PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANITY, 
 
 OR 
 
 A VINDICATION 
 
 OF THE 
 
 WORD OP GOD, 
 
 BY PETER NEAD. 
 
 'Sanctify them through thy Truth; Thy Word is 
 Truth." Jons xvn. 17. 
 
 KENTON HARPER, PRINTER, 
 
 STAUHTOK, V1&GW1A. 
 
 1834, 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 As it is customary for Authors to state 
 their motives for writing, I will simply ob- 
 serve, that the only motive which has induc- 
 ed me to write this Book, was to bear testi- 
 mony to the truth as it is in Jesus ; and al- 
 so impress upon the minds of the children 
 of men, the great necessity of obeying God, 
 our Heavenly Father, in all his precepts, as 
 they have been revealed by Jesus Christ, and 
 are now upon record, in that well known 
 Book called the New Testament. 
 
 THE AUTHOR, 
 
 DECEMBER, 1833. 
 
 AA* 
 
 6 1 
 
ON THE FALL OF MAN, 
 
 That Man is a fallen and a depraved creature, can- 
 not be disputed by any, who have a knowledge of 
 his primeval and present state. Solomon, the wise 
 man, declares that God "made man upright; but they 
 have sought out many inventions. "Eccl. viichap. 29 
 verse. This solemn truth is plainly delineated in 
 the book of God. Moses, that divinely inspired man, 
 gives us not only a history of man's creation but also of 
 his fall. He tells us that " God created man in His own 
 image, in the image oi God created He him, male and 
 female createdhe them." Gen. i chap. 27 verse. And 
 in the ii chap. 7 verse, he rehearses the matter and in- 
 forms us of what his body was created, and how he 
 became a living soul : " And the Lord God formed 
 man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his 
 nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living 
 soul." This is so plain, it needs no explanation. At 
 this time, man was in a state of innocency, pure and 
 harmless, resembling his Creator, and for the contin- 
 uation of man in a state of purity, the Lord God 
 planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put 
 the man whom be had formed. It was a delightful 
 garden, stored with every thing calculated to pro- 
 mote his eternal felicity. There stood the fair tree of 
 life, a sacred pledge of immortality! Behold the hap- 
 py pair ! no angry passions disturb their peaceful 
 minds ; being filled with love, and clothed with hu- 
 ll* 
 
mility. Then it was 1hat man could see his Creator, 
 and converse with Him, face to face ; and had there 
 been no enemy in existence, it may be, that God would 
 not have put Adam under any restrictions; but God 
 knew there was a Lucifer in being ; therefore, in order 
 to his preservation and advancement in glory and 
 happiness, God gave Adam to know, that notwith- 
 standing his blessed state, he was not, as yet, at the 
 summit of happiness, but in a progressive state or 
 condition, and that obedience to His will would 
 be indispensably necessary. Therefore God gave 
 Adam a law which should be a fair trial ol his love and 
 obedience. It was said to Adam, " of every tree thou 
 mayest freely eat, but of the tree of knowledge 
 of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the 
 day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 3 ' Gen. 
 ii chap. 16,17 verses. Adam was now to act not only 
 for himself, but also for his posterity ; therefore the 
 happiness of himself and his posterity, would depend 
 upon his conduct. Adam was but a short time in the 
 garden, before his obedience was tested. Lucifer, or 
 Satan, that great enemy of God, soon fell to work, 
 and devised apian to tempt and to evercome our first 
 parents. I have no doubt upon my mind, that 
 Satan is one of those fallen angels whom the apos- 
 tle Jude makes mention of: " And the angels which 
 kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, 
 he hath reserved in everlasting chains under dark- 
 ness, unto the judgment of the great day." Jude, 6 v. 
 Adam being in a state of purity, Satan could have 
 no access unto him, until he united himself w r ith the 
 serpent. The serpent,therefore,became his instrument, 
 and as the serpent was by nature subtle, or artful, he 
 was the better qualified for this undertaking. Moses 
 tells us that the serpent was more subtle than any 
 beast of the field which the Lord God had made: "And 
 he said unto the woman, yea hath God said, ye shall 
 
not eat of every tree of the garden. And the woman 
 said unto the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the 
 trees of the garden, But of the fruit of the tree which 
 is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, ye shall 
 not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And 
 the serpent said unto the woman ye shall not- surely 
 die, for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof 
 then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as 
 gods, knowing good and evil. And w T hen the w r oman 
 saw that the tree was good for food, and that 
 it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be de- 
 sired to make one wise, She took of the fruit there- 
 of, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with 
 her, and hedid eat," Gen. iiichap. 1, 6 verses. There 
 is something remarkable in this narrative. How artful 
 is that enemy with whom we have to contend! We 
 perceive in his address to the woman that he does not 
 tempt her to disbelieve in God, but in his word. And 
 this is generally the way the Devil proceeds with the 
 children of men, who have the word of God. It is 
 a rare thing that he will tempt such to disbelieve in 
 a Supreme Being, but he will tempt them to dis- 
 believe or reject, if not the whole, a part of the word 
 of God. But to return ; he reasons the case with 
 Eve, and intimates that she must be in an error, as it 
 respects the grant: "Yea, hath God said, ye shall 
 not eat of every tree of the garden. 35 Is it true, 
 that God would place you in a delightful garden, 
 stored w r ith all kinds of delightful fruit, and not al- 
 low you to eat of all the fruit which grows in the 
 garden ? You certainly must not understand the 
 word of God. " The woman said unto the serpent, 
 We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, 
 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst 
 of the garden, God hath said, ye shall not eat of it, 
 neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." It is plain 
 that Eve had already received an injury, or was 
 
somewhat weakened by the serpent, or she would 
 have quoted the word of the Lord correctly. This 
 bejng perceived by the serpent, he took encourage- 
 ment, and at once denied the word of God : " Ye 
 shall not surely die," and then intimates that God 
 had aa^ ill design towards them, in that he debarred 
 them from eating of that fruit, that he merely wish- 
 ed to keep them in ignorance ; " For God doth 
 know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes 
 shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing 
 good and evil." This was very palatable to our 
 mother Eve. This thing of being great and indepen- 
 dent, or being on an equality with God, is the spirit 
 of Lucifer, and was the cause of his expulsion from 
 Heaven, [see Rev. xii] ; and now he instills or im- 
 plants this very spirit in our first parents. Eve be- 
 held the fruitj and no doubt the longer she viewed 
 it, the more agreeable it appeared in her eyes. She 
 doubts the word of God, and then lusts after the 
 fruit ; and when unbelief had taken full possession 
 of her heart, lust, or that carnal desire, conceived 
 and brought forth sin, and sin death ; for, she took 
 of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also un- 
 to her husband with her, and he did eat." My 
 dear reader, you perceive that it was through unbe- 
 lief, in the word of God, that our first parents became 
 transgressors of the law of God. Satan's aim was at 
 the word of God. He knew that ii he could get Adam 
 and Eve to believe in his lies, that they would dis- 
 regard the word of God ; and in this way he has al- 
 ways proceeded with the children oi men, and he is 
 so artful in his strivings with the human family 
 that it takes heavenly wisdom to make a proper dis- 
 tinction and to know his operations. The eye and 
 the ear, were those members of the body which 
 were most interested in the fall of man. With the 
 eye, Eve beheld the forbidden fruit ; with the ear 
 
she admitted the doctrine of the serpent. Thus, 
 those members which ought to have been otherwise 
 engaged, became the instruments of unrighteousness ; 
 they were yielded by our first parents, to be servants 
 to uncleanness, and to iniquity, unto iniquity ; and 
 this is not. only applicable to them, but to all their 
 posterity, whilst in a state of nature. And now, in 
 order to our salvation, they must be yielded servants 
 to righteousness, unto holiness ; as the Apostle 
 Paul declares in his epistle to the Romans, vi chap. 
 16, 19 verses, " Know ye not, that t6 whom ye yield 
 yourselves servants to obey, his servant ye are$- 
 whom ye obey ; whether of sin unto death, or of 
 obedience unto righteousness. I speak after the 
 manner of men, because of the infirmity of your 
 flesh : for as ye have yielded your members servants 
 to uncleanness and to iniquity, unto iniquity ; even so 
 now yield your members servants to righteousness, 
 unto holiness." Now Eve did wrong in that she 
 reasoned the case with the tempter. She ought not 
 to have listened to any voice that led to disobe- 
 dience. The command was given in plain language, 
 that she could not have misunderstood it. But 
 so it was ; the tempter shaped his doctrine so as 
 to get Eve to believe in it, for if she had not believ- 
 od in the serpent, she would not have eaten of the 
 fruit. If you examine the serpent's address, you can 
 discover that it was a mixture of truth and error; for 
 if' he had preached all truth or all lies, he would not 
 have overcome them; but thus mixing truth and er- 
 ror loo-ether, he blinded their eyes, to such a degree, 
 that they did not discern his intention. And in this 
 very way he deceives thousands in this our day; but 
 we ought not to be ignorant of his devices. After 
 Adam and Eve had eaten, they became mortal. And 
 their eyes being opened they saw their nakedness, 
 find they being filled with guilt and shame, and 
 
wa: 
 
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 serj 
 
 10 
 
 hearing the voice of the Lord in the garden, they 
 were alarmed, and undertook to hide themselves from 
 His presence. What a clear evidence of their guil- 
 ty state ! " And the Lord God called unto Adam 
 and said unto him, where art thou ?" These were 
 terrible words, and coming from Him who is Omni- 
 present, are indicative of that polluted state which 
 Adam was in. The Lord questions Adam concern- 
 ing his conduct ; he, in order to acquit himself, casts 
 the blame upon the woman ; and, when the woman 
 was interrogated, she blames the serpent. The Lord 
 d passes judgment upon the serpent, or tells the 
 serpent what shall befal him ; and a unto the woman 
 he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy 
 conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children ; 
 and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall 
 rule over thee." And unto Adam he said, "Because 
 thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and 
 hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, 
 saying, Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the 
 ground for thy sake ; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it 
 all the days of thy life : Thorns also and thistles 
 shall it bring forth to thee ; and thou shalt eat the 
 herb of the field : In the sweat of thy face, shalt 
 thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground ; for 
 out of it wast thou taken ; for dust thou art, and 
 unto dust thou shalt return." Gen. iii chap. The 
 situation of Adam was such, that he must now leave 
 the garden; yea, it was for his own good that God 
 turned himout of Eden. The tree of life, that precious 
 fruit, that life-giving fruit, being forfeited by man's 
 disobedience, must now be guarded, so that man can- 
 not partake of it and live forever in his fallen state: 
 therefore after Adam's expulsion from Eden, God 
 placed at the east of the garden of Eden, cherubims, 
 and a flaming sword which turned every way, to 
 keep the way of the tree of life." Gen. iii chap. 24 
 
11 
 
 verse. That sword, which guarded the tree of life, was 
 emblematical of the justice of God, which had been 
 violated bj man's disobedience, and must now be 
 satisfied before an access to the tree of life can be 
 obtained. That Adam managed so as not only to 
 ruin himself, but also his posterity, is very evident. 
 He had no children whilst a citizen of Eden ; but 
 shortly after his expulsion, he had two sons, and one 
 of them was a murderer. Cain slew his brother Abel. 
 Thus Adam could not give unto his children any 
 other nature than that which he himself possessed ; 
 which was a fleshly and corrupted mind, as like be- fl 
 gets like ; and it is certain, that we all descended from" 
 him, for we were in his loins, or blood: and the wick- 
 edness of man in a short time became so great, that 
 God saw proper to send a flood of water to destroy 
 all flesh, save Noah and those which were with him 
 in the ark. " And God saw that the wickedness of 
 man was great in the earth, and that every imagination 
 of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ' ' 
 Gen. vi chap. 5v. It was the belief of the old fathers that 
 we bring a corrupt nature into the world with us. Job 
 tells us, "for vain man would be wise, though man be 
 born like a wild ass's colt." Job. xi chap. 12 verse. 
 David makes a public confession of his inbred cor- 
 ruption : " Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in 
 sin did my mother conceive me." Ps. li, 5 verse. See 
 also Isaiah i chap. 5, 6 v ; and if we look into the New 
 Testament, we shall find testimony oh almost every 
 page. Our Lord Jesus Christ, when speaking of 
 the state of man by nature, declares, " a good tree 
 cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt 
 tree bring forth good fruit," Math, vii chap. 18 verse; 
 and in John iii chap. 3 verse, "verily, verily I say un- 
 to thee, except a man be born again he cannot ;:ee the 
 kingdom of God." And the apostle Paul treats this 
 subject at large in his epistle to the Romans: "As iti* 
 
12 
 
 written : there is none righteous, no, not one : there is 
 none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh 
 after God : they are all gone out of the way, they 
 are together become unprofitable ; there is none that 
 doeth good, no, not one.' 'Rom. iiichap. " Wherefore, 
 as by one man sin entered into the world, and death 
 by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all 
 have sinned. Nevertheless, death reigned from A- 
 dam to Moses even over them that had not sinned af- 
 ter the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is tbe 
 figure of him that was to come ; Therefore as by 
 . the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to 
 condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, 
 the free gift came upon all men unto justification of 
 life ; For as by one man's disobedience, many were 
 made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many 
 be made righteous." Rom. v chap. Not only does di- 
 vine revelation, but also common observation, prove 
 to a demonstration, that man is a fallen creature. 
 Behold the actions of man ! They declare aloud that 
 he is a fallen creature. We need not go abroad to ob- 
 tain testimonies of this kind ; if we reflect upon our- 
 selves, if we have observed the workings of tfoe 
 flesh in ourselves, we have sufficient evidence. If 
 man was not a fallen creature, there would be no 
 sin, no affliction, and finally no death, in the world ; 
 and without a Redeemer, 0, what a hopeless, what a 
 wretched and miserable state, is that in which man 
 would have been consigned, to the endless regions 
 and shadow of death ! But 0, methinks I hear the 
 voice of Mercy, the seed of a the woman shall bruise 
 the serpent's head ;" God is love; the bowels of 
 His mercy yearned over his creature man ; He took 
 compassion upon them, and gave them the promise 
 of a Redeemer. This promise was made before A^ 
 dam was turned out of Eden : " And the Lord God 
 said unto the serpent. And I will put enmit 
 
13 
 
 thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her 
 seed, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise 
 his heel. " Gen. iiichap. 15 verse. 
 
 OF THE MESSIAH. 
 
 God plainly intimated to Adam, that of his seed, 
 one would arise, who would be a restorer of the 
 breach ; but Adam did not live to see the fulfill- 
 ment of this glorious promise. It was a long time 
 after the promise was given, before it was fulfilled. 
 Preparations had to be made for the accomplishment 
 of this glorious event. It was necessary that God, 
 before the coming of the Messiah, should give unto 
 the children of men a revelation of His righteousness, 
 and that the character of the Messiah should be plain- 
 ly foretold before his coming into the world. God 
 singled out Abraham as the one from whom the Mes- 
 siah would descend, and gave him the rite of cir- 
 cumcision. "This is my covenant which ye shall 
 keep between me and you, and thy seed after thee. 
 Every man child among you shall be circumcised, 
 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and 
 it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and 
 you, and he that is eight days old shall be circumcis- 
 ed among you, every man child in your generation" 
 &c. Gen. xvii chap. 10, 11, 12 verses. After God 
 had given the promise to Abraham, that in his seed 
 all the families of the earth should be blessed, Gen. 
 xii chap. 3 verse, xxviii chap. 14 ver., and establish- 
 ed his covenant with him, he raised up Moses, and 
 when Abraham's seed were in bondage, God made 
 Moses a leader to the people, and when they had 
 left Egypt for the promised land and had arrived at 
 Mount Sinai, in the wilderness of Arabia,. God gave 
 2 
 
14 
 
 the law to Moses upon two tables of stone, Exo, 
 chaps, xix and xx. In this law we have the right- 
 eousness of God revealed, or that righteousness 
 which God will be pleased with. Adam was cloth- 
 ed with this righteousness, prior to his disobedience, 
 and could have remained in that state forever, had 
 he not partaken of the forbidden fruit : and after his 
 transgression, he foifeited or lost this righteousness. 
 And this was not all : he became so weak and help- 
 less, that he never could recover that righteousness : 
 yea, it was not attainable by him or any of his pos- 
 terity. It was this which led the apostle to declare, 
 that by the deeds of the law, no flesh could be justi- 
 fied, Rom. iii chap. 20 verse. That the law requires 
 perfect obedience, see James ii chap. 10 verse, D.eut. 
 xxvii chap. 26 verse. 
 
 Having briefly stated the nature of the law, I shall 
 now touch a little upon the use of the law, and then 
 call the attention of the reader, in a few words, to the 
 nature and use of the ceremonial law. By the moral 
 law, I mean the law which God wrote with his own 
 fingers upon two tables of stone, and gave unto 
 Moses. I have stated that preparations had to be 
 made for the coming of the Messiah ; therefore the 
 law had to precede the Gospel. The attentive reader 
 can easily perceive the use, or design, of the moral 
 law, from what I have advanced. It is, in the first 
 place, to show the sinner, what a righteous and holy 
 Being he has to do with, as the prophet tells us, 
 that God is of purer eyes than to behold sin with 
 the least degree of allowance. In as much as the 
 law is holy, just and good, it is therefore an image of 
 God. The law makes no allowance for sin, neither 
 does God, as has been declared by the prophet. 
 And, in the second place, by comparing himself with 
 the law, he can see that he comes far short of that 
 righteousness which is therein revealed, and that he 
 
15 
 
 is now in a state of condemnation, and that of himself 
 he is not able to attain to that righteousness, and 
 therefore having a clear insight of his guilty condi- 
 tien, it may be asked, why sentence should not be 
 passed upon him ? I answer, though the law pro- 
 nounces man guilty, yet as God designs his salva- 
 tion, it is intended as a means to cause man to seek 
 for refuge in the rent veil of Emanuel's flesh, or that 
 atonement which 'Christ made upon Calvary. 
 Therefore God gave the Israelites another law, which 
 is termed the ceremonial law, or Levitical dispensa- 
 tion. This law, given by Moses, was binding upon 
 the Israelites until the coming of the Messiah; and, 
 after his coming, was to be null and void. The rea- 
 der will peruse the second and third books of Moses, 
 where he will find this law plainly revealed. This 
 law speaks of priests, altars, and various vessels, and 
 of their different uses, and then of various oblations, 
 and of their distinguishments into burnt-offerings, 
 peace-offerings, sin-offerings, and trespass- offerings 
 and of their design or intention. By the moral 
 law is the knowledge of sin 5 and by the ceremonial 
 law is revealed the expiation for sin. So, from the 
 ceremonial law, we learn that sin must be atoned for. 
 The question may be asked, were those sacrifices 
 offered up under this dispensation able to take away 
 sin? I answer, no for the apostle tells us, "For 
 it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats 
 should take away sin." Heb. x chap. 4 verse; and 
 in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd verses, " For the law hav- 
 ing a shadow of good things to come, and not the 
 very image of the things, can never, with those sac- 
 rifices which they offered year by year, continually, 
 make the comers perfect," &c. Hence we learn 
 that those sacrifices were not able to purge from sin. 
 They could not produce a change in man ; yet they 
 were of great service to guilty man, for it was by the 
 
16 
 
 law of sacrifices, that the great Atonement which 
 Christ, the Son of God, made, in his own body, was 
 prefigured, or shadowed forth. Paul tells us that 
 " The law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ." 
 Gal. iii chap. 24 verse. All those victims that were 
 slain, all that blood which was shed, all that flesh 
 which was burnt, had for their substance, the holy 
 and patient Jesus, bearing our sins away, by suffer- 
 ing a painful and a shameful death, " the just for 
 the unjust, that he might bring us to God." 1 Pet. 
 iii chap. 18 verse. So that, upon his coming into 
 the world, those shadows had to disappear, like the 
 moon and stars upon the rising of the sun. 
 
 My dear reader, do you not plainly discover how 
 necessary it was, that those things above stated 
 that is, the moral and ceremonial law should 
 precede the Gospel ? for it was by them that God 
 ushered in the Christian dispensation. By the law 
 and the prophets, the way was prepared for a better 
 and a more glorious dispensation. Israel's prophets 
 being filled with the spirit of inspiration, prophesied 
 more or less concerning the lineage, conception, 
 birth, offices, doctrines, sufferings, death, and res- 
 urrection of the Messiah, our glorious Emanuel. 
 (See Old Testament prophets.) No doubt, but 
 those ancient prophecies were intended to prepare 
 the minds of the children of men for the reception of 
 the Gospel. It was by the means of those prophe- 
 cies, that all those who acknowledge the authority of 
 the prophets, were convinced that Christ was the 
 true Messiah. The way being prepared for the in- 
 troduction of the Gospel, God saw proper to send a 
 particular messenger, who should be the end of the 
 law and of the prophets ; and whose office should 
 be, to give a general annunciation of the speedy ar- 
 rival of the Messiah, and also prepare the minds o 
 the people for his reception. 
 
17 
 OP JOHN, THE BAPTIST. 
 
 OF this person,we find that Malachi uttered a pro- 
 phecy,in the 3rd chap, and 1st verse of his book, " Be- 
 hold, I will send my messenger, and he shall pre- 
 pare the way before me, and the Lord whom ye seek 
 shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messen- 
 ger of the covenant, whom ye delight in. Behold, 
 he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts" and also 
 in the 4th chapter and 5th verse. In the 1st chap- 
 ter of Luke, we are informed of his birth and paren- 
 tage, which the reader can peruse at his leisure. 
 John was conceived in sin like other men but what 
 distinguished him from other men was, his being 
 " filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's 
 womb." Luke, i chap. 15 verse. 
 
 Our Saviour, speaking of John, hath said, " Ver- 
 ily, I say unto you, among them that are born of 
 woman, there hath not risen a greater than John the 
 Baptist, notwithstanding he that is least in the 
 kingdom of heaven is greater than he : and from 
 the days of John the Baptist until now, the king- 
 dom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent 
 take it by force for all the prophets and the law 
 prophesied until John, and if ye will receive it, this 
 is Elias which was for to come. He that hath ears 
 to hear let him hear." Mat. xi chap. 11, 15 verses. 
 John lived in the wilderness of Judea ; and it was in 
 the wilderness that he commenced his ministry : 
 " The word of God came unto John, the son of 
 Zachariah, in the wilderness, and he came into all 
 the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of 
 repentance, for the remission of sins." Luke, iii 
 chap. 2, 3, verses. John's office was to prepare 
 the way of the Lord that is, he was, by preaching, 
 to prepare the minds of the people to receive 'the 
 Lord and his doctrine, when he would make his 
 
IS 
 
 appearance among them. How necessary it was 
 that John should announce the near approach of 
 Christ, and that the people should prepare for his 
 appearance ! notwithstanding the Jews having the 
 scriptures of the prophets, they were in a dark and 
 bewildered state. That John was a preacher of the 
 Gospel is very evident from what we can read in the 
 1st chapter of Mark : " The beginning of the Gos- 
 pel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as it is written 
 in the prophets Behold, I send my messenger be- 
 fore thy face, which shall prepare thy way before 
 thee the voice of one crying in the wilderness, pre- 
 pare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 
 John did baptise in the wilderness, and preach the 
 baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." 
 John in a very short time attracted the attention of 
 all sorts of people. Though he performed no mira- 
 cles, yet his very singular and austere appearance 
 and living, as well as the new doctrine which he 
 promulgated, caused thousands to flock to his min- 
 istry; and many mused in their hearts if he was not 
 the Messiah. He gave them plainly to understand 
 that he was not the Messiah : " And he confessed 
 and denied not, but confessed I am not the Christ." 
 John, i chap. 20 verse. And at another time, allud- 
 ing to his ministry, he publicly declared, that " he 
 would decrease, but that Christ would increase." 
 John, iii chap. 30 verse. And when John's minis- 
 try was superseded by Christ's, then it was that 
 John was cast into a dreary prison, where he was 
 sorely tempted. John, like all the children of God, 
 had to be proved. The devil now tries his best to 
 overcome this holy man, and get him, if possible, 
 to recant his principles. He no doubt accosted 
 John and said You certainly must be under strong 
 delusion, for if Christ was the Messiah, he would, 
 be mindful of you, and not suffer you, his forerun- 
 
19 
 
 net, to be confined in a solitary prison. John, in 
 the midst of his temptations, for his own comfort and 
 more especially for the benefit of his disciples, sends 
 a message to Christ : " And John calling unto him 
 two of his disciples, sent them unto Jesus, saying, 
 art thou he that should come, or look we for anoth- 
 er." Luke, vii chap. 19 verse. In all this John did 
 not deny Christ ; but as he had a strong confidence 
 in Christ, he knew that he would receive such an 
 answer as would at once silence the temptations of 
 this infernal enemy. I do not believe that John was 
 often in the company of Christ, it is evident that 
 he was not personally acquainted with him, until he 
 applied unto him for baptism ; then it was by divine 
 inspiration that he recognized the Messiah in the 
 person of Jesus Christ, and immediately pointed him 
 out to the people as the Lamb of God: "And I 
 knew him not, but he that sent rae to baptize with 
 water, the same said unto me, upon whom thou shalt 
 see the spirit descending and remaining on him, the 
 same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. " 
 John, i chap. 33 verse. John had taught the peo- 
 *ple, that when Christ would come, that he would 
 "baptize them with fire and with the Holy Ghost." 
 Mat. iii chap. 11 verse. 
 
 God gave John a sign by which he might know 
 this divine personage namely, upon whom thou 
 shalt see the spirit descending and remaining on him. 
 Is not this something remarkable, that John did not 
 know Christ that he was not revealed unto him, 
 until he had nearly finished his ministry ? I verily 
 believe that Christ had something very particular in 
 view, in that he did not associate himself more with 
 John than he did. We do not read of their being 
 together but at the time of his baptism. The only 
 construction that I can put upon this matter is, that 
 Christ did not wish to give any room for suspicion. 
 
20 
 
 It may be, that if John and Christ had been very in- 
 timate, and seen frequently together, that it might 
 iavebeen conjectured by some, that it was a mere 
 scheme, or plot, which they had laid to deceive the 
 human family. At the time John's disciples deliver- 
 ed their message, Christ yea, in the very same hour 
 performed a great many miracles. Christ charg- 
 ed the messengers to go and tell John what they had 
 seen and heard, &c. Luke, vii chap. 20, 21, 22 ver- 
 ses. No doubt but that John rejoiced very much to 
 hear of the wonderful works of Jesus Christ. The 
 last account that we have of John is, that he was 
 beheaded for reproving Herod for a breach of the 
 law, Mat. xiv chap., Lev. xvii chap. 16 verse, and 
 xx chap. 21 verse. 
 
 OF THE CONCEPTION, BIRTH, LIFE, 
 DEATH, RESURRECTION, AND AS- 
 CENSION OF JESUS CHRIST. 
 
 THE Evangelist, Saint Luke, is very particular 
 in giving us a history of the conception and birth of 
 our Emanuel, God w r ith us. He tells us, that the 
 angel Gabriel was commissioned by the Almighty, 
 to inform the Virgin Mary that she would be the 
 Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. The dazzling 
 appearance of the angel, as well as the message he 
 delivered, was so strange and came so unexpectedly, 
 that the mind of this holy woman became troubled, 
 upon which the angel charged her not to fear. 
 Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. 
 And behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and 
 bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus ; he 
 shall be great, and shall be called the son of the 
 
21 
 
 Highest, and the Lord God shall give unto him the 
 throne of his father David, and he shall reign over 
 the house of Jacob fore\:er, and of his kingdom there 
 shall be no end. Mary took courage, and asked the 
 angel for more information concerning this strange 
 and wonderful news. Then said Mary unto the an- 
 gel How shall this be, seeing I know not a man. 
 And the angel answered and said unto her The 
 Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of 
 the Highest shall overshadow thee ; therefore, that 
 holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be call- 
 ed the Son of God. Mary believed in the word de- 
 livered by the angel, or she would not have conceiv- 
 ed, and said. Behold the handmaid of the Lord 
 be it unto me according unto thy word. (See Luke, 
 i chap. 26, 39 verses.) 
 
 As respects the body of Jesus Christ, it is generally 
 acknowledged that he had a human body, a body 
 like unto the children of men ; but whether he de- 
 rived his body, that is, took flesh and blood, from 
 the Virgin Mary, is a disputed point by some. 
 However, it is plainly revealed, that the body oi 
 Christ was conceived in the womb of the Virgin 
 Mary, Luke, i chap. 31 verse ; and that he took 
 flesh and blood, Heb. ii chap. 14 verse. The apos- 
 tle does not say whether he did, or did not, derive 
 his body from Mary. It may be, th?t the apostle 
 was not so inquisitive as we are, to pry into such 
 matters, the knowledge of which would have no in- 
 fluence upon our soul's salvation; and, lastly, that 
 he proceeded from the Virgin Mary, Luke, i chap. 
 35 verse Therefore, also, that holy thing which 
 shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of 
 God. Let this knowledge suffice for us, as it re- 
 spects from whence Christ derived his body. When 
 the full time was come that the Messiah should make 
 bis appearance in the world, Mary and Joseph were 
 
22 
 
 in Bethlehem, in compliance with a decree which 
 had been ordered by Csesar Augustus. Bethlehem 
 being crowded with people, it was with difficulty 
 that lodging could be procured. Joseph and Mary 
 being poor, had to take up their abode in a stable, 
 and that was the place where our King Eraanuel 
 first made his appearance. O, how different from 
 the proceedings of the human family ! Men of hon- 
 or and opulence take great pains in rendering their 
 natural situation as comfortable as possible. But 
 not so with the Son of God : he was pleased to be 
 born of a poor, unnoticed virgin ; in a manger his 
 infant body is seen ; he denies himself of many of 
 the comforts of this life. It cannot be expected from 
 men in low circumstances of life, to have all the ne- 
 cessaries of life, or those temporal blessings which 
 nature may crave ; they have not the means to ob- 
 tain them therefore, their situation is not wondered 
 st. But when we see a wealthy man denying him- 
 self of the blessings which make nature comfortable, 
 we say the man must be beside himself, or he is a 
 very singular character. Now it was so with Jesus 
 Christ. He could have had all that human nature 
 could crave or enjoy : yes, he could have come with 
 all that pomp and splendor which is so much admir- 
 ed by the great and honorable of this world. But 
 this would have been contrary to his holy nature, 
 and would not have answered the purpose for which 
 he came into the world. The apostle tells us that 
 "He was rich, but for our sakes he became poor, 
 that we through his poverty might be rich." 
 ii Cor. viii chap. 9 verse. Here we learn why it 
 was that Jesus Christ assumed the character of a 
 poor man that we, through his poverty, might be 
 made rich. Yes, the human family had fallen to so 
 great a depth, that, in order to their recovery, it re- 
 quired all that humiliation, life, and death of'the ira-r 
 
23 
 
 maculate Lamb of God. It was a high and proud 
 mind that plunged Adam, and all his posterity, into 
 the horrible pit of human woe, it is a meek and; 
 low mind that saves man from the pit of destruction. 
 Marvel not at this, ye rich and lofty sons of the earth. 
 Behold the King of Kings and Lord of Glory lying 
 in a manger, wrapt in swaddling bands ! Behold 
 his mother at that critical time ! We do not read 
 that she was favored with that attendance so com- 
 mon upon such occasions. Again, behold Joseph, 
 the husband of Mary, a poor but honest man, a car- 
 penter by profession, and be wise and learn a lesson 
 for here it is that you have a complete pattern of 
 self-denial and humiliation here it is that a cloud 
 covers human glory. 
 
 " Go worship at Emanuel's fee( r 
 
 " See in his face what wonders meet; 
 
 "Earth is too narrow to express 
 
 " His worth, his glory, or his grace. r; 
 
 Christ was circumcised according to the law, Luke r 
 ii chap. 21 verse. It became him to fulfil the law 
 in every point. At the age of twelve, he was in the 
 temple, in the midst of the Doctors, both hearing* 
 them and asking them questions. He was subject 
 to his parents, and no 'doubt but that he wrought 
 with Joseph at his occupation : and when the time 
 had arrived, that Christ should enter upon his minis- 
 try, he left his place of nativity, and came unto Jor- 
 dan, where John was baptising, to be baptised of 
 John, his forerunner. John at first refused to com- 
 ply with his request : he considered himself too un- 
 worthy to stoop down and unloose his shoe latchets 
 but when Christ told John that it becometh us to 
 fulfil all righteousness, he consented, and after his 
 baptism, he was led up of the spirit into the wilder- 
 
24 
 
 ness, to be tempted of the devil ; and when he had fas- 
 ted 40 days and 40 nights, he became an hungered, 
 and then it was that a combat took place between 
 Jesus Christ and the devil, that great enemy of both 
 God and man. The devil presents three powerful 
 temptations to the mind of Jesus. Those three 
 temptations were the chief of all temptations. You 
 can read them at your leisure, in the fourth chapter 
 of Mathew. Had the devil succeeded in overcoming 
 Jesus, then the human family could never have been 
 saved. But glory, praise, and honor be ascribed to 
 his most holy name, for the victory which he obtained 
 over this arch enemy ! He put him to flight, he 
 could not stand before him. Yea, it was made man- 
 ifest, that the power which was in him was far supe- 
 rior ; that he was a more powerful being than the 
 devil ; the enemy could but tempt him, and that was 
 all he could do. This was the greatest engagement 
 that ever took place in the world ; and when the 
 devil left Jesus, then it was that he came down from 
 the mountain, and selected twelve men to be his wit- 
 nesses. He called them apostles ; they accompa- 
 nied him whilst he prosecuted his mission ; they saw 
 the miracles he performed ; they heard the doctrine 
 he taught: thus they were in every respect 'qualified 
 to bear testimony to his M.essiahship. And when 
 he had given a revelation of his Father's will, then 
 he gave himself into the hands of sinners, that they 
 might put him to death. They did so ; and when 
 he had suffered that punishment which was due to 
 sin, he proclaimed, It is finished my suffering time 
 is ended man's redemption is accomplished. He 
 bowed his head and gave up the ghost. His body 
 was taken down from the cross, embalmed, and laid 
 in a new sepulchre the third day he rises from the 
 dead forty days after his resurrection, he ascended 
 into heaven he took his seat at the right hand of 
 
25 
 
 the Majesty on high and now, he ever lives, to 
 make intercession for the children of men. 
 
 Dear reader, the life of Jesus Christ, our dear Re- 
 deemer, was spent in obedience to the will of his 
 Father. Hear his own words upon* this matter : 
 " For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own 
 will, but the will of him that sent me." John, vi 
 chap. 38 verse. "Jesus saith unto them, My meat 
 is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish 
 His work." John, iv chap. 34 verse. And the apos- 
 tle tells us, that he was obedient unto death, even 
 the death of the cross. It was through the disobe- 
 dience of Adam that the fall was occasioned ; and it 
 is through the obedience of the second Adam, our 
 Lord Jesus Christ, that the children of men can be 
 saved, and restored to the favor and friendship of 
 God. See him travelling from place to place, from 
 city to city, doing good to the souls and bodies of the 
 children of men ! and, notwithstanding he was the 
 Messiah, he never boasted, or endeavored thereby to 
 bring himself into public notice; that is, he did not 
 proclaim aloud in every place he went, that he 
 was the Messiah, the Son of the Highest, though he 
 never denied the fact, but when interrogated, told the 
 people plainly that he was the Messiah but he would 
 rather have his works to testify of him. The prophet 
 Isaiah prophesied of the spirit which dwelt in the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, which prophecy was quoted by Christ 
 himself: " Behold my servant, whom I have chosen ! 
 my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased ! I 
 will put my Spirit upon him, and he will shew judg- 
 ment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry ; 
 neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 
 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax 
 shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto 
 victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust." 
 Mathew, xii chap. 18, 21 verses. 
 3 
 
26 
 
 Jesus Christ is our great exampler, and it becom- 
 cth us to pattern after him to walk in his foot- 
 steps ; if so, we shall be careful, and never boast of 
 our state, and not make a public song of our conver- 
 sion, by telling every person we meet with, that we 
 are the salt of the earth, the children of God. If we 
 have the spirit of Christ, we shall be meek and low- 
 ly of heart ; and then it is, that our walk and con- 
 duct will testify that we are the children of God. 
 But should we at any time be interrogated concern- 
 ing the hope which is in us, we are then at liberty to 
 give an answer in meekness as the apostles tell us. 
 Dear reader, let us be careful, and guard against ev- 
 ery spirit which differs from the spirit of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ ; for Christ is the way, the truth, and 
 the life. 
 
 And now, dear reader, I want you to read the 
 Gospel throughout, and see whether what I have 
 stated be truth or not. 
 
 OF THE ILLUMINATION OF THE 
 SINNER. 
 
 THE atonement which Christ made upon Calvary 
 secures the redemption of the whole human family. 
 The apostle tells us he tasted death for every man. 
 Yes, Christ hath redeemed us from* the broken law: 
 he became a curse for us. It was written, cursed is 
 every one that hangeth upon a tree. Christ did 
 hang upon the tree ; and now he is to us the tree of 
 life. Adam's sin is no longer imputed to his poster- 
 ity the transgression of Adam will damn none of 
 his children it has been completely answered by 
 Jesus Christ. But it is certain that the mere atone- 
 ment which Christ made, does not eradicate from 
 
27 
 
 the heart, that depraved nature which we have in- 
 herited from Adam : but, as I have already assert- 
 ed, it is not imputed unto us that is, as long as 
 we remain in a state of childhood, not capable of dis- 
 tinguishing good from evil. So, then, we may say, 
 all that part of Adam's family who depart this life 
 before they a i rive to the years ol maturity, will be 
 saved in and through the atonement made by Jesue 
 Christ. 
 
 Our Saviour, speaking of the state of little chil- 
 dren, declared that they are of the kingdom of hea- 
 ven : " But Jesus said, suffer little children, and for- 
 bid them not, to come unto me, for of such is the 
 kingdom of heaven.". Mat. xix chap. 14 verse. 
 " Verily, I say unto you, except ye be converted, 
 and become as little children, ye shall not enter into 
 the kingdom of heaven." Mat. xviii chap. 3 verse. 
 We do not read in the Gospel of the conversion of 
 little children. It is evident, since the atonement, 
 that little children are not sinners ; they are no where 
 called so in the Gospel. Understand me correctly. 
 By little children, I mean such as have not the 
 use of their reason, and, of course, cannot act from 
 motive. It is, therefore, sinners that must be con- 
 verted, because they are such as have committed sin. 
 John tells us that " sin is the transgression of the 
 law." i John, iii chap. 4 verse ; and Paul says 
 u Where no law is, there is no transgression." Rom. 
 iv chap, 15 verse. It is no where stated in the 
 Gospel at what age we arrive to a state of accounta- 
 bility. Every one can know this for himself. Some 
 at the age of six years have more knowledge than 
 others at the age of twelve. But let that be as it 
 may whenever God would have us to account to 
 him for our conduct, then it is that he opens the 
 eyes of our understanding, and he will require of us 
 in proportion to the light and knowledge we receive. 
 
28 
 
 We read in Mark, the llth chapter, that our Saviour 
 sent two of his disciples to a certain place, where 
 they would find a colt tied, and that they -should 
 loose the colt and bring him ; and in the 4th verse, 
 it reads " And they went their way, and found the 
 colt tied by the door without, in a place where two 
 ways met; and they loose him." NOW T this colt 
 may represent the infantile part of the human family. 
 They are tied, or confined, in a place where two 
 ways meet. Now those two ways may represent 
 the ways of obedience and disobedience, the way to 
 heaven and the way to hell ; and when the children 
 of men arrive to the years of maturity, then it is that 
 they are untied, or set at liberty, to choose for them- 
 selves which of those two ways they w r ill travel upon : 
 and the design of their liberation is, that they, by 
 the word and spirit of God, should be brought to 
 Jesus, that he might rule and govern them to the 
 salvation of their souls. But it is a stubborn fact, 
 that we all do abuse this liberty, or light ;. that is, 
 we do not walk in the light we prefer darkness to 
 light therefore, we are called in the Gospel, " the 
 children of the night." i Thes. v chap. By nature 
 we have a carnal mind, which mind, the apostle tells 
 us, " is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed 
 can be," Rom. viii chap. 7 verse. Now, this car- 
 nal, or fleshly mind, is in our very nature, and in- 
 creases as we increase in days and years : but God 
 does not impute it to us until he puts it in our pow- 
 er to overcome the same. Then it is that we are to 
 die to this nature ; and if we do not crucify it, we 
 shall be damned. There is no alternative ; the se- 
 cond death will be our portion : " To be carnally 
 minded is death,but to be spiritually minded is life and 
 peace." Rom. viii chap. 6 verse. If the atonement 
 which Christ made, as some would have us to be- 
 lieve, exempts the human family from all future pun- 
 
29 
 
 ishment, so that there will be no future punishment 
 then there would be no necessity for the Gospel. 
 The civil law would be sufficient, because death 
 would put an end to all punishment. The righteous 
 and unrighteous, the most pious and the most pro- 
 fane, would all appear upon an equal footing. 
 
 But be not deceived. God is not mocked : "For 
 whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap ; 
 for he that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap 
 corruption ; but he that soweth to the spirit, shall of 
 the spirit reap life everlasting." Gal. vi chap. 7, 8 
 verses. It is certain, that the children of men do 
 not reap the reward of all their doings in this life. 
 No now is the seed time, and in eternity we shall 
 reap the reward of* our doings. If the reader will 
 seriously peruse the Gospel, he will find that, not- 
 withstanding the atonement, the " wicked will be 
 punished with everlasting destruction, from the pre- 
 sence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." 
 ii Thes. i chap. 9 verse. This punishment will not 
 take place until after the revelation of Jesus Christ. 
 The preceding verses make it plain. Our dear 
 Redeemer knew, that it would be necessary, not on- 
 ly to make an atonement for the first sin that was 
 committed in the world, but also to make provision 
 for those actual transgressions which Adam's family 
 commit since the atonement ; for if the atonement 
 puts saints and sinners on a level immediately after 
 they depart this life, then it is not the Gospel, but 
 the separation of soul and body, that qualifies the 
 human family for heaven ; which is too absurd to 
 admit of discussion. Before the atonement was 
 made by Jesus Christ, he was pleased to give a rev- 
 elation of his Father's will, which will interests the 
 intelligent part of the human family such as have 
 an ear to hear, and a heart to understand. We read 
 in the first chapter oi the Gospel according to John* 
 
 Q* 
 
so 
 
 that Christ is the true light wnich enlightens every 
 man that comes into the world. Paul tells us that 
 "the grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath 
 appeared to all men, teaching us that denying un- 
 godliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, 
 righteously, and godly in this present world." Titus, 
 ii chap. II, 12 verses. And a measure of the Holy 
 Spirit is given to all men to profit withal. 
 
 The enlightening precedes the conversion of the 
 sinner. It is the Spirit's office "to reprove the 
 world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment." 
 John, xvi chap. 8 verse. Yea, this blessed Spirit 
 strives with the children of men, and would fain 
 conduct them to that fountain which was opened for 
 sin and uncleanness. And one thing in this place is 
 worthy of notice. The Spirit always agrees with 
 the Gospel never contrary. There exists a beau- 
 tiful coincidence, or harmony, between Father, Son, 
 and Holy Spirit. In the conversion of the sinner, 
 each one performs a particular work upon the heart 
 of the sinner, in order to his conversion. In John, 
 the third chapter, we read that Christ declared unto 
 Nicodemus, that a man must be born again. That 
 which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is 
 born of the Spirit is spirit. Now, in order that this 
 birth may take place with the sinner, he must receive 
 the word of God ; for the word of God is the seed 
 of this birth. Peter gives us to understand, "Be- 
 ing born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incor- 
 ruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abi- 
 deth forever." i Peter, i chap. 23 verse ; and in 
 Luke, viii chap. 11 verse. " The seed is the word 
 of God. The word of God is not a dead letter, as 
 some do assert ; no, it is the power of God unto sal- 
 vation." Rom. i chap. 16 verse. Christ says 
 " The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, 
 and they are life." John, vi chap. 63 verse. And 
 
31 
 
 again : " Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by 
 the word of God." Rom. x chap. 17 verse. It is 
 very obvious, from the above quotations, and many 
 more which I might produce, that the word and spir- 
 it are the instruments which God makes use of in 
 regenerating sinners ; and I verily believe, they are 
 the only means which God makes use of. If the 
 reader will examine the word of God with attention, 
 he will find that that blessed book "is able to make 
 him wise unto salvation.'' ii Tim. iii chap. 15 verse. 
 More wisdom than this is not necessary, neither can 
 more be obtained. David tells us, " That the law of 
 the Lord is perfect, converting the soul ; the testi- 
 mony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple ; 
 the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart ; 
 the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening 
 t the eyes." Ps. xix. " The word of God is quick and 
 .powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, 
 piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and 
 spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a dis- 
 cerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.'' 
 Heb. iv chap. 12 verse. Thus it is plain, that the 
 word of God is so perfect, that it needs no alteration 
 or amendment ; and every thing of the kind is 
 strictly forbidden : " For I testify unto every man 
 that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, 
 if any man shall add unto these things, God shall 
 add unto him the plagues that are written in this 
 book ; and if any man shall take away from the words 
 of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away 
 his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy 
 city, and from the things which are written in this 
 book." Rev. xxii chap. 18, 19 verses. Therefore, 
 let us be careful how we handle the word of God. 
 ! what a pity, what a curse it is, that men will 
 take the liberty, notwithstanding the above plain 
 prohibition, to add to, or diminish from, the Gospel. 
 
