ON CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE. CHRISTIAN Experience has ever been an object of ridicule both to the mere formalist and the openly profane. It is true, indeed, there have not been wanting individuals in every age to give plausibility to the objections, and to furnish a pretext for the sneers, of such persons, by their enthusiastic conceits and fanciful imaginations; but this does not prove that all religious feeling is enthusiasm, and all Christian experience the produce of a distempered brain. Is not feeling an essential part of our nature? Are we not all constituted with susceptibilities of fear and hope, joy and grief, gratitude and love? Why is it irrational that these feelings should be carried into religion? Is there nothing in religion calculated to excite them? Is there nothing in the justice of God to excite our fears? nothing in the promises of his mercy to inspire our hope? nothing in the plenitude of his goodness to call forth our gratitude? nothing in the riches of his grace to kindle our love? nothing in the consciousness of his approbation to fill our hearts with joy and gladness? Not to feel, indeed, would be to manifest a heart too depraved by sin to be susceptible of the impressions of moral excellence; too hardened by perseverance in iniquity to feel the force of moral obligation. Nor are religious feelings to be condemned on account of their intensity. If the objects of the present life will bear no comparison with those of eternity, is it at all surprising that the mind should be more highly excited by the latter, when brought to a due considera tion and consciousness of their vast importance? If we have not attained the same degree of feeling as others, we ought to examine ourselves for the cause, mourn over our lukewarmness, and apply with increased diligence and importunity to Him, who is the source of all good, for a more copious supply of his Spirit. A profession of feeling without an ability to assign any cause at all, or any adequate cause, may justly expose a man to the charge of enthu siasm. The use of expressions without any ideas being attached to them, may be properly denominated "cant." If a man profess to be indescribably happy, and can furnish an inquirer with no reason for his felicity, or no better reason than some vision or imagination of his own mind, he deserves to be regarded as an enthusiast; but if he can assign an adequate cause, why is he charged with irrationality? If his happiness arise from the immutability of the promises, and the grandeur of the prospects exhibited in the gospel, and the scriptural evidence he has of being interested in them, why is he accounted au enthusiast? Religious feelings, when they result from correct views of divine truth, and are attended with a holy life, cannot possibly be too intense. Can we love God with too much fervour? Can our gratitude to him," who loved us, and gave himself for us," be too ardent? Can a well-grounded hope of immortality and unutterable felicity in the presence of God, excite a joy too powerful? When we consider the perfections of the Deity, their developement in the redemption of man by Jesus Christ, and the import of the term "eternity," are we not painfully sensible that our most powerful emotions are far too languid for the occasion? That any individuals, calling themselves Christians, and profess- is the test, and the only test, of reli gious experience. If our feelings will not stand, when examined by its light, they are spurious and vain. If they are consistent with its principles and representations, we need not fear the reproaches of men. Soham. J. C. W. Dissenters' Register of Births. To the Editor of the Baptist Magazine. SIR, edly recognizing the authority of the holy scriptures, should deny the reality and ridicule the profession of experimental religion, appears of all things the most unaccountable. Will they charge Paul with enthusiasm? yet Paul in his epistles speaks of the "love of God being shed abroad in our hearts;" of finding "all joy and peace in believing;" and of" abounding in hope by the power of the Holy Ghost." Will they venture to call Peter a fanatic? yet Peter speaks of "joy unspeakable, and full of glory." Will they venture to pronounce the devout effusions of David, which for sublimity of idea and poetical beauty so far excel 'all uninspired compositions, the produce of a distempered imagination? And are not the Psalms of David, and others, the expression of strong a Register by the parent. The only feeling the developement of expe- ground on which any other Register rimental religion? O that we may is received is, that it is made by the ever be found in the company of officer appointed by the state, and Paul, and Peter, and David! responsible to the state for the per It is as difficult to convey to the mind of an unregenerate man correct ideas of some parts of Christian experience, as to the blind the nature of colours, or to the man who has no ear for music, the pleasures of harmony. You may state to an individual the causes of your various feelings, but your feelings themselves you cannot explain. Unless he has himself experienced them, he will be unable to conceive of them. This is not the case with our religious feelings only, but it is so with them all. Who can adequately conceive the parental tenderness, but the individual who is a parent? Can we convey to another any adequate idea of the pains of disease, if he has enjoyed uninterrupted health? It is, therefore, quite irrational to deny the reality of the