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appeal; and with this conviction, my practice, both in the closet and in the pulpit, has corresponded. In vindication of such a practice, I may, perhaps, be allowed to refer to what I have regarded as Scripture warrant and example, for making the Lord Jesus the special object of address in prayer. On examining the Scripture doctrine of the Trinity, which is practically and not philosophically taught, and a believing perception of which, therefore, is to be sought in an examination of its practical uses, we find, that there are peculiar functions belonging to each of the persons of the Godhead; and that in harmony with this sublime discovery, the Scripture formula of prayer, is, through Christ, by the Spirit unto the Father. But it appears, to me at least, equally clear, that an appeal should sometimes be made to the Triune Subsistencies, at other times to "God Himself, and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ," and on especial occasions, exclusively to the Mediator. That the practice of invocating the name of Christ prevailed amongst the apostles and primitive martyrs, and was recognized by them among other Christians, can scarcely be questioned. We find a distinct acknowledgement of the fact in the reply of Ananias to the Lord Jesus, who appeared to him in a vision, and directed him to go and instruct and comfort Saul-"Lord, I have heard," he says, "by many of this man. . . . . . and he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name." "And straightway," it is added, “he, Paul, preached Christ.... and all that heard him were amazed and said, is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem?" On a subsequent occasion Paul himself distinctly affirms that, in a season of great temptation, he "besought the Lord," i. e. Christ, for this same Lord, in answer to his prayer, says, "my grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is perfected in weakness." And the apostle immediately subjoins, "most gladly then would I rejoice in my infirmities that the strength of Christ may rest upon me." Than this, a clearer case, to show that Christ was the special object of repeated prayer, can scarcely be furnished. Again, in the case of Stephen, it is distinctly stated that this dying martyr, being full of the Holy Ghost, and enjoying a vision of heaven and of the glorified Redeemer, committed his departing spirit into the hands of the Lord Jesus, in the same language, and with the same assurance, that Jesus, at the close of His personal career on earth, committed His spirit into the hands of the Father. "They stoned Stephen, making invocation (erikaλovμevor) and saying, Lord Jesus receive my spirit; and he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." The apostle Paul, also, in sundry places in his epistle to the church, at Thessalonica, addresses prayer to "the Lord Jesus Christ himself," as in 1 Thes. iii. 11; 2 Thes. ii. 16. A similar formula occurs in Rom. i. 7; 1 Cor. i. 3; 2 Cor. i. 2. And it would almost seem that, in primitive times, this special kind of invocation, was that by which

Christians were designated-the pledge and sympathy of fraternal union. Thus the apostle in writing to the church at Corinth, dedicates his epistle "To all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord," i. e. to all Christians, or, using the periphrasis, all the invokers of Christ, all who pray to him, since the verb étikadew appropriately designates the act of prayer. And even the heathen recognize the primitive Christians as worshippers of Christ. Thus Pliny, in writing to Trajan, says, Lib. x., Ep. 97, “Carmen Christo, quasi Deo, solite essent, (i. e. Christiani) dicere secum invicem." These and other examples which might be adduced, serve to show that, the instruction given by our blessed Lord to his disciples when he said, “If ye shall ask of any thing in my name I will do it," was regarded by them as encouragement and warrant to make Him the special object of prayer.

But in addition to Scripture warrant and example, on which my conviction is based, I may, perhaps, be allowed to observe that, this conviction has been greatly strengthened by the fact, that the special invocation of Christ harmonizes most delightfully with the intense solicitude which exists in the mind of the true disciple of the Redeemer, to honour His merit and attest His supremacy; and is also so perfectly congruous to the sentiments and feelings of the renewed heart, under the guidance of which, especially when in strait and danger, it instinctively casts itself upon the sympathy, and implores the succour of the mediator; as in case of the proto-martyr Stephen and the tempted and afflicted Paul. It is delightful and consolatory to reflect that we cannot exalt the Saviour too highly, nor render to Him a homage too profound. Since into His hands we have entrusted our imperishable interests, we ought not to withhold from Him inferior acts of homage. But it is nevertheless important that these special exercises should recognize, and be in harmony with, the distinctive official investiture of the three persons in the divine subsistence. On this subject there may be found some discriminating remarks in a funeral sermon preached by the renowned Richard Baxter, from the text "Lord Jesus receive my spirit," which, together with some remarks on the same subject, by the celebrated Dr. Owen, in Chap. ix. of his "Christologia," I would respectfully urge upon the attention of those of your readers who are not already familiar with them.

