The missionary plan, formed with great ingenuity, is now in operation, and will soon test its own merit. Like the great Amazon, it receives its tributary streams of thousands of auxiliary societies, and draws revenue from every spring. Whether this great exertion is the travail of Zion, to be delivered from Babylon, and usher in the latter-day glory, or whether it is only a piece of ostentatious pomposity, and will finally burst like a bub. ble, as the crusade and armada did, is yet uncertain. To me it appears more like religious parade than humble piety. The predominant spirit seems to speak, "come, see my zeal for the Lord of Hosts." It opens a door for writers to paint fables and exaggerate facts. It is a lucrative business for printers, and a large field for preachers, who cannot find employment at home.

I close with an anecdote, between James Manning, president of Brown University, and Sam Niles, an Indian preacher, in Charlestown, Rhode Island. Mr. Manning paid Niles a visit, and addressed him thus: "How do you do brother Niles?" To whom Sam replied, "Ah, who are you?" Mr. Manning replied, "I am James Manning, a preacher of the gospel of Christ." "Ah," said Sam, "do you preach for Jesus Christ or old

ten ?"*

* When dollars passed at forty-five shillings, the currency was called old ten.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM J. L. TO HIS INQUISITIVE FRIEND.

The Unitarians will not believe that one is three and three are one, when the terms are applied to God; but who can deny the truth of the saying, when applied to man?

That man has a rational soul, capable of reasoning logically upon moral subjects, (which none of the brutes can do,) is pretty generally believed. That he has a spirit which animates his matter, (which can be extinguished,) no one disputes. And that he has an organical body is self-evident. Soul, spirit, and body: these three make one man, and one man possesses all three.

Some, however, deny the triple nature of man, and say he is only du plicate—matter and spirit. In this light, two are one and one is two. Why will then the Socinians deny that two can be united in one, in Christ Jesus. If he is not God essential, and man real, what or who is he? Does it require a faith more marvellous, to believe that he was Jehovah Jesus, than it does to believe that he was born of a virgin, without an earthly father?

I take it then for granted, that I am a trinity; possessing soul, spirit and body. But what my soul is—of what form, size, and complexion, I know not. My spirit is equally invisible and undescribable. My body, it is true, is tangible; but so curiously wrought—so wonderfully made, that I should be worse than a madman, to deny that the author of my existence was infinitely wise and powerful.

And dost thou set thine eyes upon such a one, and inquire after my health! * *

What a wonderful phenomena is sleep. Our senses all locked up—unconscious of our own existence, in a death-like posture we remain. Anon, our senses all resume their former functions with fresh vigor, and past events and pursuits flow into our minds.

Is the death of the body and the resurrection from the dead, attended with wonders more unaccountable than this? Yet Hymeneas and Phile. tus, and many besides, experience the last every night and morning, and boldly deny the possibility of the first.

I cannot please myself better, nor entertain you with anything more interesting, than to quote some observations on this subject, made by the

ingenious Dr. Rush, in conversation. Said he, "Sir, I can prove that the dead never will and never can be raised. Philosophy and the laws of nature forbid it—and yet they will be. So, likewise, I can prove that creation never could have taken place: all that we know of the laws of nature and the reason of things, declare it impossible—and yet it did take place. I mention these things, sir, to show the incompetency of the wisdom of man, to comprehend the works of him who is infinite."

* * *

Some men seem to gain considerable advantage from the loss of memory. If they have promised to pay a sum, or remit a charge, and it does not suit them afterwards to comply—or, if they have told the age of a horse, or quality of a cow, which is not true—or, if they have defamed another person, &c., when those who are injured call for an explanation, their reply will be, "we have no remembrance of saying the things which are tacked upon us." If their declaration is true, one would think that a poor memory makes an easy conscience.

*

When I read in a Constitution, that all power is originally in the people; and that it is, by them, vested in the several magistrates, whether legislative, executive, or judicial; and that all these magistrates, are at all times accountable to the people; and then turn my thoughts to the organization of the judicial department, and see how the judges are made without the voice of the people—at no time accountable to the people—that the power which made them, cannot without aid dismiss them; and that their responsibility is so remote from the people, that a riddance of them is almost impossible, my judgment says their is a contradiction between the declaration and organization: and a judiciary despotism is likely to be our ruin...

So, likewise, when I read in a catechism, that baptism is not to be administered to any who are out of the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ—connected with the exception—but the infants of those that believe are to be baptized; my judgment determines, that the exception radically defeats the principle.

