網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

interest in the Saviour. One disturbing the sense of the verses

[blocks in formation]

THE authenticity of no passage in the sacred writings has been more disputed, than the above celebrated text. Different persons, equally distinguished for learning, and for opportunities of examining ancient Greek MSS, and versions, and the writings of the fathers, have taken different sides of the question. Yet it must be admitted, that the generality of authors, most eminent for their veneration of the scriptures, and a regard to evangelical doctrines, have decided in favour of its divine authority.

with which it is joined, rather renders it more connected and complete. 2. That in verse 9, the witness of God is supposed to have been before appealed to, If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. And yet, if verse 7 is excluded, the witness of God is no where mentioned by the apostle."

He supposes that verse 6, and verses 7 & 8, refer to different facts. The former, he thinks, is intended to prove, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, mentioned in verse 5; the latter, that God has given us eternal life in his Son, mentioned verse 11. The witnessing of the Spirit by water and blood, that is, by the miracles which accompanied our Lord's baptism and death, to the divine mission of Jesus, he considers as actions passed and finished; and the witnessing of the three in heaven, and the three on earth, to our having eternal life in the Son, he considers as actions that are still continued.

Verse 11: "And this is the (substance of the) record," of the three in heaven, and the three on earth," that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."

The Word, by his exercising the government of the universe, and officiating as the high priest of our profession; and

The Father, by raising Christ from the dead, exalting him at But besides that some ancient his right hand, and constituting MSS. do not contain this pas-him a prince and a saviour; sage, which has been the most common ground of objection to it, some have conceived that the sense of the context would be more complete if it were omitted, and have from thence been led to conclude it to be an interpolation. In opposition to such an idea, however, Dr. Macknight observes, "1. That the verse, properly interpreted, instead of

The Holy Spirit, by whose agency the hypostatic union in the person of Christ was formed, and by whom he was endowed with his mediatorial fulness, jointly bear witness, that God has given us eternal life in his Son,

[merged small][ocr errors]

Verse 8: The Spirit, under whose inspiration the gospel was written, and by whose influence it is rendered effectual;

The water, the rite of baptism, continually administered, in commemoration of Christ's resurrection, and as a pledge of our own resurrection to eternal life;

And the blood, the Lord's supper, continually administered, in commemoration of the shedding of the blood of Christ for the remission of sins. These are continual witnesses on earth, that God has given us eternal life in his Son.

By this interpretation of these confessedly difficult passages, the authenticity of the verse in dispute, and the truth of the sacred doctrine it contains, are pretty satisfactorily established.

[ocr errors]

Many, indeed, it is proper to acknowledge, who have thought the authority of this passage stood on a dubious foundation, have declared themselves conscientious advocates of the sacred doctrine contained in it, and which they have considered plainly enough revealed in several other parts of the inspired volume.

By the doctrine of this text is meant, the doctrine of the Trinity, the evidence of which depends not on this single passage, but is a truth interwoven with the whole of divine revelation, and essential to the Christian system.

C

[ocr errors]

The Bible, while it asserts the

unity of God, clearly reveals a plurality in the godhead, under the sacred names of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit ; and ascribes to each the essential properties and perfections of Deity. It is not pretended that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, are three, in the same respect in which they are one; but that three persons subsist in one divine nature. The divine nature, or essence, is one and undivided, but the divine persons in that one nature, or essence,' are distinct. If this truth be rejected on account of its being mysterious and incomprehensible, the existence and perfections of God may, for the same reason, be rejected; for we are no more able to comprehend the manner of the divine existence, or how he should be without a beginning, or how he should be at once present in all places, than how three persons should be united in the same essence. It may be, and doubtless is, as essential to the Deity to subsist in three persons, as that he should subsist at all, or be eternal and omnipresent.

It is, therefore, as absurd for our opponents to demand an explanation of this mystery, or to charge those who maintain it with being Tritheists, and arrogate to themselves exclusively the name Unitarians, as it would be in any one to attempt to explain it.

1 A

P.

HINT TO PARENTS. DISSIMULATION is an odious vice. In young persons this vice is peculiarly hateful, because in them we naturally expect to meet with truth and sincerity. Whatever may be the complexion of

their minds, whose dispositions | therefore, be proper, if the in

have been moulded by a close and continued contact with a world full of selfishness, young people, who have not been exposed to similar temptations, should be patterns of simplicity and sincerity. Yet it is but too evident, that the minds of many, in the early years of life, are familiar with duplicity and prevarication.

If this remark were applicable to such only as are educated in irreligious families, or are left, unhappily, without any culture but what chance throws in their way, such a state of mind might be contemplated as the natural effect of a depraved heart. What else can be expected, when the thorns and thistles of native depravity are not plucked up, and the seeds of virtue and piety not attempted to be sown by a religious education! But the fact is, that this vice not only exists, but occasionally exhibits a luxuriant growth in the minds of children, whose parents stand high in the world for Christian excellence.

tercourse between servants and
children cannot be wholly sus-
pended, that great care should
be taken in their selection, and
constant watchfulness be exer-
cised over their conduct. But a
much more pernicious example is
that which, at times, is set by
the parents themselves; because
here the child has no one to
guard it, and never suspects that
it has any need to guard against
any thing which it observes in so
beloved a relative.
And pro-
bably I may be asked, is it likely
that any pious parent will set an
example of duplicity and preva-
rication before a child?. I will
endeavour to explain myself.

