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Sir,

RELIGIOUS PASSENGERS ACCOMMODATED.

To the Editor.

Ir afforded me considerable pleasure to see upon the cover of your Magazine for the present month, an advertisment, announcing the establishment of a packet, to sail weekly, between Lon lon and Margate during the season; which appears to have been set on foot, for the accommodation of religious characters; and in which, "no profane conversation is to be allowed."

To those among the followers of a crucified Redeemer, who are in the habit of visiting the Isle of Thanet in the summer, and who, for the sea air, or from other considerations, prefer travelling by water, such a conveyance must certainly be a desideratum, especially if they have experienced a mortification similar to that of the writer in the course of the last summer, when shut up in a cabin with a mixed multitude, who spake almost all languages but that of Canaan. Totally unconnected with the concern, and personally a stranger to the worthy owner, I take the liberty of recommending this vessel to the notice of my fellow-Christians; persuaded that they will think themselves bound to patronize and encourage an undertaking that has the honour of the dear Redeemer for its professed object. It ought ever to be remembered, that every talent we possess, whether large or small, is given us in trust to be laid out for God; and I have often thought that Christians act inconsistently with their high profession when they omit, even in their most common and trivial expenditures, to give a decided preference to the friends of their Lord. I do not, however, anticipate any such ground of complaint in this instance; but rather believe, that the religious world in general will cheerfully unite with me, while 1 most cordially wish success to the Princess of Wales Yacht, and pray that she may ever sail under the divine protection and blessing!-that the humble followers of Him who spoke the storm into a calm, when crossing the lake of Gennesareth, may often feel their hearts glowing with sacred ardour, while in her cabins they enjoy sweet communion with their Lord, and with each other; and that strangers, who may be providentially brought among them, may see so much of the beauty and excellency of the Religion of Jesus exemplified in their conduct and conversation, that they may be constrained to 'say, "We will go with you, for we perceive that God is with you.' "Your God shall be our God, and his people shall henceforth be our chosen companions and associates."

1 am, Mr. Editor,

Your obliged friend and sister in the gospel,

Sandwich.

E. T.

USURY.

In reply to the enquiry relative to Usury, in your Magazine for February last, the writer is recommended to consult the margi nal references; by which he will find that it was lawful for the Jews, under the Mosaic dispensation, to lend money to strangers upon usury; but they were not allowed to do so to their brethren the Israelites; at least, if they were poor (see Exodus xxii. 25. Deut. xxiii. 20. Levit, xxv. 35, 36, 37.): and it is evident that Ezekiel alludes to this law, chap. xviii. 8.

cases,

Now it is generally admitted, that the Usury here mentioned, was an unreasonable charge for money lent, and it is remarkable that the Jews, to the present day, are guilty of this crime; as it is well known they will advance money for the sake of usury in hazardous where others would not venture: such is their love of gain. It therefore cannot be supposed to refer to what we call lawful interest; for if it did, a man might as well let his house without rent as his money without some benefit*; besides, it is evident that, in our Lord's time, interest was a common thing; or He would not have introduced it in the relation of the unprofitable servant, who was charged with injustice for not putting his Lord's money into the bank, that at his return he might have received his own with usury.

I have, therefore, no doubt that receiving interest for money lent, as by law established among us, is consistent with the word of God; and it would be a happy circumstance if, in our day, this simple mode of receiving interest was attended to, both by the community at large and the professors of Jesus Christ in particular but what are we to think of those who exact usury and unjust gain? This is done in various ways: for instance, f a tradesman solicits payment a short time before the expiration of the credit he gives, and the debtor requires an unreasonable discount or allowance for the time, knowing the creditor cannot do without immediate payment, surely, this is usury in the worst sense. Many other ways might be mentioned, but this may suffice. Such characters we refer to Prov. xxiii. 8. J. W.

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* See Buck's Theological Dictionary, under this article.

+ Or as it was then called, Usury.

Luke xix. 33. Mat. xxv. 27.

Sir,

ANSWER TO A QUERY

To the Editor.

