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know not that they are deceiving others nor would I thus attempt to bear testimony against their delusion, were it not for the value of immortal souls, together with the infinite importance of eternal truth.

The system to which I now allude, is that of a kind of a mixture of Wesleyanism and Calvinism; we call its advocates, by way of distinction, low Calvinists, as true christians are called high Calvinists: the low Calvinism is from beneath, therefore we call it low Calvinism, not that it has any right to Calvin's name; the other, being from on high, we call high Calvinism; that the low Calvinist ministers, are ministers of the letter, and not of the Spirit, that they are not of God: this their state is truly awful; but the truth must be told, not for contention's sake, but the truth's sake. My reasons for believing that these low doctrine men are not of God, are as follows.

First. They do not open up, really and truly, the state man is in by nature; they speak of it merely from the letter of the word, without any thorough experience of it in their hearts; and hence almost all the conversions that take place under their ministry are merely nominal, there is no thorough humbling, emptying, stripping bare, plucking up, pulling to pieces, driving out, and breaking the bones. They do use the letter of the word, and the Lord will own his own word, and hence there is not perhaps a sect, calling itself christian, under which some are not savingly quickened; but these will continue uneasy, and will come out from among them.

Jacob had children by his bond-maids, but the bondwomen were bond-women still: this admission of their usefulness, does not lessen the woefulness of their condition; they are like postmen, they carry the letter, but know not its secrets, nor are they savingly interested in its contents. The real state of man, in the first Adam, is a secret which they do not, and which

They think

they cannot open up. they do, but the children of God know that they do not: their (these low calvinists) religion is the old Adam dressed up in the name of the new, or the second Adam, the Lord from heaven. There is, therefore, upon this subject of our state by nature, between the high and the low Calvinists no real union.

Secondly. The low Calvinists do not set forth the eternal counsels of God, so as to clearly point out, and keep up in their ministry that eternal distinction which God has made between the goats and the sheep, the precious and the vile, the wheat and the chaff. They daringly tell us that these things are spoken of in the Bible sparingly, yet these are things that declare unto us the Christ of God. The love of God to his people is in him, their election to life eternal is in him, their predestination to glory is in him, their righteousness, their sanctification, and their redemption are in him, they are complete, approved, and accepted in him: he therefore cannot be scripturally preached, without these great truths being constantly preached. When we look at the Apostle's reference to the book of Genesis, and his explanation of the spiritual import of Sarah and Hagar, Isaac and Ishmael, and Jacob and Esau; reading the Bible in the light thus afforded, the high Calvinist is constrained to acknowledge, and to bless God for it too, that the Bible is full of these great truths: these are the truths that testify of Christ. And so the Saviour, when he expounded the scriptures, he began with the first writer, beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all things concerning himself; and yet the low Calvinists tell us that these things are spoken of but sparingly : they would not speak thus if they were sent of God.

Thirdly. These low Calvinists do not describe scripturally the work of the Holy Ghost. The experience of

the true christian, both their soul troubles and deliverances, bear testimony against the statements of the low Calvinists. It is this experience of the child of God, that enables him to know who is who; to reject the leaven of the pharisees, to thwart the craftiness of the fox, and to surmount the ignorance of vain janglers. Experience, as the proverb goes, makes fools wise. I know well when I was hunted about by these forgers of lies, these physicians of no value, these miserable comforters, I was in prison, but they could not come in unto me; I was hungry, they gave me no meat; I was thirsty, they gave me no drink; I was sick, they visited me not; they knew not where I was: I was a stranger, they took me not in; I asked for bread, they gave me a stone; not the stone of help, but the stone of legality, which is a stone of hinderance: they enter not in themselves, and they hindered me, when I was longing to go into the kingdom; but when the king came, I went in with him to the marriage, and I have no desire again to go out.

Fourthly. These teachers are in their prayers any thing but spiritual. What far-fetched language; such as, the benign Being, benificent Deity, the supreme Judge; and then as to the confession of their sins, their language is, that they have omitted many duties, committed many faults, and hope to be better in future, and if the Lord will spare these trees another year, they are going to dig about them and dung them mightily, so that next year the Lord of the vineyard may expect a wonderful abundance of fruit. So that it lies, of course, in a great measure with man; but then they say, God must second their efforts. Aye, to be sure, whatever they do they must not let the Lord God act first: oh dear no, for if the Lord were half as generous as these, all the world would go to heaven safe enough. But then, poor

things, their prayers are hindered, and their efforts not seconded, for the Lord will have mercy upon whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth.