When a missionary, solicitor exerts all his powers to frighten, flatter and deceive the people, and works so effectually upon the passions of a Christian congregation, as to sell them an Indian god, for money to support missionaries, (which has been the case,) my judgment tells me that the congregation thus gulled, have exchanged Gods with the Hindoos, and given their money to boot.

SHORT REFLECTIONS.

Immense exertions have been made to find out perpetual motion. That a mess of dull matter, governed by gravitation, should have a principle

within to move itself, is strange; but that it should have energy enough to move another mass of equal size, or superior bulk, is more surprising. It is possible, however, that such a principle exists in matter, for many things have been found out, that once were supposed impossible; but if it does exist, and is ever found out, it will put a new face upon the world. All kinds of machinery will then be in operation, without wind, water, fire or

steam.

That nature has fixed an universal standard for weights and measures, is very doubtful: for different nations establish different standards; and each nation establishes its standard upon an undefined standard.

It will remind a man of an article in Alcoran; that the world stands upon a great ox—the ox stands upon a great stone—the stone rests upon the shoulders of an angel—and the angel stands upon God knows what.

In Great Britain, the half-bushel must contain one thousand and eightynine cubical inches; which requires a round vessel fourteen inches in diameter, and in the clear, seven inches and one-fourteenth of an inch deep. In Massachusetts, the half-bushel must contain sixteen Winchester quarts; which is intended to accord with the British standard of a half-bushel. But what is the length of an inch? Do all rules agree? if they disagree, which of them is the perfect standard? We are told that an inch, is the length of three barley grains; but how would a child hiss at this last resort for a standard, when he sees the unequal lengths of the grains. The same may be said of all kinds of standards for measures and weights.

And yet, where the first settlers of a place fix their weights and measures, their posterity imitate—and by comparison, can detect a cheat—and all the purposes of commerce are accomplished, without any material injury.

*

After the Lord Jesus arose from the dead, he gave orders to the apostles to teach and baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. That he meant to be understood, and that the apostles did understand him, can hardly be questioned. After this commission, there are three or four accounts of the name used in baptism. Acts viii. 16. They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts x. 48. And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Acts xix. 5. They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts xi. 38. Be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ.

In neither of these places do we find the words Father, Son and Holy Ghost used. If, therefore, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, were not all found in the name of the Lord—the name of the Lord Jesus—the name of Jesus Christ; the apostles did not understand their commission and act accordingly, or I do not understand them.

'It is become common for pious men to say, that "God gave his son out of his bosom to die and nave men." The sentence is used to show the in

finite benevolence of Jehovah: but are the expressions proper? They are not scriptural. John says, "He that is (not was,) in the bosom of the father hath declared him." Christ was then in the bosom of the father, when here on earth; and I ask, when was he out of the bosom of his father? It is also said, that the son of man was in heaven, when he was on earth. But how he could be in heaven in the bosom of the father, while a sufferer on earth, if he was a creature only, I cannot tell.

It has also become habitual for men to say, "there is virtue enough in one drop of Christ's blood, to save a world." That the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin, and speaks better things than the blood of Able, is certain. But if one drop of his blood was sufficient to make an atonement, why did he go through all the pain of shedding the whole of it? Is it not more likely, that all his blood was required to make reconciliation?

THE THIRD EPISTLE OF JOHN.

DIOTREPHES AND DEMETRIUS.

John, the beloved disciple, lived to a good old age. Ecclesiastical history says that he outlived all the apostles, and saw many anti-Christs arise before his death. Cerenthus and others, advocated the doctrine that Jesus was the only Saviour, but was not Jehovah. This occasioned John to write so pointedly, in his gospel and epistles on the divinity of Christ, that he was the true God and eternal life.

The little epistle before us, (which contains only fourteen verses—in which are included two hundred and ninety-five words—composed by one thousand two hundred and forty-nine letters,) is directed to Gaius, who was a man of wealth, and faithfully lodged the brethren and strangers; and especially those missionaries who went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. But in the church that John speaks of, was one Diotrephes, a man of ambition, who, by his address, had gained considerable importance among them, who did not cordially receive a former letter, written by John to the church; but prated against John and those in connexion with him, with malicious words; and was so fond of pre-eminence, that those who would not come into his views, he would cast out of the church, and lord it over the rest. But a man of a very different character was in the church, by the name of Demetrius, who was upright among men and pious towards God; who, by manifestation of the truth, commended himself to every man's conscience in the sight of God. We had good report of all men—of the truth itself—and of the true record of John, and those with