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ON PRAYER AND ITS MODES OF EXPRESSION.

Or all religious duties, that of prayer is one of the most serious in its nature. It is not an address to man, but to the august Author of our being, the Creator of all things, and the Father of the human race.

The tendency of all genuine prayer is to open the mind to the reception of the divine good and truth, to consociate man with heaven, and to conjoin him with the Lord. "Prayer considered in itself, is discourse with God, and at such time there exists a certain internal intuition of those things which are the objects of prayer, to which corresponds a similar principle of influx into the perception or thought of the mind of him who prays; so that there is a kind of opening of man's internals towards God; but this with a difference according to man's state, and according to the essence of the thing which is the object of prayer: if the prayer be grounded in love and faith, regarding only celestial and spiritual things as its object and end, then in the prayer there exists somewhat resembling a revelation, which is manifested in the affection of the person praying, as to hope, consolation, or some internal joy."

Prayer is the surest relief to the sincere christian in all his. trials, distresses, and temptations. He knows that he has a merciful Father and Saviour whose ears are ever open to appeal and supplication. As prayer is a duty incumbent upon man, so the orderly and decorous performance of it, renders it the more acceptable in the presence of men, and not the less agreeable to the Lord Jesus Christ; for prayer in its various parts, consisting of invocation, adoration, confession, supplication, thanksgiving and blessing, ought to be conducted in private and public with propriety of expression.

Having several times of late had occasion to be present at the worship of some different denominations, I could not but remark the nature of many expressions and petitions, as being very improper. Their petitions are nearly always in the imperative mood; as, "O Lord let thy blessing come upon us. O God convert sinners. Lord turn us from the wickedness of our hearts. O God do thou at this time take our sins all away. Put thou down sin and antichrist. O Jehovah, convert thou the heathen. O God put down the devil and his kingdom. O God convert a sinner at this very time; thou canst do it if thou wilt. O Lord come down in thy power." Many other expressions of a like nature, yea, many that are highly improper, if not flagrantly sinful are offered up to the God of heaven,

According to the above forms of expression, it would appear, as if God could do all these things, if he only were so disposed. It also appears as if human beings had no concern or part to act, or do, on their side, in order that their requests may be answered. But can we suppose, for a moment, that God wishes to withhold blessings from any of his creatures? Is he not rather constantly waiting to communicate blessings, to convert sinners, to turn from wickedness; yea constantly disposed to take away or remove sins, to put down sin and antichrist, constantly endeavouring to convert the heathen, to put down the devil and his kingdom, striving to convert sinners at every time, and always willing to come down in his power.

It may be asked, if God is at all times willing to do these things, why are they not done? To which I answer, there is something in human beings which prevents them from being done. If then man is concerned in, or if his state, some way affects God's workings and blessings, then such a mode of expression ought to be adopted as will accord both as it respects God and man. The imperative signs let and do are not such words; and by the enlightened christian, I presume they will be used with judgment, and also sparingly used. They carry too much the idea of prescribing means and measures to the Lord. Is it then asked what words are more becoming and more appropriate, it is answered, the words may and might. Hence to speak, in the potential mood is more accurate and becoming, than to speak in the imperative. In order that what is here advanced may appear in due light, permit me to revise the above forms of petition according to the potential mode of speaking, and they will stand thus:-O Lord God, may thy blessing come upon us. O God, may sinners be converted. May we be turned from the wickedness of our hearts. O God, may our sins be removed. May sin and antichrist be put down. O Jehovah, that the heathen might be converted unto thee. O that the kingdom and powers of darkness may be more and more subjugated. O Lord may thy power be manifested in us, &c. This use of the word may, applies both to God and man, and is with good effect adopted by those christians who are in the possession. and reception of the genuine dispensation of truth. I do not say that the imperative mood should not be used, but that it should be used with propriety and judgment. It is used in Scripture, for the scripture abounds with appearances of truth: but if appearances of truth be taken and confirmed as real truths, men are liable to fall into many and grievous errors to their spiritual hurt. To abound too much in the appearances of truth in our doctrinal discourses can be attended

with but little good; besides, it will keep others too much in a state of ignorance. It is the peculiar prerogative of the Scriptures to abound in these appearances, and it is the duty of christians, by the aid of genuine doctrine, to understand them truly.

The words let and do may be used very properly on many occasions, and under many forms of expression, but the incautious use of such modes of speech is attended with inconsistency which every sincere and pious christian would wish to avoid. We ought never to absolutely ask of the Lord those things which he cannot bestow; for he can only bestow his blessings according to concomitant states and circumstances. Some imprudently ask things of God which would be mischievous and destructive were they granted: hence it is said, "Ye receive not because ye ask amiss.” But on the other hand, if, from a proper state of mind we address the Lord and Saviour, his own words will be fulfilled; for if we seek we shall find, if we knock it shall be opened unto us; and finally, whatsoever we thus ask in his name, from a love-grounded belief, we shall receive from the fulness of the munificent Lord God.

VIGILARIUS.

To the Editors of the New Jerusalem Magazine. GENTLEMEN,

The following most interesting Letter appeared in the Chester Chronicle of the 9th Dec. 1825, and believing the further circulation of its very important contents may, in these Anti-Christian days be of great use to the readers of your very useful Miscellany, I have copied it for your insertion therein, if think proper to present it to them, and remain,

you

Gentlemen,
Yours very respectfully,

J. W. S.

MANGLING THE SCRIPTURES.
To the Editor of the Chester Chronicle.

