him to the best of their knowledge. I also believe that a particular congregation of disciples, meeting in any one place, may be regarded as the kingdom of God in that place.

A-Well, you have given sufficient amplitude to your definition; and although it is a little vague, I will admit it, and proceed. But let me just say that I expected that you would have said the immersed disciples.

R.-I call none a disciple who has not been immersed upon the confession of the Eunuch.

A.-Admit it, and what follows upon your assumption? THE PROMISES OF GOD ARE FAILED. His word is forfeited. "The Scripture is broken."

R.-I do not understand you. What promises? What Scripture?

A.-God promised by Daniel the Prophet, that, in the days of the Cesars, in the times of the Iron Empire, he would would set up a kingdom on earth WHICH WOULD NEVER BE DESTROYED. That kingdom, on your hypothesis, has been destroyed. Again, it is writ en, "Upon this rock will I build my congre gation, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it.” On your hypothesis the gates of hales have prevailed against it for more than 1300 years.

R-How is this?

A.-Why on all your definitions of the kingdom, supposing, as you do, that he that is not formally and understandingly immersed for the remission of his sins cannot enter into this kingdom; and it being a fact that before the year 1823, since the fifth century, baptism for the remission of sins was not preached, and not until the year 1827 were many y immersed with this apprehension of the subject. The dilemma in which your assumption fairly places you is this either the promises vf God have failed, or such persons as were baptized as you were the first time, are in the kingdom! Choose now for yourself.

R.-I dare not say there was no church of Christ, no kingdom of God all this time. But I will say the church was in the wilderness.

A.-That helps you not. It was still a church, although it was in the wilder ness; and this destroys your assumption. I admit that he who understands not fully the Lord's day, the Lord's supper, and christian immersion, cannot fully enjoy the blessings of the gospel of Christ, and that it makes all the difference between the wilderness and the fruitful field to understand fully these institutions: but yet there are degrees both in faith and knowledge; and he that lives in the wilderness still lives.A church in the wilderness is surely different from the kingdom of Satan. But, my dear sir, see where your assumption has placed you! My assumption is at least free from this dilemma. This, it is true, is all reasoning; but it is reasoning from such documents as gives great authority to the conclusions. And remember this is a question to be decided wholly by reasoning.

R.-I am candid to confess that I did not foresee this impediment in my way. But, come, does not this greatly detract from the importance which you and others attach to the discovery of the capital item of the ancient gospelbaptism for the remission of sins? This, indeed, is the only item which obtains for the ancient gospel the eminence which it claims.

A.—Not in the least. It stands rue that this is its proper meaning. The not understanding of this institution has prevented many christians from enjoying its benefits; but the not understanding it does not make them aliens from the kingdom of Jesus. This is all that is necessary to my assumption. But to keep the point immediately before us, concerning the kingdom, you must perceive that you were not in the kingdom of Satan during the ten years which intervened from your first to your second immersion. While in that kingdom if you confessed your sins, and asked forgiveness, you would have had the same assurance of the pardon of your sins which you imagine your second immersion gives you. Nay, indeed, you would have had more; because on a just foundation. You would have had the direct testimony of God to you addressed assuring you of pardon. This you had not in respect to your second immersion; for God did not promise to forgive your sins committed after your VOL. III.

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first immersion in a second immersion. There is no such promise in the New Testament.

R.-I did confess my sins during these ten years: but thinking that I never was constitutionally in the kingdom, I had not the assurance that I wished. I did not know that I could constitutionally expect the interposition of the Christian Advocate, not being constitutionally under his government.

A.-Permit me now to resume the analogy which you were pleased to call "a deceitful analogy.' I was constitutionally naturalized, though I did not understand all its benefits, nor seek all the privileges of a citizen. My political new birth, and your christian new birth were pretty much alike. I had thought that living on the American soil, and being well disposed to the government, I was, before my naturalization, entitled to certain privileges of a citizen. But such misconceptions did not annul the constitutionality of the act. 1 renounced all foreign allegiance in the words of the act. 1 ask you, then, did you not confess that Jesus was the Messiah, and did you not cordially renounce every other mediator,.prophet, priest, or king? And were you not immersed into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? And can you think that your supposing your sins were pardoned before your baptism, or that your not having all the meaning of baptism before your mind, made your immersion unconstitutional; and left you an alien from the kingdom of God-indeed, in the kingdom of Satan?

