and faculty of your soul to God, to be at his disposal, engaged in his service, and under his command."

These extracts are not offered to establish a claim, on their behalf, to any peculiar originality of thought or fascination of style, but as exhibiting the pious activities of a young and ardent mind, and the overflowing of a tender and gentle spirit, deeply conscious of its own responsibility, and evidently passing through a process of preparatory elaboration for more public service and more extended usefulness; indeed, it will speedily be seen that the time had now nearly arrived for his commencing at least occasional ministration. It seems exceedingly probable that, in anticipation of such exercises, he drew up the following summary of his faith in twelve articles :

"March 7, 1791. A short account of my principles. I believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testament contain a perfect system of doctrine, a complete rule of duty, and a standard or exemplar of christian experience; more particularly, I believe

1. "That there is and can be but one God. 'The Lord our God is one Lord,' (Deut. vi. 4.) That, in the unity of the Divine essence, in a manner incomprehensible, there is a trinity of persons, who have distinct offices in the grand affair of salvation. Peter writes to the 'elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of

the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ,' (1 Pet. i. 2.)

Paul says of

access by one

Christ, Through him we both have Spirit unto the Father,' (Eph. ii. 18.) credit to the Lord Jesus Christ, when and the Father are one,' (John, x. 30.)

I give full

he says, 'I And I de

sire even to honour the Son as I honour the Father,' (John, v. 23.) I believe that the Holy Spirit is distinct from, yet equal to, and one with, God the Father and God the Son.

2. "I believe that the three adorable Persons in the ever-blessed Trinity, entered into a council of peace before time commenced, to lay the plan of man's salvation. Zechariah said, (vi. 13,) 'The council of peace shall be between them both'-that is, between Jehovah and Christ the Branch. Christ says, 'Lo, I come,' (Psa. xl. 7.) The Spirit consented, for Christ says, 'The Lord God and his Spirit hath sent me,' (Isa. xlviii. 16.) Luke says, 'The people of Israel gathered together to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done,' (Acts, iv. 28.)

3. "I believe that the counsel of peace issued in a covenant of grace. We read of the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will,' (Eph. i. 11.) In another place, of the eternal purpose which God purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord,' (Eph. iii. 11.) And Paul says, in 2 Tim. i. 9, God

hath saved us, and called

us with a holy calling, not according to our works,

but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.'

4. "I believe that God, from eternity, elected a certain determinate number to enjoy everlasting life, not because Calvinists believe so, but because Christ says, 'All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me,' (John, vi. 37.) And Paul says, 'God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world,' (Eph. i. 4.)

5. "I believe that Adam stood as the federal head of all the human race in the covenant of works; because Paul tells us, 'By one man's disobedience many were made sinners,' (Rom. v. 19.) Therefore I am guilty of original as well as actual sin when Adam sinned, I sinned; and God might justly have consigned me to hell for Adam's transgression.

6. "I believe that human nature is universally corrupted that all men are naturally in the ruins. of the fall. David says, 'They are all gone aside,’

(Ps. xiv. 3.)

Every one has turned to his own

way,' (Isa. liii. 6.)

the things of the

The natural man receiveth not

Spirit of God,' (1 Cor. ii. 14.) The whole world lieth in wickedness,' (1 John, v. 19.)

7. "I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ redeemed not all the world, but a certain number, fixed upon in eternity, given to him, and for whom he was surety. This I infer from Rev. v. 9: Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every

kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.' Rev. xiv. 4: Redeemed from among men.'

8. "I believe that we must be justified, or accounted righteous by a God of infinite purity, before we can enter the mansions of glory, because we are, in Paul's language, 'under the curse,' (Gal. iii. 10.) The whole world is guilty, and, therefore, exposed to avenging justice, (Rom. iii. 19.) By the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation,' (Rom. v. 18;) and that we can only be justified by having, in a gracious yet just manner, the whole active and passive obedience of Christ put down to our account, declared and acknowledged our own; as Paul says, 'Not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith,' (Phil. iii. 9.) David, also, describeth the blessedness of the man to whom God imputeth righteousness without works, (Ps. xxxii.) Therefore, there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus,' (Rom. viii. 1.)

9. "I believe that the Divine law is invariable and unalterable; that Christ never relaxed our obligations to it, or disannulled its authority. He himself says, 'Think not that I come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil,' (Matt. v. 17.) Paul was not without law to God, but under the law to Christ, (1 Cor. ix. 21;) and, therefore, all christians are bound to obey it as the rule of their conduct, not to gain life by their

obedience, but to shew gratitude to Christ their King.

10. "I believe the absolute necessity of regeneration, because Christ says, 'Ye must be born again,' (John, iii. 7;)—the absolute necessity of faith, because he says to his disciples, He that believeth not shall be damned,' (Mark, xvi. 16;) the absolute necessity of repentance, because he says, 'Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish,' (Luke, xiii. 5.)

11. "I believe the absolute necessity of conversion, because Christ said, 'Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven,' (Matt. xviii. 3.) I believe that God effectually calls his own chosen people from darkness to light, to be no longer conformed to this world, but transformed in the renewing of their mind,- Called,' as Peter expresses it, to glory and virtue,' (2 Pet. i. 13.) I believe the absolute need of sanctification of heart and life, because the Bible tells me, 'Without holiness no man shall see the Lord,' (Heb. xii. 14.)

12. "I believe that true christians, those who are elected, redeemed, called, justified, and sanctified, shall, instead of falling finally from grace, hold on their way, and grow stronger and stronger,' (Job, xvii. 9.) I believe they are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto final salvation,' (1 Pet. i. 5 ;) that as God has begun a good work, he will never leave it, but carry it on to the day of Jesus Christ,