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whole people, who were full of the strongest prejudices against him and in regard to the latter, the question may be asked with great propriety, whether such another man ever existed among all those, who have inherited the corrupted nature of Adam? He had evidently a soul large and capacious, and possessed of those seemingly contradictory excellencies, which, whenever they appear in combination, fail not to form an extraordinary character. But not only his talents were great and various, his learning also was profound and extensive; and many persons with far inferior abilities and attainments have effected national revolutions, or otherwise distinguished themselves in the history of mankind. His consummate fortitude was tempered with the rarest gentle

ness, and the most active charity. His very copious and vivid imagination was chastized by the most accurate judgment, and was connected with the closest argumentative powers. Divine grace alone could compose so wonderful a temperature; insomuch, that for the space of near thirty years after his conversion, this man, whose natural haughtiness and fiery temper had hurried him into a very sanguinary course of persecution, lived the friend of mankind; returned good for evil continually; was a model of patience and benevolence, and steadily attentive only to heavenly things, while yet he had a taste, a spirit, and a genius, which might have shone among the greatest statesmen and men of letters that ever lived.

Hist. of the Church of Christ, vol. I. p. 127, 2d ed.

OLD DIVINITY.

The following are the sentiments of the British divines at the synod of Dort, on some interesting points of divinity.

(Translated for the Panoplist.)

Of the power of the will in corrupt man.

THESIS 1. The will of fallen man is destitute of supernatural and saving endowments, with which it was enriched in a state of innocency; and therefore without the energy of grace, produceth no spiritual acts.

2. In the will of lapsed man, there is not only the power of sinning; but a strong inclination

to it.

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2. There are certain internal

effects previous to regeneration or conversion, which, by the powexcited in the hearts of those, er of the word and Spirit, are who are not yet justified; such as a knowledge of the divine will, a thoughts of being set at liberty, sense of sin, fear of punishment, and some hope of pardon.

3. Those, whom God thus affects by his Spirit through the

*The divines sent from Great Britain to the synod, were George Bishop of Landaff, John Davenant, D. D. Samuel Ward, D.D. Thomas Goadus, D. D. Walter Balcanquallus, B. D.

medium of the word, he truly and in good earnest calls and invites to faith and conversion.

4. Those, whom God thus inAlpenceth, he doth not desert, nor cease to move onward in the true way to conversion, until they desert him by their voluntary neglect, or repulse of this initial grace.

5. These preceding effects, produced in the minds of men by the word and Spirit of God, may be and often are, by the fault of rebellious will, suffocated and entirely extinguished; so that some, on whose minds, by the power of God's word and Spirit, was impressed some knowledge of divine truth, some grief for their sins, some desire and earnestness to be set free, are evidently changed to the contrary, reject and hate the truth, give themselves up to their lusts, become hardened, and die in them, without any anxiety.

6. The elect themselves do never, in these acts preceding regeneration, so conduct them selves, but that, on account of their neglect and resistance, they might justly be deserted and wholly given up of God: but there is such special mercy of God towards them, that, although they may for a considerable time repel or stifle exciting and illuminating grace, God urges them again and again, nor ceases to influence them, until he has ef fectually subjected them to his grace, and placed them in the state of regenerate children.

7. As to the non-elect when they resist the divine grace and Spirit, in these acts preceding regeneration, and, through the corruptness of their own free will, extinguish the same initial

effects in themselves, God, as he sees fit, justly deserts them : these we pronounce deserted through their own fault, remain. ing hardened in the same, and unconverted.

Concerning conversion, as it im plies the immediate work of God regenerating man.

1. The minds of the elect excited by the aforesaid acts of grace, and being prepared by a certain inward and marvellous operation, God regenerates, and as it were creates anew, by infusing a quickening spirit, by furnishing all the faculties of the soul with new qualities.

2. To this work of regeneration man holds himself passive, neither is it in the will of man to hinder God thus regenerating.

Concerning conversion, as it de

notes the action of man, turning himself to God by faith and sav, ing repentance.

THESIS 1. Our actual conver sion follows that above stated, while God draws forth from the renewed will the act of believing and turning, which will, being acted upon by God, itself acts by turning itself to God, and by be lieving, i. e. by drawing forth at the same time its own vital act.

2. This divine act does not injure the liberty of the will, but strengthens it: neither does it totally extirpate the vicious power of resisting; but efficaciously and sweetly communicates to man, a firm will to obey.

3. God does not, at all times, so influence a converted and be lieving man to subsequent good actions, as to take away the will to resist; but sometimes permits

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man, "I can read this,""Well," said the Doctor, "read that passage," pointing to the third commandment. Here the gentleman was so struck, that he immediately desisted from swearing." A word, fitly spoken, is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." Prov. xxvii. 11. and, "A word spoken in due season, how good is it!" Prov. xv.

