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The Christian herald.

VOL. IX.

SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1823.

No. XX.

Miscellany.

REVIEWER REVIEWED, CHRISTIAN UNION, &c.*

To the Editor of the Christian Herald.

SIR, A sermon preached some time since, by the Rev. Paschal N. Strong, has occasioned considerable sensation in this city, and probably not without reason, as it contains many things reprehensible, and some which ought to be laid deeply to heart by every good citizen. In a late number of your work, (January 4 ) there is a review of this sermon containing some things which seem to us objectionable. For one leading sentiment which you appear to hold in the review, reference is made to a communication, signed "L.," published in your number for Dec. 7, 1822, entitled, "Thoughts on the late Fever." In turning to that article, (p. 422) we find expressed the following sentiment. "I suppose that in the administration of Providence under the mediatorial government, there is no such rule upon this subject, as there was under the Theocracy, when men, having filled the measure of their iniquity, were dealt with judicially, and the utter destruction of whole cities and nations was made a type of the eternal punishment which is to come upon the wicked in the future world.” In the review, we find the following challenge holden out to the author of the sermon, with an air of triumph: "Let him show that mankind are now actually treated by Providence according to the principles, promises and threatenings of the ancient dispensation." We do not know that we rightly understand "L." or the review: if we do, we are not quite prepared to subscribe to the views brought before us.

We have generally thought that mankind were under the laws of the Bible, and were to be judged by them at the last day; that the "principles, promises and threatenings" of the Bible were holden out to them as motives to obedience: and if these things are facts, we do not see why men are not as much under a Theocracy now as they ever were. Nations and cities rise and fall as frequently, and for aught we can discover, as rapidly now as ever they did. Let there be prophets then to tell those nations and cities, that this change is for such rebellion, and that it is brought upon them by the hand of God, and the sentiment in question would be settled. But is the hand of God any less in the evils which now come upon nations and cities, because we have no prophets to tell us of the fact, or because it is not seen or acknowledged by men? this surely will not be pretended. Nor will it be pretended, we presume, that God does not rule in the kingdom of men and set up over it whomsoever he will; * See answers to correspondents. 77

VOL. IX.

+ p. 487.

nor that calamities come upon them without his direction and guidance. The promises of the "ancient dispensation," so called, are the promises on which the church now rests, and they are the joy and comfort of every Christian on earth, who is a child of Abraham, and an heir according to the promise.

We do not know that we rightly understand the distinction between "Providence under the mediatorial government" and under a "Theocracy." We have generally supposed that, ever since the apostasy of man, and the first intimation of mercy towards him, this world has been under a "mediatorial government," and that it will continue so until Christ shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father.

We are unwilling that any view should be taken of the government of the nations of the earth, or their changes, which shall deprive God of the government of the world, or of evil in the cities; and we are equally unwilling that any view should be taken of the different dispensations which would lead the mind to dispense with a great part of the Bible: and we do not subscribe to the application of so many senses to the Bible as to deprive it almost entirely of common sense. We are not aware that you, or your correspondent "L.," designed to lower the authority of the word of God, but the things we have noticed really seem to us to have that tendency, and we are persuaded they will have that effect, at least on some minds, which are already sufficiently inclined to throw away as useless what they call the Old Testament, or old dispensation.

The review seems to us to have failed in two ways of accomplishing the most desirable end it had in view, that of bringing the author of the sermon to more correct views and better feelings on the great subject of CHRISTIAN UNION. Your views on that subject (as expressed in the review, and generally through the pages of your valuable work) we think correct, and your arguments good, and of course we could not but regret that you should introduce the peculiar appellations and epithets which would tend to stir up the remains of an old controversy, and bar the mind against the best directed arguments. The other great oversight seems to us to have been the application of certain odious phrases, such as, "ignorance, prejudice, hypocrisy, and ecclesiastical quackery,” to the author of the sermon you had under review, or to those who may agree with him in opinion. These alone, we apprehend, are quite sufficient to destroy all the good, which you could possibly hope, the review would have done to that class of men, whom you gave us to understand, it was chiefly designed to benefit.

