the soul of her child also she read to her, reasoned with her, prayed for her, and used every mean in her power to get her under the Guys, our sithout effect. was d in ral charcy, and possessed a clear understanding; and beinaserat with a religious family from her youth, her juda ent was tolerably well stormed is the a thud of salvation; and as she suppos. a It was suffer to be acqounted with the letter of Scripture, she thought herself perfectly safe.

Lavin caugn, a col to which she paid httle attention, it increase, and soon, rodas deep cu simption. very means was used that could be devised to prevents progress, but it baffled he power of medicine. She continued, however. a stranger t. God, and entertained a hope that the disorder

would not be fatal.

Bot meeting with considerable vexation from a connecaon, which she had imprudently formed, with a young person, she was led to reason, “If worldly pleasures and profits are incapable of alleviating the sorrows of the mind when overwhelmed with world y cales and crosses, O how much I ss can they assit me in spiritual matters now, and stil less at an hour of deata! How vain then is to pend that time upon thein, or put that confidence in them which I have hra no doń-! How ofen have I distracted my mind with these deceiving tung, and whit profit have had in them! and if hey deceive and fail me now, what is I do at death, for I have nothing else to depend upon at this

moment?"

These reas nings appear to have been the effect of divine light in her understanding. From dat ime she was led see the vanity or trusting in outward moTalty; and she now feit evils arising in her heart that she never knew nor telt before. The more tits knowled e increased, the greater discoveries it made of the unscarchable wickedness and depravity of her nature, which contaminated every thing she id.

She now began to search the Bible, which convinced her, the more she was acquainted wit it, thats e was an undo'y, helpless, ruined sinner. Her distress increased at every scriptural di cover she was favoured with, of her miserable state; she know not what to do, where to go, nor what means to a lopt. She called at a friend's house, and entered into spiritual conversation of her own accord, at which the family were much pleised, and not a little surprised, apshe never used to. ave any thing to say on religious matters.

Being very much rieved at the want of any opportunity o conversing with her minister, who was providentially detain d at a distance by indisposition, sie tuus reas ned: "I am disappointed in every thing that i set my mad un on; But God is at the bottom of all." Immediate these passages of Scripture ogc rred with much force to Ler recollection - “Look unto ME, and be ye svel"--"lle never said to the seed of Jacob, seek ye me in vain"-" I am not a God afar off, but near et Land”-“ Cease from mail"-"Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not.”— From that time she was taught to depend upon God alone, and to consider men as instruments only in his hand, to bring about his hely purposes. The first visit which I made to her, she was neither e ared, nor dejected. She gave me the short history of her new lite with the calmness and so idity of an a ed Christjan. I wondered much at her readiness m applying the word of God to her various cases; and still more, at her rich experience, and the jud cious way in wanca she expressed herself.

She mentioned having been visited with keen and frequent convictions for some years past, whic, she had endeavoured to stile, and in which she had been saccess ul. Soon after th 5, Satan was permi ted to exercise her with various and strong temptations, at which she was greatle d.smayed. But as her disorder increase, and her boy grew weaker, God in mercy rem ved these excruses, in which she saw much of his Kindness and mercy, and praised him for it, suling, **He is aithful to his word, for as my day, so has he given me strength." She was favoured with many precious, suitable promises, and was enabled to rely on Christ for the fulfilment of them. She was frequently much impressed with a sense of the love of God, and often said, “O that I could love God more! O that I could love him with all my heart! O that all my young

young friends did but know the sweet enjoyments that are to be experienced in ommunion with Jesus! O that I had known them sooner! but blessed be God for them now!"

Being very much distressed through the violence of the cough, “You sce,” said she, "I want to tell you how it is; but cannot."-At another time, being in the same condition, she could only say, "Blessed be God that he did not leave the great work undone in my s uluctil now! O what should I have done! But he has done this amongst the all things weli! O how good is God! He is faithful, merciful; full of love."

The morning that she died, being Sabbath-day, she said her body was nearly worn out; she never had such a night-but she expected it---taat God had been very merciful to her--had comi rted her with many sweetations of his word; but that she had not improved the night as she could have wished that her weakness, the pain in her breast, and the cough, had taken up so much o her time, her communion with God had been greatly interrupted. But," said she, "the dear Lord knows it all-it is all in the well-ordered covenant; and all that is in it that concernз me, he is faithful to fulfi.”

She could not utter any more. After I had prayed with her, in which her whole out apparently accompanied every petition, she took an afectionate leave of me, holding my hand, and looking upward, bent engaged in fervent ejaculations. At length she bade me firewel, as if sensible she should see me no more, which proved to be the case; for she departed, while I was engaged in the evening service, April 17th, in the 27th year of her age.