23.

OF MR. DOOLITTLE.

THE Rev. Thomas Doolittle, M. A. one of the ministers in England, who were ejected from their charges in consequence of the act of uniformity passed in the reign of King Charles II. was minister of St. Alphage, London-wall. After he was

obliged for conscience' sake, to resign that charge, he continued to exercise his ministry in a meeting house, first at Bunhill-fields, and afterwards in Monkwell-street, where he laboured with much acceptance and success to the time of his death, which happened on the 1st of June, 1707. He was a serious, animated, and useful preacher; and much respected by all who knew him. The following very remarkable anecdote is told concerning him.

One Sunday, after he had finished the first prayer, on looking round the congregation, he observed a young gentleman just shut into one of the pews, who discovered much uneasiness in that situation, and seemed to wish to go out again. Mr. Doolittle, feeling a peculiar desire to detain him, hit upon the following expedient. Turning towards one of the members of his

church, who sat in the gallery, he asked him this question aloud, "Brother, do you repent of your coming to Christ?" "No, Sir,” he replied, "I never was happy till then; I only repent that I did not come to him sooner." The minister then turned towards the opposite gallery, and addressed himself to an aged member in the same manner, "Brother, do you repent that you came to Christ?" "No, Sir," said he, "I have known the Lord from my youth up."

He then looked down upon the young man, whose attention was fully engaged, and, fixing his eyes upon him, said, " Young man, are you willing to come to Christ?" This unexpected address from the pulpit, exciting the observation of all the people, so affected him, that he sat down and hid his face. The person, who sat next him encouraged him to rise, and answer the question. The minister repeated it, "Young man, are you willing to come to Christ?" With a tremulous voice, he replied, "Yes, Sir." "But when, Sir," added the minister, in a solemn and loud tone. He mildly answered, "Now, Sir."" Then stay," said he, "and hear the word of God, which you will find in 2 Cor. vi. 2." "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

By this sermon God touched his heart. He came into the vestry after service, dissolved in tears. That unwillingness to stay, which he had discovered, was occasioned by the strict injunction of his father, who threatened, that if ever he went to hear the fanatics, as he called the non-conformist ministers, he

would turn him out of doors. Having now heard them, and unable to conceal the feelings of his mind, he was afraid to meet his father. The minister sat down, and wrote an affectionate letter to him, which had so good an effect, that both father and mother came to hear for themselves. The Lord graciously met with them both; and father, and mother, and son, were together received with universal joy into the church. Relig. Mon.

OF DR. BEATTIE AND HIS SON.

Ir is much to be desired (observes one) that in lessons to children, matters of fact, and examples taken from visible objects, should be made use of. This wise method of instruction was, perhaps, never more forcibly and more usefully employed, than in the following instance of Dr. Beattie's son. The Doctor, speaking of his son, thus observes: He had reached his fifth or sixth year, knew the alphabet, and could read a little; but had received no particular information with respect to the author of his being. In a corner of a little garden, without informing any person of the circumstance, I wrote in the mould with my finger, the three initial letters of his name, and sowing garden cresses in the furrows, covered up the seed, and smoothed the ground. Ten days after he came running to me, and with astonishment in his countenance, told me that his name was growing in the garden. I laughed at the report and seemed inclined to disregard it; but he insisted Vol. II. No. 8. Ала

on my going to see what had happened. "Yes," said I carelessly on coming to the spot," I see it is so:" "But what is there in this worth notice; is it not mere chance?" and I went away. He followed me, and taking hold of my coat, said with some earnestness, “It could not be mere chance, for that somebody must have contrived matters so as to produce it."

"So you think,” said I, "that what appears so regular as the letters of your name, cannot be by chance?" "Yes," said he, with firmness, "I think so." "Look at yourself," I replied, "consider your hands and fingers, your legs and feet, and other limbs; are they not regular in their appearance and useful to you?" He said they were. "Came you then hither," said I, "by chance?" "No," he answered, "that cannot be, something must have made me." "And who is that something?" I asked. He said, "I don't know." I had now gained the point I aimed at, and saw that his reason taught him (though he could not express it) that what begins to be must have a cause; and that what is formed with regularity, must have an intelligent cause. I therefore told him the name of the great Being, who made him and all the world, concerning whose adorable nature, I gave him such information as I thought he could in some measure comprehend. The lesson affected him greatly, and he never forgot either it, or the circumstance that introduced it.

Anecdotes of Children and
Young Persons.

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