gerous, to say that it is always a concomitant of that ordinance. Simon Magus was baptized, and yet we have no reason to think that there was ever a moment in which he ceased to be "in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity;"-unless he exercised true repentance after he was baptized. Baptismal regeneration, it is to be feared, has often proved a dangerous and fatal reliance, to those who have built their hopes upon it. The application of redemption is the office and work of the Holy Spirit; the third person of the adorable Trinity, called the Holy Spirit, because he is essentially holy; and because all his works and operations are of a like nature or character with himself. Whatever holiness is ever found in the human heart, is the effect of the operations of the Holy Spirit. It is to be remembered, that in the great work of our redemption, the three persons in the sacred Trinity, are all and equally concerned. Redemption is ordained by the Father, purchased by the Son, and applied by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is called, in the answer before us, his Spirit (that is, the Spirit of Christ,) because he is sent for this work more immediately by Christ, and through his mediation, and as the fruit of his purchase. It is expedient for you (said the Saviour) that I go away; for, if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but, if I depart, I will send him unto you"-and afterward" He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you." Here it also appears, that in the application of redemption by the Holy Spirit, he makes use of the truths of the written word. These truths, in the reading and preaching of the word, he effectually shows to the soul, so as to obtain its cordial approbation of them: and hence you see both our obligation and encouragement, to attend diligently and carefully to the word of God, and to pray for his blessed Spirit, to give it a saving application to our hearts.This leads as to consider the next question and answer in the Catechism. "Q. How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ? A. By working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling." In our natural state, we are all connected with our first covenant head, Adam, and subjected, with him, to the penalty of the broken covenant of works. When we are interested, savingly, in the redemption of Christ, it is done by taking us away from our former covenant state, and bringing us under the covenant of grace, in which the Saviour, as our new covenant head, has completely answered all the demands of the old broken covenant, in behalf of all his people. Now, this is done by "uniting us to Christ," as the Catechism expresses it; uniting us to Christ the second Adam, who repairs and restores the ruins of the first. This union with Christ does, as it were, identify the soul of every believer with him; so that, in virtue of this union, the believer is entitled to all that Christ has merited, purchased, and promised. This union is no technical fiction of theology. It is often mentioned and dwelt on in Scripture, in the most interesting manner. The blessed Redeemer himself, appeared to dwell on it with delight, in his last intercessory prayer; to dwell with delight on the oneness of himself and his redeemed people. It is compared in Scripture, to the union between husband and wife, between the head and the members, between the root and the branches, between the foundation and the superstructure. The bond of this union on our part is faith. Faith is that grace which instrumentally links the believing soul to the Saviour; or ingrafts it into him; or makes it a part of his mystical body. This faith is wrought in the soul by the Holy Spirit—it is a grace of his production." By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves-it is the gift of God." In a word, then, the and inattention-we sometimes slide into it imperceptibly. Such an abuse I suspect has been, and now is, prac tised by a great many, on the following undoubted truths, namely: that effectual calling, or true conversion, (which is the same thing) is a great work;-that a marvellous change then takes place in the mind;-that, there are cases in which it takes place suddenly, and almost miraculously; bonds of this union are the Spirit, on Christ's part, and faith on our part: both these concur in their order; Christ, in the language of the apostle Paul, FIRST apprehends the sinner by his Spirit, and the sinner THEN apprehends Christ by faith. It is in the great work of our effectual calling, that the Spirit thus apprehends, or takes an effectual hold on the soul of a sinner, unites it to Christ, and thus insures its salva--that these cases happen frequently tion. This introduces the next question and answer in the Catechism. "Q. What is effectual calling? A. Effectual calling is the work of God's Spirit, whereby convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ; and, renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the Gospel." The two last questions and answers, which we have just considered, are but preparatory and introductory to this. In that which is now before you, my dear youth, you have an account of that great inward work, which must take place in each of your hearts, if you ever enter the kingdom of Heaven. This answer, therefore, is infinitely important to you all-not one in the system can be compared with it, in practical interest, to those of you who are thinking with some seriousness about religion; and yet have not, and do not suppose that you yet have, the religion which will save your souls. Here you are told what