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Christ. Previous to his death, he exhorted his wife very solemnly to renounce infidelity, to attend Divine worship, and take care his children were instructed in the principles of the Christian religion, exacting from her a promise she would do so, which promise she has faithfully kept.

It is well for the Christian instructor to be long-suffering and patient. There is a promise— "My speech shall distil as the dew." We must await the process, and await in faith, believing that "God is able of stones to raise up children unto Abraham."

Reverting to another subject, in the early portion of this chapter, painful reference has been made to the infidelizing effects produced upon working people by godlessness on the part of employers.

I might readily multiply such painful details. Was the vast influence possessed by employers to further the Gospel properly exerted, most blessed results would follow.

Happily, we are not without proofs of this, in the Metropolis and in the world. Honourable instances of solicitude for the spiritual welfare of those employed are to be found. It would be pleasing to allude further to such cases, and to show what has been effected; and

it is more than humiliating that such instances should constitute honourable exceptions to the rule, instead of being the rule itself, which is,——— the fact cannot be concealed,-anything but attention on the part of employers to the spiritual condition of those whose sinews and energies minister to their wealth.

In blessing Abraham, the Almighty said, in commendation, "All the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him; for I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him," Gen. xviii. 18, 19.

Happy nation, then, whose employers are imitators of faithful Abraham !-happy labourers who are in such a case!

"Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,

Where wealth accumulates and men decay."

CHAPTER IV.

SOCINIANISM.

Origin of Socinianism-Its remedy-Not a popular form of infidelity-Efforts among the poor-Unitarian AlmanacStatistics of Socinianism-Visits to Finsbury Chapel-A secular oration-An interesting case-The Cato Street conspiracy-Hopeful case of one of the few surviving conspirators, formerly a Socinian-Another noted character-His atheistic opposition-Strange assertions - His death Necessity for meekness-Hopeful conversion of a Socinian -Concluding observations.

CLOSELY connected with the subject of the preceding chapter is Socinianism, which is but another form of infidelity.* Its origin must be sought for in "the pride and folly of unsanctified

* Socinians are so called from Faustus Socinus, who died in Poland, in 1604. The rejection of Christ's divinity is the great heresy of those who are so called. "In what then," says a learned author, "does Unitarianism differ from Deism? Deists deny the essential doctrines of Christianity by rejecting the whole of the Christian revelation. Unitarians reject the Christian revelation by denying all its peculiar and essential doctrines."

intellect. The propensity so natural to man, of dissipating every shade of mystery, and casting the light of his own understanding around the subjects of his contemplation."* There is but one remedy for this, namely, conviction of our condition as fallen, guilty sinners, and this remedy the Spirit of God only can impart, (John xvi. 7-13.) When this blessed influence overshadows the soul of man, his former high and lofty estimate of his natural character becomes a dissolving view. The strong pillars lose their balance, the lofty edifice wanes, all becomes dim, and the finished and glowing picture he had once vainly thought himself, changes into a cold and gloomy ruin. He finds it but as a mirage in the desert. It is well if he creeps to the foot of the Cross amid this darkness and desolation, and holds on whilst the tempest howls around, until the voice that raised the storm shall bid the storm "be still." Then, when the Sun of righteousness arises "with healing in his wings," (Mal. iv. 2,) the ruin will be built again, (Isa. liv. 11-13;) he will become a temple, not filled with his own light, an ignis fatuus to lure him to destruction; he will attempt no more

* Richard Watson.

to warm himself with the sparks of a fire of his own creation, (Isa. 1. 10, 11,) but Christ will give him light, (Eph. v. 14.) His language will be:

"I heard the voice of Jesus say,

I am this dark world's light,
Look unto me, your morn shall rise,
And all your day be bright.

"I came to Jesus, and I found
In Him my star, my sun,
And in His light of life I'll walk,
Till travelling days are done."*

His body will become "the temple of the Holy Ghost," and "the Spirit of God dwell in him," (1 Cor. iii. 16; vi. 19.) "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new," (2 Cor. v. 17.)

Socinianism, however, as a friend possessed of great experience respecting the condition of the Metropolitan population judiciously remarks, "I have found to be not the popular form of infidelity with the poor. The system has not made much way with them. They do not scruple to avow themselves infidels

* Bonar.

plainly, in most

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