to be attended to, and yet unless nicely adjusted and steadily controlled, they become snares and sources of evil. These feelings and interests are perhaps neglected and violated, his motives are misjudged, his conduct is misconstrued: Some assail him from malice, some good people not thoroughly acquainted with his circumstances, assail him from ignorance. Grace may enable him, in these circumstances, to moderate or repress his feelings: but however the oil may cover the surface, there is a heaving of the element beneath. The animal man, though chained, clamours with violence for gratification; there is here a powerful external exciting cause, even if all were right within. But on the new earth there will be no sea, no depraved or even animal feelings to be excited, as well as no exciting cause of tumult and jealousy. The glorified saint will have no animal feelings or interests that need attention, or that can be invaded. He can neither inflict nor receive an injury-he can neither feel nor excite envy-he can neither misunderstand another, nor be misunderstood in turn. The raiment he shall put on, when he leaves the grave, will be ever white and glistering the water of life will be in him a fountain of living water, springing up to everlasting life of the bread which he eats he shall live forever. "They shall hunger no more, neither shall they thirst any more, neither shall the sun light upon them, nor any heat." "There shall be no night there, and they need no candle: neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign for ever and ever." Such is the "rest which remaineth for the people of God;" no external causes to excite depravity, and no depravity to be excited: for there "the wicked VOL. VI. Ch. Ad.

cease from troubling, and there the weary are at rest." Is it to be wondered at, that the soldier of the cross should long for the evening to undress, that he may rest with God!

Finally-As a qualification for an entrance into this rest, holiness is indispensable. Unrenewed men have animal enjoyments; pleasure in eating and drinking, and gratifying their various appetites. But of this nothing is to be had hereafter. The animal system, with its present appendages, will be dropped; and further gratification from this quarter will be impossible. They have enjoyment in parade, in wealth, in splendour, in ambition, in family aggrandizement; but of this there is nothing hereafter. They have a sort of intellectual enjoyment, in geography, in astronomy, in politicks, in history, in philosophy, in abstract science; but for these, in their present form, no place will be found on the new earth. So that apart from what constitutes the mere negative bliss of the redeemed, (viz. an exemption from pain) it is impossible to discover in what an unholy man could find delight. Their positive enjoyment consists principally, in the possession and exercise of holy affections. Those whose meat and drink it is to do the will of their heavenly Father; those whose highest enjoyments consist in fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ; those who have been renewed in the spirit of their minds, and who love and follow after holiness of thought, word, and deed :These are qualified for, and will find admission to, the presence, service, and fruition of God. With each other, they will have a fellowship of feeling, of experience, of interest, of enjoyment; while there shall be nothing to hurt in all these blissful regions. "He that hath ears to hear let him hear."

H

K.

FOR THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.

Mr. Editor,-Your number for September last, contains a letter on the effect of faith as a preventive, and a remedy for disease; its tendency to promote longevity, &c. In a note, which you have appended thereto, you express an opinion that the writer has pushed his hypothesis too far. Such an opinion from you, was quite sufficient to produce a careful review of the subject. This has been given; and while the writer bows with much respect to the judgment of the editor of the Christian Advocate, and feels that he has no right to be over confident of his own correctness, he is yet desirous to occupy a few of your pages with some farther illustration on the subject, in confirmation of what has been advanced; in hopes, that when he is better understood, he may not be considered very wide of the mark. The subject itself, I think, is very important; and, as far as I have seen, has not received the attention which is due to it from the advocates of the gospel, nor yet from commentators on the scrip

tures.

That the reader may have a clear understanding of the positions I advocate, I shall state them with as much distinctness as I am able.

1st. I assert that the pure faith of the gospel, exercised to the degree in which, through grace, it may be exercised in this imperfect state, will have a powerful tendency to prevent all manner of diseases, yea, accidents and disasters, in this suffering world. I do not say to what extent, but I say, to a great extent. 2d. I assert, again, that the same faith, exercised as above, will have a great efficacy in healing diseases generally, and alleviating such calamities as the believer may have

fallen under. I do not say to what amount, but I say, to a great amount. And my meaning is, not that faith will merely strengthen the mind to bear up under the calamity, but that it will do a great deal towards removing the calamity itself.

3d. I say farther, that this same faith, exercised as above, by both parents, from generation to generation, would ultimately invigorate their offspring; and produce a longevity greatly beyond the short span of threescore and ten, or fourscore. I do not say how far, but give it as my opinion, that in the days of the millennium it may come

to centuries.