32 
 
 But so it is. The children of men have ever been 
 prone to revolt against the word of God. It appears 
 they will not yield to the word of God in every re- 
 spect : they wish to be wiser than their Creator and 
 it is owing to this departure from the Gospel, that 
 there are such a diversity of sects, and opinions, rel- 
 ative to the plan of salvation ; whereas, if the chil- 
 dren of men, from the first, had contented themselves 
 with the Gospel, as we have the same revealed in 
 the New Testament, there' would not be such confu- 
 sion in Christendom. 
 
 I have already proven, that the w r ord of God is 
 sufficient to accomplish the purpose for which it was 
 intended. Yes, a regular order is laid down in the 
 word, by which the sinner can so shape his conduct, 
 as in the end to reap eternal life. The book of God 
 is not a book of confusion, but of harmony. It re- 
 veals but one order, and but one mode of worship', 
 in the performance of those sacred injunctions, obli- 
 gatory upon all those who desire to flee the wrath to 
 come. I have already asserted, that the spirit strives 
 with sinners, not willing to give the'm over to a hard 
 heart and a reprobate mind : " The spirit and the 
 bride say come, and let him that heareth say come, 
 and let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, 
 let him take the water of life freely." Rev. xxii chap. 
 17 verse ; and in Luke, xiv chap. 17 verse, " Come 
 for all things are now ready." Thus a general 
 invitation is given to sinners to come and be saved. 
 God does not compel them into measures ; he deals 
 with them as free agents, and if sinners make no re- 
 sistance against the word arid spirit of God, their 
 situation will be plainly revealed unto them. Then 
 it is that they have an idea of their lost and undone 
 state. Their sins are all set in order before them : 
 they see that the way which they are in leads down 
 to everlasting woe ; and now it is that they become 
 
33 
 
 enquiring souls. The language of their hearts is, 
 what must I do to be saved ? who can tell me the 
 way of salvation ? the weight of my sins is a bur- 
 den too heavy for me to bear ; and if they be not 
 removed, they will sink me down into that lake which 
 burneth with fire and brimstone. 
 
 Persons under a conviction for sin, cannot be too 
 careful how they proceed, in order to the removal of 
 that guilt which they have contracted by disobedi- 
 ence ; for persons under a sense of sin, or in great 
 distress, are very pliable, and can be easily persua- 
 ded to believe, and led into measures : therefore, 
 much will depend upon the characters of whom they 
 make enquiry. If they be such as are clear of preju- 
 dice and bigotry, and have the naked word of God 
 for the man of their counsel, they may be of great 
 service to enquiring souls. But should they be of 
 contrary principles, having a creed, or a discipline, 
 invented by fallible man, in room of the Gospel, in 
 its present simple and unadulterated state, they will 
 be in great danger of building upon the sand. The 
 one will cite them to a compliance with those means 
 which have been appointed by Jesus Christ, and 
 which the enquiring soul can read ior himself in the 
 word of God : when the other will either cite him to 
 the use of no means at all, telling the enquirer that he 
 can do nothing, that God must do all, and that when- 
 ever God commences the work He will accomplish 
 it, in spite of all opposition and so you must have 
 patience make yourself easy, seeing that God works 
 by irresistible means : and if he should be cited to 
 obedience to certain means, they will be of man's ap- 
 pointment: therefore, it becometh the enquirer after 
 salvation to prove all things, and comply with that 
 which is Gospel. Follow no man farther than he 
 follows Jesus Christ. 
 
 The first chuiches were governed alone by the 
 
34 
 
 New Testament, and as long as the professors had 
 no other rule among them, then it was, that they 
 worshipped. God agreeably to His word and will 
 and furthermore, there was not so much contention 
 about the proper mode of worship : they could Ihen 
 all see alike. But when the mystery of iniquity be- 
 gan to work, different modes for the administration 
 of the institutions took place, as well as disobedience 
 towards many of the commandments of the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, under the pretence of all things being 
 done which are necessary to salvation, And it was 
 from ihis, that many were and are led to believe, 
 that many of the commandments are not essential 
 to salvation. But let the sincere enquirer, at all 
 times, keep an eye upon the word of God ; for the 
 word of God is the compass, or star, by which he 
 must steer his course in quest of the Saviour of sinners. 
 
 At the time of our Saviour's birth, an extraordina- 
 ry star pointed out the place where he was to be 
 found. The star was discovered by certain wise 
 men in the East. They knew that this star denoted 
 the birth, and pointed out the place of Israel's king. 
 They went in quest of this new born king, and ne- 
 glecting the star, they went to Jerusalem, and made 
 enquiry for him who was born king of the Jews. 
 But he was not to be found in that great city. They 
 were sadly disappointed, for they also lost sight of 
 the star. There is no doubt upon my mind, but 
 that they went too much by their own imaginations. 
 They concluded, because Jerusalem was the city of 
 the Great King, that there would be the place of his 
 birth. (See Mat. ii chap.) 
 
 And so it often happens with those who set out 
 for the Saviour. The wise men were said to be 
 from the East. The sun always makes its appear- 
 ance first in the East. It is the lowest part of the world ; 
 and so it is with all those in whom the day star ari- 
 
35 
 
 ses. In their hearts, they are in a low state or con- 
 dition they begin to make enquiry for the Saviour- 
 Now this day star which rises in their hearts name- 
 ly, the word of God if kept in view, would finally 
 lead them to the Saviour. But they must be care- 
 ful and guard against every thought that tends to the 
 exaltation of the carnal mind. It is the besetment 
 of the human family to have vain imaginations. 
 The apostle charged the Corinthians to u cast down 
 imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth it- 
 self against the knowledge of God, and bring into 
 captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." 
 ii Cor. x chap. 5 verse. Christ is seldom found 
 among the great and noble of this world, and how 
 natural is it for us to turn our attention to that source 
 for information. We are apt to reason thus with 
 ourselves. These are great and learned men, and, 
 of course, are qualified to give me the information I 
 desire : When, alas ! it has long since been proven 
 to a demonstration, that it is the fewest number of 
 that description of characters, who do submit to the 
 simplicity of the Gospel, notwithstanding the thou- 
 sands of that class who do assume the office of the 
 ministry, and the tens of thousands who profess to 
 be the children of God. 
 
 OF FAITH AND REPENTANCE. 
 
 UPON examining the Gospel, we find that Faitfc 
 and Repentance are the first principles to be obser- 
 ved by the enlightened sinner. Jesus Christ decla- 
 red that " we must repent and believe the Gospel." 
 Mark,! chap. 15 verse.; and in the xvi chap. 16 verse, 
 " He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, 
 and he that believeth not shall be damned, " We al- 
 
36 
 
 so read in John, iii chap. 16 Terse "For God so 
 loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son 
 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, 
 but have everlasting life " and in the 18th verge, 
 " He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he 
 that believeth not is condemned already, because he 
 hath not believed in the name of the only begotten 
 Son of God." Paul tells us in what way we secure 
 this Faith : " Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing 
 by the word of God." Rom. x chap. 17 verse. 
 Now no one can have this Faith until he becomes ac- 
 quainted with the Gospel, in as much as no one can be 
 lieve in a thing of which he has no knowledge : there- 
 fore, it is by reading, or hearing, the Gospel, that 
 we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Knowledge 
 precedes Faith, and Faith precedes obedience. The 
 Gospel describes the state of man, by nature and by 
 grace, so clearly, that all those who become acquaint- 
 ed with it, have the evidence in their own hearts, 
 that it is a divine truth, i John, v chap. 10 verse. 
 And the Holy Spirili gives the Sinner an invitation to 
 the Saviour, and leads him to the Gospel, where the 
 sinner can behold himself, his polluted state, and 
 also the means which Heaven has appointed for his 
 cleansing from all sin and iniquity. The apostle 
 James compares the Gospel to a looking-glass 
 4< For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he 
 is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass; 
 for he beholdeth himself and goeth his way, and 
 straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 
 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and 
 continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, 
 but a doer ol the work, this man shall be blessed in 
 his deed." James, i chap. 23, 24, 25 verses. It is 
 certain that Faith has its degrees that is, it is a 
 progressive article in the Christian Religion. Paul, 
 in his epistle to the Romans, i chap. 17 verse, says 
 
37 
 
 u For therein is the righteousness of God revealed 
 from Faith to Faith ; as it is written, the just shall 
 live by Faith." This same apostle, in his epistle to 
 the Hebrews, xi chap, speaks of the substance of 
 Faith, which the reader can read at his leisure. 
 
 Mere Faith will save no man ; for James tells us 
 that u Faith without works is dead." James, ii chap. 
 17 verse. Yea, it is vain, and will profit us nothing : 
 therefore, in order to salvation, when any one believes 
 in the Gospel, he ought to yield obedience to the 
 same ; and then it is, that his Faith will save his 
 soul. Luke, vii chap. 50 verse, Mat. ix chap. 22 
 verse. But mind, it is in the Gospel that you must 
 believe, and that without partiality. That obedience 
 must precede Faith, is so plainly revealed in the 
 Gospel, that I have often wondered why persons can 
 insist to the contrary. At the day of Pentecost, whea 
 the multitude believed in Jesus, through the word 
 delivered by the apostles, and enquired what they 
 must do, Peter did' not tell them that their mere faith 
 in the word would save them. No he taught them 
 plainly, that they must obey the Gospel : " Repent 
 and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, every 
 one of you, for the remission of sins, and ye" shall 
 receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts, ii chap. 
 37, 38 verses. We read in Romans, xvi chap. 26 
 verse, "The obedience of Faith;" and we read 
 similar to this in Acts, vi chap. 7 verse, "And a 
 great company of the priests were obedient to the 
 Faith," By the words, obedience of Faith, and 
 obedient to the Faith, we are to understand that 'the 
 Gospel is not only given for us to believe, but also 
 to obey. Thus, if we perform what we believe God 
 requires c s word, then it is, that we, through 
 
 Faith, c: the promises : and believing in 
 
 the Gosp iiould be led to repent for our sins 
 
 because .hat this is the next article for is 
 
38 
 
 to observe first, Faith secondly. Repentance. 
 That Repentance is a doctrine of the New Testa- 
 ment, is a truth denyed by none who believed in the 
 Gospel of Jesus Christ. When our Saviour entered 
 upon his ministry, and commenced the publication 
 of his own everlasting Gospel, he declared, " The 
 time is fulfilled the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 
 Repent ye, and believe the Gospel." Mark, i chap. 
 15 verse. And when he sent his twelve apostles, 
 they also preached that men should repent, Mark, 
 vi chap. 12 verse : and in Luke, xiii chap. 3 verse, 
 " Except ye repent,,ye shall all likewise perish." And 
 in Acts, xvii chap. 30 verse, " And the times of this 
 ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all 
 men every where to repent," A certain degree of 
 Faith always precedes Repentance for God will not 
 be pleased with any thing that we can do, that is not 
 of Faith ; for Paul tells us, " But without Faith it 
 is impossible to please him ; for he that cometh to 
 God, must believe that he is, and that he is a reward- 
 er of them that dilligently seek him.'' If we have 
 not this Faith, we are in no wise qualified to perform 
 any Gospel commandment to divine acceptance. 
 Repentance is a doctrine of the utmost importance. 
 This doctrine is explained differently that is, men 
 do not all explain this doctrine alike ; some in one 
 way, and some in another way. I will give, in a few 
 words, my views of this doctrine : 
 
 Repentance signifies a change of mind a sincere 
 and deep reflection upon sin, calling to rnind a life 
 spent in sin ; which reflection produces a heartfelt 
 sorrow for sin, accompanied with amendment or re- 
 formation of life. For instance, when the sinner 
 beholds, with an eye of faith, the spotless Lamb of 
 God, suffering and dying to make an atonement 
 for sin, love begins to take possession of his heart ; 
 he feels himself greatly indebted to his divine Re- 
 
39 
 
 deemer for what he has done for his soul ; and now 
 his past conduct, which is a long catalogue of sins, 
 is set in order before him ; he sees that he has been 
 guilty of that very conduct which caused his Lord 
 and master, as it were, to sweat large drops of blood 
 in the garden of Gethsemane, and suffer upon Mount 
 Golgotha, one of the most painful, yea, shameful 
 deaths, that could possibly be inflicted. A godly 
 sorrow for his sins now takes place in his heart ; and 
 it is this godly sorrow that worketh a reformation unto 
 salvation. The apostle Paul, in his second letter to 
 the Corinthians, declares, " For godly sorrow worketh 
 repentance to salvation not to be repented of, but the 
 sorrow of the world worketh death ; " and it is now 
 his full intention to make an amendment of his life, 
 calling upon the name of God, through Jesus Christ, 
 for assistance, and at the same time making a true 
 confession of sins and iniquities. John tells us that 
 " if we confess our sins, that he is gracious to forgive 
 us our sins." i John, i chap. 9 verse. 
 
 Here let me give the penitent a solemn warning ; 
 for it as this stage of the sinner's conversion, that 
 thousands do err greatly. Many are under the im- 
 pression that they must go mourning and confessing 
 their sins for months and years, until they can feel 
 or believe that God has forgiven their iniquities, 
 whereas, if they would closely examine the word, 
 they would find, that in order to the pardon of their 
 sins, they must suffer themselves to be baptized in 
 the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
 Holy Ghost. For this is the order of the New Tes- 
 tament : first, Faith second, Repentance and 
 third, Baptism ; and then it is, that the sinner may 
 expect, yes, believe, that God has pardoned his sins. 
 
40 
 
 OF THE LAW OF BAPTISM, AND OF 
 THE SELECTION OF A RELIGIOUS 
 DENOMINATION, PROFESSING TO 
 BE THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. 
 
 I HAVE stated that, according to the order of the 
 New Testament, the sinner must first believe, second, 
 repent, and thirdly, be baptized : and then it is, that 
 he has the promise of the forgiveness of sins. The 
 two first points have been already proven. I shall 
 now proceed to call the attention of the reader to the 
 subject of Baptism. Upon examining the Gospel, 
 the reader will find that Baptism follows Faith and 
 Repentance, and that Baptism is binding upon the 
 believer to observe, in order to salvation. We can 
 no where find in the Gospel, that Baptism is enjoin- 
 ed upon an unbeliever, or upon an impenitent char- 
 acter; of course, then, it must follow Faith and Re- 
 pentance : and as there are all sorts of believers in 
 the world, I shall have to particularize. Among 
 the number are such as do not believe that Baptism 
 is a command of the New Testament, others are 
 to be found who acknowledge that Baptism is a com- 
 mand, but not essential to salvation : and as it re- 
 spects my faith, I do believe, that Baptism is not 
 cm!y a command, but also essential to salvation. 
 Our divine master declared unto Nicodemus, that 
 " Except a man be born of the water and of the 
 Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." 
 John, iii chap. 5 verse. And after his resurrection 
 from the dead, and just before his ascension to 
 heaven, he gave the following charge to his apos- 
 tles : " Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, bap- 
 tizing them in the name of the Father, and of the 
 Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Mat xxviii chap. 19 
 verse ; and in Mark, xvi chap, 15, 16 verses, " GQ 
 
41 
 
 ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every 
 creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall 
 be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned. 5 ' 
 Who that has ever read these verses who that has 
 ever seriously meditated upon them, can say, in 
 truth, that Baptism is no commandment. If Bap- 
 tism be no commandment, the apostles misunder- 
 stood the Saviour, and, of course, were ignorant of 
 their commission ; which is too absurd for a disciple 
 of the New Testament to believe. The apostle Peter, 
 at the day of Pentecost, charged those persons to 
 be baptized who enquired the way of salvation 
 " Men and brethren, what must we do ? Then said 
 Peter unto them, repent and be baptized, every one 
 of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remis- 
 sion of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy 
 Spirit." Acts, ii chap. 37, 38 verses. 
 
 The above is sufficient to convince the enquirer 
 after the will of God, that Baptism is a command- 
 ment, and that it follows Faith and Repentance. 
 As you have read, Christ charged his apostles first 
 to preach the Gospel, and thereby teach the nations, 
 and then baptize the believer ; and Peter preached 
 that they should repent and be baptized. The pro- 
 fessors of religion are generally upon extremes ; for 
 instance, there are some to be found, who contend 
 that no person can be considered a fit subject for 
 Baptism, but such as do know the forgiveness of 
 their sins, and have received the gift of the Holy 
 Ghost. Now, this is requiring more than the apos- 
 tles did of such as were baptized in their day. 
 
 You have had already, an account of the order as 
 pieached by Peter, at the day of Pentecost name- 
 ly, that the remission of sins, and the gift of the 
 Holy Ghost, follows, not precedes, Baptism ; and 
 in the acts of the apostles, viii chapter, we have an 
 account of Philip preaching the word in the city of 
 
42 
 
 Samaria : " But when they believed Philip, preach- 
 ing the things concerning the kingdom of God, and 
 the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both 
 men and women." If you examine the chapter 
 closely, you will find, that those persons whom Phi- 
 lip baptized, had not as yet received the Holy Ghost, 
 but were merely baptized upon their profession of 
 faith in Jesus Christ; for we read, that " when the 
 apostles, which were at Jerusalem, heard that Sa- 
 maria had received the word of God, they sent unto 
 them Peter and John, who, when they had come 
 down, prayed for them, that they might receive the 
 Holy Ghost ; for as yet he was fallen upon none of 
 them : only they were baptized in the name of the 
 Lord Jesus." 14, 15, 16 verses. And in this same 
 chapter, we read of Philip's baptizing a certain Eu- 
 nuch; and previous to the administration of the in- 
 stitution, Philip informed the Eunuch, that if he be- 
 lieved with all his heart that Jesus Christ was the 
 Son of God, he might be baptized. 
 
 Now, if it were true, as some assert, that the for- 
 giveness of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, must 
 precede Baptism, then Peter, at the day of Pentecost, 
 and Philip, in the city of Samaria and elsewhere, 
 would have given the enquirers after salvation to un- 
 derstand, or would have told them, that they must 
 first obtain the pardon of their sins and receive the 
 gift of the Holy Ghost, and then come and be bap- 
 tized. But this was not the order to be observed in 
 the church of Christ ; therefore, the apostle placed 
 Baptism before the forgiveness of sins and the gift 
 of the Holy Ghost : and if the reader will take into 
 consideration the conversion of Saul, who was after- 
 wards called Paulj he will find another testimony 
 that the forgiveness of sins follows Baptism. 
 When Saul was in great distress on account of his 
 sins, Ananias said unto him, " Why tarriest thou ? 
 
43 
 
 anse and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, call- 
 ing on the name of the Lord." Acts, xxii chap. 16 
 verse. 
 
 Again There are persons to be found, who are 
 so much opposed to Baptism, as to declare, that if a 
 person has received the Holy Ghost, that there is no 
 necessity for him to be baptized. Now I could, 
 from my heart, believe such persons, if I could read 
 what they say in the New Testament ; but as noth- 
 ing of the kind is to be found in the New Testament 
 but to the contrary I can put no faith in such 
 declarations ; for if what such persons assert be true, 
 Peter would not have commanded Cornelius and oth- 
 ers to be baptized, for they received the Holy Ghost 
 prior to Baptism. (See Acts, x chap.) This is the 
 only place that we have in the New Testament, of the 
 Holy Ghost being given before Baptism, and I do 
 believe that God had a particular reason in so doing 
 for Peter, like many of the Jews, was somewhat 
 prejudiced against the Gentiles being admitted into 
 the Christian church ; therefore, God, in order to 
 convince Peter, and those of his brethren, the Jews, 
 that the Gentiles had a right to the Christian dis- 
 pensation, was pleased to bestow the Holy Spirit; 
 upon Cornelius, and those who assembled with him 
 on that occasion : for when Peter saw that the Holy 
 Ghost was poured out upon the Gentiles, he obser- 
 ved, " Can any man forbid water, that these should 
 not be baptized, which have received the Holy 
 Ghost as well as we ? " and he commanded them to 
 be baptized in the name ot the Lord Jesus. So then, 
 from what I have stated, the serious reader can easi- 
 ly perceive what state a person must be in, in order 
 to Baptism namely, that Faith and Repentance are 
 what make a man, or a woman, a fit subject for this 
 institution. 
 
 I say, then, it is the duty of all those who sincere- 
 
44 
 
 ly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and 
 whose intention it is to amend their lives such per^ 
 sons, though they cannot say that their sins are par- 
 doned, may come and be baptized ; and those who 
 are under the impression that they have received the 
 Holy Spirit, must not think that they are exempted 
 from Baptism. If that spirit which they have receiv- 
 ed, tells them that it is not necessary for them 
 to be baptized, I contend that it is not the Holy 
 Spirit which they have received for the Holy Spirit 
 never opposes the Gospel : but it is a spirit of error. 
 No for it is the "Holy Spirit's office to lead the 
 believer into all truth." John, xvi chap. 13 verse. 
 Therefore, let us beware of those lying spirits ; they 
 are very busy in this our day, and if they could, they 
 would deceive the very elect. Their operations can 
 be easily distinguished from those of the Holy Spirit 
 though I acknowledge that, the enemy is so artful, 
 that in some cases, the young believer may find him- 
 self at a loss w r hich way to pursue ; and the enemy 
 has been very successful in producing so many dif- 
 ferent opinions concerning the order of the New 
 Testament, that he has at his service a host of agents 
 to carry on his hellish destruction. But let the be- 
 liever always bear in mind, that the word of God is 
 to be the man of his Faith, and not the different 
 opinions of men ; for if he will suffer himself to be 
 tossed about by every wind of doctrine, he can ne- 
 ver be established in the truth, as it is in Jesus Christ, 
 which is his privilege. And let him take it for grant- 
 ed, that whenever he hears individuals speaking 
 lightly of any of the commandments of the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, that such persons are under strong de- 
 lusion though they may otherwise speak like an 
 angel. Flee from them as you would from the face 
 of an adder, for they are no better there is poison 
 in their language. 
 
45 
 
 The only way for you to help yourself is, to hold 
 fast to the word of God, and not give an inch ; for 
 it is your duty to embrace the whole truth, and not 
 merely a part of the GospeL The Paschal Lamb, 
 which the Israelites had to eat in the night of their 
 departure out of Egypt, was typical of the word and 
 doctrine of Jesus Christ. They were commanded 
 to eat it entire ; that is, the whole Lamb his head 
 with his legs, and with the appurtenance thereof. 
 Exo. xii chap. Just so, as it respects the doctrine 
 of Jesus : we are to submit to, and obey the whole of 
 it ; not just sucH parts as we deem necessary. This 
 liberty is no where granted in the New Testament, 
 but may be found in the government of some church- 
 es. And what is poor ignorant man, that he should 
 be preferred before the word of God ! I am con- 
 vinced, to my satisfaction, that a meek and a lowly 
 mind will never rebel against any part of the doctrine 
 of Jesus Christ, let it be Baptism, or any other com- 
 mandment. 
 
 The young believer will meet, no doubt, w r ith such 
 as will reason thus upon the subject of Baptism. > 
 Baptism is an external ordinance, and can effect no 
 change in the heart. It is merely a sign of the cov- 
 enant, and, of course, is not essential to salvation. 
 The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is preferable. It 
 you have this Baptism, you have all that is necessa- 
 ry ; and, at the same time, pointing to the heart, if 
 that is only good, then all is well. Do you not 
 discover the poison in these words ? Depend upon 
 it, it is a complete mixture, prepared, no doubt, ac- 
 cording to the devil's directions, for the destruction 
 of those who are desirous to flee the wrath to come. 
 For instance where do we read in the Gospel, that 
 Baptism is not essential to salvation, and that if we 
 have the Holy Spirit, we have all that is necessary 
 to salvation? Now, if this were truth j we might go 
 
46 
 
 a little farther, and say the Gospel is of no account 
 the Spirit can accomplish every thing. 
 
 This mixture of truth and error is of the devil's 
 invention. He administered this to our mother Eve, 
 and you know how it operated ; it poisoned the na- 
 ture of Adam, and all his posterity ; it is to be dread- 
 ed more than any thing that comes from the devil, 
 because it is not so discernible. This doctrine is 
 preached from the press it is preached from the 
 pulpit. 
 
 My dear reader, you will find very few who con- 
 tend for and obey the whole truth, as it is in Jesus. 
 You can find a great many persons who will contend 
 warmly for certain commandments, but not for the 
 whole. Again, you will find some who will let on 
 as though they were for the observance of the whole 
 order of the New Testament ; but if you examine 
 .them closely, you will find that they are not honest 
 in their profession : and if you hear their objections 
 to certain plain commands, which appear very sim- 
 ple in their eyes, they would have you to believe 
 that they are very conscientious characters. It is 
 common to hear them say, if I could only believe 
 that God required it of me, how cheerfully would I 
 comply { They even go farther, and say that they 
 have prayed to God that He would reveal it to them, 
 if He would have them to do so and so, as though 
 it had not been revealed, or that God must give them 
 a second revelation, or sign, by which they might 
 know whether he was in earnest or sincere in com- 
 manding them to do so and so : and I do not wonder 
 why they cannot see otherwise for God will never 
 gratify such corrupt minds* To pray to God whe- 
 ther He would have us to do as we are plainly com- 
 manded to do, is as much as to doubt His sincerity, 
 as we have already hinted, and is not to be listened 
 *to as a guide for us to go by ; but to make sure 
 
47 
 
 work for heaven, let the believer proceed according 
 to the New Testament, and stop his ears and close 
 his eyes against every voice which would lead him 
 a contrary way. 
 
 After Faith and Repentance, the Believer must be 
 baptized, for God will have him to enter into a cov- 
 enant with him, and it is in Baptism that this cove- 
 nant is ratified ; and now it is the duty of the be- 
 liever, in these troublesome times, to examine into 
 the principles of those religious sects, which may 
 come under his notice, not only as it respects Bap- 
 tism, but every item of the New Testament ; and if 
 he can find a denomination that is governed entirely 
 by the New Testament, he must then communicate 
 his mind unto that church : but should he, upon ex- 
 amination, meet with no denomination, as the above, 
 he must remain alone for it will never answer a 
 good purpose for him to unite himself to the Whore 
 of Babylon ; for by so doing, he will, in a short time, 
 become as corrupt as the sect of which he becomes 
 a member. 
 
 I have been, at times, very much troubled about 
 some, whom I was led to believe, were very sincere 
 in prosecuting their soul's salvation ; and after pro- 
 ceeding as far as to Baptism, did not push their en- 
 quiries as far as they ought to have done or if they 
 did, they made a bad choice. Our motives must ba 
 pure in selecting and uniting ourselves with any de- 
 nomination professing to be the church of Christ. 
 I arn really afraid, that some persons, in uniting 
 themselves to certain denominations professing Chris- 
 tianity, do it against their better light and understand- 
 ing. Some, for instance, will unite themselves to a 
 sect in order to please a father or mother, a husband 
 or wife, a son or daughter, a brother or sister, or 
 some great man or persons, for whom they have a 
 great regard, or because they were trained up to such 
 
48 
 
 <a sect. This is being born of blood, or of the will of 
 man, which will be of no spiritual advantage to 
 them, and for which they will be ranked with that 
 class, which are unworthy of Jesus Christ, and, of 
 course, will be disowned by him when he comes to 
 make up his jewels. Hear what the Saviour says : 
 u He that loveth father or mother more than me, is 
 not worthy of me ; and he that loveth son or daugh- 
 ter more than me, is not worthy of me ; and he that 
 taketh not his cross and followeth after me, is not 
 worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it, 
 and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." 
 Mat. x chap. 37, 38, 39 verses. And there went 
 great multitudes with him, and he turned, and said 
 unto them, "If any 'man come to me, and hate not 
 his father and mother, and wife and children, and 
 brethren and sisters yea, and his own life also, he 
 cannot be my disciple ; and whosoever doth not bear 
 his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disci- 
 ple." Luke, xiv chap. 26, 27, 28 verses. 
 
 From all this, we learn, that Christ is to be es- 
 teemed, and have the pre-eminence above and before 
 all other objects, visible or invisible : " For by him 
 were all things created that are in heaven and that 
 are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be 
 thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers^ 
 all things were created by him and for him ; and he 
 is before all things, and by him all things consist 
 and he is the head of the body, the church ; who is 
 the beginning, the first born from the dead that in 
 all things he might have the pre-eminence : lor it 
 pleased the Father that in him should all fullness 
 dwell." Col. ichap. 16, 17, 18, 19 verses. There- 
 fore, we cannot be too particular in selecting and 
 uniting ourselves to a denomination ; and above all 
 things, do it with an eye to the glory of Got$ and 
 the salvation of the soul, and with a full persuasion^ 
 
49 
 
 that your choice resembles Primitive Christianity, 
 when under the control of Jesus Christ and tba 
 twelve apostles, more than any other religious de- 
 nomination that you are acquainted with. But it is 
 a stubborn fact and what a pity that there are such 
 a diversity of sects ! that persons can now be ac- 
 commodated just as they desire, or please. If yon 
 wish to be a fashionable character, and also bear 
 the name of a Christian, you can be accommodated 
 for there are sects, professing Christianity, which 
 admit of, and countenance, all that pomp and gran- 
 deur which Lucifer is capable of inventing. Even 
 the very heads will excel the world in the vanities of 
 this lile. Yes, their splendid meeting houses, and 
 richly adorned pulpits, from which the preacher de- 
 livers his learned discourses, are as far from Primi- 
 tive Christianity, as it respects the simplicity of the 
 Gospel, as Mahomet was from being like Jesus 
 Christ. The difference is as great as light and dark- 
 ness. 
 
 Again Do you wish to become a member of a 
 sect in which there is no established order, or rule, 
 among them? You can be accommodated ; for 
 there are such denominations as do suit themselves 
 to please every person they run for numbers -if 
 they *can only increase their ranks, it matters not if 
 it be done by Gospel or Anti-Gospel means. For 
 example do you wish to be admitted with or with- 
 out Baptism? and if with Baptism, what mcde? 
 pouring ? sprinkling? or immersion ? you will meet 
 with a hearty welcome ; they are so liberal, that they 
 will accommodate you in any way or manner that 
 you see proper. 
 
 This society believe in anything, and every thing, 
 
 and iii nothing at last. By this, I mean, that they 
 
 have no established principles among them ; their 
 
 sole aim is to become numerous. They will tell you 
 
 5 
 
50 
 
 that they do not preach for money, yet they will take 
 all that they can get, or you will give them ; and 
 one great reason why many sincere and well dispos- 
 ed persons are led to believe that they must be well 
 founded, is, because they appear to be so very zeal- 
 ous for the cause of religion, and devote so much 
 time for praying, singing, preaching, and that for 
 days and weeks in succession. And during their 
 protracted meetings, they enlist great numbers in 
 their ranks. But it is not done by Gospel means 
 but by means of their own appointment. For in- 
 stanceIt is certain that all those new converting 
 means, which are held in such high estimation by 
 many, can never accomplish a genuine change in 
 man. I will not dispute but that those strange ma- 
 noeuvres are calculated to create a great anxiety, 
 and produce a partial change : but I contend, that 
 in as much as they have not been appointed by Je- 
 sus Christ, or the apostles, that they have never 
 been blessed, so as to produce a genuine change in 
 man though we frequently hear the advocates for 
 these modern means say, that they know that God 
 has and does bless those means. I should like to 
 know in what way ? Do they mean, that by the use 
 cf those means, so many have joined their society? 
 If this be the blessing they allude to, I am inclined 
 to believe that it is a great curse instead of a bless- 
 ing. The reader may take it for granted, that the 
 doctrines and commandments of men are always in 
 the room of the 'Gospel, and when received, are sure 
 to produce a false impression : and if such deluded 
 souls are not apprized of it in this life, they will be, 
 when their case cannot be remedied. 1 have no 
 doubt, but that thousands believe that such revivals 
 are occasioned by the outpourings of the Spirit of 
 God, and will view me as a great enemy to the spread ! 
 rf Christianity. But I cannot help it ; I believe that 
 
51 
 
 it is my duty to protest against such corrupt pro- 
 ceedings. I say corrupt, because they are in lieu of 
 the word of God, and calculated to blind, not only 
 the present, but the rising generation. The preach- 
 er's sole aim is, the feelings of his audience. If he can 
 only succeed in alarming them, he is sure to gain his 
 point : whereas, it is the duty of all preachers to la- 
 bor to illuminate the understanding in man, by 
 preaching the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ ; and if 
 a sense of the Gospel does not cause them to yield 
 obedience to Christ, then their salvation cannot be 
 effected ; for the word of God is the seed of the new 
 birth, and not the invention of man. If you be conver- 
 ted by the word and Spirit of God, your conversion is 
 from heaven : but if you have been converted by such 
 means as are of man's appointment, your conversion 
 is from the earth; you cannot claim Jesus Christ fcr 
 your Saviour but poor sinful man. He is the head 
 of your church, and not Jesus Christ. And as it 
 respects the great zeal manifested upon such occa- 
 sions, this is no evidence to induce me to believe 
 that they are the true prophets of Jesus Christ ; for 
 if you will examine the Bible, you will find, that in 
 ancient times, the false prophets being very numer- 
 ous, were more zealous than the true prophets, 
 
 In the days of Elijah, we have an account of the 
 great zeal which they manifested in the accomplish- 
 ment of their cause: " Then said Elijah unto the 
 people, I, even I, only remain a prophet of the Lord, 
 but BaaPs prophets are four hundred and fifty -men 
 let them therefore give us two bullocks, and let 
 them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it 
 in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under ; 
 and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on 
 wood, and put no fire under. And call ye on the 
 name of your Gods, and I will call on the name of 
 &.c JL.ord, and the God that answereth by fire, let him 
 
52 
 
 he God. And all the people answered and said, it 
 is well spoken. And Baal's prophets took the bul- 
 lock which was given them, and they dressed it, and 
 called on the name of Baal from morning even until 
 noon, saying, O, Baal, hear us ! But there was no 
 voice nor any that answered; and they leaped upon 
 the altar which was made. And it came to pass at 
 noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, cry aloud, 
 for he is a God either he is talking, or he is pursu- 
 ing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure. he sleep- 
 eth and must be awaked. And they criecl aloud, and 
 cut themselves after their manner with knives and 
 lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. And 
 it came to pass when mid-day was past, and they 
 prophesied until the time of the offering of the even- 
 ing sacrifice that there was neither voice, nor anj 
 to answer, nor any that regarded." 
 
 Now, my dear reader, you see how zealous they 
 were in a wrong cause. So great was their zeal, 
 that they cut themselves with knives till the blood 
 gushed out. Now let us hear the conduct of Elijah 
 upon that occasion : " And Elijah said unto all the 
 people, come near unto me, and all the people came 
 near unto him; and he repaired the altar of the Lord 
 that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve 
 stones, according to the number of the tribes of the 
 sons of Jacob unto whom the word of the Lord came, 
 saying, Israel shall be thy name. And with the stones 
 he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he 
 made a trench about the altar as great as would con- 
 tain two measures of seed ; and he put the wocd in 
 order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on 
 the wood, and said, fill four barrels with water, and 
 pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. 
 And he said, do it the second time. And they did it 
 the second time. And he said, do it the third time. 
 And they did it the third time. And the water ran 
 
53 
 
 round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with 
 water. And it came to pass at the time of the offer- 
 ing of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah, the prophet, 
 came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, 
 and of Israel ! Let it be known this day that thou 
 art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that 
 I have done all these things at thy word, hear me, 
 Lord, hear me ! that, this people may know that thou 
 art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart 
 back again. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and con- 
 sumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the 
 stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that 
 was in the trench." i Kings, xviii chap. 
 
 From this you perceive, that Elijah proceeded in 
 dressing the bullock and repairing the altar, agreea- 
 bly to the word of the Lord ; after which he prayed 
 in faith to the Lord. The Lord was pleased to hear 
 his prayer in heaven, and answered it upon earth. 
 I could produce more examples ; but let this suffice. 
 
 I have stated, that it is the duty of the believer to 
 unite himself to that church which has no other rule 
 for her government but the New Testament, not in 
 word only, but in deed; for there are many who say 
 they have no other rule but the New Testament, and 
 yet do not keep house in the church agre.eably to 
 that blessed book : therefore, the believer must be 
 careful, and riot unite himself to them, though they 
 may agree with him upon Baptism. Upon the be- 
 liever's communicating his mind to that ehurcb, 
 which he really believes is the church of Christ, or 
 in which the pure word of God is administered, his 
 case will be taken into consideration by them. The 
 true church will never make it her business to GC creep 
 into houses and lead captive silly persons," ii Tim. 
 iii chap. 6 verse, in order to accomplish their purpo- 
 ses : but they will be careful that the word of God 
 may be the sole cause of their conversion She 
 
54 
 
 therefore waiteth until application is made for admis- 
 sion, and will then proceed according to the word of 
 God, by calling the attention of the believer to the 
 Xviii chapter of Mathew ; at the same time reading 
 Such parts of that chapter as may be applicable to 
 that occasion. And after commenting upon those 
 verses which have a reference to the manner in which 
 members are to conduct themselves, one towards an- 
 other, it will ne asked oi the believer, whether he 
 will submit to that rule which Christ has laid down 
 for his government? and if he answers in the affirm- 
 ative, the church will repair to the water, where 
 Baptism can be administered. 
 
 How indispensably necessary it is for the church 
 to call the immediate attention of the candidate for 
 Baptism and that before the administration of the 
 institution to that rule which members are bound 
 observe ! Moreover, if thy brother trespass against 
 thee, go tell him his fault between thee and him. 
 alone. It is in the first place to be done in secret 
 between thee and him alone ; and if he shall hear 
 thee that is, receive the admonition thou hast 
 gained a brother; but if he will not hear thee will 
 not receive the admonition we are not to give over, 
 but take one or two with us, that in the mouth of 
 two or three witnesses every word may be establish- 
 ed -How pa t cular the offender must be in the man- 
 agement of this business ! but if he will not hear 
 them, if he will not, in the presence of these witness- 
 es, acknowledge his fault, tell it unto the church 
 he must be rited to appear befoie the church if he 
 will not hear the church, if he will not receive the 
 admonition of the church, let him be unto thee as an 
 heathen man and a publican that is, he must be 
 separated from the body of Christ; and whatsoever 
 ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and 
 whatsoever ye loose on earth shall be loosed in 
 
55 
 
 heaven. This binding and loosing means the de- 
 cisions of the church. If a member be separated 
 from the body, or church, according* to the word of 
 God, he is also excluded from the kingdom of hea- 
 ven, and cannot be admitted there until he is rein- 
 stated again by the church ; which power Christ has 
 given to his church that whosesoever sins they re- 
 mit, they shall be remitted. John, xx chap. 23 verse. 
 But mind, it must all be done according to the word 
 of God. The candidate lor Baptism mu^t be willing 
 and make an acknowledgment to conform to the 
 above rule of Christ's to give admonition and to 
 take admonition, as the case may be. 
 
 OF THE ADMINISTRATOR'S, FORM, 
 AND MODE OF BAPTISM. 
 
 THE subject for Baptism has been already describ- 
 ed. I shall proceed to call the attention of the read- 
 er to the Administrators of this institution: they. 
 are doubtless such as are entrusted with the word of 
 the ministry. This authority they derive from Jesus 
 Christ, the great head of the church. It is their du- 
 ty to publish the glad tidings of the Gospel to a lost 
 ancf ruined world. The whole theme of their preach- 
 ing will be, "Jesus Christ and Lira cmcined." i 
 Cor. ii chap. 2 verse. Though preachers have a 
 right to preach the Gospel, and to administer the 
 institutions, yet they must bear in mind, that they 
 are amenable to the church for their conduct, and m 
 no case proceed contrary to the counsel of the church. 
 "t is tbeir duty, in transacting the affairs of the 
 kingdom of grace, to take always counsel of the 
 church, when it can be done. He must not think, 
 
 because he is a preacher of the word, that he is above 
 
 v 
 
56 
 
 every member, and can pursue any course he may 
 see proper. It is certain that every member has an 
 equal voice that is, as much authority in manag- 
 ing the business of the church, as the preachers have. 
 Whenever preachers are entrusted with all the pow- 
 er, (which is quite contrary to the Gospel,) in man- 
 aging church business, the church is sure to become 
 corrupted : therefore, let the church keep an eye up- 
 on their preachers, and see that they always proceed 
 according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ ; and it is 
 the duty of the preachers not " to shun to declare 
 the whole counsel of God." Acts, xx chap. 27 verse. 
 That it is the duty of the preachers to administer 
 Baptism, see Mat. xxviii chap. 19 verse ; though it 
 is certain, that in cases of great necessity, that dea- 
 cons, or private members, have administered this in- 
 stitution. 
 
 Dear reader, after pointing out to you the Admin- 
 istrators of this institution, I shall now treat, in a 
 few words, upon that form which is to be used in 
 the administration of this ordinance. It is certain 
 that there is but one evangelical form to be observed 
 in the administration of this institution, and that we 
 have upon record in the xxviii chapter of Mathew, 
 19 verse : " Baptizing them in the name of the Fa- 
 ther, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." I 
 cannot perceive from reading the New Testament, 
 that we have any authority to alter or change this 
 form. It is certain that we have no more authority 
 to change this form, than we have to change the 
 mode. Notwithstanding all this, some persons have 
 been so presumptuous, as to administer Baptism in a 
 different form. The form used by them are the words 
 which we have in Acts, viii chapter namely, " In 
 the name of the Lord Jesus ; " and in Acts x chap. 
 48 verse, " In the name of the Lord." But this is 
 no evidence that we may adopt the above phrases in- 
 
57 
 
 stead of the form recorded by Matiiew, for certain 
 reasons : One is, that we cannot infer from the ex- 
 pressions, in the name ol the Lord Jesus, and in the 
 name of the Lord, that the form recorded by Mathew 
 was not used ; and another reason is, that the name 
 of the Lotd generally signifies, according to the 
 Lord's direction and it is stated by some, that the 
 term Lord in the New Testament, agrees with Jeho- 
 vah in the Old, and is the same as the form recorded 
 by Mathew ; and a third reason is, because no good 
 reason can be assigned, why it was, that the apostles 
 did not adhere to the form given them by their Lord 
 and Master. 
 
 It is highly probable, that after repairing to the 
 water, that the apostles were in the habit of praying 
 with the candidates unto God, upon the shore side; 
 for we read in Acts, xvi chap. 13 verse, u And on 
 the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, 
 where prayer was wont to be made " and then fol- 
 lows the Baptism of Lydia and her household : there- 
 fore, it is very necessary, before entering the water, 
 for the Administrator to kneel down with the candi- 
 date, and supplicate a throne of mercy ; after which, 
 let the Administrator lead the subject into the water, 
 arid when they arrive to a suitable place, let the can- 
 didate kneel down in the water. This posture is 
 certainly very commendable upon such solemn occa- 
 sions, and I verily believe that it was observed by 
 the first Christians. If there ever was a time when 
 persons should bow themselves, I do believe it should 
 be done in Baptism ; however, I believe it is a 
 posture which, if convenient, should be always ob- 
 served in prayer: for it is in Baptism that \ve enter 
 into a covenant with Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 
 After the candidate lias bowed himself, he must then 
 make a good profession, before God and many wit- 
 nesses, as Paul tells us that Timothy did, i Tim. vi 
 
68 
 
 chap. 12 versa This profession is not only made 
 when the believer is buried in Baptism, but also when 
 he answers those questions which are put to him im- 
 mediately after he has kneeled in the water ; or that 
 is, when he makes a public profession of his faith in 
 Jesus Christ and his word, and of his renunciation 
 of the sinful practices of the world, and of the works 
 of the flesh and also of the devil, and covenants and 
 agrees with his God to be faithful and obedient unto 
 his life's end. I ask the question, is this not a good 
 profession ? can Adam's children make a better pro- 
 fession? We must all answer that it is the best 
 profession that the children of men can make. 
 The Administrator will then proceed to baptize 
 the believer, in the name of the Father, and of the 
 Son, and of the Holy Ghost, by immersing him three 
 times in the water. 
 
