tained the purity and dignity of the Christian character, and thus gave evidence to others that his heart was right with God. As the leader of a class, he was tender, affectionate, and constant in his attention to the duties of his station. For a number of years he conscientiously discharged the duties of a trustee in the church to which he belonged. And on all occasions he evinced a strong attachment to the cause of Christ, and an ardent zeal for the prosperity of that branch of the Christian church of which he was a member.

He was not only elevated to office by the suffrages of his brethren in the church, but he was elected by his fellow citizens for several successive years, an alderman of the city of New-York, and also a member of the state legislature. It is believed that in these stations he never forgot his high obligations as a Christian, while he discharged the duties of a statesman and civilian.

The Assistance Society, in New-York, an institution designed especially for the relief of the sick poor, called him to be its president; and he was among the founders of the Methodist Charity School, and the projecters of the plan for the Sunday School Union of this city. At the formation of the American Bible Society he was elected a member of the Board of Managers; and he continued an active member of these institutions to the day of his death.

By the blessing of an indulgent Providence on his labours and industry, he rose to opulence. But he experienced the truth of the wise man, "that riches take to themselves wings and fly away." By a course of events beyond his control, loss in trade, &c., he was suddenly precipitated from a state of affluence and prosperity to poverty and adversity. But even here the graces of the Christian shone out with a peculiar lustre; for he "endured chastisement" with patience, "committing his ways unto the Lord."

Mr. Carpenter committed the remains of his

second wife* (for he has been the husband of two) to the earth a few months previously to his own dissolution. It was a presentiment of her mind, which she frequently expressed to him before her death, that he would survive her but a short time. Indeed, at the time of her death he was very low, and was hardly expected to recover from his illness. And though he measurably recovered from that stroke, he moved but feebly about for a few weeks, when he was seized with a violent cold while visiting his brother in the church, Mr. Paul Hick, who was then near death, from the effects of which he never recovered. He suffered much in his last sickness; but in his sufferings he was made perfect, and exhibited the patience, resignation, and readiness to die, which characterize a true follower of Christ, and evince the pre-eminent virtues of the matured Christian. He died in peace and Christian triumph in the 68th year of his age.

To speak of his infirmities, would be nothing more than to detail what is common to the best of men; and to attempt a eulogy upon his character would be needless to those who were honoured with his acquaintance. His children will remember his paternal instructions with mournful delight, and, it is hoped, will make his virtues an exemplar for their imitation. His brethren in the church, while they view his vacant seat, will cherish a grateful remembrance of the fervency of his devotion, and strive to supply his lack of service in the sanctuary of the Lord. Nor will his numerous circle of acquaintance, to whatever community they belong, refuse to acknowledge his worth either as a private citizen or as the public guardian of their rights and privileges; while every true Christian will remember, that whatever of excellence was seen in Thomas Carpenter was owing to that grace in Christ which brings salvation, and which enables a sinner to triumph over the cor. ruptions of his own heart.

* See her Memoir in the January number of this Magazine.

POETRY.

For the Methodist Magazine.
PENITENCE.

Oh Thou, from whom so long I've strayed,
That duty's path with weeds hath grown,
Wilt Thou receive a heart thou 'st made,
Now every other friend hath flown?
I thank their frail affection now,

And all their cruel guile to me,
Since it hath made me meekly bow
In youth my haughty soul to thee.
And made me feel the blessed force
Of every word I once could spurn,
When in my boyhood's reckless course,
A mother's tears have begged me turn

From beauteous idols, that appeared

More sweet than aught I else could see;
But ah! when th' sinner's Friend I fear'd,
Those beauteous idols turn'd from me!
They proved how little we may trust
The fondest things the world can show,
Which only charm and cheat us, just
To lead to thee,-who doth not so.
No: thou hast told us in that Book,
Which none but humble minds revere,
That they, who find themselves forsook,
Will never find THEE insincere.

From the South African Journal.
SONNET:

Written on a visit to the Moravian Missionary Institution of Enon, or White Water, South Africa.

NO. 8.1

FOR AUGUST, 1825.

DIVINITY.