4th. And I say, once more, that this faith, exercised by parents as above, and inherited by their children, would, in the course of some generations, have more efficacy in beautifying the human person and giving attraction to the human countenance, than any, or all other means, put together.-Such is the extent to which I carry my views. But I must premise, that with faith I include all the fruits of holiness, which genuine faith necessarily produces; such as wisdom, prudence, sobriety, self-government, &c. Faith is the master grace, on which all true goodness depends. Every man who believes the gospel, just in proportion to the strength of his faith, will be anxious to know his duty in every thing, and to perform it. After what the Apostle James has said, every body ought to know, that the faith which is "without works" is worse than nothing; it is like the dead body, which produces nothing but putrefaction and pestilence, to those who come within its reach.

My first position, relative to the preventive efficacy of faith, I

think, may be illustrated by the following statement. Suppose two young persons, A. and B. just arrived at years of discretion, equal in all things, faith and its fruits excepted. Let A. possess such a strong faith as, through grace, a truly judicious education may communicate anxious to know his duty and conscientious to perform it, in all the relations of life; seeking divine direction in all things; with habits forming to humility and self-control, and thus in progress to become a truly wise and virtuous man-ensured to become such, as faith in its attainable measure must make him. Let B. possess equal powers of mind, and equal advantages in every other respect, only let him be destitute of the all-governing principle of faith, with all its necessary concomitants and fruits; as the true fear and love of God in his heart, &c. Let it be understood that he is never to possess them. I ask, to what amount does danger exist in the case of B. beyond that of A., that he will become ignorant, rash, headstrong, imprudent, the victim of intemperance, of pride, of lust, of anger, of anxiety, &c. &c. and of course, the victim of those diseases and disasters that follow in the train of these vices? Suppose an insurance was to be taken on the life of A. and B.; would not a judicious insurer prefer A. to B. almost fifty per cent.? Or, suppose the insurance was to be taken on their health, with reference to any one disease, as dyspepsia, fever, consumption, gout, rheumatism, &c. &c. Or, let the insurance be against any disaster whatever, as loss of character, of property, of friendship, domestic comfort, &c. &c. I say again, I am greatly deceived if A. would not have the advantage in such an insurance, almost fifty per cent. And if so, will it not follow that there is in faith, as it respects disease and disaster of almost every kind, a preventive efficacy, and that in a very great degree? As a

preventive of disease, I surely think it is worth all the drugs of the apo thecary put together. Still however, I allow there is nothing certain, but salvation and its blessings, to the believer, in this uncertain world. It is, as Solomon says, "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, but time and chance happeneth to them all." I only affirm that the chance, especially since the era of persecution has terminated, is greatly in favour of the believer-almost as two to one, if he believes with a strong faith.

Let us now proceed to my second position, which relates to the curative effect of faith. Here, for illustration, we may again resort to supposition. Let an hundred persons be taken with any particular disorder, as fever; let them have faith in large exercise, and consequently possess their minds in peace-tranquil and resigned; let them be animated with the hope and rejoicing, which faith can give, even in tribulation. Let another hundred be taken with the very same fever, under exactly similar circumstances, except being destitute of faith. Let them be subjected to the usual measure of anxiety, restlessness, fear, remorse, despair, &c. which ordinarily unbelievers do feel, when heavy calamity, threatening their mortal existence, comes upon them. Need it be asked, among which hundred the greatest mortality may be expected to take place? Would not the reader take his chance with the first, almost two to one? And that not merely as it respects the hope of recovery, but a speedy convalescence. But, to do the subject full justice, we must suppose further, that the hundred believing patients are under the care of nurses and physicians, possessing the increased qualifications incident to strong faith, for the discharge of their functions. While the hundred unbelievers have the

nursing and medical attendance, ordinarily afforded by those who fear not God.

There has been too little faith heretofore in the earth, and too little attention to the medical efficacy of the little that has been, to furnish such an induction of facts, as will clearly indicate the exact amount of efficacy to be expected from strong faith, in healing diseases. But when we consider to what extent ignorance, indiscretion, indolence, irregular indulgence of appetite and passion, &c. &c. (which would all be prevented by strong faith) generate disease, increase its virulence, and prolong its duration, it will surely be conceded, that a healing efficacy does exist in faith, to a very great extent. Nay, I feel disposed to assert, that more health and preservation of life would result to the world, from the conversion of mankind generally to the pure (not the spurious) faith of the gospel, than is now effected by all the prescriptions of the whole medical faculty. It is too little to say, that faith, as a remedy for disease, is preferable to the best medicine in the apothecary's shop.-It is better than the whole shop, with all the skill of its owner. And here, let me whisper a word in the ear of the married sisterhood. Above all classes of the human family, you and your infant offspring will be benefited by the exercise of faith, in large measure. The patience, the peace, the temperance, the prudence, the self-control which it will inspire, are to you as preventives of the peculiar perils, and support under the peculiar trials of wedded life, above all price. And so says the Apostle Paul, in a very remarkable text, 1 Tim. ii. 15, which you will do well to ponder, and understand in its most literal sense. This remarkable text expresses the great alleviation which the gospel brings to believing females, of the doom which fell so heavily on Eve and her daughters, recorded in Gen. iii. 14.