 That this is the primitive mode of this sacred in- 
 stitution, is very evident which I shall now proceed 
 to make appear; and as it is a disputed point, I shall 
 he the more particular. In the first place, I purpose 
 to prove, that when the first Christians administered 
 this ordinance, that they always did it in the water. 
 I shall -commence with the baptism of Jesus Christ, 
 and shall cite the believer to what Mathew and Mark 
 recorded .concerning this matter. Mathew, iii chap. 
 13, \1 verses, " Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to 
 Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him ; but John 
 forbid him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, 
 ; and thou cometh to me. And Jesus unswering, said 
 unto him, suffer it to be so now, for thus it becom- 
 eth us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered 
 itirn. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up 
 straightway out of the water, and the heavens were 
 opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God de- 
 scending like a dove and lighting upon him. And 
 Jo ! a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved 
 
59 
 
 Son, in whom I am well pleased ! And in Mark f 
 i chap. 9, 10, 11 verses, " And it came to pass in 
 those days, that Jesus came irom Nazareth of Gal- 
 ilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And 
 straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the 
 heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descend- 
 ing upon him. And there came a voice from heaven, 
 saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am 
 well pleased ! " 
 
 Here we have a full account of the baptism of our 
 adorable Redeemer, Yes, here the Evangelist gives 
 us plainly to understand, that it was in, not at Jor- 
 dan, that John baptized Jesus ; for they tell us> 
 when he was baptized, he came straightway up out 
 of the water, which could not possibly be, if he had 
 not been in the water. Christ, being the head of 
 the church, and the author of Baptism, of course, 
 should be looked upon and obeyed in preference to 
 any other man. Yea, he gave us, not only the law 
 of Baptism, but also the example. . 
 
 John did not only baptize Jesus in the water, but 
 all to whom he administered this institution ; for 
 whenever mention is made of the place where he 
 performed the ordinance, the Evangelist pointedly 
 declares that he did it in the water. For example, 
 Mathew, iii chap. 6 verse, " And were baptized of 
 him in Jordan, confessing their sins." Mark, i chap. 
 5 verse, " And there went out unto him all the land 
 of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all bap- 
 tized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing 'their 
 sins." John, iii chap. 23 verse, " And John was 
 also baptizing in Anon, near to Salim, because there 
 was much water there, and they came and were bap- 
 tized," It is argued by some, that John's Baptism 
 differed from the mode observed by the apostles. 
 To show the fallacy of such argumentations, I must 
 cite the reader to those scriptures, where it is stated 
 
GO 
 
 that the apostles ant! others administered this ordi- 
 nance. And in examining the Acts of the Apostles, 
 we can read in a great many places, of the adminis- 
 tration of this institution, but not always of the pre- 
 cise spot where it was performed : for example, we 
 read in Acts, ii chap. 41 verse, " Then they that 
 gladly received his word were baptized," c. Acts, 
 viii chap. 12 verse, " They were baptized, both 
 men and women, v Acts, xxii chap. 16 verse, 
 " Arise, ami be baptized," &c. Acts, xvi chap. 33 
 verse, "And he took them the same hour of the 
 night, and washed their stripes ; and was baptized, 
 he and all his, straightway." 
 
 Now, in all these places, the precise spot is not 
 described the circumstance of the Jailor not ex- 
 cepted, though his baptism is frequently referred to, 
 as an evidence that the institution was not perform- 
 ed in the water; but I a^k the question, where do 
 we read that the Jailor was baptized in the prison? 
 I answer, no where in the New Testament. But the 
 Evangelist, as though he knew that theie would be 
 cavillers in the world, gave us plainly to undei stand 
 that he was net baptized in the prison ; for he tells 
 us that he (the Jailor) took them (the apostles) out 
 of the prison the same hour of ihe night, and wash- 
 ed their stripes ; and was baptized : and when he 
 had brought them (the apostles) into his house, he 
 set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing with 
 all his house." 34 verse. 
 
 Thus mention is made of the Jailor taking the 
 apostles before he was baptized, and after his bap- 
 tism, of his bringing them into his house ; and it is 
 highly probable, that a certain department of the 
 prison is what is meant by the Jailor's house. How- 
 ever, it is very certain, it' he had not taken them out, 
 he could not have brought them in. The Evangel- 
 ist does not say where he took them to ; but it isy 
 
61 
 
 certain that the place he took them to, was the iden- 
 tical place where he washed their stripes and was 
 baptized. So, then, in all those passages, no men- 
 tion is made in what way the apostles administered 
 Baptism ; and if it was not for what we can read in 
 the viii chapter of Acts, concerning Philip's baptiz- 
 ing the Eunuch, it may be, that more persons would 
 be inclined to believe, as many would have us to do, 
 that John's Baptism, as it respects the mode, differ- 
 ed from the mode practised by the apostles. But 
 this is such a clear evidence, that none but obstinate 
 characters will undertake to resist: 38 verse, " And 
 he commanded the chariot to stand still, and they 
 went down both into the, water, both Philip and the 
 Eunuch, and he baptized him," 39 verse, " And 
 when they were come up out of the water," &c. 
 This corresponds with the manner that John pro- 
 ceeded in the course of this ordinance. 
 
 I have already stated in this work, that John, the 
 Baptist, was a preacher of the Gospel : therefore, I 
 shall not trouble the reader again on that subject. 
 Notwithstanding those plain testimonies that this 
 institution was administered by the first Christians 
 in the water, there are persons who endeavor, by 
 preaching and writing, to persuade the people, that 
 the Greek prepositions, po, en, and m, in those 
 passages, were not correctly translated into the En- 
 glish; or that they may be rendered, from, at, to, 
 unto, &c. ; and read as follows : " And Jesus, when 
 he was baptized, went up straightway from the wa- 
 ter," ancl ".They went down to the water." Now, 
 if this were all true, it would certainly alter the case 
 very much, and would favor the mode of pouring, or 
 sprinkling ; and this I believe is what our modern 
 quack critics have in view, by condemning those 
 translations. 
 
 My dear reader, I wish you to bear in mind, that 
 6 
 
62 
 
 it is not all the Greek scholars of our day, who un- 
 dertake to condemn those translations. No a very 
 respectable number, and for aught I know a majori- 
 ty too, do warmly vindicate the course pursued by 
 the translators, and give us plainly to understand, 
 that there has been no error committed in the transla- 
 tion of the prepositions in those passages. The 
 translators were certainly better acquainted with the 
 original Greek, than our modem Greek scholars are 
 because they lived in an age w r hen the language 
 was quite familiar, when, in this, our day, perhaps 
 not one man in a thousand has even a smattering 
 knowledge of the language. To hear some men talk 
 about their knowledge of the Greek, one might sup- 
 pose, that they were capable of conversing and 
 preaching in that language, as well as they can in 
 their mpther tongue. But I presume such scholars 
 are very scarce in America whereas, the translators 
 of the Bible were no doubt capable of conversing and 
 also preaching in the original Greek. 
 
 My dear reader, you know the meaning of the 
 prepositions in, into, and out of ; and these are the 
 words in the above passages which make it very 
 plain, that Baptism must be administered in the wa- 
 ter. And it may be, that you have no knowledge of 
 the Greek, and as those characters who profess to 
 have a knowledge of that language, do not agree in 
 their understanding of the translation of those Greek 
 prepositions into the English some in favor of the 
 translation, and others opposed to it : this being the 
 , it is your bounden duty to embrace and obey 
 the word as you understand it, and not as * such 
 such men understand it ; you must understand 
 or yourself. 
 
 ^gain As far as I know, all the translations that 
 ate extant in the world, which have'been made from 
 'the original into other languages, do agree with the 
 
63 
 
 common English version. For ''example Luther 
 was also a translator, and his translation, which was 
 into the German, as it respects those Greek preposi- 
 tions, agrees with our English version. This, one 
 might suppose, would be sufficient to silence all ob- 
 jections that might be made against those passages, 
 which give us plainly to understand that Baptism 
 must be administered in the water. 
 
 There are persons who acknowledge that it is very 
 plain, that John, the Baptist, and others, did admin- 
 ister this ordinance in the water, and yet contend for 
 pouring and sprinkling, from the supposition that it 
 cannot be proven in what way John and the first 
 Christians proceeded with the candidate when in the 
 water. I shall now undertake to prove, not only 
 from what learned men have said on this subject, but 
 also from the Testament itself, that the first chris- 
 tians did administer this institution by immersing 
 the believer in the water. That immersion, or an 
 overwhelming in the water, is the ancient mode of 
 Baptism, is very obvious from the meaning of the 
 word itself. I shall, therefore, call the attention of 
 the reader to the signification of the word, as given 
 by learned men and shall commence with Martin 
 Luther: 
 
 He writes thus " Baptism is a Greek word, and 
 may be translated a dipping when we dip some- 
 thing into the water, that it may be covered with 
 water : and though it be for the most part almost al- 
 together abolished, for neither do they dip the children 
 wholly, but only sprinkle them with a little water 
 they ought, nevertheless, to be wholly dipped, and 
 presently drawn out again for that the etymology 
 of the word seems to require. I would have those 
 that are to be baptized, to be wholly dipped into the 
 water, as the word imports, and the mystery doth 
 signify," Tome i f l, 71, and Tome ii fol, 19. Cak 
 
64 
 
 rin tells us, " The very word baptize signifies to 
 dip, and it is certain that the rite of dipping was ob- 
 served of the ancient church. :5 Just. lib. iv chap. 13, 
 sec. 19. Dr. Owen writes thus "For the original 
 and natural signification of baptize, it signifies to 
 dip, to plunge, to dye, to wash, to cleanse That 
 no honest man who understands the Greek tongue 
 can deny the word to signify to dip." Posthumous 
 works, p. 581. Beza writes as follows, on Mat. iii 
 chap. 11 verse : " The word baptize signifies to dye, 
 by dipping, or washing, and differs from the word 
 dunaiy signifying to drown, or to go down to the 
 bottom, as a stone." Joseph Mede, on Titus, iii 
 chap. 2 verse, saith, " There was no such thing as 
 sprinkling, orranfem, used in Baptism in the apos- 
 tles' days, nor many ages after them." 
 
 Dear reader, I might multiply quotations of the 
 above nature, but the above are sufficient. So that 
 we may take it for granted, that the proper significa- 
 tion of the word Baptism is immersion. Again If 
 we take into consideration what we can further read 
 in the Gospel concerning the institution, it will still 
 make it appear more obvious. For instance We 
 read in the third chapter of John, that pur Saviour 
 declared unto Nicodemus, that " Except a man be 
 born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter 
 into the kingdom of heaven." That the Saviour, in 
 this verse, has an allusion to water Baptism, is very 
 evident, though there are some who say, that the 
 birth of water spoken of in this verse, alludes to those 
 tears which the sinner may shed on account of his 
 sins. This cannot be true, because the tears are 
 born from out of the sinner, and not the sinner out of 
 the tears. Again- The few tears which the believ- 
 er may shed are not sufficient for the believer to be 
 born of water: therefore, in order to this birth, the 
 believer must, in the first place, be buried in the 
 
65 
 
 womb of the water, and secondly, come straightway 
 out of the water. 
 
 That immersion is the scriptural mode of Baptism 
 is very evident from those representations and fi- 
 gures which we have upon record in the New Testa- 
 ment. For exampleThe apostle Paul, in his epis- 
 tle* to the Romans, vi chap. 3, 4, 5 verses : " Know 
 ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Je- 
 sus Christ, were baptized into his death : therefore, 
 we are buried with him by Baptism into death, that 
 like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory 
 of the Father, even so we also should walk in new- 
 ness of life ; for if we have been planted together in 
 the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the like- 
 ness of his resurrection." In these verses, the apos- 
 tle compares Baptism to a burial ; and well he may 
 do so, because there is a striking analogy between the 
 burial of a corpse in the earth, and a believer in the 
 water ; for they are both covered, or immersed one 
 in earth^ and the other in water. If you pour a few 
 handsful of earth upon a corpse, you cannot say that 
 the corpse is buried neither can you say that a be- 
 liever is buried in Baptism, when only a few handsful 
 of water are either poured or sprinkled upon him. 
 And in i Cor. x chap. 1,2 verses,the apostle speaks of 
 a figurative Baptism : " Moreover, brethren, I would 
 not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers 
 were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea 5 
 and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud, and 
 in the sea." After the Israelites had left Egypt, and 
 came to the Red Sea, and being pursued by their 
 enemies, the Egyptians, Moses, with the use of his 
 rod, caused the Red Sea to divide asunder, and thus 
 a passage was formed whereby the Israelites could 
 make their escape. And it was their passing through 
 the sea, a wall of water on either side, and the cloud 
 over them, and Moses being their leader, which 
 6* 
 
66 
 
 caused the apostle to say, they were baptized unto 
 Moses, in the cloud and in the sea. It will not do 
 for persons to say that the cloud rained upon them, 
 because the sacred historian informs us that they 
 passed over on dry ground. Exo. xvi chap. 
 
 The apostle Peter, in his i epistle, iii chap. 20, 21 
 verses, speaks of a typical Baptism : " Which some- 
 times were disobedient, when once the long suffer- 
 ing of God waited in the days of Noah, while the 
 ark was preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, 
 were saved by water : the like figure whereunto even 
 Baptism doth also now save us not the putting 
 away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a 
 good conscience toward God by the resurrection of 
 Jesus Christ." When Noah, and those which were 
 with him, were shut up in the ark, the Lord caused 
 the fountains of the great deep to be broken up, and 
 the windows of heaven to be opened ; and then it 
 was, that the water, like a mighty torrent, flowed 
 together from every direction, in consequence of 
 which the ark was completely covered, or immersed, 
 in the waters of the flood: yet, nevertheless, Noah 
 was preserved in the midst of the waters, when all 
 the disobedient were drowned in the waters of the 
 flood. Thus we learn, that Noah, and that those that 
 were with him, were saved by water, the water bear- 
 ing up the ark, and keeping it from sinking. But 
 not so with the disobedient ; the water proved to be 
 their death, for all flesh was drowned in the waters 
 of the flood. 
 
 Now this was a type of Baptism ; for it is when the 
 believer, in obedience to the command of his Lord 
 and Master, is covered, or overwhelmed, in the 
 waters, by Baptism, that he is saved for it is by 
 water Baptism that he is brought into the ark of the 
 new covenant, which is an ark of safety ; and if he 
 remains in this ark all the days of his life, he shall be 
 
67 
 
 eternally saved. And when he is thus, by Baptism, 
 brought into the ark of safety, then it is that his sins 
 are pardoned, and his spiritual adversaries are 
 drowned, and can do him no harm as long as he 
 abides in the ark of the covenant. Noah was saved 
 when in the ark, but had he gone from the ark, in the 
 midst of the waters, he no doubt would have been 
 drowned. And just so with the believer ; he is safe 
 while in the ark, but should be, by disobedience, 
 step out of the ark, he may be lost. The apostle 
 tells us, that this ordinance is not for the putting 
 away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a 
 good conscience, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 
 That is, the believer is not immersed for the clean- 
 sing of his body, but for the resurrection of the in- 
 ward man, by the power of Jesus Christ. The suf- 
 ferings of our adorable Redeemer are also called a 
 Baptism : Luke, xii chap. 50 verse, " I have a Bap- 
 tism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened 
 till it be accomplished." I ask the question, where- 
 in did the sufferings of our blessed Lord resemble a 
 Baptism ? Why, it was that bloody sweat and cruel 
 agony in the garden of Gethsemane, in conjunction 
 with what he had to endure, when his sacred body 
 was fastened or nailed to the rugged wood, and was 
 completely overwhelmed in a sea of sufferings. 
 
 Dear reader, is it not very evident, from those 
 figures and representations, that Gospel Baptism 
 signifies the immersion of a believer in water ? And 
 furthermore, if the reader will take into consideration 
 those places mentioned in the Gospel, where this 
 institution was administered, he will have another 
 evidence in favor of immersion. For example 
 John administered Baptism in the river Jordan, and 
 in $Cnon, near to Salim, because there was much 
 water there. Now. if a few drops of that element 
 would have answered the purpose, there would have 
 
been no necessity to resort to rivers and places where 
 there was much water. 
 
 It is not my intention, in this work, to answer all 
 those frivolous objections which are raised against 
 the mode of immersion as I would consider it an 
 expense to no purpose ; for all those objections are 
 anti-scriptural. But had I a knowledge of a Gos- 
 pel objection, or such objections as are made from 
 the Gospel, against the mode, then I should feel it 
 my duty to investigate such objections ; and if, upon 
 examination, they should appear lawful, then I would 
 cheerfully relinquish the mode of immersion, for that 
 mode which has the Gospel for its support. But as 
 I am unacquainted with any scripture, that would 
 militate against the mode of immersion, I do not 
 think it necessary to answer all those objections 
 which are framed from an aversion or opposition to 
 the mode of immersion. However, I shall answer a 
 few objections. 
 
 There is one objection made to the mode of im- 
 mersion, from the supposition that the three thousand 
 that were added to the church on the day of Pente- 
 cost, could not have been immersed in one day. To 
 this objection, I would merely observe, that the 
 word does not inform us that they w r ere baptized on 
 that day. But if it even were so, it could have 
 easily been accomplished. For instance There 
 were twelve apostles and seventy-two disciples, 
 making a number of eighty-four administrators. 
 Each administrator would not have had more than 
 thirty-seven to baptize ; which, I am satisfied, could 
 have been done in less time than a half day. 
 
 The advocates for pouring, refer us to the pouring 
 out of the Holy Spirit, as though that had an allu- 
 sion to Baptism. To this, I would say, that Bap- 
 tism is no where sa : <{ in the Gospel, to be a type of 
 the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. Again The 
 
69 
 
 advocates for sprinkling refer us to the Bible in 
 support of their mode: Isa. iii chap. 15 verse, " So 
 shall he sprinkle many nations," &c. ; and in Eze. 
 xxxvi chap. 25, 26 verses, " Then will I sprinkle 
 clean water upon you," &c. These passages have 
 no allusion to Baptism ; for in John we read, that 
 * { Christ baptized not any, but his disciples." John, 
 iv chap. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is fre- 
 quently referred to in support of the mode of pouring 
 or sprinkling: Mat. iii chap. 11 verse, "He shall 
 baptize you with fire, and with the Holy Ghost,"- 
 Acts, i chap. 5 verse, "For John truly baptized 
 with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy 
 Ghost, not many days hence." Now let us exam- 
 ine into this Baptism of the Holy Ghost, and see 
 whether there was not an immersion in this matter ; 
 if not, I shall find myself at a loss to account why it 
 was that John, the Baptist, and the apostles, called 
 it a Baptism for the fulfilment of this glorious prom- 
 ise : Acts, ii chap. 1, 4 verses, " And when the day 
 of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one 
 accord, in one place ; and suddenly there came a 
 sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, 
 and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 
 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like 
 as fire, and it sat upon each of them ; and they were 
 all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak 
 with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utter- 
 ance." From reading the above verses, we can see 
 the great propriety of terming this miraculous gift of 
 the Holy Spirit a Baptism, from two expressions in 
 the above account : First, it is said, that the house 
 in which they were was filled with the Holy Ghost- 
 of course, they were externally immersed with the 
 Holy Ghost ; and secondly, that they, the disciples, 
 were filled with the Holy Ghost thus they were 
 internally immersed with the Holy Ghost The 
 
70 
 
 words filled make it very plain. It may be that I 
 shall again have occasion to call the attention of the 
 reader to this Baptism. 
 
 There is another objection raised against the mode 
 of immersion, founded upon a certain word in rela- 
 tion to Baptism I allude to the word, with : " I 
 baptize you with water." Mat. iii chap. II verse, 
 Mark, i chap. 8 verse. For my part, I cannot see 
 wherein this expression militates against the mode 
 of immersion; for it was with water, and nothing 
 but water, that this institution had to b% administer- 
 ed. They tell us, that by plunging the believer into 
 the water, we baptize the water instead of the be- 
 liever. Let us try this objection, when applied to 
 other matters, and see how it appears : For instance 
 Were I to ask a dyer ot stuffs with what he colors 
 his cloth, and he would answer me with a certain 
 liquor : now, from this answer, according to the 
 above objection, we must infer, that in prosecuting 
 his business, he pours, or sprinkles, the dye upon 
 the cloth which is no such thing ; for all dyers 
 dip their stuff in the tincture, or color ; and in cer- 
 tain countries, it is quite common for them to say, 
 that they baptize, or immerse, their stuffs. But I 
 presume that this objection took its rise from the 
 idea, that Baptism is an emblem of the falling, or 
 pouring out of the. Holy Spirit; which objection I 
 have already answered. 
 
 Some of the objectors to the mode of immersion, 
 tell us that it is very indecent for men and women 
 to go into the water. All I have to say to such 
 characters is, let them endeavor to overcome the 
 lusts of the flesh, and then they will not see any in- 
 decency in immersing the believer in the name of the 
 Lord Jesus Christ ; and if they should be unacquain- 
 ted with the rite of circumcision, I would advise 
 them to ascertain in what way it was administered. 
 
71 
 
 I think that a knowledge of this Jewish rue would 
 be of great service to them. 
 
 Again They tell us that it would be instant death 
 for some persons to go into the water and be immer- 
 sed. Let this be a truth or an untruth, I have never 
 as yet seen an instance of the kind ; neither did I 
 ever meet with a person who told me of an individ- 
 ual who had injured his health, much less shortened 
 his days, by being immersed in compliance with this 
 institution. I have known persons who were in a 
 delicate state of health, and others who were in a 
 natural state of sickness, who were baptized by im- 
 mersion, and, from all appearance, did not receive 
 the least injury. 
 
 Dear reader, I believe that I have answered the 
 principal objections that are made against the mode 
 of immersion. Again There are great' numbers 
 who agree with me, and contend warmly for the 
 mode of immersion, and yet do not administer the in- 
 stitution by a trine immersion, which is as obvious 
 as that Baptism signifies immersion. In the first 
 place, I contend, from the apostolic commission, 
 Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of 
 the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, that if this institu- 
 tion be properly administered, the believer must be 
 plunged three times in the water, in the name of the 
 Father, and of the Son, of the Holy Ghost. I ask 
 the question^ is there not a material difference be- 
 tween baptizing in the name and in the names of the 
 Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ? I 
 answer, there is a very great difference. To baptize 
 in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost im- 
 plies but one immersion whereas, to baptize in the 
 name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
 Ghost, implies a trine immersion. Notwithstanding 
 this explanation, some still contend there is no differ- 
 ence. They tell us, in immersing the believer, they 
 
72 
 
 proDOunce the three names of the Most High, and 
 that is all that is necessary. Now, this would do 
 very well, if Christ, or the apostles, had said so. 
 But Christ tells us to baptize in the name, and this 
 can only be done by immersing the believer in each 
 of those three high names. 
 
 That the Ancient Fathers understood by the charge, 
 or commission, which Christ gave to his apostles, a 
 trine immersion, is very evident from what they have 
 written upon the subject. And those Ancient Fa- 
 thers whom I shall quote, shall be such as are held 
 in high repute by those who administer Baptism by 
 immersion. Ambrose, in his Treatise upon the Or- 
 dinance, says " Thou wast asked at thy Baptism, 
 dost thou believe in God, the Father Almighty ? and 
 thou didst reply, I believe, and thou wast dipped : 
 and a second time thou wast asked, dost thou be- 
 lieve in Jesus Christ, the Lord ? thou didst answer 
 again, I believe, and wast dipped a second time* 
 the question was repeated, dost thou believe in the 
 Holy Ghost? and the answer was, I believe, then 
 thou wast dipped a third time." Jerome says " We 
 are thrice dipped in the water, that the mystery of 
 the Trinity may appear to be but one. We are not 
 baptized in the names of the Father, Son, and Holy 
 Ghost, but in one name, which is God's ; and there- 
 fore, though we be thrice put under water, to repre- 
 sent the mystery of the Trinity, yet it is reputed 
 but one Baptism." (See Watson's Dictionary.) And 
 if the reader will examine Buck's Theological Dic- 
 tionary, concerning the tenets of the Greek Church, 
 he will find that they administer Baptism by immer- 
 sing the believer three times in the water. And it 
 is quite common to hear the advocates for one im- 
 mersion say, that " Baptism is a Greek word, and 
 that the native Greeks must understand their own 
 language better than foreigners, and that they have 
 
73 
 
 always understood the word Baptism to signify 
 dipping; and therefore, from their first embracing 
 Christianity to this day, they have always, baptized, 
 and do yet baptize, by immersion " and never once 
 tell their hearers that the Greeks do also administer 
 Baptism by a trine immersion. The cause is obvi- 
 ous it would militate against their course pt pro- 
 ceeding ; and why should we be so partial in our 
 investigations after truth ? 
 
 And Tertullian tells us in what way the first chris- 
 tians administered Bc^ptism : " When we go to the 
 water," says he, " that we make the beginning with 
 Baptism, we bear witness there, the same as we did 
 before in the congregation, under the hand of the 
 overseer, that we renounce the devil with all his ad 
 herents and angels after which we are immersed 
 three times." There is no doubt but that the Sa- 
 viour had a particular reason in appointing this ordi- 
 nance to be administered by a three-fold immersion ; 
 and it is certain that we have no right to reject or 
 alter any of Christ's appointments, because he has 
 not seen proper, or we have not been able fully -to 
 develope every note in the appointment. And as it 
 respects this important institution, I am fully under 
 the impression, that it is not as mysterious as it 18 
 beneficial to the believer; for it is by this sacred in- 
 stitution that the believer enters into a covenant with 
 the Father, with the Son, and with the Holy Ghost 
 as each person in the Godhead takes an active 
 part in the regeneration of the human family, and as 
 the work which each one performs, may not be oi 
 the same import, yet equally necessary, or it would 
 not have been ordered that the believer should be 
 baptized in each of those holy names, to express his 
 submission and obedience to those different parts 
 which have been assumed by the Godhead, in the 
 salvation and purification of his soul. 
 7 
 
 ,s 
 
74 
 
 Again If the office which was assumed by the 
 Father, was the same which was assumed by the 
 Son, and if the office which was assumed by the Son, 
 was the same which was assumed by the Holy Spir- 
 it, in the salvation of the human family then I 
 should be at a great loss to account for a trine Bap- 
 tism. But it is certain that each performs a partic- 
 ular office, and that the sinner is dependent upon one 
 as much as upon the other, for the salvation of his 
 soul. It is the office of the Father to convict the 
 sinner for his sins, which is the intention of the 
 Law ; it is the office of the Son to save the sinner, 
 which is the intention of the Gospel ; it is the office 
 of the Spirit to sanctify the believer, which is the in- 
 tention of his operations. James, ii chap. 9 verse, i 
 John, iii chap. 20 verse, Rom. vii chap. 7, 13 ver- 
 ses, Mat. i chap. 21 verse, Acts, iv chap. 12 verse, 
 Rom. i chap. 16 verse, i Cor. vi chap. 11 verse, 
 Titus, iii chap. 5 verse. I say, then, that honor is 
 due to each person in the Godhead. Hear the voice 
 of Jesus upon this subjedt: "That all men should 
 honor the Son, even as they honor the Father ; he 
 that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father, 
 which hath sent him." John, v chap. 23 verse. This 
 ^honor must be manifested in Baptism, which could 
 not be as plainly revealed in one immersion as in a 
 trine immersion. 
 
 Now, dear reader, whether I have, or have not, 
 succeeded in assigning the cause whv it is that the 
 believer is immersed three times, will not exempt 
 you from a conformity to a triune Baptism, seeing 
 that the same is plainly commanded. I arn aware 
 of certain objections which are raised against a trine 
 immersion. The principal objection is, that there is 
 but one, and not three Baptisms. This objection is 
 founded upon the 5th verse of the 4th chap'er of the 
 Epfaesians. It reads thus u One Lord, one Faith, 
 
75 
 
 one Baptism ;" so that they cannot perceive how 
 three immersions can be one Baptism which I shall 
 now endeavor to make plain. In the first place, I 
 would say, th^t in many instances, it takes three ob- 
 jects to make one thing- : again, we say, in many 
 instances, it takes a great many objects to make one 
 tiling. But to return to the point under considera- 
 tion. For example The reader is a compound be- 
 ing, consisting of three parts, soul, spirit, and body 
 or matter, and jet is but one person. Again We 
 we all acknowledge that there is but one God, and 
 yet it is certain that there are three persons in the 
 Godhead ; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. John tells 
 us that " there are three that bear record in heaven, 
 the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these 
 three are one ; and there are three that bear witness 
 in earth, the Spirit, and the Water, and the Blood 
 and these three agree in one." i John, v chap. 7, 8 
 verses ; and Christ says, " I and my Father are one." 
 John, x chap. 30 verse. Thus it appears very obvi- 
 ous from the charge given to the apostle, and from 
 the practice of the first Christians, that if Baptism be 
 rightly administered, the believer must be dipped, or 
 immersed, three times in the water. 
 
 And again I believe it ought to be done face for- 
 wards, and not backwards. We can read no where 
 in the Bible, or Testament, of any of the institutions 
 or appointments of God being observed by present- 
 ing themselves before God upon their backs. Nay, 
 in all those various examples for the worshipping of 
 the true God, in the Holy Scriptures, not one is to 
 be found in which the posture of falling upon the 
 back was observed. The attentive reader, by exam- 
 ining the scriptures, will find, that the posture of 
 kneeling and falling upon the face, was observed by 
 the old Fathers, Jesus Christ, and the apostles, in 
 divine worship ; and as we have no commandj a<w 
 
76 
 
 example, for the posture of falling Upon the back, 
 therefore I consider it not a divine posture ; and as 
 Baptism is a great institution, an institution in which 
 the attention of the whole Godhead is attracted by 
 1he believer, therefore it becometh him to select the 
 most humble posture that he is capable of: therefore, 
 kneeling and falling upon the face will be observed 
 in the administration of this sacred ordinance. 
 
 Again As Baptfcsm is an institution by which the 
 believer is brought into the house of God, it would 
 therefore be very insignificant for the believer to ob- 
 serve the posture of falling upon the back in the per- 
 formance of this institution. I shall now proceed to 
 examine the grounds upon which the posture of 
 throwing the believer upon his back, in the adminis- 
 tration of Baptism, is founded. The advocates for 
 this posture tell us, that Baptism is compared to a 
 burial, and that we do not bury our dead upon their 
 faces ; and for the support of this assertion, they re- 
 fer us to what the apostle Paul has declared in his 
 epistle to the Romans and Colossians, concerning 
 Baptism. In his epistle to the Romans, vi chap. 4 
 verse, " Therefore we are buried with him by Bap- . 
 tism into death, that like as Christ was raised up 
 from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we 
 also should walk in newness of life 1 ' and in Colos- 
 sians, ii chap. 12 verse, " Buried with him in Bap- 
 tism, wherein ye also are risen with him through the 
 faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him 
 from the dead." For my part, I cannot see that 
 these passages in the least justify such a course of 
 procedure in the administration of Baptism, in as 
 much as it cannot be inferred, that the apostle has 
 any allusion whatever to that posture in which we 
 lay our dead in their graves, It is certain that the 
 apostle, by the word buried in those two passages, 
 only alludes to the overwhelming, immersing, or 
 
77 
 
 Covering the believer in water by Baptism; and also 
 what the same prefigures namely, the death and 
 burial of the old man, and resurrection of the new 
 man, through the faith of the operation of God, who 
 hath raised Christ from the dead : therefore, the 
 apostle gave the believer to understand, that the old 
 man, or body of sin, is to be buried, which is the 
 antitype of immersion ; and when the believer rises 
 up out of the water, he makes a figure of the resur- 
 rection of the new man ; and his coming forth out of 
 the water, denotes that he will henceforth walk in 
 newness of life. 
 
 That the above is a correct explanation, is yerj 
 clear from the preceding and succeeding verses 
 though it is sometimes argued that the apostle alludes 
 to the resurreqtion of the body at the last day. In 
 answer to this, I say, that it is very clear to me, that 
 the apostle, in speaking of Baptism in those verses, 
 has no allusion to the resurrection of the body ; for 
 he speaks of it as having already taken place, u Ye 
 are risen," so that the reader cannot help but see the 
 the truth of my remarks upon this subject. When 
 we bury a corpse in the earth, we do it in the full hope 
 of its being raised again in the morning of the res- 
 urrection : but not so, as it respects the burial of the 
 old man, the design oi which is, that he should re- 
 main in the sea of fbrgetfulness, and never more rise 
 and rule in the heart of the believer; so that there 
 is to be no resurrection of the old man, but of the 
 new man. 
 
 After the believer has been immersed in the name 
 of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, 
 then it will be the duty of the Administrator to lay 
 his hands upon the head of the believer, and at the 
 same time Calling upon the name of the Lord in be- 
 half of the believer. That the laying on of hands 
 ought to be observed, see Acts, vi 6, viii 17, 
 7* 
 
78 
 
 Heb. vi 2. It will riot do for any to say, that the 
 laying on of hands is a dead work, because the apos- 
 tle, in Hebrews, where he speaks of Repentance, 
 Faith, and laying on of hands, (as being the first 
 principles of the Christian Religion,) also makes 
 mention of dead works. The dead works which he 
 alludes to, are the works of the flesh, and not Re- 
 pentance, Faith, Baptism, laying on of hands, &c. 
 
 OF THE REMISSION OF SINS, AND 
 THE RECEPTION OF THE HOLY 
 GHOST, AND THE KINGDOM OF 
 GRACE. 
 
 IT is certain that we have no promise in the Gos- 
 pel of the forgiveness of sins, before Baptism, where 
 it is in the power of the subject to obtain it. As 
 God will not require impossibilities from any of his 
 creatures, therefore all those who have not got it 
 in their power to conform to Baptism, will not have 
 to answer on that head ; but those who have it in 
 their power to manifest their obedience, by perform- 
 ing the commands of Jesus, they must do so in or- 
 der to the salvation of their souls. The order of the 
 New Testament is, first, believe secondly, repent 
 thirdly, be baptized- fourthly, the forgiveness of 
 sins ; for so Peter declared at the day of Pentecost : 
 " And Ananias said unto Paul, arise and be baptiz- 
 ed, and wash away thy sins." 
 
 The believer having proceeded agreeably to the 
 word of God, and having arrived to that state in 
 which God had declared that he would pardon, sin, 
 and as God cannot lie, the believer may rest assured, 
 that all his former sins are pardoned, it matters not 
 how numerous they have been. Yes, if they had 
 
been as numerous as the hairs of his head, or, as the 
 Lord declared by the mouth of the prophet Isaiah, 
 " Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as 
 white as snow ; though they be red like crimson, 
 they shall be as wool." Isaiah, i chap. 18 verse. It 
 is God who pardons sin, and who alone can give 
 the Holy Spirit. It is not in the power of man to 
 forgive those sins which have been committed against 
 God ; neither can he give the Holy Spirit. This is 
 what the believer must expect from the mouth of 
 God : well, God has promised, by the mouth of Pe- 
 ter, upon the sinner's repenting and " being baptiz- 
 ed, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of 
 .sins, that he should receive the gilt of the Holy Spir- 
 it." Acts, ii chap. 38 verse. V 
 
 Thus the believer has the very best evidence of 
 his acceptance with God ; he has the word and Spir- 
 it of God to bear testimony to his adoption into the 
 family of God. Paul tells us, that " The Spirit it- 
 self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the 
 children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of 
 God and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we 
 suffer with him that we may be also glorified toge- 
 ther." Rom. viii chap. 16, 17 verses. Yes, now it is, 
 that the believer is born again. Solomon, in his 
 Songs, iv chap. 12 verse, beautifully describes the 
 state of the believer immediately after his baptism: 
 " Behold, thou art fair, my love! behold, thou art 
 fair ! thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks ; thy 
 hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Mount 
 Gilead ; thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are 
 even shorn, which came up from the washing, where- 
 of every one bare twins, and none is barren among 
 them." 
 
 The believer has an internal and an external evi- 
 dence of his being a child of God : the word bears 
 testimony in his favor. The believer, by examining 
 
80 
 
 the Gospel, finds that he has proceeded agreeably to 
 the word ; and, in examining his heart, he perceives 
 that he is operated upon by a Spirit which precisely 
 agrees with the Gospel. Thus he feels himself great- 
 ly attached, not only to a part, but to the whole word 
 of God. Therefore, I contend, from the course pur- 
 sued by the believer, that he has a spiritual mind 
 for, if the word of God be truth, it cannot be other- 
 wise ; for you may read the Gospel from morning till 
 night, and from one year 1o another, and you will find 
 that there is no other way for the sinner to be saved, 
 than by a conformity to that order which God has so 
 plainly revealed in the New Testament. We may 
 then say, in truth, that the men or women who, from 
 their hearts, believe in Jesus Christ, and do sincerely 
 repent of their sins, and are baptized in obedience 
 to the command of Jesus, do obtain the pardon of 
 all their sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 
 I am aware that there are vast numbers who will differ 
 with me on the subject of Baptism, not only as it re- 
 spects the observance of the institution, but in that I 
 connect Baptism with the forgiveness of sins. They 
 look for the pardon of their sins from a conformity 
 to the doctrines of Faith and Repentance alone 
 and say, whenever this is performed, then it is, that 
 the sinner obtains the remission of his sins ; and 
 that thousands who have not been baptized can bear 
 testimony to the fact. In answer to this, I would 
 say, as I have already shown in this work, that 
 without Faith and Repentance, there can be no re- 
 mission of sins ; and that Faith and Repentance are 
 the first points to be observed by the sinner. This 
 will be disputed by none who have a knowledge of 
 the order of the New Testament. And next to Re- 
 pentance is Baptism, and then it is, that the sinner 
 has the promise of the forgiveness of bis sins : " Re- 
 pent and be baptized, every one of you, in the nams 
 
81 
 
 f>f Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye 
 shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit " and " Ex- 
 cept a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he 
 cannot enter into the kingdom of God." We read 
 no where in the Gospel, that Christ or the apostles 
 declared that Baptism is not connected with the for- 
 giveness of sins, or that the believer can obtain the 
 forgiveness of his sins without Baptism. The apos- 
 tle tells us, that Christ hath appointed a washing, 
 or bath, of regeneration : Ephesians, v chap. 26 
 verse, " That he might sanctify and cleanse it with 
 the washing of water by the word," Titus, iii chap. 
 5 Terse, " Not by works of righteousness which we 
 liave done, but according to his mercy he saved us, 
 by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the 
 Holy Ghost." 
 
 That the apostle, by this washing of regeneration^ 
 alludes to water Baptism, is very evident, in that he 
 says the washing of water by the word namely, 
 Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. For persons to say 
 that the Spirit is the bath of regeneration, will not 
 answer, seeing that the apostle speaks of the wash- 
 ing of regeneration, and also of the renewing of the 
 Holy Ghost. That Baptism is a bath of regenera- 
 tion, which Christ has appointed in his church, and 
 that the gift or renewing of the Holy Ghost follows 
 this institution, may be plainly inferred from the 
 above passages ; and I do not see why any should 
 be so obstinate at to refuse to step into this bath of 
 regeneration, when the same has been appointed and 
 sanctified by the great head of the church. 
 
 Lest the reader should suppose that I am solitary 
 upon this subject, I will now prove that it was the 
 prevailing belief of the primitive Fathers : Menns 
 Simon, in his book, written in the Low Dutch, page 
 767, says " For though we may, by night and day, 
 seek with ever so much earnestness, we shall not 
 
82 
 
 find more than one Baptism in water \vhich is pleas- 
 ing to God, expressed and contained in the \tford of 
 God to wit, the Baptism in Faith, commanded by 
 Christ Jesus, preached, and practised, and under- 
 stood as a taking away and absolution from sins." 
 
 Thus it is plain that Menns Simon understood the 
 Gospel so as to believe, that in Baptism the believer 
 obtains the absolution of his sins. Calvin express- 
 es himself in the following manner, Just. lib. 4, chap, 
 xv, page 327 : " Baptism resembles a legal instru- 
 ment, properly attested, by which he assures us that 
 all our sins are cancelled, effaced, and obliterated, so 
 that they will never appear in his sight, or come into 
 his remembrance, or be imputed to us ; frr he com- 
 mands all who believe to be baptized for the remis- 
 sion of their sins. Therefore, those who have ima- 
 gined that Baptism is nothing more than a mark or 
 sign by which we profess our religion before men, as 
 soldiers wear the insignia of their sovereign as a mark 
 of their profession, have not considered that which 
 was the principal thing in Baptism ; which is, that 
 we ought to receive it with this promise, 4 He that 
 believeth and is baptized, shall be saved.' " 
 
 John Wesley, in his Comment on the New Testa 
 ment, page 350, speaks very plain on this subject. 
 He says " Baptism, admimsteied to real penitents, 
 is both a nieans and a seal of pardon. Nor did God 
 ordinarily, in the Primitive Church, bestow this (par- 
 don) on anj', unless through this means. Again If 
 the reader yill examine the reformed creeds of the 
 Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist 
 denominaticins, he will find, that they all agree more 
 or less with my remarks concerning Baptism for the 
 forgiveness of sins. 
 
 It is common to hear persons say, that water can- 
 not wash away sin, and that one drop of that ele- 
 ment is as good as the ocean, as it respects Baptism* 
 
83 
 
 Reader, depend upon it, that such expressions are 
 indicative of a proud and rebellious mind ; notwith- 
 standing I also believe that mere water cannot wash 
 away sin no, there is nothing that we can do that 
 will wash away our sins ; but God can wash them 
 away. But in what way does he do it ? I answer, by 
 the use of means ; and the means which he has ap- 
 pointed for that purpose, are plainly delineated in 
 the Gospel, and furthermore, we have no evidence 
 to believe that God will save us without the use of 
 means: therefore, all such like expressions as above 
 stated, are-indicative of a rebellious heart, because 
 they operate against heaven's appointments. I never 
 as yet heard an individual say that he believed that 
 mere water would wash away sin. But I have 
 heard numbers say, that Baptism was a means which 
 God had appointed for that express purpose ; and as 
 it respects what is said concerning the quantity of 
 water used in the institution, that one drop is as 
 good as the ocean, I answer, it would be strictly so, 
 if God had so ordered it. But he has not said so ; 
 therefore I deny the assertion. 
 
 If we do not observe the institutions agreeably to 
 their appointment, we had a thousand times better 
 not meddle with them ; for it is a crying sin to alter 
 heaven's institutions. It was said to Saul, "Arise 
 and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on; 
 the name of Lord." Acts, xxii chap. 16 verse. 
 Thus we learn, that in the use of such means, which 
 Christ has appointed, we can have our sins washed 
 away. Baptism is viewed by many as a very sim- 
 ple performance. It appears so little in the eyes of 
 some people, that they cannot believe that it is con- 
 nected with the forgiveness of sins. Now if such 
 persons were well versed in the Holy Scriptures, 
 they might know that God has always proceeded in 
 great simplicity towards the human family. For ex- 
 
84 
 
 ample With what great simplicity did God deal 
 with Adam in Eden's Garden ! The prohibition was 
 very simple : " And the Lord God commanded the 
 man, saying, o^every tree of the garden thou mayst 
 freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good 
 and evil, thou shalt not eat of it ; for in the day that 
 thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." Gen. ii 
 chap. 16, 17 verses. What simplicity ! the eating 
 of a certain fruit ! But, oh ! what was the result o.t 
 disobedience ? Thou shalt die ! death temporal and 
 death spiritual. Thus we learn, that Jehovah, from 
 the first, appointed, or instituted, a very simple law. 
 
 My dear reader, acquaint yourself with the Levit- 
 ical Dispensation ; it will be of great service to you. 
 A knowledge of that dispensation has a great ten- 
 dency to fortify the mind against those objections 
 which are made in opposition to the institutions of 
 the New Testament. 
 
 We have a very simple institution, appointed in 
 the camp of Israel : " And the people spake against 
 God and against Moses, wherefore have ye brought 
 us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness, for there 
 is no bread, neither is there any water, and our soul 
 loatheth this light bread ; and the Lord sent fiery 
 serpents among the people, and they bit the people, 
 and much people of Israel died." Numbers, xxi. 
 chap. 5 5 6 verses. This dreadful affliction was a 
 just visitation of their provocation, and it had the de- 
 sired effect for it completely humbled them, so that 
 they made a confession of their conduct, and be- 
 sought Moses to intercede in their behalf: 7 verse, 
 " Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, 
 we have sinned, for we have spoken against the 
 Lord, and against thee pray unto the Lord that he 
 take away the serpents from us ; and Moses prayed 
 for the people, and the Lord said unto Moses, Make 
 thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole, and. it 
 
85 
 
 shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, 
 when he lookeih upon it, shall live." Now, if Mo- 
 ses had possessed the same mind, like many people 
 in this our day, he would not have gone to work, 
 and invented, or administered, the means according 
 to God's appointment. But Moses was very faith- 
 ful in administering all God's appointments, without 
 the least alteration or variation. How different from 
 many who give themselves out for preachers of the 
 Gospel ! Instead of administering the institutions 
 as they were appointed, they will tell the people that 
 such and such are not to be administered; and in 
 those which they pretend to administer, they deviate 
 very much from the original appointments : 9 verse, 
 "And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it 
 upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent 
 had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of 
 brass, he lived." Was not this a very simple appoint- 
 ment? and had not the Israelites as much room It) 
 cavil and object to the appointment, upon the grounds 
 which are generally occupied in reference to Baptism? 
 Yes, they might have said, with as much propriety, 
 that there was no healing virtue in the brazen ser- 
 pent ; and wherein should they be benefitted from a 
 conformity to such a non-essential institution ? as 
 for persons to say, water in Baptism cannot 
 wash away my sins, and wherein shall I reap any 
 benefit from conforming to such a non-essential ordi- 
 nance? Now, I do not believe, that it was the brazen 
 serpent that cured the serpent-bitten Israelites; but 
 I contend, that if they had not observed the appoint- 
 ment, they couid not have been cured. They might 
 have had recourse to whatever means they saw pro- 
 per death would have been their poition. It may 
 be asked by some, if the serpent of brass did not 
 cure them, what was it that cured them ? I an- 
 swer, it was the word of God. The prophet tells 
 8 
 
00 
 
 us, that there was no-plaster or remedy to be found 
 in all Israel, for the cure of the sting of the serpent, 
 and that it was the word of God that cured them. 
 If God had not provided a means for Israel, they 
 might have done and made use of every means that 
 they could devise, yet they could not have been sa- 
 ved. Furthermore, they might have put up as many 
 brazen serpents as there were men in Israel, and be- 
 held them from morning till night, and if they had not 
 been appointed by the Lord, they could not have 
 been cured. 
 