Were it not for fear of trespassing too much on your pages, and of incurring the charge of presumption, (which, perhaps, I have already done) in assuming the character of a teacher of my brethren and fathers in the ministry, there is a kindred theme, to which I would venture to call the attention of your readers-I mean the claims to divine worship, of the blessed Spirit, the regenerator and sanctifier of the human soul. I am aware that this, as well as that under consideration, are clearly recognized in some of the sweetest strains of the Congrega

2 L.

tional Psalmody at present in use among us; as in the hymns of praise to the Redeemer, 71, 90, and to the Holy Spirit, 91, 102, inclusive, in "the Congregational Hymn Book," besides many others of Dr. Watts' and other collections; but there is reason to believe that the special mode of supplication, embodied in these devotional hymns, does not obtain, either in the pulpit, at the family altar, or in the closet, to the extent which it ought on the supposition, of its being a scriptural formula. Lozells, Birmingham. A. E. P.

REMARKS ON DIRECTING WORSHIP TO CHRIST. DEAR SIR,-Will you allow me to offer a few remarks on the paper of "A Presbyter," with regard to "The Duty of Directing Worship to Christ?" I am perfectly agreed with your correspondent on the propriety and duty of addressing religious worship to Jesus Christ. I must think that He on whom the dying Stephen called, and whom sinless spirits are represented as adoring, is a fit object for the religious homage of every child of Adam. But while this is my firm conviction, I also think with a distinguished advocate of the divinity of our Lord, and with, I presume, the generality of Christians, that "the revealed order in the economy of redemption and grace, and the authority of Scripture, lead to the persuasion, that the most usual mode of our devotional addresses, should be to the Father, with explicit reference to the mediation of the Son, and the influence of the Holy Spirit." "The language of the New Testament, and the entire structure of the Christian system, so completely harmonize with this position, that the difficulty is rather to select, than to find proofs of its correctness. "But the hour cometh," said our Lord, when referring to the dispensation He was about to introduce, " and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth."+ When He had nearly completed its introduction, when He had nearly opened the new and living way to God, He said, "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it you." "At that day ye shall ask in my name." It is also quite evident, that the apostles understood our Lord, as directing them to pray to the Father. Whatever occasional religious homage they paid to Jesus Christ, (and, who that views himself as redeemed by his blood, can fail to pay religious homage to Him?) their usual worship was addressed to the Father. For the Ephesian Christians the apostle prayed, "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him."§ He says, "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."¶ The apostles, doubtless addressed thanksgiving to the Redeemer; but * Smith's Scripture Testimony, vol. ii. p. 752. † John iv. 23. ¶ Eph. iii. 14.

John xvi. 23 and 26.

§ Eph. i. 16.

their more frequent thanksgivings seem to have been addressed to the Father. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."* "Giving thanks unto the Father who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light."+ "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." The religion of the New Testament does not terminate in Jesus Christ. It is a great and glorious scheme to lead us through Jesus Christ to.the Father. "Through Him we have an access by one Spirit unto the Father."§ We may hence conclude, that although the worship of Jesus Christ is both the duty and the happiness of the Christian, that his usual worship should be addressed to the Father, and that the worship of the Father, through the mediation of the Son, and by the aid of the Holy Spirit, is the grand, distinguishing character of Christian worship.

