tropolis, where he had been for a few Sabbaths supplying the Welch Chapel in Jewin-street. When experiencing much indisposition, his anxiety to do good incited him to travel and exert himself beyond his capability. His complaint soon as sumed an alarming aspect, and at length the hope of his recovery could hardly be cherished. The last sermon he preached at Turgwyn Chapel, (the place of worship near his house, the society which he belonged to,) was from Psal. xxx. 5, "For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favour is life," &c. The next text of Scripture he intended discoursing upon was, according to a mark he has left on a note book, the 9th verse of the 71st] Psalm,

Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth." He never preached from the words: but it will appear from what follows, that he died enjoying an answer to the prayer therein contained. The great and general esteem and love he was the deserving object of, was strikingly exemplified throughout the whole period of his illness, by the multitudes that were each day hastening from all the surrounding neighbourhood to make enquiries respecting him. He was in the habit of conversing freely and familiarly with most in his own and the adjacent societies. He took a lively interest in all that concerned them, and was unto them as a father. They sympathized with him and now bewail him as such.

the world. About nine days before his decease he was desired to speak of the state of his mind; and he exclaimed, My greatest desire is now to depart, and to be with Christ.' Upon its being remarked that he was highly favoured in possessing that experience in an hour so trying, he said- Yes, it is a high privilege for a sinner so great as I am:' and rejoined- I have for some time been kept to view mine unworthiness and wretchedness,and have been much dispirited, when at the same time I considered the important and responsible office the Lord has been pleased to place me in. Oh! I have felt ashamed at the little good I have effected in the great cause of my Redeemer. I scorn to think of any service I have done my Master; but I am quite certain that, by the assistance of the Holy Spirit, I have endeavoured to perform some.'

Upon two of his friends visiting him, on their way to an Association at Cardigan, he said- Remember me affectionately to all the brethren, and desire them not to be unmindful of me. I pray that " the shout of a king be among them." It gladdens my heart that there have been indications of it in late meetings. May the manifestations of the Lord's sence which have been recently enjoyed stimulate ardent desires for more. And he added emphatically,

pre

He was, on one occasion, desired to express his views of the state of religion in the churches in general, and he spoke to this effect, The present appearance, and I fear the real state of the churches, is a lukewarm and slumbering one, and it has of late been a subject of painful reflection to me. What is still more lamentable is, we seldom hear that desirable cry-"Oh! that I knew where I might find him!"'

The resigned and acquiescent frame

of his mind, with the supporting assurance of his spiritual state, appeared obviously from several observations, such as the following, when suffering acutely from difficulty of breathing: - The present circumstance of suffering is very grievous, but good enough for a wretched sinner: the only thing of much consequence is to know the Lord.' I draw hard to the end of my journey, and am on the point of entering eternity, but without the least alarm or uneasiness.'

One morning, upon awaking, he called Mrs. M., and said,- All the last night I found myself with some of the holy brethren, who years since departed in Jesus; (Mr. Lloyd, of Henllan, and Mr. Jones, of Langan, he named,) and very sweet, indeed, was our society. I have tasted, yes, I have tasted of the fruit of the land,' A short time after, he said, No one ever felt a stronger attachment to his wife, and family, than I have felt to mine; but now, from the view I have had of the heavenly felicity, and from the wonderful things that have been revealed to me, I feel no attraction to any thing here, nor any wish to remain in the body. I have had a more glorious sight, than I ever before enjoyed, of that far better country which I shall soon arrive .at.'

He then, with a sweet, extatic smile, exclaimed, I now behold it: Oh! wonderful country! Oh! what a surpassing enjoyment I have even now, yea, even in the agonies of death!'

The last day of his life, his pain and difficulty of breathing, with the indistinctness of his articulation having much increased, but little of what he said was intelligible. He spoke much, and made every exertion to be understood, repeating the same phrase several times. The following words were at length distinct,

Oh! may the knowledge of the Lord increase in the land!' This remained on his lips the whole of the

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morning. In the evening he was heard to say, again and again, Where is the Holy Ghost? Where is the Holy Ghost? His last words, lifting up his hand with the exclamation, were, Oh! Holy Ghost!' In a few minutes after he expired, Monday, August 15, 1825, in the 56th year of his age.

