and a drop of rain, are very small, yet it is by the sun and the shower that our harvests wave in the fields; and by the accumulation of all waters that the riches of all lands are transferred to us. I would call on such as in the providence of God are raised above abject dependence-who feel that they have souls to be saved, and to whose hearts the Saviour who died for them, and the Bible that testifies of that Saviour, are precious, to lend us the assistance both of their purses and their prayers. From such persons we cannot anticipate a refusal." The word of God is their hope and their joy; and they desire that a gift so precious may be sent to the poor of all other countries: they wish and pray that the wandering savage may know it and be glad; and the poor negro, under the lash of his cruel master, may be told of a Master in heaven, who is full of pity and tenderness: out of the earnings of a hard and honest industry, they will give offerings to the cause of religion and humanity; nor will they cease their exertions till the message of salvation be carried round the globe, and made known to the countless millions who live in guilt, and who die in darkness.” * Brethren, remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. He that soweth sparingly, shall reap sparingly; but he who soweth bountifully, will reap also bountifully. [Translated from La Vie de St Charles Borromee, Liv. I. chap. xvii. p. 146-149.] "St Charles, besides these principal foundations, established many other companies:-as, those who kept themselves in a state of celibacy, under the protection of St Maurice; the widows, under the name of St Anne; that of the fathers of families; and that of the workmen who laboured to teach the Christian Doctrine. He applied himself particularly to the proper establishment of this last, which he composed of lay persons, who were zealous for so pious a work, on which depended the instruction of his people. In a little time, these schools were introduced into all his Parishes, and produced inestimable fruits. For men, women and children frequented them with assiduity, being drawn thither by the continual exhortations of * Chalmers. their Pastors, and by the indulgences which the Supreme Pontiff bestowed on them: so that the ignorance of the things of religion, which had been very great in the Diocese, and in the Province of Milan, was rapidly banished from thence. "The rules for conducting these schools have been printed among the acts of this Holy Cardinal; and are so wise, so judicious, and so exact, that we cannot sufficiently admire the vast capacity of his enlarged mind for ecclesiastical affairs. When he visited a parish, he informed himself most exactly of the state of these companies. He conversed with the brethren, encouraged them by the fervour of his expressions to continue in their exercises; he communicated them with his own hand, and granted them every favour in his power. Finally, he regarded them as his principal co-adjutors in the work of saving souls, and he treated them as brethren. "When he died, he left 640 Schools of the Christian Doctrine, established in Milan or in his Diocese; the scholars who attended them amounted to 40,000, the Teachers 3000, the General Officers 263, the particular Officers 1620. This almost incredible number shews with how much care the Cardinal applied himself to this work; which is properly the work of Bishops, and of which God will require of them a very exact account. For how can Christians hope for eternal life, which consists, as saith St John, in the knowledge of the only true God, and his Son Jesus Christ whom he has sent into the world; that is, how shall they attain this, if they know neither the Father, nor the Son, nor the Holy Ghost, nor the incarnation, nor the death of our Redeemer, nor the commandments which ordain the performance of certain actions, and the abstaining from others? But, how shall they know these mysteries, if no one teach them? How can they be more profitably taught than by means of these schools, which have no other end but this particular instruction? The curates are not sufficiently zealous to take this charge; or have too much to do in their parishes to allow them the necessary leisure, and these co-adjutors of their ministry assist them in this difficult part of their duty. "Since the death of St Charles, some of these Religious have been established in France; where they assumed the name of the father of the Christian doctrine, of whom Cesar de Bus was the founder in the city of Avignon. Their duty is explained by their title, for it consists in teaching the Christian doctrine to the ignorant in the cities and villages. They acquitted themselves with much zeal and diligence in the places where they were employed; and the Bishops received every sort of satisfaction from these labourers, who were so simple, so humble, so obedient, and so far free from any intrigues, a desire to govern in families, or to intermeddle in every sort of affairs." 381 Juvenile Department. Private Conversations between a Conversation IV.-CHARACTER AND Teacher. I am very glad to see you this evening. I expected to see you long ago. What good news have you to tell me to-night? M. I have often thought of calling, but could never muster so much till I found myself courage, somehow driven to it, by some things that Mr SOCINUS was saying to my father. T-What things were these? M.-He has been often urging him to take me and my sister from the school; that we are taught error, nonsense, enthusiasm, idolatry, and I know not what all and when my father asked for an explanation, he said, it was principally about Christ; that we were taught to worship him, though he was a man like ourselves; that we were taught to depend on his death for our salvation, whereas God sent him to teach us what to do to save ourselves; and a great deal more to the same purpose, by which my father not being very well learned, he is likely to put his head crazy. T.