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"work together for good." A scene of this description affords a fine opportunity for sympathizing neighbours to go and weep with those that weep." In what an amiable point of view does the apostle Thomas appear, when saying unto his fellow disciples, "Let us also go that we may die with him." And how exemplary the conduct of those Jews that came to Martha and Mary "to comfort them concerning their brother." They doubtless found, that "it is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting," for

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"The chamber where the good man meets his fate
Is privileg'd beyond the common walk
Of virtuous life, quite on the verge of heaven."

I am aware that there are some who put
it out of the power of their friends to
visit them, for as soon as death enters,
they quit their dwellings for a time, in
order the more effectually to shake off
those thoughts that necessarily obtrude
at such seasons. But, after all,

"Place may be changed, but who can change his mind "

Had Martha and Mary acted thus, He, whose cheering voice speaks peace to the troubled breast, and whose powerful word resuscitates the dead, had not in all probability repaired to Bethany, and then Lazarus might not have been "awaked out of sleep." This, however, seldom occurs, except in the higher walks of life.

Others are tried in their circumstances. The world frowns upon them, things run counter to their expectations, one messenger after another announces the loss of their earthly possessions, till at length they find themselves in a state of complete destitution; so true it is, that "riches make to themselves wings and fly away." Now all who duly appreciate their temporal blessings, and are aware of the precarious tenure by which they are held, will "remember those that are bound, as being bound with them, and those who suffer adversity, as being themselves also in the body."

But from bodily afflictions, few, if any are exempted; sooner or later, disease invades their clay tabernacles, and "weakens their strength by the way." Some, it is true, are but "lightly afflicted," others "more grievously," waters of a full cup are wrung out to them; some are called just to sip, as it were, of the bitter draught, while others are

compelled to drink it up even to the very dregs; some are visited with "pain, and the multitude of their bones with strong pain," who say in the morning, "would to God it were evening; and in the evening, would to God it were morning! day and night His hand is heavy upon them, so that their moisture is turned into the drought of summer." But then, they have all that this world can afford to allay their sufferings; kind friends and tender relatives to administer consolation, and wipe the tear of sorrow from their pallid countenances, whose never-ceasing solicitude waits on their tedious days and "wearisome nights." Others are equally afflicted, and the affliction is doubly trying, because they have oftentimes only a morsel of bread, and a cup of water, an insufficiency of firing and clothing to warm their enfeebled and emaciated frames, and whose wretched hovels scarcely serve as a screen from the wintry tempest. No feeling relative to sustain a part of their accumulated sorrows; no kind friend to wipe the tear from their grief-worn cheeks; no, they pine away, and are stricken through, for want of the fruits of the field," and that sympathy and aid which many of their fellow mortals have in their power to bestow. "To him that is afflicted, pity should be showed."

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If it be true, as the apostle James says, that " pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep ourselves unspotted from the world," those can make out but a slender claim to it, who neglect so obvious and imperative a duty.

There are many benevolent persons who cannot refuse an alms, when distress and importunity unite in the appeal; but it will frequently be found, that the most abject cases exist in secret, and that the most deserving objects are the least obtrusive. Let those then who are "rich, be ready to communicate, willing to distribute"-let them seek out the abodes of misery-explore the haunts of

wretchedness-undertake for the oppressed-converse familiarly with the sufferers-listen to their tales of woeenter feelingly into their cases-pray with and for them, and read portions of that blessed word which points to a state where there "shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither

ON VISITING THE AFFLICTED.

shall there be any more pain." Thus shall we "bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."

And where Societies for this specific object do not exist, let Ministers stir up their people to this good work, and exhort all over whom they have any influence, to give according as God hath prospered them, "remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how that he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive;" and let persons be chosen, whose business it shall be, to distribute such contributions, and report the cases visited, for the edification, instruction, and satisfaction of all interested therein. I can anticipate no objection to societies of this kind; and lest they should be abused, would beseech all subscribers not to rest satisfied with merely giving a few pence per week regularly, but to continue to be their own almoners, and make visits of mercy themselves, "doing good unto all men, but especially to those who are of the household of faith."

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pear, what prudence and judgment are necessary, that nothing be said to foster presumption on the one hand, or lead to despair on the other.

