Death of Samuel Williams.

OBITUARY.

To the editors of the Methodist Magazine.

I HAVE seen in a newspaper an account of the death of a valuable member of our church, SAMUEL WILLIAMS, Esq. with whom I was personally acquainted for several years, and always found him the upright and steady Christian. THACKER MUIRE. I therefore send the account for insertion in the Magazine, if you think proper. Washington, (N. C.) Nov. 20, 1824.

Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men-Psa. xii. 1.

Departed this life, at his residence lent attack of the bilious fever; which at Walker's Hill, in Warren County, he bore with Christian fortitude. This (N. C.) on Saturday, about 2 o'clock, worthy gentleman was for many years P. M. of the 18th Sept. 1824, in the a member of the Methodist Episcopal 56th year of his age, SAMUEL WIL- church. From his first professing reLIAMS, Esq. deeply deplored by his re- ligion his conduct was such as marked latives, and a large circle of friends and the Christian, and characterised the true believer in Christ; ever living in acquaintances. In the death of this truly estimable the exercise of that faith in his Immaman society has sustained the loss of nuel which wafted him above the fears one of its valuable members.

of death. But the time drew near,
when his faith was to be called to its
last grand exercise: that eyeing his
Lord, he might

To detail the virtues of this excellent man, would be to infringe on the True in the fiery trial prove, ordinary obituary limits; but it were And pay him back his dying love, to wrong the dead, and to withhold from the living a source of consolation, barely to announce the death of so All his children, but one, and two afdistinguished a Christian. Departed fectionate brothers, were present to worth is entitled to a distinguished and witness the melancholy catastrophe. sacred remembrance. The victories of the cross ought to be proclaimed, for the darkness that rests on futurity is illumined, and the terrors that death hangs about the tomb are lessened, when a Christian dies.

"Our dying friends are pioneers, to smooth

Of terror and abhorrence, nature throws

The language of Mr. Fletcher's biographer may be applicable in this case, And now the hour speedily approached that was to put a solemn termination to their hopes and fears. As the moment of his dismission drew near, their eyes were rivetted on him in awOur rugged pass to death; to break those bans ful expectation. But whatever they was suffered, at this interesting period, 'Cross our obstructed way; and thus to make had felt before, no murmuring thought Welcome, as safe, our port from ev'ry storm. All was silence, when the last In the various domestic and social to darken the glories of so illustrious a relations, he ever acted with exempla- scene. ry propriety, being a truly loving hus- angelic messenger suddenly arrived to "Death to a good man," says Dr. band, a tender parent, an affectionate perform his important commission." relation, a sincere friend, a kind neighbour, an indulgent master, and scrupu- Watts, "is but passing through a dark lously just in all his transactions with entry, out of one little dusky room of his fellow men. He has left a widow, his father's house, into another that is five children, fifteen grand-children, fair and large, lightsome and glorious, Such was the undisturbed and trian affectionate niece, beside brothers and divinely entertaining." and sisters to lament their melancholy umphant death of this eminently holy "Blessed are the dead bereavement. and good man. that die in the Lord! They rest from their labours," and are followed by those exemplary works, which they consider as unworthy a place in their remem

The tears of his relations and friends, who followed him to the tomb, bore testimony to the anguish of their feelThe disease which terminated ings. his earthly career, was a short and vio

brance. They escape from the windy
storm and tempest, and are brought to
their desired haven. They have a right
to the tree of life, they enter in through
the gates into the city, and stand with
everlasting acceptance in the presence and let my last end be like his."
of their God!

"Death, thou art vanquish'd here--for tho' thy

dart, Envenom'd struck, and kill'd the mortal part; Yet the glad spirit, ere it fled, proclaim'd An endless vict'ry, o'er thy empire gain'd. "Let me die the death of the righteous,

REBECCA

POETRY.

Communicated for the Methodist Magazine.

Dear Brother, If the following verses contribute in the smallest degree to strengthen your faith, confirm your hope, or increase your love to our common Redeemer, the intentions of the writer will be fully accomplished, and her exertions amply rewarded. I seek not praise, I seek profit; your profit, your happiness, permanent and unshaken; because it would be an addition to my own. As a sister I would beseech; as a friend, uninfluenced by any sinister motive, I would entreat you, to make sure work for another existence. Let not doubts destroy your peace; let not one error lead you into others; but be vigilant, be constant in prayer, be sincere in your prefessions, diligent in the business of your salvation. And may the God of all grace bring you and me to meet together, where we may look back with pleasure on such things as now conduce to our eternal welfare; where we may estimate this life according to the manner in which we spent it. O! may we spend it to the honour and glory of Him, whose workmanship we are, whose purchase we are, and whose servants we ought to be.

