January 19, 20.--Visited the Alms-House, in company with several of the brethren, from the seminary at Princeton. We went from couch to couch, conversing with the sick and the dying. Some were hardened; others inquiring what they must do to be saved; and but very few rejoicing in the hope of forgiveness of sin. We endeavoured to awaken the hardened sinner to a sense of his danger; to direct the inquiring; to inspire the truly penitent with the hope of salvation; and to confirm the hopes, and soothe the sorrows, of the children of God in their afflictions. One whose heart affliction has softened, told me that she suffered justly, for she had loved the things of this world more than she had loved her God. She had wasted her strength, and destroyed her health, in endeavouring to get together a little property, whilst she neglected the one thing needful. Instead of attending the worship of God on the Sabbath, she spent that holy day in adorning her house, and sometimes in trying to increase her gains, by doing work in secret. "But," says she, 66 the curse of God has fallen heavily upon me; now I am stripped of all that I so much loved, and sent to the AlmsHouse. I know that I do not deserve to have even this place to go to. I am now anxious only for my soul."

Another said, that she had seen us pass from bed to bed, and converse with others, but no one came to her. She began to fear that the Lord had given her up, and would be gracious to her no more. 0, sir," says she, “ you know not what a burden rests upon me." She was,

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after her recovery. Her manner of life, from that time, has been totally changed. At one period, several circumstances rendered her piety doubtful. But since, we have had reason to conclude that her change is radical. I was sent for, on the 29th of October, to visit her, as she was extremely ill. She supposed herself to be on her dying bed; but had a full assurance of a happy immortality.

for a few moments too much agitated to proceed. At length, with a countenance expressive of the greatest anxiety, she inquired, "Is there any hope for one who has apostatized from a profession of religion ?" I replied, by quoting Mal. iii. 7, "Return unto me, and I will return unto you; saith the Lord of hosts." I told her that these were the words of the Lord to apostates. Her pale countenance was instantly illuminated with a smile of joy. "These are indeed precious words," says she. Yes, the Lord will surely receive the returning sin

ner.

Wednesday, 24.-Attended at the Alms-House. There are four or five in one ward, that profess to have lately received a hope of acceptance, and some of them give as satisfactory evidence of a renewed heart, as can generally be expected from new born souls. The evidence of others is of the doubtful kind.* There are six or seven anxiously concerned for the salvation of their souls. But there are many that give deplorable evidence of their ignorance and depravity. One poor young creature, about fourteen or fifteen years of age, did not know that she had a soul, and appeared greatly surprised, when I told her that although she died, and her body was put in the grave, a part of her, her soul, would never die. Another told me she had suffered so much in this world, that she would surely be happy in the world to come; for she did not believe that the Lord would make her miserable in both worlds. I told her that it was her sins that made her miserable, and not the Lord; and if they made her miserable here, then most assuredly they would, if not forsaken, make her miserable hereafter. Her hope of future happiness was, therefore, entirely without foundation. She was much displeased, and

* All those of whom I have at present. any knowledge, continue to give evidence of genuine piety.

pains of her body. I then told her, that unless she repented of her sins, the pains she now felt would be nothing, in comparison, with what she would suffer in another world.

Another said she hoped to be saved, for she had taken the sacrament, and had never committed a sin in her life; and all attempts to convince her that she had sinned, and needed a Saviour, were unsuccessful.

Wednesday, Feb. 7.-Preaching had been appointed in the men's sick ward, but as no preaching is ever allowed there, I concluded to spend the day in visiting. Here I found several persons who appeared to be pious, and who rejoiced greatly to have an opportunity of conversing with a preacher of the gospel. One man remarked, that he could truly say with the Psalmist, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted. Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept thy word." He declared that he was happier in this diseased state, lying on a pallet of straw in the Alms-House, than he had ever been whilst he enjoyed health, possessed property, and was surrounded by friends. For," says he, "I never knew till now what it was to have peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost. I never knew what it was to hold communion with God. There is enjoyed, in these things, a greater degree of happiness than earth can afford."

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I conversed likewise with Mr. H. a lawyer, who has passed through many vicissitudes of life. Having lost his property; being totally disabled for the active duties of his profession by a stroke of the palsy; and destitute of such friends as could grant him effectual aid, he is compelled to take up his abode in this asylum for the destitute. He had imbibed deistical opinions, but says that he finds them a wretched support in the day of adversity.

He requested me to furnish him

Christianity. He said, that if the Bible did actually contain the revealed will of God, it was of immense importance to him, and he ought to be convinced of the truth. He now had leisure for a thorough investigation of these evidences. I engaged to supply him with such books as he wanted.

Friday, March 9.-Visited Mr. H. He has just finished reading the books with which I furnished him. In the course of his inquiries many difficulties occurred to his mind, but they have been happily removed, by means of the explanations given him by myself, and others who have occasionally visited him. He says, that he never expected to find the Christian religion. supported by such irresistible evidence. He had rejected it without examination; and supposes that this must be the case with every one who does reject it; for he says, that he is convinced that no real lover of truth, who possesses even a small share of intellectual vigour, can examine those evidences, and then deny the divine origin of the Christian religion.

His faith is merely speculative. He has declared his rational conviction that the Bible is a revelation from God; but confesses that he has not a realizing sense of the important truths it contains, and gives no satisfactory evidence of a renewed heart.

It was necessary faithfully to inform him, that his faith was not such as constituted its possessor a partaker of the righteousness of Christ.

