around us, buried in ignorance, sin, and stupidity; and also for myself and family.

Can you not be spared a little while from your charge to visit us? Can you not intercede for us in this dark, benighted region, to the trustees of the Missionary Society? Can you not take a short mission, and in your tour - come to us? Do not forget us I intreat you. If you cannot come yourself, cannot some one be sent? I know of no place where such labors are more needed.

You ask, "What are the religious sentiments and practices of the people? and how is the Sabbath regarded?"

By this time I think you can anticipate my answer: though I can say their conduct is much better than I could expect from them, considering human nature and their want of advantages.

They generally admit the truth of divine revelation; say religion is a fine thing; wish they could have preaching on the Sabbath, and be favored with schools; and seem to regret that they cannot read.

They plead their poverty and distance from each other, as their excuse for not having these things. They are in general very friendly and hospitable; and though they do not pretend to labor on the Sabbath, yet it is their custom, and one which prevails in Maryland and Virginia, to vis. it, do errands, and make bargains on that day.

You ask "What are our influence and example?"

I feel thankful I can tell you that we are not inclined to follow their example; but always when they invite us to visit them on VOL. XI.

the Sabbath, we tell them plainly what we think of it, and give them our reasons why we think so. When they come to visit us, we read to them some good book, and endeavor to converse with them on divine things

But so wicked and deceitful is my heart that I have to lament my own unfaithfulness.. I am so stupid, that the things which I know I need often to be told; and alas! there is nothing here to stir up the mind to ought but grief.

I am happy to find that my companion feels the want of what we cannot here enjoy. And I often feel that I had rather be an honest beggar among pious people, than to spend my days and bring up and leave my dear babes in such a place as this.

Oh, my Brother! I think di vine ordinances never appeared more precious than since I have been here. I do not believe it common for persons to estimate the glorious privileges of the blessed gospel as they ought, un til they have been deprived of them after having loved and enjoyed them. It appears to me at times as though I could not endure to spend one Sabbath, and month and year after another, shut up in this wilderness, with my children growing up by me, and not be able to lead them to the house of God.

I make it my practice to walk alone into a little grove of oaks, and especially on the Sabbath, at the hour I think you are go ing to the house of God. There I think I feel somewhat as the children of Israel dio, when they hanged their harps on the willows and exclaimed; “If I for

get thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy." There reflect that my sins have justly deserved all this and much more. And it seems to me that I am suffering this banishment awhile to teach me the value of what I did not right ly improve. At present I can see no way of escape, but while I live I hope I shall not cease o pray for deliverance till it come. I think I never longed for any thing more than I now do to live where I could attend public worship, where the christian graces are in lively exercise, where I could once more enjoy the society of pious and enlightened people.

And now, Brother, you know our situation, feelings, and wants; we beseech you strive together with us by yours; that God would turn again our captivity, forgive our sins, and make the evening of our lives more comfortable and useful, for Jesus' sake.

ture as distinct personal agents; yet after all our inquiries and prayers, we may be still much at a loss to describe exactly wherein this distinct personality consists, and what is the distinct communion of each of them in tae divine nature."

"I can assure them," [the readers of his discourses,] "ihat there is not one sentence in all these discourses, but what is very consistent with a firm belief of the divinity of Christ, and a just and sincere concern for the most eminent and glorious truths of the Gospel, as they are professed by Protestants among us against the Socinian and Ari

an errors."

IMPORTANT DISCOVERY. SEVERAL able and respectable farmers who employ a number of workmen, have discovered that the use of ardent spirits, at any season of the year, is entirely unnecessary. By informing their workmen when they employ them, that they must have no ardent spirits-keeping them well, and adding one fourth of the ordinary expense of spirit to

FACE TO HIS DISCOURSES ON THE GLORY OF CHRIST.

"IT is granted, that many things relating to the ever blessed TRINITT may have heights and depths in them which are unsearchable by our understandings Though we learn from Scripture, that true and proper Deity is ascrib ed to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and that they are represented often in Scrip

tain men who will drink no spirit, and yet he more healthy, more faithful, and in the course of the season, accomplish more business, and be in every respect better than if the usual quantity were allowed them.

Should all farmers in the country avail themselves of this discovery, it would probably save more than $10,000,000 a year, and several thousand lives.

H.

In the beginning of the Preface, the author, in the name of the reader, proposes the question; "Why publish a volume on a subject which has already produced so many?" In reply, he very properly observes;-"If an author is not convinced in his own judgment, that his work is either called for by particular circumstances, or likely to be serviceable to the cause of truth, he ought to possess sufficient fortitude to resist the wishes of others," who may solicit him to publish. Our author conceived that at such a time, "when the Unitarian chapel in the city of Glasgow was opened when the leading doctrines of christianity were publicly impugned or denied, and the sentiments of those who held them in many particulars grossly misrepresented," a short course of Lectures on the principal points of the Socinian controversy "might be seasonable and useful." We are glad that this author is not startled by an apprehension of the possibie effects of free discussion, and that he cannot acquiesce in the opinion, that, at such a time as this, "the best way is to suffer error to pass in silence, and to fall of itself." A man, who enter

tains this opinion, must either have a very obscure discernment of the nature and importance of the truths of revelation, or a very wavering belief of them; or must be governed by a timidity which trembles at the prospect of op position, or an indolence which dreads an effort, and prefers inactive repose to the joy of contributing to the triumph of divine truth.

