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intervening principles, also, to make it the clearer, who are. Thus he makes the Deity to be light in the first place, and that light to mean a pure intelligence or intellect; alleging "that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" (John I. i. 5). Whereupon it may be convenient to repeat,

1. First, as an exception, that the author of any thing cannot be one with his own production entirely-whatever there may be in common-or, as otherwise said, whatever communion there may be, between it and him. The epistle here alluded to, for example, cannot be St. John; though taking it to contain his sentiments, we accordingly apprehend him in this invaluable document of the Kingdom, its merits also to be in a manner St. John's, and whatever it says, to be said by St. John-which being afterwards read and assented to will make the consentient likewise so far one with St. John and his epistle. Therefore, if he who inspired the sacred penman with such sentiments have filled the whole world with his wisdom, or its marks, there extant as in a book, he cannot therefore be the world, any more than he can be St. John for the same reason, although the world in so far as it bears his marks of wisdom and especially those which coming originally from him are transmitted by his ministers and their productions, as it may be here by St. John and his epistle, may be one with him likewise. For if an author could be identified with one of his productions otherwise than as here intimated, why not with another? God, for example is said to “form the light, and create darkness" (Isai. xlv. 7). Yet St. John says, or his epistle says positively for him, that darkness is a thing that he has nothing to do with. So here is an instance of those exceptions on account of which the apostle's method is considered artificial, and which, we find, are required, to make it applicable, with,"

2. The continual employment of figurative expressions, to denote those principles before signified; which have no proper name, nor notion; neither can have indeed, but by

such means. "For (as another apostle writes) the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made" (Rom. i. 20). That is the things that have never been visible since there was an eye to look upon them, and of course, not before, are still discernible in the characters which have since been embodied or created. And so, making that artificial use of such characters, as one would use a rule or standard to find a man's height, the apostle is able to shew who may be of God, or not: as

1, Understanding by the purest, most active and efficient object in nature an emblem of its Author's omniscience, he considers our divine knowledge, light and information as at once a medium and a criterion of divine fellowship; its absence or antithesis, as a direct symptom of brutality, or of that beastly condition in which the knowledge of God is supposed to be wanting completely. The man who may be so unhappily distinguished is only adapted for the society of brutes, if indeed he be quite good enough for them, considering THE WILFULNESS OF

HIS IGNORANCE.

2, Understanding likewise, and that arbitrarily as aforesaid, another divine principle in its effects; we have in life towards God, which is also denoted by the simple term for a property that is generally found without this relation another primary test or criterion, which the apostle employs. And

8, As we have a perception of divine love, for another principle in its effects, being all the good that we enjoy, the apostle takes this likewise for another test or criterion of the divine communion. "For love is of God: and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God: for God is love" (John I. iv. 7, 8): v. g. consequentially, as one might say.

4, And such appears to be the apostle's plain meaning in the method he has taken: which being compared with observation and experience, may bring a conviction home

to every man's heart, as to which he is one of-one of the blessed society above mentioned, or one of a society that is the very reverse of blessed.

Another method might also be adapted to the same facts or foundation, though it probably was not in the apostle's contemplation: which is, to take for the first criterion a man's outward life or conduct, as the most obvious and complete; next his immediate principle of action, as nearest to that in effect and perception, requiring rather more consideration: and thence, to mount up at length, by one test, as it were by one scale after another, to the remote Principle or first Cause of action, as well as the Head or Axis of this divine communion. For example

1. The man who acts openly, or as it may be said by adopting a scriptural expression, WALKS APPARENTLY; or, without any adaptation, according to St. John, "in the light;" although he might have been lying in darkness, as we all do before it is light-that man having sincerely felt, owned and renounced his errors through the influence of Christian doctrine, and obtained forgiveness by the meritorious sacrifice of its sacred institutor, is assumed to walk honestly and usefully, in other words, righteously; as righteousness supposes a principle of love in its subject, to direct its endeavours; and this again, supposes the Presence of a higher Principle without, to put the inward principle in motion after having planted it there; so that the same may grow to its proper effect in beneficence. But on the contrary, a man who acts by stealth, still ABSCONDING, or walking farther into the shade after having taken advantage of the same to commit a thefthe cannot in either respect be thought to do it from any principle of love or friendship: and he who cannot shew this family-feature will hardly be considered as a son of our heavenly Father, who is love itself in effect.

This seems to be tracing universal connexions very punctually from the circumference to the centre, and from the centre to the circumference on either hand. And there

would be no difficulty in adorning these positions with extracts from the epistle on which they are founded, so great as that of selecting among such a number of beautiful traits as occur in this gem of practical divinity a moderate number for the purpose. Our experience also on the same topics is such as would seem to make a selection of this sort needless. "Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error" (John I. iv. 6). “He that saith, he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkness even until now (Ib. ii. 9). "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren" (Ib. iii. 13, 14). "And we know, that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness" (Ib. v. 19).

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So here is light and love for the signs of life, darkness and animosity for the signs of death; one proceeding from God, and terminating also in him by the way of faith; the other proceeding from the devil and the world, and terminating in the same, as far as they have any foundation, by the way of unbelief. The apostle's assertions and inferences are justified by daily experience, and his sad imputation on the world particularly where the sweetness of revenge is proverbial; where no kindness is able to perpetuate, if it be to excite, a grateful recollection: where the slightest contradiction is enough to excite, if not to perpetuate its object's displeasure. If one should find it agreeable to take either the same route with the apostle, or that which has now been suggested, one might deduce either way, from his principles the whole array of characteristics, whether subjective, or objective which have been here detailed in the order of their affinity: which would give the same general division into good and evil as above, and the same of their depositaries, the good and evil relations of the Kingdom also above displayed. Then the good relations would stand on one side, or in one communion, with God and Christ at their head; and the evil on the other with the devil and the world, as we find it.

** In the way therefore of St. John, in the way it suggests, in the way that has here been followed, in all the ways above mentioned, and perhaps in many others, may the subject of the Kingdom be divided among its relations; and with this advantage, that the more the subject is divided, the more it will get within comprehension; as more, for example when divided into Heaven and earth, or pure and incarnate; still more when divided into the earthly visible and invisible; and more again when we consider, as latterly, the opposite parties by which it is constituted as well as divided. That is supposing the subject to be divided successfully; or else the more it is divided, the more it will be perplexed. Considering also the danger of too loose a specification on the one hand, and too strict or methodical on the other, much allowance will be required for any one attempting such a division, and also due perhaps to those, who from their calling and inclination, and perhaps a fond hope sometimes of interesting, if not informing others in the same line-will venture to the extent of their abilities for a thorough discussion and recommendation of the subject in compositions like the present, and others connected with it.

THE END.

G. Woodfall, Printer, Angel Court, Skinner Street, London.

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