i
of sin ye were free from righteousness.” i
Chap. vi. 20 Again, “So then, they that are
in ibefcsh, eannot/j/easc God.’Rom- viii.B. j
M. I believe, when God made the pioni
ise, that the seed of the woman should bruise
the serpent’s head, he graciously renewed
the lapsed powers of our fiist parents, and
gave them a seed of supernalur.il grace,
which, being improved, results in regener
ation ; but neglected, is frequently lost.—
So that no man is lost for want of grace,
but rather for the abuse of it.
I). Il l understand you, your opinion is,
that man, as he once teas (not as he now is,)
was wholly depraved: butjiis lapsed pow
ers have been renewed by grace, and that
this is the ground of his accountability.
M. You hit die nail on the head. Ido
believe, the gracious piovidence of God to
ward Adam and his race, is the cause of their
responsibility, What have you to say in
reply ?
B. 1 st. It is destitute of scriptural proof.
2d. If Adam and Eve Inst their nationali
ty by the fall, one would naturally think it
an act of justice, not grace, to renew their
lapsed pmveis, if lie should intend to hold
them accountable! tfl. The doctrine, that
grace is the Inundation ol accountability,
proves too much, and, therefore, nothing.
Fallen Angels posses a rational nature and
free agency. Init they have no grace—no
love. A free agent is one who habitually
wills and acts according to die prevailing
affections of his heart, whether that he holy
or sinful. According to my bumble opin
ion, Rational Powers or Faculties, physi
cally unimpaired, are all that is necessary
to constitute a rational being and a free a
gent.
M. Tl tere is certainly plausibility, and
some force in what you say, but is not “the
manifestation of the Spirit given to every
man<to profit withal.” 1 Cor. xii. 7.
B. The context shows the apostle to he j
speaking of the miraculous gilts, not the re-!
generating influences of the Spirit.
M. Paul says, writing to Titus, “ For
the grace of God thatbringeth salvation hath
appeared to all men, teaching us (not them)
that denying ungodliness and worldly lust,
we should Jive soberly, righteously, and
godly in this present world.” Titus ri. 11,
12.
B. The grace of God appearing to all
men, is certainly di lie re lit from being con- :
ferred on all tnefl. l’eaching us (Apostles j
and the first Christians) not them (all men) 1
as is frequently ‘quoted, &c.
M. I have one more text, which, 1 think,
you cannot explain away. ‘{That was the j
true light that lightetlr every man that com
elh into the world.” John i. 9.
B. Dr. Whitby, the Prince of Arininians,
understands that verse, of those who receive
Christ, that believe on his name, which |
were bom of God, mentioned in 12th and I
13ih verses. No doubt, all light, whether
natural, Isa. xxviii. 23-29, moral, Luke :
xii. 57, or spiritual, John viii. 12 and xii. |
40. comes from I'hrist, either as Creator or;
Meditator: but that all kinds of light come
front him to all men, is not nflirmed in this
passage. The next verse shows the world
did not know Him the Life and the Light
of men v. 4. His own people did not re
ceive him, and the few that did arc said to
be born ol'God, v. 13. Further, a forerun
ner was sent to manifest him, v. 31; for the
Jews had so drank in the notion of a tempo- j
ral kingdom, which their Messiah should
set up, and had so imbibed it, with their j
mother’s milk, that Jesus was to them a j
root out ol a dry ground, and they could
not, because they would not understand,
that his kingdom is not of this world. Furth
ermore,iPaul says to the Ephesians,‘For ye
weresometimerfncA , netr<(in the abstract) but
now ye are light in the Lord,” v. 8, but
how could that he, if they had previously
received spiritual light from Christ.
M. E tinugh ! I yield the point, that I
have misunderstood this text. Have you
anything more in the elucidation of this sub
ject ?
D. I am constrained to object to your
views, Ist. As superceding the necessity of ! ;
regeneration. For if man is not dead to the ! ]
love of God, what necessity to have it irn- i
planted or excited ? If fallen man has su- j
pe.rnatural grace and light from Christ, they j |
may be increased to any assignable degree; i
but if something is communicated, in Re
generation, by the Spirit, sui generis (i. e. j
of its own kind) we can understand the eti-1
ergy of the Saviour’s words: Except a inau I
be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of \
God, As it is the offieework of the!
