the noon-tide of celestial day enlightened and cheered a perishing world. Angels had been present at each succeeding manifestation. They had heard the promise which was added to the curse pronounced at the expulsion from Paradise; for they were stationed there after the Fall, with a flaming sword to keep the way of the tree of life. They communed with the patriarchs; they attended when the Law of Moses was given, by which the mystery of redemption was more fully shadowed forth; an angel smote the first-born of Egypt, and assisted the chosen race of Israel; -an angel foretold the birth of that Deliverer, who should "save his people from their sins;"-they were present at his advent; and assembled in a multitude on that memorable day, "praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will to men;"-they ministered to the incarnate Saviour when he was in the wilderness tempted of the devil ;— they deserted him not in his agony in the garden of Gethsemane : when his earthly disciples slept, an angel from heaven strengthened him;--they announced his resurrection-they formed a triumphant retinue at his ascension ;-they be held the struggles of his infant church; and now they witnessed the manifold wisdom of God visibly displayed in the extension of the benefits of his atonement and the call of the Gospel to the whole world. Thus, by means of their intimate acquaintance with

the

Church of Christ, they are ever acquiring more enlarged views of his love and power: they rejoice over every sinner that repenteth; they minister to his faithful servants amidst their conflicts with the world, the flesh, and the devil; they watch over their death-bed, so that though it were but Lazarus, a beggar, that died in the faith of Christ, they were ready to convey his redeemed spirit to the bosom of his Saviour, and the everlasting enjoyments of the heavenly world.

CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 334.

And do the principalities and powers above, who have no personal interest in the atonement, thus delight to contemplate, by means of it, the manifold wisdom of God; and shall we, for whom it was offered; we, sinners of the Gentiles, to whom this word of salvation is sent, neglect the offered mercy? Is it nothing to us that Christ died for our sins and rose again for our justification, and promises to us the gift of his Holy Spirit to convert and sanctify our hearts? Is it nothing to us, that, notwithstanding all our offences, pardon is offered to us, if only we repent and turn to God; with whom, being justified freely by faith, we obtain peace and an interest in his promises here, and everlasting glory hereafter? Shall we slight this bountiful provision of the grace of God to supply all our wants? Shall we refuse to yield to him our hearts, and to devote to him our lives? No: He deserves, not less than he requires, our obedience; he invites us by gratitude, as much as he commands us by the obligations of his law. Be it then ours, his Holy Spirit assisting us, to understand, to feel the value of, and to embrace for our eternal welfare, this mystery of Divine wisdom, this unspeakable gift of God to man, in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ: to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all praise and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

the sake of the outline of his plan of congregational or parochial discipline-a subject which has of late excited much interest;-leaving to our correspondents to point out in detail its merits and defects, in reference both to the doctrines of the Gospel and the regimen of our Established Church.

Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer.

Having read an interesting paper in your publication of last month, on the Difficulties attending the Christian Ministry," one part of which referred to the want of congregational discipline in our churches-an evil which to me appears of no small importance-I beg leave to state to your readers the manner in which I have endeavoured to remedy that defect in my own congregation.

For upwards of twelve years I have had the care of a chapel in a large and populous town. Perceiving, soon after I came to the situation, that many persons were desirous of having conversation with me upon religious subjects and their hope of an interest in the mercy of God, I appointed a time for receiving and conversing with them. The time so appointed and observed was of peculiar advantage, for by degrees these regular visits were matured into a weekly conversation and prayer meeting; to which those only were allowed to come who were invited by myself to attend.

Having in this manner continued to meet many serious inquirers for nearly two years, and the number of regular attendants at this our Friday-evening meeting amounting to nearly fifty persons, I resolved to form the little company into a visible church, as separately distinguished from the congregation. In pursuance of this resolution, I drew up a set of rules, for the signature of those who should be thus embodied in Christian fellowship; and at our meeting (which hitherto was held in my parlour) on Friday, March

31, 1820, proceeded to carry my plan into execution. A blessing being sought for, by fervent prayer, upon the important object for which we were more immediately met, I named to our little assembly such persons as in their and my own judgment were subjects of Divine grace; of course, those present, as well as a few who were not able to attend, were included in the number. Those who were present signed the Articles of Christian Communion I had previously prepared: and thus, by the gracious providence of God, our church was formed.

