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more real religion, and should hear fewer complaints of dull, uninteresting sermons. And now, my kind reader, I beg of you to put the question to your own conscience —have you not complained thoughtlessly of your preacher? Have you not, many times, complained when the fault was your own? If so, it is time to amend in this matter. Justice to him, and to yourself, alike demands it. And not less is it due to Him, who has seen fit to employ the ministry of the gospel, as the means by which truth and virtue are to be preserved and advanced.

J. W.

ON MYSTERIES-CONTINUED.

The term

We are now to inquire what a mystery is. as used in the New Testament, generally signifies something which is concealed from man-some truth undiscoverable by the human understanding. But the term may be received in two senses. When applied to some truth actually unknown, it is to be understood in its strict literal sense-the truth spoken of is then properly a mystery. When it is applied to something once unknown, but now revealed, it must be understood figuratively, for what is in fact revealed and known can no longer, in strict propriety, be termed mysterious. For instance, when our Saviour in reply to a question from his disciples respecting the time of the future judgment, assured them that "of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only," we are to understand that the thing of which he speaks is literally a mystery. It remains unknown, and will remain so, until it shall be

disclosed to us. When he said to Peter "what I do thou knowest not now, but shalt know hereafter," he alluded to that, which Peter could not then understand, and which was therefore literally a mystery to him. When he evaded the inquiry of his disciples, "are there few that be saved?" by saying to them "strive to enter in at the straight gate, &c," he left the object of their inquiry a genuine mystery.

It is easy to multiply examples of this sort, for the world is full of them. The amount of our actual knowledge is just enough to teach us how much remains to be known and how many things are inscrutable, by the utmost expansion or acuteness of the human mind. The counsels of the Supreme Being and the reasons of his special providences, the modes by which natural effects are produced, and the causes of a thousand incidents which occur every day of our lives are all inexplicable mysteries.

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There are, on the other hand, cases in which the term is used figuratively. The Christian Faith itself, because it was literally unknown to the world until the coming of our Lord, is frequently called a mystery by St Paul, even when speaking of it as now made manifest." Take the following instances" the mystery which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest.” Rom. xvi. 25.-"Having made known unto us the mys tery of his will, according to his good pleasure, &c." Eph. i. 9. "How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery (as I wrote afore in few words) whereby when ye read ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ." Eph. ii. 3.—And in the vi. chap. 19th verse of the same epistle, where he is giving them

directions for whom and for what to pray, he adds, "and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel." Christianity is styled the "mystery of the kingdom of God," and its ministers "the stewards of the mysteries of God." The doctrine of the resurrection is,

in this sense of the word, termed a mystery. "Behold," says St Paul, "I show you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, &c." These examples may serve to illustrate the different uses of this term. And it is of much consequence to observe this distinction, because the whole difficulty, belonging to the subject under consideration, arises from confounding these two meanings of a word employed indifferently, by the sacred writers of the New Testament, in reference to a truth unknown, and undiscoverable by reason, and the same truth after it has been explicitly revealed. It is plain, that when the Apostle speaks of knowing a mystery, of a mystery being made manifest, being understood, being revealed, he in fact acknowledges that it is a mystery no longer. The question therefore is, whether the religion of Jesus Christ is a system of unknown and unintelligible truths, or whether these things have been made known, and consequently have ceased to be mysterious?"

We proceed to show, that the mysteries of the kingdom of God have been made intelligible by the religion of Jesus Christ. The passages just quoted, though brought together for the purpose merely of explaining a word, do assert this fact in direct terms. They declare, that the truths, which were kept secret since the world began, are now revealed, and are to be preached to all nations for the obedience of faith. It was the declared object of

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Christianity, to turn men from darkness to light-to instruct, that it might reform the world. Our Saviour cleared up a great number of difficulties, which were insurmountable by mere human reason. He has given a solution to a thousand mysteries. He has unsealed and unrolled the volume of providence, which had been hid for ages from the human eye. We know, that he commanded the gospel to be preached to all nations-to the poor as well as the rich-to the ignorant as well as the learned. We do know, that the language in which he spake to the multitudes who assembled from all quarters to hear him, was so clear and simple, so entirely adapted to all capacities, that people of every class and description were convinced, and became his followers. then were the doctrines which he preached? He taught, that the Supreme Being is the Maker and Governor of the world; that all mankind were his subjects, wholly dependent upon him, and the constant recipients of his bounties ;-that all are accountable to him for their actions and characters;-that whatever we possess is a talent, for the improvement or misimprovement of which we are all answerable;—that this great Being hath revealed by him, to mankind, how they may become acceptable in his sight ;--what are their duties in this life, and what their destination in another. He taught, that death

is not to be the termination of man's existence ;-that all the dead shall be restored to life, and that then every one shall be judged according to his deeds. This is the substance of the christian doctrines, and among these there certainly is not a single proposition, which may not be comprehended by any man of common intelligence. Any one can form some rational ideas of what is meant

by the sovereignty of God, and our own dependence ;what is meant by a future existence and the resurrection of the dead, by the obligation to obedience, and by punishment and reward.

If the doctrines of Christianity are not mysterious, its precepts are equally clear. They relate to actions, which certainly we cannot be expected to perform, unless we are first made to understand; to principles of conduct, the nature of which we must first perceive before we can successfully apply them. They relate to virtues or vices, the operation of which is seen and felt every day in our intercourse with the world. If we look into the sermons of our Saviour, we shall find no precept, which is doubtful, above the reach of our capacities, or contradictory to reason. If we look into his life, we shall find, that the example he has left for our imitation is so entirely rational, and so perfectly excellent, that the understanding intuitively perceives, that if we would find happiness, we must follow his steps. His exhortations to repent, to be humble, charitable, benevolent, and forgiving; to love the Deity with all our hearts, and our neighbors as we love ourselves, we readily comprehend. We can be at no loss to discover what is required of us. If we obey, we do it understandingly. If we do not obey, we cannot plead in justification of our delinquency, that the commands of our master are impracticable, because they are obscure.

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Influence of the Imagination on the Nervous System, contributing to a false hope in Religion. By Rev. GRANT POWERS, A. M. Andover: Flagg and Gould.

THIS is a book which we are glad to receive from a quarter, where no suspicion of ill design can arise to im

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