 Just so as it respects the institutions of the New 
 Testament. If God had not undertaken for us, and 
 appointed a remedy, we might have done all that laid 
 in our power, and yet not be saved. We might 
 have observed Baptism, and every other means of 
 the New Testament, and if they had -not been ap- 
 pointed by the Lord Jesus Christ, we could not have 
 been saved. It will be acknowledged by all who 
 believe in a Supreme Being, that God could have 
 destroyed the serpents, or preserved Israel from re- 
 ceiving any hurt by them, without making use of the 
 means he did : but this is not the way that Qod 
 deals w r ith the children of men he works by means. 
 1 shall call the attention of the reader to the down- 
 fal of Jericho : " Now Jericho was straightly shut up 
 because of the children of Israel ; none went out. 
 And the Lord said unto Joshua, see, I have given 
 into thine hand Jericho and the king thereof, and 
 the mighty men of valor. And ye shall compass the 
 city 5 all ye men of war, and go round about the city 
 once thus shalt thou do six days. And seven 
 Driests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of 
 rams' horns, and the seventh day ye shall compass 
 the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with 
 the trumpets. And it shall come to pass, that when 
 they make a long blast with the rams' horns, and 
 
87 
 
 while ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the 
 people shall shout with a great shout, and the walls 
 of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall 
 ascend up every man straight before him." Josh, 
 vi chap. 1, 5, verses. The Lord was very particu- 
 lar in delivering his word unto Joshua, and Joshua 
 was likewise very particular in delivering his word 
 unto the people, and the poeple were also particular 
 in observing the same ; and well might they have 
 done so for had they erred in the least from the 
 word of the Lord for instance, had they not been 
 particular in compassing the city once on every day 
 for six days had some days been omitted by them, 
 and upon the seventh day but six times do you 
 suppose that the wall would have fallen flat to the 
 ground, and they succeeded in taking possession of 
 Jericho? I answer no. Well, then, was it their 
 strict obedience to the word that gave them posses- 
 sion of Jericho ? I answer, no. Please tell us what, 
 and who it was, that gave them possession of Jeri- 
 cho ? I answer, it was the word of the Lord ; and 
 it is certain, that if Joshua and the Israelites had not 
 strictly observed the word of the Lord, the Lord 
 would not have given Jericho into their hands. 0, 
 how powerful is the word of God ! what wonders 
 have been accomplished by and through that eternal 
 word ! 
 
 We read in the 1st chapter of the Gospel accord- 
 ing to John, " In the beginning was the word, and 
 the word was with God, and the word was God 
 the same was in the beginning with God. All things 
 were made by him, and without him was not any 
 thing made that was made. In him was life, and 
 the life was the light of men ; and the light shone in 
 darkness, and the darkness- comprehended it i)0t. ! " 
 And Paul tells us, " Through Faith we understand 
 that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so 
 
88 
 
 that the things \vhich arc- seen, were not made of 
 the things which do appear." Heb. xi chap. 3 verse. 
 " The Universe, and all things that are therein, were 
 created by the word of his power ; yes, it was by 
 the command of his word, that the worlds w T ere fram- 
 ed and brought forth." Psalms And 
 all things natural and spiritual, which he has done, 
 and still does, are created by the word of his power. 
 The word was made flesh that is, the powerful 
 word of God assumed our nature, and thus dwelt 
 among men ; and the darkness of men was so great, 
 that but a lew comprehended that life-giving word 
 in the person of our Emanuel. 
 
 Dear reader, do you not perceive how the word of 
 God was manifested in and by the Lord Jesus Christ: 
 "By the word of his power he cast out devils, and 
 healed the sick." Mat. viii chap. 16 verse " He 
 cured the leprosy, he gave life to the dead," Mat 
 ix chap. 25 versf , Luke, v chap. 13 verse ".He 
 raised the dead," John, ix chap. 43, 44 verses 
 " He opened the eyes of the blind." John, ix chap. 
 7 verse, c. And in the performance of those mir- 
 acles, Jesus generally made use of means a touch 
 of his hand. He required Faith, and particularly as 
 it respects the individual who was born blind ; he 
 spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and 
 he annointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 
 and said unto him, go, wash in the pool of Siloam, 
 (which is by interpretation, sent.) He went his way, 
 therefore, and washed, and came seeing. Now Jesus 
 could have given sight to this man without making 
 use of the means he did ; and I do believe, that not- 
 withstanding the means which Jesus made use of, if 
 this man had not gone to the pool and washed, he 
 would not have got his sight. 
 
 Reader, it is by this word of God that we are made 
 new creatures, and obtain the victory over death, 
 
89 
 
 hell, and the grave. Many are ashamed of the word of 
 God ; but what hath Jesus said : "Whosoever there- 
 fore shall be ashamed of me and of my words, in this 
 adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall 
 the son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the 
 glory of his Father with the holy angels." Mark, 
 viii chap. 38 verse. It is by Faith, Repentance, and 
 Baptism that the believer obtains the pardon of his 
 sins, and is born into the kingdom of grace. He 
 is now a subject of that kingdom which Jesus Christ 
 declared "is not of this w r orld." John, xviii chap. 
 36 verse. It is a spiritual kingdom, and of this 
 kingdom Jesus Christ is king ; and all those who 
 are just born into this kingdom are but babes in 
 Christ Jesus; they are not young men, much less 
 fathers in the Lord. As John, that beloved disci- 
 ple, hath written, u I write unto you, fathers, because 
 ye have known him that is from the beginning ; 1 
 write unto you, young men, because ye have over- 
 come the wicked one ; I write unto you, little chil- 
 dren, because ye have known the father. " i John, ii 
 chap. 13 verse. 
 
 That there is a growth in the Christian religion, 
 and that the believer, who has just stept into the 
 will of God, is but a babe in Christ, is very clearly 
 revealed in the word of God. Heb. v 12, 14, i Pet, 
 ii 2. The believer must not conclude, because he 
 is a subject of the kingdom, that he has nothing to 
 do. No for now it is, that he is entered upon a 
 state of purification. I admit the truth, that should 
 the believer be removed from time to eternity whilst 
 in a state of infancy in the Lord, that his infantile 
 state will be no barrier to his admittance into the 
 kingdom of glory. But I contend, that if he should 
 be continued in being for some time after his adop- 
 tion into the family of God, that it is his privilege^ 
 yea, his bounden duty, to arrive to a state of sancti- 
 8* 
 
90 
 
 fjcation. Immediately after his adoption, or Bap- 
 tism, it is. his duty to go on to peifection from one 
 degree of grace to another, until he arrives unto 
 a iull state of sanctification. Should he be called 
 away when in a progressive state, and has not had 
 time to arrive to as high a state of perfection as oth- 
 ers, he will nevertheless, according to the will of 
 God, be considered an heir to the kingdom, and will 
 be rewarded according to the deeds done in his bo- 
 dy. When any one becomes a member of the church 
 of Christ, he is to be taught all the privileges, laws, 
 and precepts of the kingdom. 
 
 When our dear Redeemer commissioned his apos- 
 tles, he charged them, in the first place, to teach the 
 nations that is, instruct Adam's family the great 
 lesson of human depravity, and the great neces- 
 sity of "repentance towards God, and faith in our 
 Lord Jesus Christ," and secondly, "baptize them 
 in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
 the Holy Ghost," and thirdly, " Teaching them to 
 observe all things whatsoever I have commanded 
 you, and lo ! I am with you alway, even unto the end 
 of the world." Mat. xxviii chap. 19, 20 verses. 
 
 It cannot be expected, that those who have not 
 subjected themselves to the kingdom of grace, can 
 observe those precepts which are only binding upon 
 those who have entered into a covenant with God. 
 There are precepts, which Christ gave to his church, 
 which cannot be performed by any but such as are 
 born of water and of the Spirit; which precepts I 
 shall have occasion to remind the reader of as I pass 
 along. 
 
 When our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, was 
 baptized, he did not say that his work was finished. 
 No it was not until he was nailed to the cross, ?nd 
 tad suffered, the just for the unjust, that he cried 
 out and said, " It is finished." So, in like manner, 
 
91 
 
 when the believer is baptized, he cannot say that the 
 work is finished ; for the work of purification has just 
 commenced. Now it is, that he is to he proved, for 
 God will prove all those who enter into a covenant 
 with him. The Lord did not prove Adam until he 
 was put in the garden : neither will God prove any 
 of the children oi men until they enter into a covenant 
 with him, and become members of his church. If 
 the reader will examine the Bible, he will find, that 
 God always proved his children it is done ior their 
 purification. When Abraham, the father of the 
 faithful, had received the promises, that in his seed 
 all the families of the earth should be blessed that 
 they should be as numerous as the stars of heaven 
 and when Isaac was born, God did tempt or prove 
 him, (see Gen: xxii chap.) and said unto him, Abra- 
 ham, and he said, behold, here I am. Abraham was 
 ready for the trial ; his expectations were iaised to 
 the very highest pitch, and he looked forward, with 
 a pleasing prospect, to that time, when hy> seed should 
 become very numerous, and all the families of the 
 earth should be blessed. But it may be, that it had 
 never entered his mind that he should have to be 
 tried with such a fiery trial. Yes, the children of 
 God are frequently not aware of the temptations 
 which await them. But it is their privilege to be 
 at all times in a state of readiness to meet those trials 
 and tribulations which are so common to the children 
 of God. 
 
 Abraham was no doubt qualified for that heart- 
 searching trial through which he had to pass. It 
 was said unto him, take now thy son and to in- 
 crease the trial, it was added, thine only son, Isaac, 
 whom thou lovest ; (no doubt but that Abraham lis- 
 tened with great attention to know the intent of the 
 message ;) and get thee into the land of Moriah, and 
 offer him there for a bumt-offering upon one of the 
 
92 
 
 mountains which I will tell thee of. What could 
 have been the thoughts of Abraham upon that sol- 
 emn occasion? One might have supposed, that he 
 reasoned the matter thus with himself Am I deceiv- 
 ed ? was it really the voice of the Lord ? and if so, 
 did he certainly mean what he said ? must 1 take my 
 son, my only son, Isaac, the seed of my body, in 
 whom I expected the fulfillment of a glorious prom- 
 ise ? and how is this promise ever to be fulfilled, 
 seeing that Isaac is my only son ? and shed his 
 blood and burn his body to ashes ? We do not read 
 that he told Sarah what he had been ordered to do ; 
 no, he kept it to himself. We are not informed that 
 he developed the matter to any person : but in the 
 morning, after he'had received the message, he rose 
 up early and saddled his ass, and took two of his 
 young men with him, and Isaac, his son, and clave 
 the wood for the burnt- offering, and rose up and 
 went to the place of which God had told him. Then, 
 on the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and 
 saw the place afar off. Thus three days elapsed be- 
 fore the event had to take place, that he might be 
 fairly proved. And Abraham said unto his young 
 men, abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad 
 will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 
 And Abraham took the wood and the burnt- offering, 
 and laid it upon Isaac, his son ; and he took the fire 
 in his hand and a knife, and went both of them toge- 
 ther How astonishing ! how coolly and deliberate- 
 ly Abraham proceeds in the transaction of this very 
 solemn occasion ! And Isaac spake unto Abraham, 
 his father, and said, my father, and he said here am 
 I, my son; and he said, behold, the fire and the 
 wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt- offering. 
 Reader, does it not appear like every thing that was 
 calculated to increase the trial had to take place ! 
 What endearing words : my father ! my son ! Rea- 
 
93 
 
 der, are you a parent? if so, so place yourself in 
 Abraham's stead. What would have been your 
 feelings in this stage of the trial? Little did Isaac 
 think that he was the intended victim. One might 
 have supposed that Abraham could no longer refrain 
 that his heart would be broken to such a degree 
 as to cause him to reveal the whole matter, and dis- 
 obey the word oi the Lord. But not so. Abraham 
 gave his son a very beautiful answer ; he referred 
 the matter to the Lord : My son, God will provide 
 himself a lamb for the burnt- offering. When Abra- 
 ham arrived at the place where he was to offer up his 
 son, he very orderly went to work, (I do not suppose 
 that he showed any distress, so as to be noticed by 
 Isaac he was engaged in the performance of the 
 word of the Lord,) and built an altar and laid the 
 wood in order, (and then it was made manifest that 
 Isaac was the victim,) and bound Isaac, his son, 
 arid laid him on the altar upon the wood ; and Abra- 
 ham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to 
 slay his son. But now it was enough ; Abraham 
 proved to be faithful, and that w r as what God wished 
 him to be ; Isaac was already slain in his heart. * 
 An angel of the Lord was dispatched to express the 
 Lord's approbation of his conduct, and he charged 
 Abraham not to lay his hand on the lad, neither do 
 thou any thing unto him ; for now I know thatthou 
 fearest God, seeing that thou hast not withheld thy 
 son, thine only son, from me. The Lord, in order 
 to express his approbation of Abraham's conduct, 
 more fully rehearsed the promise, with an enlarge- 
 ment that in blessing, I will bless thee, and in 
 multiplying, I will multiply thy seed as the stars of 
 the heavens, and as the sand which is on the sea 
 shore ; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his en- 
 emies ; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the 
 earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice* 
 
94 
 
 Now, this was the result oi his obedience where- 
 as, if he had disobeyed the voice of the Lord, he 
 would have incurred his disapprobation and sore 
 displeasure. And in like manner God deals with 
 all his children. 
 
 In course of time, God also proved Abraham's 
 seed. After the Israelites were baptized unto Mo- 
 ses in the cloud and in the sea, and had also receiv- 
 ed the promise, God did prove them, before they got 
 into possession of the promise, that it might be made 
 manifest who among them would obey his voice, and 
 thereby be worthy to obtain the fulfillment of the 
 promise." Exo. xvi chap. 40 verse : " Then said the 
 Lord unto Moses, behold, I will rain bread from 
 heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gath- 
 er a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, 
 whether they will walk in my law, or no.'' Exo. xx 
 chap. 20 verse. This trial of Israel laste.d something 
 like forty years, and out of the vast number oi six 
 hundred thousand men, &c., but two, namely, Josh- 
 ua and Caleb, proved faithful and entered into the 
 promised land. The apostle Paul tells us the cause 
 why they could not enter in namely, unbelief. 
 Now, unbelief does not ari?e from want of evidence, 
 but from want of love. They did not relish the 
 word of God ; they had evidence sufficient to cause 
 them to re ] y upon the word of God; they had a 
 knowledge of the wonders which he performed in 
 Egypt ; they had not forgotten the dividing of the 
 Red Sea 5 &c. But so it was, they were a stiff-neck- 
 ed and rebellious people ; they revolted against the 
 word of God, and that proved to be their overthrow. 
 And the apostle gives us plainly to understand, that 
 those things which happened unto Israel were for 
 our example: i Cor. x chap. 11 verse, "New all 
 those things happened unto them for examples, and 
 they are written for our admonition on whom the ends 
 

 95 
 
 of the world are come." And if we come down to the 
 New Testament, we read in the Gospel according to 
 Mathew, that it was after, and not before Baptism, 
 that our dear Redeemer was proved. Yes, immedi- 
 ately after he was baptized, he \vas led up into the 
 wilderness, to be tempted of the devil. His whole 
 life was one series of temptations and afflictions ; 
 but in the midst of all, and to the last, he never sin- 
 ned but lived and died in a state of obedience to 
 the will of his father. He could at any time appeal 
 to his most inveterate enemies to convict him of 
 sin. He frequently declared, that he u came not to 
 do his own will, but the will of his father which was 
 in heaven." John, vi chap, 38 verse; and " that it 
 was his meat to do the will of him that had sent 
 him, and to finish his work," John, iv chap. 34 
 verse " Jesus Christ, the captain of our souls' sal- 
 vation, has gone before us, and has given us, (the 
 subjects of his kingdom,) our orders," Mat. xvi 
 chap. 24 verse " And he that taketh not his cross, 
 and folio wet h not after me, is not worthy of me," 
 Mat. x chap. 38 verse " Then said Jesus unto his 
 disciples, if any man will come after me, let him de- 
 ny himself and take up his cross and follow me," 
 Luke, ix chap. 23 verse "And he said to them all, 
 if any man will come after me, let him deny himself 
 and take up his cross daily, and follow me," Luke, 
 xiv chap. 27 verse, Mark, viii chap. 34 verse. From 
 this the disciple of the Lord may learn, that self is 
 to be denied, and Christ is to be obeyed : " For 
 whosoever will save his life, shall lose it ? but whoso- 
 ever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall 
 save it." Luke, ix chap. 24 verse. Christ, in all 
 things, is to be observed. Yes, the believer must 
 at all times have an eye upon Jesus Christ. If not, 
 of course he cannot keep in his footsteps. How 
 careful then must the believer be, that he may at ail 
 
96 
 
 limes be found upon the narrow way ! the way which 
 Jesus Christ himself has trod, as the poet very beau- 
 tiiully observes : 
 
 "Jesus, my all, to heaven is gone, 
 " Ht whom I fix my hopts upon ; 
 " His track I see, and 1 '11 pursue 
 "The narrow way, till him I view." 
 
 Hear the command of Jesus : Mat. vh chap. 13, 
 14 verses, " Enter ye in at the straight, gate ; for 
 wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to 
 destruction, and many there be which go in there- 
 at." How many ? why all those who are under the 
 power and control of the carnal mind, and thus live 
 in open hostility to the word and will of God. And 
 the cause of their so doing is, u Because straight is 
 the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto 
 life, and few there be that find it." And why so? 
 Because it is so contrary to nature. The carnal 
 mind in man is to be crucified ; for it is certain that 
 the fallen nature in man cannot be made subject to 
 the law of God, as Paul tells us in his epistle to the 
 Romans, viii chap. 7 verse, "Because the carnal 
 mind is enmity against God ; for it is not subject to 
 the law of God, neither indeed can be." Therefore, 
 in order to the crucifixion of (he old Adam, or that 
 corrupt nature in man, the believer must be willing 
 to receive the Baptism of suffering, or the Baptism 
 of fire. When the mother of Zehedee's two sons, 
 requested of Christ that he would grant, that her two 
 sons might set on his right and left hand in his 
 kingdom, Christ gave her to understand, that in or- 
 der to this, the Baptism of suffering would be indis- 
 pensably necessary ; and " that his father would 
 give it unto all them for whom it shall be prepared." 
 Mat. xx chap. 20, 23 verses. And John, the Bap- 
 
97 
 
 tist, speaking of Jesus Christ, declared, that he 
 would "baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire." 
 Mat. iii chap. 11 verse, Luke, iii chap. 21 verse. 
 This Baptism is very necessary to the purification oi 
 the believer; for it is certain, as we have already 
 stated, that the believer, in order to his purification, 
 must suffer the death of old Adam : therefore, we 
 may truly say, that we cannot be saved without suf- 
 fering for all they that will save their fallen nature, 
 shall lose their souls. 
 
 Jesus Christ devised a plan upon which every son 
 and daughter of Adam can be saved. Yes, the doc 
 trine which lie taught, if received in the love of it, 
 will effectually crucify us to the world, and the 
 world to us. Gal. vi chap. 14 verse. The apostle 
 speaks, in several places, of the crucifixion of tho, 
 old man. See Rom. vi 6, Gal. ii 20, 24. The 
 believer having the spirit ol Christ, will also have 
 the love of God shed abroad in his heart. Rom. v 
 chap. 5 verse. He is therefore qualified to run the 
 race which is set before him, and also fight the good 
 fight of Faith. He is now a soldier of the cross, and 
 must calculate on meeting with crosses, trials, and 
 difficulties, and much suffering. It is his privilege, 
 at all times, to have on the whole, armor of God 
 and, oh ! how necessary, seeing that we have such a 
 host of enemies to contend with, as the apostle has 
 declared, Ephesians, vi chap. 10 verse : "Finally, 
 my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the pow- 
 er of his might ; put on the whole armor of God that 
 ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the 
 devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, 
 but against principalities, against powers, against 
 the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spir- 
 itual wickedness in high places ; wherefore takeunto 
 you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able, to 
 ^ and in the evil day, and having done all,to stand* 
 9 
 
98 
 
 Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with 
 truth, and having on the breast-plate of righteous- 
 ness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the 
 Gospel of peace above all, taking the shield of 
 Faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the 
 fiery darts of the wicked ; and taking the helmet of 
 salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the 
 word of God." Now, there is no danger but that he 
 will prove a conqueror, if he makes good use of those 
 spiritual weapons. 
 
 The believer must watch and pray. Our Saviour 
 gave the command, as you can read, Mat. xxvi chap. 
 41 verse, " Watch and pray, that ye enter not into 
 temptation ; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh 
 is weak," for he knoweth not when he may be at- 
 tacked. The enemy is constantly going about seek- 
 ing whom he may devour ; but he can never prevail 
 against the believer, provided the believer does not 
 disobey the commands of Jesus. But should he ne- 
 glect his duty not watch unto prayer, and not ob- 
 serve all the precepts of Jesus he is sure to be de- 
 feated. I would advise the believer to guard against 
 that erroneous opinion of not lulling from grace. 
 There are many who believe that they cannot fall 
 from grace. I have my doubts of such characters. 
 They assuredly are under the influence of a wrong 
 spirit ; for we can read, that the apostle Paul did 
 not say that he had attained, or was perfect. Hear 
 his own words, and let those who can, put themselves 
 before the apostle : Philip, iii chap. 12, 14 verses, 
 "Not as though I had already attained, either were 
 already perfect, but I follow after, if that I may ap- 
 prehend that for which also I am apprehended. 
 Of Christ Jesus, Brethren, I count not myself to have 
 apprehended ; but this one thing I do forgetting 
 those things which are behind, and reaching forth 
 unto those things which are before, I press toward 
 
99 
 
 the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in 
 Christ Jesus." It would be well for those charac- 
 ters who believe that they cannot sin, or cannot fi- 
 nally fall from grace, so as to be lost, to bear in mind 
 that the angels themselves were liable to fall, and 
 that many did fall, and were expelled from heaven, 
 (See Rev. xii chap.) 
 
 It becometh us to guard against every opinion of 
 ourselves which does not lead into humiliation. Hu- 
 mility is the only soil in which the seeds of divine 
 grace will grow. The children of God will be very 
 harmless ; they are denominated sheep, in John, x 
 chap. Now those animals are very harmless; they 
 are a very clean animal, and yearly yield a fleece of 
 wool to their owners. In those particulars, they very 
 much resemble the children of God. Jesus charged 
 his disciples to be as " wise as serpents and harm- 
 less as doves.' 5 Mat, x chap. 16 verse. The doc- 
 trine which Jesus taught his disciples to observe, 
 will not allow them to retaliate or seek redress for 
 their grievances. Under the law, retaliation was al- 
 lowable, but not so under the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 
 He taught a harmless doctrine. Hear his words 
 upon this subject: Mat. v chap. 38, 48 verses, " Ye 
 have heard that it hath been said, an eye for an eye 
 and a tooth for a tooth." So strict was Moses 5 law, 
 that they had a right to bring their enemies to pun- 
 ishment, and that according to the deeds committed 
 by them. But this law Jias been disannulled in the 
 kingdom of grace that is, the subjects of Christ's 
 kingdom have no right to make use of this law. No 
 for the great head of the kingdom has taught and 
 commanded them not to resist evil : but whosoever 
 shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the 
 other also. This seems unjust in the eyes of the 
 world, and upon that ground they contend that the 
 children of God, as well as others, may appeal to 
 
100 
 
 the law, and obtain a redress for their injuries. In 
 answer to this, I say, that the command is plain, that 
 we shall not resist evil. It may then be asked, what 
 then are we to do in such cases ? I answer, we 
 must suffer; this is what the subjects of Christ's 
 kingdom, in all ages of the church, had to do. 
 Even the king himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, could 
 have had recourse upon his enemies, and put them 
 to death, if it would have been the will of God. 
 For instance In the garden of Gethsemane, when 
 his enemies came upon him and answered thrice, 
 that they sought Jesus of Nazareth, he caused them 
 to fall backward three times to the ground, and when 
 Peter drew his sword and smote off the ear of the 
 High Priest's servant, Jesus charged Peter to put up 
 his sword again into its place, for all they that take 
 the sword, shall perish with the sword. " Thinkest 
 thou that I cannot now pray to my father, and he 
 shall presently give me more than twelve legions of 
 angels ; but how then shall the Scriptures be fulfill- 
 ed, that thus it must ]be." Mat. xxvi chap. 51, 54 
 verses. And after he had given himself into the 
 hands of his enemies, he did not prevent them from 
 doing with him as they saw proper. He did not 
 strive to make his character appear blameless as it re- 
 ally was ; but bears with great patience all that af- 
 fliction that they inflicted upon him, without one 
 murmuring w r ord ; and in his last moments, he prays 
 to his father in their behalf: " Father forgive them, 
 for they know not what they do." Luke, xxiii chap. 
 34 verse. 
 
 Thus Jesus Christ did not only give his disciples 
 precepts to regulate their conduct upon such occa- 
 sions, but also examples. And again, the Saviour 
 declared, " If any man will sue thee at the law, and 
 take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also : 
 and whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go 
 
101 
 
 with him twain : give to him that asketh thee, and 
 from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou 
 away." These are such plain precepts, that they 
 need no comment ; and if we have any regard for 
 the lawgiver, and our holy profession, we shall strict- 
 ly observe them, and not, like many, put false con- 
 structions upon them, in order to save the old man 
 for these precepts are levelled against the carnal 
 mind, and will prove death to every evil passion in 
 the believer against a fellow mortal. - Christ, in the 
 the 43rd verse, reminded his disciples concerning 
 what the law said of loving a neighbor and hating 
 an enemy : u Ye have heard that it hath been said, 
 thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy :" 
 and in the 44th verse, of the abrogation of this law : 
 " Bat I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them 
 that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and 
 pray for them which despitefully use you and perse- 
 cute you." Where is the believer who observes this 
 precept ? Reader, it is to be hoped that there are 
 some to be found who do observe this command 
 but it is the smallest number. And this is not the 
 worst of it; there are thousands who deny the ob- 
 servance of this plain precept, by putting a false con- 
 struction upon it. Some are even so bold as to as- 
 sert that they can love their enemies, and take their 
 lives at the same time. But this is not that kind of 
 love which caused Jesus to die for his enemies. 
 And the Saviour adds, in the 45th verse, " That ye 
 may be the children of your father in heaven for he 
 maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, 
 and sendeth rain on the jus^and on the unjust." 
 46th verse, " For if ye love them which loA 7 e you, 
 what reward have ye ? do not even the publicans 
 the same ? "47th verse, " And if ye salute your breth- 
 ren only, what do ye more than others ? do not even 
 the publicans so ?" 48th verse, "Be ye therefore 
 9* 
 
102 
 
 perfect, even as your father which is in heaven is 
 perfect." 
 
 It is natural for men to love their friends, or those 
 who love them, and do them good ; but it is spirit- 
 ual, or agreeable to the spirit of Christ, to love our 
 enemies, to bless them that curse us, to do good to 
 them that hate us, and pray for them which despite- 
 fully use us and persecute us. We can find that the 
 apostle Paul taught the same doctrine: Rom. xii 
 chap. 14, 21 verses, " Bless them which persecute 
 you ; bless and curse not. Rejoice with them that 
 do rejoice, and weep. with them that weep. Be of 
 the same mind one towards another. Mind not high 
 things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be 
 not wise in your own conceit. Recompense to no 
 man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the 
 sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth 
 in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly belov- 
 ed, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place 
 unto wrath ; for it is written vengeance is mine I 
 will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore, if thine ene- 
 my hunger, feed him ; if he thirst, give him drink 
 for in so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his 
 head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil 
 with good." 
 
 Thus the believer can clearly discover his duty to- 
 wards his fellow mortal. It will not do for him to 
 evade the force of those commands, or try to get 
 around them. There are many, who profess to be 
 the children of God, who do contend, that it would 
 be no violation of their holy profession, to go to war 
 and to law as often as necessary. It is certain that 
 all such professors, who conduct themselves as above, 
 are under the law, and riot under grace, and belong 
 to the children of the night, and not to the children of 
 the day. 
 
 The apostle Paul declares, that " Though we walk 
 
103 
 
 in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh ; for the 
 weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty 
 through God to the pulling down strong holds, cast- 
 ing down imaginations, and every high thing that 
 exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and 
 bringing into captivity every thought to the obedi- 
 ence of Christ." ii Cor. x chap. 3, 5 verses. The 
 Christian's weapons are not carnal, such as sword 
 and musket, and other instruments of death ; but 
 mighty through God that is, those spiritual wea- 
 pons which are described in the vi chap. 10, 18 ver- 
 ses, of Paul to the Philippians. Pulling down strong 
 holds are those powerful besetments of human na- 
 ture, which every one can know for himself ; casting 
 down imaginations and every high thing these are 
 vain and numerous, and are in opposition to the 
 knowledge of every thing that ought to be brought 
 into subjection to our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 The reason why many cannot see into those things, 
 is, because they unite the law with the Gospel, and 
 thus conclude that they are under the law and the 
 Gospel. In the xii chapter, 1st verse, of the Reve- 
 lations, we have those points set forth in a figure : 
 John tells us that he " saw a great wonder in heaven, 
 a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under 
 her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars." 
 This woman may represent the true church of Christ, 
 the sun the Gospel, and the moon the civil and ec- 
 clesiastical law, the crown of twelve stars the twelve 
 apostles. The Gospel of Jesus Christ will ever be 
 a sun to the church, in addition with the twelve apos- 
 tles, which may be well compared to a crown of 
 twelve stars. 
 
 From those representations, the reader can learn, 
 that the church of Christ hath the law under her feet 
 She is above the law ; therefore, the children of 
 God are called the children of the day, the children 
 
104 
 
 of the light, i Thes. v chap. 5 verse, Luke, xvi 
 chap. 8 verse ; and it is their privilege to walk in 
 the light of the sun, and having such a great light, 
 they can discern a great many objects^ which other- 
 wise would not he seen. 
 
 The reader, no doubt, has noticed particles of 
 dust in the shine of the sun, which could not be seen 
 if it were not for the shine of the sun. Just so with 
 the believer ; when in the full shine of the Gospel, 
 he discovers a great many imperfections, which he 
 never would have seen had it not been for the Gos- 
 pel of Jesus Christ. The unconverted are denomi- 
 nated the children of the world, and the children of 
 the night. They walk by the light of the moon, 
 (law,) and having only the light of the moon, they 
 can but discover coarse objects that is, only such 
 things as the law forbids. There are others who 
 walk for a while by twilight ; they are such as have 
 an insight of their lost and ruined state but if they 
 should not be obedient, night will soon overtake 
 them. Day always breaks, or dawns, before we can 
 see the sun. When the Gospel begins to dawn in- 
 to the heart of the sinner, then it is, that light shines 
 in every dark corner, and as darkness must give 
 place to light, the sinner becomes illuminated by 
 Gospel light. He sees and views many things dif- 
 ferently from what he formerly did ; and if he does 
 not strive against the light, he will see and feel the 
 Gospel sun rising with heavenly splendor in his 
 heart, expelling nature's darkness ; and then it is, 
 that he becomes full of eyes, within and without, 
 like unto the four living creatures that we read of in 
 the fourth chapter of the book of Revelations. 
 
 When we speak thus concerning the law, some 
 infer that we mean that the children of God are to 
 oppose the civil powers. But not so for I say it is 
 right, and agreeable to the will of God, that as long 
 
105 
 
 as there are lawless and disobedient persons on the 
 earth, that there should exist a civil authority ; and 
 when I say that the children of God are not under 
 the law, I mean that they are not to make use of 
 the law, so as to compel any of their fellow mortals 
 into measures, or to bring any of them unto punish- 
 ment. No, no the children of God must not take 
 vengeance of any man. To establish this assertion, 
 we have the precepts and examples of Jesus Christ, 
 and his apostles. We can read no where in the 
 Gospel, that Jesus Christ, or his apostles, made use 
 of the law in their defence, so as to bring their ene- 
 mies to punishment. Jesus Christ and the apostles 
 were harmless and inoffensive; they never brought any 
 of the children of men to punishment, though they 
 might have justly deserved it. Christ declared that 
 he came not to destroy, but to save the world. The 
 apostle tells us, that "The law is not made for a 
 righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, 
 for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and 
 profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of 
 mothers, for man&layers, for whoremongers, for them 
 that defile themselves with mankind, for men-steal- 
 ers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be 
 any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine." 
 i Tim. i chap, 9, 10 verses. Now it is certain that 
 11 those who obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ, are 
 lot guilty of such conduct, as is named in the above 
 verses : therefore, the law can take no hold of them ; 
 Jiey are above such conduct, and, of course, out of 
 ;he reach of the law. Furthermore, it is certain 
 'hat those who obey the Gospel are righteous in all 
 heir conduct ; therefore, the law is not made for 
 hem. But should they, at any time, be guilty of 
 inch conduct, for which the law is made, then they 
 ire no longer under the Gospel, but under the law ; 
 nd the law has a right to bring them to punish" 
 
106 
 
 ishment. And when I say that the children of God 
 are not under the law, I do not wish to be understood 
 that I believe that they are in no case amenaDle to 
 the law. No I believe that it is the duty of the 
 church of Christ to obey the law, in all such cases 
 as do not come in contact with the precepts of the 
 Gospel. That it is the duty of the members of 
 Christ's church to obey the civil authority, in all her 
 just demands, is very evident. For instance w T hen 
 those who received tribute money, asked our Lord's 
 disciples, whether their Master paid tribute ? they 
 answered them, yes ; and as Christ did not think it 
 right to offend, he charged his disciples " to go to 
 the sea, and cast, an hook, and take up the fish that 
 first cometh up, and when thou hast opened his 
 mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money, that take and 
 give unto them for me and thee." Mat. xvii chap. 24 9 
 27 verses. " Then saith he unto them, render there- 
 fore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and 
 unto God the things that are God's." Mat. xxii 
 chap. 21 verse. 
 
 Thus it is plain, that our Saviour did not refuse 
 to pay tribute, and if he did not, I do not see why 
 his disciples should. And the apostle Paul, in his 
 letter to the Romans, xiii chap, treats this subject at 
 large. In this chapter, he charges every soul to bj 
 subject unto the higher powers that no one should t 
 rebel against the civil authorities, but to be obedi- 
 ent: u For there is no power but of God, the pow- 
 ers that be are ordained of God." Here it will not 
 be amiss for me to remark, that those powers which [ 
 the apostle speaks of, as being ordained of God, 
 cannot mean a base and corrupt government, or such ; 
 powers as are in opposition to the Gospel of Jesus 
 Christ: for if you admit, that all the powers that ' 
 were, and are, in the world, have been ordained by . 
 God, then you must also admit, that it was the pow- > 
 
107 
 
 ers of God which put Jesus Christ, the apostles, and 
 all the holy martyrs to death ; which cannot be true, 
 if the Gospel is from God. No we must believe, 
 that all those powers which are ordained by God, 
 are such as will not punish a righteous man, or one 
 who feels it his duty to obey the Gospel. It is cer- 
 tain that all those powers which do oppose the pre- 
 cepts of the Gospel, are not from God ; for God will 
 never oppose himself. The apostle, in the 2d verse, 
 writes, u Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the power, 
 resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist, 
 shall receive to themselves damnation." Thus it is 
 plain, that we have no right to resist those powers 
 which have been ordained by the Lord, and that if 
 we do so, we do it to our own condemnation. And 
 in the 3d verse : " For rulers are not a terror to good 
 works, but to the evil : wilt thou not be afraid of 
 the powers ? do that which is good, and thou shalt 
 have praise of the same." I do believe that the above 
 is a solemn truth. Under every republican govern- 
 ment, such powers do always punish the evil, and 
 protect and speak well of the good : therefore, the 
 children of God ought not to be obstinate, but cheer- 
 fully and willingly, as far as it lays in their power, 
 to pay all those fines and taxes which the govern- 
 ment may impose upon them, on account of their 
 not bearing arms, in times of war, and their taxes in 
 common with all the citizens of the commonwealth ; 
 for so the apostle gives us to understand in the 6th 
 and 7th verses : For this cause pay ye tribute also, 
 for they are God's ministers attending continually 
 upon this very thing. Render, therefore, to all their 
 dues tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to 
 whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom 
 honor. 
 
 Dear reader, I will now write a little concerning 
 an objection that is generally, made against the harm- 
 
108 
 
 less doctrine of Jesus Christ. It is very common to 
 hear persons say, that if all professed such principles, 
 that some foreign power would come and take away 
 our land and country. We read in the Gospel that 
 this was an objection to the doctrine of Jesus Christ, 
 when Christ himself was yet upon the earth : John, 
 ii chap. 48 verse, " If we let him thus alone, all men 
 will believe on him, and the Romans shall come and 
 take away both our place and nation." The Jews 
 certainly understood the doctrine of Christ as forbid- 
 ding all self-defence ; they, therefore, considered it 
 a very dangerous doctrine, and spake against it, 
 But this objection can be easily answered by all those 
 who love their enemies,- and are willing to suffer for 
 the word of God. The first Christians thought it a 
 great honor to suffer for the name of Jesus, as we can 
 read in Acts, v chap. 40, 41 verses : " And when 
 they had called the apostles and beaten them, they 
 commanded that they should not speak in the name 
 of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from 
 the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were 
 counted worthy to suffer shame for his name." And 
 that was agreeable to the sayings of Jesus, as you 
 read in Mat. v chap. 11, 12 verses : " Blessed 
 ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, 
 und shall say all manner of evil against you falsely 
 for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for 
 great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted 
 they the prophets which went before you." 0, that 
 all the children of men understood the nature and 
 possessed the love of God ! Then there would be 
 no objections to that course of conduct which the 
 children of God such as are under the influence of 
 that blessed spirit which dwelt in the Lord Jesus 
 Christ do manifest towards their enemies. The 
 <!ren of God must consider themselves, like sheep, 
 counted for the slaughter- ; patient and harmless, the? 
 
109 
 
 ought not to let tribulations or afflictions separate them 
 from the love of God, as the apostle writes in Rom. 
 viii chap. 35, 39 verses : u Who shall separate us 
 from the love of God ? Shall tribulations, or distress, 
 or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or 
 Sword ? As it is writ-ten, for thy sake we are killed 
 all the day long ; we are accounted as sheep for the 
 slaughter ; nay, in all these things, we are more than 
 conquerors through him that loved us. For I am 
 persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, 
 nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor 
 things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other 
 creature, shall be able to separate us from the love 
 of God which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. 
 
 OF SWEARING, OR BEING UNDER 
 AN OATH. 
 
 THE subjects of Christ's kingdom must not swear, 
 or be under an oath. Hear the law of the King up- 
 on this subject : Mat. v chap. 33, 37 verses, " Again 
 ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old 
 time, thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform 
 unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you 
 swear not at all, neither by Heaven, for it is God's 
 throne, nor by the earth for it is his footstool, nei- 
 ther by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 
 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou 
 canst not make one hair white or black, but let your 
 communications be yea, yea, nay, nay, for whatsoever 
 is more than these cometh of evil." And the Apos- 
 tle James writes thus in his epistle, vchap. 12 verse, 
 " But above all things, my brethren, swear not, nei- 
 ther by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any 
 other oath ; but let your yea be yea, and your nay be 
 
110 
 
 ri ay, lest ye fall into condemnation. This is so plain 
 that it needs no comment. But ii is astonishing, 
 that so many, who profess to be the subjects of 
 Christ's kingdom, do overlook, or wilfully transgress 
 this plain commandment ; and furthermore, there is 
 no necessity for the children of God to swear or be 
 under an oath. The Government, as far as I know, 
 under which we live, is so kind as not to compel 
 the conscientious to swear or be under an oath; an 
 affirmation, yea, yea, or nay, nay, is all that the Gov- 
 ernment will require. Therefore, it is a violation of 
 the law of Christ, for his followers to be under oath. 
 The followers of Christ ought to be men of truth, so 
 that their word may be received without an oath. 
 
 OF NON-CONFORMITY TO THE 
 WORLD. 
 
 JESUS CHRIST declared ? that his 'disciples are not 
 of the world. John, xvii chap. 16 verse. That is, 
 they do not imitate the world in its sinful fashions i 
 and maxims yea, in many things in which the un- 
 converted do not discover any impropriety, and even 
 many of the professed disciples of Christ do also 
 contend that there is no necessity to be so particular 
 as it respects the fashions of the world that is as 
 much as to say, that a person may be a Christian and 
 also a follower of the fashions of the world. Now, 
 all those who plead for the unnecessary fashions ofi 
 the world let them be professors of religion, or 
 not I contend, have a proud heart, and are not 
 willing to walk in the path of self-denial. I would 
 advise such professors of religion to call to mind and 
 seriously reflect upon what Christ declared in Luke, 
 xri chap. 15 verse: "And he said unto them, ye 
 
Ill 
 
 are they which justify yourselves before men, but 
 God knoweth your hearts ; for that which is highly 
 esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of 
 God." 
 
 By those fashions and maxims of the world, which 
 the children of God are not to observe, I allude to 
 the unnecessary adorning of the body, which, it is 
 certain, is merely done to create lust ; and also in 
 sporting such as horse-racing, gambling, dancing, 
 cursing, swearing, lying, drunkenness, and many 
 more such like practices, which many of the children 
 of this world are guilty of. It would be well for all 
 to bear in mind, that every thing that has a tendency 
 let it be ever so simple or which is calculated to 
 exalt or keep alive that fallen nature in man, must 
 be abandoned. The children of God have a right 
 to use the world, but not to abuse it as the apostle 
 writes, in his first epistle to the Corinthians, vii chap. 
 29, 31 verses: "But this I say, brethren, the time 
 is short. It remaineth, that both they that have 
 wives, be as though they had none ; and they that 
 weep, as though they wept not ; and they that re- 
 joice, as though they rejoiced not ; and they that buy, 
 as though they possessed not; and they that use 
 this world, as not abusing it for the fashion of 
 this world passeth aw r ay." 
 
 Now, the world can be abused in many ways. 
 For instance-^ If we spend our money for that which 
 is of no real advantage to soul or body, it is abusing 
 the world ; and, oh ! how many hundreds and thou- 
 sands of dollars are spent for finery, &c., which, in- 
 stead of humbling people, only makes them prouder. 
 The children of God, in all things, ought to observe 
 plainness in dress, manners, &c., and not conform 
 to the world in its giddy and foolish fashions. No, 
 they are to be a distinct and separate people from the 
 rid. 
 
112 
 
 I do not believe that persons, who undertake to 
 supplicate a throne of mercy, having their bodies 
 adorned with such things as are intended merely to 
 attract the notice of the eye, are seldom or ever heard,: 
 therefore, it becometh us to present our bodies, as 
 well as our souls, a living sacrifice unto God. So 
 the apostle writes, in Romans, xii chap. 1, 2 ver- 
 ses: "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the 
 mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living 
 sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your 
 reasonable service. And be not conformed to this 
 world ; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your 
 mind, that ye may prove what is that good and ac- 
 ceptable and perfect will of God." Again, the apos- 
 tle tells us, " to let our moderation be known to all 
 men." Phi!, iy chap. 5 verse. That it is our duty 
 to observe plainness, see i Ret. iii chap. 3, 5 verses, i 
 Tim. 2, 9 verses. 
 
 ON FEET WASHING. 
 
 BAPTISM is not the only institution which Jesus 
 Christ established for his church to observe : but in 
 examining the Gospel, we find, that in the same 
 night in which he was betrayed into the hands of 
 sinners, he did establish three other institutions, to 
 be all observed, in order, at one meeting namely, 
 Feet Washing, the Supper, and the Communion ; 
 and I do intend to write upon those three institutions. 
 11 commence at Feet Washing, which was the 
 first of the three instituted and observed by Christ 
 
 postles, 
 
 ' Washing is an institution which the major 
 part of the pn of religion contend is no com- 
 
 mandment. If Feet Washing be no commandment. 
 
113 
 
 then there is no commandment to be found in the 
 Gospel. But it is evident that Christ gave as plain 
 a commandment for the observance of this institution, 
 as he did that we should repent for our sins. In 
 the 13th chapter of our Lord's Gospel according to 
 St. John, we can read of the establishment of this 
 institution. I shall, for the satisfaction of the rea- 
 der, insert in this place, so much of the chapter as is 
 connected with this subject, and then paraphrase up- 
 on the same, agreeably to that light and knowledge 
 which I have upon the subject. 
 