PERMIT me to suggest a few thoughts for the serious consideration of a Querist, who, in a former Number of your Magazine, subscribes himself" A Seeker after Salvation." His Query,

to which I here allude, is thus stated: "What are the duties incumbent on man, in a natural state, in order to acquire an experimental knowledge of the gospel of salvation." An experimental knowledge of the gospel is certainly an object of the highest importance; and he is the wisest and happiest man who has attained, through divine grace, the clearest perceptions of that way of salvation, from which the gospel, derives all its importance and glory. The proposer of the above Query seems to be fully satisfiel as to the latter of these points. He confesses the necessity of experimentally knowing the gospel of salvation; but he assmes, that this infinite blessing is to be acquired by the per◄ formance of duties; and that man in a natural state, is capable of discharging them. His only question of difficulty is, "What are these wonder-working duties ?" Now, Sir, as I am persuaded you have but few correspondents who could meet our enquirer upon his own terms, and as some questions are best answered by pro, posing others, I woukl take the liberty of requesting his unbiased attention to the following particulars;

First, What is the scriptural import of the descriptive terms here used, "Man in a natural state?” Is it not that he is a sinner fallen from God by original sin? that he is altogether ignorant. of divine things-that he is at enmity with God in the appointed medium of salvation?—that he is enslaved by error and his own carnal base passions?that he has neither will nor power to perform holy exercises?- that, as a natural man, not believing in Christ, his very best sacrifices are bad and abomina ble in the sight of God? How apposite to our purpose is the thirteenth article of our established church! "Works," says that article, “ done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of this Spirit, are not pleasant to God, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ, neither do they make men meet to receive or deserve grace; and as they are not done as God hath willed and commanded, they have the nature of sin."

Secondly, If this account of man in his natural, or unregene rate state, be scripturally accurate, on what ground can it be, for a moment, admitted that there is any possibility of his perform ing spiritual and acceptable duties? - For those duties, which are to acquire an experimental knowledge of salvation, so far from having the nature of sin, in the sense here understood, and so far from being unpleasant to God, they must be spiritual and accept able; and must deserve, and make men meet to receive his grace. These will be the natural consequences of the sentiment evidently contained in the Query of your correspondent:-a sentiment whith, wherever it obtains, must derogate from the glory of the gospel, and tend to the most dangerous and fatal mistakes as to the ground of a sinner's justification. Who does not see that, if the wisdom and diligence of unholy men are to be employed in acquiring the blessings of salvation, as in the affairs of commerce-who does not see, that in this case the death of Jesus

as made a vain oblation, that the influences of the Spirit are dis carded, and that it can no longer be said, Salvation is of grace, and not of works?

Surely, there would be no less propriety in asking What duties are incumbent on the dead to make themselves alive? or, What duties are incumbent on the rock, to make itself sensitive? Certainly, there would be just as ntuch propriety in these questions as in asking What duties are incumbent on wicked men to make themselves Christians? I hope, Sir, none of your rea ders will angrily exclaim, These are high Calvinistic sentiments! What! are not sinners in general called upou to read and hear?

most certainly, and believe the word of God; but such excla. mations are too common with many who profess to know the gospel, when the sovereign honours of that gospel are fully asserted, and faithfully vindicated against the prevalence of pharisaical pride. However, the writer of this paper, not pretending to be in the secret of God's decrees, has no fellowship with those who talk of preaching the gospel to none but the elect; nor with those who declaim about the doctrines of grace in a style that encourages the hope of a dispensation from duty. But, deeply convinced that pharisaical pride is not less the bane of the gospel than practical Antinomianism, he would call the attention of your numerous readers to this momentous truth, That the most accurate and perfect performance of religious duties, affords no more hope of salvation than the most daring and desperate of crimes.

