Chriftianity; his belief in thefe doctrines, his ability to teach them to others, his experimental acquaintance with the truth, his views in entering on the work of the miniftry, his qualification for a miffionary, and his motives for entering into that fervice; and gaining full fatisfaction on thefe points, Voted unanimously, to confecrate him to the work of the miniftry, with peculiar reference to his laboring as a miffionary in the new fettlements in the county of Trumbull, state of Ohio; and that the folemnity of his ordination be attended at the meeting house in this place tomorrow at eleven o'clock A. M. Voted, That the feveral parts of the ordination fervice be performed by the following Paftors: The Rev. Abel Flint to make the introductory Prayer; the Rev. Nathan Strong, D. D. to preach the Sermon; the Rev. Samuel J. Mills to make the confecrating Prayer; during which the Rev. Meffrs. Robbins, Mills, Perkins and Hooker to lay on hands. The Rev. Ammi R. Robbins to give the Charge; the Rev. Nathan Perkins, D. D. to give the Right Hand of Fellowship; the Rev. Afahel Hooker to make the concluding prayer. Paffed in Council, PETER STARR, Scribe. On Wednesday July 20, 18c, the Rev. Thomas Robbins, in purfuance of the above vote, was folemnly confecrated to the work of the miniftry in the prefence of a ferious and attentive audience. After the minutes of the Coun. cil were read, the queftions ufual on fuch occafions were propofed, and the cuftomary religious fervices were performed. Doctor Strong preached from Matthew xxviii. 19, 20. POETRY. COMMUNICATED AS ORIGINAL. The Majefty of God, and Faith in bins. Khe God of heav'n appears! EEP filence all! Behold the Lord, His glory fills the heav'n of heav'ns, He ftands and circumfcribes the earth, I faw-and terror feiz'd my foul! The fields forbear their meat to yield, Nor flocks nor herds be mine. Donations to the Miffionary Society. August 23. From a Friend of Miffions, Do. Do. 1 Dollar. I Saving faith diftinguished from thofe exercifes, which men are in dan ger of miflaking for it. (Continued from p. 94.) T HE defcription which has been given of the nature and effects of faving faith, it is conceived, will go far towards enabling serious minds to diftinguifh it from all other schemes and exercifes, which mankind are liable to mistake for it. But because, from the deceitfulness of our hearts, and a natural difpofition prevailing in us, to judge favorably of ourselves, the defcription given may not be fufficient to prevent fatal mistakes, we fball now notice the nature and effects of feveral kinds of faith, which men are liable to miflake, and have in fait miflaken, for that which is faving. The first kind of faith, which I fhall here mention, is fometimes called hiftorical faith. This is a fpeculative belief of fome, or all of the doctrines of the gofpel. It exifts more especially in the understanding. The heart is not interested in it. The notions which fuch, as have only this faith, entertain of the doctrines of the VOL. IV. No. 4. | gofpel, are more or less according to truth. Men may be great proficients in fpeculative theology, and may be able to exhibit, in a clear and correct manner, the nature and obligation of the law, the fallen ftate and depravity of man, the character and work of Chrift, and the office of the Holy Ghoft, and may poffefs a much larger fhare of knowledge in their underftandings, than ordinary Christians, and yet have no other faith but that which is merely fpeculative. They may give clear and abundant evidence, from the holy fcriptures, in proof of their fyftem of doctrines, and yet hold the truth in unrighteoufnefs. Our Saviour faid of the scribes and pharfees, "They fit in Mofes' feat: All therefore, whatfoever they command you to obferve, that obferve and do: but do not after their works, for they fay and do not." This is an excellent defcription of merely speculative believers. They were car nal, and deftitute of any religion at heart. They loved to be feen of men, and to be called Rabbi. It should also be observed, that thofe who have this faith, tho' they are deftitute of any fincere approbation of heart, and con- | formity to Chrift, and the doctrines of the gofpel, often verily think that they do approve and rejoice in them. They are often zealous in maintaining them, and are in great danger of being deceived in this way. They are wholly blind to the fpiritual beauty and excellency of the gospel, they know nothing what it is, and are therefore in imminent danger of miftaking a natural difcovery of the fyftem, harmony and confiftency of the doctrines and duties of the gofpel, for their moral beauty, and for an holy delight in them. There is a natural beauty