453 Extract of a Letter from New South Shetland. fish needs not the intelligence convey- EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM NEW 454 climate, though cold, is remarkably healthful. By the return of the vessels, further accounts may be soon expected, but for these we must wait. In the mean while, we proceed to lay before our readers the following extract. "George, New-Plymouth, Jan. 3d. 1821. "When I left home, I did not think an opportunity would offer, through which I should be able to write you an account of New South Shetland; but more ships are here than we expected to find, when we left England. A London cutter leaves this place tomorrow, whose captain has kindly offered to forward this letter to Liverpool. In the second volume of the Imperial Magazine, col. 674, and col. 755, we gave some account of this newly discovered territory; of the manner in which it became known to our countrymen; of its productions; and probable extent. In consequence of the favourable reports which were then circulated, eight vessels were fitted out from Liverpool, and some from other ports, to repair thither on the whale or seal fisheries, as circum-one wild boar. In this excursion my stances might direct. Several months have elapsed since their departure, but, from the vast distance of this land, lying much to the south of Cape Horn, and the seas being but little frequented by Europeans, no accounts whatever, until very lately, have been received from the adventurers. "After a short passage of ten weeks, we arrived at the Falkland Islands, and landed full of hopes that we should kill wild oxen in abundance; but in this we were much disappointed. During our stay, I was constantly pursuing them, but they were so wild as not to allow any one to come near them. We were therefore obliged to put up with about one hundred and twenty wild geese, and gun unfortunately burst into fifty pieces, but, as good luck and care would have it, I received no harm whatever. Owing to this misfortune, I have been obliged to put up with a ship's musket ever since. "We left the Falkland Islands on the 25th of November, and made this A few days since several letters, detestable place on the 1st of Decemhowever, reached Liverpool, one of ber; detestable, I say, because I am which, written by an officer on board certain it was the last place that ever one of the vessels, to his sister, has God Almighty made. As we have just been put into our hands. From many specimens of the truth of this this letter we give the following ex- assertion, I will give you one, which tract, which we doubt not will prove will convince any person that would both interesting and entertaining to believe the truth. When I was walkmost of our readers. It may not be ing one day on a mountain, where improper just to premise, that from I am certain never a human creature other letters it appears, that no ves- was before, I saw the ribs and head tige of verdure has yet been discover- bones of a whale lying in the snow; as ed, which confirms the account origi- snow never quits this place, even now nally inserted by us, on the testimony at midsummer. I have not seen a of Mr. Herring, in col. 674 of the Im- star, or moon light, since we came perial Magazine, although different hither, nor do we know the difference reports have been thrown into circu- between midday and midnight when lation. A rich bed of coals has, how-it is cloudy weather. The sun is only ever, been discovered, which to future two hours out of twenty four, below navigators may be of essential service; the horizon. but this is the only mineral substance yet presented to their view. From another letter, we have learnt, that the "On our first making land, I came in a boat to look for a harbour among the rocks, for we have nothing else but 455 On Repentance and Faith. rocks; and in going off again to the ship, as a thick fog came on, we lost ourselves, and very nearly for ever; for, getting among the breakers, the boat was upset, rolled over three times, and dashed us against the rocks. Our escape was so miraculous, that all the men in the boat, who were eight besides myself, when we got on shore, were so sensible of the danger they had escaped, that they fell on their knees to return thanks to God for his kind mercy towards us; so you may judge how we were, when a sailor thinks of his Maker. In this disaster, I lost my boots, great coat, and nearly all my rough clothing, so that I am now purser-rigged. "But this is now all forgotten, and we are killing scals by thousands. The weather is as cold as you have it at Christmas. We are constantly wet, and overhead in blood and blubber. The seals are not so plentiful as they were represented to be, before we left Liverpool, so we must put up with a moderate quantity. We have now on board nine thousand skins, and I am still in hopes, that we shall procure about two thousand weekly. You may judge from hence what murder is committed merely for the covering of the animal, for the gratification of our pride. | 456 time that it has been in our posession. Our Greek character, destroyed by the late fire, not having been yet replaced, we are under the necessity of inserting