It happens not unfrequently, that the husband and wife are not exactly similar in their tem pers and dispositions. For instance, the father may be strict, harsh, and somewhat severe : the mother, on the contrary, may be lenient and indulgent even to a fault-we will suppose a child to have committed an offence, it may be a slight one, and the moIf we wish to cure an evil, we ther, in order to avoid the dismust first inquire into its cause. pleasure of the father, covers and What, then, is the origin of this hides, by partial statements and vice? or, if its origin, in com- innuendoes, if not by direct mon with every other evil, is to falsehoods, the transgression of be found in the native depravity her child. What the child sees of the heart, what are those cir- in a parent whom he tenderly cumstances which may have con- loves, and what he is perhaps ditributed to its growth and ma-rected to do by that very parent turity?

In replying to this question, I am sorry to find myself under the necessity of referring to the example set before children under the parental roof. I am not alluding to the example set by servants, who, if they are unprincipled, will, in order to ingratiate themselves, with the children, most affectingly corrupt their moral feelings. It will,

[ocr errors]

to save himself from punishment, cannot easily be conceived of as a vice by the child. Again, the father may be economical and prudent, bordering even upon parsimony-the mother may be generous and open-hearted even to extravagance. While a little family is growing up to maturity, many occasions of difference in sentiment will arise, relating to dress, education, companions,

[ocr errors]

A vain and sinful mind will seek its proper aliment in pernicious books, such as novels, plays, and romances. These may have been prohibited by the parent, but they will be obtained by the same system of deception, concealed and read, perhaps at those seasons when it was hoped they were reading the scriptures, and calling upon God. The theatre, and places of amusement, will be visited, while some excuse will be framed to blind the eyes of an afflicted and anxious parent. Improper, and even dangerous connections will be formed clandes tinely, while the parent is deceived by contrary assurances, till, perhaps, it is too late, and the most distressing and afflictive consequences ensue.

c. which, as they cannot be settled by private explanation between the parents, will issue in a system of petty fraud and deceit. How many times has a weak mother said, " Here, my child, take this, but be sure not to tell your father," little considering that for a momentary, perhaps paltry gratification, she is doing her child a lasting and serious injury. A child should not be taught to conceal any thing from a parent; it should always be directed to look to its father and mother as its best friends and guardians: but by the conduct we are censuring, the current of filial affection, the noblest flame next to divine love, is frozen to ice as it proceeds from the heart. If such a line of conduct be pursued, it will be impossible to avoid at all times a dilemma, from which mere address and prevarication will not be sufficient to extricate the child. A plain question, it may be unintentional, will require a plain answer. The truth it dares not tell; a falsehood is substituted. Conscience, which slept whilst partial statements and prevarications served to deceive, now feels itself wounded a little : and is this salutary wound deep-character of their offspring, to ened by the reproof of that only he of one mind in their tuition parent who knows the sin? No, and discipline. Should they, on this she cannot do, because an any subject, have different views, acknowledgment of the truth let that be to themselves; before would have involved herself in their children, let them always censure. Thus she is obliged to act as with one council, one connive at sin. heart. Rather suffer any inconvenience, than have recourse to concealment and deception. Duplicity on your part will, almost to a certainty, ensure the want of sincerity in your child.

Let us follow the youth up into life, who has thus been early taught to dissemble. No wonder if truth becomes a stranger in his heart, and insincerity and deceit become his constant companions. And it is very likely that his parents will have to reap the fruit of their own doings.

VOL. IX.

Those who have been accus tomed to make observations on the state of society among us, will not, I am persuaded, say that I have overcharged the picture which I have now drawn. I am fully convinced, that the most enormous evils flow from the source which I have now endeavoured to lay open.

I would, therefore, most earnestly recommend to parents, as they value the moral and religious

If, on any occasion, you should discover a propensity in your offspring to depart from truth and sincerity, let it meet with your

H

cases, the medium through which such matter of fact is transmitted to the English reader, is not so advantageously employed to confirm the assertion, and, consequently, not so eligibly adapted to resist the attacks of the enemies of revelation, as could be desired. To justify this remark, I beg leave to submit to the notice of your readers, only the two following passages; with a sincere wish that their irreconcileable construction may be accounted for, so as there may be no room for the infidel to triumph. The first is recorded in Genesis,

marked disapprobation. Read to them the awful account of Ananias and Sapphira, who were struck dead, by the judgment of God, for telling an untruth. Let them hear, out of the sacred volume, that the God of truth abbors deceivers; and that all "liars shall have their portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone." Encourage them, as much as possible, to speak the truth. If they have done any thing deserving of blame, and make a frank, open confession of it, let not that confession expose them to punishment, lest at another time they be tempted to hide it. Let your ap-i. 20, 21, "And God said, let probation of the temper that speaks the truth, more than counterbalance your disapprobation of the error they had committed. Should you succeed, under the divine blessing, in forming the minds of your dear children to the love of truth and sincerity, the hatred of fraud and dissimulation, you will have laid the basis of a character, which, heightened and improved by the graces of God's Holy Spirit, will be lovely in the eyes of heaven, and eminently useful among the sons of

men.

T. M.

SEEMING CONTRADICTIONS.

To the Editors of the Baptist Magazine. I HAVE heard it often affirmed, that the scriptures cannot hold out contradictions. With regard to matter of fact, this is a most undeniable truth; to question which, would be an insult to the divine Author of the inspired writings, and be nothing less than blasphemy. But without approximating, in any degree, to this species of criminality, I think I may safely say, that, in many

the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind." The second is in chap. ii. 19, "And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air." In the first of these it is said, that the feathered race were created out of the element of water; in the second, that the earth was the substanc out of which they were formed : which to me appears (according to the general acceptation of the words used) to be directly contradictory.

Dr. Watts, in one part of his "Philosophical Essays," takes it for granted, that the fluid element (as a substantial medium) gave being to the aerial tribes; without giving any reason for his opinion. On the authority of a writer of such intellectual acuteness, I did not scruple to venture my faith; and till the above scriptures came under my particular notice,

« 上一頁繼續 »