 He riseth from supper, and laying aside his gar- 
 ments, took a towel and girded himself.. After that, he 
 poureth water in a bason and began to wash the 
 disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel 
 wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Si- 
 mon Peter, and Peter said unto him, Lord, dost thou 
 wash my feet ? Jesus answered and said unto him, 
 what I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt 
 know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, thou shalt 
 never wash my ieet. Jesus answered him, if I wash 
 thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter 
 said unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my 
 hands, and my head. Jesus saith to him, he that is 
 washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is 
 clean every whit, and ye are clean, but not all ; for 
 he knew who should betray him, therefore said he, 
 ye are all not clean. So after he had washed their 
 feet; and had taken his garments and was set down 
 again, he said unto thern> know ye what I have done 
 to you ? Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye say 
 well, for so I am. If I, then, your Lord and Master, 
 have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one 
 another's feet ; for I have given you an example, 
 that ye should do as I have done to you. Verify, 
 verily, I say unto you, the servant is not greater than 
 Jbis Lord, neither he that is sent greater than he that 
 10* 
 
114 
 
 sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if 
 ye do them. John, xiii chap. 4, 17 verses. 
 
 He rLeth from supper. From this expression, and 
 an other in the 2d verse of this chapter, and supper 
 being ended, some conclude that the supper was eat- 
 en i n consequence of which, some denominations 
 who observe the institution of Feet Washing, do it 
 alter supper. But they are most assuredly in an er- 
 ror ; for it is certain, that Christ did wash the disci- 
 ples' feet before the supper was eaten, and not after- 
 wards ; which I shall endeavor to make plain. 
 From the expressions; he riseth from supper, and 
 supper being ended, w r e are to understand nothing 
 more, than that the supper was finished, and that 
 Christ arose from a prepared table. This way of 
 explaining those expressions harmonizes with the 
 Scripture throughout. The faithful have always ob- 
 served Feet Washing before eating. When Abra- 
 ham received the three messengers, he said, " Let 
 a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your 
 feet and rest yourselves under the tree, and I will 
 fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts ; 
 after that ye shall pass on, for therefore are ye come 
 to your servant and they said so do as they hast 
 said." Gen. xviii chap. 4, 5 verses. From the 
 reading of those two verses, it seems plain to me, 
 that they washed their feet before they ate. Again 
 As it respects Joseph's brethren, it reads, " And 
 the man brought them into Joseph's house, and gave 
 them water and they washed their feet." Gen. xliii 
 chap. 24 verse. The 25th verse reads, " And they 
 made ready the present against Joseph came at noon 
 for they heard that they should eat bread there." 
 For further proof respecting the practice of Feet 
 Washing, see the following places : Geii. xix 2, 
 xxiv 32. 
 
 Again If you will closely examine the 13th chap- 
 
115 
 
 ter of John, you may know from the same, that 
 Christ washed the feet before supper. For instance 
 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken 
 his gapments, and was set down again that is ? at 
 the table: (Now the feet were washed, and when 
 Christ was set down again at the table, then they- 
 commenced the eating of the supper is plain from 
 the 26th verse :) " Jesus answered, he it is to whom 
 I shall give a sop when I have dipped it, and when 
 he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, 
 the son of Simon." Adam Clarke comments as fol- 
 lows upon the same subject, verse 2d : And supper- 
 being ended rather while supper was preparing. 
 It appears that the supper was not then ended ; nay, 
 it is probable that it was not then begun, because 
 the washing of feet (verse 5) was usually practised 
 by the Jews before they entered upon their meals, as 
 may be gathered from Luke, vii chap. 44 verse. By 
 the supper, I suppose to be meant, not only the eat- 
 ing of it, but the preparing and dressing of it. Verse 
 4th: He riseth from supper not from eating, as 
 Bishop Pearce has well observed, but from his place 
 at table. Probably the dishes were not as yet laid 
 down, though the guests were seated, according to 
 the custom of the Jews and other Asiatics. This 
 washing must have taken place before the supper. 
 Feet Washing has a spiritual meaning, and on that 
 account many reject the observance of it. They tell 
 us, that Christ only intended by this circumstance to 
 teach his disciples humility. In part, I admit the 
 assertion. But can that be taken as an evidence 
 that it is not to be observed literally ? If so, then 
 Baptism and the Communion are not to be observed 
 for they also have a spiritual meaning. Where 
 can you find in the Gospel a plainer command than 
 the words of our Saviour to his disciples concerning 
 Feet Washing ? Dear reader, hear again with atten- 
 
116 
 
 tion ; oh! labor to possess a teachable disposition, 
 and hearken to the words of the Lord : " Know ye 
 what I have done to you ? Ye call me Master and 
 Lord, and ye say well, for so I am. If I, then, your 
 Lord and 'Master, have washed your feet, ye also 
 ought to wash one another's feet ; for I have given 
 you an example, that ye should do as I have done to 
 you. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye 
 do them." Do not endeavor to evade the general 
 application of those words, or to confine them to the 
 twelve apostles. 
 
 To give you a gentle check at this place, let me 
 refer you to the apostolic commission, Mat. xxviii 
 chap. 20 verse: " Teaching them to observe all 
 things whatsoever I have commanded you ; and lo ! 
 I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world, 
 amen." You admit that Christ commanded his 
 ties to wash one another's feet, and from the 
 e passage, you can perceive that it was the du- 
 ty of the apostles to teach all baptized persons to 
 observe the same. I cannot believe that Christ had 
 been in the habit of washing his disciples' feet ; if 
 so, Peter would not have been so much astonished, 
 and also manifested so much reluctance upon that 
 occasion. When the Saviour presented the basin to 
 Peter, he immediately observed, Lord, dost thou 
 wash my feet ? Whereas, if Christ had been in the 
 habit of so doing, it appears reasonable that he (Pe- 
 ter) would not have made any enquiry about the 
 matter but as being performed by the Lord, whom 
 he held in the highest esteem and veneration it 
 was said to Peter, what I do thou knowest not now, 
 but thou shaltknow hereafter. From these words, 
 Peter fully discovered his Lord's intention, and at 
 once refused Thou shalt never wash my feet; I 
 acknowledge thee to be my Lord and Master, and 
 ihus viewing thee in that light, how can I consent 
 
117 
 
 that thou shoiildst wash my feet ? The Lord gave 
 Peter to understand, that an objection to his will ? 
 wouU^e an objection to his having any part irr 
 him.^5f I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 
 Peter took the admonition, and with great fervency, 
 besought the Lord not to defer the matter, because 
 of his obstinacy, in as much as he was now willing, 
 not only to have his feet washed, but also his hands 
 and his head, signifying that he might exercise his 
 power over every part of his body. 
 
 I have said that Feet Washing hath a spiritual im- 
 port. In the first place, I believe it represents that 
 brotherly chastisement, which the children of God 
 are sometimes called upon to exercise one towards 
 another. Christ told his disciples, that the spirit is 
 willing, but the flesh is weak. As long as we are 
 in the flesh, we are liable to err and to commit tres- 
 passes ; therefore, the Saviour saw proper to instruct 
 his church how to proceed, so as to reclaim and re- 
 store offenders : seethe 18th chapter of St. Mathew's 
 Gospel from which it is plain, that it is not the 
 will of our Heavenly Father, that one of his childien 
 should fall a prey to the great adversary of souls. 
 Peter tells us, that our adversary, the devil, goeth 
 about, continually, like a roaring lion, seeking whose 
 soul he may devour. It is certain, that the best 
 Christians are liable to be tempted. The Saviour 
 himself was tempted, and showed us how to proceed 
 when tempted; (read the 4th chap, of Mat.) and 
 should we, through weakness, or neglect of duty, be 
 led to violate our holy calling, in committing a tres- 
 pass against a brother, it becometh us to acknow- 
 ledge our fault and ask forgiveness. Christ instructs 
 the offender what course to pursue, so as to gain his 
 disobedient brother : Moreover, if thy brother shall 
 commit a trespass against thee, go and tell him his 
 fault between thee and him alone, and if he shall 
 
118 
 
 hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. Go and 
 tell him his fault between thee and him alone. From 
 this we learn, that it is the duty of the offendo^o go 
 and reason the offence with his disobedient Vrmlier. 
 It is to be done privately between thee and him 
 alone. At this place, we cannot be too cautious-^- 
 -and, oh ! how often do we err, or neglect our duty, 
 in complying with the above. Instead of proceeding 
 immediately, we permit the offence to take such a 
 deep root in our hearts, and blaze thetnatter abroad, 
 and that to the great hurt of both parties. We ought, 
 at all times, to possess a great concern for the pros? 
 perity of every member particularly towards those 
 of our brethren who are in danger of going astray. 
 
 Now, Feet Washing represents that, course which 
 we are to pursue. For instance You observe, that 
 in order to wash a brother's feet, you must bend or 
 stoop yourself; and, secondly, your brother gives 
 his feet into your hands, and then you can wash 
 them. In like manner, to gain, or have a brother 
 cleansed from his trespasses, we must go in love and 
 with great humility, and apprize our brother of his 
 conduct, expostulating in an humble manner with 
 him, and by so doing, it may be, that your brother 
 will receive the admonition, and give himself into 
 your hands, so that you can wash him from his tres- 
 passes, which is accomplished whenever a reconcil- 
 iation takes place. Whereas, it may be, if you had 
 not humbled yourself that is, bent or stooped before 
 your brother, he would not have acknowledged his. 
 fault that is, given himself into your hands, (in or- 
 der to forgiveness,) so that you might forgive that, 
 is, wash him, 
 
 Secondly, Feet Washing represents that state of 
 purification through which the believer must pass, so 
 as to be received at the coming of Christ : for then 
 it is, that he ( Christ) will send his angels with a 
 
119 
 
 great sounding trumpet, and they (his ang-els) shall 
 gather his elect together, from the four winds, from 
 one end of heaven to the other. The believer may 
 be said to have entered upon a state of purification 
 at the time of his adoption into the family of God. 
 He is now a branch in Christ, the true vine, and must; 
 now be careful and produce such fruit as will termi- 
 nate in his souPs salvation. John, v chap. He must 
 abide in the truth all the days of his life. Christ 
 hath said, if the truth makes you free, then you shall 
 be free indeed. It is by and through the word and 
 Spirit of God, that we can arrive unto a state of 
 sanctification. John, xv chapter/' Now ye are clean 
 through the word which I have spoken unto you." 
 Chap, xvii, verse 17, " Sanctify them through thy 
 truth : thy word is truth." 
 
 Feet Washing must be observed before supp er 
 for every time the believer attends to this institution y 
 he must call to mind, that now, in this present time; 
 he must equip, or qualify himself, having on the wed- 
 ding garment of righteousness, so that he may be 
 found in a state of readiness at the coming of his 
 heavenly bridegroom, and enter in with him to the 
 
 OF THE HOLY KISS. 
 
 IT is the duty of brethren to salute one another 
 with an Holy Kiss. The inspired apostle Paul, in 
 his epistle to the Romans, xvi chap. 16 verse, hath 
 given the law for this practice : " Salute one anoth- 
 er with an Holy Kiss" and in i Cor. xvi chap. 20 
 verse : " Greet ye one another with an Holy Kiss " 
 and likewise the apostle Peter hath commanded 
 the observance of the same : ii Pet. v chap. 14 verse, 
 
120 
 
 cc Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. 5 .' The 
 literal observance of this command, is simply to touch 
 with the lips ; and I will venture to say, that we have 
 not, in the Bible or Testament, a plainer command 
 of any thing, than that of the observance of the Ho- 
 ly Kiss. The apostle does not say when or how 
 often we shall salute one another. From this, I take 
 it for granted, that it ought to be freo uently observ- 
 ed. Whenever brethren give one another the right 
 hand of fellowship, at times of meeting for divine 
 service, and when a member is received by Baptism 
 into the church that is, upon his coming up out of 
 the water, those upon the shore or bank of the water, 
 ought to give him the right hand of fellowship, ac- 
 companied with the salutation of the Kiss ; and es- 
 pecially when we observe Feet Washing, and just 
 before we celebrate the communion, this can be done 
 in an orderly manner, so as to cause no confusion. 
 Whenever a brother has washed and wiped a broth- 
 er's feet, he ought immediately to give his brother 
 the right hand, accompanied with the salutation of 
 the Kiss ; and immediately after the Lord's Supper 
 has been partaken of, and just before the celebration 
 of the Communion, it ought again to be observed 
 which can be done without causing any interruption. 
 The members being all seated at the table, let the 
 Kiss commence at one end of the table, and so pass 
 along, until every member has been saluted with 
 hand and Kiss. Oh ! how solemn and important is 
 the observance of this duty upon such occasions. 
 The members being invited to call to mind the death 
 and sufferings of their Lord and Master, and not 
 knowing how soon they may be called upon to seal 
 with their blood the testimony of the truth, as it is 
 in Jesus ; it therefore becometh the members to bind 
 themselves with hand and Kiss, to be true to one 
 another not to forsake one another in times of trib- 
 
121 
 
 ulation but, as Joh^says, to lay down their lives 
 for the brethren. 
 
 We are informed by Godfred Arnold, in his Por- 
 trait of the First Christians, that they (the first Chris- 
 tians) at their love-feasts, saluted one another twice, 
 with hand and Kiss, it is highly probable, at the 
 time of Feet Washing, and between the Lord's Sup- 
 per and the Communion, as we have already obser- 
 ved. The spiritual import of this performance is 
 spiritual affection, and is intended to promote mutual 
 love among the fraternity. It has been supposed to 
 have been used by men and women separately that 
 is, brethren to salute brethren, and sisters to salute 
 sisters. There can be no impropriety in a brother 
 giving a sister the right hand of fellowship, nor for 
 a sister to give a brother the right hand of fellowship. 
 
 THE LORD'S SUPPER. 
 
 BY the Lord's Supper, we are not to understand 
 the bread and wine. The bread and wine, no where 
 in the Gospel, is called the Lord's Supper: and as 
 this is a point on which Ihe majority of the professors 
 of Christianity will differ with me ; yea, nearly all of 
 our learned divines, as they are termed, do oppose 
 me in the above assertion for, as far as I know, they 
 all do term the bread and wine the Lord's Supper ; 
 and because they write and speak so, thousands are 
 led to believe that it must be so. And, again, thou- 
 sands and tens of thousands, no doubt, have never 
 heard any thing to the contrary. I shall, therefore, 
 be as particular as possible, in proving, from the 
 word of God, that the bread and wine are not term- 
 ed, in the Gospel, the Lord's Supper. The phrase, 
 " the Lord's Supper," is only to be found in one 
 11 -T 
 
122 
 
 place in the Gospel, i Cor. u^hap. 20 verse when 
 ye come together, thereforc^Rnto one place, this is 
 not to eat the Lord's Supper ; and because the apos- 
 tle, in this chapter, speaks of the bread and wine, it 
 is inferred, that he has an allusion to the same which 
 I shall now endeavor to show to the reverse. 
 
 A question presents itself what, then, are we to 
 understand by the Lord's Supper ? I answer, that 
 meal which the faithful partake of, immediately after 
 Feet Washing, and just before the Communion. 
 What is it that constitutes that meal ? I answer, 
 that which is calculated to refresh the body. It is 
 a common meal, but it must be observed as the 
 Lord's meal, or Supper ; because it is of his appoint- 
 ment. In the 13th chapter of John, we have an 
 account of Christ eating a. meal with his apostles, 
 or, as it is termed, a supper. John calls it a supper 
 some understand it, of a supper prepared for our 
 Lord and his apostles, a day or two before the pass 
 over. It cannot be disputed but that our Lord did 
 celebrate the passover with his apostles ; for in the 
 26th chapter of Mathew, and in Luke, the 22d chap- 
 ter, we have an account of Christ eating the passover 
 with his apostles, and it may be, that in as much as 
 Christ partook of a meal at the time that he gave them, 
 the institution of Feet Washing and the Communion, 
 that they gathered their authority for eating a meal 
 upon such occasions. Let that be as it may, it is 
 evident that they did eat a supper upon such occa- 
 sions ; and that the same was termed by the apostle 
 the Lord's Supper. Whereas, if they had had no 
 authority for so doing, the apostles would not have 
 called it the Lord's Supper, but would have given 
 them to understand, that the like ought not to be ob- 
 served at such times. 
 
 I must invite your attention to the 1 1th chapter of 
 the 1st epistle of Paul to the Corinthians : the 1 7th 
 
verse reads thus " Now in this that I declare unto 
 you, I praise you not, in that ye come together, not 
 for the better, but for the worse." In coming to- 
 gether to observe the ordinances ol the Lord's House, 
 we ought to be vary particular in observing them 
 agreeably to their appointment. A deviation from 
 this rule will subject us to the severest censures, as 
 perveriers of the sacred institutions of Jesus Christ ; 
 and instead of being benefitted, we shall only injure 
 ourselves : therefore, let us keep the ordinances as 
 they have been delivered unto us. 18th verse: 
 "For first of all, when ye come together in the 
 church, I hear that there be divisions among ye, and 
 I partly believe it." 19th: "For there must be 
 heresies among you, that they which are approved 
 may be made manifest among you." It appears 
 from the above, that the Corinthians were a divided 
 people, separating themselves into little parties, and 
 those schisms were the result of those heresies which 
 which had been introduced among them by some of 
 their brethren designing characters ; and God suf- 
 fered it to be so, that they which were approved 
 might be made manifest. It appears that they were 
 not all corrupted by those heresies which had crept 
 in among them. No, there were some who were for 
 the old order, and would not yield to those erroneous 
 opinions which threatened their downfal. 20th verse : 
 "'When ye come together, therefore, untn one place, 
 this is not to eat the Lord's Supper." Paul says, 
 in the 21st verse, " For in eating every one taketh 
 before other his own supper, and one is hungry, and 
 another is drunken." What does Paul mean by these 
 words ? Why, he means, that the Corinthians were 
 not united in their love-feasts, or supper, as he calls 
 it they "did not tarry until the proper time ; and we 
 may infer from the above, that they had formerly Deen 
 in the habit of uniting in finding the provision for 
 
124 
 
 the Lord's Supper, and also in partaking of it. But 
 when they gave way to those heresies, they got into 
 a state of disorder, and it was owing to this disor- 
 der and abuse of the ordinance, which led the apos- 
 tle to declare unto them, that they did not eat the 
 Lord's Supper and proceeds to set aside that dis- 
 order which had got among them. 22d verse;. 
 u What ! have ye not houses to eat and drink in? 
 or despise ye the church of God, and shame them 
 that have not ? What shall I say to you ? shall I 
 praise you in this? I praise you not. 5 ' Now there 
 are some to be found, who undertake to prove from 
 these words, that the apostle plainly gave the Corin- 
 thians to understand, that they ought not to eat a 
 supper upon such occasions which, I believe, was 
 the least of his intention. It was merely that disor- 
 der which he wished to have removed from them, 
 and not the disannulling of the Lord's Supper ; for, 
 if that had been his intention, he would not have 
 written as he did in the 33d verse : " Wherefore, 
 my brethren, when ye corne together to eat, tarry ye 
 one for another," that is what he w T anted them to 
 do a and if any man hunger, 5 ; if he be so hungry 
 that he cannot wait until the proper time, he had bet- 
 ter stay his appetite at home, than to come together 
 to condemnation " and the rest will I set in order 
 when I come." There were more things which the 
 apostle had to set in order in the church at Corinth. 
 I have said that the church at Corinth was not in 
 a state of union. This is evident from the language 
 of the apostle : every one taketh before other his own 
 supper. That is, they eat that provision which they 
 procured for the Lord's Supper : therefore, because 
 they were so selfish and illiberal as not to unite with 
 the church, but to eat their own provision, they did 
 not eat the Lord's Supper, but their own supper- 
 each one being master over his own provison and 
 
125 
 
 - 
 
 . one is hungry and another is drunken so that those 
 who found nothing, not from the want of a disposi- 
 tion, but from other causes, received nothing, and 
 became hungry ; and those who had the control over 
 a certain portion, partook of the same to such an ex- 
 cess, as to become drunken. 
 
 Again I have said, that they did not observe the 
 proper time when the meal was to be partaken of. 
 It may be, that they took it in the day ; they must 
 have erred in that place, or it would not have been 
 necessary for the apostle to be so particular in re- 
 minding them of the time ; 23 verse, " For I have 
 received of the Lord that which I also delivered un- 
 to you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which 
 he was betrayed, (that is, not in the day time, but 
 in the night,) he took bread," &c. We have no pos- 
 itive evidence, in the Gospel, that the apostles cele- 
 brated this institution in the day time but to the 
 contrary. We can read plainly, that they did eat 
 and break the bread at night. In the 20th chapter 
 of the Acts of the apostles, we can read of the disci- 
 ples coming together upon the first day of the week 
 to break bread. The intention of their meeting to- 
 gether at that time was to break bread. It is highly 
 probable that they met together upon other days, as 
 well as the first day of the week, for that purpose. 
 We can read in Acts, ii chap. 46 verse, "And they 
 continuing daily, with one accord, in the temple, and 
 breaking bread from house to house, did eat their 
 meat with gladness and singleness of heart." Their 
 meeting together upon the first day of the week is 
 no evidence that it is the law of Christ that upon 
 every first day of the week, and upon no other day, 
 we must meet together for that purpose. Though 
 it reads that they met together upon the first day of 
 the week to break bread, yet it is certain that they 
 did not do it until night : Acts, xx chap. 7 verse, 
 
126 
 
 " Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the 
 morrow, and there were many lights in the upper 
 chamber, where they were gathered together, and 
 there sat in a window a certain young man, named 
 Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep ; and as 
 Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, 
 and fell down from the third loft and was taken up for 
 dead. And Paul went down, and fell upon him, and 
 embracing him, said, trouble not yourselves, for his 
 life is in him. When he therefore was come up 
 again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked 
 a long while, even till break of day, so he departed." 
 Now, it is plain, that it was in the night, that the 
 apostle did break and eat the bread with his brethren. 
 Suffice it to say, the above is so plain, that it needs 
 no comment. 
 
 Furthermore, we all very well know what is meant 
 by a supper ; it is the last meal we partake of in the 
 day, which is commonly done in the evening or at 
 night. Now it may be asked, what is meant or in- 
 tended by this meal ? I answer, I do not believe 
 that this meal was intended only to refresh the body. 
 There is no doubt but that the Saviour had some- 
 thing else in vie\v, in appointing this institution. It 
 is, in the first place, to remind the believer of the 
 marriage supper of the lamb, which the children of 
 God shall celebrate in the evening of this world. 
 Rev. xix chap. 9 verse : " And he saith unto them, 
 write, blessed are they which are called unto the 
 marriage supper of the lamb and he saith unto me, 
 these are the true sayings of God." St. Luke, xxii 
 chapter : " And when the hour was come, he sat 
 down and the twelve apostles with him, and he said 
 unto them,I have desired to eat this passover with you, 
 before I suffer ; for I say unto you, I will not eat 
 any more thereof until it be fulfilled in the kingdom 
 of God. 
 
127 
 
 Reader, why does the Saviour say this passover ? 
 and why did he say that it should not be fulfilled un- 
 til he would eat thereof in the kingdom of God ? 
 Dear reader, it is plain, that Christ alluded to some- 
 thing more than the Jewish passover ; he spoke with 
 reference to that meal, or supper, which the apostle 
 terms the Lord's Supper, and which is an emblem 
 of the heavenly supper. It is certain, that the pass- 
 over which was enjoined upon the Israelites, 
 was typical of the slaying or crucifixion of Christ ; 
 and when Christ, upon the cross, cried out and said, 
 it is finished, then it was, that the Jewish passover 
 received its accomplishment. But Christ speaks of 
 a passover, or supper, which shall not receive its 
 fulfillment until the kingdom of God shall come. 
 The kingdom of God means that state in which the 
 saints shall be after the second coming of Christ. 
 Our Saviour also speaks of that state, in the 30th 
 verse of the 22d chapter of Luke ; " That ye may 
 eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom, and sit 
 on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel " and 
 in Luke, xii chap. 37 verse : " Blessed are those ser- 
 vants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find 
 watching. Verily, I say unto you, that he shall gird 
 himself and make them to sit down to meat, and will 
 come forth and serve them." xiii chap. 28 verse : 
 u There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when 
 ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all 
 the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you your- 
 selves thrust out." 29th verse : " And they shall 
 come from the east, and from the west, and from the 
 north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the 
 kingdom of God." 
 
 So that every time the Lord's Supper is partaken 
 of, the believer is reminded of the coming of the bride- 
 groom, and of that heavenly state, in which, if he be 
 faithful, he shall be admitted. Behold, the bride- 
 
128 
 
 groom cometh ! go ye forth to meet him ; he will 
 make his appearance in the evening of this world 
 yea, at midnight. Mat. xxv chap. Therefore, this 
 meal, or supper, is taken at night. ! how solemn 
 and instructive, to see the children of God seated at 
 one table, united in the bonds of brotherly love, par- 
 taking of a repast, which serves to remind them of 
 that blessed time and state, when they, in common 
 with other children of God, shall surround the table 
 of their Lord in the Kingdom of Glory ! 
 
 OF THE COMMUNION. 
 
 BY the Communion, we are to understand, the 
 bread and wine set apart as emblematical of the bro- 
 ken body and shed blood of our Lord and Saviour, 
 Jesus Christ. The bread and wine, for the above 
 use and purpose, is no where in the Gospel called 
 the Lord's Supper. It is termed by the apostle Paul, 
 the Communion: i Cor. x chap. 16 verse, "'The 
 cup of blessing which we bless, is.it not the com- 
 munion of the blood of Christ ? the bread which we 
 break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" 
 and in the llth chapter, "For I have received of 
 the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that 
 the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was be- 
 trayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, 
 he brake it and said, take, eat, this is my body which 
 is broken for you, this do in remembrance of me. 
 After the same manner, also, he took the cup when 
 he had supped, saying, this cup is the New Testa- 
 ment in my blood, this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, 
 in remembrance of me ; for as often as ye eat this 
 bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's 
 death till he come." 
 
129 
 
 The above quotation from Paul to the Corinthians, 
 concerning the Communion, coincides with what 
 the Evangelists have recorded upon that institution 
 and for the convenience of the reader, I will insert 
 what Mathew, Mark, and Luke have recorded in 
 their Gospels concerning this matter. Mathew: 
 u And as they were eating, Jesus took bread and 
 blessed it, and brake it and gave it to the disciples, 
 and said, take, eat, this is rnj body ; and he took the 
 cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 
 drink ye all of it, for this is my blood of the New 
 Testament, which is shed for many for the remission 
 of sins." Mat. xxvi chap. 26, 27, 28 verses. " And 
 as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed and 
 brake and gave to them, saying, take, eat, this is my 
 body; and he took the cup, and when he had given 
 thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank of it, 
 and he said unto them, this is my blood of the New 
 Testament which is shed for many." Mark, xiv chap. 
 22, 23, 24 verses. " And he took bread, and gave 
 thanks and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, 
 this is my body which is given for you, this do in 
 remembrance of me ; likewise, also, the cup, after 
 supper, saying, this cup is the New Testament in 
 ray blood which is shed for many.' 5 Luke, xxii chap. 
 19, 20 verses. St. John, in his Gospel, omitted the 
 Communion. He wrote after the other Evangelists 
 had finished their Gospels, and principally records 
 what they had omitted. So, by taking the four 
 Evangelists together, in conjunction with what the 
 apostles have written, we have the Gospel in full. 
 It appears very evident, that it was after supper that 
 Christ celebrated the Communion with his disciples, 
 and that there is a difference between the Supper 
 and the Communion. Luke appears to be very ex- 
 plicit upon this point, when he says " Likewise, 
 also, the cap, after supper." Paul refers to the 
 

 130 
 
 same, when he says " After the same manner also 
 
 he took the cup, when he had supped." i Cor. li 
 
 chapter. Laike makes mention twice of Christ pre- 
 
 senting the cup or wine to his disciples. The cu 
 
 spoken of, in the 17th verse, was not the cup of the 
 
 New Testament, bat that cup or wine which was 
 
 usually drank in celebrating the passover. Doctor 
 
 n Clarke, in commenting upon the same verse, 
 
 s thus u He took the cup. This was not the 
 
 mental cup, for that was taken after supper, 
 
 (verse 20 5 ) but was the cup which was ordinarily 
 
 taken before supper." 
 
 So, from what I have written, you clearly per- 
 
 ceive, that this institution follows the Lord's Sup- 
 
 per. What a beautiful order ! First, Feet Washing* 
 
 second, the Lord's Supper third, the Commun- 
 
 ion. We cannot be too particular in observing those 
 
 sacred institutions : therefore, the mode of adminis- 
 
 tering those sacred ordinances ought to be strictly 
 
 rding to their original appointment ; for it is 
 
 certain that we have no right to alter any of the in- 
 
 stitutions of the house of God ; and as it respects 
 
 the proper administration of the Communion, we 
 
 can learn from the Gospel, that the great head of the 
 
 church, our dear Redeemer, in that doleful night in 
 
 which he was betrayed into the hands of sinners, he 
 
 took bread that is, unleavened bread ; for it appears 
 
 /nable, that it was of thdt bread which they par- 
 
 in eating of the passover, without it can be 
 
 :n that they had two sorts of bread upon the 
 
 at that time for it was the days of unleavened 
 
 1 to represent his unleavened body, which was 
 
 .shortly to l>c broken upon the cross. It is wrong, 
 
 contrary to the ancient order, to make use 
 
 of fermented, or leavened bread, in celebrating the 
 
 munion. Leavened bread is not a fit env 
 of the sacred body of our adorable Redeemer, The 
 
131 
 
 ipostle Paul has an allusion to this bread,arid the state 
 in which the communicant ought to be, at the time 
 of tae Communion: "Purge out, therefore, the old 
 leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are un- 
 leavened*; for even Christ, our passover, is sacrificed 
 for us : therefore, let us keep the feast, not with the 
 old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice or wick- 
 edness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity 
 and truth." i Cor. v chap. 7, 8 verses. 
 
 As Doctor Adam Clarke is very explicit upon this 
 point, I will take the liberty to select a quotation from 
 his Commentary: " Jesus took bread. Of what 
 kind ? Unleavened bread, certainly ; because there 
 was no other kind to be had in all Judea at this time, 
 for this was the first day of unleavened bread, (verse 
 17) that is, the 14th of the month Nisan, when the 
 Jews, according to the command of God (Exod. 
 xii 15, 20, xxiii 15, and xxxiv -25,) were to 
 purge away all leaven from their houses, for he who 
 sacrificed the passover, having leaven in his dwell- 
 ing-, was considered to be such a transgressor of the 
 divine law, as could be no longer tolerated among 
 the people of God ; and, therefore, was to be cut off 
 from the congregation of Israel." Leo of Modena, 
 who has written a very sensible treatise on the cus- 
 toms of the Jews, observes " That so strictly do 
 some of the Jews observe the precept concerning 
 the removal of all leaven from their houses, during 
 the celebration of the paschal solemnity, that they 
 either provide vessels entirely new, for baking, or else 
 have a set for the purpose, which are dedicated sole- 
 ly to the service of the passover, and never brought 
 out on any other occasion. New, if any respect 
 should be paid to the primitive institution, in the 
 celebration of this divine ordinance, then unleaven- 
 ed, unyeasted bread should be used. In every sign 
 or type, of a thing signifying or pointing out that 
 
132 
 
 which is, beyond itself, should either have certain 
 properties, or be accompanied with certain circum- 
 stances, as expressive as possible of the thing signi- 
 fied. The use of common bread, in the sacra- 
 ment of the Lord's Supper, is highly improper. He 
 who can say, this is a matter of no importance, may 
 say, with equal propriety, the bread itself is of no 
 importance ; and another may say, the wine is of no 
 importance ; and a third may say, that neither the 
 bread nor wine is any thing, but as they lead to spir- 
 itual references, and the spiritual references being 
 once understood, the signs are useless. Thus we 
 may, through affected spirituality, refine away the 
 whole ordinance of God, and with the letter and 
 form of religion, abolish religion itself.' 9 
 
 And after he had taken bread, Mathew tells us 
 that he blessed it. Mark says,he took bread and bless- 
 ed ; and Luke records, that he took bread and gave 
 thanks. I believe their records amount to one and 
 the same thing, or the terjns used in these places 
 have nearly the same signification. Thus we learn, 
 that before he broke the bread, he asked a blessing, 
 or he gave thanks unto God, for the bread he made 
 use of on that occasion ; and it beeometh us, in like 
 manner, to do the same that is, let him who intends 
 to administer the institution, offer up a prayer, with 
 thanksgiving, in a few words, and let all the members 
 say amen ; and when done, let the bread be broken. 
 The Evangelist tells us, Christ took bread and bless- 
 ed and brake, and gave unto them. This was done 
 before they arose from supper, being yet seated 
 around the table : therefore, the posture of receiving 
 the Communion is sitting. The bread is to be bro- 
 ken, not cut. The Jews did not bake their bread so 
 high raised as is commonly done among us ; for we 
 can read no where in the Scripture of their cutting 
 bread. They made their bread broad and thin, and 
 
133 
 
 being brittle, was easily broken or divided. I say, 
 then, that the unleavened bread which we use in the 
 Communion, ought to be so baked, as to admit of 
 breaking in a proper manner. To be more plain, 
 before the bread is baked, let the dough be made 
 broad and thin, and marked off in pieces of about an 
 inch and a half or two inches broad ; and when baked 
 in that state, it can easily be broken in long pieces. 
 Then let the administrator, being seated at th& head 
 of the table, take one of the pieces, turning himself 
 towards the brother on his right, saying, beloved 
 brother, the bread which we break is the commun- 
 ion of the body of Jesus Christ; and while saying 
 these words, let him break the breadj presenting first 
 the smallest piece, which his brother will receive, 
 and lay before him upon the table ; and then give 
 him the other piece, and let him proceed in like 
 manner. And so let the bread pass from one bro- 
 ther to another until all are furnished with a piece 
 of broken bread, every member breaking the bread 
 for his brother to his right. The brother to the left 
 of the administrator will also break the bread for 
 him. The bread being broken, let the administra- 
 tor arise and address the members in a few words, 
 stating that the bread is now broken, and upon their 
 eating of it, that they should seriously reflect upon 
 this significant ceremony, shadowing forth the bruis- 
 ed and mangled body of their dear Redeemer ; and 
 then let the members take the broken bread and eat 
 it slowly, deeply reflecting upon the cruel death of 
 their great Redeemer. After the bread is eaten, the 
 administrator, or the brother at the head of the table^ 
 will proceed to prepare the cups for the Communion 
 and when a portion of the wine is poured into the 
 cups, he again, with all the members, will rise upon 
 their feet, and he, the administrator, will supplicate 
 a throne of mercy, concluding with thanksgiving 
 19. 
 
134 
 
 unto the Almighty for his blessings, especially for 
 the cup, or wine, which has been selected for that 
 sacred purpose ; and all the members will unite with 
 him in saying, Amen. And when they have taken 
 their seats again, the administrator will present the 
 cup to his right hand brother, saying, the cup of the 
 New Testament is the communion of the blood of 
 Jesus Christ. The brother will take a sup and then 
 s-w the same words to the brother on his right. So 
 the cup will pass around, until it will arrive to that 
 brother who is seated next on the left hand of the 
 administrator. He will then give the cup to the ad- 
 ministrator, who will also take a sup. Some of the 
 members at the head of the table, during the passing 
 of the cup, in order to prevent confusion, will see 
 that the cups are still furnished with wine. Should 
 a brother or a sister have a suitable verse or two up- 
 on their minds, whilst the cup is passing around, 
 they are at liberty to sing the same ; and after the 
 Communion has been celebrated by every member, 
 they will then sing a hymn for Mathew informs us 
 that after the Saviour had celebrated the Commun- 
 ion, " They sang an hymn, and went out into the 
 Mount of Olives." Mat. xxvi chap. 30 verse. I do 
 not believe that the bread and wine, in the Commun- 
 ion, undergoes any change, so as to become the real 
 body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the 
 same as it was before it was selected for that pur- 
 pose. Many undertake to prove from what we can 
 read in the 6th chapter of John, 53d, 54th, 55th, and 
 56th verses, that the bread and wine used in this or- 
 dinance, are consecrated into the real body and blood 
 of Christ. For my part, I understand the Saviour, 
 in these verses, in a spiritual, and not in a literal 
 sense : u Then Jesus said unto them, verily, I say 
 unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the son of man 
 and drink his blood, ye have no life in you : whoso 
 
135 
 
 eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal 
 life, and I will raise him up at the last day ; for nay 
 flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 
 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwell- 
 eth in me and I in him." 
 
 When Christ spake these words in the synagogue, 
 many of his disciples became greatly astonished ; they 
 understood him as speaking of his real body anU 
 blood. Well might they say, " This is an hard say- 
 ing who can hear it ? " They were equally as much 
 astonished as Nicodemus was, when Christ declared 
 unto him, that a man must be born again. Nicode- 
 mus understood the Saviour as speaking of a natu- 
 'ral birth, and said, how can these things be ? and 
 when Christ knew in himself that Nicodemus and his 
 disciples murmured at his sayings, he gave then, 
 plainly to understand, that his words are to be undet- 
 stood spiritually. -(See John, iii 8, vi 63.) It is 
 the Spirit that quickeneth ; the flesh profiteth nothing 
 " The words that I speak unto you, they are spir- 
 it and they are life." I believe that the bread and 
 wine are not the real, but the representatives of the 
 body and blood of Jesus Christ. The object of this 
 institution is, to set forth the death of our Lord 
 until he shall come : " For as often as ye eat this 
 bread and drink this cup, ye do show forth the Lord^s 
 death till he come." i Cor. ii chap. 26 verse. Tlu 
 words of the apostle agree with the words of Christ 
 to his disciples : u This do in remembrance of me. ^ 
 Luke, xxii chap. 19 verse. The apostle Paul in his 
 epistle to the Corinthians, llth chapter, makes men- 
 tion of worthy and unworthy communicants : ht; 
 writes thus " Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this 
 bread and drink this. cup unworthily, shall be guilty 
 of the body and blood of the 'Lord: but let a man 
 examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread 
 and drink of that cup ; for he that eateth and drink- 
 
136 
 
 eth unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to him- 
 self) not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause 
 many are weak and sickly among you, and many 
 sleep , for if we would judge ourselves, we should 
 not be judged ; but when we are judged, we are 
 chastened of the Lord, that we should not be con- 
 demned with the world." 
 
 From the above we may infer, that it is possible 
 for members to disqualify themselves for the Com- 
 munion, and that it is the'bounden duty of all mem- 
 bers, previous to their going to the Communion, to 
 examine themselves. Upon examining purselves, 
 there is no doubt that we shall discover flaws in our 
 characters. The very best Christians are liable to err. 
 The most humble are apt to discover more imperfec- 
 tions in their life and conduct, than those who enter- 
 tain a great opinion of themselves. The state of no 
 one is so bad but that it can r^e remedied. The 
 blood of Jesus Christ is so efficacious, that it can 
 make the foulest clean. In examining ourselves, 
 the further we push our investigations, the greater 
 insight we shall have of our real characters ; and to 
 aid my fellow-pilgrim in his investigations, or to be 
 of some service to him in this matter, I would advise 
 him to expostulate or interrogate himself as follows : 
 In what state do I find myself towards the world? 
 Have I done my duty towards my neighbor, towards 
 my family, and towards my brethren in the Lord ? 
 These are important questions, and ought to be an- 
 swered by the children of God especially when they 
 intend to approach the table of the Lord, and partake 
 of those symbols of his broken body and shed blood, 
 which was broken and shed for the sins of the world. 
 Now, if we find, upon a close examination, that we 
 have done all that laid in our power to be at peace 
 with all mankind, and nothing but sins of weakness 
 appear to be against us such sins as have been 
 
137 
 
 * 
 
 committed not intentionally, but .through the weak- 
 ness of the flesh, in the times of sore temptations and 
 unwatchfulness. Christ said unto his disciples, the 
 spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. It is a lam- 
 entable fact, that the children of-God.are not always 
 upon their guard. Oh! what a pity ! yet it is their 
 bounden duty, like a faithful sentinel, not knowing 
 when the enemy may make his appearance, to he 
 watching. Christ solemnly charged his disciples 
 to " watch and pray, that ye enter not into tempta- 
 tion," Mat. xxvi chap. 41 verse ; and Paul says to the 
 Corinthians, xvi chap. 13 verse, " Watch ye, stand 
 fast in the iaith, quit you like men, be strong, 3 ' and 
 in i Thes. v chap. 6 verse, u Therefore let us not 
 sleep as do others, but let. us watch and be sober." 
 And now if we feel sorrowful for the imperfections of 
 our nature, let us draw near unto God with a full as- 
 surance of faith. We have a great " High 1 : 
 who was touched with the feeling of our infirm 
 and was in all points tempted like as we arc, 
 without sin." Heb. iv chap. 14 verse. He 
 advocate with the Father, as John writes in h' 
 epistle, 2d chapter, and 1st verse: "My little chil- 
 dren, thevse things I write unto you, that ye sin not, 
 and if any man sin, we have an advocate with the 
 Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous ; and he is tiK> 
 propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but 
 also for the sins of the whole world." Therefore it 
 is necessary and indispensable, that, before we at- 
 tend to those sacred institutions, that the members 
 present themselves before the mercy-seat of heaven, 
 calling upon the name of God, through Jesus Christ, 
 to pardon the imperfections of their past lives, and 
 entreating him to qualify them for the observance of 
 those Sacred ordinances which they intend to cele- 
 brate, that they may be worthy communicants at his 
 table. Not only the preachers, but any of the brethren 
 12* 
 
138 
 
 and sisters impressed with a sense of publicly pour- 
 ing out their Jiearts before God, have perfect liberty 
 to do so upon such occasions. 
 
 And now, if I can, I will point out the state of 
 such as ought not tQ approach the table of the Lord. 
 They are such as are unwilling to discharge their 
 duty towards the world, or. neighbor, or brother or 
 brethren, having malice or wickedness in their hearts, 
 though hidden from the church : yet God knows their 
 hearts. Such, by no means, ought to approach the 
 table of the Lord. They are unworthy, and if they 
 do so, they certainly, as the apostle declares, do eat 
 and drink damnation to themselves, not discerning 
 the body of the Lord* The body of the Lord is ho- 
 ly; the body of Adam, or of sin, is unholy; there- 
 fore, it becometh the members to. examine themselves 
 and bear in mind, that the body ot the Lord is holy. 
 To go to the table of the Lord unexamined, will not 
 do. There is too much danger in that course of pro- 
 cedure. To fall into the judgment of the church is 
 a serious and awful matter. 
 
 It sometimes happens with members upon exam- 
 ining themselves upon such occasions, that they are 
 apprised of a brother or sister who is not reconciled 
 to them, and the case has been neglected on their 
 part. In not attending to the matter m time for the 
 Communion, they are now at a loss w T hat to do ; they 
 are sorry and feel a willingness to do all that lies in 
 their power to bring about a reconciliation ; and it 
 may be, the time is too short ; they have not the op- 
 portunity, and it is the earnest desire of their souls to 
 be at the Communion. My advice to them would 
 be, to absent themselves, or stay from the table, for 
 Christ says, in Mathew, 5th chap. 23d and 24th 
 verses, " Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to* the al- 
 tar,and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught 
 against thee, leave thsreihy gilt before the altar, and 
 
139 
 
 go thy way ; first be reconciled to thy brother, and 
 then come and offer thy gift. 5 ' It is our duty to bring 
 our gift and offer it too ; but God will not be pleased 
 with our sacrifice, if we know that our brother has 
 something, or a complaint against us, and we have 
 not done our duty in having the case compromised : 
 but we must leave our oblation before the altar, 
 our intention of mind in celebrating the Communion 
 that is, we are not to imbibe another mind as it 
 respects the Commuion ; but go immediately, and 
 do all that lies in our power to have the enmity re- 
 moved, or the cause adjusted, which a brother may 
 have against us ; and then come and offer our gift 
 that is, whenever an opportunity presents itself, ob- 
 serve the Communion. 
 
 Dear reader, I have given you my views of the 
 sacred ordinances of the House of God, and it is my 
 desire that you would compare the same with the 
 Gospel, and see how they harmonize. If you dis- 
 cover an agreement,, then it becometh you to acknow- 
 ledge and submit unto the truth. I have not written 
 to favor a certain sect or party. God forbid that I 
 should ever garble the truth that is, to write 
 or preach to please man. I have now, for the space 
 often years, been in the habit of observing the insti- 
 tutions as above described, and the more I read and 
 reflect, the more I am confirmed, that the above ac-i 
 count is agreeable to the ancient order of observing 
 those institutions. 
 