Spirit, to destroy depravity and create at el-I
ish for holy exercises, I hope this doctrine, j
so dishonoring to the blessed Spirit’s work,
i may be forever discarded,
M. Is there any thing, in my doctrine, j
| which, in your view, obscures the glory of!
j Christ in a sinner’s justification before God? |
I), Yes, for much the same reason, that i
I
i it is objectionable, in regard to Regenera- j
j tion. For, as the Old Puritans used to say, j
i fallen man, having the pride of a devil, will j
never beg lor the Mediator’s Righteousness,
till he sees and feels he has none of his own. j
The doctiine of the Bible, as I read it, is,
■ that men perlorm no works of spiritual obe-1
! dience, pleasant and acceptable to God, till,
, r(igeiicraled and justified. For what saith !
i the scripture. “ For when we were in the j
flesh, the motions of sins, which were by j
the law, did work in our members to bring
forth fruit unto dentil. But now we are
| delivered from the law, that being dead
I wherein we were Ir Id; that we should
j serve in newness of spirit, not in the old
ness of the letter .” Rom. vii. 5, 6. This
! authority goes farther with me. than the de-
I cisions of the Council of Trent, of the Vat
i j icati, or ten thousand D. D.’s.
II M. lam much instructed and pleased.
, j Have you anything else ?
j B. The scriptures are full to this point |
• j and will justify me in declaring that man’s
, i heart by nature, is a forge of iniquity, a cage
! of unclean birds, the hold of every foul spir
, it. Moreover,if History teaches anything,
) it is, that man is dreadfully depraved, alto
■ gather irrecoverable, except by almighty
t grace, and that this world, as one justly says,
has been a Temple of Idols, a bouse of Pol
i 111tion and a Field of Blood, almost from the
- Apostaey to the present bout.
r M. Does native depravity or original sin,
i in your view, operate as a physical necessi
ty or coercive cause, in producing actual I
. sin, in the same, manner, that the curient
-of a river moves the straws on its surface ?
1 If. By no means. If this were the case,
1 there could he no consciousness of guilt, or
I compunction Ibrsin, or fear of wrath. What
1 the sinner is, he chooses to be, and his con
- science occasionally reproaches him lor be
ing so. 11 is sin is active, virulent, and vol
l iintary. The Antinotnian view is, that our
1 depravity is m-.rcly our mi fortune. The
Bible viewis.it is our fault and misfortune.
When men have long drank in this delusion
and taken many potions of this deadly opi
ate, i. e. that sin is merely a misfortune,
they are seldom recovered. Folding their
arms in sottish security on the stool of Do
Nothing, and taking God’s will of purpose
(of which they can know nothing, (ill
events declare it) instead of his will ol com-;
maud, which says. Repent and believe the
Gospel, and mistaking a willingness to he
saved from suffering, for a willingness to bu
i saved iti a way of holiness, they think they
! are willing to he saved ill a scriptural man
ner, but that God, i.- not willing to
save them. They feel no guilt in be* j
mg, or continuing to be sinners.—,
W lien exhorted to repentance they pairy I
the duty, and say, if God wishes me to re
pent, he will give me repentance. A bless
ed truth in its true sense; but as they use
it for an excuse of impenitence, it becomes a
deadly poison.
M. What is the cute of this Evil ?
1
B, To be deeply, thoroughly convinced j
j that all Good comes from the Creator and j
! all Evil from the creature. James, i. 13-17. !
BRADFORD, j
For the Christian Index.
