They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains. Rev. xvi. 11. They had no just apprehensions of the proper merit of their sins. But the penitent soul sees its own condemnation to be just. Every mouth is stopped, when the malignity of sin is rightly understood. When God visits transgressions with a rod, and iniquity with stripes, the sinner will abhor himself and repent in dust and ashes. Job xlii. 6. Murmuring thoughts will be banished, and repining considered an aggravation of guilt. How indeed can a man murmur, who sees himself only chastized, when he might in justice have been ruined. We are taught here

Finally. That the returning sinner considers his transgressions so aggravated that all others will see the justice of his condemna tion as well as himself. When God judges he will be cleared by all, who seeing sin as exhibited by him in all its baseness, will pronounce him just and righteous in all his judgments, Rom. xvi. 7. From these considerations we learn that sin is no trifle. If indeed it were of small importance whether we are saved or damned, if it be of little moment that we strike at the government of God, and even at his existence, we may account sin a trifle. It is sin which has brought all our temporal calamities upon us. It is this enemy which has deprived us of the image of God and spiritual life in the soul. It is sin which has dishonoured the blessed God who gave us existence; and it was sin which crucified the Redeemer of souls. To call ourselves christians and not to forsake, and not to detest this evil is gross hypocrisy. We shall disgrace our profession of christianity, we shall involve the religious society. we are connected with in disgrace, and we shall cause the name of God to be blasphemed, if we detest not iniquity. Fellow sinners, remember that sin leads to the chambers of death, and that all her steps take hold of hell. Go study its evil in the ruin of Sodom and Gomorah, in the overthrow of the world; in the damnation of millions of souls; and in the agonies and death of the Lord Jesus: and God grant you deliverance from its dreadful curse. Amen. Burslem.

J. M.

TUTORS FOR YOUNG MINISTERS A DIVINE APPOINTMENT.

It is uniformly allowed that a good degree of knowledge is essential to the right discharge of the ministerial office. An ignorant teacher may perhaps easily make his followers conceited,

and illiberal, but cannot be expected to make them wise and benevolent. A man to instruct others should be well-informed himself; and hence it appears highly desirable that there should be seminaries wherein pious persons of promising talents may obtain those advantages, which by the divine blessing are calculated to benefit the church of Jesus Christ.

To withhold instruction from those who are encouraged to engage in the Ministry, when it may be communicated, appears to the writer a great injury done to the individual, and to the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom. Such conduct dannot be pleasing to him. The effects it produces are manifest tokens of his displeasure; and if the following observations be correct, the subject deserves the most serious consideration of all the friends of Religion.

In a Sermon addressed to the supporters of the Congregational Academy at Homerton, Dec. 11, 1811. by Dr. Winter of London, he thus explains the latter part of the text, Eph. iv, 11, 12. And he gave some, Apostles, and some, Prophets, and some, Evangelists, and some, Pastors and Teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for edifying of the body of Christ. "As this passage appears in our common translation, it would seem, that each of these (the perfecting of the saints, &c.) was a distinct branch of that design, for which the officers of the church, whether temporary or permanent, were appointed. But the words might be more literally rendered, so as to convey more explicitly the spirit of the apostle's meaning; He gave pastors and teachers, for the preparation of holy persons for the work of the ministry, for the edification of the body of Christ. Προς τον καταρτιςμον των αγιον, εις έργον διακονίας, εις οικοδομην του CUμATOS TOU XP1500. Blackwall, Doddridge, and many other critics support this view of the text."

Thus it appears to be an ordinance of Christ, that there should be Instructors to qualify the preachers of his gospel for their important office. And if Instructors, then places of instruction where it may be given with convenience; and it becomes the du ty and interest of Christians to form and encourage Academical Institutions.

The holy Spirit miraculously qualified the Apostles to preach the Gospel, before he sent them forth, by the gifts of tongues and memory; but miracles are no longer necessary to constitute preachers. "The gift of preaching" (Dr. Watts observes in his Vol VI.

B

They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains. Rev. xvi. 11. They had no just apprehensions of the proper merit of their sins. But the penitent soul sees its own condemnation to be just. Every mouth is stopped, when the malignity of sin is right y understood. When God visits transgressions with a rod, and iniquity with stripes, the sinner will abhor himself and repent in dust and ashes. Job xlii. 6. Murmuring thoughts will be banished, and repining considered an aggravation of guilt. How indeed can a man murmur, who sees himself only chastized, when he might in justice have been ruined. We are taught here