[VOL. 8.

THE RELATIONS AND INHERITANCE OF CHRIST'S PEOPLE.

A SÈRMON ON 1 CORINTHIANS iii, 21-23.

Delivered in the Methodist Chapel at Salem, N. J., on the 27th of February, 1825.

BY THE REV. JACOB MOORE.

"Let no man glory in men, for all are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come: all are yours; and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's."

THERE is a remarkable aptitude in mankind to run into extremes, as it respects their views and conduct towards the ministers of the gospel. Some they admire, extol, and even idolize; whereas, all who do not come up to their standard, suit their taste, and please their fancy, they depress, undervalue, and, in some instances, vilify. These two extremes almost universally involve each other. Those who are guilty of the former, are generally guilty of the latter and they are guilty at the expense of that piety and devotion which should ever characterize those who profess to be the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is natural, however, for us to feel stronger attachments to those who have been instrumental in our spiritual benefit. These sustain the character of spiritual fathers; and to entertain a higher esteem for such, is as innocent as to feel a stronger regard for our natural fathers. The evil does not consist in this; but rather in an excessive preference of some, to the exclusion of all the rest. For as it would be folly and weakness to suppose that men are unworthy to sustain the character of natural fathers because they are not related to us by paternal ties, so it would be folly and wickedness to imagine, that because some of he ministers of the gospel have not succeeded in pleasing our ancy, nor in promoting our spiritual benefit, that they are, thereore, unworthy to sustain 'the character of ministers.

Into these evils the church at Corinth had grossly fallen, at a ry early period of their history. At the time when St. Pau! dressed his first epistle to them, which was probably not more than six years after they had embraced the Christian faith, they had so far gone into the extremes of admiration and dislike, as to become factious and schismatic; some having declared for Paul, and some for Apolloss, and some for Cephas, so as to reject all the rest of Christ's ministers, and make their favourite their party leader, calling themselves by his name, Paulites, Apollosites, or Cephasites, instead of Christians.

VOL. VIII. August, 1825. 37

It was with these errors in view, in common with others, and with a design to correct them, that the apostle wrote this epistle; in which he instructs the Corinthians that Christ's ministers, as the stewards of God's mysteries, are for the perfecting of the saints, and the edifying of the body of Christ, according to the measure and the description of the gifts bestowed upon them : and that their gifts are diversified for the sake of accommodating the different capacities and circumstances of those to whom they minister. They should therefore neither be idolized nor vilified; but as the servants of God, they should be treated with honour and respect in proportion to the importance of their work, and the zeal and diligence with which they discharge it. He enforces his reproofs and instructions by directing their attention to the relationships which subsist between Christ and God, and Christ and his people; and the portion which Christ's people inherit in virtue of these relationships. And from the whole he infers the folly and wickedness of glorying in men. His meaning is plainly this; because Christ is God's, ye are Christ's; and because ye are Christ's, all are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours. Therefore let no man glory in men.

These words were written for our benefit, as well as the benefit of the Corinthian church: and for our edification and instruction in righteousness, we design, in the discussion of this subject, to adopt the apostle's plan, and contemplate,

I. The relationship that subsists between Christ and God. The title God, or rather that which answers to it in the Hebrew Scriptures, is usually given to the ever blessed trinity; and denotes personal and covenant relations. It is expressive of a triune personality in one essence; and of the covenant transactions in which the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were engaged in reference to the creation and re lemption of man. In the New Testament, the Greek word which answers to the term God is sometimes applied to the three persons separately. So it is applied in the text; and is to be understood of the Father. When therefore it is said that Christ is God's, it is the same as to say, Christ is the Father's.

1. Christ is the Father's Son. He is the Father's Son as it respects his divine and pre-existent nature; being divinely and eternally the brightness, effulgence, or outbeamings of his Father's glory, and the express character or image of his person. The term SON, when applied to Jesus Christ, is a title whereby he is distinguished as the second person in the adorable Godhead. It is also relative in its signification as well as the title WORD; because as word implies a speaker, so son implies a father. The titles speaker and word are correlative, and necessarily call for