in the adjustment of all the parts of a complicated machine, in fuch proportion and connexion, as to have it anfwer the purpofe defigned. There is also a fimilar beauty in the fubordination, regularity and mutual dependencies of a well difciplined army, under the direction of an able commander. This an enemy can discover and admire, while he hates the caufe in which it is employed, wishes the deftruction of the army and its commander, and is zealously engaged in the oppofite intereft. This beauty, a well informed unbeliever, and an enemy to God may fee in the doctrines, connexion and symmetry of gofpel truths, and take a kind of philofophical pleasure in viewing them, while he does not in the leaft delight in the caufe of holinefs; but is wholly felfish, and lives in the gratification of his carnal affections. This is the beauty which one, who has but a fpeculative faith, difcovers in the gofpel, and miftakes for that beauty and delight, which a true believer fees and enjoys in the caufe of God, and in the fitnefs of the gospel scheme to advance this caufe. Here is danger indeed, because thofe, who have only this faith, do not know of any other beauty, or delight, which is to be feen or taken in the gospel but this, which is but the mere amufement of a contemplative mind, and falls unfpeakably below his, whofe heart is engaged in the caufe of God. That this is not the gospel faith is evident from feveral confiderations. It needs no change of heart in a natural man to have this. faith, and this contemplative pleafure in it, any more than it does in an enemy to admire the military arrangements of an army. Even the devils believe, and the ftony ground hearers rejoiced in the word. Speculative believers are alfo deficient in this. Their faith does not work by love, and purify the heart. It is a dead faith. Faith without works is dead, being alone.' Nor have fuch believers any delight in the good promifed to Chriftians in the coming world. They indeed wish for deliverance from mifery, and defire happiness. But it is the happiness which suits a finful heart that they defire. They have no delight in holiness, in the fervice of God; in obedience, dependence, felf-denial and spiritual exercises. Such an heaven they do not pant after. But their hearts go after their idols, they live in fin, and refuse all obedience and fubmiffion of heart to God. And being oppofed now, to the good things promifed to true believers hereafter, it is but a vain delufion, for them to conceive, that they defire them, or that they depend and wait upon God that they may be given them in the world to come. Befides : This faith produces no humility and felf abasement before God or man. Knowledge puffeth up.' heart. Let men of information in the doctrines of the gofpel, take heed left they be fatally deceived, by a mere hiftorical faith. It is alto tials of faving faith-in humility, dependence, obedience and holinefs of heart and life. By our fruits we fhall be judged, and by them our faith will be approved or condemned. There is another falfe faith with which many deceive themselves, which ought to be here confidered and pointed out, that people may be cautioned against it. It may be called an Antinomian faith. It may take place in the following manner. A finner, after being more or lefsexercised with the fears of wrath to come, and with some sense of the wickedness of his life, obtains comfort. This may arife from any thing which perfuades him that his fins are forgiven, from dreaming, from impulfes, fudden fuggeftion of fcripture passages, from having the imagination wro't Such men often manifeft a want of | with the understanding, but the humility, in the manner in which they converse on the doctrines of the gofpel, they often love difcuffions and difputes, but manifeft no reverence for facred things in their examination of them. They ap-gether deficient in the great effenpear vain of their attainments and fuperiority, and they manifeft it in the fame way, that natural men manifest their pride in literary attainments. They do not appear like men, under a deep impreffion, that all they have received, is from the diftinguishing grace of God. Nor have fuch believers the fubftance of things hoped for by humble fpiritual Chriftians, nor the evidence of things not feen. They have not holinefs, conformity to God, self denial, nor a fenfe, by which they can enjoy God and his government; but are selfish, ungodly, and oppofite in heart to the nature of heaven. And hence their faith is no evidence of heavenly things. There is nothing wrought in them, which fhows by example or experience, that there is, or can be any holy happiness or benevolent bleffed-up, fo as to think he