Reasons for Desisting from the Psalmist
Controversy.
j It will be remembered that an Advertise*!
ment of this llyrnnbook, occupied a consid* j
erable space in the Index during several
months of last year and perhaps a part of
this. Then came the criticisms of the Ed
j itor, and then his objections, &e. Many i
tailed to be convinced that there was any j
great wrong in using and promoting the cir*;
dilation of the Book—and it is believed \
they are still in unbelief on this subject.—
Some controversy has finally arisen about J
it. As far as lam concerned, I entered in- 1
to it from as imperious a sense of and ity as j
ever I preached a Sermon : not simply for \
| tire sake of the Book itself, but because I be
i lieved the Book was only made the occasion !
j for the agitation of topics which could pos- j
i sibly do no good, and might do much harm, j
1 now withdraw from this controversy j
| tor the ptesetu lor the following reasons, a- j
inong others: 1. Many of the readers of!
j tho Index take no interest in it. And those !
j that do, I presume are weary of it.
i 2. The Editor seems to regard almost!
every tiring written in defence of the Psalm
ist as attacks upon himself. Hence, every
such article must he numbered otf (perhaps
from l to 17.) so as lobe almost unintelli
gible to men of plain education liko the wri
ter; and “Notesin Self-defence” appended
to it. And these same notes written with
a hard steel pen, with a sharp point. Now, I
I have no ambition to be regarded as a pet
seculcr of the Editor—hence I withdraw.
3. Besides, i begin to think lire Editor is j
getting tired of it himself. And indeed I!
don’t wonder. For in addition to other du-1
ties, to have frequently to writetwoor three
of those long columns, (with drat hard, ;
sharp steel pen,) must keep his handspret- !
| lyfull. Sympathy for him, if no other jet:- j
j soil existed, would prompt me to give him !
! time to take breath.
4. Finally, as a southern man and achiis-i
; tian, my feelings have been put to a sevetel
trial, (if I were to say they had been oUtru
! ged, I should not go much beyond the truth) |
jat seeing the pains that have been taken,
just for the sake of effect, to show that lire |
! friends of this Book are unwittingly doing :
i the very thing that the abolitionists would ;
| have them do. &c. &c. And then “A;
1 compliment to Rev. J. 11. Campbell,” anJ
“A compliment to the Ala. Baptist” must;
needs appear as coming from a scurrilous
| abolition paper published in Boston, &c. —
Now, l have no apprehension that any dre
judice or jealousy will he excited against!
Ime where lam known. And I trusiit will 1
! not affect rile injuriously amongi
j But wliy is all this done ? The Editor may j
; say, he does it in self-defence. He, then,
must stand, no matter who fulls —Ire must
be defended, even though it be at
fice of the friends of the Psalmist, Nitrtlil
and South. J. 11. CAMPBELL.
P. S.—l fear I have given occasion [fori
three more columns of the Editor’s “Notes
in self-defence.’’
We do not go out of the way to seek an i
opponent and are unwilling to pursue a re- j
ti eating one. Editor. |
For the Christian Index.
Matters and Thinstt, &c.
Those who have ever read the life of Na-1
poleon, will remember, that on one occ’a-1
sion, in a general engagement with his en-1
emies, he look his scat on an adjacent hill,
and directed the entire movements of his
army by the aid of his spyglass. In the |
paper warfare about the merits and demfr-i
its of the Psalmist, I have, like j
stood off at a respectable distance, watching
the movements of these two formidable qx- j
i lilies—the friends and the enemies of the !
named book. On the part ol its friends,.l
can see here and there a division retrea’ing!
Here and there an officer laying down Iris’
Bword, declaring, like Xerxes, that enemies \
so bold and cimrageu.iss can never be sub
's ,
lined. I was much amused with the division
iiuilei Major . Certain of success. Ire
led his lorloin to the attack; but being so |
resolutely and successfully opposed by Ma-J
jor Editor, lie retired in great contusion, j
leaving many dead and wounded on the bat- j
tie field. 1 have no doubt that Generals j
Stow and Crowell ami Smith will institute
a Court Martial, and try the Major for cow
ardice ; but whether they will find him or
not is a question ; lor when I saw him last,
he was in full retreat, moving innards the.
source of the Savannah River. The Major
has certainly given a most happy illustra
| tion, or rather, added another laurel to these
words,
lie that fights and runs away
May live to run another day.
