39. What is your duty to all men ?

I must render to all their dues ; I must be honest and just in all my dealings; I must be respectful to my friends, and forgive my 'enemies; and speak evil of no man.

40. How are you able to perform these duties ?

By divine assistance, which I must seek for with sincerity and earnestness.

41. What must you do when you find you come short of

I must renew my repentance, and pray to God for pardon, and be careful to do my duty better for the time to come.

42. What encouragement have you thus to live in the fear of God?

If I do so, I shall certainly be happy, both in this world and that which is to come.

your duty ?

SECTION VII. 43. What will become of you shortly? I shall shortly die, and return to the earth. 44. What are ue taught to expect after death?

We are taught to expect that we shall be restored to life again at the general resurrection.

45. To what purpose shall the dead be raised up ?

To bave their actions and characters tried at the judgment-seat of Christ, and to have their portion appointed unto them according to the things done in this present life.

46. What shall be the portion of the wicked and ungodly in another world ?

The wicked shall be punished with tribulation and anguish, according to the evil deeds which they have done.

47. What shall be the portion of the godly in another world?

They shall be admitted to a state of everlasting rest and joy with God and Jesus Christ.

48. What life then will you resolve to live in this world 2

By divine grace I will live a holy, godly life, and will make it my great care and business to serve God, and save A Meditation after reading Mr. Butcher's Discourses on

Christ's Sermon on the Mount.
All men are born to die, and since I must,
O
may

the hour be welcome to iny soul,
That hour which will consign me to the tomb.
There the great Messenger of grace and truth,
The perfect pattern of a Christian's life,
Has slept before me; thence triumphant rose,
A pledge to all his faithful followers
Of resurrection to eternal life ;
And (thanks to God for his transcendent love !)
Obtain'd the vict'ry over sin and death.
This is the consummation of true joy
And happiness unspeakable to those
Who keep his holy law, obey his will,
And, with a firm, undeviating step,
Walk the same path which Christ has mark'd and trod,
Conducting to the realms of endless bliss.
And is he raised to this exalted state
To execute bis Father's will, as Judge
Of all the earth ? And will be condescend
To take his faithful servants to himself,
That where he is, there also they may be?
And shall not we, who bear his honour'd name,
With gratitude accept the gracious boon?
Be this, my soul, thy coustant aim; be this
Thy best ambition and thy wisest care;
For this consult the Oracles of Truth,
Peruse the sacred pages, let them be
Thy daily meditation and delight;
And may my heart, my temper, and my life,
Be regulated by the rules they teach,
Obedient to the precepts they enforce,
And modell’d by the bright example set
By him who liv'd and taught to bless mankind,
To train them fit inhabitants of Heav'n,
And to present them at his Father's throne.
But ill accord the maxims of the world
With the requirements of the Christian code :
Nor will th example of the multitude,
The sanction of high birth, of power or wealth,

Or pride of earthly wisdom, countervail
VOL. XII.

C

To weaken or annul the laws of Heaven,
Not to be broken with impunity.
For whom bas Christ himself pronounced blessed ?

poor in spirit,” humble and content,
Not sons of pride “ shall be the heirs of Heaven."
• The mourners," who forsake the sins they mourn,
And bow submissive to the chast’ning rod,
May rest assur'd “they shall be comforted.”
“ The meek,” who patiently endure a wrong,
Strangers to base resentment and revenge,
More prompt to save than take a brother's life,
They shall enjoy a blest “ inheritance.”
“ The pure in heart," not the lascivious eye,
Shall share the privilege of “ seeing God.”
- The merciful" and kind to man and beast,
For acts of kindness shewn, “ shall mercy find :"
While the oppressor and the tyrant crew
Shall feel the miseries which they inflict.
The friends of peace, of harmony and love,
As favourite children of their heavenly Sire,
Shall be esteemed : but men of violence,
Who wield the weapons of destructive war,
Who ineasure glory by th' extent of crime,
And, boasting, aggravate their guilt and shame,
Must change the savage temper of their minds
Ere they expect a seat in Paradise.
They who, with steady, persevering faith
And trust in God, devote their lives and powers
The cause of Truth and Virtue to promote,
Will finally receive a rich reward.
Nor will th' inestimable prize be lost
To those who "suffer for their Master's sake;"
Tho' persecution, loss of friends and goods,
Tho' poverty, imprisonment and death,
May be their portion in this passing scene,
They shall have ample reason to " rejoice,
For great will be their recompence in Hearen."