such religion is, and how it comes to be possessed. Will you not attend to this with all the powers of your minds? Will you not try to understand what effectual calling is, and to accompany the hearing with prayer, that God may make you the subjects of it? Here I have a few preliminary observations to offer, which may serve to shorten the subsequent discussion; and which to me appear of great practical importance in themselves remark then that it is difficult to preserve almost any truth from being abused. It may be abused, not only by design, but by negligence at those seasons which are called revivals of religion, when almost every body is affected, and converts are wonderfully multiplied. All these I firmly believe to be truths-important truths; and God forbid that I should say a word to disparage them. But I really think they are often abused, and that imperceptibly, by those that hold them. Pious people themselves may, perhaps, abuse them; so as not to look for the conversion of their children, but in some striking manner, or at some remarkable season of the outpouring of the Spirit. And if this be so, youth who have received a Christian education, and have some seriousness of mind, without practical piety, are much more likely to practise this abuse-I believe they do practise it among ourselves. They think that regeneration is such a marvellous change, and must take place in such a marvellous manner, and that all they can do, in an ordinary way, has so little connexion with it, that they may even give it up, as a hopeless thing to themselves, till some time of general awakening comes; when they shall be taken hold of powerfully (they know not how,) and become pious Christians along with the multitude. Now here is a great abuse of the truths which have been specified.Regeneration is, indeed, a great and marvellous change; but, the effectual calling which issues in it, often takes place so gradually, and is so mingled with the effects of natural conscience, of increasing light and good education, that the most undoubted subjects of it, oftentimes cannot trace distinctly, in their own JUNE, your tenderness of you more and more- that you may be regene An affict although there should be no gerous, to say that it is always The Holy Spir answer before us the Spirit of C sent for this we by Christ, an ation, and as chase. It is the Saviour) t go not away, come unto y will send hi ward-" He shall receiv it unto you revival of religion. But, in- practical use the med all take this advice, it would PASTORAL LETTER. We have read the following pas lay before the friends of religious sins have always passed tender toral letter with no ordinary gratified pravec have carefully attended determined to insert the whole of it pandinances and been fa- in our pages. The truth is, it conof cuss have not neglect cation and pleasure; and we have their Bibles-they are tains much which, in the present circorted without any great con- we deem it peculiarly seasonable to ad actually called, and soundly cumstances of the American church, do a period when divine grace is revivals. We have felt that as Best implanted, but the subject of it Christian Advocates we ought to cannot tell when To his apprehen- communicate something of this naand light have gradually increased, readers: And in this letter we have in it seems only as if his seriousness ture, as speedily as possible, to our bill at length, and after a good deal found nearly all that we wished to be was once blind, now he sees. And pared too by those who live in the of doubt be can say, that whereas say prepared to our hand; prethemselves are frequently among place, and where they still exist. I have long remarked that Christians region where extraordinary revivals who can give only this account of of religion have recently taken these who are most exemplary, most Those who have sent forth this letterimping most stedfast, and most manifestly speak of things which Frutal in their Christian profession. they have actually seen and heard; sly educated-many of you I trust, evils and errors, which they have per revivals of religion have happily they have given with the marks ter of the years 1811 and 1812. Since that persuaded that some sentences which At in an exclusive reference to the mind of any member of the Asthe United States.-But the statement sociation, if they had not been ac be so numerous in our own country, of quotation, contain expressions prably to render the above statement which would never have occurred to d thus taken, it is still believed to be tually used: and if used, it was and therefore it has been permitted surely high time that something that in the by the Ho the truths truths, in of the w the soul, probatio both our ment, to fully to pray for a saving This le originally made. We are should be done to prevent their repe hole letter is exi proposed at first some extracts; but to mark them, we it to make a selection peared as good as anoe resolved to take the e temper and manner of we also approve, as much as er which it contains. It is with a true Christian spirit, a plain and remarkably perous style. Ve beg that a very particular attion may be paid to the first part the letter to "indifference on the subject of revivals." It is on this point, that many congregations and churches require to be specially and solemnly admonished. They are They are still slumbering in the lethargy of formality; and have much more need of something to arouse them, than of any thing to guard them against intemperate zeal. Nor let them seek to quiet themselves in a state of stupidity and carelessness, by observing