Such, and far surpassing our ability to represent him, was, through grace, in life and in death, the man, whose loss hundreds of Christian societies in thirteen counties, and elsewhere, are now bewailing:-the man of whom the tears of friendship, as they descend many a face, inscribed,

"My brother: very pleasant wert thou unto me!" Adieu for a little while, happy spirit!

On Thursday, the day of his interment, the Rev. E. Richards, of Tregaron, and the Rev. D. Charles, of Carmarthen, preached in a field near his residence to a vast concourse, assembled from various distances, who mourned for him with a great and very sore lamentation,' from John ii. 11, (middle clause) and from Heb. xiii. 7.

LINES

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To the Memory of the Rev. E. Morris. He is gone to the land where his heart was set,

'Twas thither his course had been tending: The lov'd ones he'd wept for, again he has

met,

And their lasting Hosannahs are blending. The faithful Ambassador's gone to his Lord, He serv'd him with zeal and affection, His toiling is o'er, and he reaps his reward, He rests, and inherits perfection. We grieve for our loss, while he bows at the throne,

Adoring Jehovah who lov'd him,→→→→ The Lamb who expir'd for his sins to atone, And the Spirit who bless'd and approv'd him.

Tho' the grave hides the face and the form so dear,

Yet a day is to dawn, when the 'mortal Shall put immortality on,' and appear; And Victory,' shout to Heav'n's portal!

Carmarthen,

ON

CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE.

ESSAY III.

The Abrogation of the Law.

THAT the Law given by Moses was superseded, and, in some sense, abolished by the Gospel of grace and truth, is a position which all Christians hold. The point of difficulty is to determine to what extent this abolition reached. Did it apply only to the Political Constitution and Ceremonial Rites of the Levitical dispensation? Or did it include the whole body of the Precepts enjoined by God upon the Israelites, as his selected and peculiar people?

The generality of English and Scots divines have adopted the former of these hypotheses: but the latter is maintained by many of the most distinguished Protestant divines of the Continent, both Lutheran and Calvinistic; and to this class our illustrious author joined himself. Had he been governed by reverence for names, he might have boasted of his society; for Luther himself and Melancthon, Musculus and Zanchius, besides others of no little consideration, had been the advocates of the same doctrine.

We select a few paragraphs, in which Milton expresses his sentiments, in his characteristically plain and lucid man

ner.

"The Mosaic LAW was a written code, consisting of many precepts, intended for the Israelites alone, with a promise of life to such as should keep them, and a curse on such as should be disobedient; to the end that they, being led thereby to an acknowledg ment of the depravity of mankind, and consequently of their own, might have recourse to the righteousness of the promised SAVIOUR; and that they, and in process of time all other nations, might be led, under the Gospel, from the weak and servile rudiments of this elementary institution, to the full strength of the new creature, and a manly liberty worthy of the sons of God. The GOSPEL is the new dispen. sation of the Covenant of Grace, far more excellent and perfect than the Law, announced first obscurely by Moses and the prophets, afterwards in

and his apostles and evangelists, written since by the HOLY SPIRIT in the hearts of believers, and ordained to continue even to the end of the world; containing a promise of eternal life to all, in all nations, who shall believe in Christ when revealed to them, and a threat of eternal death to such as shall not believe. On the introduction of the gospel, or new covenant, through faith in Christ, the whole of the preceding covenant, in other words the entire Mosaic law, was abolished. We are absolved from subjection to the Decalogue as fully as to the rest of the law. Under the gospel, good works must be defined to be of faith, not of the Decalogue; whence it follows that conformity, not with the written but with the unwritten law, that is, with the law of the Spirit given by the Father to lead us into all truth, is to be accounted the true essential form of good works. With regard to the doctrine of those who consider the Decalogue as a code of universal morality, I am at a loss to understand how such an opinion should ever have prevailed; these commandments being evidently nothing more than a summary of the whole Mosaic Law, as the fourth in particular is of the whole ceremonial law, which, therefore, can contain nothing applicable to the gospel-worship.""