I am your sincere well wisher, and affectionate sister,

March 16th, 1815.

LINES TO MY BROTHER.

A. L.

Whilst I address thee, brother of my heart,
What sweet sensations in my bosom rise;
Whilst I attempt my feelings to impart,
What tears of pleasure trickle from my eyes:
Nor are they selfish, isolated joys→→
Angels the rich participation claim,
For angels hail thee "brother" through the skies,
And make heaven's courts re-echo with the name
Of God's adopted son-Redemption is the theme.
O, glorious work! O work demanding praise!
Life, phenix like, emerges from its sire.
Exult, my soul-ascend, my loftiest lays,
And let a mortal catch a seraph's fire;
And fill'd with holy zeal, and warm desire,
Pour the loud burst of gratitude along.
Redemption in the Saviour! earth retire!
Weak are my efforts, but my subject strong,
And as eternity, unbounded is my song!
But O! what pen can paint, what tongue rehearse
The mighty wonders of a love divine!
Language is barren, grovelling is my verse;
Expression faint, defective every line:
I pause astonish'd-and the task resign!
We cannot count the sands, nor mountains weigh,
Nor love's immensity in bounds confine!
But we can feel its strength infusing ray,
And mark its golden tints illume salvation's day.

Much I rejoice, nor for myself alone,

The arms of mercy have encompass'd thee!
Thy sinful state, thy helplessness is shown;
And he, who bought thy pardon on the tree,
Already hath pronounced the words "be free-
Go forth-no longer captive as before!"
Haste, haste, my brother-bend the suppliant

His goodness prove, his clemency adore,
And, trusting in his grace, resolve to sin no more.
Art thou determined? Then in Jesus' might
(Nor earth, nor hell, shall drive thee from the
field,)

shield:

Drag forth the enemy, commence the fight,
Truth be your cov'ring, faith your well tried
Nor, though a host surround you, basely yield,
Nor think the contest ended by a blow;
The death inflicting sword with vigour wield,
And bid defiance to your triple foe;
Glory is gain above, for victory below.
Art thou a doubting Christian? O, repel
The mean suggestions of ignoble fear.
Does unbelief with plausive reas'ning tell
"Tis all delusion that we feel, we hear?
Avoid the serpent, close thy mental ear-
Observe thy thoughts with circumspective care;
The Sun of Righteousness will soon appear
To chase the clouds, to make the prospect fair:
Only be watchful thou, nor cease from fervent
prayer.

Soldier! thy warfare quickly will be past;
Sustain the battle, struggle till the end.
Storms may be strength'ning, sweet the roughest

blast,

art.

NO. 3.]

DIVINITY.

BY THE REV. FREEBORN GARRETTSON.

Ir has been said by way of objection to the doctrine of the Trinity, that the word trinity is not to be found in the Bible ;but if the doctrine itself be clearly expressed, although other phraseology be employed to express it, can such an objection be in any degree valid? or ought we to reject the term merely because it is not found in the sacred book, if it be clearly ascer tained that the doctrine itself is found there? I think not.

The union of three persons in one God-Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,-is the doctrine for which we contend, and we conceive it not to be improper to use the word Trinity. This mystery I shall neither attempt to explain nor comprehend, though as a fact recorded in the Christian revelation, I do, and must firmly believe it. It can be proved from many passages of scripture, not only that there are appeals in divine worship, praise, and adoration, to three coequal and coeternal persons in the Godhead, but also that the same things in a great variety of instances, are equally attributed to them; but, at present, I shall only treat of the first point, and leave the second for another occasion. I shall confine myself to the plain obvious meaning of a few passages of scripture.

"Go ye therefore and teach all nations, I. Matt. xxviii, 19. baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." These are the words of our blessed Lord. Baptism is a sacred consecration of a person to the service of that Being in whose name it is administered. Would it not be presumptuous to say that either of the persons mentioned in this text was a creature, or an attribute of the divine nature? Trinitarians have universally considered this passage as a decisive proof of the doctrine for which they contend. There is no act of worship which calls for a greater degree of solemnity, than that which enters persons into covenant with God, as members of his family. View the emphatie words, in the name of the FATHER, in the name of the Son, in the name of the HOLY GHOST.Here are three distinct persons, and the baptism is in each name. When the first disciples went forth to minister among the Jews, they baptized in the name of Jesus Christ; this was doubtless to show them that Jesus Christ was very and indeed God. But VOL. VIII.