his Greek words in English letter. EDITOR. IT is generally received among Christians, that Repentance and Faith are gifts of God. But since man acts as a moral agent in the exercise of repentance and faith, a distinction has been drawn between the grace and the act; the former being God's work, and the latter man's. One party of Christians maintain, that God is willing to bestow the grace upon all; and the reason which they assign for all not being made partakers of the gift, is man's obstinacy in not yielding to the operations of God's spirit. This they receive as a truth veiled in mystery. Another party associate with the word gift something descriminative or restrictive, as if only a few were intended to be possessors of it. It is to be feared that these metaphysical distinctions are So many shackles laid upon the plain meaning of the word of God. Many are, like Nicodemus, more anxious to know the mode, than implicitly to receive the truth of a fact. How Christ could have died for all, and yet all should not be saved; how the influence of God's spirit can operate, and yet man's freedom be preserved; and why man is exhorted to be faithful, and yet he can have no merit in Another vessel, the Indian, of Liver- his perseverance;—have appeared inpool, on the same station and employ-superable difficulties to many profesment, had from ten to twelve thousand sors of Christianity. skins on board, at the time the above letter was written. "I could tell you a hundred things, but will reserve my stories till I can relate them when we meet again. But God knows when that will be, as we expect to go to winter next year in Russia." ON REPENTANCE AND FAITH. IN the first volume of the Imperial Magazine, col. 995, a question was inserted respecting Faith; namely, "Whether it ought to be considered as wholly from God, or entirely from man?” În Vol. II. col. 825, this question was examined by a correspondept, but not so fully as to preclude the following article, which, without professing to furnish a direct reply to the question, enters into its essence. The author has a right to demand from us an apology for the length of Few persons, in searching the scriptures, keep in mind the essential difference that exists between the idioms of the Hebrew and English languages. It ought to be recollected that, although the New Testament is written in Greek, yet the idiom is more allied to the Hebrew than to the Greek, and much more so than to any modern language. Two prominent marks of Hebraism are seen in the frequent use of Ellipsis and Metaphor. As it regards the latter; we have frequently cause for effect, adjunct for its subject, quality for its object, design for execution, &c. and vice versa. We must therefore observe whether it is, the nature, cause, obligation, or effect, of a thing, that is intended. 457 On Repentance and Faith. 458 iii. 19. viii. 22. xvii. 30. xx. 20,21. For obedience to all the gospel injunctions, is intended by God, and possible by man. I. The Scripture marks a distinction between that kind of repentance, which denotes sorrow terminating in remorse, or in a mere change of purpose, whether for better or worse, and The difficulty, however, may be that kind which ends in reformation solved upon the principle, that men's of conduct. See Dr. Campbell's Preli- actions, whether good or bad, when minary Dissertations. Scripture, how-spoken of in reference to God, are said ever, has no definition of repentance or to be done by him. Thus, the heart of faith. of Pharaoh, and the hearts of the unbelieving Jews in the time of our Lord, are said to be hardened by God, although the blame of hardening their hearts is chargeable only on themselves. Another very appropriate instance we have in Deut. chap. xxix. 2, 4.-"Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes, in the land of Egypt, unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; the great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles: yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day:" yet their believing, or not believing, depended on their own choice, and their disobedience was charged upon themselves.-See Exod. xix. 4, 5. Deut. i. 30, 32, and 39. 46 To preach repentance, sometimes means to state the duty of repentance; (Matth. iii. 2. Mark vi. 12.) at other times its necessity to salvation; (Luke xiii. 3.) and at other times God's goodness in accepting of repentance, (Luke xxiv. 47.) "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." The following passage is synonymous; Him hath God exalted with his right-hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins," Acts v. 31. Again; Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life," chap. xi. 18. The subject of discussion was not the nature of repentance, but the admission of the Gentiles to the same privileges with the Jews. See In the passage under consideration, chap. x. 45, 47. and xi. 1, 17. How- Paul seems to exhort Timothy to bear ever important the distinction is be- with a certain class of persons, as retween remorse and evangelical repent-pentance was probable. ance, it is evident, that this passage is not a proof of it. 66 II. That faith is the gift of God, has