But the brunt, and substance of your of-;
! fence, Mr. Editor, is, that you had the pro- j
\ sumption to criticise the Psalmist. My
] Dear Sir, you should have remembered that
Boston is the Athens of Ameiica ! If sire j
lias a poet, or poetess, the one must be a
Homer, and the other a Sappho. If she J
has an orator, he must be a Demosthenes. >
If she has a phi'osopher, he must be a So-1
crates. If she has a legislator, he must be’
j a Solon. If she has a historian, he must j
be a Xenophon. If she has a painter, he t
j must be a Zeuxis or an Apelles. If sh ■ has
an oracle it must be an Apollo; and now,
[Sir, do you dare, you an obscure country !
! Editor, criticise a book approved and com* j
i mended by so many learned men ? Take 1
care, Sir, lest Jupiter, with his flaming right |
hand, (as Horace says) strike you with his !
thunderbolt. Presumption, Sir, is the sin I
; which made Jupiter kick Vulcan out of hea
| ven. ©o Mr. Editor be cautious how you
speak about Boston, ot any of its precious i
things! !
I am very fond of moralizing, and those
| events, which, to some minds, would pos-1
j sess no interest, are to me source* ofre-|
; flection. My attention was arrested, near,
the water’s edge, by two crabs, differing!
some in size. The larger had something |
j in its mouth ; the smaller one was anxious j
|to try it. He had been so much imposed j
| upon by the Iniget, that he would be so no !
! longer, and formed the resolution of trying!
j his strength. The larger one, on the other
i hand, looked very contemptuously on his 1
! opponent, having always, 1 suppose, kept
I him in subjection. Snell were the feelings
!of the parties before the engagement. The
i hour of conflict could be deferred no longer, j
| the smaller crab made a terrible rush upon j
! his antagonist, and seized him firmly— O. j
j what a battle ! There was a plunging and ‘
a dashing—a grating of claws and a clash-j
ing of tins—now one seemed victorious, now j
the other. Such a conflict I had never wit-j
nessed before in the domains of Neptune, j
I expected every moment to see the old sire I
rise from the deep and quell this disturb-!
mice; and l have no doubt lie would, had j
not victorv declared so soon in favor ol the’
smaller crab, who carried off Hie spoil in
triumph. Soon I saw a nuufber of small
crabs come up to their defeated monarch,
consoling him, as I thought, and uttering
their anathemas on the victorious one, who
had carried off their food. I was not long
in finding a moral for this. I thought, that
all southern Editors would stand in the place
of the small crab; the publishing firm, the
large crab; the food, the Psalmist; and the
crowd of little crabs, northern editors and
booksellers; some of whom are dependant
on the large crab. These are they that;
make the noise and uproar, and all because ;
thev were disappointed in getting as much
food as they expected. “The secret and
I rout of your offence,” Mr. Editor, is, that j
i you have, or may diminish the gain of those
’ interested in the book. It is said of the an- !
thor of ti.e Pilgrim’s Progress, that seeing i
several tubs piled on each other, he threw
them down, saying, “ Let every tub stand
on its own bottom.” So say I. If 1 can
not rise by my own merit, I would not wish
to rise at all; and if I ever do rise, it must
be by merit. I would not put a straw in the
way of the Psalmist; but il l recommend it,
1 should do it through feelings of courtesy,
and not because I deem it more meritorious
; than Watts and Rippon. You shall hear
from me again.
I am yours respectfully,
BRUTUS.
We omit, in the above, the signature of
! the writer to whom Brutus alludes. Were
it inserted, it might prove prejudicial to the
interests of one of our correspondents;
j though we presume that the article was on
ly designed as a playful witticism at Iris ex
■ pense —as such we publish it. We impute
| no blame to the correspondent to Whom
i Brutus alludes ; on the contrary, we think
j he has acted well his part, and is therefore
entitled to honor. The second commutii
j cation of Brutus, in reference to the course
j of another advocate of the Psalmist, we
i think best, under all the circumstances of
! the case, to omit. The wit is 100 keen, tire
j satire too severe—it would excite ire; and
too much of that has already been evinced
|on the pait of some of the advocates of the
| I’salmist. We would not disturb the ashes
i of a defunct opponent.
mr the article of Brutus will evince
■ tlmt all the literati of the land are not oppo
j sell to us, if A, B and C are.