Our members increasing, I was obliged to hire a large room for our meetings, which commenced with a hymn and prayer; after which, the subjects proposed on the Friday evening preceding were discussed, and another hymn and prayer closed the service. As this meeting was established as a peculiar privilege for those who were formally admitted into our society, a prayermeeting, open not only for the members of our church, but also for any persons who might wish to attend, was appointed to be held in the same room every Monday evening.

The Lord being pleased to bless my ministerial labours, and many being added to our church every month, it was found necessary to revise our rules, and increase the number of elders;-for, from the commencement, I perceived the expediency of dividing the town into different districts, and appointing an elder over each district, who should have the care of such members as reside within the district over which he might be appointed; to whom, in case of my absence from home, or their distance of residence from my dwelling, they might go for advice upon any occasion of temporal or spiritual distress. It may be of service to present you a brief outline of the articles contained in those regulations.

1. An acknowledgment of the goodness of God in the providences

connected with the formation of the church of which we are professed members.

2. A confession of manifest adoption into the grace of God, through the special influence of the Holy Ghost.

3. Profession of attachment to the services of the Established Church.

4, 5, 6. Statements of faith in the prominent doctrines of Scripture-namely, the fall, personal election, justification, effect of grace upon the conduct, final perseverance,

&c. &c.

7. A declaration of approval in the choice of and appointment of elders.

8. An avowal of purpose to attend the public and social means of grace. 9. A description of the mode of admission of members;-first, by introduction to myself as minister; next, by conversation with the elders; and lastly, by the unanimous consent of the church.

10. A reference to the statement to be given vivâ você by the members, after admission into the church, concerning the dispensations of the providence of God in their conversion.

11. An explicit statement of the manner in which erroneous conduct is to be detected, reproved, and prevented;--first, by private admonition; which if ineffectual, then by reproof from one or two elders; and if that be unavailing, by the censure of the church. In cases where reformation cannot be effected, ejectment takes place.

12. An assent to the payment of one penny per week for the expenses of the rent of the room, &c. where the meetings are held, and for the relief of the sick and infirm mem

bers.

13, 14, 15. Resolutions in reference to the admission of strangers to the church meetings; concerning alterations or addition of rules; and the requisition of the signature of each member upon admission into the church.

Immediately following these re

solutions are the entries of members in regular succession, in the manner following. There are ten columns, headed thus: Number; Name; Date of signature; Residence; Occupation; Married or not, and what family; When, where, and how brought to a knowledge of the truth; Date of admission; Date of separation; Cause of separation.

Some of your clerical friends, upon perusing the above mode of congational or church discipline, might be ready to say, And is the execution of such a plan beneficial? I can answer, that, having had practical proof of its utility for nearly ten years, both my people and myself have enjoyed the advantages arising therefrom to our mutual edification. And I would ask, what recognition of Christian character, what church discipline, can be established and maintained without some such system as this? I am aware others would reply, Where is your authority for such a proceeding as this? My answer is, The word of God. The plan does not at all interfere with the labours of any other Christian brother in the ministry. If there were ten or twenty other Christian ministers of our Establishment, and each of them were to divide the town in which I reside into as many districts as the number of their serious people would require, it would make no interference whatever with our regulations: and the plan upon which we act might be adopted in any town whatever, whether that town be divided into distinct parishes.or not; and a country parish affords equally as fair a spot for the prosecution of such a plan of congregational discipline. I would observe, that I do not restrict the administration of the Sacrament to those only who belong to our private association of church fellowship; because I have several serious people in my congregation who are too diffident, and are afraid to stand the test of their hope in the Lord by conforming to our regulations. To

those, however, who are thus united in bonds of Christian communion, the advantages are valuable. Some of my brethren in the ministry would perhaps ask me, But are there no disadvantages? My reply is, None, compared with the beneficial effects resulting. It is true, there is sometimes an apparent effort of display, either in the conversation of our subjects, or in prayer: there may be, in a few, a taste for Dissent from our Establishment imbibed; there may be a raising up of young men who may run into the ministry without the manifest calling of the Spirit for the important office; and there may be an occasional excitement to animosity of temper, when difference of sentiment may be expressed upon the subjects discussed among us: but far better that we endure these trials, than be without the advantages resulting from the church discipline established among us. The very circumstance, that in the course of nearly ten years we have been able to contribute upwards of two hundred and fifty pounds towards the relief of our sick and infirm members, from the surplus of subscriptions received for expenses, is a pleasing subject of grateful reflection. Upwards of three hundred and thirty members have been added to our church from its commencement; but, owing to separations by deaths, removals, and other causes, our number generally amounts to about two hundred and twenty. With my fervent prayer that the Lord may be pleased to manifest his grace in rich abundance to his dispersed and scattered people, I subscribe myself,

AMATOR DISCIPLINE.