 NOTE We are very much faulted by some in that 
 we eat a meal before Communion. They tell us 
 that we eat the Jewish Pasgbver. I deny the asser- 
 tion ; for it is certain, that the meal which we par- 
 take of upon such occasions differs widely from the 
 Jewish Passover. It is the least of our intention to 
 eat or celebrate the Jewish Passover. At the time 
 
140 
 
 that Christ eat the Supper with his disciples, he ob- 
 served unto them, " If ye know these things, happy 
 are ye if ye do them." I ask the question, what did 
 Christ allude to when he said unto them, if ye know 
 these things ? He certainly could not have had only 
 Feet Washing in view, seeing that he saith things. 
 It is highly probable 'that he spoke with reference, 
 jiot only to Feet Washing, but also the Supper, &c. 
 Now Feet Washing and the Supper, though obser- 
 ved literally, have nevertheless a spiritual meaning 
 that is, they are typical of certain things, and of great 
 service to the believer. For instance Feet Wash- 
 ing represents a cleansing, or washing, from sin. 
 The Supper is an emblem of the marriage supper of 
 the Lamb. Now let us view the order to be observ- 
 ed in celebrating those institutions. Feet Washing 
 is observed before Supper^ that the believer thereby 
 may be taught to know, that in order that he may be 
 one of that number that shall be admitted to the Sup- 
 per of the Lamb, he must, in this time, before 
 the period arrives in which the heavenly Supper shall 
 be partaken of, prepare himself by having on the 
 wedding garment of righteousness ; and he has no 
 time to delay in this matter ; for he knoweth not the 
 time of the coming of the bridegroom. The Supper 
 follows Feet Washing,because the cleansing and qual- 
 ification of the guests or virgins must take place or 
 precede the heavenly Supper. Christ compares the 
 same to a natural wedding, as you can read in the 
 25th chapter of Mathew. You know it is natural 
 for a bride, and also the guests, to prepare themselves 
 before the wedding takes place. It would be out 
 of season, or too late, to do it after the wedding has 
 been celebrated. The Supper, or Lord's Supper, is 
 partaken of at night, to remind the believer that it 
 will be in the evening of this world that our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, the heavenly bridegroom, will make 
 
141 
 
 his appearance, and also celebrate the heavenly Sup- 
 per with his saints. This meal is called a Supper, 
 because it is an emblem of the last dispensation of 
 light and happiness, and also of rest, which the 
 Lord shall confei upon the children of men as you 
 know it is natural for men to retire to rest after sup- 
 per. For example, the Law may-be compared to a 
 breakfast, /the Gospel to a dinner, and the Millenium 
 to a supper. Yes, we may with the greatest propri- 
 ety compare those three states to three meals, and the 
 names of those natural meals which we partake of in 
 ^the course of the day, may also with propriety be 
 given to those spiritual meals which I have applied 
 to the Law, Gospel, and Millenium, or heavenly 
 state. 
 
 Dear reader, you must see the great necessity of 
 observing those institutions as they have been ap- 
 pointed for a deviation from this rule will frustrate 
 the design of what the Saviour had in view in giving 
 those institutions to his church. 
 
 OF ANNOINTING THE SICK WITH 
 OIL IN THE NAME OF THE LORD. 
 
 THIS is a peformance which has become almost ex- 
 tinct in this our day ; and, oh ! what a pity ! seeing that 
 it is connected with such great promises. Our belov- 
 ed brother and apostle, James, hath written thus up- 
 on this subject: " Is any sick among you, let him 
 call for the eiders of the church, and let them pray 
 over him, annointmg him with oil in the name of the 
 Lord ; ancf the prayer of faith shall save the sick and 
 the Lord shall raise him up, and if he have commit- 
 ted sins, they shall be forgiven him." Jas. v chap. 
 14, 15 verses. And when our Lord sent the seven- 
 
142 
 
 ty disciples, it was a part of their commission to 
 perform this holy work, as we can read in Mark, vi 
 chap. 1.3 verse : " And they cast out many devils, 
 and annointed with oil many that were sick, and 
 healed them." Now, this is the privilege of the af- 
 flicted sons and daughters of men ; and if they do 
 not embrace this opportunity, it is their own fault.-- 
 Now, all those who desire to have this holy work 
 performed up-on them, ought to be perfectly reconcil- 
 ed unto the will of God in particular as it respects 
 their recovery from a bed of affliction. Yes, they 
 ought to make a complete surrender of themselves 
 into the hands of the Lord ; and- it is the bounden 
 duty of the children of God to visit the sick and ad- 
 minister to their relief as far as it lieth in their pow- 
 r ; and it is the privilege of the sick, as we have 
 already remarked, to call or send for the elders of the 
 church ; and if it is their desire to be annointed with 
 oil, let two of the elders, in the fear of Almighty 
 God, perform this holy work, by applying oil (sweet 
 oil is generally used) to the head of the sick, in the 
 name of the Lord ; after which, the elders will lay their 
 hands upon top of one another on the head of the sick, 
 and will then supplicate a . throne of mercy, calling 
 upon the name of God, through Jesus Christ, to for- 
 give and pardon the sins of the sick, &c. ; and there 
 is no doubt but that the prayer of faith shall be heard. 
 
 HOSPITALITY AND ALMS-GIVING, 
 
 THAT it is the bounden duty of the church to pro- 
 vide for her poor members, is a truth plainly reveal- 
 ed in the word of God. Christ said unto his disci- 
 ples, " For ye have the poor always with you, but 
 me ye have not always.'' Mat. xxvi chap. 11 verse, 
 
143 
 
 3y reading the preceding verses, the reader can 
 know what gave rise to the above verse. A certain 
 woman,, out of great regard and affection for Christ, 
 poured an -alabaster box of very precious ointment 
 upon his head, whilst he sat at meat. The disciples 
 viewed this conduct of her's with indignation ; they 
 considered it an expense to no purpose. They said 
 that the oiutment might have been sold for much and 
 given to the poor ; but Christ very much approved 
 of the woman's conduct, and told his disciples that 
 ^hey always have the poor with them, but that they 
 iiad not always him : from which they could infer, 
 that it was their privilege yea, bounden duty, to 
 embrace every opportunity to administer unto the 
 necessities of the poor; and that they should do it 
 cheerfully, and not depend upon others to do it for 
 them. The apostle Paul, in his first letter to the 
 Corinthians, xvi chap. 1, 3 verses, directs the church- 
 es how to proceed in this very important business : 
 " Now, concerning the collection for the saints,- as 
 I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even 
 so do ye : upon the first day of the week, let every 
 one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prosper- 
 ed him that there be no gatherings when I come. 
 And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by 
 your letters, them will I send to bring your liberali- 
 ty unto Jerusalem." 
 
 Now, from the above it is plain, that there ought 
 to be a treasury in every church, and this charge, I 
 do believe, devolves upon the deacons of the church 
 for it is a part of their office to see that the poor 
 members are provided for which appears very clear 
 to me from what we can read in the acts of the apos- 
 tles, vi chap. 1, 2, 3, 4 verses : "And in those days, 
 when the number of the disciples was multiplied, 
 there arose a faiir muring of the Grecians against the 
 "lebrews, because their widows were neglected in 
 
144 
 
 the daily ministration. Then the twelve called the 
 multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, it is 
 not reason that we should leave the word of God and 
 serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out 
 among you seven men of honest report, full of the 
 Holy Ghost, and wisdom, whom we may appoint 
 over this business. But we will giVe ourselves con- 
 tinually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word." 
 Some churches have more poor members than other 
 churches ; those churches, therefore, which have no 
 poor members, or but a few, ought, nevertheless, to 
 observe the above rule, laid down by the apostle for 
 certain reasons. If we have no poor members among 
 us now, we do not know how soon we may have them ; 
 and furthermore,it is our duty, where it is necessary, to 
 aid other churches in the .support of their poor mem- 
 bers ; for we have examples enough of this kind in 
 the New Testament. For instance : Acts, xi chap. 
 27, 30 verses, "And in those days came prophets 
 from Jerusalem and Antioch. And there stood up 
 one of them, named Agabus, and signified by the 
 Spirit, that there should be great dearth throughout 
 all the world which came to pass in the days of 
 Claudius Caesar when the disciples, every man 
 according to his ability, determined to send relief 
 unto the brethren which dwelt in Judea ; which also 
 they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of 
 Barnabas and Saul : " and in Romans, xv chap. 26 
 verse : " For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and 
 Achaia to make certain contributions for the poor 
 saints, which are at Jerusalem." 
 
 The children of God ought to consider themselves 
 as belonging to one family, and ought to know and 
 feel, that it is their duty to see to the temporal'as well 
 as spiritual prosperity of the whole fraternity of Jesus 
 Christ. Yes, such a concern and affection we ought 
 to have towards one another, as to rejoice with those 
 
145 
 
 that do rejoice, and weep with those that weep ; or 
 as the great apostle of the Gentiles hath written, Ro- 
 mans, xii chap. 10, 16 verses: "Be kindly affec- 
 tionate, one to another, with brotherly love ; in hon- 
 or preferring one another: not slothful in business ; 
 fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in 
 hope ; patient in tribulation ; continuing instant in 
 prayer ; distributing to the necessity of saints ; giv- 
 en to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you ; 
 -bless, and ourse not ; rejoice with them that do re- 
 joice, and weep with them that weep ; be of the same 
 mind one toward another ; mind not high things, 
 but condescend to men of low estate ; be not wise 
 in your own conceits." We read in the acts of the 
 apostles, iv chap. 32 verse, that so great was the love 
 which prevailed in the hearts of many of the believ- 
 ers to wards one another,that a multitude of them had all 
 things common ; that is, they made one common stock 
 out oi their several estates : " And the multitude of 
 them that believed were of one heart and of one soul 
 neither said any of them that aught of the things 
 which he possessed was his own; but they had all 
 things common : " and in the 34th and 35th verses : 
 " Neither was there any among them that lacked ; fo r 
 as many as were possessors of lands or houses, sold 
 them, and brought the prices of the things that were 
 sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet ; and distri- 
 bution was made unto every man according as he had 
 need." 
 
 Thus it is very evident, that if the members of the 
 church are in love and fellowship towards one anoth- 
 er, they will not suffer their poor brethren and 
 sisters, if it lay in their power, to want for any of the 
 necessaries of life : yes, if they are in love, one with 
 .another, that affection will serve as a powerful stim- 
 ulus to induce them t be kind and tender hearted 
 towards their poor, members, and also administer to 
 13 
 
146 
 
 their necessities ; for it is certain, that if they do not 
 produce this kind of fruit towards one another, as 
 their several situations may require, that they are 
 destitute of that love and affection, which is the re- 
 sult of a living faith in Jesus Christ and the word of 
 God as the apostle James declares : " What doth it 
 profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and 
 have not works ? can faith save him ? If a brother or 
 sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one 
 of you say unto them, depart in peace, be ye warm- 
 ed arid be ye filled, notwithstanding ye give them 
 not those things which are needful to the body ; what 
 doth it profit ? Even so faith, if it hath not works, 
 is dead, being alone." Jas. ii chap. 14, 17 verses. 
 And the apostle John writes thus upon this subject 
 " Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he 
 laid down his life for us ; and we ought to lay down 
 our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this 
 world's goods, and seeth his brother have need, and 
 shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how 
 dwelleth the love of God in him ? My little chil- 
 dren, let us not love in word, neither in tongue but 
 in deed and in truth." i John, iii chap. 16, 18 ver- 
 The apostle Paul, in his 2d letter to the Co- 
 
 ans, 9th chapter, writes very feelingly upon this 
 subject, and gives the children of God great encour- 
 agement to be liberal in their distributions : " He 
 which soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly ; 
 
 lie which soweth bountifully, shall reap also 
 bountifully." From this we may infer, that Alms - 
 giving will be rewarded that is, those who are lib- 
 eral in administering unto the necessities of the des- 
 titute, shall also receive a liberal reward : but mind 
 it must be done cheerfully, and not grudgingly, as 
 the apostle saith : " Every man according as he pur- . 
 posed in his heart, so let him give not grudgingly, 
 or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver. '* 
 
147 
 
 It will not do for a brother or a sister to say, that 
 they love God, and at the same time have no bowels 
 of compassion for their poor brethren and sisters. 
 The apostle John gives us plainly to understand, that 
 love towards the whole fraternity of Jesus Christ, is 
 a certain evidence of our being the children of God; 
 and if we do not manifest this affection towards one 
 another, that it is also a certain evidence that we do 
 not love God, that we are not his children, i John, 
 iv chap. 20, 21 verses : " If a man say, I love God, 
 and hateth his brother, he is a liar ; for he that loveth 
 not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love 
 God whom he hath not seen ? And this command- 
 ment have we from him, that he who loveth God, 
 love his brother also," and vchap. J verse ; u Who- 
 soever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of 
 God ; and every one that loveth him that begat, lov- 
 eth him also that is begotten of him,' 1 and our dear 
 Redeemer hath said, " By this shall all men know 
 that ye are my disciples, it ye have love one to an- 
 other," John, xiiichap. 35 verse and Peter says, 
 " Love the brotherhood," ii chap. 17 verse and 
 the apostle Paul tells us, that charity is the bond of 
 perfectness : " And above all things put on charity, 
 which is the bond of perfectness.'' Col. iii, 14 v. 
 
 The children of God will not only be kind and 
 charitable to their brethren in the Lord, but also to 
 the children of men in general. They will, at all 
 times, as far as it lieth in their power, alleviate the 
 wants and distresses of their fellow mortals ; for so 
 the apostle intimates in his 2d letter to the Corinthi- 
 ans, ix chap. 12 verse : " While by the experiment 
 of this ministration, they glorify God for your profess- 
 ed subjection unto the Gospel of Christ, and for your 
 liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men." 
 In the 16th chapter of Luke, the Saviour spake a 
 parable : it reads thus * And he said unto his dis- 
 
148 
 
 ciples, there \vas a certain rich man which had a 
 steward ; and the same was accused unto him that 
 he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and 
 said unto him, how is it that I hear this of thee ? give 
 an account of thy stewardship ; lor thou mayst be 
 no longer steward. Then the steward said within 
 himself, what shall I do ? for my lord taketh away 
 from me the stewardship. I cannot dig to beg I 
 am ashamed. I am resolved what to do that when 
 I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive 
 me into their houses. So he called everyone of his 
 lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, how 
 much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, an 
 hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, 
 take thy bill, 'and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 
 Then said he to another, and how much owest thou : 
 And he said, an hundred measures of wheat. And 
 he said, take thy bill and write fourscore. And the 
 lord commended the unjust steward, because he had 
 done wisely; for the children of this world are, in 
 their generation, wiser than the children of light. 
 And I say unto yoo, make to yourselves friends of 
 the mammon of unrighteousness, that, when ye fail, 
 they may receive you into everlasting habitations," 
 &c. The rich man spoken of in this parable, repre- 
 sents our Heavenly Father. The heavens and the 
 earth belonging unto the Lord, the steward may rep- 
 resent every man who is entrusted with a portion of 
 the good things of this life. The lord's debtors may 
 represent the poor and needy. By the steward's 
 lessening their bills, we are to understand, that the 
 rich alleviate the wants of the poor ; and it is in this 
 light that we are to view the commendation which 
 the Lord passed upon the unjust steward ; after 
 which, the Saviour declared, that we should make 
 to ourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteous- 
 ness, that, when we fail, they may receive us 
 
149 
 
 everlasting habitations. ! what encouragement 
 to cast our bread upon the waters for we shall find 
 it again after many days ! Eel. xi chap. 1 verse. 
 By the mammon of unrighteousness, we are to un- 
 derstand earthly riches. They are called unright- 
 eous on account of the curse which came upon the 
 earth through man's disobedience. " Therefore, 
 the heavens and the earth shall have to pass away, 
 because they are not clean in the Lord's sight. (See 
 Gen. iii 17, 18, ii Pet in 10.) But from the 
 above we learn, that with these earthly riches we 
 can make to, ourselves friends, (by administering to 
 the 'poor those things which they need,) that, when 
 we fail, or be separated from this world, that we may 
 be received into a habitation of rest. Yes for at 
 the final day of reckoning, every good deed shall 
 receive an ample compensation; for in that great 
 day, when our Lord Jesus Christ shall occupy the 
 great white throne, and the separation is made be- 
 tween the righteous and unrighteous, he will say un- 
 to those upon his right hand, " Come ye, blessed 
 my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for y 
 from the foundation of the w r oiid. For I was 
 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 answer him, saying, Lord, 
 when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee ? or 
 thirsty, and gave thee drink?- when saw we thee a 
 stranger, and took thee in ? or naked, and clothed 
 thee ? or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and 
 came unto thee ? And the king shall answer, am! 
 say unto them, verily, I say unto you, in as much as 
 you have done it unto one of the least of these, rny 
 brethren, ye have done it unto me." Mat. xxv chap. 
 31, 40 verses. 
 
 13* 
 
150 
 
 It appears from the above, that the righteous could 
 not see wherein they conferred such favors upon 
 their Judge; and we may conclude, that the right- 
 eous who, in this life, performed charitable deeds 
 towards the children of God, have done them out of 
 love to them, and because they were the Lord's dis- 
 ciples ; and that they did not perform those good 
 acts with an expectation of meriting or purchasing 
 the kingdom of heaven; but from motives of love 
 towards them because they were Christ's disciples. 
 Christ will say unto them, in as much as ye have 
 done it unto one ol the least of these, my brethren, 
 ye have done it unto me. The question may be 
 asked, who are Christ's brethren ? In answer to 
 this, I would say, they are those that do the will of 
 God, as Christ himself declared, Mark, iii chap. 35 
 verse : " For whosoever shall do the will of God, 
 the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother." 
 Now the brethren of Jesus will have a part in the 
 first resurrection, which shall take place one thousand 
 years before the General Resurrection and Day of 
 Judgment, (see Rev. 20,) and shall be present with 
 Christ at the day of Judgment. The reader will 
 find this subject treated upon, in this work, under 
 the head of the Second Advent of Jesus Christ. 
 
 I have stated that every good deed shall be re- 
 warded especially those charitable acts which the 
 children of men may do unto the disciples of the 
 Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, as low down as a cup of 
 cold water shall not escape the notice of the Judge 
 as Christ has declared : " He that receiveth you, 
 receivethme ; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him 
 that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the 
 name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward ; 
 and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of 
 a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's 
 reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto 
 
151 
 
 one of these little ones, a cup of cold water only, in 
 the name of a disciple, verily, I say unto you, he 
 shall in no \vise lose his reward." Mat. x chap. 40 
 42 verses. 
 
 That our Alms -giving may meet the approbation of 
 our Heavenly Father, we must be careful and not let 
 our left hand know what our right hand doeth. No, 
 we are not to bestow our Alms in order to attract the 
 notice or gain the praise of men. If so, we shall re- 
 ceive no reward in the final day of retribution ; but 
 that praise or glory which we receive of men shall be 
 our reward. " Take heed," saith the Saviour, " that 
 ye do not your Alms before men, to be seen of them ; 
 otherwise, ye have no reward of j our Father which 
 . is in, heaven. Therefore, when thou doest thine 
 Alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the 
 hypocrites 'do in the synagogues, and in the streets, 
 that they may have glory of men. Verily, I say un- 
 to you, they have their reward. But when thou doest 
 Alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand 
 doeth, that thine Alms may be in secret ; and thy 
 Father which seeth in secret, himself shall reward 
 thee openly." Mat. i chap. 4 verse. 
 
 Dear reader, it is to be feared, that there is too 
 much hypocrisy manifested in this our day in the 
 distribution of Alms. I have not only an allusion 
 to the giving, but to the receiving of those Alms, 
 Is it not a stubborn fact, that the most of the col- 
 lections which are made in this our day, in the dif- 
 ferent denominations professing Christianity, are 
 made in behalf of the preachers. Yes, the preachers 
 receive most all the collections whereas, the poor 
 saints, or members of the church, are overlooked. It 
 is painful to expose to public view, the deceptions 
 which are carried on under the name of Christianity in 
 this our day. Yet we ought to do so, though it 
 might cost us the frowns of every merchant in Bab- 
 
ylon. If my memory serves me right, we can read 
 no where in the Gospel of collections just being 
 made for the preachers. No, the first preachers of the 
 Gospel were more concerned for the prosperity of the 
 poor members of the church, than they were for them- 
 selves. It was not money, or a good living, ^hat 
 stimulated old Paul, or the first preachers, to go forth 
 in discharge of their holy calling. I am convinced, 
 that Paul and the first preachers felt such an interest 
 in the great work of salvation, that it never entered 
 their minds to make money, or receive pay from man 
 for their services. They did not look for their re- 
 ward in this life. No, we do not read in the Gospel 
 that they ever caused a collection to be made in their 
 behalf, or that they ever asked one cent from the 
 church for their services. 
 
 Now, I do not wish the reader to infer from the 
 above, that it would be wrong for preachers, at cer- 
 tain times, to be supported by the church. No for 
 the apostles, in their letters, and even Christ him- 
 self, do intimate that they who preach the Gospel 
 may live of the Gospel ; and that the laborer is wor- 
 thy of his meat that is, brethren or preachers, who 
 are sent by the church to travel and preach the word, 
 and visit other churches, the Churches ought to aid 
 them, so that they might be enabled to defray the 
 necessary expenses of their mission. But I contend 
 that preachers have no right to make a charge for 
 their services, or to demand one cent from the church- 
 es for their labors in the ministry ; for we have no 
 precept or example m the Gospel to warrant such a 
 course of procedure. It is certain, that every true 
 preacher of the Gospel will labor and do all the" good 
 he can in the ministry, without demanding one cent 
 for his services : for it is the love of Christ that con- 
 straineth them to go forth and publish the gladsome 
 sound of the Gospel, ii Cor. v chap. 14 verse. 
 
153 
 
 Some people tell us, that the preachers have been at 
 considerable expense, and do devote a great deal ot 
 time to acquiring a qualification for the ministry, and 
 that they ought to receive a handsome compensation 
 for their labors that is, they mean, for their elo- 
 quence. In answer to this, I would say, that Jesus 
 Christ is able to qualify men for the ministry with- 
 out going to so much expense as is hinted in the 
 above. Yes, I do believe that hundreds and thous- 
 ands of dollars are spent, as it is said, to qualify 
 men for the ministry, which might have been applied 
 to a much better purpose. Yes, I do believe that 
 all that money which is collected for the purpose, as 
 it is said, of qualifying men for the ministry, is lost 
 lost. It is spent to no good purpose. 
 
 0, reader! bear with me do not take any offence 
 at my plain remarks. God knoweth that I believe 
 what I write. Do you not believe, that if the mo- 
 ney which is spent as above stated, was given to 
 the poor sons and daughters of affliction, it would 
 be more acceptable in the sight of heaven ? 0, yes ! 
 yes ! it cannot be otherwise. 0, ye charitable 
 sons and daughters of men ! I charge you to be 
 careful and not make a misapplication of your Alms. 
 Therefore, all ye who have Alms to bestow, I sol- 
 emnly charge you to make enquiry for the destitute 
 sons and daughters of men. Go to the poor man's 
 house, and take a view of his poor family. See his 
 poor -wife and children 0, they need your assis- 
 tance ! Give them something God will bless you 
 for so doing. Go to the houses of the fatherless and 
 widows see the poor wid<^v struggling and toiling 
 hard to maintain her family ! throw in your mite, 
 and thus it is, in this way, that your alms will be well 
 applied. 
 
 Some professors of religion only appear to have a 
 feeling for their ministers, and think that they are 
 
154 
 
 performing a great deed of charity, in that they con- 
 tribute so much to their support when it may be, 
 that their preachers are better off in the world than 
 they themselves are. Now, for my part, I do be- 
 lieve, that if there be a poor brother or sister in the 
 church, we had better bestow our Alms upon them, 
 than upon a rich preacher. It is not wrong for 
 preachers to receive the Alms of the church when 
 they are needy; but when they can do very well 
 without the assistance of the church, they ought not 
 to impose themselves upon the liberality of the 
 church. Christ said to the first preachers of the 
 Gospel, " Freely ye have received, freely give." 
 Mat. x chap. 8 verse. Again, the apostle tells us, 
 " not to be forgetful to entertain strangers ; for there- 
 by some have entertained angels unawares." Heb. 
 xiii chap. 2 verse. 
 
 To conclude, let us be kind and affectionate to all 
 men, and not turn strangers away, and refuse to 
 give them entertainment when it is in our power to 
 do so. If we do so, they will think hard of us, and 
 will doubt our sincerity, as it respects our profession 
 of Christianity ; and well may they do so for no 
 one can be a follower of Jesus Christ, and at the same 
 time have no bowels of compassion towards his fel- 
 low mortals. 
 
 I suppose it will not be considered amiss for me, 
 in this place, to remind the reader of what the apos- 
 tle hath said concerning the indolent such as have 
 their health and the use of their limbs, and do not 
 exert themselves, but depend upon others for their 
 support: i Thes. iv chag. 11 verse, " And that ye 
 study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and 
 to work with your own hands, as we commanded 
 you ; that ye may walk honestly towards them that 
 are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing," 
 and in ii Thes. in chap. 10 verse : " For even 
 
155 
 
 when we were with you, this we commanded you, 
 that if any would not work, neither should he eat," 
 i Tim. v chap. 8 verse : " But if any provide not 
 for his own especially not for those of his own 
 house he hath denied the faith, and is worse than 
 an infidel." These are weighty words, and ought to 
 be observed by all. Persons who have their health 
 and the use of their limbs, ought to use industry, and 
 endeavor to support themselves, .and also aid such as 
 are poor and helpless ; and by so doing, they shall be 
 blessed, as the wise man declares Prov. xxii chap. 
 9 verse : u He that hath a bountiful eye shall be 
 blessed ; for he giveth ot his bread to the poor," 
 and in Isa. Iviii chap. 7 verse : " Is it not to deal thy 
 bread to the hungry ? and that thou bring the poor 
 that are cast out to thy house; when thou seest the 
 naked, that thou cover him ; and that thou hide not 
 thyself from thine own flesh." The rich are apt to 
 forget the poor. Men of great wealth are in great 
 danger of being lost. Having every thing, in a 
 manner, as they desire, they are apt to contemn and 
 despise the poor. But the time will soon arrive, 
 when death shall separate them from their riches, 
 and they shall have to render an account of their 
 stewardship : for, in that great day of reckoning , it 
 will be said unto those upon the left hand of the 
 Judge, u Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlast- 
 ing fire prepared for the devil and his angels ; for I 
 was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat ; I was 
 thirsty, and ye gave me no drink ; I was a stranger, 
 and ye took me not in ; naked, and ye clothed me 
 not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not." 
 Mat. xxv chap. 41, 43 verses. 
 
 In the 16th chapter of Luke, we have an account 
 of a very rich and also of a very poor man. It reads 
 that the rich man was clothed in purple and fine lin- 
 en, and fared sumptuously every day. Thus he was 
 
156 
 
 in pomp and splendor, having every thing plenty. 
 But poor Lazarus was full of sores, and had nothing 
 but what the people gave him ; and when he was laid 
 at the rich man's gate, one might have supposed that 
 the sight of such an afflicted man would have wrought 
 so powerfully upon the heart of this rich man, as to 
 cause him to administer all that relief which his pit- 
 iful case demanded. But not so ; the rich man took 
 no compassion upon him. Poor Lazarus would 
 have been satisfied with the crumbs which fell from 
 the rich man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and 
 licked his sores. The dogs, it appears, had more 
 . compassion than the rich man had. Poor Lazarus 
 is visited by the kind angel of death. I say kind, 
 because I do believe that Lazarus viewed death as 
 such. But now see the change ; Lazarus is at once 
 relieved from all his afflictions, and conducted by 
 shining angels into the bosom or company of Abra- 
 ham. Death also pays the rich man a visit ; but is 
 not received or viewed by him as a friend, but as a 
 great enemy as one who separates him from all his 
 enjoyments. 0, how unwilling to.jield to the stroke ! 
 Must I leave all my glory behind ? my great posses- 
 sions and noble standing? and this delicate body of 
 mine become food for worms in the silent grave? I 
 cannot bear the thought. However willing or un- 
 willing, the rich man departs this transitory life. His 
 body is conducted to and finally deposited in the land 
 of silence, with all that parade and pomp which is 
 generally observed in burying the great ones of the 
 earth. But, 0, how different is his state from what 
 it was when in this life ! In hell, he lifts up his 
 eyes, being in torment, and seeth Abraham afar off, 
 and Lazarus in his bosom. He requests Abraham 
 to send Lazarus, that he might dip the tip of his fin- 
 ger in water, and cool his tongue, in that he was 
 tormented in the flames of hell. But the rich man's 
 
157 
 
 request was not granted, in that he justly deserved 
 or merited that punishment which he suffered. Abra- 
 ham said unto him, son, remember that thou, in thy 
 life time, receivedst thy good things, and likewise 
 Lazarus evil things ; but now he is comforted, and 
 thou art tormented. 
 
 Dear reader, let us take warning, and have com- 
 passion on the sons and daughters of affliction ; for 
 our works, good or bad, shall follow us into eternity, 
 and be rewarded accordingly. " And I heard a voice 
 from heaven, saying unto me, write, blessed are the 
 dead which die in the Lord from henceforth : yea, 
 saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors 
 and their works do follow them." Rev. xiv chap. 
 13 verse. 
 
 ON SINGING, PRAYING, AND FAST- 
 ING. 
 
 SINGING, if performed agreeably to the Word and 
 Spirit of God, is a part of that holy devotion, in 
 worshipping the true and living God. We read in 
 Mathew, 26th chapter, 30th verse, and in Mark, 14th. 
 chapter, 26th verse, that after the Saviour had cele- 
 brated certain institutions with his disciples, that 
 they sang an hymn. Thus it appears that the Sa- 
 viour approved of Singing. And Paul and Silas, 
 when in prison, "Prayed and sang praises unto 
 God." Acts, xvi chap. 25 verse. The apostle Paul, 
 in his epistle to the Ephesians, v chap. 19 verse, 
 hath written " Speaking to yourselves in psalms 
 and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making 
 melody in your heart to the Lord," and the apos- 
 tle James, in his epistle, v chap. 13 verse, writes 
 u Is any among you afflicted ? let him pray ; is any 
 14 
 
158 
 
 merry ? let him sing psalms. " Now, this is evidence 
 enough to convince the enquirer after the true and 
 acceptable will of God, that Singing is a part of di- 
 vine worship. But this holy exercise can be abused 
 or perverted, like every other means of grace. There 
 is a great deal of Singing done in this our day, 
 which I do believe is an abomination unto God. I 
 have not only an allusion to the singing of irreligious 
 songs, but to the manner or spirit in which religious 
 songs, hymns, and psalms are sung by many in pri- 
 vate and in public. It is very common for young 
 people, when assembled together at wakes, and up- 
 on other occasions, to sing hymns for diversion, or 
 merely to pass away the time, or to have it said that 
 they are great singers. 0, what profanity! what 
 using of the name of God in vain ! what foolish 
 talk is manifested during the hours of singing those 
 sacred verses which were framed alone for the wor- 
 ship of God ! Depend upon it that God is not pleas- 
 ed with such performances : therefore, I would ad- 
 vise young people and others, when they meet to- 
 gether at such times, and feel like singing, to try 
 and have their minds composed, and let no levity or 
 foolish talk disgrace those sacred hours, while sing- 
 ing those sacred verses in which the name of God is 
 mentioned. Yes, I would advise young and old, at 
 all times, and upon all occasions, to guard against 
 levity and idle talk. Hear what the Lord hath said, 
 and let us endeavor to be obedient : "But I say un- 
 to you, that every idle word that men shall speak, 
 they shall give an account thereof in the Day of 
 Judgment ; for by thy words thou shalt be justified, . 
 and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. 33 Mat. 
 xii chap. 36, 37 verses. 
 
 I have said that Singing is a part of divine wor- 
 ship. Yes, the children of God may sing in the 
 congregation, in their families, and at other times, 
 
159 
 
 to divine acceptance, provided it be performed agree- 
 ably to the words of the apostle Paul : " I will sing 
 with the spirit, and I will sing with the understand- 
 ing also." i Cor. xiv chap. 15 verse. 
 
 Dear reader, I have stated my views, in few words, 
 in relation to this noble part of divine worship. 
 The next thing to be considered is Prayer. Prayer 
 is a privilege which our Heavenly Father, through 
 Jesus Christ, has granted unto the children of men. 
 0, how thankful we ought to be, in that God will 
 be heard by such creatures as we are ! By Prayer, 
 we are to understand those petitions or requests 
 which are made or presented unto God, by those 
 who feel and are sensible that they need the favors 
 which they petition for ; and for our encouragement 
 in this important undertaking, the Saviour hath said, 
 u Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall 
 find ; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For 
 every one that asketh, receiveth ; and he that seek- 
 eth, findeth ; and to him that knocketh, it shall be 
 opened. 5 ' Mat. vii chap. 8, 9 verses. And again, 
 the Saviour gives us plainly to understand, that all 
 men have a right to pray for what they need, and 
 ought to pray: Luke, xviii chap. 1 verse, u And. 
 he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men 
 ought always to pray, and not to faint." The apos- 
 tle Paul, in his 1st letter to Timothy, ii chap. 8 verse > 
 hath written " I will, therefore, that men pray ev- 
 ery where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and 
 doubting. 5 ' 
 
 Prayer is to be observed both in. public and in 
 privaie. As it respects public Prayer, heads of fam- 
 ilies ought to observe this with their families, morn- 
 ings and evenings. This is generally termed Fami- 
 ly Worship. Yes, it is the bounden duty of the heads 
 of families, or parents, in particular, that they should 
 endeavor to assemble their children and others, who 
 
160 
 
 may eat with them at their table and sleep under their 
 roof, together, mornings and evenings, for the pur- 
 pose of holding Family Worship. 0, parents ! we 
 cannot be too particular in the observance of this im- 
 portant matter. How necessary that we should bo\v 
 ourselves with our children and others, in the morn- 
 ing, before God, and thank him for the blessings of 
 the night, and also entreat the Lord, in the name ot 
 Jesus, to pardon whatever he may discover amiss in 
 us that he would provide for us as we may need, 
 and finally fit and prepare us for every event of his 
 will! And when we sit down at our daily meals, 
 let us not forget or neglect to acknowledge the hand 
 which doth so liberally provide for us ; and when 
 Ihe evening shades draw near, let us again with our 
 families draw nigh unto God, and thank him for his 
 fatherly care and protection which has been over us 
 during the day, and pardon wherein we have done 
 amiss in thought, word, or deed and that he would 
 be with us during the silent watches of the night, 
 &c. Yes, parents, we ought to shoulder the cross, 
 and exhort our families, tell our children of the good- 
 ness of the Lord, and teach them of his ways > and 
 show them the vanities of this world, and let us be 
 careful and give them no encouragement to be proud 
 or to be exalted in their minds, by enabling them to 
 conform to the proud fashions of the world. No, 
 let their clothing be plain and decent, and mark well 
 the company they keep and finally, not to teach 
 them only by words, but also by example. 
 
 That it is our duty to instruct our children in the 
 ways of the Lord, hear the words which Moses de- 
 livered unto the Israelites : " And thou shalt teach 
 them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of 
 them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou 
 walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and 
 >vhen thou risest up," JDeut. vi chap. 7 verse and 
 
161 
 
 also what the apostle Paul hath said : " And ye fa- 
 thers, provoke not your children to wrath ; but bring 
 them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." 
 Eph. vi chap. 4 verse. 
 
 Public Prayer ought to be observed in the church 
 that is, when the brethren and others do meet to- 
 gether for public teaching. Then it is, as the apos- 
 tle gave orders to Timothy, that in the first place, 
 " Supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving 
 of thanks, be made for all men ; for kings, and for 
 all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet 
 and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty." i 
 Tim. ii chap. 1, 2 verses. And it is necessary, as 
 was observed by Paul, to exhort, or deliver a short 
 exhortation on Prayer, before we engage in that work, 
 stating to the congregation, in few words, the great 
 necessity of supplicating a throne of mercy, and how 
 sincere we ought to be in our approaches to God 
 after which, the whole congregation bow themselves 
 (if convenient) upon their knees, and then let pray- 
 ers, and supplications, &c. be made as has been di- 
 rected by the apostle ; and before rising, two or three 
 brethren may pray (but in order) so as to be heard, 
 if possible, by the whole congregation, that when 
 each prayer is concluded, the congregation can say 
 Amen, to what has been offered up. 
 
 Again, our Prayers ought always to be summed 
 up, or concluded, by saying the Lord's Prayer ; for 
 so Jesus commanded his disciples to do : Luke, XH 
 chap. 2 verse, " And he said unto them, when ye 
 pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, &c. Se- 
 cret Prayer must also be observed. Our dear Re- 
 deemer hath said "But thou, when thou prayest, 
 enter into thy closet ; and when thou hast shut thy 
 door, pray to thy Father, which is in secret, and thy 
 Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee open- 
 ly." Mat. vi chap. 6 verse. Secret or private Pray- 
 
162 
 
 er ought to be attended to iri a proper manner that 
 is, we must be careful that no one seeth or has a 
 knowledge of our so doing. Yes, if this duty be 
 correctly observed, no one but God and ourselves 
 will know any thing about it, though it should be 
 developed unexpectedly on our part that is, we 
 may sometimes conclude that we are in secret that 
 no human being beholds us, or has any knowledge 
 of what we are doing ; but should we be deceived 
 on this head, it will not hinder the acceptance of our 
 secret devotions, in as much as we are innocent, and 
 that it was our full intention to pray to God in secret. 
 The benefits resulting from Private Prayer are great. 
 Yes, Christ has declared, that those who pray in se- 
 cret, shall be rewarded openly. My dear brethren in 
 the Lord, let us not neglect this important duty; but 
 when convenient, retire or repair to some solitary 
 place, where no eye seeth but the eye of God, and 
 there pour out our hearts in prayer to God our Hea- 
 venly Father. 0, how sweet and comfortable is that 
 communion and fellowship which the. believer enjoys 
 with his God in secret! Our dear Redeemer him- 
 self observed Secret Prayer, as we can read in Ma- 
 thew, xiv chap. 23 verse : " And when he had sent 
 the multitude away, he went up in a mountain apart 
 to pray ; and when the evening was come, he was 
 there alone." Thus the Saviour has given us both 
 precept and example for the observance of Private 
 Prayer. 
 
 Again We ought, at all times, to have a praying 
 mind to God ; and then it is, that we shall " Pray 
 without ceasing." i Thes. v chap. 17 verse. Dear 
 reader, Prayer, as well as Singing, and every other 
 means of grace, can be perverted. The Scribes and 
 Pharisees, as we can read in the Gospel, made great 
 pretensions, and manifested a great deal of zeal in 
 the observance of Prayer. They generally selected 
 
163 
 
 the most public places for Prayer. Their object was 
 the notice and praise of men ; and there is no doubt 
 but that they deceived many, especially the ignorant. 
 They were considered by them the favorites of hea- 
 ven. But our Saviour exposed their hypocritical 
 mockery : " And when thou prayest, thou shalt not 
 be as the hypocrites are ; for they love to pray stand- 
 ing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, 
 that they may be seen of men. Verily, I say unto 
 you, they have their reward." Mat. vi chap. 5 verse. 
 " Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, 
 for ye devour widows' houses, and for pretence make 
 long prayers ; therefore, ye shall receive the greater 
 damnation." Mat. xxiii chap. 14 verse. It is to be 
 feared, that there is too much of this Pharisaical 
 spirit in, our times ; for there is so much public pray- 
 ing, accompanied or connected with so much pride, 
 that it cannot be otherwise. We frequently hear it 
 said, that such and such a one made a great prayer, 
 and how well such and such pray, &c. Now, such 
 talk is not agreeable to the sincere, and no doubt an 
 abomination unto God. 
 
 And again It has biecome quite fashionable for 
 praying characters to offer their services to pray for 
 sinners. Yes, they will insist upon people coming 
 forward to let them pray for them. This is going a 
 little farther than the Scribes and Pharisees. They 
 would have us to believe that they are such holy char- 
 acters, that their prayers would avail much before 
 God. Now, every man who has a knowledge of the 
 New Testament, must know, that such proceedings 
 aie quite contrary to the order to be observed, as re- 
 vealed in that blessed book. Where do we read in 
 the Gospel, that Jesus Christ or the apostles told the 
 people to come and let them pray for them ? Dear 
 reader, if my memory serves me right, we can read 
 nothing of the kind in the Gospel. Well, then, if 
 
164 
 
 Jesus Christ and the apostles did not proceed in that 
 way, what are we to think of modern Christianity, 
 or that spirit which operates so mightily on many pro- 
 fessors of religion, as to cause them to proceed as 
 above stated ? I answer, that it appears very clear 
 to me, that it is a spirit of delusion ; a very danger- 
 ous spirit indeed, and ought to be resisted by every 
 person. Take it for granted, reader, that a meek 
 spirit will never prompt a person to stand up and 
 tell the people to come before them and be prayed 
 for. This is assuming too much authority, and is 
 indicative of a self-righteous spirit. 
 
 To pray for ourselves and others is right but I 
 contend that it is wrong, and quite contrary to the 
 spirit of Christ, to tell sjnners to come and let us 
 pray for them. Again, we hear of a great many 
 prayer-meetings meetings appointed for prayers to 
 be made by professors and how are those meetings 
 managed ! Why, there is generally a leader, and he 
 calls upon one disciple after another to go to prayer. 
 Now, it may be, that is not the spirit of Christ, or a 
 feeling sense of the necessity of Prayer, that stimu- 
 lates them to pray ; for if they were not called upon 
 by their leaders, it may be that they would not pray 
 at that time. 
 
 Reader, I wonder if there are not a great many 
 prayers made at such meetings merely to be heard by 
 men ? I will not judge God knoweth. If we are 
 not careful, we are sure to use vain repetitions that 
 is, utter a long string of words, and at the same 
 time be praying to man instead of God. Therefore, 
 we ought to be careful, and petition for nothing but 
 what we believe would be agreeable to the will of 
 God, and that we would be willing to receive. 
 
 Women, as well as men, have a right to pray to 
 God. But women must not pray to God having 
 their heads uncovered, nor men pray to God having 
 
165 
 
 their heads covered. Paul, in his 1st letter to the 
 Corinthians, llth chapter, writes " Every man 
 praying or prophecying, having his head covered, 
 dishonoreth his head ; but every woman that pray- 
 eth or prophesieth with her head uncovered,dishonor- 
 eth her head ; for that is even all one as if she were 
 shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her 
 also be shorn ; but if it be a shame for a woman to 
 be shorn or shaven, let her be covered." Now, it is 
 plain from the above, that women in divine service, 
 and especially when engaged in praying or prophe- 
 sying, should have their heads covered. Paul, in 
 the 15th verse declares " But if a woman have long 
 hair, it is a glory to her ; for her hair is given her for a 
 covering.' 5 There are some who contend from this 
 verse, that the long hair is all that we are to under- 
 stand by the covering which the apostle speaks of 
 as becoming the woman when she would pray or 
 prophesy. But if such persons would examine close- 
 ly into what the apostle hath written in the 5th and 
 6th verses, as above quoted, they would see that 
 the apostle alludes to another kind of covering than 
 that of the hair, seeing that he saith, " For if the 
 woman be not covered, let her also be shorn ; but if 
 it be a shame to a woman to be shorn or shaven, let 
 her be covered." Now, if the hair is the covering 
 which women should observe in praying or prophe- 
 sying, then there would be no sense in the words of 
 the apostle, where he says, u but if it be a shame to 
 a woman to be shorn or shaven, then let her be cov- 
 ered." 
 
 Reader, in ancient times, it was considered a great 
 scandal or shame for women to be shorn or shaven. 
 Yes,it was a disgraceful punishment sometimes inflic- 
 ted on women of bad character. The hair is given 
 to the woman for a natural covering ; they therefore- 
 ought to wear it long for it is an honor to them ; 
 
166 
 
 but to wear it short, as is customary among men, 
 would be dishonorable to them. According to an- 
 cient custom, a cover on the head was a sign of sub- 
 jection and respect to superiors ; and it was owing 
 to the woman being under subjection io the man, ac- 
 cording to the word of the Lord, (see Gen. iii chap. 
 16 verse,) that she should, in divine service, especially 
 when praying or prophesying, have a cover on her 
 head. The apostle, in the 3d verse of the llth chap- 
 ter of the 1st Corinthians, fully explains the cause : 
 it reads thus " But I would have you to know, 
 that the head of every man is Christ ; and the head 
 of the woman is the man ; and the head of Christ is 
 God." Thus, it is plainly revealed why the woman 
 should cover her head in divine service ; and I do 
 believe that it ought to be a plain cover. The man- 
 ner in which some women veil their faces and cover 
 their heads is an abomination unto God. Yes, it is 
 an abomination unto God, and disagreeable to a 
 meek and lowly mind, to see women or men having 
 so much of the fruits of a proud heart about their bo- 
 dies, and especially when engaged in performing di- 
 vine service or holy calling. It would be well for 
 them to bear in mind, that Jesus Christ, our adora- 
 ble Redeemer, wore a crown of thorns. 
 