Her funeral sermon was preached the following Lord's-fav evening, in the new Chapel, Winborn-Mins er, from Isaiah xlv. ult. "In him shad all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory."

we hope soon Sanjay followe presence of a

ON Saturday, June 11, died, at his house at Mile-End, the Rev. Samuel Brewer, B. D. who, for upwards of hity years, wa, pastor of the Independent Charch at Stepney, where he laboured with great acceptance and success; the particulars of which will be detailed in a sketch of his life. to lay before our readers. His remains were internid, et ta ing, in the burial-ground belonging to his own meeting, in vast concourse of ministers and people, whose countenanc s indicated how affectionately they loved him. The procession consisted of seven mourning coaches, and the same number of gentlemen's carriage. The Rev. Mr. Barber, Mr. Clayton, Dr. Fisher, Mr. Kello, Mr. Towle, and Mr. Winter, supported the Pall. The Rev. Mr. Ford, Mr. Brewer's assistant and successor, delivered the oration and, on the ensuing day, preached the funeral discourse to a very erowded and deeply-affected audience. He was himself very much affected in both these services; which, we understand, he engaged in at the particular request of the decen ed.

REVIEW OF RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS.

A Demonstration of the true and eternal Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ; in Opposition to the Attacks of the present Age. By Dionysius Van De Wynpersse, S. S. Theol. Dart. Phil. Math. et Astr. Prof. at Leyden, to whom the Gold Medal was adjudged by the Hague Society. 183 pages, 8vo, Printed for T. Knott, No. 47, Lombard-street, 1794.

HIS pamp let, in support of the divinity of Christ, made its appearance under the auspices of a Society, instituted at the Hague about the year 1786, for the defence of the doctrines of revelation,

in

in opposition to the attacks of modern reformers, with a view of counteracting the influence of Dr. Priestley's writings, and others of a similar tendency. The end proposed by this institution was laudable; it is encouraged by men of high reputation, and the States of Holland have approved and sanctioned the design. To the Au thor of the treatise before us, was adjudged the gold medal by the Hague Society. The writer very properly enters upon his subject in the following manner: "A premium appointed for a good de"monstration of Christ's true divinity! Is it, then, a difficulty in "the eighteenth century of the Christian æra, to determine what we should believe with regard to Him, who is our peace, our life, our Lope?" Verily, so it is: if we believe the new-enlightened and modern teachers. But the humble followers of the ever-blessed Jesus, in this country, cannot help asking, Is a premium, then, necessary to draw out learned Christians into a defence of the honours, which belong to their glorious Redeemer, and to bear a just and proper testimony to Him, who is their hope, their peace, and their life? Alas! in either case, there seems to be just cause for humiliation! However, this is a well written. pamphlet, and certainly deserves the serious attention of all parties, though it will scarcely obtain their notice who oppose the honours of Christ.

66

The author just glances at the increase of that resistance which is made to the divinity of Christ; then shews that no proof is found against the doctrine in the denial of it, and very properly observes, that "We must not build the momentous truths of religion on the pass❝ing stream of fashionable opinion, or upon any prejudices of au "thority and restraint, but upon the sure grounds of rational de"monstration." This we consider as resting the subject on its proper basis---that rational demonstration which respects the testimony of the holy Scriptures. Whatever is once clearly shewn to be truth, can never be lost to the world. The divinity of our blessed Saviour is sufficiently authenticated by the sacred writers, and has been abundantly proved in different ages by learned and good men. The doctrine, indeed, has often fallen into disrepute, and has risen again as constantly into its original and just importance; aud the children of God have always triumphed in the perfection of their hope, and in the stability and certainty of their redemption through him, who is the everlasting God, the only Saviour of sinners, and the Author of eternal life. New doctrines may seem, for a moment, to eclipse those of the apostles; but the shadow will quickly pass away, and the truths of the Gospel shine again in their native lustre, as light, from the beginning, in the regular course of things, always succeeds darkness; but yet it must be acknowledged, that no doctrine, however clear in itself, will long continue to maintain its ground in the fickle and depraved minds of the multitude: Hence the truth of the Poet's remark,

Opinions are like leaves, which ev'ry year
Now flourish green, now fall and disappear.