The self-righteous abound on every side, and often will visitors come in contact with such. They have numerous subterfuges, and deep retrenchments:they will tell them that "God is merciful"-that "they have not been so bad as others"---that "they have never injured any one"---have "paid every body their own," and numerous other pleas of the same cast, which must all be relinquished before Jesus Christ can be all in all. And in order to this, they must be faithfully and affectionately "warned" and "rebuked," and directed to trust alone in "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS," as the only way whereby they can be saved.

The household of faith will, however, have a prior claim on their attention. Some of these they will find in "heaviness through manifold temptations"-

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walking in darkness, and having no light,"--saying, "my way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment passed over from my God." Such should be encouraged to "trust in the Lord, and stay themselves upon God;" they must be exhorted to call to mind "the years of the right hand of the Most High." Those who are experienced, and who "have the tongue of the learned," should sedulously improve the talent intrusted to them, by speaking" a word in season to him that is weary."

Various qualifications will be found necessary for those to whom the important work of visiting is confided. Love to God, and love to men should be the commanding principles ;-they should know something of the plague of their own hearts-have "tasted that the Lord is gracious," so as to be able to say, "We speak that we know, and testify that we have seen." In the discharge of their duty they will sometimes meet with those who, reckless of consequences, have rushed on the "thick bosses of God's buckler," vainly imagining that he was "altogether such an one as themselves" who have sat in the "seat of the scornful," impiously "saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning." But the hand of God now presses heavily upon them-"the arrows of the Almighty are within them, the poison whereof drinketh up their spirit; the terrors of God do set themselves in array against them;"― indubitable proof, that all things do not continue as they were with them-and awful premonition that God is about to call them to an account for the deeds done in the body! What knowledge of the Scriptures and of human nature is required, to detect, expose, and refute the fallacious reasonings of such!--and what meekness, In conclusion, I will fetch one motive to instruct those who thus oppose them-from the account of the last great day, selves!—and, if signs of contrition ap- as pourtrayed by Him who will judge

Others will be found, "strong in faith, giving glory to God"--" rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer"---longing to depart, and anxiously inquiring, "Why are his chariot wheels so long in coming?" In visiting such, are ciprocity of benefit will accrue; and visitors will themselves get good, whilst they "rejoice with them that rejoice," and be constrained to "thank God, and take courage," when they hear these his servants recount their trials---point to the numerous pillars reared to the honour of divine grace--and speak of the glories of that kingdom into which they are about to enter. Their piety will instruct them, how to live---their patience, how to suffer---and their faith, hope, and joy, how to die.

both "quick and dead," and which is surely sufficient to engage all hearts and hands in this godlike work. "Then shall he say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous say, When saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? &c. And the King shall say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me. ENTER YE INTO THE JOY OF YOUR LORD."

Mr. Editor, you will acknowledge, with me, that the subject to which the foregoing paper relates is an important one; but it is one which is, alas! too much neglected; and, consequently, much to be regretted that it had not fallen to abler hands. However, the field is ample, and I hope some one of your correspondents, more competent to do justice to it, will "supply what is lacking on my part." If what I have written does but possess sufficient merit to entitle it to a place in your work, and if from that the least good should result, the writer's end will be answered. Salisbury, Oct. 16, 1824.

G. S.

ON THE NATURE OF SOUND
DOCTRINE.

[Concluded from Page 346.] HAVING, in a former article, examined the several texts in which the phrase "sound doctrine" occurs, we have been enabled to ascertain its true scriptural import, and shall therefore close the discussion by laying before the reader the following inferences from what has been previously said.

1. In general, sound doctrine is the pure genuine doctrine of the gospel, the very doctrine taught by Christ and his apostles:-entire, without the omission of any part of it; unperverted, without being strained or wrested; sincere, unmixed with any thing else, either in the matter, or in the manner of expression; proposed chiefly in the sound words in which Christ and his apostles delivered

it. Certainly it can require but little modesty to own that these are the fittest. The words of Christ are the words of God; they were dictated by his divine nature;-the Spirit of God superintended the apostles and prophets, so as to restrain them from using any words which were not significant of the very truth: and, notwithstanding considerable varieties in their style, the language of them all has a certain common character, and general complexion; in respect of which we may affirm, that there is one uniform tenor of scriptural phraseology. This general description of sound doctrine will be, in the main, admitted by all sects. For though their peculiar systems be, in some parts, diametrically opposite, each sect reckons its own system the pure doctrine of the gospel; and though they all employ some technical terms not found in Scripture, each reckons its own set of these perfectly equivalent to the terms of Scripture, but more definite-fit for expressing their real sense so determinately as to guard them against misconception, or misinterpretation.