 That women should adorn themselves in plain ap- 
 parel, is very evident from the words of the apostle : 
 i Tim. ii chap. 9, 10 verses, " In like manner also, 
 that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, 
 with shamefacedness and sobriety ; not with broi- 
 dered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array ; but 
 which becometh women professing godliness with 
 good works." Paul writes thus concerning the man 
 " Doth not even nature itself teach you, that if a 
 man have long hair, it is a shame unto him." i Cor. 
 xi chap. 14 verse. From this many infer that a man 
 sught to cut or wear his hair quite short. Now, I 
 
167 
 
 do not believe that it was the intention of the apos- 
 tle that men should cut their hair as short as "is the 
 fashion in this our day ; but that they should not 
 wear their hair as long, and tied in the manner that 
 women do which some years since was customary 
 among the males. One might suppose that nature 
 would be sufficient to dictate to a man in what way 
 he should wear his hair. There certainly can be no 
 impropriety in a man's wearing or letting his hair 
 extend and not grow longer than to the shoulders ; 
 and this cannot be considered long hair, when com- 
 pared to the manner in which women wear their 
 hair. We can read in certain histories, which speak 
 of the similitude or form of Christ, cc that the hair of 
 his head was of the color of a well ripened hazle- 
 nut, and divided on the middle of Jhis head, smooth 
 and even, hanging down on each side to the shoul- 
 ders, according to the mode of the Nazarenes. His 
 beard was of the same color of the hair of his head, 
 full and beautiful in the middle of his chin, divided 
 into two parts, not very long. His face was hand- 
 some, smooth, and without wrinkle or spot." 
 
 I have no doubt that the above is a true history 
 because we can read that the Israelites were com- 
 manded as follows : " Ye shall not round the corners 
 of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of 
 thy beard." Lev. xix chap. 27 verse. " They shall 
 not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they 
 shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any 
 cuttings in their flesh." Lev. xxi chap. 5 verse. 
 Christ fulfilled the law in every point ; he therefore 
 wore the hair of his head and ehin agreeably to the 
 law. And as it respects the wearing of the beard , 
 I have no doubt but that it was the intention or de- 
 sign of the Great Creator, that men should wear 
 their beards ; for it is a remarkable distinction be- 
 tween man and woman, and that no deception might 
 
168 
 
 take place between the part of man and woman ; and 
 I cannot see what right or cause any should have to 
 judge or condemn such as feel it their duty to carry 
 or observe the image or likeness in which they were 
 created. I acknowledge that there is no positive 
 command in the New Testament, that men should 
 wear their beards ; but we have example and pre- 
 cept in Christ and his apostles, to justify and con- 
 vince a brother that he should let his beard stand. 
 And Peter tells us, u For even hereunto were ye 
 called ; for Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an 
 example, that ye should follow his steps." i Pet. ii 
 chap. 21 verse; and Christ says, " Whosoever, 
 therefore, shall be ashamed of me" that is, of his 
 person -" and of my wprds " that is, the doctrine 
 he taught " in this adulterous and sinful genera- 
 tion, of him also shall the son of man be ashamed, 
 when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the 
 holy angels." Mark, viii chap. 38 verse. 
 
 It was considered a great shame or scandal for an 
 Israelite to have his beard cut off, as we can read in 
 ii Samuel, x chap. 4, 5 verses : " Wherefore, Hanun 
 took David's servants, and shaved off the one-half 
 of their beards, and cut off their garments in the 
 middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away. 
 When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, 
 because the men were greatly ashamed ; and the 
 king said, tarry at Jericho until your beard be grown, 
 and then return." To shave off the beard was, per- 
 haps, as great a shame or scandal in king David's 
 time, as it is now in the eyes of the world to let it 
 stand. Yes, to have the beard cut off, as it respects 
 the Israelites, was as great a shame or scandal, as 
 for a woman to wear an artificial beard because 
 the Jew who lost his beard would look too much like 
 a woman, and the woman who would wear an arti- 
 ficial beard would look too much like a man. Thus 
 
169 
 
 nature itself will teach a man that he should let his 
 beard stand. 
 
 I have no doubt but that I shall be very much 
 faulted on account of the above remarks : bat I have 
 one consolation I feel satisfied that I have done my 
 duty, and that no one who possesses a meek and 
 lowly mind, will have any objections to make. 
 
 To conclude my remarks upon Prayer, I would 
 say, in all our prayers to God, we must have faith 
 that is, we must pray in faith, believing, and that 
 always, in the name of Jesus Christ, as we can read 
 in John, xiv chap. 13, 14 verses : "And whatsoev- 
 er ye 'shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the 
 Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask 
 any thing in my name, I will do it," and in Mat. 
 xviii chap. 19, 20 verses : " Therefore, I say unto 
 you, what things soever ye desire when ye pray, be- 
 lieve that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." 
 
 Dear reader, I shall now make a few remarks on 
 Fasting. By Fasting, we are to understand the ab- 
 stinence from food, for the purpose of being better 
 qualified to seek and enjoy the favor of God: and 
 in as much as Christ and the apostles observed Fast- 
 ing, the children of God ought also to fast. (See 
 Mat. iv 2, ii Cor. vi 5, xi 27, i Cor. vii 5.) 
 Our Saviour told his disciples, that when they fasted, 
 they should not be as the hypocrites, of a sad coun- 
 tenance ; for they disfigure their faces, that they may 
 appear unto men to fast. " Verily, I say unto you, 
 they have their reward. But thou, when thou fast- 
 est, anoint thy head and wash thy face, that thou 
 appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father, 
 \vhich seeth in secret, and he shall reward thee open- 
 ly." Mat. vi chap. 16, 17, 18 verses. 
 
 The objectors to Fasting, can plainly see from the 
 above, that Christ did not forjbid, but rather gave 
 his disciples to understand that they should fast 
 15 
 
170 
 
 " But thou, when thou fastest." Yes, these words, 
 with the example of Christ and the apostles, is evi- 
 dence enough to convince the believer that he ought 
 to fast ; and it is plain from the words of Christ, that 
 Fasting is to be observed in such a manner as not to 
 have it known to men : " That thou appear not unto 
 men to fast." It is not said how often nor how long 
 we are to fast so that it ought to be observed occa- 
 sionally, but always in secret. This, by being care- 
 ful, may be managed in such a manner, that the fam- 
 ily to which we are attached will not be apprised of 
 it. We can read in Acts, 13th chapter, that when 
 Barnabas and Saul were set apart for the work where- 
 unto they were called, that it was done by Fasting, 
 Praying, and laying on of hands. I do believe that 
 it becometh the whole church of Christ to fast occa- 
 sionally, especially when we undertake to separate 
 brethren for the work of the ministry. This is an 
 important undertaking; yes, a very solemn, yea, 
 weighty matter ; and that this work may be of the 
 Lord's doings, or that the church may be controlled 
 by the Lord, in selecting a brother, or brethren, for 
 the ministry, it becometh the whole church, when 
 they are apprised of such an undertaking, to iast, 
 that their bodies may be in a temperate state, and 
 pray to God that they might be qualified to say whom 
 or who it is that God would have to take a part in 
 the ministry. And furthermore, the members, pre- 
 vious to the time of determination or interrogation, 
 ought to be careful not to make it an every day's 
 talk. No, they ought to eonsult no one but God alone. 
 Fasting was quite common among the Jews. 
 Moses fasted for the space of forty days, Deut. ix 
 9, 18, and x 10, Exod. xxxiv 28 Elijah fasted 
 forty days, i Kings, xix 8 and our Saviour also 
 fasted forty days, Mat. iv 2. If there was no ben- 
 efit derived from Fasting at certain times, I am con- 
 
171 
 
 vinced that the Saviour, the apostles, and the saints, 
 would not have done so. Yes, occasional Fasting, 
 if observed with a single eye to the glory of God and 
 the salvation and purification of the soul, will be of 
 great advantage to the believer. It gives the believ- 
 er a clear conception of his dependance upon Al- 
 mighty God, and of the doctrine of self-denial. Yes, 
 it tends to humiliation, and teaches the believer, that 
 in order to his sanctification, he must not only abstain 
 from sin, but from the very appearance of sin. (See 
 i Thes. v 22, 23.) It is useless for persons to fast 
 when it is not their intention to do what is right. 
 Hear the word of the Lord to such as do not fast in 
 order to be enabled to do what is right yea, to per- 
 -form the acceptable will of God : " Wherefore, have 
 we fasted, say they, and thou seest not ? wherefore 
 have we afflicted us, and thou takest no knowledge ? 
 Behold, in the day of your fast, ye find pleasure, and 
 exact all your labors ! Behold, ye fast for strife and 
 debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness ; ye 
 shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice 
 to be heard on high ! Is it such a fast that I have 
 chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul ? Is it to 
 bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread 
 sackcloth and ashes under him ? Wilt thou call this 
 a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord ? Is not 
 this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bands 
 of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let 
 the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke ? 
 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that 
 thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house ; 
 when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him ; 
 and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh." 
 Lsa. Iviii chap. 3, 7 verses. 
 
 Dear reader, I shall now conclude my remarks n 
 Singing, Praying, and Fasting and it is my wish 
 that you would compare them with the Gospel, and ' 
 
172 
 
 see whether they are agreeable to the will of God ; 
 and if you find that they agree with the Gospel, I 
 entreat you to receive the same, and they will make 
 for your future felicity. As an exhortation to pray- 
 er, hear the words of a certain poet : 
 
 1 What various hindrances we meet 
 In coming to a mercy- seat ! 
 
 Yet who that knows the worth of prayer, 
 But wishes to be often there ? 
 
 2 Prayer makes the dark'ned cloud withdraw. 
 Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw 
 Gives exercise to faith and love, 
 
 Brings ev'ry blessing from above. 
 
 3 Restraining prayer, we cease to fight ; 
 Prayer makes the Christian's armor bright, 
 And Satan trembles when he sees 
 
 The weakest saint upon his knees. 
 
 4 While Moses stood with arms spread wide ? 
 Success was found on Israel's side; 
 
 But when through weariness they failed, 
 That moment Amalek prevailed. 
 
 5 Have you no words ? ah ! think again 
 Words flow apace when you complain. 
 And fill your fellow creature's ear 
 With the sad tale of all your care. 
 
 6 Were half the breath thus vainly spent, 
 To heaven in supplication sent, 
 
 Your cheerful song would oft'ner be, 
 
 " Hear what the Lord hath done for me,'" 
 
173 
 AN ADDRESS TO THE READER. 
 
 GENTLE READER, I have endeavored, in this 
 work, to impress upon your mind, the great necessi- 
 ty of obeying God, our Heavenly Father, in all his 
 precepts. Yes, dear reader, this, and to throw some 
 light upon the order to be observed in the House of 
 God, is what has induced me to write this book.- 
 What reception it may meet with, is unknown to me. 
 Had it not been for so much deviation from the true 
 observance of Christ's precepts, I do not suppose 
 that I should have thought it necessary to do so ; 
 but how can I well forbear, believing as I do, that 
 we cannot be too particular in observing every com- 
 mand of the New Testament ? and at the same time 
 seeing and hearing so much in opposition to many 
 of the precepts of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our dear 
 Redeemer declared and said, in his sermon delivered 
 upon the mountain, as you can read in Mat. vii chap. 
 21, 23 verses, "Not every one that saith unto me, 
 Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; 
 but he ihat doeth the will of my Father, which is 
 in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, 
 Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in 
 thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name have 
 done many wonderful works. And then will I pro- 
 fess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me, 
 ye that work iniquity." Now, from the above we 
 may truly inter that notwithstanding our calling up- 
 on the name of the Lord, which is our reasonable 
 service, if we do not observe the will of the Lord, 
 we shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven ; and 
 that many persons, yea, preachers, may and will 
 live and die in a state of deception, being under the 
 impression that they are the chosen ones of the Lord. 
 But in the final day of reckoning, it will be revealed 
 to men and angels, that they were in a state of de- 
 15* 
 
lusion. Oh ! the danger, the great danger of being- 
 deceived ! The apostle tells us, " For Satan himself 
 is transformed into an angel of light ; therefore it is 
 no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as 
 the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be 
 according to their works." ii Cor. xi chap. 14, 15 
 verses and Christ declared, "For there shall arise 
 false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great 
 signs and wonders, in so much, that if it were possi- 
 ble, they shall deceive the very elect." God's elect 
 are such as have, by a conformity to the will of God, 
 entered into the church of Christ, and are living up 
 to their Christian privileges. Now,all such receive the 
 anointing of the Holy Spirit, which abideth in them 
 and this anointing teacheth them not only a part, 
 but the whole will of God, and the observance of it. 
 (See i John, ii 27.) And were it not for this 
 anointing, the devil could deceive the children of 
 God ; for it is certain that all those that have receiv- 
 ed, and do observe, this anointing, cannot be sedu- 
 ced to believe in a false or wrong observance of any 
 one of the precepts of Jesus. Nevertheless, it is 
 possible for them to fall from grace and be lost. But 
 as long as they preserve that love and affection for 
 God and his word which they received at the first, 
 they cannot sin that is, wilfully ; tor his seed re- 
 maineth in him; therefore, in order to his fall, he 
 must lose that love for the truth. And this love or 
 affection for God and his word is the very best assur- 
 ance that we can have of our acceptance with God ; 
 and to prove this, I will call the attention of the 
 reader to what Christ hath said upon this subject : 
 John, viii chap. 47 verse, " He that is of God hear- 
 eth God's words ; ye therefore hear them not, be- 
 cause ye are not of God. He that is of God that 
 is, he that is begotten or born of God, heareth that 
 is, reveres or obeys God's words ; and those that 
 
1 /O 
 
 hear them not -that is, do not reverence and obey 
 God's words, are not of God that is, are not born 
 of God.'' And again, in the 51st verse, "Verily, 
 verily, I say unto you, if a man keep my sayings, 
 he shall never see death : " That is, those who obey 
 the precepts of Jesus shall not be hurt by the second 
 death, or lake of fire. John, xiv chap. 21 verse 
 " He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, 
 he it is that loveth me ; and he that loveth me shall 
 be loved of my Father ; and I will love him and will 
 manifest myself to him." 23 verse: "And Jesus 
 answered and said unto him, if a man love me, he 
 will keep my words ; and my Father will love him, 
 and we will come unto him, and make our abode with 
 him. 55 24 verse: " He that loveth me not, keepeth 
 not my sayings ; and the word which ye hear is not 
 mine, but the Father's which sent me." And John, 
 that beloved disciple, tells us, " This is the love of 
 God, that we keep his commandments." John, v 
 chap. 3 verse. 
 
 Now, dear reader, is it not evident from the above, 
 and more testimonies which I might produce, 
 that all those who do keep the commandments 
 of the Lord Jesus Christ, have the love of 
 God shed abroad in their hearts ; and that all 
 those who do not keep his commands it matters not 
 what they may profess they are not the children 
 of God ; they have not the love of God in their hearts 
 for no one can have the love of God in his heart, 
 and not observe the precepts of Jesus. How often 
 do we hear certain professors say, there is no neces- 
 sity to be so particular in observing this and that, 
 command, if the heart is only good if the man or 
 woman is only converted, it is enough. Oh ! what 
 a mixture of lies and error ! I admit that a good 
 heart, or a true conversion to God, is as much as 
 we can expect in this life, and it will keep us very in- 
 
176 
 
 dustrious to maintain it to the end of our days. But 
 we have no evidence to believe that a man may have 
 a good heart, or be truly converted unto God, and 
 speak lightly of any of the commandments of the 
 Lord Jesus Christ. No, for all those who are truly 
 converted to God, have the same mind in them which 
 was in Jesus Christ. Yes, they have his spirit ; 
 and the mind or spirit which was in Christ, and also 
 in his disciples, is a meek and lowly mind, (see Mat. 
 xi 29,) and never revolts against any part of the 
 will of God. 
 
 Again, we hear people say sometimes, in support- 
 ing or establishing their conduct for not observing 
 certain Gospel precepts, that they have a good mind 
 or meaning in proceeding in the way they do. But 
 I contend, that if their good mind or meaning be not 
 to observe the whole will of God, that they are no 
 better than King Saul ; for he seemed to have a very 
 plausible excuse for not fully prosecuting the word 
 of the Lord, which had been delivered unto him by 
 the prophet Samuel. This word of the Lord to Saul 
 was, that he should utterly destroy the Amalekites, 
 and every thing which appertained unto them. He 
 was to make no reserve whatever ; but it appears 
 that he had such a good mind, or intention, as not 
 to observe the word of the Lord in full. Oh ! no 
 he "discovered a great many animals which would 
 answer very well to offer as sacrifices unto God upon 
 Mount Gilgal ; and as the king of the Amalekites 
 was a great man, he must be taken alive. Thus, 
 this good meaning of King Saul's led him to violate 
 the word of the Lord, by reserving the best of the 
 flocks, and also sparing King Agag. However, 
 Samuel told Saul, that to obey is better than sacri- 
 fices, and to hearken than the fat of rams : for re- 
 bellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness 
 is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast 
 
177 
 
 rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected 
 thee from being king. 
 
 Dear reader, you see that it will not do for us to 
 reject any part of the word of the Lord, though we 
 may have ever such a good intention. The word of 
 God must be observed without the least deviation. 
 Samuel said, bring ye hither to me Agag, the king 
 of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him deli- 
 cately ; and Agag said, surely the bitterness of death 
 is past. And Samuel said, as thy sword hath made wo- 
 men childless, so shall thy mother be childless among 
 women. And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before 
 the Lord in Gilgal. (See i Sam. xv chap.) Now King 
 Agag represents that corrupt nature in man, and is 
 not to be spared, but must be crucified ; fbr it is, as 
 we have already remarked, that this corrupt nature 
 connot be made subject to the law of God; for if 
 that could have been done, there would have been no 
 necessity for the Gospel ; and this will not be ac- 
 complished without suffering. The price of our 
 redemption cost the most cruel and painful suffer- 
 ings endured by our dear Redeemer. Our salvation 
 is also effected in sufferings so that none need ex- 
 pect to enter the Kingdom of Glory without suffering 
 more or less. Therefore, it is our privilege, that we 
 might u know Christ and the power of his resurrec- 
 tion, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made 
 conformable unto his death." Phil, iii chap. 10 verse. 
 Now, to suffer for the name of Christ, is a certain 
 evidence that we must be the children of God; for 
 in so doing, we produce that kind of fruit which 
 Christ and the apostles have declared would be 
 agreeable to our holy profession. Oh ! how few are 
 willing to suffer for the name of Jesus ! and how ma- 
 ny of his professed disciples, in the hour of temp- 
 tation and affliction, deny their Lord and Master ! 
 Yes, in times of prosperity, how bold, how coura- 
 
178 
 
 geous for the accomplishment of the will of God ! 
 But let the enemy tempt, the world frown, and fals e 
 Christians persecute unto death, oh ! what desertions ! 
 Only here and there one is to be found who will en- 
 dure, who will lay down his life for the brethren, 
 and seal with his own blood the testimony of the 
 truth as it is in Jesus. 
 
 All those who are born of the Water and of the 
 Spirit, have the same mind in them which was in 
 Jesus. Yes, they are operated upon by the Spirit of 
 Christ, and must be willing to be led by that Spirit ; 
 and if led by that Spirit, they need apprehend no dan- 
 ger of swerving from the truth, or imbibing error. 
 Oh ! no it is the Spirit's office to guide the believ- 
 r into all truth. " He will not speak of himself 
 but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak ; 
 and he will show you things to come. He shall 
 glorify me that is, Christ ; for he shall receive of 
 mine, and shall shew it unto you : all things that the 
 Father hath are mine ; therefore said I, he shall take 
 of mine, and shall shew it unto you." John, xiv 
 chap. 13, 15 verses. 
 
 A spirit cannot be seen by the bodily eye ; but 
 its operations can be felt, and its effects can be seen. 
 The operations of the Spirit are compared unto the 
 wind. " The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou 
 hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence 
 it cometh, or whither it goeth ; so every one that is 
 born of the Spirit." John, lii chap. 8 verse. The 
 wind cannot be seen but its effects can be both felt 
 and seen. John, that beloved disciple, solemnly 
 charged the brethren " not to believe in every spirit, 
 but to try the spirits whether they are of God, be- 
 cause many false prophets have Fgone out into the 
 world." i John, iv chap. 1 verse. And how are we 
 to try or prove the spirit? I answer, by the word 
 of God. For example If that spirit from whose 
 
179 
 
 operations we act and move, and if those actions and 
 movements do not in every respect agree 3 with the 
 Gospel of Jesus Christ, we may take it for granted, 
 that it is a spirit of error, and not the spirit of truth, 
 that operates upon us. 
 
 Dear reader, let us take warning, and make sure 
 work for the Kingdom of Heaven. The time will 
 come when every man's work shall be tried. Yes, 
 the apostle Paul, in his 1st epistle to the Corinthi- 
 ans, 3d chapter, tells us " For other foundation can 
 no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 
 Now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, 
 silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble every 
 man's work shall be made manifest ; for the day 
 shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire ; 
 and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort 
 it is. If any man's work abide, which he hath built 
 thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's 
 work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss ; but he 
 himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." Now, it 
 is certain, that every man or woman who professes 
 faith in Jesus Christ, is a builder for eternity. But 
 it may be possible for persons to profess faith in Je- 
 sus Christ, and yet not conduct themselves so as to 
 be saved by the present means of salvation. There- 
 fore, we ought to be very particular as it respects the 
 materials or means we make use of in rearing up a 
 spiritual edifice for the Kingdom of Glory. 
 
 In the first place, I would advise all persons when 
 they commence this important undertaking, to dig 
 deep that is, make a proper search, until they are 
 fully satisfied that they have found the rock, Christ, 
 the sure foundation ; and then employ those mate- 
 rials or means which Christ himself has appointed for 
 the accomplishment of this desirable object. By 
 this spiritual edifice, I allude to that temple whi ch 
 the apostle writes of in the 16th verse of the 3d chap- 
 
180 
 
 ter, and 19th verse of the 4th chapter, cf his 1st let- 
 ter to the Corinthians: "Know ye not that ye are 
 the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwell- 
 eth in you. If any man defile the temple of God, 
 him shall God destroy ; for the temple of God is ho- 
 ly, which temple ye are. What ! know ye not that 
 your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is 
 in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your 
 own ; for ye are bought with a price therefore, glo- 
 rify God in your bodv, and in your spirit, which are 
 God's." 
 
 My dear reader, are you a professor of the religion 
 of Jesus Christ? If so, I charge you to examine 
 well the foundation upon which your hope of eternal 
 glory depends. Now, if Christ be your foundation, 
 you are certainly w r ell founded. Yes, you are founded 
 upon a solid rock. The rain may descend, and the 
 Hoods come, and the winds blow, and beat ever so 
 much upon that superstructure, which has Christ for 
 its foundation, and it cannot be moved Yea, it shall 
 not fall. But should our foundation be an arm of 
 flesh, the doctrines and commandments of men, we 
 are in a state of delusion. Our foundation is a sandy 
 one, and cannot stand ; it will totter and finally fall, 
 and great will be the fall thereof. 
 
 Reader, let us be awake to our highest interest, and 
 guard against the great prostitute that we read of in 
 the book of Revelations ; 17th chapter, " So he car- 
 ried me away in the spirit into the wilderness, and I 
 saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of 
 names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten 
 horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and 
 scarlet color, and decked with gold, and precious 
 stones, and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, 
 full of abominations and filthiness of her fornica- 
 tions. And upon her forehead was written, Mystery, 
 Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abom- 
 
181 
 
 inations of the earth. And I saw the woman drunk- 
 en with the blood of the saints, and with the blood 
 of the martyrs of Jesus ; and when I sa\Y her, I 
 wondered with great admiration." By this woman, 
 we are to understand every corrupt sect or commu- 
 nity professing to be the church of Christ and when- 
 ever they become numerous they are sure to produce 
 more sects ; therefore, she is styled the mother of 
 harlots. And by her rich and costly adornment and 
 the golden cup which she holds in her hand, we may 
 understand that by which she attracts the attention of 
 the children of men. The golden cup is said to be 
 full of abominations and filthiness of her fornications 
 and when she, by her grand Appearance, succeeds 
 in attracting the attention of the children of men, 
 and presenting to them the golden cup, which may 
 more particularly represent the excellency of speech 
 and doctrine which the preachers in particular, of 
 those corrupt communities deliver to a cheated 
 multitude to receive; and when they do receive the 
 doctrine inculcated by those corrupt preachers, then 
 it is, that they drink of the contents of the golden 
 cup, and are sure to become intoxicated to such a 
 degree as to think that they are doing God's ser- 
 vice when opposing and persecuting the children of 
 God even unto death. 
 
 Dear reader, let us take heed to ourselves, and 
 guard against every feeling which is contrary to love 
 that is, love to God, and love to man. If so, we 
 shall not do any thing that would be in opposition 
 to the doctrine of Christ. Yea, we shall be under 
 the guidance of the spirit of truth, and, of course, 
 shall be preserved from that delusion, which, it is to 
 be feared, will be the destruction of thousands of 
 the children of men. Oh ! let us walk in the light 
 of the Gospel, that the smiling countenance of our 
 Heavenly Father may shine upon us ! We have but 
 16 
 
182 
 
 a short time to stay in this world : yes, a few more 
 risings and settings of yonder sun, and we shall have 
 finished our course. Happy, happy will it be for us, 
 if, in a state of readiness when separated from the 
 body by the angel of death, the soul can then enter 
 into a mansion of rest in the paradise of God, which 
 our dear Redeemer has prepared for .those that love 
 him. But, oh ! should we be the opposers and ne- 
 glecters of this great salvation, our state will be a 
 miserable one ! Oh ! what awful feelings will cor- 
 rode our minds, when sickness seizes, medicines 
 fail, and the icy arms of death encircle us around 
 and when separated from the body, the soul, that 
 immortal part, will have to enter the prison of hell, 
 where there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 
 Reader, oh ! reader, whoever you be, I entreat you 
 to take warning, and seek the Lord whilst he may 
 be found, and call upon the Lord whilst he is near, 
 that your poor soul may be saved in time and in vast 
 eternity. It matters not whether }ou be young or 
 old. Now to you, even now is the day of salva- 
 tion, the acceptable time. To-morrow may be too 
 late ; for there is no state, no age in life, that is ex- 
 empted from death. Yes, the infant in the cradle, 
 the young man and the young woman, the middle- 
 aged and the old, the grey-headed man or woman, are 
 all liable to death. u For it is appointed unto man 
 once to die, and after this the Judgment," " Dust 
 thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return." These 
 delicate bodies of our's will erelong become food for 
 worms in the silent tomb. Oh ! what folly, what 
 madness, to spend so much money and precious time 
 in pampering and decorating these mortal bodies ! 
 Crucify, oh ! reader, I entreat you to crucify in your- 
 self the old man, that corrupt nature, which you, 
 myself, and the whole human family have inherited 
 from a fallen Adam, though it may cost you the 
 
183 
 
 frowns, of the world, the persecutions of the wicked, 
 and all those things which are so highly esteemed by 
 the children of this world ! Oh ! the crown, the 
 immortal crown of life, that is in reservation for the 
 faithful followers of the Lamb ! That crown, that 
 precious crown, is worth more than all the glittering 
 toys and glories of this vain world. Yes, this world, 
 with all its pleasures and enjoyments, is not worthy 
 to be compared to that eternal weight of glory that 
 awaits the righteous in the other world. Our Saviour 
 declared, " What will it profit a man if he gain the 
 whple world and lose his own soul ? or what can a 
 man give in exchange for his soul?" Beloved rea- 
 der, we can give nothing in exchange for our soul; 
 for it is more valuable than all the world : therefore, 
 let us daily lay up treasures in heaven, that our hearts 
 may be there also. 
 
 ON THE SECOND ADVENT OF OUR 
 LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND OF 
 THOSE EVENTS FOR WHICH HE 
 SHALL BE REVEALED. 
 
 THAT our Lord Jesus Christ will appear agaiii in 
 our world, for the accomplisment of certain purposes, 
 is a truth plainly revealed in the word of God. Is- 
 rael's prophets did not only prophesy of the first, but 
 also of the second Advent of our glorious Redeem- 
 er. Dear reader, I do not intend, in this work, to 
 notice all those prophecies which have an allusion to 
 the second appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 No, I shall only select a few from the many, and 
 shall give my understanding of the same in as few 
 words as possible. I shall first take into consider- 
 
184 
 
 ation what our Saviour and the apostles have said out 
 this subject, and secondly, I shall have recourse to 
 those prophecies which the prophets have uttered on 
 this very important subject when I shall call the 
 attention of the reader to those events which our 
 Saviour shall come to accomplish. 
 
 Our Saviour, in the 24th chapter of Mathew, 13th 
 chapter of Mark, and 17th chapter of Luke, speaks 
 of the destruction of Jerusalem, and also of his com- 
 ing, or personal appearance, in this world ; and as 
 he was in the world, or upon the earth, at the time 
 he spake those prophecies, we cannot believe other- 
 wise than that he alluded to his second personal ap- 
 pearance. And as these two subjects, the destruc- 
 tion of Jerusalem, and the coming of Christ, have 
 been recorded so much through each other, many 
 conclude that Christ, in speaking of his coming, al- 
 ludes altogether to his coming to destroy Jerus-alem 
 which notion or opinion can be easily confuted by 
 paying strict attention to the whole tenor of those 
 prophecies. For example It is certain, that at the 
 destruction of Jerusalem, the sign of the coming of 
 the Son of Man was not discoverable in the clotids 
 of heaven ; that he did not, at that time, send his 
 angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and gather 
 his elect together from the four winds from one end 
 of heaven to the other. Then, of course, those 
 prophecies remain jet to be fulfilled. 
 
 And again The apostles have also spoken more 
 or less of the second appearance of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ. Paul, in his epistle to Titus, in admonish- 
 ing the brethren, writes thus ii chap. 13 verse 
 " Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious 
 appearing of the Great God, and our Saviour, Jesus 
 Christ." And in Hebrews, ix chap. 28. verse : " So 
 Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many ; 
 and unto them that look for him, shall he appear ths 
 
185 
 
 second time, without sin unto salvation. 53 It is very 
 clearly revealed, that when our Saviour shall come, 
 that he can and will be seen by all the inhabitants 
 of this earth ; that his coming will be as visible as 
 the lightning : " For as the lightning cometh out of 
 the east, and shineth even unto the west so shall 
 also the coming of the Son of Man be." Mat. xxiv 
 chap. 27 verse. " Behold, he cometh with clouds ! 
 and every eye shall see him, and they also which 
 pierced him ; and all the kindreds of the earth shall 
 wail because of him. Even so, amen." Rev. i chap. 
 7 verse. Here it is expressly declared, that all eyes 
 shall see him, and that the disobedient and rejectors 
 of the Gospel shall also see him ; it is added, they 
 also which pierced him. And in the Acts of the apos- 
 tles, i chap. 10, 1 1 verses : " And while they looked 
 steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, 
 two men stood by them in white apparel ; which al- 
 so said, ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up 
 into heaven ? this same Jesus which is* taken up 
 from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner 
 as ye have seen him go into heaven." Now, it is 
 certain, that our Saviour ascended to heaven in that 
 same body in which he rose from the dead, and that 
 he will come again in that same body ; and it is also 
 certain, that he was seen by his apostles after he rose 
 from the dead and when he ascended to heaven, and 
 our Saviour gives us plainly to understand, that he 
 shall be seen when he comes : Mat. xxiv chap. 30 
 verse, " And then shall appear the sign of the Son 
 of Man in heaven ; and then shall all the tribes of 
 the earth mourn ; and they shall see the son of Man 
 coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and glo- 
 ry." 
 
 Now, it is plain from what I have stated, that 
 when our Redeemer comes, he shall be seen by saint 
 and sinner yea, by all the inhabitants of the earth, 
 
186 
 
 But as it respects the precise lime of his coming, 
 God, for wise purposes, has not seen proper to re- 
 veal it : it is a secret. Our Saviour declaied, Mat. 
 xxiv chap. 35 verse, "But of that day and hour 
 knoweth no man ; no, not the angels of heaven, but 
 my Father only." But our Saviour has given us cer- 
 tain signs or tokens, by which we can have a know- 
 ledge of his near approach, and sudden appearance 
 and for the benefit of the reader, I will state some 
 of those signs which do predict the coming of the 
 Son of Man. Mat. xxiv chap. 6,7,29 verses : " And 
 ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars : see that 
 ye be not troubled ; for all these things must come 
 to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall 
 rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, 
 and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earth- 
 quakes in divers places. 3 ' 29th verse : " Immedi- 
 ately after the tribulations of those days, shall the 
 sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her 
 light, and *the stars shall fall from heaven, and the 
 powers of heaven shall be shaken. 5 ' Luke, xxi chap. 
 25, 26, 27 verses : " And there shall be sign-s in the 
 sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, and upon the 
 earth distress of nations, with perplexity ; the sea 
 and the waves roaring, men's hearts failing them for 
 fear, and for looking after those things \vhich are 
 coming on the esrth ; for the powers of heaven shall 
 be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of Man 
 coming in a cloud, w r ith power and great glory."- 
 And after our Saviour had given those signs, he sol- 
 emnly warned his disciples to take instruction from 
 the same : Mat. xxiv chap. 32, 33 verses, " Now 
 learn a parable of the fig-tree : when his branch is 
 yet tender and putteth forth leaves, ye know that 
 summer is nigh ; so likewise, when ye shall see all 
 these things, loiow that it is near, even at the door." 
 Dear reader, we have had those signs that is, if 
 
187 
 
 not in America, in other parts of the world ; and we 
 may have them again, or we may not ; for it is not 
 said how often they shall be seen before the coming 
 of Christ. And as we have had them, it would be 
 great wisdom in us to be in a state of readiness, not 
 knowing when the Master may come. 
 
 Again- From reading the Gospel, it appears to me 
 it will be a very dark time, as it respects the state 
 of religion in the world, when our Lord Jesus Christ 
 shall make his appearance. Yes, and what confirms 
 me in my belief is, the way things now work in the 
 world. Yes, at this time the pure Gospel of Jesus 
 Christ is almost shrouded in darkness. Things are 
 only growing worse and worse ripening fast for the 
 sickle of destruction. Dear reder you may rely up- 
 on it, the darkest time will be just before the coming 
 of our Lord Jesus Christ. The power of deception 
 is now great, but will be much greater at that time 
 though this is not the general belief. No, for the 
 general opinion is, that the religion of Christ is in a 
 very prosperous state. But the word of God, and 
 common observation, declare aloud, that it is a wrong 
 conclusion. Yes, I will venture to declare, that 
 there is more pride now in the world, than there was 
 at Christ's first coming. The power of deception 
 will be so great, that numbers will oppose Christ at 
 his coming. Our Saviour gives us an idea of the 
 state of the world at that time, when he declared, 
 Luke, xvii chap. 26, 30 verses : " And as it was in 
 the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the 
 Son of Man. They did eat, they drank, they married 
 wives, they were given in marriage, until the day 
 that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood 
 came and destroyed them all. Likewise also, 
 as it was in the days of Lot ; they did eat, they 
 drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they 
 builded : but the same day that Lot went out of 
 
188 
 
 Sodom, it mined fire and brimstone from heaven, and 
 destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day 
 when the Son of Man is revealed." And that there 
 will be but little evangelical faith, at that time, is 
 more than intimated in those words of our Saviour 
 namely, "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man 
 cometh, shall he find faith on the earth." Luke, xviii 
 chap. 8 verse. Thus we may believe, that when 
 Ghrist shall come, there will be but a small number, 
 when compared to that great body which do make 
 a profession oi religion, that will be in a state of rea- 
 diness to meet their Lord. and Master. Yes, only 
 here and there one shall be found having on the wed- 
 ding garment of righteousness ; and they v willbe 
 in a suffering state. Yes, the true church of Christ, 
 after the prophesying of the tw r o witnesses, (see Rev. 
 xi chapter,) will have to pass through a scene of af- 
 fliction. Many will, no doubt, have to seal with 
 their own blood their testimony for the word of God ; 
 and many, no doubt, will fall from the true church, 
 " as a fig-tree casteth forth her untimely fruit when 
 she is shaken of a mighty wind." Rev. vi chap. 13 
 verse. For then it is, that the church of Christ will 
 be completely shaken. But all those which are 
 sound in the faith, and well founded, will be able to 
 stand. The children of God, during those trouble- 
 some times, will have to exercise patience, and con- 
 tend in the spirit of Christ, as well as keep all the 
 commandments of the Lord God Almighty : for then 
 it is that their faith will be more than ever tried, 
 as we can read in Rev. xiv chap. 12 verse : u Here 
 is the patience of tie saints ; here are they thX keep 
 the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. 
 And at this time the sixth angel will pour out his 
 vial upon the great river Euphrates, and the water 
 thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the 
 east might be prepared." The Jews will now return 
 
189 
 
 and possess their country ; but it is added, a And 1 
 saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, come out of 
 the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of 
 the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet ; 
 for they are the spirits of devils, working* miracles, 
 which go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of 
 the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that 
 great day ol God Almighty. 5 ' Rev. xiv chap. 12, 
 13, 14 verses. * Dear reader, those three unclean 
 spirits will have so much power. and influence over 
 the children of men as to deceive them to such a 
 degree as to oppose our Lord Jesus Christ at his 
 coming. 
 
 This will be a dreadful time- Oh ! it will be a 
 dark and gloomy period. Yes, then it is, that truth 
 will be taken for error and error for truth, darkness* 
 for light and light for darkness. 
 
 That the Jews will be brought into their country 
 before the appearance of Christ, is a truth plainly 
 revealed in the book of God ; and the prophets tell 
 us in what way their return shall be effected. But 
 as it will not answer for me to treat those subjects 
 largely in this work, the serious reader will bear with 
 me, as it was not my intention from the first, to de^ 
 vote many pages of this work to the subject now un- 
 der consideration not but that I believe it is a very 
 interesting subject; but were I to write largely on 
 this, and the following subjects, it would make this 
 work too expensive. I would advise the reader to 
 peruse from the 50th chapter to the end of the book 
 of the prophet Isaiah, and, in particular, the twelve 
 last chapters of Ezekiel, where the prophets make it 
 very plain, that the Jews will be brought again into 
 their land. 
 
 Again Notwithstanding those many tokens which 
 the Saviour has declared should predict his coming, 
 there will be but a very few who will not be taken by 
 
190 
 
 surprise. Yes, so sudden and unexpected will it be, 
 that when the children of men least expect or look 
 for his coming, he will make his appearance in the 
 clouds of heaven. However, it is certain, that if 
 the children of God will watch and observe the signs 
 of the times, that the Advent of our Redeemer will 
 not be so unexpected to them, though it will be a 
 very slumbering time. Yes, it will be such a dark 
 time, that even the children of God will be inclined 
 to sleep. (See Mat, xxv chap. 5 verse.) But, oh ! 
 bow solemnly did our Saviour warn his disciples to 
 be in a state of readiness, so that that day might not 
 take them unawares.. Yes, he charged them " to 
 take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts 
 be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and 
 cares of this life, and so that day come upon you 
 unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all those 
 that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch 
 ye, therefore, ancl pray always, that ye may be ac- 
 counted worthy to escape all these things that shall 
 come to pass, arid to stand before the Son of Man." 
 Luke, xxi chap. 34, 36 verses. And in Rev. xvi 
 chap. 15 verse : " Behold, I come as a thief ! Bless- 
 ed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, 
 lest he walk naked and they see his shame." But as 
 it respects the children of this woild, they will not 
 regard the signs of the coming of the Son of Man ; 
 but vjill prosecute their wordly concerns, and make 
 arrangements and calculations for the improvement 
 of the world. The wisdom of the w r orld is now great, 
 but will still be greater. One new invention will 
 succeed another, so that in time, this world will, j^ 
 the wisdom of man, be rendered highly conveni- 
 ent for the comfort and gratification of man. But, 
 in the midst of their glory and earthly splendor, and 
 that all upon a sudden, heaven shall be opened. 
 This will be a surprising sight to the human eye, to 
 
191 
 
 see an opening in the heavens. Oh ! how great the 
 sight ! and whenever this takes place, then Christ 
 will make his appearance. 
 
 John, that beloved disciple, was favored with a 
 revelation of those wonderful events, and has record- 
 ed the same for the perusal of the human family, that 
 they might have a knowledge of those things which 
 shall come to pass in the last days : Rev. xix chap. 
 11, 15 verses, " And I saw heaven opened, and be- 
 held, a white horse ; and he that sat upon him was 
 called Faithful and True ; and in righteousness he 
 doth judge and make w r ar. His eyes were as a flame 
 of fire, and on his head were many crowns ; and he 
 had a name written that no man knew but he him- 
 self. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in 
 blood ; and his name is called The Word of God. 
 And the armies which were in heaven followed him 
 upon \vhite horses, c'othed in fine linen, white and 
 clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp swoid, 
 that with it he should smite the nations ; and he 
 shall rule them with a rod of iron ; and he treadeth 
 the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almigh- 
 ty God." Oh! the glorious and beautiful appearance 
 of the Lord Jesus Christ, followed by the armies 
 which were in heaven, all seated upon white horses ! 
 Such a sight has never been witnessed by the human 
 eye. Yes, it will be a glorious sight to the faithful,, 
 but awful to the disobedient. 
 
 But I must not delay, as I only intend to state my 
 views of those important truths. I shall, therefore, 
 hasten to call the attention of the reader to those 
 great events which shall now be accomplished by 
 our Lord Jesus Christ though not. all in an hour, 
 or so short a period as many would have us to be- 
 lieve. No, it will require some time for the accom- 
 plishment of those events ; and the very first event 
 for which the Saviour shall be revealed, will be, the 
 
192 
 
 collection of his sr'nts. When Christ, with his shin- 
 ing armies, shall appear in the clouds of heaven, 
 then it is, that the tru-mp of God shall be sounded ; 
 and so great will be the sound of this trumpet, that 
 it shall be heard in every quarter of the world, and 
 it will be a token for the collection of the saints. 
 The angels will be employed in gathering the saints 
 together, as Christ declared, in Mathew, xxiv chap. 
 31 verse : " Arid he shall send his angels with a great 
 sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together 
 his elect from the four winds from one end of hea- 
 ven to the other." The apostle Paul has also written 
 of this event: i Cor. xv chap. 51, 52 verses, "Be- 
 hold,-! shew you a mystery ! we shall not all sleep, 
 but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the 
 twinkling of an eye, at the last trump ; for the trum- ' 
 pet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incor- 
 ruptible, and we shall be changed," and in i Thes. 
 iv chap. 14, 18 verses : " For if we believe that Je- 
 SLS died and rose again, even so' them also which 
 sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him. For this 
 we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we 
 which are alive and remain unto (he corning of the 
 Lord, shall not prevent them which arc asleep. For 
 the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a 
 shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the 
 trump of God ; and the dead in Christ shall rise 
 first. Then we. which are alive and remain, shall be 
 caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet 
 the Lord in the air ; and so shall we ever be wifh the 
 Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these 
 words." It is very evident that none but the saints 
 will be raised aid changed at that time. "And the 
 rest of the dead," John tells us, " lived not again 
 until the thousand years were finished. This is the 
 first Resurrection." Rev. xx chap. 5 verse. From 
 this, we can learn the length of time between the 
 
193 
 
 first and second, or General Resurrection namely, 
 one thousand years. But as this is a disputed point 
 for it is argued by some that all the dead shall ha 
 raised at one time I shall have to produce more* 
 evidence to support my views of the first Resurrec- 
 tion, which can be easily done. The apostle Paul 
 beautifully describes that order which will be observ- 
 ed in the resurrection of the dead : i Cor. xv chap. 
 22, 24 verses, " For as in Adam all die, even so in 
 Christ shall all be made alive." In this verse, the 
 apostle speaks of the resurrection of the whole hu- 
 man family ; but lest any should suppose that theie 
 will be no order, or that the dead will all be raised 
 at one time, the apostle adds, " But every man in 
 his own order ; Christ the first fruits ;" Christ was 
 the first that rose from the dead, and by virtue of his 
 resurrection, all the dead shall be raised. The rising 
 of Christ from the dead is not termed the first Res- 
 urrection, but the first fruits of the resurrection of all 
 the dead. "Afterwards, they that are Christ's, at 
 his coming," that is, those whom Christ shall 
 claim and own as his children or saints, shall be 
 raised at his coming-: and this, I contend, is what 
 is meant by the first Resurrection spoken of by John, 
 Rev. xx 5. For this verse makes it very plain, 
 that none shall be raised at the coming of Christ but 
 the saints which do belong to Christ. 
 
 After the aj ostl<> had stated the resurrection of <he 
 saints, which shall be raised at the coming of Christ, 
 he then plainly intimates when the balance of the 
 dead shall be raised, \vhenhesaith, u Then cometh 
 the end" which end, as it respects the resurrection 
 of the body, will take place after the Millenium, and 
 just before the Day of Judgment ; which subject I 
 shall speak of in its turn. 
 