8

Finally. That the returning sinner considers his transgressions so aggravated that all others will see the justice of his condemnation as well as himself. When God judges he will be cleared by all, who seeing sin as exhibited by him in all its baseness, will pronounce him just and righteous in all his judgments, Rom. xvi. 7. From these considerations we learn that sin is no trifle. If indeed it were of small importance whether we are saved or damned, if it be of little moment that we strike at the government of God, and even at his existence, we may account sin a trifle. It is sin which has brought all our temporal calamities upon us. It is this enemy which has deprived us of the image of God and spiritual life in the soul. It is sin which has dishonoured the blessed God who gave us existence; and it was sin which crucified the Redeemer of souls. To call ourselves christians and not to forsake, and not to detest this evil is gross hypocrisy. We shall disgrace our profession of christianity, we shall involve the religious society we are connected with in disgrace, and we shall cause the name of God to be blasphemed, if we detest not iniquity. Fellow sinners, remember that sin leads to the chambers of death, and that all her steps take hold of hell. Go study its evil in the ruin of Sodom and Gomorah, in the overthrow of the world; in the damnation of millions of souls; and in the agonies and death of the Lord Jesus: and God grant you deliverance from its dreadful Amen.

curse. Burslem.

J. M.

TUTORS FOR YOUNG MINISTERS A DIVINE APPOINTMENT.

It is uniformly allowed that a good degree of knowledge is essential to the right discharge of the ministerial office. An ignorant teacher may perhaps easily make his followers conceited,

and illiberal, but cannot be expected to make them wise and benevolent. A man to instruct others should be well-informed himself; and hence it appears highly desirable that there should be seminaries wherein pious persons of promising talents may obtain those advantages, which by the divine blessing are calculated to benefit the church of Jesus Christ.

To withhold instruction from those who are encouraged to engage in the Ministry, when it may be communicated, appears to the writer a great injury done to the individual, and to the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom. Such conduct dannot be pleasing to him. The effects it produces are manifest tokens. of his displeasure; and if the following observations be correct, the subject deserves the most serious consideration of all the friends of Religion.

In a Sermon addressed to the supporters of the Congregational Academy at Homerton, Dec. 11, 1811. by Dr. Winter of London, he thus explains the latter part of the text, Eph. iv, 11, 12. And he gave some, Apostles, and some, Prophets, and some, Evangelists, and some, Pastors and Teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for edifying of the body of Christ. "As this passage appears in our common translation, it would seem, that each of these (the perfecting of the saints, &c.) was a distinct branch of that design, for which the officers of the church, whether temporary or permanent, were appointed. But the words might be more literally rendered, so as to convey more explicitly the spirit of the apostle's meaning; He gave pastors and teachers, for the preparation of holy persons for the work of the ministry, for the edification of the body of Christ. Προς τον καταρτιςμον των αγιον, εις έργον διακονίας, εις οικοδομήν του OuμATOS TOU XP150v. Blackwall, Doddridge, and many other critics support this view of the text."

Thus it appears to be an ordinance of Christ, that there should be Instructors to qualify the preachers of his gospel for their important office. And if Instructors, then places of instruction where it may be given with convenience; and it becomes the duty and interest of Christians to form and encourage Academical Institutions.

The holy Spirit miraculously qualified the Apostles to preach the Gospel, before he sent them forth, by the gifts of tongues and memory; but miracles are no longer necessary to constitute preachers. "The gift of preaching" (Dr. Watts observes in his Vol VI. B

Guide to Prayer), " may now be obtained by human diligence, with due dependance on the concurring blessing of God."

It may be too true that some have appeared to be injured rather than benefited by the Academies; but without their, aid, many who have been of great use in the church in consequence of their learning as well as piety, would never have arisen above the common level: the abuse of learning is no argument against its importance; hypocritical professors of religion do not render the thing itself nugatory.

PHILOLOGUS:

ON THE BAPTISM OF HOUSEHOLDS.

WHILE I cordially approve of our having a Magazine of our own, especially to contain a fuller narrative both of our past history, and of recent occurrences in our connection, than we could reasonably wish to be inserted in a more general periodical publication, it is my earnest desire, that the Baptist Magazine may ever be so conducted, as to give no plausible occasion to our christian brethren, to charge us with laying an undue stress upon the subject wherein we differ from them. May be that searcheth all hearts keep us inwardly in a truly right spirit, and may the manner in which we vindicate our own opinions, when called to it, oblige the truly candid to confess, that, though we conscientiously endeavour to conform exactly to the primitive pattern ourselves, yet we sincerely cultivate harmony and concord with all those who are united to the living Head of the church.

I trust it will be no infringement of this rule briefly to notice the objection, which I have lately seen in print, to our practice of Baptizing none but professed believers in Christ. One very friendly and respectable writer has noticed a circumstance, which has since been brought forward by another, to whom neither of those appellations can be given, viz. That in reading the Periodical Accounts of our Mission in India, they could not avoid remarking the difference between the Baptisms there recorded, and those which are mentioned in the Acts of the Apos

Letters to the Stranger in Reading, by Detector, p. 134, 135. an evangelical Clergyman, now at Olney.