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sensible, that in attending to this point with the partic. ularity that it deserves, we shall be found to oppose a doctrine which has long been held in the Christian church, I mean the doctrine which asserts the existence and personality of an evil being, who is believed to be the original agent in all the falsehood and wickedness of the world. This opinion is derived from two sources; from some highly figurative expressions in scripture, in which, agreeably to custom, and the genius of the language of those ages, a principle or power is personified; and from the alleged impossibility of accounting for the origin or introduction of evil into the world without admitting the supernatural agency of some wicked and malignant being. To this may be added, that much dependence has been placed, in support of this theory, upon some very obscure texts of scripture, as that which speaks of "the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitations," and that which says, that "God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell " To these supposed arguments we reply, that no inference favorable to this scheme can be justly drawn from the use of words in a language which dealt so much in personification; that the texts which have been just quoted, are too obscure and too capable of a different meaning, to become the foundation of a theory, so strange and unnatural; that those texts are most probably allusions to certain Jewish traditions, which Jude and Peter improved to convey useful moral instructions to their Jewish readers, which indeed appears to have been the object in introducing them into their respective Epistles; and lastly, that the supposition of an evil being, with personal identity, removes no difficulty respecting the origin of sin; the most that it does is, that it only places the difficulty at a greater distance. It is, at least, as easy, to demonstrate how man

could sin without the agency of a spiritual, personal agent to tempt or influence him, as to show, how that agent, while a holy angel of light, and located where temptation can never come, could have sinned and fallen without the action of some agent upon him. We cannot lessen the difficulty in this way; we rather increase it. Thus it happens, that men will often endeavor to account for some phenomena, not by plain, and simple and acknowledged principles, but in ways which are still more inexplicable than the things they are brought to explain.

Emerging from this labyrinth, we will pursue our course where reason and fact conduct us, giving due weight to the Scriptures, in relation to the point in hand, after such allowances as their figurative sense demands. We cheerfully admit that the sacred writers personify the principle or power that acts upon the human mind, to produce falsehood and sin. But the scriptures in which these personifications are found, are to be explained in accordance with those in which principles are laid down, and facts stated, without any figure of speech, which denotes the agency of a personal being. St. James says, that "every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed ;" and again, "when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin." From these statements, which are not obscure, and have no covering that hides their real sense, we learn what it is that produces mischief and disorder, error and false doctrine in the world. We discover the enemy that sows the tares in the field of the human heart. The cause is thrown within our reach; and the idea advanced, is brought down to our feelings and experience. If the above texts furnish a way for accounting for the rise and prevalence of falsehood and error, it must doubtless be the only way of accounting

for them, and in my view, a more satisfactory way than any other.

Let us follow this clue to the object to which it evidently leads. Jesus Christ preached plain, simple and unadulterated truths, calculated to make men wiser and better. These truths were at first received in the love of them; but soon they became corrupted by being brought into connexion with errors. And how was this effected? The religion of the gospel was humble, and taught its followers to be so. But ambition, that ever restless passion, incited the mind to reach after worldly honors, and heavenly glory, to the exclusion of others, who might be as worthy as its possessor. Here the devil sowed tares among the wheat. This lust

induced a violent grasp after power; a mighty struggle for the uppermost seats in the synagogues, for eminent stations in the church, to be called of men Rabbi, to be clothed in holy lawn, and to wield a crosier or wear a triple crown. It aimed, in short, at a seat "in the temple of God, where it might show itself, that it was God.” To aid the unhallowed work, doctrines were framed, and pretended traditions disseminated, and incorporated with the simple doctrines and practices of the first Christians, and thus the field, where the good seed had been sown, shortly presented a luxuriant growth of tares, assiduously cultivated by the hand of power, and watered from fountains of wealth, wrung from the earnings of poverty, and often snatched from the mouth of famine.

But this is not all. Men soon discovered that Christianity, as it had been first preached, was not abstruse and metaphysical; and they desired a doctrine that possessed these characteristics in no small degree. Accordingly, we find that ambition was soon at work, in giving a mysterious air to religion, and clothing it with

an abstruseness which it was not formed to wear. Nothing pleases some persons so well as mystery. With them every thing incomprehensible is necessarily sublime, and of consequence, true. Mystery becomes a doctrine's passport to their minds. To gratify this absurd passion, doctrines were framed, and hypotheses erected upon the most slender foundations, of which the gospel knew nothing. These were artfully incorporated with Christianity, as tares are sown, and grow up with wheat. And they have been suffered to continue till they are matured, as witnesses of the folly and wickedness of man, in setting up his religion and willworship, by the threshold of the temple of the living God. This exhibition of the mad play of the human passions is necessarily brief and imperfect. "The one half has not yet been told you." Of error it may be said, "its name is legion." Enough however has been advanced, to give you a specimen of the works of "the man of sin, who works in the children of disobedience." And I have reason to believe, that we have discovered some rational data, by which we can determine, in what way falsehood becomes associated with truth. This being the great object of this branch of the discourse, I shall omit further observations upon this topic, and close with a few brief reflections.

If it is true, as is asserted in the parable, that the tares were sown among the wheat, "while men slept," that is, while in a state of false security; it is not to be expected that men will discover the imposition till they awake. This, while it accounts for the long continuance of error, should serve to keep us watchful and vigilant. The enemy is still active; and as we have found, that it exists within ourselves, we should be stimulated to inquiry, and carefully "try the spirits whether they be of God," and guard against every at

tempt to lead us aside from the purity and "simplicity

of Christ."

Who can sufficiently admire the wisdom, in educing good from so much apparent evil? Tho tares are permitted to grow till the harvest, they will continue to the end "of the age," to which their existence is limited; when men will discover their character, and awaking from the sleep of ages, will gather them up and burn them. Their continuance will thus subserve a most benevolent purpose in the economy of heaven. The purification of the world from error and delusion will be a day of trial, of "weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth." But "these things must needs be." The subjects of error must be "saved so as by fire." This work has commenced. It is proceeding with all needful rapidity, and God will perfect it in his own

time.

From the Gospel Visitant.

THE PRECIOUSNESS OF CHRIST.

Concluded from page 188.

The immense revenues which have lavished an abundance of gold and silver into the coffers of churches, have pampered the pride and swelled the ambition of popes and prelates, supported a pageantry which dazzled the eyes of an enslaved multitude, and lit the torch of bloody persecutions; but have never purchased, nor can they purchase, the pure, peaceable, gentle, impartial wisdom of God. This is alone contained in that unspeakable gift which is made unto us wisdom.

What can equal the folly of vain mortals, who scorn, despise, neglect and even reject this invaluable treasure? "Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars; she hath killed her beasts; she bath

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