SIR,

The other Sunday evening, I was at a sectarian meeting house in this city, where an attempt was made to disprove the Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ; but the Lecturer's sophistry was so glaring, that there are few persons, unless deeply prejudiced or great bigots, but what would have shuddered at his presumption, which would lead one to conclude it would not be amiss to have in the front of the chapel, in large letters, " Mangling done here." The Lecturer did grant that Unitarians, as well às Trinitarians, believe that Jesus is Lord, Christ, Saviour, Son of God, Word of God; but the Unitarians qualify them for their own use by mangling them, as for example, the ambiguity of the Greek word Kupios, Lord, answers their purpose well,

being applied to man as well as Jehovah, and so does our english Word Lord apply in the same manner to man as well as to Jehovah Himself; for we say the Lord of the Manor, as well as the Lord of Heaven, but what will this prove? but that if we had another proof than Kupios, of Jesus being Jehovah, there might be some degree of doubt, but when an angel announced the name Jesus, as declared by Matt. i, 21, “And thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins," (none can save from sin but the Lord Jehovah ;) and Matthew declares in verse 23, that his name they should call (as foretold by prophecy) EMMANUEL; and gives the interpretation, "God with us ;" and if further proof of the Divinity of Jesus were required, the whole volume of the scriptures of the old and new Testament, cry out, that Messias is God; and that Jesus is Jehovah ; therefore the ambiguity of Kupios, (being the only word in the Greek Testament used for Jehovah,) and Adone, Lord, does not throw any shade upon the lustre of the name of Jesus, which is above every name. Other prophets came in the name of the Lord, but Jesus comes in his own name, and works miracles by his own almighty power, and his disciples work miracles and cast out devils, not like the prophets of old in the name of the Lord, but in the name of Jesus; or Joshua yo Yehoshua in the Hebrew, of which Joshua is a contracted name; and so is Jesus more contracted in Greek, in which language its meaning is lost; the same as the word John has no meaning, as it is written in English, Greek, Latin, and other languages; for the radical letters are lost in other languages, but retained in the Hebrew to which it belongs. If the Unitarians should deny these facts and endeavour to mangle those Hebrew titles, what shall we do with other facts, which are multiplied in the New Testament? such as John. v. 18, “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only has broken the Sabbath, but said also, that God was his father, making himself equal with God." Therefore the scriptures clearly show, to every unprejudiced reader, that Jesus Christ is God and man, or the visible representation of the invisible Deity. What can equal these blasphemous Lectures in this City? nothing we know of, except that central mart of blasphemy, Carlile's Shop, London. Mr. Editor, I have seen a few lines, some twelve months ago, in your Chronicle, very descriptive of Unitarian principles, which begun thus :—

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Having now copied the foregoing letter with a view to its further communication, and as the Christian world in these awful days is so greatly divided with respect to the object of their worship, for

the benefit of the sincere seeking soul, who is tossed to and fro with winds of doctrine, I wish to add the following observations, particularly for the consideration of those who are thus perplexed and confused; and some of them have asked me, whether thé JESUS of the New Testament was the same Divine Being with the Jehovah of the Old, who himself descended and assumed the human nature called the only begotten Son of God for the purpose of making himself visible and approachable to them, and for redeeming and saving the fallen human race? To this I replied, how is it possible for any true Christian to conceive that God and Jesus Christ are not one and the same divine, infinite and eternal Being, and consequently the only true object of christian worship? for is not God, when made manifest in the flesh, named Jesus Christ? is not God also called the creator of the world, and is not Jesus Christ too called the Creator of the world? Is not God the Redeemer of the world, and is not Jesus Christ the same? Is not God likewise the Saviour and Regenerator, and are not the offices of salvation and regeneration ascribed to Jesus Christ? since, therefore, the Creator, Redeemer, Saviour and Regenerator of the world must needs be divine, infinite and eternal, and since it is impossible to suppose more than one Creator, one Redeemer, one Saviour, and one Regenerator, it is impossible for the same reason, to suppose that God and Jesus Christ are not one and the same undivided, infinite, and eternal Being. It is a great and dangerous error, therefore, to suppose, with the Arians and Socinians, that Jesus Christ is not the true eternal God, and it is also a great and dangerous error to suppose that he is not the only God, or that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are not one in Him; the Father being his hidden divine essence, the Son his manifested divine form, or humanity, and the Holy Ghost his proceeding divine operation. For thus the unity in trinity, and the trinity in unity, is fully and devoutly acknowledged and worshipped, and the sincere worshipper, to his unspeakable comfort, is delivered from all doubt and perplexity as to the proper object of his worship, whilst he humbly draws nigh unto the divine body or humanity of Jesus Christ, and believes with.St. Paul, that in that humanity dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily; Col. ii. 9, and with St. John, that this is the true God and eternal life; 1 John. v. 20; and with Jesus Christ himself, that whosoever seeth, knoweth and believeth in him, seeth, knoweth, and believeth in the Father.

It is in vain, therefore, that we look for any other Saviour to save us from our sins, than the blessed Jesus alone, who is IMMANUEL, or GOD with us; it is in vain to direct our faith, our prayers, or our worship, to any other object than to the incarnate God; for if he

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