For the Christian Index,
Di'llveranee from tlic frar of Death through
Christ.—No. 1,
Heb. ii. 15. And deliver them, who
; through fear of death, were all their lifetime
! subject to bondage. Christ, that lie might
j suite his people, not only camean.ongtheni,
j but became as one of them. For as much
! as the children are partakers of llt-sh and
blood, lie also himself likewise took part of
the same.
It was necessary that he should b come
flesh and dwell among us for several rea
sons. He was thus enabled to experience
our sorrows, lie was made subject to the
Law which had otherwise no claims upon
him and he could obey it lot us. He was
constituted a sympathising High Priest;
and he was also enabled to taste death for
every man. Through his death lie design-j
ed to destroy the kingdom of him, who had j
: the power of death, that is the devil, and j
deliver his subjects from bondage and death.
The deliverance here spoken of is perhaps
tobe taken in its widest sense. Our Sa
viour designed to deliver men Iront all their
spiritual enemies—from darkness anil su
perstition ; from guilt and depravity ; from
the power and dominion of the Devil, and
Iron, the punishment of sin alter death.—
Among other things He designed to deliver
them from thu fear of death, This seems
to be a prominent sentiment in the text
Hence we deduce this doctrine; that Christ
by his death does deliver men Irom the fear
: of death ; which we design to illustrate.
1. By delivering men front the penalty
1 and guilt of sin, Christ releases them from
i the fear of death. Sin is the proliticsource
of all our sorrow s. Had sin never entered
into the world men would have had no cause
to fear death. They would have felt as ea
sy and secure in the presence of God, as
an unoffending child does in the presence
!of its beloved parent. It was not until man
; had fallen lhalheshrunk ashamed and trein
! bling from the presence ol his Maker. Had
j it been possible for hint to die in this state
! of innocence he could not have feared death.
But men have transgressed the laws ol'God.
j This is true not of one or of a few, but of
’ all men. There is none that doelh good,
Ino not one. And there are no cireumslan
! ces to palliate the guilt of their transgress
i ions. They have not sinned because they
were ignorant of the law of God or because
1 thev were surprised by sudden and strong
temptations. But all men have broken
God’s laws, wilfully, knowingly, deliber
ately, and perseveringly. They have all
: gone astray. The imaginations of their
j hearts are only evil. And they have no
| cloak for their sin. Men are conscious that
i these things are so ; it is no tale of fiction
j —no libel on human nature but sad heart
j felt truth. Not only do men acknowledge
! their guilt, but they know that justice de
; mands punishment. They cannot conceive
| of God as one that will permit his authori
[ iv to be trifled with and his laws to he bro
i ken with impunity. He will by no means
clear the gniltv. Hence we are nfiaid to
die, “It is a dread, an awful tiling to die,” j
because after death then is the judgment.-^-j
But, brethren, the gospel brings us light!
and iiope—when there was none to pity,
God had mercy upon us and sent his soil
to save us. In full view of the consequen
ces Jesus undertook tc make satisfaction
for transgressors. VVe know what it cost
him to purchase our pardon. He was hum
bled, he labored, ho suffered, he died, the ;
just for the unjust, that we might live. Now !
there is no difficulty with the Father in for
giving the sinner. It is in perfect harmony
with all his attributes. In dispensing par-!
don Ire can be just. And while through!
| the blood ofChrist we have the forgiveness
! of sin, we are justified by faith in his name.
| Our sins are forgiven and the guilt of them
is covered and forgotten. Thtough the
j blood of Jesus we stand before God forgiv
en and justified. \Ye have no sense ofguilt
and consequently no fear of death. The
sting of death is sin.”
Now if the believer reflecting upon his
sins and imperfections should feel unworthy
to go into the presence of God, he is inspir
ed with hope and confidence by looking to
the Cross of Christ. Should the Devil sug
gest to him that he is a sinner, that justice
requires that he should die, lie may face his
fierce accuser and tell liim Jesus died.—
Why then should he be afraid of death?—
Jesus has died for him—God lias justified j
trim, and who can lay ant thing to his
charge ?
