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to be used to them here;—“Get thee behind me Satan; thou art an offence unto me; for thou savourest not the things which be of God, but the things which be of men. Both the principles and precepts of the Gospel, and the conduct of Christ and his apostles, are as remote from persecution as the east is from the west.'"

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Mr. Gordon. I admire the candid and amiable spirit of the writer, and will certainly give his work a reading, if only for respect to the friendship which dictates the present; but I will not flatter you with any hope of bringing me over to your belief. But waving all personal remarks, allow me to ask you, if you really believe that Christianity will ever become a universal religion? and if so, how do you think it will be propagated through the earth?"

Mr. Llewellin. "That it is adapted to become a universal religion, no one can doubt who has ever enquired into its nature and design, or who has ever read the history of its progress. It is suited to man as a rebellious subject of the divine government; and it has been embraced by some of every rank, and of every denomination of character. Hence, if you could bring together, in one place, the native of Europe, of Africa, of Asia, or of America, or from any of the islands or cities which belong to either of these great divisions of the earth; and if, by some miraculous influence, you could impart to them the power of speaking the same language; you would find them all, if they had embraced the pure faith of Christ, giving utterance to the same sentimentsexpressing the same feelings-exulting in the same prospects and disclosing all the peculiarities of the same singular and extraordinary character."

Mr. Gordon. "But, Sir, if this hypothetical statement be correct, how will you account for the endless divisions which prevail amongst those who are known to have embraced the Christian faith?"

Mr. Llewellin. "You ought, Sir, to distinguish between a real and a nominal Christian; and though I will not deny but there are diversities of opinion even amongst real Christians, yet they relate to minor and subordinate questions.

"Consider Christianity as coming from God,-it is pure, and unspeakably good: view it as received by

men,-it will be, as the schoolmen say, secundum modum recipientis. If the difference of capacity, and the prejudices and passions of mankind be duly weighed, we shall not account, it strange if they do not all think alike, nor receive the truth in all its purity. But this is not peculiar to the Christian religion. There are divisions and dissensions as to religious sentiments among Pagan idolaters, among Mahometans, and among Deists. You cannot deny it. But the Deist does not consider this ás a reason for rejecting Deism. If so, neither is it a reason for rejecting Christianity.

"More particularly, some men are destitute of every noble principle; they are full of deceit, avarice, pride, and sensuality. We see them abuse the gifts of nature, and of providence: is it wonderful, then, if they pervert Christianity too, and entertain different ideas of many of its doctrines, from men of goodness and humility? It is no more an objection against Christianity being from God, because such persons err from its purity, than that the gifts of nature and of providence come not from God, because they use them in a different manner from wise and holy men. Weakness of intellect will produce peculiarities of sentiment on every subject, and consequently on religion. The prejudices of education, and early habits, will generate attachments to certain opinions and rites; hence, also, differences in religion will arise: but the fault is not in Christianity, it is in man. From similar causes we see a diversity of judgment among the learned respecting sciences of great utility, namely, medicine, law, politics, philosophy: but notwithstanding this, all allow them to be highly beneficial to mankind; none deny their usefulness, although people differ about some particular points. To reject the Gospel, because bad men pervert it, and weak men deform it, and angry men quarrel about it, and bigotted men look sour on others, and curse them because they do not agree in every tittle with themselves, displays the same folly, as if a person should cut down a tree bearing abundance of delicious fruit, and furnishing a refreshing shade, because caterpillars disfigured the leaves, and spiders made their webs among the branches.""

Mr. Gordon. "I have no objection at present to offer to the fair explanation of the difficulty which has

often perplexed me; but you will permit me to refer you to my former question,-Do you think that Christianity will ever be universally established?",

Mr. Llewellin. "I do, Sir; and my belief is founded on the following basis. It is adapted for a universal religion; it foretels the fact of its universal establishment; its disciples are commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ to seek its universal propagation; and it is now spreading itself with unexampled rapidity through the nations of the earth. You cannot, Sir, but be conscious that the aspect of the times indicates some approaching change in the destinies of man; and though you, on your principles, cannot hail any redeeming power, by which the curse that inflicts such mighty evils on suffering humanity can be rolled away, yet we can on ours: and hence, while you are left to speculate on the charms of a philosophy which has never ameliorated the moral condition of man, we can speak with confidence of the intervention of Him, who will turn the curse into a blessing, and make this earth the abode of purity, of harmony, and of bliss."

Mr. Gordon. "But how do you expect this mysterious change to be brought about?"

Mr. Llewellin. "Not by force. This has been employed on some former occasions; but a conversion to Christianity which is effected by such means produces no change in the human character. The man remains the same, though his professed belief may vary. The circulation of the Scriptures the distribution of religious treatises and the preaching of the Gospel, are the only means which we are permitted to employ to accomplish this great design. But even after these means have been used, in the most judicious manner, and amongst every part of the human population, we do not calculate on accomplishing the purpose which we have in view, without the concurring influence of a supernatural power; for it is not by the power of man, that the demon of superstition is to be dethroned, or Christianity established, but by the Spirit of the Lord."

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"Go to Calvary! What a wonderful scene strikes my senses! The heavens grow black-the rocks burst asunderthe thunder of the Lord waxeth louder and louder-the vail of the magnificent temple is rent asunder by an invisible handthe dead arise, and appear in the holy city! What event do these prodigies attest?" Page 7.

London:

PRINTED FOR FRANCIS WESTLEY, 10, STATIONERS" COURT, AND AVE-MARIA LANE,

ON THE BENEVOLENCE OF GOD.

"Survey the wondrous cure!

And at each step let higher wonder rise!
Pardon for infinite offence! and pardon
Through means that speak its value infinite!

A pardon bought with blood!-with blood divine!-
With blood of Him I made my foe!

Persisted to provoke! though woo'd, and aw'd,
Blest and chastis'd, a flagrant rebel still!

A rebel, 'midst the thunders of his throne!
Nor I alone! a rebel universe!

My species up in arms! not one exempt!
Yet, for the foulest of the foul he dies,

Most joy'd for the redeem'd from deepest guilt!
As if our race were held of highest rank,
And Godhead dearer as more kind to man!"

Young.

MR. MACFARLIN and his sister declined accompanying their father on the following Sabbath morning, having resolved to hear the Rev. Mr. As they entered his chapel they were struck with the size of the congregation, and the great degree of seriousness which pervaded it; and when they saw him rise in the pulpit, they were immediately prepossessed in his favour. His voice and action were perfectly natural-his language, if not classically elegant, was nervous he appeared animated by the spirit of devotion-and, by the earnestness of his manner, convinced the whole audience that he felt the importance of the truth which he delivered, and that he wished them to feel it. He introduced a few figures into his discourse, which were chosen for the purpose of illustration rather than embellishment, and which, like those of the Scripture, were generally selected from the appearances of nature, or the services of the Hebrew temple; but his forte lay in the correctness of his reasoning, and the force of his appeals to the conscience of his hearers. Having read his text, which was taken from 1 John iv. 8. God is love, and made a few introductory remarks, he said, "I will,

"I. Shew that the scheme of redemption which is revealed in the Scripture, gives us decisive proofs in favour of the benevolence of God.

"Proofs of the divine benevolence may be gathered from the wide extended scene of the visible creation, and also from the harmonious operations of providence; but

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