In the fixed determination to find fault, which characterizes the review, we perceive another trait that must lessen the good effects, on some minds, which it was doubtless intended to produce. Your optics discover nothing in the sermon but what deserves censure. You seem to view it in the whole, and in every part, as a thing" without form or comeliness, as a root out of a dry ground," and the subject of uurelenting condemnation. We do indeed think, as our remarks will show, that there are many things in the sermon to condemn, (and some which you have not noticed.) as well as some things to approve. But in the review, we have not noticed a single approving sentence of any one feature of the sermon.

Reviewer reviewed, Christian Union, &c.

611

Now we regret this on account of its unhappy tendency, because we cannot but consider the review as espousing the great cause of Christian Union, which is becoming more and more a subject of heart-felt satisfaction and gratitude to God with so many Christians on both sides of the Atlantic.

As the sermon is peculiarly calculated to awaken improper feelings, and to call forth severe criticism, the review should have been doubly guarded in the particulars which we have unreservedly specified. From the review we shall now turn our attention for a few moments to the sermon itself, and whether we shall be esteemed less unhappy in our remarks upon that than we consider you to have been, you, and your readers must judge.

"Shall there be evil in a city and the Lord hath not done it ?" Amos iii. 6. All men, who are not infidels, must answer this questionin the negative; for the Lord will ever do the things which he pleases, and will give no account of himself or his actions to creatures: yet still, every Christian will feel that "he doth not willingly afflict nor grieve the children of men." Lam. iii. 33. This then should lead every man, who fears God and loves his fellow-men, in every affliction to ask, wherefore the Lord hath done it? and, as far as possible, solve the difficulty, that the proper remedy may be applied. For this purpose it becomes the duty of the ministers of Christ to watch the "signs of the times," that they may be able to see when the danger approaches, and give timely warning to the people, that, if possible, the calamity may be averted. When a calamity is removed, if the sins which brought it upon them, can with any certainty be known, the people ought to be warned against a repetition of those sins, for fear of a sevenfold judgment: but in order for this, the people must feel that those are the sins, and also that, if they be continued in, God will punish them "seven times for them." Should they not be convinced of these things, they will not be likely to turn to God.

To carry this conviction to the public mind in this city appears to have been the design of the sermon of Mr. S.; and we do most fervently pray that the people may be convinced, that "contempt" of " God's Sabbath" and "ordinances," "inordinate appetite for gain," " love of pleasure," "spirit of dissipation," "general profligacy of morals" and "a spirit of political feeling at war with the authority of God," are great and crying sins of this city; but whether they were the sins for which the late pestilence was sent, we shall not pretend to divine.

While we were pleased to see these sins exposed by Mr. S.,we were sorry to find him apologizing for his plainness, if he felt himself commissioned to bear this message to the people of New-York. In speaking of the sins for which, in his view, the late pestilence was a punishment, he says, "upon this part of our discourse, you will excuse our plainness if we shall endeavour to speak so that we may not be misunderstood."* We should much rather have heard from Mr. S. the sentiments of the noble Bridaine, delivered before the sinners of Paris,† who were as much in the habit of hearing apologies as the sinners of this city are. Instead of apologizing he said, "God forbid that a minister of heaven should ever suppose he needed an excuse with you! for whoever ye may be, ye are all of you

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sinners like myself.-Ah! what need have I of your commendation, which, perhaps, might damn me, without saving you!!" This seems to us more like feeling and acting under the authority of God than the above apology. We could not but regret that Mr. S. should enter on the duties of his high office of showing the people their sins, with an apology for his plainness, which was his most solemn duty. We do not censure this apologizing spirit in Mr. S. only: the ministers of Jesus Christ generally are too much in the habit of thus tampering with the pride of man. Our earnest desire is, that the spirit of Bridaine, and more especially the spirit of Jesus Christ, may be the spirit that shall rule within them more than it now does.

The sins above specified, Mr. S. has ably exposed, and warned the people against them, and we would wish to add our warning voice against them, that the people of this great metropolis may hear, turn from their sins unto the living God, and thus avert a more fatal evil than the pestilence, from falling on the head of its mighty population. "Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him ;—for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil."

