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ADAM CLARKE AS A PREACHER.

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eminently filled with the Holy Spirit. To those, therefore, who desire the salvation of all nations, and are indeed labouring for it, duty cries, and the commandment of Christ is, "Have salt in yourselves." O the force of those words used by the Holy Ghost in reference to the conversion of souls! "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Nor can the truly righteous man,-the man on whose heart is written, "Holiness unto the Lord," while in the body, cease to pray, pray in faith, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven!" Therefore, in the church of the living God, at least, in that branch of it known by the distinctive appellative of Wesleyan, let "young men and maidens, old men and children," adopt as their motto, "A clean heart and a converted world."

A WESLEYAN MISSIONARY.

ADAM CLARKE AS A PREACHER.

"No man in any age of the church was ever known, for so long a period, to have attracted larger audiences; no herald of salvation ever sounded forth his message with greater faithfulness or fervour; the fervour of love to Christ, and to the souls of perishing sinners; and few Ministers of the Gospel, in modern times, have been more honoured by the extraordinary unction of the Holy Spirit in their ministrations. To this unction chiefly, though associated with uncommon talents, must be attributed the wonderful success and popularity of his discourses. In preaching he had the happy art of combining great originality and depth of subject with the utmost plainness of speech and manner. Nor was this simplicity at all destroyed, but rather augmented, by the glow and animation of his soul, when applying the offer of salvation to all within the sound of his voice, and reasoning strongly on the grand and vital doctrines of the Gospel. The ardent feeling which in others sometimes leads to a rapid invention of elegant or of pompous language, in him was confined to the increased accumulation of great and noble sentiments. His favourite and most successful subjects in the pulpit were, the love of God to fallen man, the atonement, repentance, faith in Christ as the grand principle of the spiritual life, and. of practical holiness, together with the undoubted assurance of adoption by the direct witness of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the believer. On these topics he could often rise to the genuine grandeur of evangelical preaching; pouring forth, like a torrent, the unostentatious eloquence of a benevolent and loving heart. Energy, indeed, was one very peculiar characteristic of his mind. Nor was he less remarkable for sensibility, and all the tenderness and sympathy of an affectionate disposition." This witness is true; and the example is worthy the consideration and imitation of all, and especially of the young Ministers of our church. Your numerous readers would, no doubt, be gratified were they to know the texts on which those sermons were founded, that were so mighty, through God, to the pulling down of strong-holds; and I am thankful that I have the opportunity of affording them this gratification. The following are copied from the honoured Doctor's private diary, by, yours very faithfully, SAMUEL DUNN.

Bristol, Nov. 1st, 1800. Heb. iii. 12, at Jacob's Wells.-2d. Heb. iv. 16, New Chapel.-3d. 1 Kings vii. 20, New Chapel; and Psal. xvii. 15, Guinea-street.-6th. Met the Penitents; Subject, Trust in God's providence.7th. Psal. xxxvi. 10, 11, Guinea-street; 1 Pet. ii. 24, 25, Portland Chapel; Psal. xxxvi. 5, 7, New Chapel.-8th. Psal. xliii. 3, Chew Magna; Psal.

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ON SPIRITUAL LIGHT.-APHORISMS.

xxxix. 1, New Chapel.-9th. Acts vi. 7, Pensford.-10th. Heb. xii. 28, Mangolsfield.-11th. Psal. lvi. 12, 13, Keynsham.-12th. Psal. Ivii. 1, 2.— 13th. James iv. 7, 8; Acts xiii. 38; Psal. lxxxv. 8.-14th. Psal. xxxvi. 8, 9, New Chapel; James iii. 13, Portland Chapel; Deut. iv. 9, Guinea-street.— 16th. Psal. lxxxvi. 1, Stanton Drue; James iii. 17, Pensford.-18th. Met the Committee at Kingswood; very unwell.-19th. 1 Peter iii. 12, 13, Nailsea. From 20th to 30th confined to bed, very ill with rheumatic fever.