Upon these statements we submit the following remarks.

I. The doctrine thus brought before us is altogether distinct from the coarse and licentious Antinomianism of modern times. Though Milton considered the whole Mosaic law as abolished, both as a covenant and as a rule of life, he admits not the smallest relaxation of the obligations and the motives to religious obedience. Indeed, his views were the very contrary. He regarded the practical holiness of believers under the gospel as being as much superior to the literal obedience of the Sinai covenant, as he looked upon the righteousness of Christ to transcend the outward service of one who observed that covenant merely to obtain the good things of the land flowing with milk and honey. Many chapters of the volume are occupied in laying down the principles and the precepts of Evangelical Obedience, in all its branches; and this object is accomplished in a very satisfactory and impressive man

ner.

We do not include in this general character the writer's opinions concerning marriage, the sabbath, and some other ethical questions. It is proposed to make them the subject of a future Essay. At present we only remark, that it is evident the great author did not regard those opinions as, in the smallest degree, tending to licentiousness. As a brief specimen of his general sentiments on Christian duty, we subjoin a few sentences.

"Since we are commanded, under the gospel as well as under the law, to love and serve God with all our strength and with all our mind, and since, consequently, there can be no excess in piety and charity, it follows that no act which we are capable of perform ing can be of such excellence as to fulfil, still less to transcend, the requisitions of duty. Good Works are those which we perform by the Spirt of God working in us, through true faith, to the glory of God, the assured hope of our own salvation, and the edification of our neighbour. Wisdom is that [virtue] whereby we earnestly search after the will of God, learn it with all diligence, and govern all our actions according to its rule. Love is a general virtue, infused into believers by God the Father, in Christ, through the Spirit, and comprehending the whole duty of love, owing from each individual to himself and his neighbour."

Upon these and similar foundations of principle, the author urges the particular requirements of duty, in the most forcible application of scriptureprecepts, warnings, and threatenings, under a great variety of heads. They are treated in the following order :

"Devout affections towards God,— Love, Trust, Hope, Gratitude, Fear, Humility, Patience, Obedience:-the Worshipping of God with sincerity, after the form and manner which himself has prescribed: Supplication-whereby, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we reverently ask of God things lawful, either for ourselves or others, through faith in Christ. Virtues towards ourselves;-Sobriety, Chastity, Modesty, Decency; Contentment, Frugality, Industry, a Liberal Spirit, Lowliness of Mind, Magnanimity; Fortitude, Pa

tience.

Duties to our neighbour; loving him as ourselves;-Brotherly or Christian Love, the strongest of all affections, whereby believers mutually

--

love and assist each other as members of Christ, and are as far as possible of one mind, bearing at the same time to the utmost of their power with the weaker brethren, and with such as are of a different opinion; Innocence, Meekness, Placability;-Respect to our neighbour's personal modesty, and his reputation;-Ingenuous and open Dealing, Faithfulness, Gravity, Taciturnity, Courteousness, Admonition ;— Integrity, Beneficence, Gratitude;→→ Domestic Duties;-Almsgiving, Hospitality;-Public Duties."

To deem the man who scripturally and fervently inculcates this range of duty, and uniformly represents a conformity to it as essential to the Christian character; to deem such a man an Antinomian, would be the height of injustice and absurdity!