2. Christ also deliveis men from the do
minion and pollution of sin, and this work
tends to remove the fear of and ath. By na
ture we are spiritually unclean. David’s
acknowledgement we may all make. Ps.
51:5. “Behold I was shapen in iniquity,
| and in sin did my mother conceive me.”—
t This uncleanness of our nature has been in
! creased by actual transgression. Out souls
| are all defiled with sin—sin committed by
| us The best among men, without grare,
| are earthly, sensual, devilish, The love of
| sin is born with us, and it grows with our
| growth, andttstrengthens with our strength.
IWe hate no love for holiness ; the 1.. wof
out minds, the dictates of our understand
ings are on the side of God ; but the law ol
our flesh, our carnal psopeusities are on the
side of sin. If this be true of us, howcould
we bu happy in Heaven ? An unholy na
ture is unfit for a holy place. There is
wisdom in having a time for all tilings, and
is there less wisdom in having an appiopri
! ale place for all tilings ? For the devil and
; his angels there is a place called the pit
| “prepared;” and Jesus has gone into Ilea
j ven to “prepare a place for the righteous;”
| anil the fitness ol things require every one
in go “to lus own place.” There is upon
the minds of the ungodly such an impres
sion of tile justice of this law that they are
awfully afraid to die with the unholiness of
their nature attached to them. And there
are many portions of the word ol God,
which conspire to drive from the minds ol
men all hope ol reaching Heaven in an un
holy state. John 3: 3. “Except a man
|be born again,” &c. Hub 12: 14- “lle
i liness without which,” Sic. Matt. 5.
“Blessed are the pure in heart,” Sic. Rev.
121: 27. “Into the new Jerusalem there
j shall in no wiseeutcrany tiling that defiled).
Hence it is necessary that we shall not
only be pardoned hut born again, made ho
ly. And through the death ofChrist it is
made possible that men may become parta
kers of the Divine holiness. Through the
death of Christ strong inducements to holi
ness are presented to the sinner. In the
blood which was shed to make atonement
I for sin, he sees the exceeding guilt of sin.
’ In the death of Christ he sees the great love
of God. And this love should constrain
him to love God. Butin the death oft hrist
he sees a door of hope opened to the world,
j Now he may escape from hell, he may be
j reinstated in the iavor of God, and he may
ibe admitted into the new Jerusalem. This
| door of hope encourages his heart; he feels
| that it is wrong to neglect so rich a provis
| ton and he is almost persuaded to become
j a Christian.
But through the death of Christ the Ho
le Spirit is sent into the world. Our hearts
; must be changed, and though it is wicked
! in us to persevere in cherishing the unholy
■ principles of our hearts, yet God has not left
j us to ourselves to renovate our natures.—
Graeious influences may be sought ami uL
-1 tained. And through these influences we
; may become new creatures in Christ Jesus.
| But these gracious influences we never can
j merit. They come to us freely through
1 Jesus Christ. Hence II said to his disci
| pies “it is expedient for you that I go a
! way,” &c.
Our natures being changed we naturally
Aend towards God. We feel that heaven is
our home. The society we love is there,
and its employment pleases. Hence no
fear of death. EPISCOFOS.
For the Christian Index.
The Vanity of earthly Pursuits.
In reference to the universe, our exis
tence may be considered as eternal ; but as
connected with this world, it is ail change,
and mortal. Life is but a dream. The
whole creation wears a deceitful appear
ance. Its gloss is false, and its glitter tran
sient. Ours is a breathless race, after
phantoms, which vanish upon the embrace,
and bubbles, which burst upon the touch.
Whether we consider man collectively, or
individually, we find the same vanity atten
ding all his pursuits.