The difference between speculative and saving faith was then, as distinctly as possible, stated to him, and he was informed that the one, without the other, would not profit him. Some works on practical religion were then left in his hands, which he engaged faithfully to peruse. He was then told, that reading of the word of God and of pious books, meditation and prayer,

were the means of grace, which could never be effectual of themselves, but were made so only by the power of God. In the use of these means, therefore, he must look up unto him, and depend on him alone, to render them effectual unto salvation.

J. H. VAN COURT.

Philadelphia, Nov. 12, 1821.

Heviews.

FOR THE PRESBYTERIAN MAGAZINE.

GENTLEMEN,

I have lately read with some attention, a new work, entitled "The Mediatorial Reign of the Son of God," &c.; and shall trouble you with a few observations which occurred to me on perusing it.

agree

The author informs us, that he wrote purposely for the use of Students of Theology. No Christian will hesitate for a moment, in ing with the author, "that these men are an object of great interest in the Christian church." The love of truth at all times powerfully influences its possessor. The truth, as it is in Jesus, has a transforming influence upon all who savingly know it. It teaches them "to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." And when we find the advocates of that truth exemplary in their lives for sobriety and practical godliness, we attend the more readily to any new discoveries they may have made in the illustration of gospel doctrine, or in the detection of error.

The author in his dedication informs the students of theology, "that he owes them a duty of love, which he endeavours to discharge, by putting into their hands the present publication;" and further adds,

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that it is in fact, rather a sense of personal duty, and a desire to acquit himself to himself, than any other consideration which have inVOL. I.

duced him to trouble them with this production." He lets them know, that at one period of his life, it was his lot to get entangled in certain questions and speculations, which in his simplicity he supposed to belong to the system of Christian doctrine, and the settlement of which, he imagined, to be indispensable to the man who would preach the gospel correctly; and that this unfortunate mistake had led him into distractions, toils, and perils. No doubt the benevolent author, from "the duty of love he owes these students of theology," or rather his "sense of personal duty, and his desire to acquit himself to himself," will cheerfully contribute all in his power, to preserve these young men from similar distractions, toils, and perils.

In page 21, the author justly observes, "that the Christian church has often suffered fearful calamities from the rashness and incompetency of her sons." Now, that he will be able, both to preserve the students of theology, from distractions, toils, and perils, and quiet the fears of the church against being once more exposed by the rashness or incompetency of her sons, there is no reason to doubt, since he informs us that "he knew the gospel as well at fifteen, as he does now at fifty years of age; that he does not know at this day one principle of the Christian faith, which he did not know then," notwithstanding his entanglement in certain questions and speculations, and the distractions, toils, and perils, into which his unfortunate mistake led him. He declares, "he does not come forward to propose discoveries in Christian theology: he has not a discovery in Christian theology to make." This his Christian readers ought carefully to keep in mind, lest they should be led to draw a different conclusion, when meeting with such passages as these: "I have discovered in confessions, and creeds, and systems, &c. (he makes no exceptions) things which 4 B

I never could find in the Bible, and which I am sure are not to be found in it," p. 22. They will wonder at me, that I cannot see that confessions, &c. I shall wonder at them, for not believing that these instruments are wedges of division; that their necessary effect is to organize society into factions of hostility," &c. p. 437. "The Augsburg Confession, the Thirty-nine Articles, and the Westminster Confession of Faith, are the documents of my mother's degradation," &c. p. 446..

There are novelties not a few in the work under consideration. Nevertheless we are not willing to admit that the author takes new ground every where, even when he would persuade us that he is maintaining doctrines denied by Calvinistic writers, systems of divinity, &c. He seems to hold out the idea,

that the value of Christ's atonement is not sufficiently admitted, and that the offer of the gospel is too much limited. We might, however, inquire, who of the reformers or their successors ever refused, that there is an intrinsic worth, sufficiency, or merit, in the death of Christ, for the salvation of all men, if it had been so determined by God? Who ever denied that there is an indiscriminate, free, and unrestricted offer of the gospel to be made to sinners of mankind without exception, wherever the opportunity is afforded? It is apprehended, that it would be difficult to find any confession of faith, system of theology, or sound Calvinistic writer, in which these things would be denied.

The author sums up all that he thinks he has proved through six chapters of his book, in "eight propositions, or grand principles of gospel truth," p. 74, 75; and it would be hard to point out any confession of faith, or system of divinity approved by Calvinistic churches, that would contradict a single iota contained in them. By them no

new idea is added to the common stock.

To us it does appear, notwithstanding, that there are some things exceptionable in this book, some of which we propose to notice.

In page 48, two questions are proposed to the reader's very serious consideration:

"I. Has Jesus Christ the power to verify his own commission, by bestowing on all mankind, that which he has commanded his ministers to offer them?

"II. Is it the anxious desire and wish of Jesus Christ, that all should obey him and be saved ?”

It is evident that the author intends to maintain the positive of both these questions. In p. 62, he hints that the righteousness of Christ is capable of saving the reprobate. In p. 68, 69, he maintains by consequence, that there is remission of sin in the blood of Christ for more than the elect. This is but skirmishing, however. In chapter vii. and viii. he comes to close fighting, and directs all his artillery against the doctrine that would confine Christ's atonement to the elect. He uses every argument in his power, to prove that Christ procured salvation for the whole human race; that his remedial righteousness is of the same extent, bounds and limits, as the transgression of Adam: p. 91. In p. 70, he asserts that election is no way connected with the merit of Christ's atonement; and in p. 401 and 402, he seems to be at a loss what to do with election, and renews a question, proposed in his Fiend of the Reformation detected, "What is precisely the use which the sacred writers make of the doctrine of election ?" and complains that "not one had paid the slightest attention to that question."

The author inveighs with bitterness against the use of logic, metaphysics, philosophy, and systematic divinity, in theological discussions. Against metaphysics particularly