the extravagance which too often appears in revivals of religion. Let them remember that extravagance appeared in the primitive church;* appeared even in the abuse of miraculous gifts. Let them remember that while this extravagance takes place, many souls are savingly converted; and that this is a state of things infinitely more desirable than that in which hundreds and thousands are going quietly down to perdition; and in which the wise virgins are slumbering and sleeping with the foolish. On the other hand, let the friends of revivals learn from the example of the Apostle, to which we have referred, that those are not enemies to revivals who seek to preserve, or to rescue them, from abuse; and to free them from every thing that is really objectionable. Paul surely was not an enemy to revivals; nor is the Association that published this letter to be so accounted; nor are we who republish it. The best friends of revivals are those who wish • See 1 Cor. xiv. chapter throughout. the to be purified from all leaven of human infirmity, error, and delusion. It is mainly because we fondly cherish the hope that God is about to visit our land with revivals, more general and extensive than any which have yet appeared, that we have determined to republish this pastoral letter: so that if our hopes should be realized, the people of God may, from the very first, determinately set themselves against every thing which may bring reproach on revivals, and render them far less productive of sound conversions than they will be, if they are not conducted with Christian prudence as well as with holy zeal-conducted in the genuine spirit, and according to the sober maxims of inspiration, and not by the intemperate feelings and passions of men-honest, it may be-but yet unquestionably mistaken and indiscreet. minds, the steps by which they arrived at it. Revivals of religion are glorious periods, in which great additions are, in a short time, made to the church. Yet, take all those additions together, and probably many more have hitherto been effectually called, at times when there were no special or general revivals, than in all the times at which such revivals have existed. The practical use there fore which I wish you to make of these remarks is this:-Not so to conceive of effectual calling, or true conversion, as to suppose that you are not to seek it, look for it, and hope for it, but in some wonderful way, or at some extraordinary time. God works on different minds in different methods. When persons have received a religious education, have been preserved from out-breaking sins, have always possessed tenderness of conscience, have not neglected prayer, have carefully attended on publick ordinances, and been familiar with their Bibles ;-they are often effectually called, and soundly converted, without any great convulsion of the soul. There is, no doubt, a period when divine grace is first implanted, but the subject of it cannot tell when. To his apprehension it seems only as if his seriousness and light have gradually increased, till, at length, and after a good deal of doubt, he can say, that whereas he was once blind, now he sees. And I have long remarked that Christians who can give only this account of themselves, are frequently among those who are most exemplary, most improving, most stedfast, and most fruitful in their Christian profession. My children, you have been religiously educated-many of you I trust, This lecture was delivered in the winter of the years 1811 and 1812. Since that period, revivals of religion have happily been so numerous in our own country, as probably to render the above statement incorrect, in an exclusive reference to the United States. But the statement refers to the Christian world at large; and thus taken, it is still believed to be true, and therefore it has been permitted to stand as originally made. have never lost your tenderness of conscience, nor wholly neglected prayer to God-Cherish the sensibility of your consciences-beg God to enlighten you more and morebeg him to impart his grace to change your hearts, that you may be regenerated, although there should be no general revival of religion. But, indeed, what have I said?-If you would all take this advice, it would make a revival, and one too of the most hopeful kind-Happy will be those individuals, who shall take the advice, let whoever may neglect it. (To be continued.) PASTORAL LETTER. We have read the following pas toral letter with no ordinary gratification and pleasure; and we have determined to insert the whole of it in our pages. The truth is, it contains much which, in the present circumstances of the American church, we deem it peculiarly seasonable to lay before the friends of religious revivals. We have felt that as Christian Advocates we ought to communicate something of this na ture, as speedily as possible, to our readers: And in this letter we have found nearly all that we wished to say prepared to our hand; prepared too by those who live in the region where extraordinary revivals of religion have recently taken place, and where they still exist. Those who have sent forth this letter manifestly speak of things which they have actually seen and heard; and they offer cautions, in regard to evils and errors, which they have witnessed for themselves. We are persuaded that some sentences which they have given with the marks of quotation, contain expressions which would never have occurred to the mind of any member of the As sociation, if they had not been ac tually used: and if used, it was surely high time that something should be done to prevent their repe |