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duct of those who serve in the oldness of the letter of the law, establishing their own righteousness by external observances, while, in fact, they were breakers of it, and subject to its curse, and had their corruptions rather provoked than restrained by it.

I am, AN INQUIRER.

[For the New Evangelical Magazine.] ESSAY ON THE MODIFICATION OF MATTER.

WHEN God created man, the masterpiece of the lower creation, he first formed his body out of the dust of the ground; and, afterwards, breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul; Gen. ii. 7. From which it may be inferred, that matter, the dust of the ground," had no principle of life or motion.

tute or representative, and so he interprets them of the believer's being dead to the law, in virtue of his connection with Christ in his death, as in Galatians ii. 19, 20." I, through the law, am dead to the law, that I might live unto God: I um crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not mean to say, that the apostle's words, in Rom. vii. 6, will not bear the sense that is thus put upon them; but I think it is not the simple view of the passage. To me it appears more natural to understand the words, "that being dead wherein we were held," as relating to the law, than to apply them to the believer's connection" with Christ. The apostle had said in ver. 4. "Ye also are become dead to the We also infer, that life, in its lowest law, by the body of Christ," which is equi- acceptation, is not the result of organiz valent to what he says in ver. 6. " Weation, or of the mere juxta-position of the are delivered from the law, that (law) parts, or particles, of matter: another being dead to us, under which (while principle must be super added to prounbelievers) we were held (in bon- duce life, whether vegetative or animal; dage); just as a wife is bound by the law not to speak of intellectual. of her husband, so long as he lives." It is manifest that the apostle speaks indifferently of the law being dead to us, and we to it, the sense being precisely the same; and it implies an entire freedom from the law in respect of its curse, and as it is the condition of life. This death by the law is effected by the body of Christ, which was crucified for us, and by his bearing our sins in his own body on the tree. And we actually partake of this freedom when we believe on him, as delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification. Thus we obtain deliverance from the law, that (law) being dead wherein we were heldthat is, it is become, like the former husband of a wife, dead to us who heretofore were held in subjection to it, and were under obligations to be dealt with for life or death, according to its require ments. But this deliverance from the law is not granted that we might be at liberty to serve sin; no, it was, that we should serve God in newness of the Spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. To serve in newness of the Spirit, may signify,that we should serve or obey God from new motives, new principles, new dispositions; such as correspond with the gospel, which is the spirit of the legal dispensation, and which giveth life; and this, in opposition to the con

We now proceed to remark that, when matter itself was created, it was in a chaotic state; "without form and void." And, though it was never intended that it should remain in its unformed, confused state, yet it required the same Almighty power, which created this Something out of Nothing," to bring it into form.

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Among the other qualities of matter, its vis inertia, and its infinite divisibility, have been the occasions of much curious speculation: but, perhaps, the modification of matter is no less wonderful and curious.

Let us assume, as we justly may, that the Almighty Creator has constituted matter the substratum of all the beings which come within the cognizance of our senses, or the senses of any other animals.

Upon this assumption, may we not affirm, that matter, in its various changes, is ordained of God to be the source of all the pleasures and of all the pains which we experience in our animal frames?

To instance in the pleasures of taste: I sit down to a friendly repast: I find upon the table fish, flesh, fowl, and vege tables of various kinds; but all differing in taste. Whence this? From the modification of matter: one substance infinitely diversified! "Great and mar

"What can the winds or planets boast,

"But a precarious power?
"The sun is all in darkness lost,
"Frost shall be fire, and fire be frost,
"When he appoints the hour."

vellous are thy works, Lord God Al-
mighty!" And no less indulgent than
wonderful and glorious, is this instance
of the care of our common Parent; that
he should not only make provision for
our returning necessities, but that he Upper Dorset Street.
should so exquisitely entertain us with
his dainties; and all proceeding from
the endless variety and modification of
the atoms of one common principle!

The desert is introduced: and, not to mention the artificial modification in wines, sweetmeats, confectionaries, &c. various fruits are placed before me; all as various in their tastes. But why should an apple differ in taste from a peach, a walnut from a pear, or one pear from another, when they are all formed from the same infinitely divisable par

ticles?

Similar remarks apply to smelling and sight.

I enter a garden, and from the effluvia of the plants and flowers, I am regaled with exquisite perfumes of inexpressible variety; and am no less delighted with an endless diversity of colours and of tints; and all proceeding from the organization and modification of the imperceptible particles of one

substance.