been believed, in consequence of what An objector, it is probable, is ready Paul says in his epistle to the Epheto produce a passage, which, in his sians, (ii. 8.) "For by grace are ye estimation, contains an insuperable saved thro' faith, and that not of yourdifficulty. "If God peradventure will selves; it is the gift of God." There give them repentance to the acknow- is a considerable degree of obscurity ledging of the truth," 2 Tim. ii. 25. in this translation of the passage, Here, it may be said, repentance is owing to the misplacing of the verb represented not only as a gift, as it to be. The passage would be much regards those who do repent, but as be- clearer thus: For by grace are ye ing arbitrarily withheld from those who saved through faith; and that is not do not repent. There are two objec-of yourselves, being the gift of God. tions to the latter position; and if it fall, the former will also fall. First; "God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, 2 Peter iii. 9.; and, He willeth that all men come to the knowledge (or acknowledging) of the truth," 1 Tim. ii. 4. Secondly, all men are commanded to repent, not merely as being under a natural obligation, but in consequence of repentance being an appointed pre-requisite to our enjoyment of the favour and salvation of God, freely and sincerely offered to sinners, Luke xiii, 3. Acts ii, 37. No. 27, VOL. III. The proposition, By grace are ye saved through faith; means, either the cause of our salvation," by grace;" or, the instrument of it," through faith." The ninth verse determines which ; "Not of works, lest any man should boast." The subject is not, whether faith, but whether salvation, is of grace or of works. Hence, that which the apostle affirms is not of ourselves, but the gift of God, is not faith, but salvation. It is evident, that from the beginning to the end of the chapter, he shews, that salvation to both Jews and Gentiles, is, without conformity 2 G 459 On Repentance and Faith. to the law of Moses, given of God's free grace in Christ Jesus. Why then should the apostle, at the very seat of his subject, make a digression concerning faith; applying to it, what an attentive reader would naturally apply to the subject itself. 460 native case. The Septuagint translation changes the verb from the active to the passive, voice. Instead of saying, "he counted it to him for righteousness;" as in the Hebrew, and in our translation, Gen. xv. 6.; it has, “it was counted to him for righteousness." The pronoun it in the Hebrew, is in the feminine gender, and is used in that gender for the neuter, answering to touto, in the Greek. This, there The next example which shall be adduced, is in Philemon, ver. 18. “If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee aught, put that on my account." Here, the word that evidently refers to the wrong, expressed in the verb wronged, or the debt, in the verb oweth. It may be objected, that ti (aliquid,) is the an Another objection arises from the construction of the sentence. The pronoun touto, that, is in the neuter gender, and therefore it cannot refer to pisteos, faith, which is in the femi-fore, is to the point in hand. nine gender. To this it may be replied, "That there are some rare instances, in which an improper gender is used." These cases arise from too close a translation from the Hebrew, especially in the Septuagint. In some instances aute, feminine gender, is used instead of touto, neuter gender, in conformity to the Hebrew pro-tecedent to touto, (that.) Ti, is here noun's being used in the feminine gender instead of the neuter, which it wants. But this plea does not stand good in the present instance, the phrase being the writer's own language. The plea of inadvertency cannot be substantiated, for the most illiterate Grecian would have avoided saying, pisteos kai touto, if he had intended pisteos as the antecedent to touto, seeing that they are separated only by one word. What then, it may be asked, is the antecedent to touto? The verb este sesōsmenoi, ye are saved. There is a noun comprehended in the import of the verb; for, ye are saved, is synonymous with, ye have salvation. Salvation is the noun to which touto refers; and uniformly the pronoun takes the neuter gender in such cases, whatever is the gender of the noun in the abstract. A few examples will set the subject entirely at rest. In Rom. iv. 3. Gal. iii. 6. & James ii. 23. we have the following words:"Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." The word it, evidently refers to Abraham's act of faith, expressed by the verb believed. An idiomatical translation is, Abraham believed God, and his faith was accounted to him for righteousness. See Rom. iv. 5, 9. The pronoun it, is not expressed in the original, being not necessary according to the nature of the language; but if the quotation had been made from the Hebrew instead of the Septuagint, the pronoun would have been expressed, because it would have been in the accusative, instead of the nomi used adverbially, for Paul promises not to repair what had been damaged, but to repay the loss which Philemon might have sustained by the absence of Onesimus, or the debt, which