ON THE DOCTRINE OF TWO

RESURRECTIONS.

Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer.

I COULD hardly have anticipated that I should have been so soon

called on again to address you on account of a mis-statement by W. D. in the Morning Watch. I find, in the last article of No. III., an acknowledgment of his inaccuracy in his former quotation of avaorασię εκ των νεκρων: for, in reply to a correspondent who remarked upon his error, he says, "I must therefore admit my fault." But his unwillingness, however, to give up his argument in favour of two resurrections, from the different phrases αναστασις νεκρων oι των νεκρων, and εκ νεκρών οι εκ των νεκρων, has betrayed him into another mistake, with regard to αναστασις νεκρών, οι των νεκρών,as great as that which he made about αναστασις εκ των νεκρων. It will be found in the last page. "I think," he says, "it must be admitted as remarkable, by every unprejudiced inquirer, that whenever the resurrection of the saints is spoken of, it is expressed by EK, simply or in composition, preceding νεκρων oι των νεκρων : and that, when the general resurrection is spoken of, we have no preposition, but simply αναστασις νεκρων, οι των VEкpwv." My eye was attracted by the capital letters, in which it is added, "Such is the fact." I was certainly as much surprised at this assertion, as I had been at the assertion which I noticed in a former paper, and concerning which W. D. has admitted his mistake. I was aware that in the 15th of the First of Corinthians there is used the phrase αναστασις των νεκρων without the preposition EK, which I had always considered as relating to the resurrection of the saints; and here I saw the assertion of W. D., that, whenever the resurrection of the saints is spoken of, it is expressed by EK, simply or in composition, preceding νεκρών, or των νεκρων. Ι read the passage again, that I might be sure I had not misconceived the author's meaning; and then began to inquire, whether I could be mistaken in my opinion that St. Paul, in 1 Cor. xv., is speaking of the resurrection of the saints. I looked

1829.]

into Scott's Commentary, and found that he considered the Apostle as meaning the resurrection of the saints. I looked into Henry's, and found these words on verse 20, &c. : "In this passage the Apostle is establishing the truth of the resurrection of the dead, the holy dead, the dead in Christ." I looked into Whitby, and on verse 44 I found him thus saying: "Certain it is, that the Apostle in this chapter discourseth only of the resurrection of the just, since it is alone their bodies that shall undergo this happy change."

Here, then, we have the unprejudiced opinion even of three antimillennarians, that the avaoTaois νεκρων, and των νεκρων, expresses the resurrection of the saints. I then asked myself, is it possible that W. D. thinks that St. Paul is speaking in this chapter of the general resurrection? I could not conceive it possible; but, to put beyond doubt what W. D. and all millennarians think upon the subject, it happens that in the very same Third Number of the Morning Watch it is twice asserted that the subject treated of in 1 Cor. xv. is resurrection of the saints. pages 364 and 463.)

the

(See

it.

605

I

των νεκρών,

Whilst I am on the subject,

cannot help calling the attention of your readers to another statement in the same page, which sounds very strangely in my ears. "The truth of the doctrine of the first resurrection rests, first, on its being the universally received doctrine of the church in the first three centuries of Christianity; secondly, on the express testimony of Holy Scripture, confirming the testimony of the church." Is this rule of faith, then, promulgated in the Morning Watch, according to sound Protestant doctrine? Is this putting the church and the Scriptures in their proper places? Are the opinions and assertions of uninspired men to be put before the declarations of "holy men of old, who spake as they were moved by the Are the opinions Holy Ghost?" of the church during the first three centuries more easily learned, and to be attained with less doubt, than the doctrines of Holy Scripture? Surely the Church of Rome will thank W. D. for his manner of marshalling witnesses, and giving