As to healing or removing other calamities, besides those of disease, little, certainly, need be said to il lustrate the efficacy of faith.-Sup pose A. a humble but firm believer, has lost his property by some unforeseen calamity. And B. destitute of the power of godliness in his heart, has fallen under the same calamity. Which of them will be the most likely to retrieve their circumstances, and procure a comfortable subsistence for themselves and their families? Or, suppose it is character that has been lostwhich of them will be the most likely, by uniform good conduct, to wipe off reproach, and be restored to publick estimation? Or, suppose the calamity is that of an unhappy choice in the marriage relation; and there are few calamities greater than that of being yoked with an uncomfortable helpmate-which of them, by wise, prudent, and proper conduct, will be the most likely to lessen the evil, and render it not merely tolerable, but in some de gree comfortable? Which of them, by rash, foolish, and sinful procedure, will be most likely to make bad worse-make utter shipwreck of comfort, both to themselves and their offspring after them? No one who knows any thing of the strong tendency of faith to produce duty, and the strong bearing which duty has upon domestic comfort, can be at any loss, concerning what answer to give. There are, indeed, many calamities which do not admit of a cure; these faith will render tolerable, by strengthening the mind to bear them. And I know of no case that admits of remedy, which strong faith has not a tendency greatly to alleviate. And let us remember for a moment, that if mankind universally were brought to the exercise of strong faith, nine-tenths of the calamities which befal us could never happen. There would then be no bad husbands or wives, no bad parents, no bad children, or ser vants; no thieves to rob us of our

property; nor calumniators to blast our reputation. All we want is faith, in full measure, universally diffused over the world, to heal nine-tenths of all the disasters and calamities with which it is afflicted.

I now proceed to my third position; which refers to the efficacy of faith when exercised, in due measure, by parents, through a succession of generations, towards invigorating ultimately their offspring, and producing in them a longevity far surpassing the threescore and ten, by which life is now ordinarily Jimited. That I may not be tedious, I shall simply state the following remarks, waving all proof, in the confidence that they will not be controverted.

Children do inherit much from their parents, as it regards bodily constitution-sometimes great debility, and in other cases, much vigour.

Ignorance and immorality, which are the direct offspring of unbelief, debase human nature; and the debasement bears a proportion to the degree in which they exist. While knowledge and virtue, the fruits of faith, exalt human nature; and this exaltation bears a proportion to the degree in which they exist.

Length of days is expressly promised to the obedience of faith, as belonging to its reward, both in the Old and New Testaments.

It is clearly predicted, that in the time of the millennium, when "knowledge shall cover the earth as the waters cover the seas;" and, of course, when faith shall abound in proportion; human life shall be greatly extended, both as it regards duration and enjoyment, "even as the days of heaven upon earth."

Lastly, human nature, after the fall, possessed a vigour and vitality, that enabled man to live for centuries; which vigour it lost, not at once, by any miraculous infliction from the Divine hand, but gradually, through some continually operating cause-Which renders it highly

probable that it is capable, in the course of many generations, of being gradually restored to a measure of its early vigour and longevity— say a third or a fourth-by a counter cause. And if there is such a counter cause, it must be faith.

The above considerations, all put together, appear to me to warrant the opinion, that the faith of the gospel does possess a redeeming principle, and when exercised to the extent it one day will be exercised, will ultimately relieve the world of much of its misery, and lift human nature into health, happiness, and longevity, very far beyond what at present exists.

Having surpassed the limits intended at the commencement of this essay, I shall waive, for the present, any discussion of the fourth position; which refers to the beautifying effect of pure faith, in a course of generations, upon the hu- • man person. Indeed, if there is any weight in what has been offered on the preceding topicks, credence in the fourth, will follow of course. As for objections, I shall not trouble. myself with them until they are made; but close with one remark. If the theory advocated above should be judged incorrect, it will be allowed to be free from the usual concomitant of error.-The belief of it will be harmless.

If any of my readers, in the expectation of prolonging their days to the duration of a century, and bequeathing increased longevity to their offspring, do, "give all diligence to the full assurance of faith;" such will be their gain, in comfort and usefulness, as amply to compensate the pain of disappointment, should they fail to reach even threescore and ten.

Editorial Remarks.

All the best medical writers allow much influence to moral causes, in preserving and restoring healthin the prevention and removal of