2. It therefore deserves our most serious attention, That sound doctrine means the pure doctrine of the gospel, particularly as distinguished from all human definitions, limitations, refinements, and superadditions. We have all along seen how explicitly and how anxiously the Apostle sets it in opposition to all these. His expressions are levelled directly against the corruptions of doctrine which prevailed at that time; but they are so chosen as to be likewise, in strict propriety, applicable to all posterior corruptions of it. He foresaw these, and foretold them, and has an eye to them, at least in some of the passages which we have examined. Indeed, all the curious or forced explications of Christian doctrine-all the groundless or precarious deductions from it-all the subtile controversies about it which have infested the church, demonstrate themselves to be such adulterations as he condemns. They are marked by the very features which he has delineated; they have produced the very effects which he has described.

They had already begun, and they quickly spread wider and wider. Forgetful that the gospel was not given to exercise ingenuity, or gratify curiosity, and desirous of recommending it to unbelievers, particularly the philosophers,

ON THE NATURE OF SOUND DOCTRINE.

-partly, too, it must be owned, swayed by their own preconceived notions, and expecting to display the accuracy of their own apprehension,-some Christians began very early to conceive the articles of their faith according to the theories of the Greek philosophy, chiefly the Platonic-to define them with scientifical precision, and in the phraseology of the schools-and to adopt similitudes for illustrating them, and hypotheses for accounting for them, not only arbitrary, but generally improper. They were accused of error. Their accusers were not wise enough to satisfy themselves with proving, that the Scripture did not imply or admit the sense to which they determined it, but, infected with the spirit of the same philosophy, ran into opposite definitions, comparisons, hypotheses, and terms of science, often equally improper, and equally involving error. These were justly retorted upon them by their adversaries. Controversies were agitated concerning these contradictory definitions;-multitudes ranged themselves on each side; they broke out into contention, animosities, unjust suspicions, and insinuations, mutual reproaches, and invectives. Falsehood was eagerly sought for, and, for the most part, easily found, in the abstract, subtile definitions of each party. In the progress of disputation, new terms, new distinctions, new comparisons were invented on each side, for marking with precision the peculiarity of its own opinion, and new hypotheses were contrived for reconciling it to Scripture, or to itself, and for evading the objections urged against it. Every such attempt produced new questions, and every new question became more frivolous, more notional, more abstruse than the former. In discussing it, new refinements of distinction, and new intricacies of argumentation were introduced: every disputant added something, according to his own manner of apprehension.

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nutiae of the controversy-they debated them with prejudice and passion-they indulged cavil and chicane-they broke forth into clamour and outrage, into mutual accusations and threatenings, and sometimes they proceeded to tumult and violence. The stronger party overpowered the weaker, by their superior vehemence-by the terror of their me naces-by mere force-or by a plurality, it may be a very small plurality, of voices. They approved all the subtleties, refinements, and inventions of one party-adopted whatever hard words, and technical terms they thought fittest for discriminating them from those of the other party-and, by a decree of usurped, but formidable authority, they determined all these to be articles of faith, and their chosen terms of art to be the test of the truth. All who refused submission to their impositions they condemned as adherents to the contrary party, and stigmatized as heretics; and they reviled-anathematized-excommunicated-and, whenever they could get the civil power to enter into their resentments, persecuted