And

And the most important may seem to be extinguished for a time; but the God of nature and truth will take care, that whatever springs from himself shall be revived again, and never be lost. Socinianism, a few years ago, made a rapid progress, but now, blessed be the Father of our Lord, it becomes faint and languid, and decreases again: Neither errors, nor spite against the glorious Redeemer shall prevail; for truth must be triumphant, and pure religion continue, because God remains ever the same. As the Christian's hope can never die, so neither can the doctrines which support it ever fail.

This writer, in seeking how to direct his inquiry, says very justly, "All prejudices being laid aside, the Scripture must be carefully read, and a particular attention paid to God's declaration concerning his Son and the way of salvation, and to the manner in which the Saviour of the world is proposed to our acceptance." And he accordingly pursues his inquiries, and addresses many unanswerable arguments from the divine names, and from the divine properties of Christ; from the divine works, and from the divine honours every-where attributed to our Lord, in the holy Scriptures; and he derives some forcible evidences even from the condemnation of Christ, in this manner: "It is acknowledged, that the Redeemer, though condemned by the Jewish council, and by Pilate to be crucified, was perfectly innocent. But then, there must have been as little ground to accuse him of blasphemy, as of sedition. If Jesus, therefore, suffered innocently, one of the two following assertions must be true: Either he attributed to himself no supernatural excellence, or he did it with truth; and the Jews were bound, and we also, to acknowledge his divine perfection, on the evidence which he has given." He also shews, that we cannot view Christ as the author of our salvation, unless we consider him as God; nor rely upon him as the propitiation for our sins, if he be not truly divine. "Intelligent Trinitarians and Unitarians have always acknowledged a close connection between the doctrine of Christ's true divinity, and that of his satisfaction for sin; so that both of them must be, at once, confessed or denied. If he was able, by his sufferings, to satisfy the justice of God for the sins of all believers, he must be more than a mere creature." The Socinians cannot deny cither without rejecting both; we cannot acknowledge either without receiving both. Hence the real dispute, if followed out in its consequences, is, whether or not the Gospel is of divine authority; for if we reject these doctrines, we must reject the authority of the Apostles, and this being done, we could no longer receive the New Testament, as a book divinely inspired: But the contents of this holy Book must remain eternally true, unless the perfections and nature of God should change.

From the relation of Christ to his Church, this writer draws some decisive proofs of his divinity, and places it, beyond all doubt, that the authority of the blessed Saviour over all God's ambassadors clearly supposes his divinity, which he thinks is obvious from VOL. IV.

such

such passages as these, where the Lord Jesus says to Ananius, concerning Paul," Go thy way; for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sakel;" and again from that passage in the Epistle to the Hebrews, "When he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the Angels of God worshiphim; but unto the Son, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever" with many other places. He afterwards shews that the divinity of Christ is the power of the Gospel; that which gives it all its efficacy, with respect to men. This he pursues through many pages, and reasons in the following manner: "Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye, through his poverty, might be rich." The Gospel is a message of great joy, a doctrine of an searchable and everlasting consolation, greatly superior to the less perfect revelation of God's compassion and friendship in ancient times; and all that holy joy must be in Christ Jesus. Now, all this is clear, great, exalted, and well-founded, if Christ be the true God; whereas, all is feeble and defective, if he have not the ability, if he have not the supreme good, from whence our chief happiness can arise."

The coming of Christ to judgment, and the authority with which, as universal Judge, he is invested, our author properly views as containing many evidences of our Lord's divinity; nor indeed can we conceive of Christ, as equal to those great transactions, unless we look upon him as something far beyond a mere creature. Having gone through these important articles, he proves that the adoration of Christ is not idolatry; and then advances some very interesting truths concerning the relation of Christ to God the Father, and to the Holy Spirit. Our limits here will not permit us to introduce such specimens of our author's reasoning upon this part of the subject, as we could have wished; yet we shall just point out his manner on the relation of Christ to the Holy Spirit. "If, at least, a divine power, or animating principle, in the Holy Ghost be acknowledged; then, if Christ be the true God, there must of necessity be an intimate relation, and an inseparable connection between him and the Divine Spirit. In fact, this kind of proof is not withheld from us in the testimony of God. He, who is called the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of Christ, is also expressly called the Spirit of God's Son, the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Christ. What make us more particularly to infer the supremacy of the Son of God from his relation to the . Divine Spirit, is, that as the operations of the Son appear to follow in order those of the Father, so it is evident, from the places that are quoted, and from others, that the operations of the Holy Ghost follow those of the Son, and that the Son works by the Spirit. The Saviour says, Verily, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what be seeth the Father do; for what things soever he doth, those also doth the Son likewise. Again, on the other

hand,