might have been contracted by him. Again, 1 Pet. ii. 8. "And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto (or, unto which) also they were appointed;" which refers to proskoptousi, they stumble. The meaning of which is, that their stumbling at the word was the appointed consequence of their disobedience, see ver. 7. Touto occurs in ver. 20, and refers to the circumstance expressed by doing well, suffering for it, and taking it patiently. Again, touto, in ver. 21, refers to pakontês, they that suffer. These examples are more than sufficient. Another passage brought in proof of the position, that faith is the gift of God, is in Philip. i. 29. "For unto you it is given, in the behalf of Christ, (not only to believe on him, but also) to suffer for his sake." It is evident, from the 28th and 30th verses, that the subject of the Apostle's discourse is not concerning the nature of faith, but concerning the state and privilege of the Philippians, being denoted by suffering like him, in the cause of Christ, and for his account. Faith is introduced parenthetically; and the whole means, that believers in Christ were fore-appointed to be sufferers for him. See Rom. viii. 17, 29. 1 Thess. iii. 3. 1 Pet. ii. 21. It may be remarked, that if we allow that faith is called 461 Examination of Remarks on Mutual Affection. the gift of God, then sufferings are equally the gift of God. The verb it is given, is used here impersonally, signifying a privilege, as in Matt. xiii. 11. compared with ver. 17, and in John iii. 27. | 66 462 It may be objected, that the looking and mourning mentioned in Zechariah, are of a gracious nature, for it is said, I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications. This proves too much, for it proves that men are inclined to pray before the exercise of either faith or repentance. Simon Magus was commanded to pray, not before, but after, his repentance, Acts viii. 22. IV. It has been a subject of much dispute, whether a man can believe that Christ is the Son of God, and yet continue unrenewed. Simon Magus be III. Another question is, Whether repentance precedes, or follows faith? Were we to be guided by the order adhered to in scripture, we should find that repentance precedes faith. See Mark i. 15. Acts xx. 21. There must, however, be faith in God, before there can be repentance towards him; but there must be repentance towards God, before there can be faith towards Jesus Christ. There must believed, and yet he was in the bond of conviction of our sin and misery, before there can be trust in Christ for deliverance. There must also be sorrow and confession of sin, before there can be remission of sins: Acts ii. 38. iii. 19. viii. 22. 1 John i. 19. But remission of sins, or justification, immediately follows faith in Jesus Christ: Rom. iii. 22, 26, 28. and iv. 3. Therefore, repentance must precede faith. It is maintained by many, that evangelical repentance is a godly sorrow, in consequence of a believing view of the sufferings of Christ for sin. The only passage brought in proof of this opinion, is not from the New Testament, as might be expected, but from the Old Testament. "And they shall look on me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, &c." Zech. xii. 10. The looking is considered as answering to faith, and the mourning to repentance. This passage is a prophecy; and its fulfilment, in a primary sense, we find Acts ii. 36, 37. "Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now, when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Here, we have the fulfilment, without either repentance towards God, or faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ: for Peter says, in the following verse, Repent" and in the 41st verse it is written, "Then they that gladly received his word, (or believed in Jesus Christ,) were baptized." Its fulfilment in another sense, (see Rev. i. 7.) will not be adduced in favour of the opinion opposed. iniquity, Acts viii. 13, 23. It has also been agitated, whether any but a genuine believer ought to pray. Simon Magus was commanded to pray for the forgiveness of his sins; Paul prayed, and was exhorted to pray, for the forgiveness of his sins, Acts ix. 11. and xxii. 16. V. Faith in Christ, is a belief of the testimony concerning him, and a reliance on the promise of salvation through him. The former regards the assent of the understanding; and the latter, the consent of the will. The former is effected by the force of evidence; and the latter, by the influence of the Holy Spirit. Aberdeen, 8th Feb. 1820. Z. MR. EDITOR. SIR,-In the 26th number of your Magazine, col. 350, is inserted an Answer, by T. R. to a Query, on the existence of Mutual Affection, between individuals, in futurity. To be as concise as possible, I beg the reader to refer to T. R.'s absolutely negative opinion, upon the above Question. "Mutual affection, and the kindred affinity of spirits, (he says,) are mere relative modes of the human kind, in their finite state; and are consistent, only, with our confined views of time consequently, they will cease to be, when the finite term shall have expired, and the creature shall have entered on that which is infinite |