that men of some good degree of ener getick, active piety, are those alone that will be any how acceptable or useful;any such minister will be received for his work's sake, and will receive the best accommodations from the people that they can give him." Prompt Return, and Liberal Proposal. In reply to the circulars, recently issued from the Office of the Board of Missions of the General Assembly, the following letter was received last week from a gentleman of distinction, and well known liberality, in Pennsylvania. We cannot but indulge the hope, that an example, so benevolent and persuasive, will find many cheerful imitators. "Dear Sir, I have received your circular, issued at the office of the Board of Missions of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, of February 25th, and also your private communication of February 23d. I would just remark, that to me it would be extremely injudicious, under any circumstances whatever, to dissolve the Board; and I cannot see what objections any other society or sect of Christians can make, to our own Church exerting herself in that way which may seem most conducive to promote real piety and enlarge her bounds. I mentioned to Mr. -, when in your city a few weeks past, to hand in my name as one of the hundred-dollar subscribers; I find it has not been done. I now, Rev. Sir, desire that you may place my name on your list as a subscriber for one hundred dollars per year for ten years. I also mentioned to Mr. that it would not affect my payment yearly, whether the whole number of subscribers should be obtained, or not. There is another Society which I feel it my duty to support, in my small way; I mean your Education Society, to assist indigent pious young men in preparing themselves for the ministry. If it should be thought right by the fathers of our Church in your city to encourage as. sistance to that Society, I would freely engage to pay one hundred dollars per year, for ten years, on condition that fifty persons shall agree to pay that sum on or before the first day of November next, or at any other time your Committee might think best. I conclude with most heartily wishing success, not only to the exertions of the Presbyterian Church, but to every society which has in view the glory of God, and the christianizing of the world.” The Treasurer of the Trustees of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church acknowledges the receipt of the following sums for their Theological Seminary at Princeton, N. J. during the month of May last, viz. Of Henry Chester, Esq., per Andrew Bayard, Esq., for a Check on Grafton Of Bev. Robert M'Cartee, Canal Street Church, N. Y. Of Rev. John Smith, Otsego Presbytery Of Rev. Alonzo Welton, North River Presbytery Of Dr. Ebenezer Dickey, Oxford, and U. W. Nottingham, New Castle Presbytery Of Rev. Thomas Barr, Richland Presbytery Of Rev. George Chandler, Kensington For rent of a carpenter's shop Amount received for the contingent fund, Of Rev. Joshua T. Russell, collected by him in New York for the New York and New Jersey Professorship Of Rev. Eli F. Cooley, collected by him in New Brunswick Presbytery, for ditto $469 02 10.00 5 75 5 00 4.00 6 00 5.00 20 00 $524 77 450 00 176 50 Of Rev. Jos. L. Shaffer, do. in Harmony $15, and in Oxford, $20, do. 35 00 55 00 Of Rev. Jesse Rankin, Concord Presbytery, for do. 57 13 Of Rev. James L. Marshall, on account of his subscription for the Oriental and Biblical Literature Professorship 70 00 Of Rev. Abraham Williamson, per Rev. Dr. John McDowell, in part of his subscription for the Eumenian Scholarship, $4, and $6 from the Female Benevolent Society of Chester, on his account 10 00 Of Rev. George S. Woodhull, for the Senior Class of 1820 Scholarship 50 00 18 00 Of Hugh Auchincloss, Esq., Treasurer of New York Presbytery, for ditto Amount received for the Seminary 118 72 46 63 4. 00 $1615 75 Received also for the Board of Missions, viz. Of Rev. Joshua T. Russell, General Agent, the particulars are published by him Of ditto from Rev. James W. Alexander, for a mission to our Aborigines Of ditto Of ditto Of ditto Of ditto. Of ditto $105 92 60 00 58 70 257 50 23 63 353 63 843 20 Of ditto Of Miss Olive Sproat, per M. L. Bevan, Esq., her donation Of Rev. Jacob Green, from Female Missionary Society of Bedford, Aux to Monthly Concert collection Bible Class do. $3.40, and donation from Miss R. Peck $1 Of Rev. A. O. Patteson, Longrun, Redstone Presbytery Donation from Mrs. E. Taylor, $4, and Miss M. Taylor, $1 Of Hugh Auchincloss, Esq., Treasurer of New York Presbytery, annual collections Of Rev. George Junkin, from Danville Miss Soc. Aux. to Board of Missions Of Rev. John Dorrance, from several congregations in Mississippi Presbytery, being 50 cent subscriptions 95 25 Of Rev. R. B. Belville, Neshaminey, annual collections 5 00 Of Rev. Peter Hossinger, Waterford and Gravel Run, Erie Presbytery, ditto 3 15 Of Rev. A. K. Russel, New Castle Presbytery, ditto 60 67 Of Mr. Samuel Morrow, Fourth Presbyterian Church, ditto 12 32 Of Rev. John Mitchelmore, Lewes Presbytery, ditto 11 87 Of Rev. Ithamar Pillsgrove, Long Island Presbytery, ditto Of Rev. Alexander M'Clelland, Derry, Carlisle Presbytery, ditto 8 00 Of Nathaniel Davis, Esq., Treasurer of Albany Presbytery, ditto 