11

our text was a general commission to the whole world, and was designed to convince the gentiles, not only of one living and true God, but that there are three persons in the Godhead.

The pious among the Jews believed in the Trinity, but the carnal and blind among them did not believe that Jesus Christ was God, and it was as essential to their salvation to be brought to this faith, as it was for the gentiles to believe in unity in Trinity, and Trinity in unity.

II. 2 Cor. xiii, 14. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all, amen." Might not St. Paul's congregation with propriety have responded here in the following doxology: "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, amen."

This text strongly marks the doctrine of the ever blessed Trinity; and if St. Paul had not been a trinitarian, he would not have made use of such strong language in favour of the distinction of three persons in the divinity. Paul worshipped the Lord Jesus, by whom he was sent to preach the gospel.-Stephen also worshipped him at the time he was received into glory. -Simeon was filled with the Holy Ghost, who inspired him with the spirit of prophecy.

Those who are tempted to speak irreverently of the third person in the Godhead, should remember the words of our Lord, "He that speaketh against the Son of man may be forgiven, but he that speaketh against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven, in this world, nor in the world to come." They might also profit by the awful fate of Ananias, to whom Peter said, "Who hath put it into thy heart to lie unto the Holy Ghost-thou hast not lied unto man but unto God." Jesus Christ by entering this world, and clothing himself with perfect human nature, did not in the smallest degree tarnish that eternal glory which he had in society with his Father and the Holy Spirit through eternity. Though Christ, when on earth, was perfect God, he was also perfect man; and very many passages of scripture are addressed to him as such.

III. Matt. iii. 16, 17." And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water and lo, the heavens opened, and he (John the Baptist) saw the Spirit descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.' This text affords no mean proof of the doctrine for which we contend, for that three distinct persons are here represented, there can be no doubt. 1st, The person of Jesus Christ, whom John baptized. 2d, The person of the Holy Ghost whom John saw in a bodily shape, the shape of a dove. 3d, The voice from

Doctrine of the Trinity scriptural.

heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. The voice is represented as proceeding from a different quarter from that in which the Son and Holy Spirit were, and it appears to me that it was so intended to impress the mind more forcibly with a divine personality in the Trinity. St. Luke saith, that the Holy Ghost was in a bodily shape like a dove. Luke iii. 22. St. John also gives the following account of the same transaction: "And John (the Baptist) bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending like a dove, and it abode upon him, and I knew him not, but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him, the same is he who baptizeth with the Holy Ghost; and I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God." John i. 32, 33. Perhaps if John the Baptist were to rise from the dead, he could not give a clearer testimony of the three persons in the Godhead. Do you say that Jesus Christ was a created being, and the Holy Spirit a mere emanation from the Father? Take care lest you commit the unpardonable sin Search the sacred scriptures, and you will find that there is not an attribute ascribed to one of the persons, that is not ascribed to all. How shocking it is to a pious mind, to see, or even to hear, of illiterate, uncultivated persons, passing through the country, and drawing off the unwary by slow degrees, until an open denial of the divinity of Jesus Christ ensue. Let the denial of the Godhead of Christ take place, and I should not think it strange to see the seeds of every poisonous weed springing forth.

The designing, by a wrong application of scripture, take advantage of the credulous and inexperienced. Innumerable passages may be brought to prove that Jesus was a man, subject both to human and divine laws, and that he suffered death; but this does not touch his deity. All this is true; we say that he was perfect God and perfect man.

IV. 1 Pet. i. 2. "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ."

In this text we clearly see a trinity of persons. God the Father approving, the Holy Spirit sanctifying, and Jesus Christ cleansing the believer, and washing him by the sprinkling of His own most precious blood. A denial of the Godhead of our Saviour, and of the efficient and powerful operations of the Holy Spirit upon the human soul, raising it to a spiritual life, is followed by a train of very bad and dangerous consequences: such as a denial of the total depravity of man since the fall-of the necessity of an infinite atonement made by the death and suffering of Jesus Christ-and of the office of the Holy Spirit, in preparing, refining, and qualifying the soul for a place among the blessed in heaven: in a word it goes to overturn the whole system of the gospel, and is deism in disguise!