R.-'Tis true I found myself happier after my immersion than before, and had the answer of a good conscience in following the example of Jesus, and in keeping his command; and having had a consciousness that my sins were pardoned before I was baptized, I felt very happy. But many of the Baptists do not require their candidates to make a confession that they believe that Jesus is the Messiah I did, and - but I will not tell you any more of my experience. I wish you to remember that those Baptists who reimmerse seem to consider immersion for the remission of sins, no baptism, or different from theirs. Does not their re-baptism indicate that they regard our baptism for remission as wholly different from their baptism?

A-The conduct of those re-baptizers is wholly contrary to the sense of the denomination and their printed views of baptism in their creed. I have learned that some preachers have recently departed from their own creed, and required the candidates to say, before baptism; "that they did not believe there was any connexion between immersion and remission of sins." Such zealots as these are excrescences upon the system. They and their proselytes are not the persons of whom I speak. Some Baptist congregations put me in mind of a saying of the Lord to the Jews. After they rejected his teaching, he told them "the kingdom of God should be taken from them and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." Those Baptists who now directly oppose the ancient gospel and those persons baptized by them in opposition to it, I regard in quite a different point of view from those formerly immersed or those now immersed, when the attention of neither the preachers nor people has been called to the meaning of the institution. These were not included in my views in that essay. They belong to another chapter in casuistry, on which we have not said any thing.

R.-I think myself there is much difference. But let me ask you, How can one be said intelligently to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, without understanding the meaning of immersion?

A.This brings up again what you call my "second assumption." And the first being disposed of, I have no objections to make a remark or two upon it before we part. To settle the question with all despatch, I would just say, that the very same reasoning applied to the first assumption, disposes of your objection at once. The meaning of any institution, and the belief in the testimony of God concerning Jesus, his person, office, character, and work, are very different things. Though to the more enlightened they are intimately connected, yet experience proves, and observation attests, that many believe in him who do not understand his institutions. And if a clear apprehension of

the meaning of baptism be indispensable to faith in the Messiah, it will follow there has not been a believer for a thousand years before the recovery of the ancient gospel! Not one adult has been saved if my assumption cannot be proved, which is still more absurd, because contrary to many express oracles in both Testaments. Both my assumptions are true, or else the promises of God have failed!

R.-I have various other objections which I will reserve for another opportu nity.

A. —And I have sundry things to say which I deem of much importance on this subject, not yet said. One thing I wish you to reflect upon till next we meet, a proposition of much meaning. It is this-Baptism cannot be repeated unless in its full sense. No person can constitutionally be immersed for remission alone-for the Holy Spirit alone-for coming into the kingdom alone. He must be baptized into Christ, in the whole and full sense of the institution, or not at all. Whether you may think it makes for you or for me, I request you to examine it as an independent proposition.

In conclusion let me remind you of the danger of running into extremes and eccentricities. The sanguine are liable to take detached and isolated views of favorite topics. Let us regard the whole truth in all its connexions, and give to each its proper importance. A sound understanding will always be on its guard against one-sided views of cardinal truths. Let us not be bewitched by the glare of novelty, by the brilliancy of new discoveries, nor obstinately and superstitiously attached to old opinions.

R.-This advice is always seasonable. I go for truth whether old or new. EDITOR.

PRAYER, OR COMMUNION WITH GOD-No. V.

THIS is the spirit of the spirit of true religion. Without commu nion with God there is nothing gained by faith or hope, by promises or commands, by professions, confessions, or institutions. This is the sanctum sanctorum, the holy of holies, the inmost temple of religion. This was lost by Adam, and if we do not gain this by Messiah we have gained nothing but a name. But what is communion with God? Let us ask, for illustration, what is communion 'with man? The reciprocation of common sentiment and common feeling. Langunge fails to define its intimacies. Two sentimental spirits in conversation with each other is its best illustration-two spirits of kindred thought and kindred interests pouring into each other the overflowgs of congenial views, feelings, desires.

Speech with us is the channel of thought. In this channel betwixt man and man flows every sentiment, feeling, and desire. And it is not only the circulating medium of spirits on earth, dwelling in houses of clay; but it is the medium of converse 'twixt God and man. Arrayed in words of human language the Eternal Spirit appears to man not now only; for in Eden, blooming in primeval beauty and innocence, the voice of God, in harmonies sweeter than nature knows, fell upon that ear not yet polluted with the serpent's poisonous breath. Since then God has spoken to man through the mediation of angels, celestial and terrestrial; by prophets in times of old; and in later ages by his Son. The stipulated signs of human thought are the stipulated signs of all divine ideas suggested to man. God now speaks to us in his written word, and we speak to him in our