41 33 Of Rev. James Latta, per Rev. W. Latta, Upper Octorara, New Castle Presbytery, ditto Of Dr. James Magraw, L. W. Nottingham, and Charleton, ditto, ditto Of Rev. Jos. Barr, per Rev. A. Babbit, Leacock, New Castle Presbytery, Of Rev. John McKnight, from Mrs. Mt. McKnight, Treas. Fem. Miss. Soc. Of Rev. Dr. E. Dickey, Oxford, and U. W. N. $6, Fagg's Manor, $11, New Of Jos. Montgomery, Esq., Fifth Presbyterian Church For the first time since we assumed the editorship of the Christian Advocate, we this month omit altogether a View of Publick Affairs. We regret this omission, although we have nothing of great importance to report. But our engagements with the General Assembly, followed by some indisposition, leave us no alternative but either to delay the issuing of our monthly number very unduly, or to omit the article in question for a single month. We have chosen the latter part of the alternative. THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE. JULY, 1829. Keligious Communications. LECTURES ON THE SHORTER CATECHISM OF THE WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY OF DIVINES-ADDRESSED TO YOUTH. LECTURE XL. (Concluded from page 243.) But according to the answer of our Catechism now under consideration, not only is the use of graven images and sensible symbols of every kind prohibited in the service of God, but we are forbid den to worship him "in any other way not appointed in his word." I will shortly notice a few of these other forbidden ways; and I solicit a particular attention to what I shall offer on this part of the answer before us, because I believe that you whom I address are in far less danger of transgressing the divine precept by the formal use of images, or visible symbols, than of violating it in some of the methods, or instances, now to be specified. 1. We are forbidden by the manifest scope of the second commandment to form, even in our minds, any fanciful representation of the great and invisible Jehovah. The human fancy is exceedingly prone to create forms or phantasms of its own; and it certainly requires some care and effort, to restrain it in religious worship, from framing some image or picture of the unseen Deity; to abstract the mind from every sensible or imagiVOL. VII.-Ch. Adv. nary object; to set God alone before it, and to fill it with deep awe and solemn reverence for that pure, glorious, spiritual, and infinite Being, to whom all our prayers and praises, in order to be acceptable, must be addressed. The duty here stated is clearly implied, or rather explicitly enjoined, by our Saviour, where he says (John iv. 24,) “God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." Many, my dear youth, very many, it is to be feared, transgress the second commandment, in the way to which this particular points your attention. 2. What is called in holy Scripture "will worship," is forbidden by the spirit of the second commandment. By will worship, we are to understand every thing in religion which, not being prescribed in the revealed will of God, has no higher or better origin than the will, invention, or device of man. The sinfulness of this will worship consists in its carrying with it an arrogant implication that the Creator's requisitions, made known in his written word, are imperfect and defective, and need to be amended or supplied by the creature's wisdom, contrivance, or prescription. Thus in some churches called Christian, the sacraments of the New Testament-Baptism and the Lord's Supper-are not administered agreeably to the divine 20 institution, by simply washing with water in the name of the sacred Three, and by giving and receiving common bread and wine as the memorials of the death and sacrifice of Christ, but with several vain appendages, which are entirely the unauthorized devices and additions of men. Under this head, also, must be ranked a multitude of superstitions, and profane rites and practices; such as endeavouring to unveil future events by applying to fortune tellers, or prognosticators; using unlawful means to prevent or cure diseases, or to obtain an object of any kind, though lawful and desirable in itself; "simony and sacrilege; all neglect, contempt, hindering and opposing the worship and ordinances which God hath appointed."* Certain false appearances of religion, likewise, belong to the class of errors and evils that fall under this particular. When the minds of men become greatly excited by religious considerations, without being suitably enlightened and guarded, they are exceedingly prone to prescribe, both for themselves and others, some extraordinary religious services, or peculiar austerities, or a devotion of their time and property to what they consider sacred uses, which are not required, nor in the least degree countenanced, in the Scriptures of truth. From this root, the whole system of Monkery and Celibacy, with all their attendant follies, impositions, and unnumbered mischiefs of various kinds, have sprung up and been nourished; and to the very same origin may be traced the unhappy and reproachful extravagances, which have been witnessed in some revivals, or supposed revivals of religion, in our own country. A blind, heated, rash, and misguided zeal, has, in various ways, done incalculable injury to the cause of genuine vital piety. We should see • Larger Catechism to it therefore that we have a plain scriptural warrant for every religious act, duty, or service, that we either attempt ourselves, or enjoin on others. Without this, whatever show there may be of unusual sanctity, or holy ardour, the issue will always be unhappy. The sin of will worship is committed, and the consequences will, in the end, be unfavourable to pure and undefiled religion. 