We have long perceived that the advocates of what is called rational christianity, could easily excuse us for believing the doctrines of the Reformation, if we could be satisfied with barely believing without openly defending them; and that they could excuse us for disbelieving their scheme, if we could rest without attempting a confutation;—and that they could even forgive us for this, if, while laboring to confute their errors, we could treat those errors as of small consequence,→→ attended with no special danger to the christian cause. But here, we must ask their candid consideration. It is perfectly co: sistent with their views of religion, that they should give the right hand of fellowship to every professed Christian, how different soever his sentiments from theirs, and treat all the subjects of controversy among those who profess to believe the Bible, as of no essential importance. This we have a right to expect of them. This they can grant us, consistently with their conscientious belief. Nay, they cannot deny us this, without contradicting their own professions. But with us,

the case is materially different. It is our serious conviction and judgment, that the doctrines usually termed evangelical, or the doctrines of the Reformation, are essential to the Christian religion, and that the cordial reception of them is essential to the Christian character. Now if ra tional Christians are willing to allow us the right of thinking for ourselves. the right after delib erate inquiry, of adopting this judgment, they ought to be willing that we should act in conformity to it. If they con sider us as sincere and honest in our belief, it is reasonable for them to expect that we should, on all occasions, contend for the above named doctrines, as fundamental in religion, and bear testimony against the contrary erors, as subversive of true christianity. We must do this, or renounce our faith. Let this point, then, be settled once for all. No man is to expect that those who embrace the doctrines of the Gospel, as held by the fathers of New England and the churches of the Reformation, and by the author now before us, will ever cease to defend them, as essen. tial truths, or that they can ever be brought to exercise such a kind of candor or good nature, as to look with unconcern or for bearance upon the opposite opin ions, by whomsoever they are en tertained. How can we be satis fied, without seeing the universal prevalence of that which we seriously regard as true religion? Should we rest short of this, it would authorize the suspicion, that we were wavering in our faith, or deficient in our benevolence. Certainly a warm and active be. nevolence must stimulate us to

do all in our power to propagate that system of religion, which we deem to be of eternal importance to our fellow beings, and to expose to universal abhorrence, those errors which we believe to be fatal to the soul. Whenever those doctrines, which have been commonly believed to be the doctrines of the Gospel, are assailed, or other doctrines put in their stead, the friends of those doctrines will be alarmed and roused to action. They will preach, and write, and publish, in defence of the truth, and in cpposition to falsehood, so long as there is any occasion to defend the truth, or any falsehood on earth to oppose. The controversy cannot be ended, except by the conviction of those who have ; been deluded by the subtle arts of error, and the establishment of all men in the belief of the truth. If there is any active benevolence among Christians, they will pursue this design with invincible resolution. The warfare of love must continue to be waged, till the great object of love is obtained. How can they, who are engaged in this warfare, be discouraged, or have any fear of final defeat, when the Almighty is on their side, and has promised them the victory? How can they yield to the influence of that slothful, impious maxim, that we may sit still, and leave it to God to accomplish his own designs, when it is the nature of benevo lence to be active in doing good, and God has made the welfare of the world to depend on the fervor of their zeal, and the wisdom and perseverance of their exertions?

The author, whose publication we are now reviewing, has de

we

served well of the Christian community. He has brought to the discussion of the most interesting subjects, a mind, should think, originally strong, and clear, and well improved by education, a sound judgment, and what renders his writings peculiarly valuable at the pres ent day, a good spirit. In con ducting the controversy, he exhibits throughout a logical are rangement, a sufficient degree of Biblical learning, and a manly strength of argument. He is in our view distinguished from most of those who have pre. ceded him in the Trinitarian controversy, by the following ex. cellences.

First. By reducing the controversy to fewer points. He contends for none of the hypotheses, by which the doctrine of the Trinity has been frequently per plexed, and none of the appendages by which it has been en. cumbered. It has long appear ed to us, that labor has been lost both by the advocates and the opposers of this Scripture doc. trine, upon these hypotheses and appendages, particularly upon the signification of the word person. In our view, nothing material depends upon the use of that word. And to represent the grand point of controversy to be, whether God exists in three PERSONS, is to darken the instructions of the Bible. The doctrine of the Scriptures is, first, that there is one God; Secondly, that the Father is God, that the Son is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. Now if, for breve ity's sake, we express this doctrine by saying, there are three persons in the Godhead, we do not, by the word persons, intend any illustration of the doctrine

above stated, nor any addition to it, but merely use a short definition to prevent the inconvenience of often repeating a longer one. This is a practice universally allowed in all the sciences, as well as in theology. That the word person is used in an uncommon sense is a matter of no consequence, and can reasonably be a subject of no complaint. For the convenience of reasoning, words are often taken from common language, and employed in a pe, culiar or technical sense. But when we use the brief technical language, and say, there are three persons in the Godhead, we are not to be understood to ate tach any importance to the par. ticular meaning of the word per. sons, nor should we think it at all convenient or natural. to bring Scripture proofs to bear upon the proposition in this form. The doctrine to be supported, which we briefly call, the doctrine of three persons in the Godhead, is, THE GODHEAD OF THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY GHOST.

We are under no necessity of having any dispute about the meaning of the word person, or the propriety of its application to the doctrine in band. Rather than make the use of that particular word a subject of controversy, we would give it up altogeth er; though we think that the language of the Scriptures, particularly the application to THE son and THE HOLY SPIRIT, of the personal pronoun, and various personal properties, justifies this theological use of the word person; and therefore, that the objections, commonly urged against it, are quite unnecessary and unphilosophical. But it is not by any means to be admitted, that any question concerning the