Dec. 1st. Deut. xi. 18, 21, New Chapel.-2d. An exhortation on reading the Scriptures, New Chapel.-3d. Phil. ii. 14, 15, Guinea-street; Luke xiv. 1-6, Portland Chapel; John vi. 1-14, New Chapel.-4th. Psal. xix. 14, New Chapel.-5th. Phil. iii. 3, New Chapel. Met the children at 12.6th. Phil. iv. 19, New Chapel; Psal. xxv. 12, 14, Guinea-street.-7th. Luke xviii. 1, Baptist-Mills.-8th. Col. i. 12, Guinea-street.-10th. Heb. ix. 13, 14, New Chapel; 1 Thess. i. 3, Portland.-11th. Isai. xli. 17, Chew Magna.— 12th. Isai. xliv. 21, 22, Pensford.-14th. 1 Thess. v. 8, Keynsham.17th. Heb. iv. 1, 2; Psal. lxxxvi. 11, Kingswood.-18th. 2 Thess. iii. 5, Kingswood; Psal. xcvii. 10-12, Wickam.-19th. Psal. ci. 1, 2, Rangeworthy; 1 Tim. ii. 8, Winterburn.-22d. Isai. liii. 3, 4, Brislington.— 24th. Mark xvi. 1-8, C. Stoke; 1 Cor. xv. 3, 4, Pensford.-25th. John xii. 20-24, New Chapel.-26th. John xii. 25, 26, New Chapel; Luke xxiv. 48, the School.-27th. Psal. cxxx. 3, 4, Portland.-29th. John xvi. 23, New Chapel.-Watch-night. 31st. John xx. 24; Heb. ii. 1, K. S.; 1 John v. 11, 12.

ON SPIRITUAL LIGHT.

THE natural sun entering upon the polar regions, which have been locked up in the death, and frost, and darkness, of their long winter, and filling all things with life, and light, and warmth, is but a feeble emblem of the entrance of the Sun of Righteousness on the cold, and dead, and dark region of the human heart. It is a land of darkness, as darkness itself, inhabited by lies and vain imaginations, and lying under the shadow of death. It is a chaos, and a terror to itself whenever it can look upon itself. But no sooner does the Sun enter, no sooner does the dead heart drink his quickening beams, but it revives; it finds that the light is life; the darkness, and the fear, and the frozen death are past; there is a new principle of life imparted; the cold and torpid heart begins to open its rigid and shrunken veins to receive the lifeblood, and the quickening Spirit which flows from him who is the heart and the head of the spiritual universe. It finds that the light is love, and that uncreated, and embracing, and omnipotent love, is its joyful and satisfying portion through all eternity. "Surely the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun." E. G.

APHORISMS.

Ir is dangerous to gather flowers that grow on the banks of the pit of hell, for fear of falling in: yea, they that play with the devil's rattles will be brought by degrees to wield his sword; and from making of sport, they come to doing of mischief.

Scoff not at the natural defects of any, which are not in their power to mend. O! 'tis cruelty to beat a cripple with his own crutches.

Learning hath gained most by those books by which the printers have lost. Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl chain of all virtues.-Thomas Fuller.

THEOLOGY.

ETERNITY OF HELL TORMENTS.

A SERMO N.

BY THE REV. JAMES LOUTIT.

"And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."-Matt. xxv. 46.

WERE grace the only principle in the scheme of redemption; were the Gospel an amnesty, and nothing more; and were the allegiance of sinners to the moral government of God to be restored by the announcement of topics exclusively gracious; mercy, mercy alone, should be our theme.

But there is another principle, to which the testimony of creation, as well as the authority of revelation, has given very marked prominency,-I mean that of

JUSTICE.

And bearing in mind that this moral government has been largely "declared ;" and that it is our duty, if we would deal with men after the method of the Holy Ghost, if we would calculate reasonably on their renewal in righteousness, to make this principle manifest, I entreat the reader's attention, and his candour too, inasmuch as he is implicated in the question at issue, while I present the divine justice in one of its essential, though alarming forms, the eternity of hell torments.

Some receive this doctrine, and are "moved with fear:" others do not believe it, and act accordingly.

Among the latter are to be found not only the vulgar and licentious, whose inclination is to contemn all law, but men of education and taste. The one is seduced by passion, and stupified by Satan; the other, by that pride of intellect which seeks to become a law to itself. The late Rev. John Foster ranked himself among those who rejected the eternity of hell torments. And on what ground? Because he had examined all that the Bible alleges upon so important and grave a subject? Not at all! He altogether declined to discuss this doctrine on the authority of revelation, resting its rejection solely on what he and the Universalists are pleased to call "the moral argument," which is this: "I acknowledge my inability to admit this belief, together with a belief in the divine goodness." (Life, vol. ii., let. 221.) So, because John Foster cannot recon

cile the divine goodness and the acts of his administrative justice, therefore he rejects them!

