coverable in the phenomena of nature or the dispensations of providence, which God hath been pleased to make the subjects of an extraordinary and express revelation. This is a distinct testimony for God.-He is in this case, in a peculiar manner, his own witness, and he has spoken his evidence in the language of men. He declares his mercy, and justice, and truth, in the salvation of the guilty, in "the justification of 'the ungodly." This evidence has had an embodied existence in the person of Him who was "God manifest in the flesh." All perfections in all their exercises have been truly manifested by the Lord Jesus, and he is therefore called "the faithful and true witness." "God manifest in the flesh" is the great subject of the written evidence of truth. "To Him gave all the prophets witness."-Acts x. 43; xxvi. 22, 23. The Father witness. ed of Christ.-Matt. iii. 17; xvii. 5; John v. 37. The Holy Spirit testifieth of Christ.-John xv. 26; xvi. 14, 15; i. 32. And the Lord Jesus has appointed his own servants as witnesses for him in "a world lying in wickedness.' This witnessing for Christ by his servants, is abundantly declared to be a duty in such passages as the following:-Acts i. 8-22; iii. 15; iv. 33; v. 32; xxii. 15— 18; John xv. 27; Luke xxiv. 48; 2 Tim. i. 8; 1 John iv. 14; Rev. i. 2-9; vi. 9; xi. 7; xii. 11—17; xx. 4.

All the facts and truths that respect the Redeemer's person, his offices, his meritorious death, his justifying righteousness, his renewing and sanctifying Spirit, his free and omnipotent grace, constitute the mass of that allimportant evidence which the company of believers, the church, is to hold up with zeal, and decision, and faithfulness before the world. To be a "witness for Christ" is the most distinguishing office of a redeemed church. Nor is the duty incumbent only upon the individual numbers constituting the church, but also upon the church in her collective and corporate capacity. In this capacity does she receive her precious blessings. In this capacity has Jesus redeemed her. In this capacity does he defend her, and purify her, and "present her to his Father;" and, therefore, in her corporate capacity, does he require her to serve him.-Isa. i. 27; xliv. 23; lii. 1, 2, 9; Psal. cii. 13; Ezek. xxxvii. 28; Psal. cxlvii. 12; Eph. v. 27; Ezek.

xx. 40.

The church bears to the world the same relation which a Minister of the Gospel bears to a single congregation or

district, in witnessing for Jesus. The church at large is as responsible for an unequivocal declaration of "all the counsel of God" to the world, as the pastor to his people. She is "the city set upon an hill"-she is the lighted "candle" that must not be "put under a bushel"-she is "the salt of the earth,"-let her beware that she "lose not her savour" by an unfaithful inactivity. Has she "lifted her voice like a trumpet"-has she "cried aloud and not spared!" There are many faithful watchmen who have cried; many witnesses who have testified to" the truth as it is in Jesus" within the sphere of their own assigned labours; many who plainly and fearlessly lift up their voice against prevailing corruptions-but where is the united, public testimony to a Saviour's worth and a Savi our's honour, that should have spoken loud and far in continuous and determined tones in the ears of nations and their rulers! Where the solemn peals of threatened wrath that should have thundered from Zion's very citadel, bearing faithful witness against the King's enemies!" is her duty at once to bear witness to the truth, and to bear witness against error. The truth must be spoken plainly, forcibly, and affectionately; and at the same time opposing, Christ-dishonouring errors must be faithfully exposed and testified against. The duties are distinct, and of equally solemn obligation. Nor is 'Christ's witness' warranted in confining herself to such a testimony against error, as her declaration of the truth may be supposed to imply. She must not testify by mere indication, but by direct and plainly expressed evidence. The church is bound by the same responsiblity to declare God's wrath against sin, as to proclaim salvation in Jesus Christ. Let her not shrink from the duty. Who doubts that it is the duty of the church to declare and advocate the several doctrines that constitute the sum of truth? Is it not a correlative duty to expose the several errors that constitute the sum of false doctrine, and to denounce, in the name of the Lord, the several sins that constitute the prevailing defection and abomination of the times? Is the church now testifying for Christ and against his enemies as she ought to do? Is the Synod of Ulster bearing testimony as she ought to do? Thank God, she bas lately borne a valuable testimony for Christ; yet even in this has she cause for deep humility. It cannot be denied, that the testimony has rather been compelled than yielded as a

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free-will offering to Jesus. It has been extracted from her, for she did not seek occasion to bestow it.-It was given grudgingly,' with manifest, nay, avowed reluctance, under much sentimental wailing, and sullen neutrality, and positive opposition. Still it is matter of thankfulness, that her testimony stands forth to the world as her act and deed in her character of a witness for Christ; and woe to the day when she shall repent her of that testimony, or attempt to retract it; and woe to the hand that would lift the pen to blot its memorial from her records.

