and looked for the thunders of Omnipotence to awake. But a voice issued from the secret councils of the Godhead, "Deliver him from going down to the pit; for I have found a ransom." And the angels spake one to another of this mysterious way, and longed to look into it. They behold the Trinity entering into a covenant with each other, to prosecute this great redemption; they witness the institution of types and sacrifices on earth, and wonder at their meaning; they catch the first faint glimpses of the last great sacrifice for sin; they listen while patriarchs and prophets speak of Shiloh: the universe seems heaving with some new and wonderful event; and next they behold the Son of God in the manger of Bethlehem; they know he has undertaken some errand of mercy, and they shout "good will to men." They watch his weary way through life, and the mystery thickens as they behold him in tears, and solitude, and want, now prostrate in the garden, praying to his Father that the cup might pass from him, sweating, as it were, great drops of blood, now apprehended by his enemies and deserted by his friends. Oh! how the mystery grew more and more involved, as they saw him arraigned as a malefactor, buffeted, spit upon, condemned, hurried to the cross, they knew not why nor wherefore. With what amazement did they look one upon another as the sun darkened and the earth shook, when the Savior bowed his head and exclaimed, "It is finished." What misgivings and surprise among the hosts of heaven, when the Holy One was deposited in the tomb. But he saw not corruption. Soon he rose, leading captivity captive. Then when he proclaimed to a ruined race, "God may now be just, and justify those who believe," when the loud offer of remission of sins rolled round the world we live in, and mankind were told that there was no other name given under heaven whereby they could be saved;— then light flashed upon the great mystery which had been hid for ages and generations, the scheme of redemption burst upon their astonished view in something of its grandeur, and when the "LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" ascended the hill of Zion, they took their harps of gold, and thundered forth his welcome. "Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in." In such a system we see no extravagance in the exclamation of the apostle-"Oh the depths of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out." Well may angels desire to look into these things.

Apply now the texts in question to the plan of salvation, held by those who reject the vicarious sufferings of Christ. "We neither understand, nor need, say they, the atonement of Christ,-we expect to be saved by the mercy of God, on the ground of our own sincerity and obedience." But is this the "great mystery of VOL. V.

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Christ?" Whence is all that adoration and wonder which is turned on him, which made the apostle "glory in nothing save the cross of Christ?" Was it not known to the world through Moses, and Ďavid, and Isaiah, that God would pardon sinners? Where then was the mystery? Where was the pre-eminent distinction of Jesus Christ, as a mere prophet, that the eyes of the whole universe. should be fixed on him, with gratitude and wonder, and that the armies of the redeemed should cast their crowns at his feet? There is but one explanation. "He is the propitiation for our sins." Without this solution, what is the whole tenor of the apostles' language concerning Jesus Christ, but a mass of extravagance and absurd impiety? Unitarians expect to be saved on the ground of an elevated morality. The cross of Christ is an offense to them. Their only system, if system it may be called, is that we must obey sincerely, as far as our weak nature will admit, and not be troubled for the rest. They look upon the Lord Jesus Christ as a being of remarkable excellencies, but all that they draw from his life and character is a model and precepts concerning moral culture. Now we seriously inquire of such men, whether they sincerely believe that this system is the salvation of which "prophets inquired and searched diligently,--searching what manner of time the spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory which should follow;" "which things the angels desired to look into?" Is it for this that the mountains are called on to break out into singing, and all human tongues and hearts to join in lofty adoration? Can a system of mere morality, be called the "riches of the glory of the mystery, which is in Christ, the hope of glory?" Can the example of any man, however perfect, properly be called the "unsearchable riches of Christ?" Was this indeed" glad tidings of great joy" to a man already convinced of his sins, that a perfect example was set before him, when he was sinking in despair, because he had fallen so far short of existing models? Take an advocate of these views, who improves his nature, and strives to imitate his model, and what mystery is there in his system, more than in that of any heathen who lives according to the light he has, and strives to grow better? What is there in either to awaken the curiosity of angels? We search in vain for any thing to justify the language of the scriptures on this subject, till we catch the words of the apostles, "At this time we declare his righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin." "He bore our sins in his own body on the tree."

We will apply these same texts to one other feature of the two systems, and then leave the comparison with the good sense of our readers. The things which are reported by them who preach the gospel, accompanied by the Holy Ghost sent down from hea

ven," are represented by the apostle as among the things "into which angels desire to look." And in another place, the redemption and conversion of men, are affirmed to be the great means by which God designs to make known his manifold wisdom unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places. There is joy and wonder among the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth: joy at the rescue of one immortal soul, and wonder at the success of that new and mysterious scheme, the gospel of Christ. What a tide of rapturous surprise rolls through heaven in view of the pentecostal visitations, which follow the preaching of the cross, when the tombs burst open, and the dead in trespasses and sins come forth to a new life, and a multitude which no man can number flee for refuge, to lay hold of the hope set before them in the gospel! Well may angels love to gaze on scenes like these; scenes which make men resemble angels, "scenes surpassing fable," the commencement and surety of millennial glory; which are rapidly bringing the tabernacle of God among men, and changing this dark world into one of unmingled joy and splendor.