Upon the same principle, we might extend our reflections to the medicinal properties of herbs, plants, roots, gums, &c. &c.

MR. EDITOR,

T. P.

Bath, June 12, 1822.

I SHOULD feel particularly obliged to you, if you would be so kind as to insert the following circumstance in your valuable Magazine for the next month, to the honour of Evangelical Clergymen.

Independent Chapel in Bath, in the Having been collecting for our New the city of Gloucester. I solicited the Bicourse of my journey I passed through shop of Gloucester to contribute towards our building, and also four clergymen of the established church. From the four clergymen I got four guineas. One of these ministers I found at the Spa Hothe benefit of his health; of course he tel, in Gloucester. He was there for

must be nameless. I was recommend

ed to call on him about nine o'clock in the evening, which I did. I found he had been in the habit of calling to And, if we trace the progress of vege-disposed to attend ; but from increasing family prayer all in the hotel who felt tation from season to season, and con-weakness of body he could not continue template the wonderful revolution of it. When I got to the hotel he was in these particles, producing, by an Al- his bedroom: the servant went to tell mighty agency, a resuscitation of natural productions in the same endless him; accordingly he came down-he him that a person wished to speak with variety, we must again recur to our first principle: "The modification of matter." very readily looked at my case, and in a humble, affectionate, and Christianhaving done this, he turned to me, and like manner, said, "This is pleasing, and a little remarkable. Just (said he) door, I was endeavouring to pray for the as the servant knocked at my room enlargement of the borders of Zion; not thinking I should have the pleasure of should not give to your case (said he) an answer to prayer so soon. If I of hypocrisy indeed!" And then, with my prayer would have the appearance all the kindness imaginable, he gave me imitation, and 1 humbly hope to find a guinea. This is conduct worthy of many such men of God in my begging tour. Such instances strengthen beggars, to go up the hill; for, verily, begging is an uphill work! They shall prosper that love Zion."

And what shall we say of the influence of the heavenly bodies, from whose constant emanation of material particles so many effects are daily produced?

But notwithstanding all that can be said upon such a subject, let it not be forgotten, that the God of nature has reserved the sovereignty to himself, to alter, or to suspend, the effects of all second causes; and we may conclude our Essay with the lines of the poet :

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Lord, when my thoughtful soul surveys
Fire, air, and earth, and stars, and seas,
"I call them all thy slaves;

"Commission'd by my Father's will,
"Poisons shall cure, and balms shall kill;
"Vernal suns, or zephyr's breath,

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May burn or blast the plants to death,
"That sharp December saves.

GEORGE INGRAM,

Minister of Ebenezer Chapel, Bath.

240

Theological Review.

Review of Dr. J. P. Smith's Scripture Tes- truths of Christianity, for in them he timony to the Messiah.

and

had been already instructed; but to furnish him with a selection of facts rela[Concluded from page 211.] tive to the actions, discourses and sufDURING his personal ministry on ferings of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of earth, our blessed Lord often intimated the diffusion of his religion in some to his disciples, whom he had chosen to particular places, and by some particu be his successors, tbat, after he should lar persons. Those places and persons be separated from them, they should be had probably some connexion with engaged in a work of immense magni- Theophilus more than other places tude and importance. This work con and persons would have had sisted in bearing witness to his name; thus some speciality of circumstances in testifying unto all the ends of the was the principle which guided the earth repentance toward God, and faith selection. The discourses, of which toward our Lord Jesus Christ. It is in the outlines, or any parts, are inserted the investigation of this part of the in this book, however different they may Scripture Testimony to the Messiah, be in minor respects, all point to one or that the concluding part of Dr. Smith's more of the following objects. 1. That work is occupied. He commences with Jesus was the Messiah foretold and dean examination of the examples of the scribed in the former Scriptures, to apostolic instruction contained in the which, as acknowledged documents, Book of Acts. The attentive reader and to ulterior Christian instruction, an will find, in the preparatory observations habitual reference is made for more to this investigation, some excellent re- complete information. 2. The rights marks on the main design of the Book of Gentile Christians, and their freedom of Acts. The title prefixed to this book from the observance of the rites of from an unknown but very early anti- Judaism. 3. The accountableness of quity, Dr. S. thinks, is not altogether men for the moral state of their affec appropriate to the design and compositions and conduct, and for the manner tion of the work; for it contains no information relative to the proceedings of the far larger number of the apostles, after they received their promised qualification on the day of Pentecost. It gives no account of the introduction of Christianity into numerous countries, which we are assured received that religion within the apostolic age; nor even of the origin of many of those churches which are recognized as existing and flourishing in the subsequent parts of the New Testament. The book does not profess to occupy so wide a field, as to be called with propriety the Acts of the Apostles; nor does it even propose a regular history of the persons and facts upon which it dwells, often with a circumstantial minuteness. The design of Luke does not appear to have been to instruct Theophilus in the fundamental