 After the snints have all been raised from the dead, 
 and the saints \vhidh have not departed this li'e and 
 17 
 
194 
 
 and are yet in their bodies, at the coming of Christ, 
 are changed and that, the apostle tells us, will be 
 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye then it is, 
 that those who have been raised trom the dead, and 
 those wfco have been changed, shall ascend up to- 
 gether to meet their Lord in the air. Dear reader, 
 do you desire to have a part in the first Resurrection ? 
 If so, you must now follow the Lamb whithersoever 
 he goeth ; for so John speaks in Rev. xiv chap. 4 
 verse : " These are they which were not defiled with 
 \vomen ; for they are virgins. These are they which 
 follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These 
 were redeemed from among men, being the first 
 fruits unto God and the Lamb." It is certain that 
 none but the wise, and not the foolish virgins, will 
 have a part in the first Resurrection. Then it is that 
 those passages f Scripture in which Christ declar- 
 ed, that " two shall be in the field ; the one shall be 
 taken and the other left," "Two women shall be 
 grinding at the mill ; the one shall be taken and the 
 other left," Mat. xxiv chap. 40, 41 verses ; and in 
 the 25th chapter of Mathew, concerning the wise and 
 foolish virgins, shall receive their complete fulfill- 
 ment. The disciples enquired of Christ where they 
 would be taken to ; and he said unto them, " Where- 
 soever the body is, thither will the eagles be gather- 
 ed together." Luke, xvii chap. 37 verse. The bo- 
 dy of Christ will draw the saints together. Yes, af- 
 ter the saints have received their new bodies, which 
 shall be fashioned like unto Christ's glorious body, 
 they will ascend up and surround Christ's glorified 
 body. 
 
 The second event that shall be accomplished by 
 our Saviour, will be the conversion oi the Jews. I 
 have already stated that the Jews will take possess- 
 ion of their country before Christ shall make his ap- 
 pearance. But Ezekiel gives us plainly to under- 
 
195 
 
 stand, that their enemies will come upon them again. 
 In the 37th chapter, 21st verse, Ezekiel declares 
 what the Lord will do in behalf of the House of Is- 
 rael : " Behold, I will take the children of Israel 
 from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and 
 will gather them on every side, and bring them into 
 their own land," and in the 38th chapter, Ezekiel 
 declares or prophecies of a great army headed by 
 Gog 1 , the chief Prince of Mesheck and Tubal, that 
 shall once more undertake to overcome or destroy 
 them ; and in the 8th verse it reads, " After many 
 days thou shalt be visited ; in the latter years thou 
 shalt come into the land that is brought back from 
 the sword, and is gathered out of many people, 
 against the mountains of Israel which have been al- 
 ways waste ; but it is brought forth out of the nations 
 and they shall dwell safely all of them." Now, it 
 is plain from the above that the Israelites will dwell 
 saiely in their country. But the prophet, in the next 
 verse, prophecies of a very numerous army that shall 
 enter their country : 9th verse, " Thou shalt ascend 
 and come like a storm ; thou shalt be like a cloud to 
 cover the land ; thou, and all thy bands, and many 
 people with thee." And this army, as the prophet 
 Zechariah informs us, " will take the city ; and the 
 houses rifled, and the women ravished ; and half of 
 the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue 
 of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 5 * 
 Zechariah, xiv chap. 2 verse. 
 
 The affliction of the Jews, at this time, will be 
 distressing indeed. And in the midst of their sore 
 calamity, Jesus Christ will corne to their deliverance, 
 and fight against their enemies, and finally overcome 
 Jhem, as the prophet plainly gives us to understand : 
 Ezekiel, xxxviii chap. 22 verse, " And I will plead 
 against him with pestilence and with blood ; and I 
 will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon 
 
196 
 
 the many people that are with him, an orerflowing 
 rain, and great hailstones, fire and brimstone." And 
 in the xxxix chap. 4 verse : "Thou shalt fall upon 
 the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy hands, and 
 all the people that is with thee ; I will give thee un- 
 to the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts 
 of the field to be devoured." 5th verse : "Thou shalt 
 Jail upon the open field, for I have spoken it, saith 
 the Lord God." 
 
 This interposition of the Son of God in behalf of 
 the House of Israel, will come so unexpectedly to 
 them at that time,when they perhaps despaired ol their 
 lives and of their country, that their deliverance will 
 awaken in their hearts a feeling sense of gratitude 
 towards their great deliverer ; and at that time, the 
 Lord " will pour upon the House of David, and upon 
 the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Ihe spirit of grace and 
 of supplication ; and they shall look upon me whom 
 they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as 
 one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitter- 
 ness for his first borr." Zechariah,xiichap. 10 verse. 
 Christ will now make himself known to the Jews, 
 and that blindness which had happened unto them, 
 (see Rom. xi 25,) shall be taken away, so that 
 they can now plainly see into their error, as it respects 
 their rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ, being their 
 Messiah. Yes, then it is, that they shall see in the 
 body of their great deliverer, those marks which had 
 been occasioned by their fathers, when they nailed 
 Jesus to the cross. " And now all Israel shall be 
 saved ; as it is written, there shall come out of Sion 
 the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness irom 
 Jacob ; for this is my covenant unto them when I 
 shall take away their sins." Rom. xi chap. 26, 27 
 verses. The prophet Is,aiah, in the 66th chapter, 
 8th verse, speaks thus of the conversion of the whole 
 House of Israel " Who hath heard such a thing ? 
 
197 
 
 who hath seen such things ? Shall the earth be made 
 to bring forth in one day ? or shall a nation be born 
 at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought 
 forth her children." Ancf when the Lord shall de- 
 scend to the earth, as has been foretold by the proph- 
 et Zechariah, in the 14th chapter, 4th verse name- 
 ly, " And his feet shall stand in that day upon the 
 Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the 
 east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the 
 middle toward the east and toward the west, and 
 there shall be a great valley ; and half of the moun- 
 tain shall remove towards the north, arid half of it 
 towards the south," and in the latter clause of the 
 5th verse, u And the Lord my God shall come, and 
 all the saints with thee." 
 
 Then it is that a very numerous army, headed by 
 the beast, and the kings of the earth, shall wage a 
 war against our Lord Jesus Christ : Rev. xx chap. 
 19, 20, 21 verse, "And I saw the beast, and the 
 kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered toge- 
 ther to make war against him that sat on the horse, 
 and against his army. And the beast was taken, 
 and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles 
 before him, with which he deceived them that had 
 received the mark of the beast, and them that 
 worshipped his image ; these both were cast alive 
 into a lake of fire, burning with brimstone. And the 
 remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat 
 upon the horse; which sword proceeded out of his 
 mouth : and all the fowls were filled with their 
 flesh." And in the 17th chapter, J4th verse : " These 
 shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall 
 overcome them; for he is Lord pf Lords, and King 
 of Kings ; those that are with him are called, and cho- 
 sen, and faithful." This will be a great slaughter, 
 and will be accomplished some where about Jerusa- 
 lem, as has been prophesied of by John, Key. xir 
 
198 
 
 20 verse ? ** And the wine-press was trodden with- 
 out the city, and blood came out of the wine-press, 
 even unto horses" bridles, by the space oi a thousand 
 ant! six hundred furlongs. " The prophet Isaiah, 
 in the 63d chapter, 1, 6 verses, prophecies of this 
 great slaughter that shall be occasioned by our Lord 
 Jesus Christ towards those rebellious ones, who shall 
 wage a war against him, immediately after his de- 
 sct'Ht to the earth and the conversion of the Jews : it 
 reads thus u Who is this that cometh from Edom, 
 with dyed garments from Bozrah, this that is glori- 
 ous in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his 
 strength. I that speak in righteousness, mighty to 
 save: wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and 
 thy garments, like him that treadeth in the wine-vat ? 
 I have trodden the wine-press alone ; and of the 
 people there was none with me ; for I will tread them 
 in mine anger, and trample them in my fury ; and 
 their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, 
 and I will stain all nrf^aiment. For the day of ven- 
 geance is La mine heart, and the year of my redeem- 
 ed is coine. And I looked, and there was none to 
 help ; and I wondered that there was none to uphold : 
 therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me ; 
 and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down 
 the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in 
 my fury ; and I will bring down their strength to the 
 earth." The prophet Joel also prophesied of this 
 slaughter. (See Joel, iii chap. 13, 17 verses.) 
 
 Dear reader, after our Lord Jesus Christ shall 
 overcome and destroy his enemies, that shall rise up 
 against him, then it is, that he, our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 will cause Satan to be taken and bound, and cast in- 
 to a bottomless pit, and there to be confined during 
 the space of one thousand years ; and during which 
 time, our Lord Jesus Christ shall reign with his 
 saints, and one univeisal peace and happiness shall 
 
199 
 
 penrade the whole earth. John, that beloved disci- 
 ple, speaks of those glorious events, in the xx chap. 
 1,6 verses: it reads thus "And I saw an angel 
 come down from heaven, having the key oi the bot- 
 tomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. And he 
 laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is 
 the devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years ; 
 and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, 
 and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive 
 the nations no more, till the thousand years shall be 
 fulfilled ; and after that he must be loosed a little sea- 
 son. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, 
 and judgment was given unto them ; and 1 saw the 
 souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of 
 Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not 
 worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had 
 received. his mark upon their foreheads, or in their 
 hands, and they reigned with Christ a thousand 
 years. But the rest of the dead lived not again un- 
 til the thousand years were finished. This is the 
 first Resurrection. Blessed and holy is he. that hath 
 part in the first Resurrection ; on such the second 
 death hath no power; but they shall be priests. of 
 God and of Christ, and shall^reign with him a thou- 
 sand years." 
 
 That the above prophecy has never been fulfilled, 
 is very evident, though there are some who say, th'it 
 the Millenium state, spoken of in this prophecy, has 
 an allusion to that state in which believers now are. 
 But it is certain that Satan has never as yet- been 
 bound, so as not to tempt and overcome the children of 
 men. He still has access to the hearts of the children 
 of men. But when that glorious time shall arrive 
 when Satan shall be bound and cast into the bottom- 
 less pit, then there shall be no temptations to sin ; 
 and as this has always been the case ever since there 
 has been, a devil, we must believe that the above 
 
200 
 
 prophecy is still future, and remains to be fulfilled. 
 But the glorious time will soon arrive, when Satan 
 shall be deprived of all his power. Oh ! the happy 
 period when there shall be no temptations, no in- 
 ducements to commit sin! but when nothing but 
 love and peace shall fill the hearts of men. The 
 prophets saw more or less into that glorious event, 
 and prophesied accordingly of the same. Isaiah, 
 xxiv chap. 21, 23 verses: " And it shall come to 
 pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host 
 of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of 
 the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gather- 
 ed together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and 
 shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days 
 shall they be visited. Then the moon shall be con- 
 founded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of 
 Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, 
 and before his ancients, gloriously." 
 
 There is no doubt upon my mind, but that Isaiah, 
 in this prophecy, alludes to the same glorious event- 
 foretold by John, the beloved disciple, in the 20th 
 chapter of Revelations, as has already been quoted ; 
 for by the host of the high ones that are on high, we 
 are to understand Satan and all the fallen angels, or 
 evil spirits. And it is said that they shall be gath- 
 ered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit 
 (that is, the same bottomless pit which we read of in 
 Rev. 20th chapter,) and shall be shut up in the pris- 
 on, and after many days shall they be visited. Now, 
 this is all agreeable to John's prophecy : they shall 
 be shut up in the bottomless pit, a seal shall be set 
 upon them, and after many days shall they be visited 
 that is, after the expiration of the thousand years, 
 they shall be once more liberated from the great abyss, 
 or bottomless pit: "And the moon shall be con- 
 founded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of 
 
201 
 
 Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, 
 and before his ancients, gloriously. " 
 
 In this work, I have already stated, that the moon, 
 in certain places spoken of in the Scriptures, repre- 
 sents the Law, and the sun the Gospel. In the 
 above prophecy, it is said, the moon shall be con- 
 founded that is, the Law it shall not be needed 
 during that glorious time, when Satan, with all the 
 evil spirits, shall be bound and Cast into the bottom- 
 less pit, and shall thus he prevented from deceiving 
 the nations, and the sun ashamed that is, the 
 Millenium Dispensation "vvill be accompanied with 
 much greater light than the Gospel Dispensation ; 
 for then it is that our Lord Jesus Christ shall be 
 king over the whole earth. " In that day shall there 
 be one Lord, and his name one." Zeehaiiah, xiv 
 chap. 9 verse. Yes, then it is, that " ihe kingdoms 
 of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord, 
 and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and 
 evtr." Rev. xi chap. 15 verse. And it is added, 
 in the 16th and 17th verses, " And the four and 
 twenty elders which sat before God on their seats, 
 fell upon their faces and worshipped God, saying, 
 we give thee thanks, O, Lord God Almighty, which 
 art, and wast, and art to come ; because thou hast 
 taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned." 
 
 In consequence of the judgments, and especially 
 the great slaughter that will take place immediately 
 after Christ's descent to the earth, the human family 
 will be very much thinned. The remnant that shall 
 be left of the nations, will be such as will not oppose 
 our Lord at his coming and reign upon the earth ; 
 and the earth will be re-peopled by them, and prob- 
 ably be more numerous than ever ; and there will be 
 but few deaths during the Millenium ; and I am in- 
 clined to believe that persons may live during tho 
 Milleiiium state, and that none will die under an hun- 
 
202 
 
 dred years old ; and what has led me to make these 
 remarks is, the declaration of the prophet Josiah, in 
 the 65th chapter of his book: " There shall be no 
 more thence an infant of days, nor an old man thai 
 hath not filled his days ; for the child shall die an 
 hundred years old ; but the sinner, being an hundred 
 years old, shall be accursed. And they shall build 
 houses, and shall inhabit them ; and they shall plant 
 yineyards, and shall eat the fruit of them. They shall 
 not build, and another inhabit ; they shall not plant, 
 and another eat ; for as the days of a tree are the 
 days of my people ; and mine elect shall long enjoy 
 the work ot their hands. They shall not labor in 
 vain, nor bring forth for trouble ; for they are the 
 seed, the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring 
 with them. And it shall come to pass, that before 
 they call, I will answer ; and while they are yet 
 speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall 
 feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the 
 bullock ; and dust shall be the serpent's meat. 
 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy moun- 
 tain, saith the Lord." 
 
 The curse which came upon the earth on account 
 of man's disobedience, will be taken away, so that 
 the earth will be similar to the garden of Eden. (See 
 Ezekiel, xxxiv 26, 27 and 36, 37, 38.) O, what 
 a glorious time ! May the Lord, of his infinite mer- 
 cy, prepare us for that glorious period ! Reader, 
 look forward there are great things before you. 
 Now is the time to secure a lot among the righteous. 
 Yes, now is the time to prepare for those solemn and 
 glorious events which, before very long, will burst 
 upon our world. Jesus will come yes, our King 
 Emanuel will once more make his appearance rh our 
 world. He will come with power and great glory, 
 " to reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and be- 
 fore his ancients, gloriously. ' : Then it is, that the 
 
203 
 
 nations of the earth shall resort to the mountain of 
 the Lord's House, to be taught of his ways, and to 
 walk in his precepts. O, what a delightful employ- 
 ment ! I am at a loss for language to express my 
 feelings upon this important subject. To see the 
 children of men of one mind and spirit iu the wor- 
 ship of God, and in the promotion of each other's 
 eternal welfare all endeavoring to make each other 
 as comfortable as possible. There will be no desti- 
 tute widows and poor orphans ; there will not be a 
 child of misfortune found upon the earth during this 
 happy period ; for the children of men will be more 
 willing to give than to receive. They will be mor6 
 forward in administering to the comfort and happi- 
 ness of one another than they have been backward in 
 so doing. There will be no contentions, no wars 
 among the children of men during the Millenium. 
 Peace and good will towards one another will be the 
 order of the day not only in word, but in deed 
 for then it is, that every heart shall be cleansed from 
 enmity, malice, revenge, &c. O, how different from 
 the present time ! What back-biting, contention, 
 strife, and ill-will is manifested by many towards 
 their fellow 'mortals ! But nothing of the kind shall 
 be realized among the children of men, when Christ, 
 the Prince of Peace, shall reign over the whole earth. 
 As an evidence of this, hear the words that Isaiah, 
 the son of Amos, said concerning Judah and Jerusa- 
 lem : "And it shall come to pass in the last days, 
 that the mountain of the Lord's House shall be es- 
 tablished in the top of the mountains, and shall be 
 exalted above the hills ; and all nations shall flow un- 
 to it. And many people shall go and say, come ye,and 
 let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house 
 of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us his ways, and 
 we will walk in his paths ; for out of Zion shall go 
 forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jeru- 
 
204 
 
 Salem. Ami he shall judge among the nations, and 
 shall rebuke many people, and they shall beat their 
 Swords into plough- shares, and their spears into 
 pruning- hooks ; nation shall not lift up sword against 
 nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O, 
 House of J*;cob, come ye, and let us walk in the 
 light of the Lord ! " Isaiah, ii chap. 1, 5 verses. 
 The brute creation shall also be restored to that state 
 in which they were prior to the fall : " The wolf also 
 shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie 
 down with the kid, and the calf, and the young lion, 
 and the falling together; and a little child shall lead 
 them. And the cow and the bear shall feed ; their 
 young ones shall lie down together ; and the lion 
 shall eat straw like the ox. And the suckling child 
 shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned 
 child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den. 
 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy moun- 
 tain ; for the e*rth shall be full of the knowledge of 
 the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." Isaiah, xi 
 chap. 6, 9 verses. 
 
 It is the belief of so:ne, that the seven thousandth 
 year of the world, will bo the Milk:mur*i of the Lord ; 
 and it appears very reasonable from what we can 
 gather from the Bible and Testament. The seventh 
 day, which the Lord blessed and sanctified, " because 
 that in it he had rested from all his work," may 
 represent the Millenium Dispensation ; and the apos- 
 tle Paul appears to have an allusion to the same, 
 from what we can read in his epistle to the Hebrews, 
 4th chapter : u Let us therefore fear, lest a promise 
 being left us of entering into his rest, any of you 
 should seem to come short. For unto us was the 
 Gospel preachtd as well as unto them ; but the word 
 preached did not profit them, not being mixed with 
 faith in them that heard it. For we which have ba- 
 lieved, do enter into rest ; as be said, as I have 
 
205 
 
 sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter my rest; al- 
 though the works were finished from the foundation 
 of the world. For he spake in a certain place of 
 the seventh day, on this wise : And God did rest thfc 
 seventh day. And in this place again, If they shall 
 enter into my rest. (See Heb. iv 1, 5.) 
 
 The apostle, in these verses, has also an allusion. 
 to the Land of Canaan, which God had promised 
 should be the portion of the Israelites, and which 
 was in a type or figure of the Millenium state ; and he 
 takes occasion, from the conduct of the Israelites, 
 to warh his brethren that they should watch over 
 themselves, and guard against the temptations of 
 the enemy, lest they, like the Israelites, should come 
 short of that heavenly state. There were vast num- 
 bers leit Egypt for the Land oi Canaan. Yes, six 
 hundred thousand souls, besides women and chil- 
 dren ; and but two namely, Joshua and Caleb 
 out of that vast number Moses not excepted 
 crossed over Jordan, and entered into the Land of 
 Canaan. Now, this vast multitude that left Egypt 
 lor Canaan, do represent all those who, under the 
 present dispensation, leave the bondage of Satan, 
 and do enter into a covenant with God, by being 
 baptized into the death of Jesus Christ, for the re- 
 mission of their sins ; and then it is, that they, 
 like the Israelites, aitar being baptized unto Moses 
 in the cloud and in the sea, are to be proved. It 
 was in a waste and howling wilderness that God pro- 
 ved Israel, as we can read, in Deuteronomy, 32d 
 chapter, 10th verse: " Ue found him in a desert 
 land, and in the waste, howling wilderness ; he led 
 him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the 
 apple of his eye." And it is in the wilderness of this 
 world that God proves his children. It was 
 in the wilderness that our Lord and Saviour WHS 
 proved. (See Mat. iv chap.) And we read in Rev- 
 itt 
 
2C6 
 
 elations, 12th chapter, 14th verse "And to the 
 woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that 
 she might fly into the wilderness, into her place ; 
 where she is nourished for a lime, and times, and 
 half a time, from the lace of the serpent." 
 
 As long as the children of God remain in a state 
 of self-denial, and thus mortify the deeds of their 
 corrupt nature, they are preserved from the power of 
 the adversary. It reads, that two wings of a great 
 eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly 
 into the wilderness. Those two wings may repre- 
 sent faith and hope, which the child of God must 
 endeavor to preserve and exercise in the hour of 
 temptation and sore affliction. The wilderness is 
 the place for the children of God ; and they are sale 
 as long as they remain there : bat whenever they 
 come up our of the wilderness- that is, uLite them- 
 selves with the world in its vanities, and live accord- 
 ing to the customs of the times, they are no longer 
 the tiue children of God ; they may have the name, 
 but aie no: his children indeed. Paul tells us that 
 unbelief was the cause of the Israelites not entering 
 into the promised land. Had they believed in and 
 obeyed the word of the Lord, they would not have 
 fallen in tie wilderness, but landed safely in their 
 premised Canaan. Arid those who fell in the wil- 
 derness, represent all those who have entered into 
 a covenant with God, but in the hour of temptation 
 / ili.uiy their Lord and Master, and through unbelief, 
 disoley the word of God, and thus come short of the 
 heav( nly Canaan. Joshua and Caleb represent the 
 wise virgins, who have their lamps trimmed and 
 Tvjniing bright, living in a state of self-denial and 
 striot obedience to all the laws and precepts of their 
 great king and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 
 
 I have said that the seventh day ra \y represent the 
 Millenium of the Lord. It is a day of rest so will 
 
207 
 
 be the Millenium state. The apostle Peter writes 
 thus, in his second epistle, in chap. 8 verse "But 
 beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one 
 day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a 
 thousand years as one day." This being the case, 
 the reader can see the propriety of my remarks in 
 relation to the seventh day representing the Milleni- 
 um Dispensation and seven thousandth year of the 
 \vorlJ. in Revelations, viii chap. 1 verse, we read, 
 " And when he hid opened the seventh seal, there 
 was silence in heaven about the space of half an 
 hour," and in Revelations, xichap. 15 verse, u And 
 the seventh angel sounded ; and there were great 
 voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world 
 are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his 
 Christ, and he shall reign forever arid ever," and 
 in Revelations, xvi chap. 17 verse, u And the sev- 
 enth angel poured out his vial into the air ; and there 
 came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from 
 the throne, saying, it is done." These passages 
 have all an al'usion to the Millenium Dispensation, 
 which Dispensation will be a period of great light 
 and happiness, as has already been proven in this 
 work. But this glorious dispensation must come to 
 an end ; for so the sure word of prophecy gives us 
 to understand. Satan is again to be liberated from 
 the bottomless pit. O, dreadful thought ! O, what 
 a dark and gloomy period awaits the conclusion of 
 one of the most glorious and happy periods that ever 
 graced the earth since the fall of man ! u And when 
 the thousand years are expired, Satan shall he loosed 
 out ol his prison, and shall go out to deceive the na- 
 tions which are in the four quarters of the earth, 
 Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle ; 
 the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And 
 they went up on the breadth of the earth, and com- 
 passed the camp of the saints about, and the belov- 
 
208 
 
 cd city ; and fire came down from God out of heaven, 
 and devoured them. And the devil that deceived 
 them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, 
 where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall 
 be tormented clay and night, forever and ever." 
 Rev. xx chap. 7, 10 verses. One might suppose 
 that the imprisonment of Satan for one thousand 
 years, would be calculated to tame and cause him 
 to submit and bow to the authority of King Jesus. 
 But not so. He is still Satan, the great adversary 
 o God and man ; and now, for the last time, exerts 
 himself to the utmost of his power in the prosecution 
 of his hellish designs. 
 
 At the end of the Millenium, there will be more 
 inhabitants upon the earth than there ever was before 
 at one time. This can be easily accounted for, if 
 we reflect that there will be but very few deaths du- 
 ring the Millenium ; and from certain prophecies we 
 may conclude that the human family will multiply 
 and increase very fast. The reader may be at a loss 
 to account why God will once more emancipate Sa- 
 tan, and suffer him to tempt and seduce the human 
 family. It is not the will oi God that Satan should 
 overcome one individual of the human family. But 
 it is, and always was, the will of God to prove his 
 children. This I have already plainly shown in this 
 work, And as the multitudes of the human family 
 that have lived upon the earth during the universal 
 reign of the Prince of Peace, and the confinement of 
 Satan, have not been proven, therefore Satan is once 
 more permitted to tempt the human family ; and one 
 might suppose that he would meet with little success, 
 seeing that the human family have been so long a 
 time under the reign and tuition of King Emanuel, 
 and whose attachment would be so great towards 
 their Lord and Master. But, aUs ! alas ! we read 
 
209 
 
 that the number whom lie will deceive are compared 
 to the sand of the sea. 
 
 It may almost, seem impossible in the eyes of some 
 but it is a solemn truth for so the word of God 
 declares that when Satan is set at liberty, ho 
 vill go forth, as he always has done when nt liberty, 
 to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters 
 of the earth, Gog and Magog, the leader and those 
 which 3 -e led, to gather them together to battle, 
 the number of \vhom is as the sand of the sea. Is 
 it not surprising that Satan should succeed in sedu- 
 cing such a vast multitude ot the subjects of Christ's 
 peaceable reign, as to cause them to rise up in re- 
 bellion against their Prince, and the camp of the 
 saints, and the b. loved city? But ii we call to mmd 
 what he has done: m ancient times, we need not be- 
 so much surprised. Who would have ever thought 
 that he would h;?ve succeeded in seducing Adam, 
 who was in the image anJ likeness of God ? Who 
 would have thought that he would have succeeded 
 in seducing the Egyptians to oppose the emancipa- 
 tion of the Israelites, notwithstanding the numerous 
 wonders, miracles, and judgments which God caus- 
 ed to take place m the land of Egypt ? Who would 
 have thought that he ever would have succeeded in 
 deceiving; the Jews to reject and finally crucify their 
 Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, notwithstanding tKe 
 good deeds,' the miracles, the many testimonials, he 
 gave o{ his being their Messiah ? But this will be 
 the finishing stroke of Satan's power ; for when they 
 shall compass the carnp of the saints about, and the 
 beloved city, with a full expectation of overcoming 
 the same, fire shall come down irom God out of 
 heaven, and shall devour them. And the devil that 
 deceived them shall be cast into a lake of fire and 
 brimstone, where the baast and the false prophet are, 
 and shall be tormented day and night, forever and ever. 
 
210 
 
 If I am not in an error, it is the general belief, 
 that the devil is now, and always was, in the lake of 
 fire ; but this is not my faith that Satan, much less 
 any of the human family who departed this life in a 
 state of disobedience, are as yet in the lake of fire. 
 The first that will be cast into the lake of fire, will be 
 the beast and the false prophet ; and who they are 
 God knoweth. We may believe that they must be 
 the most notorious rebels of the human family, that 
 ever revolted against the majesty of heaven, seeing 
 that- they shall be cast one thousand years before Sa- 
 tan into a lake of fire, for we read in Revelations, 
 19th chapter, 20th verse " And the beast was ta- 
 ken, and with him the false prophet that wrought 
 miracles before him, with which he deceived them 
 that had received the mark of the beast, and them 
 that worshipped his image : these both were cast 
 alive into a like of fire, burning with brimstone. 5 * 
 And after the Millenium, S^tan shall be cast into the 
 game lake where the beast and the false prophet are, 
 and shall be tormented day and night, forever and 
 ever. 
 
 Satan is called " the prince and power of the air." 
 Eph. ii chap. 2 verse. He was once a bright and 
 shining angel; he fell from this state when he envied 
 or coveted the high standing of the Son of God. 
 And the prophet Isaiah compares the King of Baby- 
 lon to Satan, from which we can gain some informa- 
 tion concerning his fall : " How a~t thou fallen from 
 heaven, O, Lucifer! son of the morning! how art 
 thou cut down to the ground which didst weaken 
 the nations ! for thou hast said in thy heart, I will 
 ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the 
 stars of God ; I will sit also upon the mount of the 
 congregation in the sides of the north ; I will ascend 
 above, the heights of the clouds; I will be like the 
 Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to 
 
211 
 
 hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall 
 narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, 
 is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that 
 did shake kingdoms," &c. Isa. xiv chap. 12, 16 
 verses. 
 
 The question may be asked, if Satan and the de- 
 parted souls of the disobedient are not as yet in the 
 lake of fire, where are they ? I believe that Satan 
 is in the air, and rules in the hearts of the disobe- 
 dient, (see Eph. ii 2, also vi 12,) and the de- 
 parted souls of the disobedient are in the prison of 
 hell, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of 
 teeth. And Satan will not be cast into the lake of 
 fire until after the Millenium and just before the Day 
 of Judgment ; and the souls of the disobedient not 
 until after the Day of Judgment. After Satan is 
 cast into the lake of fire, the general resurrection of 
 the dead, such as were not raised at the coming of 
 Christ, shall take place. This will be the resurrec- 
 tion of the just and unjust, as the Saviour declares, 
 " Marvel not at this, for the hour is coining in the 
 which all that are in the graves, shall hear his voice, 
 and shall come forth ; they that have clone good, un- 
 to the resurrection of life, and they that have done 
 evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." John, v 
 chap. 28, 29 verses. The prophet Daniel also speaks 
 of this resurrection : " And many of them that sleep 
 in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to ever- 
 lasting life, and some to shame, and everlasting 
 contempt." Dan. xii chap. 2 verse. That the 
 judgment will succeed the resurrection of the just 
 and unjust, we read in Revelations, 20th chapter, 
 13th verse : " And the sea gave up the dead which 
 were in it ; and death and hell delivered up the dead 
 which were in them ; and they were judged every 
 man according to his works." The sea will team her 
 thousands to the shore; the graves shall open and 
 
212 
 
 surrender their millions of the bodies of the children 
 of men. And \vhen all the dead are raised, the 
 judgment of the last day will sit. 
 
 John, the beloved disciple, tells us, that he " saw 
 a great white throne, and him that sot on it, from 
 whose face the earth and the heaven fled away ; and 
 there was found no place for them. And 1 saw the 
 dead, small and great, stand before God ; and the 
 books were opened ; and another book was opened, 
 which is the book of life : and the dead were judged 
 out of those things which were written in the books, 
 according to their works." Rev. xx chap. 11, 12 
 verses. And the Saviour, in the 25th chapter cf 
 Mathew, speaks of the same event ; and I will in- 
 sert several verses: " When the Son of Man shall 
 come in his glory, and all the holy angels with }?im, 
 then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory ; and 
 before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall 
 separate them, one from another, as a shepherd 
 dividtth his sheep from the goats ; and he shall set 
 the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the 
 left. Then shall the king 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 wan 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 cloth- 
 ed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in 
 prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the right- 
 eous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee 
 an hungered, and fed then? or thirsty, and gave thee 
 drink? when saw we thec a stranger, and took thee 
 in ? or naked, and clothed thee ? or when saw we 
 thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee ? And 
 the king shall answer and say unto them, verily, I 
 say unto you, in as much as ye have done it unto 
 one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done 
 
213 
 
 it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on 
 the left hand, depart from me, ye cursed, into ever- 
 lasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels ; 
 for I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat; I 
 was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink ; I was a stran- 
 ger, and" ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed 
 me not ; sick and in prison, and ye visited me not. 
 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when 
 saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, 
 or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister 
 unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, 
 verily, I say unto you, in as much as ye did it not 
 to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 
 And these shall go away into everlasting punish- 
 ment, but ihe righteous into* life eternal." 
 
 Dear reader, it cannot be expected that I should 
 quote all those scriptures which have an allusion to 
 to the Day of Judgment ; for they are many, and if 
 I were to do it, it would swell this work to a large 
 size. My object in bearing testimony to truth, is, 
 to set forth, as I understand it, the order of the New 
 Testament, as being revealed by our Lord Jesu$ 
 Christ. li is plainly revealed in the Gospel, that 
 our Lord Jesus Christ will be the judge of the quick 
 and dead: John, v chap. 22 verse, " For the Father 
 judgeth no man ; but hath committed all judgment 
 unto the Son." Acts, xvii chap. 31 verse, u Because 
 he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge 
 the world in righteousness by that man whom he 
 hath ordained ; whereof he hath given assurance 
 unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the 
 dead." And the apostle Paul declares, that " we 
 shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." 
 Rom. xiv chap. 10 verse. Thus it is plainly re- 
 vealed that Christ will be the judge, and before his 
 bar, the dead, small and great, shall have to stand, 
 By the dead, small and great, we may understand, 
 
214 
 
 the great and noble of the earth, and the common 
 class of people. u Enoch, the seventh from Adam, 
 prophesied of these, saying, behold, the Lord com- 
 eth with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judg- 
 ment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly 
 among them, of all their ungodly deeds which they 
 have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speech- 
 es which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." 
 Jude, 14, 15 verses. The ten thousand saints com- 
 ing with Christ, spoken of in this prophecy, are the 
 saints of the first Resmrection, on whom it was said 
 * 6 the second death hath no power ; but they shall be 
 priests of God, and of Christ, and shall reign with 
 him a thousand years," Hev. KX chap. 6 verse; 
 and be present at the Day of Judgment, not to be 
 judged, for they are a separate class from those 
 which are to be judged on that great and awful day 
 and the apostle Paul has an allusion to this class 
 in his 1st letter to the Corinthians, vi chap. 2, 3 
 verses : " Do ye not know that the saints shall judge 
 the world; and if the world shall be judged by you, 
 are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 
 Know ye not, that we shall judge angels? how much 
 more, things that pertain to this life? " 
 
 The human family, at this time, wiH appear in 
 three classes, first, the saints those which were 
 Christ's at. his coining, secondly, the righteous, or 
 blessed of tie Father these are justified persons, and 
 in consequence of their justification will stand on the 
 right hand of the judge, and thirdly, the unright- 
 eous, or disobedient- such as would not have the 
 man Christ to reign over them in consequence of 
 which they shall be placed on the left, hand of the 
 judge; and when the great line of distinction is 
 struck between the righteous and the unrighteous, 
 the books shall be opened. Those books may mean 
 the book of the law, the book of the Gospel, tha 
 
215 
 
 book of God's remembrance, the book of conscience, 
 and the book of'lile. I will only remark a liltle up- 
 on the book of the Gospel ; by which book all those 
 shall be judged, who have it in their power to ac- 
 quaint themselves with the doctrines therein reveal- 
 ed, and be saved by its power. Hear the words of 
 Christ concerning this matter : " And if any man hear 
 my "words, and believe not, I judge him not ; for I 
 came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 
 He that rejec'eth me, and receiveth not my words, 
 hath one that judgcth him: the word that I hava 
 spoken, the srune shall judge him in the last d?y. 
 For I have not spoken of myself: but the Father 
 which sent me, he gave me a commandment what I 
 should say, and what I should speak ; and I know 
 that his commandment is life everlasting. Whatso- 
 ever I speak, therefore, even as the Father said un- 
 to me, so I speak. 5 ' John, xii chap. 47, 50 verses. 
 
 Reader, depend upon it, that all those who hare 
 the Gospel shall be judged by the Gospel, and not by 
 the creeds and disciplines of men. This then being 
 the fact, how necessary that we conform to the Gos- 
 pel! If so, it will witness in our favor if not, 
 it will be a swift witness against is. (See Mat. xxiv 
 14.) It will answer no purpose for us to say to 
 the judge in that day, that we have observed as much 
 ot the Gospel as we deemed necessary to salvation; 
 for we shall be judged by the whole Gospel, accord- 
 ing to our ability and situation in life : consequently, 
 there will be no allowance made for all those who 
 have tbe power and opportunity of conforming to all 
 its requirements. 
 
 The righteous, who will stand on -the right hand 
 oi the pdge, are denominated sheep, on account of 
 their being harmless and inoffensive. They are such 
 as were greatly attached, or had great love for the 
 children of God, and did not oppose the Gospel of 
 
216 
 
 Jesus Christ. Reader, there are such people in the 
 world who are not in covenant with God, but who do 
 love the children of God. Yes, I have known such, 
 who, apparently, would do all that lay in their power to 
 make those comfortable whom they believed were 
 the children of God. Therefore, the judge will say 
 unto them, " 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," &c. 
 The righteous will humbly say, "Lord, when saw 
 we thee an hungered, and gave thee meat," &c. 
 The judge will say unto them, " In as much as ye 
 have done it to one of the least of these, my breth- 
 ren" namely, the saints, those which had a part in 
 the first Resurrection "ye have done it unto me." 
 The judge will then say to those on his left hand, 
 " Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, 
 prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was 
 an hungered, and ye gave me no meat ; I was thirs- 
 ty, and ye gave me no drink," &c. Then shall they 
 answer him, saying, " Lord when saw we thee an. 
 hungered, or athirst," &c. Then shall he answer 
 them, saying, " Verily, I say unto you, in as much 
 as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did 
 it not to me. 
 
 After the Judgment, "The heavens shall pass 
 away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt 
 with' fervent heat ; the earth also, and the works that 
 are therein shall be burned up." ii epistle of Pet. iii . 
 chap. 10 verse. The globe shall become a lake of 
 fire, in which the unrighteous those who stood on 
 the left hand of the judge- will have to take up their 
 abode. O, dreadful thought ! Shall I, who live ia 
 a land of Bibles, where all necessary instruction can 
 be obtained how to escape this lake which burneth 
 with fire and brimstone, and secure a lot among the 
 
217 
 
 righteous in the kingdom of their Father, hear the 
 awful sentence, "Depart ye cursed" into a lake which 
 burneth with fire and brimsrone, which is the second 
 death. Rev. xx. The apostle Peter, ii epistle, iii c. 
 7th v. has an allusion to this lake: "But the hea- 
 vens and the earth which are now, by the same word 
 are kept in store, reserved unto fire, against the day 
 of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." This 
 dreadful punishment was prepared for the devil 
 and his angels, and will also be the portion of the 
 disobedient sons and daughters of men. After the 
 righteous are welcomed into the kingdom of heaven, 
 and the unrighteous are cast into a lake of fire, then 
 it is, that the great Creator will form a new heaven 
 and a new earth. John, the beloved disciple, informs 
 us in the 21st chapter of the book of Revelation, that 
 he "saw a new heaven and a new earth : for the first 
 heaven and the first earth were passed away, and 
 there was no more sea." This new creation will 
 not be all affected at one time, but will in God's 
 good pleasure be finally accomplished. However, 
 it may be, that the new heaven will be created im- 
 mediately after the great conflagration of the present 
 heavens and earth : but I am inclined to believe that 
 the creation of the new earth will be a gradual work, 
 agreeably to the final restitution of all things. (See 
 Acts, iii c. 20, 21 y.) In Rev. xxi c. 2d verse, it 
 reads, "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusa- 
 lem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepar- 
 ed as a bride adorned for her husband." The di- 
 mensions, or size, of this great city will be fifteen 
 hundred miles square. (See 16 verse.) 3d verse. 
 "And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, 
 Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he 
 will dwell with them, and they shall be his people> 
 and God himself shall be with them, and be their 
 God. 4. And God shall wipe away all tears from 
 19 
 
218 
 
 their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither 
 sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more 
 pain, for the former things are passed away. 5. And 
 he that sat upon the throne, said, Behold, I make all 
 things new. And he said unto me, write : for these 
 words are true and faithful." 
 
 The Millenium state will be a happy period, as 
 has been already stated ; but the felicity will still be 
 more glorious and greater in the new earth after the 
 day of judgment, to all eternity. 0, the heavenly 
 city, the new Jerusalem, which shall come down from 
 God out of heaven. In this holy city the people of 
 God shall behold the Lord God Almighty, and the 
 blessed Lamb. O, what exquisite delight to enter 
 the heavenly city, to see and enjoy what tongue can- 
 not describe! Paul tells us, "But as it is written, 
 eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have en- 
 tered into the heart of man, the things which God 
 hath prepared for them that love him." i Cor. ii c. 
 9 v. The apostle Peter hath also written of this 
 new heaven and new earth which shall follow the 
 conflagration of the present heaven and earth: 
 "Looking for, and hasting unto the coming of the 
 day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire, shall 
 be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fer- 
 vent heat. Nevertheless^ we, according to his pro- 
 mise, look for new heavens and a new earth, where- 
 in dwellelh righteousness." And the promise which 
 the Saviour hath declared in favour of the meek, will, 
 in this state, receive a complete fulfilment. "Bless- 
 ed are the meek ; for they shall inherit the earth." 
 Mat. v c. 5 v. Yes, the meek shall inherit the new 
 earth. 
 
 Dear reader, I shall now conclude my remarks, and 
 I do most earnestly invite you to read the Bible and 
 Testament, and know whether the word of God will 
 support my remarks or not ; for it is not my wish that 
 
219 
 
 * ^ 
 
 any confidence" should be placed on my remarks, far- 
 ther than they agree with the Word of God. I further- 
 more entreat you not to condemn this book, because 
 it is not written in that style and composition which is 
 so much admired and looked upon by the great and 
 learned of the world. If this book is only written so 
 that the reader can understand it, it is all I desire or 
 expect. In this work I have taken up a great many 
 subjects, and it may be, that the reader will be ready 
 to fault me, in that I treated those subjects in such 
 a brief manner. Yes, it may be, that the reader 
 would have been better satisfied with the work if I 
 had dwelt longer upon each subject. All that I have 
 to say is, that I have pursued that course which I 
 was inclined to believe would answer the design of 
 my writing. Arid again, it may be, that if I had 
 written more on each subject, that the reader would 
 not have been as well entertained. I therefore 
 entreat the reader to bear with me. Without doubt, 
 many will read this book who are unacquaint- 
 ed with me, and will never see my face in this life ; 
 but if we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and obey 
 him in all his precepts, and are faithful unto death, 
 we shall meet in yonder bright world where parting 
 shall be no more : where we can sing the song of 
 Moses and the Lamb throughout eternity "Not 
 unto us, not unto us, but unto Thy great name, O 
 God, be ascribed all the praise and honour, now 
 and forever. Amen." 
 
 FINIS 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 On the Fall of Man, 
 Of the Messiah, 
 
 Of John the Baptist, 17 
 
 Of the Conception, Birth, Life, Death, Resur- 
 rection ancL Ascension of Jesus Christ, 20 
 Of the Illumination of the Sinner, 26 
 Of Faith and Repentance, 35 
 Of the Law of Baptism, and of the selection of 
 a Religious Denomination professing to be 
 the Church of Christ, 40 
 Of the Administrators, Form and Mode of 
 
 Baptism, 55 
 
 Of the Remission of Sins, and the Reception of 
 
 the Holy Ghost, and the Kingdom of Grace, 78 
 Of Swearing, or being under an Oath, 109 
 
 Of Non-conformity to the World, 110 
 
 On Feet Washing, 112 
 
 Of the Holy Kiss, 119 
 
 The Lord's Supper, 121 
 
 Of the Communion, 128 
 
 Of Anointing the Sick with Oil in the Name of 
 
 the Lord, 141 
 
 Hospitality and Alms-giving, 142 
 
 On Singing, Praying and Fasting, 157 
 
 An Address to the Reader, 173 
 
 On the second Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 and of those events for which He shall be 
 revealed, 183 
 
 19* 
 
REVISAL. 
 
 Page 14, line 17 from top, read moral law, and in 
 line 18, instead of law, read same. Page 17, line 
 17 from top, instead of woman, read women. Page 
 37, line 15 from top, instead of precede, read suc- 
 ceed. Page 39, line 13 from bottom, instead of, for* 
 it as this, read, for it is at this. Page 50, line 10 
 from top, before the word done, insert the word al- 
 ways ; and same page, last line, before the word 
 help, insert the word well. Page 54, line 11 from 
 bottom, instead of offender, read offended.. Page 
 55, line 8 from top, after the word remitted, add, and 
 whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained. 
 Page 59, line 14 from bottom, instead of Evangel- 
 ist, read Evangelists ; and same page, line 6 from 
 bottom, instead of Anon, read ^Enon. Page 71, 
 line 6 from bottom, instead of. name, read names. 
 Page 82, line 9 from bottom, after the word means, 
 add two apostrophes, or marks of quotation, 
 thus ". Page 88, line 3 from top, omit the mark of 
 quotation, and same page, line 6 from top, after the 
 word forth, as it is not a quotation ; and in same 
 line, after the word forth, insert the word see ; and 
 after the word Psalms, add the figures 148th. Page 
 115, line 12 from bottom, after the word supper, add 
 two apostrophes, as a mark of the end of the 
 quotation, thus ". Page 117, line 4 from bottom, 
 and page 118, line 3 from top, instead of offender, 
 read offended. Page 122, 1st line, instead of 2d 
 chap, read llth chap. Page 187, line 15 from top, 
 instead of Reder, read Reader. Page 191, line 10 
 
from top, instead of beheld, read behold. Page 202, 
 line 2 from top, instead of J'osiah, read Isaiah. Page 
 77, in lines 7 and 8 from top, instead of the expres- 
 sion, which is the antetype of immersion, read, which 
 is denoted by immersion. Page 186, last line, in- 
 stead of, we have had those signs, read, we have 
 had the most of those signs. 
 
 

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