But what cause for joy or wonder in the effects of the Unitarian system? A system which practically sets aside all deep solicitude respecting the soul's salvation, which calms the anxious mind by lessons on the "godlike tendency of human nature," which leads its votaries, (we quote the language of a Unitarian minister,) to "thank God that there are some men who need no regeneration,”—a system which extends a helpless hand to the "impotent in virtue," because it says not, with the apostles, "in the name of Jesus of Nazareth,”—which reduces a whole people to a contented reliance on the blandishments of a graceful morality. What is there in the effects of such a system to cause us to exclaim, “This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?" Is this the latter day glory? Does this system make the world kindle by reason of the still greater triumphs that are to succeed? Where are its trophies? Where its living spirits to bear onward the victor's chariot? Where its predicted multitudes flying like clouds into the kingdom? What avaricious man has it made to pour out his treasure for the redemption of the world? What man, mad after pleasure, has it ever brought to habitual sobriety? What splendid votary of fashion has it ever made to feel the injunction, "Be not conformed to this world?" What solitary convert has it to place beside the Bunyans, the Rochesters, the Gardiners, and the Newtons, who have experienced the almost miraculous agency of the name of Christ, and whose reformation has sent joy and wonder along the ascending orders of heaven? We ask again, what is there in the effects of such a system, which forces men and angels to exclaim, "Behold what God hath wrought?" Does it not strike one as bordering hard upon satire, to apply such passages to the visible effects of Unitarianism?

We have done with this argument. Were we addressing one who was still incredulous, we would request him to collect the numerous passages, like those we have cited, which represent the true system, whichever it is, to be new, grand, mysterious, unsearchable, far transcending human expectations, the object of wonder and curiosity to a great cloud of witnesses in three worlds; and then would we ask whether he can believe that all this is true of any scheme of mere morality-schemes with which men have been familiar from the foundation of the world, which make the new testament well nigh superfluous, and take away all that is sublime and wonderful from the "glorious gospel of the blessed God?" If any thing more were necessary to aid him in his decision, we would repeat the words of Unitarians themselves, who unanimously and zealously discard all mysteries in religion. "Christianity, as we understand it," says Mr. Coleman, " contains no mysteries, in the popular sense of that term." "Christianity has no mysteries, in the common and popular acceptation of that term," says Mr. Greenwood. "It is a revelation, and to talk of a mystery of revelation, is to put two words together which contradict each other." Now this is exactly what we have endeavored to show, viz. that Christianity, as they understand it, is a different thing from that gospel; the great mysteries of which, as the apostles affirmed, baffled the powers of men and angels, though partially unveiled in the person of Christ.

We are always grieved to read remarks like that just quoted from Mr. Greenwood. We must confess that when made to gain advantage in controversy, they always strike us as implying either duplicity or affectation. It certainly borders hard upon duplicity to urge that as an objection to the orthodox system, which it holds in common with every form of theistical belief. When we take into account the infinite and stupendous nature of the facts necessarily involved in a revelation made by the eternal God to finite man, we should conclude, not with Mr. Greenwood, that mysteries in revelation are a contradiction in terms, but that a revelation without mysteries would be an impossibility.

But if they will persist in disbelieving whatever contains "mysteries in the common acceptation of the term," then let them reject that gospel whose grand peculiarity is atonement for sin, made by the just for the unjust. "It passes all understanding." We will go with you for a moment, then, into your refined system of natural religion. Can you now explain the mystery, that a benevolent God should permit the innocent to suffer so much, on account of the guilty? Why does the brute creation suffer, having never sinned? All is mystery still. To be consistent then, you must reject every form of natural religion. You are left without God in the world, for clouds and darkness are round about Him. His being,

his modes of action, every work of his hands, are replete with mystery. To be consistent, in fine, you must disbelieve your own existence. There is nothing that you can believe, for all is mystery. The poor soul is driven out upon a dark and tempestuous ocean, lashed into storms by every wind of doctrine. God need write no curse upon such a man. He has cursed himself. He is alone. What then were man, poor, ignorant, benighted, without FAITH? faith"which believes-though it sees not"

"A blessed mood, of aspect most sublime,

In which the burden of the mystery,
In which the heavy and the weary weight
Of all this unintelligible world,

Is lightened-is removed.

WORDSWORTH.

We have been speaking of collateral evidence. There is another large class of texts, to which we can only allude at present, which are equally inapplicable to the Unitarian system. All must admit, on the testimony of the bible, that the true system always has been, and always will be humiliating, revolting, and painful in the extreme to unsanctified men. Not that the gospel has any alliance with meanness, from an affinity of tastes. Not that mercy granted through the blood of God's own Son, has no beauty. But the gospel treats man as radically corrupt. As its grand peculiarity, it insists on a total renovation of the soul, and a life of self-denial, and self-sanctification. Its requisitions are severe and unsparing. It cries aloud, "strive to enter in at the strait gate, for strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, and few there be who find it." It spares not the right hand, nor the right eye. Death is the condition of life. The "delectable mountains" which it points, can be gained only by a thorny path, and bleeding footsteps. Hence it has always provoked opposition, or scorn. It was in the face of the "world's dread laugh" that Paul declared, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ." Others held it as foolishness. To the Jew it was a stumbling block. The wise, the scribe, the Corinthian, passed by the cross wagging their heads in profane derision. The men who preached it, invariably encountered the rage, ridicule, and contempt of the world, and finally, a doctrine so unwelcome cost them their lives.

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But who, without the bitterest sarcasm, could speak of Unitarianism, as involving any ignominy, reproach, or painful sacrifices of feeling. It glories in being the religion of "gifted minds." It monopolizes to itself all that is noble, refined and lofty. It proclaims an exemption from the severe self-denials, and costlier sacrifices of an evangelical profession. It mocks at the weepings and agonies of the spiritual conflict. It cherishes in all who are of decent morals, an habitual ease concerning matters of eternal responsibility. "Conversion," says one, with soft and silvery ac