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To those who ask, in Scripture language, "What must we do to be saved?"-in Scripture language we reply," Believe in the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved." Here the " experimental knowledge of the gospel of salvation" must take its date. From hence the spiritual and acceptable performance of duty must take its rise. Our obedience and our happiness are commensurate with our believing they are the inseparable companions and essential consequences of it. The true believer, therefore, does not derive his experience from his duties, but his zeal in duty from his experience. His faith in Christ, and his sense of the infinite love of Christ, keep him low at his feet,powerfully animate him in his service, and unspeakably exalt him in communion. with his glory. All other experience is delusion, all other zeal in the performance of duty is either hypocrisy or pharisaism. OBSERVATOR

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Epangelicana.

REV. PHILIP HENRY.

WHEN some zealous people would have him to preach against topknots and other vanities in apparel, he would say, "That was none of his business; if he could persuade people to Christ, the pride, and vanity, and excess of those things would fall of course;" and yet he had a dislike to vanity and gaiety of dress, and allowed it not in those that he had any in

fluence upon. His rule was, that' in such things we must neither be owls nor apes; not affect singularity, nor affect modishness; nor (as he used to observe, from 1 Pet. iii. 3.) "make the putting on of apparel our adorning, because Christians have better things to adorn themselves with."

Dr. OWEN's beautiful and instructive Comment on the Words of the Apostle to the Hebrews, "Ye are not come to the Mount which might be touched, and which burned with Fire, nor to blackness and darkness," &c.

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"ALL the appearances of God to his church were suited to the subjectmatter: He appeared to Abraham in the form of a man, - because he came to give a promise of the incarnation of Christ, the seed of Abraham, in whom all the families of the human race were to be blessed. To Moses he appeared in a flame of fire, in a bush, which was not consumed! to teach him that the fire of affliction, with which his church was then tried, should not consume it, because he dwelt in the bush. To Joshua he appeared as an armed man, with a sword drawn in his hand, to give promise of his presence as the Lord of hosts, the Lord mighty in battle, who wou d go before the armies of Israel to subdue the Canaanites, and give them possession of the promised land: but here, on mount Sinai, he appears encompassed with all the dread and terror which the apostle so impressively describes. Why? To represent the holiness and strictness of the law, and the inevitable dreadful destruction of sinners against the law, unless they betake themselves to the Mediator and his gospel for relief. Th ́s appearance was not in a plain, but on the top of a high mountain, to represent the elevated throne of the divine Majesty, who keeps himself aloof from sinners. It was in the wilderness of Sinai, an absolute solitude, remote from the habitation or converse of men. When God arraigns the conscience of the sinner before the bar of the holy law which he has broken, he will let him see nothing but his own guilty self and the justly offended Lawgiver. All relief or refuge will fail hiin: his conscience will be kept to that which he can neither abide nor avoid, unless he make the great plea of the blood of atonement. The law was published in a barren and fruitless desert: Sinai was named, from the brambles and bushes, which were all it bore. These made an appearance of fruitfulness at a distance; but when you approached, there was nothing but what was fit for the fire. The law, in a state of sin, will bring forth in us no fruits to God. Those who are yet under the curse, pretend to some duties of obedience, which they call good works; but when tried, they are all such as God describes: "Who would set the briars and thorns against me in battle, I would go through them, I would burn them together."—No place in the inhabitable world hath been ever since more desolate and forsaken: and such it continues to the present day: by which it appears, that though there was, a necessity for the renewed publication of the law, it was designed to be a continued dispensation, but should be abandoned to make way for a new and betier. Hence also we learn, that those who continue under the law shall have no token of God's presence: he dwells no more in Sinai, Here too we learn, that the holiness of places is confined to their use; which, when it ceaseth, leaveth them common. What place more holy and sacred than Sinai once? What more desolate and forsaken now, notwithstanding the wretched monastery which superstition hath there erected!

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DR. SPENER.

SOME days before his death, he gave order that nothing (not so much as a thread) of black should be in his coffin: "For," said he, "I have been a sorrowful man these many years, lamenting the deplorable state of Christ's church militant here on earth; but now, being upon the point of retiring into the church triumphant in Heaven, I will not have the least mark of sorrow left upon me; but my body shall be wrapped up all over in white, for a testimony that I die in expectation of a better and inore glorious state to come-"

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