-It is our happiness in this country, that we have the Bible in our own language, so that if we take the trouble of searching it for ourselves, we will easily learn what it contains, without the ne cessity of depending on the word of any other man. As to your father's not being well learned, that can be no obstacle to his knowing the contents of the Bible, as long as, with his share of good common sense, he can read and understand plain English. The Bible was not written for the learned only, but also for the simple and unlearned. "To the poor the gospel is preached," and to them also the Bible is sent, to make them wise unto salvation. It is true that Christ was a man, but he was more, he was God as well as man. To see this we need only read a few plain passages from the Bible. Will you turn up and read John i. 1-4. Here you see John calls him God, and says that he was in the beginning (that is before the creation of the world) with God, and that he is the Maker of all things. John xx. 28. Tho mas calls him his Lord and his God. Romans ix. 5. he is called God over all and blessed for ever. Rev. i. 8. he says himself, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the Lord, which is and was and is to come, the Almighty." And again, verses 17, 18. "I am the first and the last and the living One." Will you turn up and read Rev. xx. 11. to the 8th verse of chap. 21. It is Christ, you know, who is appointed to be the Judge of the living and the dead, (Acts x. 42.) it is he therefore that sitteth on the great white throne, verse 11, it is to him that John refers there fore in the 5th verse of the 21st chapter, as having sat on the throne, and who, verse 6, said to John, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end ;" and, verse 7, saith, "Him that overcometh-I will be his God." In chapter xxii. 6. it is said, "The Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things that must shortly be done;" but in verse 16 of the same chapter, we are told that it was Jesus who sent his angel. Jesus is therefore the Lord God of the holy prophets. See also Rev. i. 1. These passages are so plain, that they cannot be misunderstood by any who wish to know the truth on the subject. Besides, the prophets taught us to expect, that the Redeemer of sinners should be the supreme God. Psal. xlv. 6. David saith of him, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever;" and Paul, Heb. i. 8. applies this passage to Christ. Isaiah ix. 5. he is called, "The mighty God." These are a few of the many passages in which the Godhead of Jesus is stated in language so plain, that they need no comment to make them plainer. M.-These are certainly very plain, and as they are God's words, we ought to believe them. But how are we to understand that God became a man? T.-We are not to suppose that God did, or could become a man; but that he took the human nature into union with his own divine person, so that he became God and man in one person. Hence Paul says, 1 Tim. iii. 16. not that God became man, but that he was manifested in the flesh. And Heb. x. 5. he says himself, that "a body was prepared for him." Paul also says, Heb. ii. 14. that he took part of flesh and blood, that is, of the human nature, with the children that he came to sanctify and save. These passages shew, that God did not become man, but that he took the human into union with his Divine nature, when he appeared in our world; so that, while he was of the "seed of David according to the flesh," he was at the same time " God over all, and blessed for ever." M.-But what need was there that Christ should become man, could he not save his people without taking a body to himself? T.-No doubt if, as Mr SOCINUS supposes, Christ was sent into the world merely to teach us how to save ourselves, there was no need for it. But the Bible teaches us a very different doctrine. It teaches us, that rebellious man is under the curse of God's law; lost, ruined, unable to help himself in the smallest degree! It teaches us, that God, in infinite mercy, determined to save him from ruin, by substituting his own Son in his room, and inflicting on him that punishment that was due to man as a transgressor of God's holy law. But as God he could not sufferhe could not die for them. It became necessary therefore, that " a body should be prepared for him," in which to suffer and die as their substitute. Hence the death of Christ is always spoken of as the only ground of pardon and acceptance with God, yea, as a ransom for their souls. "The Son of Man came to give his life a ransom for many.' "The good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." "In whom we have redemption through his blood." "We are sanctified through the offering of his body once for all.” With the death of Christ in the room of his people, God is well pleased; and is well pleased with every sinner that believes in him, and trusts his salvation to his death. "He that believeth in him is not condemned"-" shall not come into condemnation""has everlasting life." "This is the testimony, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." Besides, we are informed that, when Christ by his death purged the sins of his people, "God raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory," at his own right hand, in token of his approbation and acceptance of his death in the room of the guilty-that he sits there as their intercessor, protecting them by his invisible power, guiding and sanctifying them by his Holy Spirit-that he will return at the last day, to put them in full possession of that salvation that he died to procure for them; when their everlasting song shall be, "Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood." "Salvation to Him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever." This, you see, is a very different view of the character and work of Christ, from that of Mr SOCINUS; and should he ever believe God's testimony concerning man's guilty helpless character, he will find but little consolation in believing that Christ came in to the world to teach men how to save themselves; or that the Saviour on whom they are taught to depend for their salvation is but a man like themselves.-Do you think you understand this subject, as I have been endeavouring to set it before you from the Bible? M.-I think I do, Sir, pretty clearly. I think Mr SOCINUS will never get the Bible to bear him out in his view of the character and work of Christ. T.-But people may see pretty clearly the character and work of Christ as taught in the Bible, without seeing their own personal concern in them, or their absolute need of such a Saviour as he is represented to be! I would, therefore, solemnly entreat you to reflect seriously on the Scriptureaccount of your own lost and helpless condition as a sinner, and the necessity, in order to salvation, of following the Saviour whom God has, in infinite mercy, provided. It will avail you nothing to call him "Lord, Lord," if you do not the things that he says! Say with Peter, "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life; and we know and believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Tell your father not to suffer himself to be led away by the good words and fair speeches of Mr SoCINUS, but to search the Scriptures for himself; like one who professes to believe that he must, ere long, give an account of his sentiments and conduct before God. The way of obtaining eternal life is too serious a matter to be taken on the word of any man; and especially, as God has sent us his word to be our guide to glory. If your father, in good earnest, adopt this plan, he will soon |