God and man in one perfon.* With equally plainness it is afferted, that this God-man is the only Mediator and Saviour. † Now as God hath taken care, in the Scriptures, to give, the most clear and exprefs revelation of Chrift; fo he moft folemnly charges his minifters to preach Chrift, to unfold, the dignity of his perfon, the completeness of his work, the fulness of his grace, &c. as the grand defign of their ministry.‡ The Apoftles, who fpoke under the immediate influence. of the Holy Ghoft, clofely adhered to their charge; and woe to thofe minifters who do not follow their example.‡ Can we fuppofe that God would take fuch conftant care, both by the Scripture, and through the medium of the Gofpelministry, to give a juft and clear reprefentation of Chrift, if juft conceptions of him were not of the utmost importance? Of fuch importance are just thoughts of Chrift, that without them we cannot form a just conception of God. The perfections of God are indeed, in a meafure, difplayed in the works of creation, and providence: but it is in the perfon and work of Chrift alone, that we can have a difcovery of the nature, the purposes, the covenant-characters of God, as he ftands related to finners. He is therefore called the image of God, or that, whereby God is reprefented unto us, and every other reprefentation is infufficient. It is in the face of Chrift, in his perfon and work, that the glory of God's wisdom, his juftice, his goodness, his grace is difcovered. Wrong views of Chrift will therefore lead us to wrong ideas of God. The truth of this remark is exemplified in thofe who differ in their thoughts of Chrift. As a natural confequence they differ likewife in their thoughts of God. Thofe who have low conceptions of the perfon and work of Chrift, are thereby led to form low, and unfcriptural ideas of the ftrictness of God's juftice, and the riches of his grace. If then, our thoughts of Chrift, have a neceffary influence on our ideas of God, which is an experimental fact, furely just conceptions of Chrift are very important indeed. Befides, our prevailing fentiments of Chrift, will neceffarily influence and regulate our deportment towards him. Do not different perfons act very differently, with refpect to Chrift? fome pay him divine adoration; depend on him exclufively for falvation; love him as the chief object of their defire John i. 14. Phil. ii. 5, &c. Heb. ii. 14, &c. 6. Acts iv. 12. 1 Cor. iii. 11. i. 22, &c. chap. ii. 2. Eph. iii. 8. § John i. 18. Kk 2 † 1 Tim. ii. 5. John xiv. 2 Cor. iv. 5. 1 Cor. ¶ 2 Cor. iv. 6. and and delight; fubmit to his authority, as fupreme. Others purfue an oppofite line of conduct. What can be the reason of this difference? It is becaufe they have different thoughts of Chrift. If we believe him to be God over all, we shall feel it our duty to worfhip him as fuch. If we conceive him to be the alone and all-fufficient Saviour, we shall exclufively depend on him. If we efteem him as fupremely amiable, we fhall love him fupremely. If we admit him to be our rightful fovereign, we fhall yield cordial and unfeigned obedience to him. But if our thoughts be different, our conduct will be different likewife. If propriety of deportment to Chrift be important, and it must be inconceivably fo, then juft thoughts of him are important. So important are juft conceptions of Chrift, that wrong views of his Perfon and Office, if perfifted in, will inevitably iffue in eternal perdition. This, perhaps, may found harth and awful; but it is not more awful than true. If a proper knowledge of Chrift, be eternal life, which is declared, then we may infer, that the want of it is eternal death. The vaft importance of the queftion in difpute, when ferioufly confidered, will juftify the alarming idea. If he were, confefedly, only a creature, and the difpute were only refpecting his icale of dignity as a creature, a mistake herein, would be comparatively of light importance: but when the matter debated is, whether he be the very God, or only a creature made by God, then the nature of the queftion is materially altered. A miftake in the matter then neceffarily involves us, either in idolatry on the hand, or a denial of the true God on the other. If Chrift be God, it must be as ruinous to deny it, as to deny the godhead of the Father; if he be not, it is idolatrous to profefs it. An attention to the leading idea, under the former particular, must convince us, that fo wide a mistake in our conceptions of Chrift will prove inevitably ruinous for if improper thoughts of Chrift. produce a proportionate impropriety of deportment towards him, what can the end of this be but ruin! not believing him to be God, you will not give him divine bonors, the refufal of which is ruinous. 1 Not thinking him to be the all-fufficient Saviour, you will not depend exclufively upon him for falvation; this is threatened with damnation. Not efteeming him fupremely amiable, you will not love him fupremely, and thofe who do not, John viii. 24. + John xvii. 3. Pf. ii. 12. John viii. 24. If. xlv. 23, 24 John iii. 18, 36. are are marked objects of the heaviest curfe.* Not admitting him to be your rightful foverign, you will refufe obedience to him; and the certain wages of this ftubbornnefs is deftruction.