in which they treat the gospel testimony. From these Dr. Smith passes on to collect the testimonies which are afforded by this part of the New Testa ment, to the person and character of Jesus Christ. "The sum of these testimonies appears to be this: that the Christ is really and truly a man-the author and source of spiritual blessings to the human race-that the miracles wrought by the apostles were performed by his efficient power-that the peculiar operations of the Holy Spirit had the same origination-that he will be the final and universal Judge of mankindthat in all these respects, he acts in subordination to the primary grace and authority of the Father-that the cha racteristic institutions of Christianity have an especial respect to him as their Author, and the Object to whom, equally

to suppose this. Who then was this glorious Being whom Stephen saw, and to whom, in his dying moments, he committed the care of his immortal spirit, and from whom he thereby implored the greatest blessing which it is in the

with God the Father, their homage is directed that he is often styled THE LORD in the absolute form-that the phrase of performing religious acts in his name is used in a manner analagous to the peculiar application of that expression in the Scriptures to the Deity-power of Omnipotent Love to bestow? that religious worship was paid to him, He beheld the only display of the unand that such worship was a designating utterable glory, on which angels, and the mark of the primitive Christians." spirits of just men made perfect, are These different particulars are illustrat- capable of gazing-he beheld that Beed by copious and highly appropriate ing who holds the highest place in the quotations from the word of God; and universe, who is seated on the right supported by candid and sound reason- hand of the Majesty on high; and in ing, with occasional references to the that peerless ONE he instantly recogmost approved critical authorities. To nized THE MAN CHRIST JESUS; the make quotations from these with effect, Alpha and Omega, the First and the we must quote the whole; the reader Last, the Beginning and the End, the must have recourse to the work itself to I AM, who is, and who was, and who is be able to form a just opinion of this to come, the Almighty. On the princimasterly analysis of "the Apostolic Tes- ples of Unitarianism, this account of timony contained in the Book of Acts." the conduct of Stephen furnishes abunWe cannot, however, resist the tempta- dant ground for severe reprehension. tion of glancing for a moment at the Mr. Belsham would indeed account for notice which Dr. S. takes of the invo-it on the score of weakness; but how is cation of Jesus by the martyr Stephen. From the impossibility of denying that invoking (iminaλoúpers) is used in the active sense in Acts vii. 59, Unitarians have generally contented themselves with saying, that, as Stephen was favoured with a miraculous sight of Jesus actually present, his invocation was no more than a cry of distress to his affectionate master and friend, whom he might conceive to possess some more than ordinary means of affording him relief. "This holy proto-martyr," says Mr. Belsham, "had just been favoured with an actual vision of our Lord, ver. 55; and that the vivid impression of it, if not the vision itself, must have continued on his mind, so that he had a certain knowledge, if not a visible perception, of the real presence of Christ. The example of this primitive martyr, therefore, does not fall within the limit of religious worship, nor in the least degree authorize addresses to Christ, when he is not sensibly present." Were it not common for error to be inconsistent with itself, one might almost wonder how men, pretending to nearly all the rationality to be found in the world, could hazard such language as this. Does Mr. Belsham really think that, when Stephen was on this occasion favoured with a view of the spiritual world, he beheld two distinct beings? We cannot entertain so unfavourable an opinion of his judgment as

VOL. VIII.