Let the Synod of Ulster "hold fast that which she hath," and let her now come forward willingly, yet humbly, to promulgate a faithful and formal testimony to "the truth, as it is in Jesus," accompanied with a solemn protest against the heresies that have so long paralysed her. Let this duty be entered upon with fasting and prayer. Oh, let her not be ashamed to confess Christ before inen.” Rather let her be ashamed she has desisted from it SO long. Will she fear to provoke the wrath of the enemy ? Let her fear God. It does not become Christ's witness to court a peace that depends upon an unfaithful silence ; and it is much to be feared that this is the true cause of that listless and inactive tranquility she has so long enjoyed. Had she been faithfully witnessing, the enemy would not have been so long quiet." Faithful con tendings" are the usual accompaniments of faithful witnessing. The peace of the church must never be procured by a league with the world; her only peace must be that which is consequent on a victory over it. Has this been the peace of the Synod of Ulster? No, no; it has not been the repose of the conqueror, who has laid aside his armour, that he may enjoy his victory, but a hollow truce between light and darkness, in which every moment of quiet is purchased by concession to error. The vigo rous manhood, the valour, the fearless daring for the truth, the firm and bold defiance of the threatening hosts of infidelity and abomination, are in these "lean years" to be found only in the records of past history. These are days of effeminancy. The present generation is quite impatient of the slightest exhibition of the militant character and state of the church; and rather than not enjoy peace, it will maintain a reciprocity of affectionate and complimentary intercourse with Antichrist itself; and by professed witnesses for Christ, the followers of Antichrist are termed Christian brethren!' What language for a Christian,

my Antichristian brethren! Is the faith of Jesus in Unitarianism? And yet do we not hear brotherhood mutually claimed and readily owned, between the adherent of that system, and the professor of the Orthodox faith? Does the church not understand the signs of these times and their prevailing character? Does she not know that the most prominent feature of that character throughout the world, is indifference alike to truth and error? There is more of this observable than of public hostility to any particular truth, or of attachment to any particular error. Satan does not at present raise the standard of any chosen heresy, around which to rally his willing hosts. He has succeeded in making the world believe the lie, that truth and error are terms merely expressive of the fallible judgments of men; and that religion does not consist in holding eternal and immutable truth, but in freely forming and entertaining opinions respecting it, and in acting agreeably to those opinions; and he has openly propa gated the infidel falsehood, that conscientious error is not merely venial, but even pleasing to God.

Indifference to the eternal distinction between truth and error is the prevailing sin of the day. The church has been deceived into a partial adoption of it by specious and imposing names. Her vigilance has slumbered, and the continual cry of "peace, peace," has lulled her into a fatal security, and an unholy inaction. The world has smiled upon her, and she has smiled upon the world. It is true, she should suspect her own faithfulness and zeal when she enjoys so generally the blandishments of the world, Why is she not awakened as by the sting of an adder, by the occasional eulogies and friendly compliments even of the Antichristian apostacy? What! friendship with the enemy of the Lord! The enemy of the world, and of infidelity, and of Antichrist, knows no mitigation; their deadly hate knows no cessation; their intense hostility, no repose. Their smile is no evidence of returning kindness, but the complacent expression of their own success; their silence is no evidence of submission, but proof that their work is going satisfactorily forward. Deep and deceitful is the flowing of the stream that offers no ripple to the eye, no gurgle to the ear. The world by a shew of miti gated enmity, wins from the church a real mitigation. Real are lavishly given in exchange for seeming conces sions. The church shews a willingness to abate some

thing of her strictness, if the world will but restrain some thing of its looseness. The world will bear with the church in a moderate declaration of the Gospel, provided "the terrors of the Lord" are not employed to "persuade men." The world will give a free toleration to the simple state. ment of truth, if there be but respect had to its feelings in a charity towards falsehood, and a due leniency towards error and corruption. Away with this abominable temporising policy. Let the Synod of Ulster arise and lift her testimony on high. Let Antichrist hear the denunciations of God's wrath against all his " abominable idolatries," his "blasphemies," his " lying wonders," and his deceivableness of unrighteousness;" and let every abettor of Antichrist, wherever found, that is " ing his power unto the beast," know that he shall share the destruction of "the beast," "whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming."-Seek not like Jonah to flee from an arduous duty, but faithfully proclaim the judgments of the Lord against all error and iniquity. Remember he hath said to his witness," be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." W.

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RECOLLECTIONS OF A MINISTER-DEATH-BED SCENES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX PRESBYTERIAN.

SIR, I BEG leave to present your readers with my recollections of some death-bed scenes. The originals made a deep impression upon my own mind, and I trust the description may be made useful to others.

1 am,

&c.

H.

I well remember the aged widow Dinning. It is now upwards of ten years since I first became acquainted with her, and yet the recollection of her is still fresh before me. It was on one of those delightful evenings, when the glow of summer, was mellowing down into the rich flush of autumn, and every thing around was rejoicing under the bounty and the blessing of a God of goodness; and nature, from every plant and flower, from every hill and dale, was sending up, as from many altars, the incense and the offering of her silent praise, unto him, who "crowneth the year with his goodness, and whose paths

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