First, let us consider the collective efforts
of man, as they present themselves in the
passage of history. Here, we shall find
the late of the most powerful governments,
to be mutability, and oblivion. Where
now istheonce proud Carthage * andTyre,
andSidon? Ninevah, and Babylon? Alt
Europe was once free. But where’novv is
the diet of Sweden ? The States of Hol
land and Portugal ? and the republics of
Switzerland and Italy ? Fallen into the
Abyss, which awaits man and all his boast*
ed power. What are the mighty efl'ortst
and solemn compacts of men ? They are
but the flax, which falls asunder at the
touch of flame. La Fivette, with his fifty
thousand followers, swoie, wall one hand
upon the altar, and the other upon the
sword, never to desert their co'nsiituiinn.—
Yet the constitution of France has vanish
ed. Upon all ol these we see inscribed in
glaring letters—vanity. The efforts, or
pursuits of men combined, even by the
most solemn obligations are vain, and fleet
ing as the wind. Nor is it less true with
the pursuits of individuals.
How often is it that we see the youth*
setting out with fairest prospects, of an
earthly character—the child of fortune—
Possessing the affections of Iris family, and
the confidence of the public. And what
is still better, self-debased and heaven di
rected. Who has not seen such a moral
structure, rising in splendor to noonday f
and then, suddenly sinking behind Some
dark, portentous cloud. In a moment, all
his hopes are blasted. Treachery comes
with its double lace, and plants the destruc
tive sword in the tnidst of his enjoyments.
Riches take to th rnselves wings and fly a
way; and poverty takes their place. The
friends of prosperity avoid him, as they
would the approach of the destructive Si
moom. Nothing is left, but that worst of
all tilings, the feverish remembrance of de
parted joys ; never, never to return. Then
what is the gaudy show of the world, or
its dazzling honors? Should ue obtain them
all, ere we have commenced to enjoy them
death comes, with its chilly horrois; and
clammy rottenness. Neither flattery, no. -
wealth can satisfy its demands, (’ollec
livcly there is not a breath, but begins, or
ends, the existence of someone. But is
there no retreat, from these soul-chilling
pursuits ? Is there no end to this ?
“Ail heaven peels with the note, and earth
resounds it in our ears, that there is a place
where the wicked cease from tumbling,
and the weary :ue at rest.”
PARVUS.
Oct. 19ih 1344.
For the Christian Index.
Antidote.
(This lias been on hand some months.)
There was a licensed Baptist Minister,-
about twelve years ago, who had his fami
ly at die Suwanee Springs. On his way
home, eight miles from ihe Spring, at Ticr
Creek, where a church has been since es
tablished. lie fell in at an appointment made ’
by two Baptist preachers, the Rev. Win,
Knight and Rev. Jarvis Fryer. They in
vited a Missionary Baptist to preach,and he
look for his text, “Go ye into all the world
and preach the gospel to every creature.”
The discourse was applauded by all the
reading part nf the congregation ; and sev
eral were therefrom Liberty County. But
one of the above named preachers said it
was false doctrine. As the man belonged
to an Antiniissionary church, it was report
ed to his church that he hail preached lalsc
doctrine, and he was arraigned before the
church tor it. All the defence he made was
to heg leave to preach from the same text
before the church where his membership
was. The accuser did not appear anil the
church found no fault with the discourse.
Ip less than a year past, the Rev. J. Fryer
has been arraigned and turned out for the
same principles, but is now restored to a
Missionary church with the same brother,
and they arc both in full fellowship and love.
J. GAULDING.
We suppose that the licensed preacher
was the one that preached the Missionary
sermon, and that brother Fryer is the one
who charged him with false doctrine, but
who is now a devoted Missionary preacher.
Editor.
Aristhenes wondered at mankind, that in
buying an earthen dish, they were so care
ful to sound it lest it had a crack, yet so
careless in choosing friends as to take them
flawed with vice. How few persons at
the present day would ever discover and
apply so beautilul an analogy.
A Church of Converted Romanists. —lt
is stated in the Christian Observer that a
colporteur of the American Tract Soeiety,
himself a convert from the Papacy, has met
with such success 111 his labors among Ro
manists in New York, as to induce him to
commence anew church, to be composed
exclusively of converts from Popery. It
commences with more than thirty members.
Who will sav that there is no hope of the
conversion of Papists ?
Our Seminaries. —The Howard now
has eighty students, and the Judson one
hundred andffteen. Some twenty-five
young lathes former pupils of the Judson
are yet to return, and we know ns many
new pupils who intend to enter.— Ala
flaptist.