this to be reconciled with the whole tenor of Stephen's conduct before the assembly? Strange, indeed that his courage should fail him at the very moment when he saw Omnipotence advancing to his aid; and that he, who had just produced by his speech such an irresistible effect on the minds of his audience, should be so overcome by fear, as in his extremity to implore the aid of even a glorified fellow-creature! Never surely was there a weaker expedient devised to obviate a difficulty than to represent the conduct of Stephen on this occasion as excusable, although by no means to be imitated by us, because he saw Jesus as present with him. For if, as was certainly the case, he prayed for the greatest of possible blessings, such a petition would have been equally preposterous and irreligious, whether offered to a visible or an invisible being, unless that being were over all, God blessed for ever." It is not without reason that Dr. Smith says of Mr. Belsham :-"Certainly this writer has little considered whether he was not assuming the character of certain disputants against Stephen, who could not resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake, and therefore they accused him of speaking blasphemous words." We do not know what Mr. Belsham's feelings were when he thus wrote respecting Stephen; whether he sympathized with the martyr, or

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precepts of Christ" was a trifling error, an inconsiderable weakness, such as we may very calmly attribute to one of the most eminent of the Saviour's disciples; and may even expect to find it recorded in the apostolic history, not only without censure, but with every appearance of approbation ?

But we pass on to notice Dr. Smith's investigation of "the Testimony of the Apostle John." This testimony is selected from the Gospel and the Epistles of John. "The introduction which the apostle prefixes to his work," Dr. S. observes, "has always been an object of peculiar attention, on the part both of friends and of enemies, for its beauty and solemnity, and for its evidently presenting a crowning epitome of the principal doctrines delivered in the whole." Each phrase and proposition in this introduction, that bears a relation to the subject of the inquiry,is carefully examined; and, in our opinion, this very important passage is placed in a clear and satisfactory point of view; while every objection which it was of importance to meet is fairly stated, and satisfactorily overthrown; and the fallacy of the Unitarian and other glosses on it, fully exposed. We would gladly present our readers with a view of the whole of the Doctor's reasoning on this part of the inspired testimony; but our limits oblige us to confine our remarks to one or two particulars.

with those who gnashed upon him with their teeth: but no one can deny that he has said all that he could say short of acquiescing in the decision of the council respecting this holy man, when he has represented him as doing what was contrary to the precepts of Christ, and the doctrine of the apostles, and, consequently, what amounted to direct idolatry;-to idolatry of the most flagrant and unexampled description-idolatry committed before the unequivocal and visible display of the glory of God, and immediately after having reproved his countrymen for being guilty of that sin; yea, and with the immediate prospect of appearing in the presence of the true God, whom he had thus openly denied. Let the admirers of the Calm Inquirer turn again to Luke's account of the circumstances attending the death of Stephen, and they will find that he attributes this singular manifestation of the divine glory to its proper source; to the operation of that Holy Spirit who glorifies Jesus, by taking of the things that are his, and shewing them to the minds of his sincere followers. Can we then, without involving the most daring impiety, imagine that, under the plenary influence of this divine agent, Stephen was thus awfully misled? Mr. Belsham must allow that, throughout the whole of his speech before the council, Stephen reasoned in the most accurate and conclusive manner: he was at this time realizing the promised assistance of Je- The LoGos," or Word. This remarksus: "I will give you a mouth, and wis-able word, Dr. S. supposes, had grown dom which all your adversaries shall not be into established use among the Jews, to able to gainsay nor resist:" how absurd, designate the Messiah in the especial therefore, is it, to suppose that, under a quality of a Mediator; and that the still higher degree of celestial guidance, ready manner, without any notice or he should begin to act in opposition to explanation, in which the evangelist inthe precepts of Jesus, and the doctrines troduces the term, is a strong ground of of the apostles for we believe Unita- presumption that it was familiar to the rians would find it about as difficult to persons for whom his work was prima prove that Stephen had ever acted such rily intended, who were most probably a part before, as they here attribute to the Christians of Ephesus,and the coasts him, as that this was the first and only and islands of Asiatic and European time that he had ever invoked in prayer Greece. The predicates of this word, the Lord Jesus Christ. But to make he argues, are not those of a mere quaamends for all that he has said deroga- lity, an attribute, an emanation, or any tory of the conduct of Stephen on this ens rationis; but those which require occasion, Mr. Belsham denominates for their subject an intelligent and vohim a good man, the holy proto-mar-luntary nature, a real and personal subtyr; in reference to which, Dr. Smith, with great justice, asks whether this was not done in scorn and irony; or, whether his notions of duty and of sin are so lax, that, in his account, worship "unauthorized," and "contrary to the

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sistence; and that it cannot be expressed by Wisdom, Reason, Speech, or any other abstract word.

"The Beginning." Few expressions have been more tortured than this to serve a purpose. Unitarians, with one

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