It is not our province, neither is it our design, to take the reviewer's chair, Mr. Editor, but there is one sentiment in this sermon which we wonder should have escaped the lash of your critique, since you were not slow to find fault. As it is, however, we must beg your indulgence for a single remark. He says, "I have no objection that persons of wealth and rank in the community should distinguish themselves from others by their equipage, their table, and their dress." Since all the restraints of morality and religion are insufficient to keep men of worldly distinction from esteeming themselves better than others, we were very sorry to find Mr. S. while in the very attitude of rebuking this sin, giving those who indulge in it the very license they want. It is, we apprehend, quite in vain for him to administer reproof to them after this; for, in their own opinions, they have not gone beyond their rank in their distinctions, and in justification they can quote Mr. Strong. We cannot but ask the question, was the author of this sermon authorised to say to the rich, 'God has distinguished you in wealth that you should distinguish yourselves in your equipage, your table, and your dress, from your fellow-men.'-Would not an Apostle rather have told them not to be high-minded; not to trust in riches, but in the living God: would he not have told them to be rich in good works; to be ready to distribute to the poor and needy, and willing to communicate, and thus lay up a store for themselves and prepare for eternity? Would he not have warned them against outward adorning, and wearing costly apparel for that purpose; and at the same time exhorted them to be ornamented with a meek and quiet spirit, which would best accord with the practice of "old-fashioned saints," as well as with the maxims of the "old-fashioned Gospel." We were sorry to see the above sentence in this discourse, especially when the author was reproving the sin of "the love of pleasure," and we fear his reproof will have little influence, prefaced with such a license.

(To be concluded in our next.)

Sermon, p. 17

Review.--Nott's Sermons for Children.

REVIEW.

613

SERMONS FOR CHILDREN; designed to promote their immediate piety. By SAMUEL NOTT, Jun. New-York: James Eastburn, E. Bliss & E. White, John P. Haven, D. H. Wickham, and J. Montgomery. 1823. 18mo. pp. 160.

THE title of this little volume is of itself sufficient to demand a notice from us the object is one of such high importance to the welfare of society at large, and at the same time so deeply interesting to every individual, that were the execution of the design the most imperfect, we should have felt ourselves bound to express our approbation of the purpose, and to have done every thing which would have tended to promote a more efficient and perfect accomplishment of it. This design, which we cannot so well explain to our readers as in the words of the author, is thus opened by him in a very valuable and sensible "Introduction" addressed to parents.

"The object of this little volume is to promote the immediate piety of children. It has been prepared and issued under the full conviction, that Christianity is sent to them, as to all, with a claim to their immediate reception, as a rule for their daily living, and as an abundant, merciful provision for their present and eternal wants. It is, therefore, no other than the old, common lesson of Christianity adapted to the temptations, faults, circumstances, and capacities of children. It aims to come to children with no other Gospel, than that which is received and accepted by adult believers. The following sermons are sent forth as a specimen of what will, if the public patronage warrant, occupy two or three similar volumes, which it is hoped, will furnish a much needed application of vital and practical Christianity to the season of childhood.

"By this work, the author hopes, under the divine blessing, to assist parents in training up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. He aims only to assist by no means to do the work for those, to whom God has already given it in charge. He hopes rather, that he has made work for parents. For while he believes that he has not altogether missed his aim, in endeavouring to be both intelligible and interesting to children, he hopes he is not so uninstructive, as not to excite inquiry and require explanation; as to occupy their time, without securing their reflection, and increasing their knowledge. These sermons will not fulfil their author's intention, if they are left to work their own way into the understanding and affections of a child, but only when the father and the mother invite their attention, solve their difficulties, and encourage them in their progress.

"We have no wish at all to relieve parents of their awful charge; we rather wish that they may feel loaded with a burden which, as long as they live, they cannot lay upon another; the weight of which they will feel when they are sitting in the house, and when they are walking by the way; when they are lying down, and when they are rising up; a burden, nevertheless, like all others, borne in obedience to the Saviour, and in reliance upon his gracious aid, easy and light.

The medium age which the author has had in view, is nine or ten years. With due parental explanation, he believes these sermons may be made useful and interesting to those much younger; and that they also meet the case of those who are some years older. They have grown out of his habit of familiarly lecturing to his own children when reading the Scriptures with them; and out of lectures familiar and unpremeditated, at the quarterly meetings of 'The NewYork Maternal Society;" at which meetings the mothers have gathered their children with them for instruction and prayer. The one first delivered on this occasion, was shortly after written, and published under the title of A Lecture on the first Psalm,' and now with some alterations, forms the 7th of the following series."-pp. 9-11.

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