words of the angel, "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people; for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." To that Saviour we will look with pious faith, and humble obedience, feeling the fullest confidence that those who endeavour to do their duty, and trust in him, “God will in no wise cast out.'

*To those, who are desirous of being wise "above that which is written," who are not satisfied with believing in revealed mysteries, but are eager to scrutinize with their weak, but too curious eye, into the mode of God's nature and decrees, who employ metaphysics and philosophy to investigate truths, which are far out of the reach of both, I recommend to follow the example of the great Johnson, and join with him in the following prayer.

Dr. Johnson's Prayer against inquisitive and perplexing thoughts.

"O Lord, my Maker and Protector, who hast graciously sent me into this world to work out my salvation, enable me to drive from me all such unquiet and perplexing thoughts, as may mislead or hinder me. in the practice of those duties which thou hast required. When I behold the works of thy hands, and consider the course of thy providence, give me grace

Reflections on the seventeenth Article, and a brief statement of its real Doctrine.

The great seed-bed of Calvinistic error, as to Predestination, is St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans. This error has arisen from selecting and misinterpreting particular passages ; but above all, from not considering the object which the Apostle had in view when he wrote the Epistle. St. Paul, previously to his miraculous conversion, had not only all the feelings and prejudices of a Jew, but, from the fervor of his disposition, was more bitter than others against the promulgation of always to remember, that thy thoughts are not my thoughts, nor thy ways my ways; and whilst it shall please thee to continue me in this world, where much is to be done, and little to be known, teach me, by thy Holy Spirit, to withdraw my mind from unprofitable and dangerous inquiries, from difficulties vainly curious, and doubts impossible to be solved. Let me rejoice in the light which thou hast imparted, let me serve thee with active zeal and humble confidence, and wait with patient expectation for the time in which the soul, which thou receivest, shall be satisfied with knowledge. Grant this, O Lord, for Jesus Christ's sake."

the new Doctrine of Christianity. As soon as the conviction of the truth of Christ's mission was thus supernaturally forced upon his mind, the same fervor which before possessed him respecting the efficacy of the Mosaic law, and the privileges of his nation, impelled him to display uncommon zeal in the propagation of Christian truth. His whole soul seems to be impressed with an ardent desire of making amends for his involuntary error, and exceeding all others in exertion to promote the truth of the Christian covenant, because (as he says in his Epistle to the Galatians) he had persecuted the Church of God. His warm-hearted affection for his countrymen was such, that he earnestly desired to convince them of their error, in considering themselves as exclusively entitled to the favor of God; he admonished them, that the law of Moses was not intended to be perpetually observed, that the moral part only was to remain for universal adoption, He as

sured them, that by the new covenant of the Gospel, Redemption and Salvation were extended to the whole universe, to the Jew first, and afterwards to the Gentile.

That the Jew could not be justified by the works of the law, nor because they were of the seed of Abraham, but that those Jews, who rejected the new covenant of the Gospel, would be necessarily rejected by God. That there was no justification for them, or others, but by faith in Christ; that, besides the original corruption of human nature, from which the Jew was not exempt, no performance, either of the levitical or the moral law, could be so perfect, as to enable any one to stand justified in the sight of God. That they must be justified by coming to the ceremony of Baptism, with full faith in the promises of God; this was the only justification, the justification by faith. That now the converted Jews, and the whole body of the Gentiles, were

become the elect people of God; that there was no respect of persons with him, but that those who possessed a sincere faith in the Atonement of Christ, would benefit by that Atonement, as this was predestinated to be the general blessing offered to all faithful believers. That all were called to share in this blessing, but that it was predestinated that none should obtain it, but those who agreed to, and acted up to the stipulated conditions.

These, then, are the great objects which St. Paul meant to declare, and to establish in this Epistle.

That the law of Moses was ineffectual of itself alone to justification and salvation.

That these were effected only by an acceptance of, and adherence to, the Gospel Covenant.

That the Jews had no exclusive claim to the favor of God unless they accepted this Covenant. And, finally, that the Gentiles, that is, all true Christians, had