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II. The controversy essentially turns upon the right understanding of the nature and design of the Ten Commandments, and the legitimate inter pretation of each commandment in par, ticular. Milton, and those of similar views on this point, regarded the Decalogue as merely the formula, or brief expression on the part of the Granter, of the condition of the Covenant of Peculiarity made with Israel, a temporal constitution with temporal sanctions: and they interpret its particular precepts as requiring only those exter, nal actions which are literally specified, which might be performed without any principle of inward holiness, and of which this servile and outward observance would entitle to the plenty and temporal prosperity of the land of Ca, naan." But they are far from suppos ing that, under the Levitical dispensation, mankind in general, or the Hebrew nation in particular, were destitute of the means of just moral knowledge. They believe that the great principles of moral obligation were originally revealed to the first parents of mankind; that, partly from tradition and partly from their consonance with natural feelings and reason, those principles are sufficiently obvious to all by the light of nature, (see Rom. i. 19—25, ii. 14, 15.); that to the great patriarchal families much concerning the rule of obedience was made known by divine communication; that the Israelites had the benefit of the accumulated moral knowledge of former ages; that this knowledge ran through their dis

pensation of peculiarity, though not forming a part of it; that frequent hints and evidences of it were interspersed by the Most High, in his various revelations of righteousness and mercy made to that favoured people.

On these subjects, the reader may consult to great advantage, the late Dr. Erskine's Theological Dissertations ;-Diss. I. The Nature of the Sinai Covenant; and, II. The Law of Nature sufficiently promulgated to the Heathen.

Other divines, with whom we humbly class ourselves, admit these views to be true, so far as they go; but coneeive that they do not exhibit the whole truth. The Decalogue they look upon as answering a double purpose: the one, that it served in the bare letter as the formula of the Sinaitic Constitution; but the other, that it is a real compendium of universal righteousness, To explain and justify our understanding the Ten Commandments in this extended sense, we suppose that each commandment, (following the charac teristic mode of very early style, whether spoken or written) is the specification of a principal case, either of obedience or of transgression, and that this principal case, whether of injunction or of prohibition, is the representative or exponent of the whole class of duties or of sins. Upon this ground we maintain that the "commandment is exceeding broad;" that "the law is spiritual;" that it fully comprehended the grand essentials of duty, perfect love to God and to man; that it "is holy, just, and good;" and that it "is perfect, converting the soul," as the instrument of the Almighty Spirit.

We must restrain ourselves from enlarging but the whole of the point in difference may be expressed in one word. Both parties hold the Moral Law to be the entire preceptive will of God, apart from all ritual and temporary institutions; and that it always was, and ever must remain in full force, and of unchangeable obligation. But the one party regards the Decalogue as not being the expression of that Law; and the other affirms that it was so. The former party insists upon restraining the meaning and design of the Decalogue to a bare literality; while the other contends for an extensive latitude and spirituality of interpretation. Difficulties lie upon both sides. The for

mer is opposed by the manner in which Christ and the Apostle Paul refer to the Decalogue, declaring its spirituality and confirming its authority: the latter is pressed by the precise phraseology of the record, and by the acknowledged mixture of Israelitic peculiarity in the fourth and fifth commandments.

It is, perhaps, sufficiently manifest to impartial consideration that the difference which we have endeavoured to state is not of much importance, and that a great part of it is occasioned by the parties not taking care to agree beforehand upon their definitions of terms. Our own opinion is, that such å precaution, accurately managed, would either annihilate the controversy, or reduce it within very narrow bounds. How near to a coincidence the two lines of sentiment are, may appear with tolerable clearness in a few passages, with which we shall conclude, from a divine, whose temper and judgment none will question, and who belonged to the class to which we see the most reason to be attached.

"Heb. vii. 18, 19. For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before, for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect; but the bringing of a better hope did, by the which we draw nigh unto God. The whole system of Mosaical Institutions is intended. The Apostle proceeds to prove-that the whole Law was also to be in like manner abolished and removed. Nor is it the whole Ceremonial Law only that is intended by "the commandment" in this place; but the Moral Law also, so far as it was compacted with the other into one body of precepts, for the same end. Because the whole Law had its end, these were appointed only until that end might be or was attained. So saith our apostle,

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They were imposed until the time of reformation." ch. ix. 10. Wherefore, two things did accompany this Law in its first institution:-1. That an obedience unto its commands would not produce the good which is directed unto, as formally respecting the Law itself:-2. That the duties it required had a limited time for their performance and acceptance allotted unto them. Wherefore, without the least disparagement unto it, as to the authority whereby it was given, or as to its own holiness or goodness, it might be "dis