The language of their prayers is foreign to the simplicity and endearment of the prayers of the saints; these false apostles make but very little use of Christ in their prayers, yet in prayer there is neither life nor access to God without Christ. The true christian thirsts for God in a way that the nominal christian does not; the nominal makes a great preamble concerning the flesh, the true christian renounces all confidence in the flesh, knowing that that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and will be flesh as long as he is in this world. Feeling and knowing this, he receives the whole truth, the truth makes him free, and he is free indeed: free to live with, and walk in Christ Jesus, the Lord of life and glory. The prayers of the nominal christian do not enter into, nor go along with the holy longings of the soul that is born of God.

Fifthly. These low Calvinists are malignant accusers of the brethren, saying that the high Calvinists contend for the helplessness of the creature, in order to have an excuse for sin; that they (the high Calvinists) contend for eternal election, predestination, and completeness in Christ, that they may live as they list, neglecting the duties of life. These are the libels brought by low Calvinists upon the truths and people of God. Well, as their system is from beneath, they must do the work of him with whom they are in league.

These, then, are a few of the reasons for my believing that these low Calvinists are not of God:- and if an angel from heaven bring another gospel, let him be, in the spiritual sense, excluded from our approbation, for he that biddeth them God speed, is a partaker of their evil deeds. Any alteration in the gospel of God,

makes it another gospel :-see that thou make it according to the pattern shewn to thee, said the Lord to Moses. "Hold fast the form of sound words," saith the Apostle. "Contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints." May the dear Spirit of all truth, stir us up against the wiles of the devil, that we might be enabled to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. Southwark.

JAMES.

FAMILY PRAYER DEFENDED,

And the Opinion of Gad shewn to be Con

me.

trary to the Scriptures of God.

In attempting to make a few observations on Gad's Opinion of Family Prayer, I feel that being but a child in polemic war, and my opponent one from his youth evidently of valiant literary achievement, I have no hope of success but in the truth being with Of this however I feel confident, and though I exceedingly regret that an abler champion has not come forward to oppose with bolder testimony the man who is striving to destroy one of Zion's sweetest privileges, I have but little doubt of proving that Gad's opinion of family prayer is in direct hostility to God's encouragement and blessing thereupon.

I shall refrain from any allusion to the epithets he has given to my first paper. I shall refrain likewise from any arguments which bear upon the pleasure which the parent may hope to realize by seeing his children nurtured in the admonition of the Lord, through the Lord's smile upon the parent's endeavours to train them up in the Lord's fear; or upon the remorse (which I could bring forward some instances to prove) prayerless parents have felt when after having maintained, like Eli, a long and palmy profession, they have seen their offspring wandering from the ways of

the Lord, and have heard the loud whispers of their own consciences, that while they gave all diligence to their children's temporal interests, they neglected to point them by their own example to the hope of a better inheritance; yea, and have perhaps, like Eli, been made, by the judgments of (od overtaking themselves or their children, monuments of his wrath for parental neglect. I shall refrain from dwelling upon these: nor shall I allude to the mental calm with which the christian begins his avocations, after rising from the altar of morning devotion; or the relief experienced when, after the toils of the day, he once more erects his Ebenezer, saying,

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Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.' Such arguments would be denounced by Gad as carnal, or if disposed to use milder language he would say, all this could be realized in closet prayer by the believer alone: and so it might, but the believer when in his closet hath other matters to mention there, subjects which he would blush for his nearest and dearest friend to listen to-so that we may say closet prayer is not set aside by family prayer, for that allows an intimacy of communion which cannot be experienced at the family altar; neither is family prayer set aside by closet devotion, for that would be paying total disregard to the mandate of Israel's God, that the great things he is constantly doing for his people, should be told by them to their children when they are rising up and when they are lying down: nor do both lessen the importance of the public ordinances in the church, for the Lord by his apostle hath expressly said, Neglect not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is." And this brings us to the delightful conclusion, which is then clearly understood, Men ought always to pray and not to faint."

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Gad seems to triumph in the idea that scripture affords no literally expressed injunction for family prayer.

Nor can he find in scripture the express words-Trinity, Persons in the Godhead, &c. But would he on that account either reject the doctrine of Three Persons in One God, or state that it is purely a matter of christian discretion whether the doctrine is held or rejected. No, I presume he would be indignant at such a thought, he would say, though there is no express mention of the words, the doctrine may be clearly inferred : so I would say, though family prayer may not be expressly enjoined, yet the blessing and approbation of God upon the practice is plainly seen.

But, as I said in my former piece, the believer does not ransack scripture for positive commands to compel him to that which he regards as a privilege. His religion is the religion of love, not the bondage of duty. He is not dragged to the mercy-seat as a slave, but hastens thither as to the presence-chamber of his Father and his Friend. His obedience, if indeed it can be called by that name, moves not as do the chariots of the Egyptians which go heavily, but are as those of Amminnadib, of a willing people, rolling upon the axletree of an implanted love. Christian discretion is regarded as yielding but a faint and glimmering guidance by him who hath been taught the deceitfulness of his own heart. He regards prayer as his daily sustenance; he cannot live but in its atmosphere. He flies to the Rock being destitute of every other shelter; and safe himself in the munitions thereof, natural affection prompts him, and divine love constrains him to point those who are dearest to him to the same refuge, for he remembers that it is said,

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He that doth not especially provide for those of his own house hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel," 1 Tim. v. 8.