† You fee then, reader, with what propriety the Apostle coveted and prized the knowledge of Chrift. Follow his example. Think much of Chrift; and cipecially defire that you may have just thoughts of him: juít, as to the matter of them, viz. fcriptural thoughts; and juft, as to their nature and properties; believing, humbling, affectionate, transforming, afpiring thoughts. To this end, look unto the Spirit of God, whofe office is to take the things of Christ and thew them unto men. MANCUNIENSIS. PROFITABLE SUBJECTS OF CONVERSATION. HE want of a fubject for converfation, is among many Treligious people, a very common complaint, therefore many frivolities, and often worse things are reforted to for entertainment; but furely this arifes merely from want of confidering how many fubjects there are worthy of our attention. Let us reflect, How many mercies we have been made the partakers of; mercies in every way, and of every kind; mercies in our birth, in our circumftances, in our prefervation and protection through the various periods of life; and efpecially if we have been by the grace of God, called to the knowledge of himfelf; amidft all thefe mercies, how can we want a ubject? Should it be admitted, (though it ought to be cautioufly admitted, for we are apt to extend fuch allowances too far) that fome of thefe would not be seasonable, or proper fubjects for converfation, yet can we ever fay that there is a time, when no one of them could be brought forward with propriety? Surely fome one or other of the divine mercies may be fpoken of, where ever, or with whomfoever we may be. We are not obliged to fpeak of them in a ftiff formal way, but with all fimplicity of manner, as inftances wherein God has been kind and gracious to us, juft as we might fpeak of the kindness of an earthly friend. Above all fhall we be inexcufable, if in religious company, where fuch things furely cannot want apology, we are backward to introduce them when we find a fubject wanted. * 1 Cor. xvi. 22. + Luke xix. 27. ‡ Phil, iii. 7, &c. Our Our fins may often furnish us with fubject. With regard to many fins, they are fo common, that we may fafely speak of them, either as our own, or fins which we are in danger from, without exciting any peculiar notice. And we know what a tendency, under the bleffing of God, fpeaking of fin, in a proper way, may be likely to have while it is reprefented as abominable in its nature, and dreadful in its confequences, if at all under the influence of the enlightening Spirit, we cannot but be induced to deteft, and flee from it, Speaking of our diforder is no improbable means of promoting a cure. Were fin more frequently the subject of ferious converfation, there feems reafon to hope, that in many inftances, it would not acquire fo much ftrength; but often times, among religious people, fin is fo little freely fpoken of, that its evil is, comparatively, but little underftood. Perhaps one reafon why errors in temporal affairs, are in general more noticed and attended to, than errors in fpiritual, is because they are more the topics of familiar converse. Are we in want of a fubject? Our obligations alfo may lead us to many. What is my duty in general? What in peculiar circumftances? What would be my duty was I in any different fituation from that in which I am, fuppofing there is any probability of my being in fuch a fituation? By these enquiries we might become acquainted with many duties, of which perhaps we are now ignorant, as well as get new views of others; and the real chriftian need not be told how defirable this is. How preferable would be confulting with our fellow-chriftians, in our focial interviews, about our own duties, to exploring the faults of others! The works of God, likewife would afford fubjects innumerable, altogether worthy of our attention, and contemplation. Even a flower, a leaf, or a blade of grafs viewed as the workmanship of him who is perfect in knowledge, may pleafingly and profitably employ our minds. With regard to the fublimer works of nature, (to fpeak according to our common conceptions) those who are beft capacitated to explore them, know that they are fufficient to exhaust all their refearches, and to bring them to exclaim, "Who can by fearching find out God? Who can find out the Almighty unto perfection?" We need not be discouraged from thinking or speaking of the works of God, because we cannot think or fpeak as we would; ever fo fimple a reflection in our own minds, or a fingle thought advanced to others, may eventually eventually answer a great and important end: but let that be as it may, the works of God are well worthy of being fought out by us, and in this refpect as well as others, it will hold true that God accepteth according to that which a man hath, and not according to that which he hath not. In one way or other it cannot prove fruitlefs to be thus engaged. Our complaints then of the want of a subject are unjustly founded: as Chriftians it can never really be the cafe while we have mercies to notice and be thankful for, fins to confess and to bewail, duties incumbent on ourfelves and others, and the works of God to observe and to recommend. T TENDERNESS TO FALLEN BRETHREN. HE neceffity of holiness, or conformity to the Divine Being according to his word, is not only acknowledged but powerfully experienced by all who are renewed by the Spirit. Sweetly are they impelled to "deny ungodlinefs and worldly luft;"-to" prefent their bodies a living facrifice." They "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him." No one, therefore, who is under the dominion of fin, can bring any fcriptural evidence that he is born of God, or has a faving intereft in the divine Redeemer. Without all queftion, the true difciples of the Lamb are brought to hate and oppofe whatever is contrary to his will, for we "are not called to uncleannefs, but unto holinefs." But ftill, we must allow, the prefent is a state of much imperfection." In many things we all offend." Though it is not poffible for any one renewed by divine grace to be the flave of Satan, yet each may be "overtaken in a fault," may be deluded, and, for a time, led captive by fin. Scripture, and the whole hiftory of the Church, demonstrate this has been the unhappy cafe with many who, notwithftanding, were the heirs of a bleffed immortality.-It is proper we should be concerned and grieved when inftances like these occur within the circle of our obfervation. They open the mouth of the enemy; ftagger weak believers; bring a temporary reproach upon the cause of Chrift, and the sharpeft diftrefs on the unhappy offender. Yet, furely, it will by no means follow we fhould defpife, neglect or, even treat coolly those who may be thus overcome by the infulting foe. They have, at such seasons, a peculiar claim upon |