We are about to challenge assent to the doctrine under consideration, not on the ground of "moral argument," but upon the express declarations of the Bible. If the holy Scriptures do not command its belief, surely it is not for us to prescribe, even for the chief of sinners, the ultimatum of justice. But if, on the authority of revelation, the torments of hell be eternal, it is our imperative duty to proclaim them, and your interest so to hear as to avoid tasting them. Even Mr. Foster says, "If the tremendous doctrine be true, surely it ought to be almost constantly proclaimed as with the blast of a trumpet, inculcated and reiterated with ardent passion in every possible form of illustration." No apology is therefore offered for a sermon about hell, which may keep some soul out of that lake of fire.

The Preacher has only further to observe respectfully, that he is desirous of divesting himself of even the appearance of assuming the judicial office. Personal hostility, even to the finally impenitent, he cannot be supposed to cherish. He would bear in mind, that God is in his holy habitation, " taking vengeance on the disobedient;" and that their case may be his own. It becomes him, therefore, to speak as one who, having himself "obtained mercy," yet, knowing the "terrors of the Lord," would persuade men.

The proposition is, that the TORMENTS of hell are ETERNAL.

Now this appears from,

I. THE LITERAL IMPORT OF THE TERMS BY WHICH IT IS EXPRESSED.

These are,

Everlasting. "Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" The Lord Jesus shall take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the Gospel, and shall punish them with "everlasting destruction.'

For ever and ever. This phrase occurs eighteen times in the New Testament. "In fifteen passages it is applied to the continuance of the glory, perfections, government, and praise of God; in one, to the reign of the righteous; in one, to the finally impenitent; and in one, to the devil, beast, and false Prophet, who

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shall be tormented day and night for ever."

Never. "If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched."

Eternal. "He that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation."

Nor is the literal meaning of these terms weakened by their occasionally modified application. Language has an absolute and a restricted sense; and the words in question are accordingly employed "to denote the longest period of which their respective subjects are capable." The mountains are "everlasting;" and Judaism is an ordinance established "for ever:" but in both these cases, and in some others which could be cited, the literal meaning would be a contradiction, there being a positive incongruity between the assertion and the thing respecting which the assertion is made.

But this is not the case when we speak of the eternal torment of a person whose Dunishment and whose life are coequal.*

II. THEIR EXCLUSIVE ASSERTION OF ETERNITY.

The terms are "everlasting," " for ever and ever,"" never," and "eternal." These exclusively assert ceaseless duration. They do so,

In the English language. Suppose a foreigner were to inquire whether the inhabitants of the island of Great Britain received the idea in question. He is referred to the national lexicons and standard writers. There he finds the words "everlasting," "for ever and ever," "never," and "eternal," and is informed that they signify "without beginning or end." (Johnson.)

In Greek. This is the language of the New Testament; and we are to ascertain whether the founder of Christianity and his inspired disciples themselves believed what we seek to establish. The answer is this, They employ the only terms in the language which are properly expressive of eternity. These are, αἰών, αἰώνιος, ἄσβεστος; words rendered by "everlasting," "for ever and ever," 'never," and "eternal."

Note. This word aïwv, "eternal," has been divinely spoken by the ancients. For the consummation which contained the TIME of EVERY LIFE that has nothing supernatural, is called its age.—Aristot.

And in all ancient and modern versions of the Scriptures. There are at the present moment one hundred and twentysix versions of the whole or part of the Scriptures. They all employ on this topic equivalent terms.

Either these words do adequately express and teach the doctrine of the endless punishment of the finally impenitent; or there are no terms in the Bible, or in any language spoken on the face of the earth, to convey even the idea of eternity. To say so is to beg the whole question, and in the face of all presumptive and positive evidence to allege that the last chapter of time is the close of all things. Here we stand. Either the words have no meaning, or the torments of hell are properly eternal. From,

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III. THE SEAL OF REPROBATION.
This seal,

Is judicial. The sentence is penal,Depart from me, ye cursed;" and being penal it must be literally interpreted. Acts of grace admit of a liberal construction; but penal sentences admit of no implied severity or unexpressed mitigation. Where no relaxation is declared, none is intended.

Is one of separation from Christ. "Depart FROM ME." This at once cuts off the subject of the sentence from all grace, reprobating to the utter and unrestricted realization and sense of its own depravity. It is night, eternal night, left to dwell in itself.