I must take leave to question the first reason which Gad has assigned for introducing this subject. If he had wished only to ascertain what

the word of God says on the subject, the scripture was open to him ; he does not live in the darkness of popish times, and he would have done well to imitate the Bereans, and search to see if these things be so. None would blame him for this: but the primary motive is too discoverable, he to please modern Athenians wished to broach some new thing.

His second reason I partially concur in. I with him object to forms of prayer; indeed I can scarcely conceive how an awakened soul can tell out his wants in language borrowed from another but I am quite at a point that a form of sound words is better than no prayer at all; and equally satisfied, that He who on earth said After this manner pray ye," now that he hath entered as our Great High Priest into the holy place, regardeth the infirmities of his people and looketh at the heart, judging not as man judgeth.

His third reason I deny. Many may perhaps be tried by the suggestions of the devil urging them to forsake and think lightly of the practice; but I will defy Gad, with all his industry, to find one believer who is tried in his mind, or who hath ever regretted adopting Joshua's resolution, "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord."

Now as it regards the country labourer and his wife, and their impossibility of engaging in family prayer, I ask, where is the impossibility? We may presume that Gad has dressed up his case with all the objections he could invent; and I would ask, what is found to prevent these humble souls enjoying the privilege? Family prayer may in its arrangements differ according to the circumstances of individuals. One, like the man of Mount Ephraim, may have a Levite for a priest in his own habitation; he may dwell in ceiled houses, and have the luxuries of life around him, and his time at his command: while another, living perhaps

in a single room, and rising up (as Gad says) before it is light to go to his work, can only "with his everaffectionate wife " bend at his bedside, and ask a Father's blessing and a child's portion. There is nothing in Gad's picture to hinder this, and this, if there be the love of God in the heart, will be put into practice. For I would have the reader observe, this country labourer and his wife have no prayer! Gad shuts them out from it altogether. They rise too soon to pray in the morning: they go to rest too late and too tired to pray at night: their religion is all talk their sabbaths are spent in talk: they enjoy their minister's sermon when it is a one-sided gospel, and dwells only on the unsearchable riches of Christ, and the eternal counsels of God; but when, like a faithful steward, he inquires concerning the fruits of the Spirit, and the evidences of personal interest as manifested in the life and conversation, then the labourer and his wife go home miserable, and Gad becomes angry.

Gad endeavours to prove that family prayer is not essential to moral order. There are thousands of real children of God, he says, who do not have family prayer, yet good moral order is kept up, no lying, no swearing, no sabbath breaking, &c. I would first observe, that except Gad's assertion we have no evidence that such are real children of God, and judging by the scripture rule-" By their fruits ye shall know them ". —we may fairly conclude that they are not so. As to there being good order without it, certainly there are thousands who profess no knowledge of God, and desire not any acquaintance with his ways, who yet may be moral members of society. The amiabilities of some natural dispositions, the restraints of education, the customs of life may forbid their outbreak into degrading sins; but though this may whiten the outside of the sepulchre, doth it make the unregenerated heart less April, 1840.]

the receptacle and the dwelling-place of every unclean thing?

Gad strives to weaken the force of that scripture which records Joshua's resolution to serve the Lord with his house, by stating that he had no wife or family, and that his house was the captains under him. This is sophistry, as I said before: conceding however to this fancy, that Joshua was a bachelor, I would beg to refer Gad to Acts x. 3, where another military man of lower rank is found with all his house praying to God alway. Now if Joshua's house consisted of the captains under him, the house of Cornelius consisted of the private soldiers under him, of whom in another place it is said, "I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh :" this brings them very much to the level of servants, and indeed the narrative adds, that one of them a devout soldier waited on him continually. According to Gad, therefore, we advance one step in the argument, and find a master calling his servants around him, and, as if censuring the libertinism of some ancient Gad, exclaiming, "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord."

It may be as well here to notice, the remarks of Gad in reference to godly servants joining in the devotion of masters whom they regard as formalists. I would first observe, that it belongs not to man to search the heart: by their fruits we are to know who are his disciples, and where we see a bended knee we may charitably hope there is a feeling heart. When at the last day God separateth the tares from the wheat, many who are now towering professors will I fear be found having their lamps without oil, while others who are here regarded as very tottering believers, leaning upon forms and observances, will obtain the smile of the Omniscient. But, as conclusive on this point, even allowing that the master is a bad man, a formalist, and a hypocrite, let

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