3. Those who altogether neglect publick worship, or at any time unnecessarily absent themselves from it, or who disregard any of the ordinances or duties which God has appointed or commanded; and those also who pretend that they can serve him more advantageously in some other way devised and adopted by themselves, must be considered as grossly violating the command before us. "This precept is also transgressed by not attending on the ordinances of God with that holy, humble, and becoming frame of spirit, that the solemnity of the duties themselves, or the authority of God enjoining, or the advantages which we may expect to receive by them, call for. When we do not seriously think what we are going about, before we engage in holy duties, or watch over our own hearts and affections, or else worship God in a careless and indifferent manner; in which case we may be said to draw nigh to him with our lips, while our hearts are far from him.""* Let us now consider "the reasons annexed to the second commandment," which, according to our catechism, are" God's sovereignty over us, his propriety in us, and the zeal he hath to his own worship.” This is to be considered as the exposition of the words in the sacred text-" For I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth * Ridgley. ge. neration of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments." Formal reasons, it may be observed, are annexed only to this, and the three following precepts of the decalogue. Of the three reasons conjoined with the commandment under consideration, God's sovereignty over us, is the first-This sovereignty is expressed in the sacred oracle by the words "I the Lord." The very term JEHOVAH, here translated LORD, denotes self-existence; and implies that the great and glorious Being to whom it refers is omnipotent or almighty, and the fountain or source from which all other beings derive their existence. This supremacy, the underived "I AM" here brings into view, as a reason why the command he delivers, relative to the exclusion of images in his worship, should receive the most careful and exact obedience. And surely this is reason enough. Power, among creatures, may indeed exist, without wisdom to direct it, or benevolence and goodness to influence its exercise. But we know it does not so exist, and I think it is inconceivable that it should thus exist, in the Supreme Being. It seems therefore to be taken for granted in the sacred Scriptures, that every intelligent being who has any knowledge of the true God, will know and understand that his almighty power will, and forever must be, righteously exercised. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Hence appeals are made to this power, to silence all rebellion in the creature, and all questioning of any of his commands, ways, or doings. "It is somewhat remarkable," says an excellent writer, "that in the book of Job, composed on purpose to resolve some difficulties in providence, when God is brought in as speaking himself out of the whirlwind, he makes use of no other ar gument than his tremendous majesty and irresistible power!" This then is the first reason annexed to the second commandment, that God "is sovereign Lord over us, and has a right to make what laws he pleases, about his own worship; and that we, as God's subjects, are bound to observe these laws, and to worship him no other way."+ The second reason annexed to this command is, God's "propriety in us"-Speaking, as it were, personally, to each individual of his chosen people, he says of himself, I am "thy God." Even among men, no right of exclusive property is considered more indisputable and valid, than that which we have to the productions of our own ingenuity and workmanship. But all mankind are "God's workmanship." They are, in a degree infinitely beyond what men can affirm of their sagacity and labour, the creatures, the products, of his power and skill. Yet the Lord Jehovah has claims on us as his peculiar property and possession, still stronger than those which he derives from creation. When by sin and rebellion, man had risen up against his Maker, alienated himself from his rightful owner and sovereign, and made himself over, as it were, to the enemy of both God and man, and deserved, as the just recompense of his enormous guilt, to be banished for ever from all goodGod not only spared him, but provided redemption for him-Yes, my dear youth, and the price of redemption from our slavery to sin and Satan, and the incurred penalty of eternal death, was high indeed-too high for any created being to provide and pay. For "we were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold-but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." Surely, when all this is considered, God's "proprieWitherspoon. † Willison. |