Men daily see their fellow-mortals die, And none can hope t' escape the shaft of death. Let not the gay, the wealthy, or the proud, Affect to disbelieve a future state, A day of judgment for our actions here, And a decree of righteous retribution. These will as certainly succeed this life

As it is evident there is a God :
And these are awful truths which well deserve
To be contemplated by multitudes,
Wbo spend the largest portion of their lives
As folly, vice or fashion tempt them on,
Regardless of their future destiny,
And for the allurements of the present day,
Risk the eternal safety of their souls.

The Substance of a plain extempore Discourse, preached at

Benenden, Kent, on Sunday Evening, Nov. 20, 1825, to a respectable and attentive Audience assembled in an

Oasthouse. By T. Payne. Phil. ii. 5-11: “Let this mind be in yon which was also in Christ

Jesus: who, being in the form of God," &c. TRINITARIANS and Unitarians entertain different and opposite views in relation to God, to Christ, and the genuine meaning of several texts of scripture. The former maintain, that in the unity of the Godhead, there are three persons of the same substance, equal in power and glory; neither of them greater or less than the other ; neither of 6 them before or after the other, but co-equal and co-eternal together. The latter' maintain, that the infinite Deity, the Lord of heaven and earth, is one being ; and that he has no equal. Trinitarians maintain, that Jesus, the Messiah, was the second person in the Trinity, who laid aside his glory, came down from heaven and assumed manhood; that he was perfect God and perfect man, in one person ; equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead, inferior to the Father, as touching his manhood. Unitarians maintain, that Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God, was the real and very Christ. Trinitarians maintain, that several texts of scripture apply to the deity of Christ which are inapplicable to his manhood, and that other texts apply to his manhood which are inapplicable to his deity : for instance, when he says, “My Father is greater than I," that this is true as applying to his manhood, but would be untrue if applied to his godhead. Unitarians reject this mode of interpretation as utterly destitute of proof; and maintain, that whatever is said in the Scriptures concern. ing Jesus, the Christ, applies to him as a man, commissioned and qualified by his God. Both parties lay claim to our text as containing their respective opinions. Now

both these opinions cannot be true. And does it not appear to you, my Christian friends, of high importance for us to attain right views of God, of Christ, and of the genuine sense of the Holy Scriptures? Let us, then,

humbly look to God our Father for his blessing, and with | unprejudiced minds turn our attention to a careful exami

nation of this subject. Let us first attend to the Trinitarian view of the text.

“Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." This verse Trinitarians apply to the deity of Christ before his incarnation. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men." This verse they apply to bis laying aside his glory, coming down out of heaven and assuming manhood. “ And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obe. dient unto death, even the death of the cross." Here Trinitarians completely change their position, and, instead of applying the pronoun he to the same antecedent which they had in their minds before, namely, a co-equal deity, they apply it to the manhood which this co-equal deity (according to their views) assumed. And the evident reason of this is, because common sense will not suffer them to believe that the Jews killed the Almighty. Some have used expressions implying a belief that God actually died : « Behold! a God descends and dies.”

“God, the mighty Maker, died." But this is not what they really mean, therefore, we ought not to charge them with it. Ask them, Do you

believe that God died? They will readily answer, No; God could not die nor suffer pain; it was the humanity, the humanity only, that suffered and died.

Let us now examine this interpretation of the text : 'and first, it stands directly opposed to that great first principle both of natural and revealed religion—the Unity of God. That God is one, is confirmed by the plainest declarations of scripture : “ Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah." Twenty-six times in Isaiah is he styled the “ High and Lofty One,”: “ the Holy One of Israel;" but not once called the holy three. The unity of God is taught in more than two thousand texts of scripture, where sin. gular pronouns are used as applying to deity. “Thou shalt bave none other gods before me,” i. e. in my presence.

“ I am the Lord.” “I am God, and there is none else.” “ Is there a God besides me? Yea, there is no