feelings of another, because we cannot conceive them. Scripture Your correspondent, whose letter appears in the Magazine for the present month, has omitted to notice one species of Register which beit can be established, and upon comes primary evidence whenever which, therefore, it is important no doubt should be thrown;-I mean formance of the duty. children in their Family Bibles, and Many record the births of their was recovered by the production of on a trial lately at York, an estate a Family Bible, containing an entry of the date of about 1650, supported by evidence that this Bible had been handed down in the family from generation to generation, and the entries acknowledged by them as part of their family history, and the evidence of a gentleman in the habit of translating records, that the entry in question was, in his opinion, of the date which it purported to be. But many cases have occurred, in which property has been lost, by the con tinuance of the custody, and the acknowledgment not being capable of proof. In many instances declarations of parents in their Wills, as to the state of their families, have been received. August 8, 1825. G. In claims of peerages in Ireland, gister for themselves, which may be where there is a great deficiency of as regularly resorted to as the PaRegisters, they frequently form the rochial Registers are in respect of principal evidence. A consideration others. of these circumstances has suggested to the minds of some, the expediency of making their Wills the Registers of their families, by enumerating the names of their children, with the dates of their births, and the marriages (if any) they have contracted: the Wills thus made will be at all times accessible, and will require no further proof. I am aware that a difficulty will still occur in respect of those who are in circumstances of poverty; but I believe there will be few instances found where, with the habits of industry and economy which religion promotes, two successive generations will become parents, and yet have nothing to bequeath. If a parent shall not have left a Will, the deficiency may probably be supplied by his son reciting himself to be the son of such and such parents, and to have been born at such a period; and thus in the course of time, if no general Register shall be provided, in which Dissenters may be included, they may form a Re In addition to the above important observations, we would advise, that parents should not only carefully register their children in their own Family Bibles, but also have them registered in the Book belonging to the Congregation where they attend, and insert in their Bible a Memorandum, stating that their children are so registered; or, in case of their being registered at Dr. Williams's Library, which place is much used for that purpose, particularly by Dissenters residing in London, let it be so expressed in the Memorandum. This, in our view, would add a collateral evidence to the Register Books of the Dissenters, which would tend to increase their credit and importance, whenever a case requiring such a comparison should be brought forward. Miscellanea. MENNONITES. LETTER, No. IX. The Helder, Sept. 30, 1820. It was not many minutes after my arrival here, before I saw the Mennonite Baptist minister of this place, Mr. Hookstra, who had, it appeared, received a circular from Amsterdam, and was, therefore, the more ready to enter with me upon the merits of the Mission. We had not proceeded far in our conversation, before we were Editors. joined by a Mr. Korf, whose wife is one of Mr. Hookstra's flock, though Mr. Korf is of the reformed church. He is equally well-disposed, nevertheless, to the objects of the Mission. His aid, if we shall be so fortunate as to obtain it, will, in all probability, not be small; as he is, both for property and for character, one of the most respectable in the Helder. Mr. Hookstra's church does not exceed fifty members, who are, as to this world's goods, for the most part poor, so that great things in the way of funds are not to be expected. After conversing at some length upon topics connected with the Mission, Mr. Korf invited Mr. Hookstra and myself to pass the evening with his family. When we went, there was a party much larger than I had looked for; Mr. Korf had engaged several gentlemen to meet us, whom he judged friendly to Missionary undertakings. In the course of the evening Mr. Korf gave us rather an agreeable surprise. He stated, that he had a legal claim upon the British Government for £500 sterling, being an amount for marine stores supplied to one of His Britannic Majesty's ships during the last expedition to the Helder. The documents necessary to prefer the claim in question, Mr. Korf committed for that purpose into the bands of a house of business in Goodman's Fields. The business, however, experienced a shameful neglect; and the firm, in the meantime, became insolvent. After the failure of the expedition referred to above, means of communication between the two countries became every nearly all the time in a Missionary channel. Many flattering things were said about the fine efforts that were making in England for the spread of the greatest of all blessings both at home and abroad. Our party did not break up without leaving the pleasing hope upon my mind, that we had not come together in vain, and that some good would result to the best of all causes on earth another day. There are several Mennonite Baptist Churches laying in the vicinity, of still minor importance than that over which Mr. Hastra