prayers. Thus we have communion with God through his Holy Spirit which is imparted to us. If we listen to God when he speaks (for he speaks first as it becomes him) he promises to listen to us. But if we hear not him, he hears not us. What an honor to be admitted into the audience of the Almighty Father upon such gracious terms! We hear the recorded words of God spoken by him through angels, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, his own Son; and thus having given our ears for a while to the voice of God, we lift up our voice to him. We utter our adorations, confessions, thanksgivings, petitions, and our unconditional submission to the will, authority, wisdom and goodness, mercy and love of him "who is, and was, and evermore shall be!" Thus our spirits ascend to the heavens and commune with God. This is the delightful fellowship which the christian indeed has with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ; "praying always, with all prayer and supplicatton in the spirit;" in the closet, by the way, in the field, morning, noon, evening, he prays "without ceasing." "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord! In the morning will I direct my prayer to thee, and will look up.” “In the morning shall my prayer anticipate thee." "As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning, and at noon, will I pray and cry aloud, and he shall hear my voice." "Seven times a-day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments." "Iis praise shall be continually in my mouth." "By Jesus let us offer the sacrifice of praise continually." Thus speak the saints of both Testaments.

Men may talk about religion, about sound doctrine, about ordinances, about institutions, about every thing present and future; but without this communion with God, this habitual devotion of mind, these constant aspirations, ejaculations, and soarings to the throne of mercy and favor, man is unfit for heaven, and unworthy of the christian profession. A zealot he may be, orthodox in doctrine, moral in demeanor; but he wants the life and power of christianity. Meditation on what God has spoken to us, and the outpourings of our spirit to him, is to the moral man what free respiration in a pure atmosphere is to the physical man-life, health, vigor, beauty.

These musings remind me of a devotional reading of the 12th chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, which was over-heard from the closet of an Iraelite indeed, reported by a brother who dated his conversion from it. As a specimen which illustrates the above remarks, we shall transcribe it from our pocket-book of memoranda. He read from the common version, and mingled his readings with the following ejaculations:

"I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." [Yes, Lord Jesus, it is most reasonable that I give myself to thee; not my body only, but my soul; for hadst thou not made thy soul an offering for my sins and given thyself for me, I had sacrificed myself to my lusts and sold myself for vanity. My body, Lord, is thine-a living sacrifice offered by

my soul to thee. Osanctify it wholly!] "And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." [From the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye, and the pride of this life, which are of this world-O my Father and my God, deliver me! And let my mind, O Saviour! reflect thy moral image as thou didst reflect on me the brightness of thy Father's glorious image.]

[Here is a hiatus of six verses.]

v. 9. "Let love be without dissimulation; abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good." [O Lord! thy love to mankind was without dissimulation! so let my love to the saints and my good will to mankind ever be!] "Be kindly affectioned one to another, in honor preferring one another." [May my affection for the saints be as tender and as kind as was that of thy servant Paul, who endured all things for their sakes; and always may I rejoice to see them honored, and to honor them without one envious thought. Lord, thou knowest my natural pride and frowardness; may I regard myself as nothing, that thou mayest be all.] "Not slothful in business." [May I rise betimes and redeem time, that I may by industry in my family, provide for my household, and have something to give to him that needs; and while I do so may I be fervent in serving the Lord!" "Rejoicing in hope" [of being delivered from the bondage of corruption and the evils of this life; may I "be patient in tribulation," and "continue instant in prayer."] "Distributing to the necessity of saints, given to hospitality." [O Lord, may thy poor saints share my bounty, and may I be often honored with showing hospitality to thy people. May they who know me regard my house as thine, and ever feel themselves at home under my roof. Lord bless the labor of my hands and prosper the industry of my family, that I may have it in my power to be more like thee, who went about on earth doing good!]

"Bless them which persecute you; bless, and curse not." [Heavenly Father, forgive all my enemies, if enemies I have, and reconcile them to thyself for Jesus' sake!] "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." [O Lord! may I be more full of thy divine sympathy!] "Be of the same mind one to another. Mind not high things; condescend to men of low estate." [Deliver· me, O my God! from the spirit of this world! May I choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the company of those called great and noble here. May I never be ashamed of the poorest of thy poor, but esteem them as rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom!]

"Be not wise in your own conceits." [Lord save me from conceit! May I have a due regard to the attainments of others, and respect the gifts of wisdom and knowledge which thou hast vouchsafed them. To "no man let me recompense evil."]Provide things honest in the sight of all men." May I not only he honest in fact, in eating, drinking, and wearing my own labors, (and when I give may it be my own which I give,) but may I, by my diligence in business and con