fees lights, nefs: nor any thing that is an evidence that they fhall ever partake of it for they have no preparation of heart for fuch enjoyments. But their unholy hearts prepare them for eternal oppofition to God, and everlasting mifery, by having all their carnal defires ungratified, and the juft penalties of the law inflicted upon them. Such a faith is indeed the evidence of Jome things which are unfeen-it is an evidence of difappointment and wrath upon themselves. And the fitnefs of the doctrines of the gofpel, which they difcern, is an evidence, that so far as they refpect unbelievers, they will be executed; and executed against them, unlefs they foon believe, not only or objects, or hears voices. None of these are any evidences of true converfion. All, who build their hopes on fuch things, are on a foundation unfupported by the feriptures. It is often the case with fuch as have something of the faith now to be defcribed, that their notions of things are obfcure, and they think little of the divine law, of the holiness of God-his juftice, and of the real ftate of the human heart. But fo far as they have any diftinct ideas of their own fcheme and feelings, they are thefe. They believe that God made a law, which was suitable to the ftate in which Adam was created, and a good law for him, and for those who are per tent, and reconciled to God. He' admires Jefus Chrift as his partizan, efpoufing his caufe, and procuring it of the father, that he fhould be more lenient, than to fupport his holy law. He is fil a Saviour, for making the happinefs of finners, and their deliver ance from God's perfect law, his fupreme object. He knows that he loves fuch a Saviour, and hence, has a strong perfuafion, and confirmation in his opinion, that his fins are pardoned, that Chrift died for him in particular, and that it would be fin to doubt of it, that doubting of it would be unbelief, and finning against Christ, and fo exceedingly criminal and provo fectly holy. But that this law is too hard and severe for mankind, in their prefent ftate. That it cannot be reasonably binding upon us with infinite and immutable obligation. That it would be hard in God to deal with us ftrict-led with inexpreffible love to fuch ly according to this law, and that God faw it, and was difpofed to relax it, and make an alteration of it in our favor; or rather, to give us the offer of a new law, adapted to our 'prefent fallen capacities, by which we might have life. That Chrift fuffered to procure this abatement, and atone for our not keeping a law, which in our circumstances, we could not keep, and ought not to be bound by. That fuch as believe on Chrift, in this view of his character and atone-king to him. ment, as being the finner's friend, and taking his part, and procuring an abatement of the law in their favor, and are willing to be under this new law, are no longer holden by the old law, and are releafed from it by what Chrift has done. That this new law, fometimes called the gofpel, or evangelical law, requires fincere endeavors after holiness, and will take up with an imperfect righteouínefs, and that, in confequence of what Chrift has done, juftification and acceptance with God are obtained, by virtue of this new law, by our fincere endeavors after holinefs, and that these are the grounds of our acceptance and falvation. . It is plain that the carnal heart, under the fear of wrath to come, and contending with the perfect law of God, as foon as the finner gets this idea of the gospel, will be pleased with it. This fuits him. It is an abatement and conceffion in his favor, which gratifies his unholy heart. God meets him, on this plan more than half way. And now he will be con In the exercise of this faith, a man will think it his duty to keep up this belief, and by no means give way to any unbelief, or doubt about it; for all his love to Chrift depends upon his having this belief. He confiders all the promises in the fcriptures in this light, and applies them to himself, and fuppofes he has a right fo to do. He believes that they were given to affure him of his good eftate, and that it would be criminal in him to doubt of this application of them. This faith fills him with great joy at his fuppofed deliverance, and because God has revealed it to him, that he is de. livered from wrath. This he calls the fpirit of adoption, and the fealing of the fpirit. In a word, his wicked heart is gratified with this gofpel, and out of the overflowings of his love, he is determined to ferve God by his endeavors, and obedience to this reduced law, by a fincere imperfect righteoufnefs all his days, in full expectation to be noticed with a rich reward. Some of the defects of this |