If "the most usual mode of our devotional addresses should be to the Father," there may seem to be a difficulty in ascertaing the proportion, which the worship of Jesus Christ should bear to that of the Father. This seeming difficulty will, however, vanish in Christian practice. The gratitude and love which the Christian feels to the Redeemer will often raise his heart to Him, while the desire which increases with life's progress for assimilation to Him often prompts him to look upward, and say, "Lord, let the mind which dwelt in thee, dwell also in thy servant."

The worship of our blessed Redeemer, except in the form of singing his praise, is, perhaps, more adapted to personal than social, to private than public worship. If, however, His worship be introduced into our public assemblies, and in the manner of the Te Deum associated with praises or with prayers to the Father, there will be required no small skill in the use of language, to mark the transition from the worship of the Father to that of Jesus Christ, or from the worship of Jesus Christ to that of the Father; and to prevent the confusion which such a transition would otherwise occasion. I have heard good, and by no means ignorant men, when they were addressing the Father in prayer, speak of His sufferings and death: a language which no well-instructed Christian could hear without a thrill of horror.

I am not quite sure that there is any material difference between the sentiments of "A Presbyter," and those which Christians, generally, entertain. He has, however, employed a phraseology, which seems to indicate that such a difference does exist. He speaks of worshipping Jesus Christ "habitually." If he means that our Lord is to be worshipped frequently, I quite agree with him; but if he means that Jesus Christ is to be worshipped usually, that the great stream of worship, * Eph. i. 4. § Eph. ii. 18.

+ Col. i. 12.

1 Pet. i. 3.

which, in every age, has flowed through the Son to the Father, should terminate with Jesus Christ, I apprehend his views are decidedly unscriptural. If such are his views, it is to be regretted, that he has not stated the Scriptural authority on which he founds them. This should have been his first, as it was his only important point. Losing sight of this authority, we are in danger of allowing imagination, or passion to run away with the judgment, and to dispense with obedience.

"A Presbyter" remarks, that "to have the man Christ Jesus, σwpaTik fidei, in bodily form before the eye, is more likely to fix attention, and to give point and definiteness to our prayers, than to engage in the worship of what (as far as our feeble comprehension is concerned) is but a mighty and mysterious abstraction." On the former part of this passage, it is obvious to observe, that it approaches too closely to an approval of the worship of our Lord's humanity. The sentiment which Dr. Smith has expressed in the following passage is worthy of far more attention, than it has sometimes received. "It may, I conceive, be justly laid down as an axiom, that the proper and formal object of all religious worship is THE DIVINE BEING, under the most absolute and generic mode of consideration; or THAT which is the CONCRETE of all divine attributives. Whether, therefore, our immediate address in prayer and praise be the Deity conceived of absolutely, or the Father of mercies, or the Saviour, or the Sanctifier, we are equally directing our adoration to THE SAME divine object, under different aspects, or modes of consideration."* One of the most beautiful of Dr. Watts' Hymns is sadly disfigured by the worship, or at least by something approaching to the worship of Christ's humanity :

"This is the Man, th' exalted Man,

Whom we unseen adore."

We have no warrant for such worship; but though we must not worship the humanity of our Lord, we may adore Him as divine, for the sufferings which he endured as man. The latter part of the passage, which has been quoted from "A Presbyter," seems to be scarcely consistent with the love and veneration, which are due to "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," "the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort,"-terms which more accurately represent "God even the Father," than the strange and questionable words, "a mighty and mysterious abstraction." The design of the Christian revelation is not to present to us a being more amiable or more approachable than the Father, but that in Jesus Christ we may see, and prove how amiable, and how approachable, the Father is. I think it a duty, and I find it a blessedness to bow my knee to Jesus, the Lord; but I must go to some other quarter than the New Testament to learn, that it is an advantage, as the language of "A Presbyter" seems to imply, not to worship the Father.

* Smith's Scripture Testimony, vol. ii. p. 752.