banished--or put them to death. Other councils were assembled, and often gave opposite decisions-established the contrary tenets-and fenced them by contrary terms of art, but still decided in the same spirit of party conNone of their tention and violence. decrees ever ended a single controversy. On the contrary, they perpetuated the controversies then subsisting increased the bitterness of contention, and diffused it wider. They never failed, likewise, to produce new controversies. The persons who opposed them contrived new terms, distinctions, and cavils, in contradiction to the subtleties implied in their decrees: they differed about these, and split into lesser parties. Those who adhered to the decrees disagreed about their meaning-broke out into fierce contentions-charged each other with error, or with blasphemyThe church was distracted, bewil- and disdained communion with one dered and inflamed. Councils were as- another. By the rage of controversy, sembled to determine the points in and the spirit of faction in all, the question, and to extinguish the heats Christian church was divided, and subwhich they had raised. But instead of divided, and again and again subdivided holding fast the form of sound words" into sects innumerable, hating and exe-instead of recalling all parties to the crating one another, but distinguished simple doctrine of the gospel, and re- only by verbal differences, or by notions, jecting the unscriptural, precarious ex- of none of which the Scripture affirms plications by which both sides went be- any thing, or of which the human fayond it, they entered into all the mi-culties can form no clear" conception,

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and of which any conception or thought at all is both unnecessary and unprofitable.

Different systems of philosophy were successively in vogue. With each of these, in its turn, the doctrine of the gospel was unnaturally incorporated. By this means it assumed a variety of forms, but all of them very unlike to its original simplicity. When the philosophy of Aristotle obtained unrivalled possession of the schools, (a philosophy from the beginning subtile, disputatious, and contentious, and rendered more so by the perversion of the scholastics,) the Christian doctrine, by being adapted to it-ranged according to its forced mode of distribution-conceived according to its rules of definition and distinction-expressed in its hard words -and reasoned about in the artificial manner of its analytics, was totally distorted from its genuine form. A false ingenuity was laboriously employed, in devising questions concerning every article of Christian doctrine-in pushing them to the utmost length of subtlety and wrangling about them with all the nicety of affected precision. Questions sprung from questions in an endless series; all of them unnecessary-most of them of no importance-many of them mere plays upon words-many of them ridiculous-many of them interminable, and even unintelligible-nay, some of them impious and blasphemous. They were almost all dogmatically determined the determinations of many of them were erected into articles of faith, and the technical words employed in the determinations were the only allowed criterion of men's holding these articles. By such "oppositions" and contentions" of science, falsely so called," continued and increasing through many ages of intellectual darkness, the doctrine of the papal church became a huge body of tenets, unscripturally conceived and expressed, and many of them not only destitute of all foundation in the gospel, but directly repugnant to it. The Reformers, raised up in a blessed hour for that very purpose, unveiled this mass of corruption-exposed the perversions of the gospel, which composed it, and the fables which it had superadded to the gospel. They pronounced the Scripture to be the only rule of faith, and disclaimed all human definitions of its simple principles. Happy had it been if they had persisted steadily in

this. But their adversaries demanded, what it was precisely that they believed; they declared an appeal to Scripture insufficient for fixing this, because the authority of its words was pleaded by all sides; they cried out that the doctrine of Protestants was altogether indefinite and uncertain; they misrepresented it grossly; they called upon them to publish it in determinate language. Overcome by these importunities, clamours, and accusations, and not perfectly cured of the subtilizing spirit from which they sprung, Protestants were led unwarily, though at first reluctantly, to accept the challenge. The earliest explications of their doctrine were tolerably simple; the scholastic mode of arrangement, argument, and expression, was in general rather avoided than affected: but the spirit of abstraction gradually acquired strength and violence; the explications of doctrine given by some displeased others; opposite explications were proposed; questions about them were agitated; they were pushed to greater and greater degrees of subtlety; all the hardest words of the schools were borrowed for expressing the differences of opinion; and all the most frivolous or unintelligible distinctions of the schools were employed in debating them. Protestants were crumbled down into numberless sects, distinguished by peculiarities of belief upon points unneces sary or impossible to be determined. Creeds were opposed to creeds; systerns were multiplied against systems; some on all sides, not so much systems of Christian theology, as metaphysical systems of verbal, speculative, abstruse, unimportant controversies, for which a handle was taken from that theology. Each party was tenacious of its own mode of conceiving, and even of expressing the truth; and by this means they have all continued divided and at variance.

Such is the general portrait of the departure of the Christians from the SIMPLICITY of sound doctrine: every part of it might easily be confirmed by numberless facts in the history of the church. Not content with thus departing from it, they have substituted the very deviation in its place, and given it its name. Every party appropriates the name of sound doctrine to those peculiar explications, speculations and definitions which characterize

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