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This seal is eternal reprobation. Sirs, be assured the Judge of all the earth means what he says when he utters these words, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire." This is the seal of a soul's eternal reprobation!

From,

IV. THE NON-INTIMATION OF ANY RELAXATION OF THE SENTENCE.

Revelation takes no means whatever to guard against an unavoidable misconception of the received sense of all language. Surely it is the duty of a wise and benevolent legislator to prevent exaggerated hopes, as well as suppress unmanly fears; to rule in truth and love; and to proportion crime and punishment. When this has not been done, when the law has either winked at crime, or threatened what it could not and did not mean to execute, it defeated itself. Hence the numerous instances in which death was recorded by British Judges and juries, have, by recent enactments, passed into secondary punishments. Criminals fear these more

THEOLOGY,

than the roar of a chained lion. God threatens eternal death, and, at the same time, leaves all men to believe it will be so.

Nor does revelation afford any hope of relaxation. Is there any intimation, prophecy, fact, or hint which can fairly be construed into a reasonable ground of expectation? If there be, let it be produced. If there be not, is it not more than bold to construct a theory, which exalts the divine benevolence at the expense of the divine justice, and which leads men to cherish and propagate the delusion that that fire which the universal Judge has declared, without reserve, to be eternal, shall come to an end. Silence on this theme is most expressive: it is just that, which we should expect to find associated with the sentence of eternal wrath.

(To be continued.)

THE INFLUENCE OF PRAYER. WHAT an idea Paul must have had of prayer, as an antidote to the cares of life and godliness, when he said to the Philippians, "Be careful for nothing; but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God; and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus!" This way of disposing of our cares and anxieties is so little understood, or so much disliked, that we are inclined to doubt its efficacy in our own case; or to ask, How is it possible, in a world like this, to be "careful for nothing?" Our temporal cares are, as we think, our chief hinderances in prayer. We even turn them, at times, into excuses for the neglect of prayer; and imagine, when our cares are many and pressing, that much prayer cannot be expected from us. For, whatever influence the calamities of life may have in sending us often to our knees, the cares of life may have a direct tendency to set aside, or shorten, secret prayer. Indeed, at first sight, our ordinary cares do not seem to us to be things which prayer can remedy, but things which only time and toil can remove. Accordingly, when our temporal affairs go wrong, or our prospects darken, without exactly overwhelming us, we naturally devote to them, not a larger measure of secret prayer, but a larger portion of time and thought. It is thinking, not praying, that seems called for, under embar

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rassment and anxiety. Under heavy calamity, whether personal or domestic, we see, at once, that prayer is our only resource, because God alone can deliver us; but when we are merely vexed or plagued, we feel as if deliverance depended more upon our own good management, or upon the conduct of others, than upon the providence of God. Thus we are tempted to lessen prayer, and to increase effort, under an idea that great effort is the only remedy.

And certainly without effort prayer will not prove a remedy for misfortune or embarrassment. He who does nothing but pray, when the times are bad, or his affairs trying, will not surmount his difficulties. Prayer will not pay debts, nor maintain credit, nor meet the emergencies of business. A man praying when he ought to be working, is brother in impiety to the man who is working when he ought to be praying. This concession cannot be too freely made, nor too forcibly stated by the Ministers of the Gospel. It is not, however, in this way, that the truly serious are in the most danger of erring. Our error, in

seasons of trial, is not in praying too much, but in praying too little, or less than usual. And this is a dangerous error, whatever be the cause or character of our trials. For its direct tendency is to turn "the mighty hand of God" against us, and thus to make all that is bad in our lot worse. Nothing, therefore, can be more unwise than a process which must grieve the Holy Spirit, and make God our enemy. Now this will be the effect of ceasing to pray, when the troubles of life are pressing. God both permits and sends these troubles for the express purpose of bringing us nearer to himself, and for increasing the spirit and habit of prayer; and, therefore, if we allow our cares to break up our devotional habits, and thus to draw us away from God, we are sure to draw down upon ourselves his displeasure, in addition to all our other trials. And when he takes up the rod to contend against us, who can tell how long or severely he may employ it? God does not, indeed, afflict willingly, nor grieve unnecessarily the children of men; but he will not be neglected nor forgotten; he will not allow himself to be deserted with impunity. God acts invariably with an express reference to our souls and eternity; and therefore, unless he were to abandon them to a desolate eternity, he must multiply or prolong our

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