has the care; with these he will communicate on the subject of my visit, and see what can be done. I purpose setting off for the Texel to-morrow morning by the packet, which crosses from the Helder every day, wind and weather permitting; believe me in the meantime, Yours always, W. H. ANGAS. day more difficult, owing chiefly to the Familiar Illustrations of the sacred continental system; and, what was worse, no account at all could be ob tained from Goodman's Fields. Through the medium of another firm, Mr. Korf succeeded at length in recovering his credentials for the claim out of the hands of the first. The time, however, already elapsed being beyond that allotted by our act of limitation, the claim, when preferred, was rejected on that ground. Now Mr. Korf thought this extremely hard, not to say unjust, as there had been nothing wanting on his part to expedite the business, and that the fault of delay lay with agents in England, and not with him, and owing to circumstances over which he had no controul. But it had come to the knowledge of Mr. Korf, that simiJar claims had been received, and under similar circumstances; he was of opinion, therefore, that if proper steps were taken, his might also meet with the like good fate. Be this as it may, he thinks the thing worth a trial, and with this view he will furnish the needful vouchers, and should we think fit to go into the business, all that may be saved from the wreck shall be for the Mission. Our evening at Mr. Korf's passed very agreeably, the conversation flowing Writings. No. IX. JOHN xii. 24. "Verily, verily, I sav unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." Go forth, and behold the process of vegetation-take a corn of wheathow small, how insignificant it appears! But it is extremely valuable, and with care may be made to stock a field—a country. But how does it thus multiply? Keep it in the granary, and it remains the same. It must be sown, to fructify and increase. Let it be buried under the clods, and perish as to its present form and appearance, and, lo, it springs up, and brings forth in some places thirty, in some sixty, and in some an hundred fold. And behold the mystery of the cross. It was equally necessary for our Saviour to suffer and die. In death he becomes the principle of our life. By this he fills heaven with praise, the church with blessings, the world with followers. This is the fruit, which, by dying, he brings forth-an immense number of Christians. For you know, a grain of corn multiplies by yielding other grains like itself. "That which thou sowest is not quickened except it die; and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but hare grain, it may chance of wheat, or some other grain; but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed its own body." If, therefore, Jesus be compared to seed, and he be sown to multiply, he will produce other like himself. If barley be sown, barley comes up; if wheat be sown, wheat appears; if Christ be sown, Christians are brought forth. This is a very striking, and a very useful thought. For it may be asked, "What are Christians?" and we answer, "What was Christ?" They are predestinated to be conform ed to him and as they have borne the image of the earthy, they must also bear the image of the heavenly. Here, indeed, the likeness is not complete; but it will be perfect in due time: they "shall be like him, for they shall see him as he is." JAY. Psalm xxiii. 4. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." To apprehend the scenery in this "that verse, we must conceive the church VOL. XVII. BISHOP HORNE. Rom. vii. 24. "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" The image in this text seems to be, that of a living man walking about with a rotten nauseous carcase tied fast to him, which oppresses him, and he cannot, with all his efforts, cast it off; but it is heavy upon him wherever he goes, which constrains him to cry out, "O! who shall deliver me from this dead body?” This is the character of the soul sick of sin. Apparent Cntradictions reconciled. IN comparing Gen. xxiv. 3, xxvi. 22, and xxviii. 16, with Exod. vi. 2, 3, there seems, at first sight, to be a contradiction. For, according to the Hebrew, we read in the first passage that Abraham said to the eldest servant of his house," I will make thee swear by JEHOVAH, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth;"-in the second said,Now JEHOVAH hath made passage we are informed that Isaac the land;" and in the third passage we room for us, and we shall be fruitful in' read, that "Jacob awaked out of his in this place, and I knew it not:"-and sleep, and said, Surely JEHOVAH is yet in the fourth passage it is said, God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am JEHOVAH: and I and unto Jacob, by the name of EL appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, VAH was I not known to them." SHADDAI, but by my name JEHO In reading the lives of these pain mind that they themselves were not triarchs, it should, however, be borne the writers. For had they been their had written in Hebrew poetry, the own biographers, and especially if they sacred penmen of later ages might have transmitted to us Abraham's expressions in Abraham's style: and their own interwoven phraseology would, of course, have been a specimen of their ceive two styles in the Hebrew of the own style. On this principle we perBook of Job. Thus in the more ancient style of that book, the word SHADDAI and other ancient names of God are used, whilst, in the style of the sacred 2 P |