made inftrumental of this important | the wonder-their harps were ready fervice to the Church of furnishing ftrung, and in notes of fweetest the pattern and fubject of pfalmody melody warbled that memorable in all after ages. His writings, with anthem of praise, "Glory to God all the poetical paraphrafes upon in the highest, on earth peace, good them are diftinguished by the title will towards men.” of Pfalms. Other verfifications ASAPH upon facred fubjects are called (To be continued.) bymns and fpiritual fongs. The ufe of all which is divinely commanded—“ speaking to yourfelves in palms, and hymns and Spiritual fongs." Thoughts fuggefled by John iii. W HILE we read this paffage, we are led to in God hath ever had a church in the world. And we have reason to believe that ever fince the commencement of focial worship inquire, What can be meant by God's the world, God's praifes have laying down his life ? and fecond, been publicly celebrated in facred What could be the defign of fuch palmody. Of this we have cer- a wonderful event? tain evidence, as far back as from 1. What can be meant by God's the time of Ifrael's deliverance laying down his life? This cannot from Egypt-when upon the eaft- mean that Jehovah, the great and ern fhore of the Red Sea, the independent God ever ceafed to whole congregation celebrated, in exift; or that the exercife of his the fong of Mofes, their wonder- divine attributes was ever for afinful deliverance and the deftruction gle moment fufpended. To fupof their enemies. And perhaps pofe this would be abfurd and blafwe have reafon to believe, notwith-phemous to the highest degree: ftanding the filence of the Scrip- The queftion, now returns, tures, that even from the time of what can be meant by God's layJubal the grandfon of Methufacl, ing down his life? Surely, to lay who was the first inventor of mufi- down one's life is to die. This cal inftruments, and the father of we shall not difpute; but shall enall fuch as handle the harp and or- deavor to fhow in what fenfe God gan, mufic has been cultivated, not died. died. It may be explained by the only as a polite art, but as a mode death of a man. We fay fuch a of focial worship, In fine, pfalm-man died last night, or last week. ody is the exercife and worship of Is the man dead? Yes, you fay, Heaven, and there is juft fo much the man is dead. But what is a of heaven on earth, as there is of man? All believers in divine revthe true fpirit of pfalmody. elation are ready to answer-a man is a rational creature, having an immortal foul connected witha mortal body. The foul is by far the moft dignified and important part of the man. "The mind's the ftandard of the man." It is this that raises him above the beafts, and makes him akin to angels. Yet when you fay of such a man, God's works both of creation and redemption, were celebrated with an anthem of heavenly mufic. When man was made in the image of God, "the morning ftars fang together, and all the fons of God houted for joy ;" but when God appeared in fashion as a man, all Heaven came down to earth to view Vor. II. No. 1. c that he is dead, you do not mean that his immortal, i. e. undying foul is dead-Certainly not; for in fuch a fenfe as this, no man dies. You mean then, when you fay that fuch a man is dead, that he, in his mortal, or dying part, is dead. We fay Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob are dead; but Chrift taught us that their fouls were yet alive and in heaven. A man has two natures animal and rational,; yet but one perfon: So that the whole man is faid to fuffer what is fuffered in either of the natures, of which he is poffeffed. Hence it is that man is, at one time, called mortal, and, at another time, immortal. Man is mortal, because his body dies and moulders to dust—man is immortal because his foul never dies, but will endure forever. | with propriety, be faid, that I am dead. Yet when this body, which is perfonally united with my im mortal fpirit, dies, I fhall be truly dead. In a high and important fenfe, all things in the universe are God's. All bodies, whether of men or of beafts are his; yet in a higher and quite different sense, the body of Jefus Chrift, was the body of God. All the men and beats in the world might die ; yet there would be no propriety in fay that God had laid down his The blood of all the facrifiunder the law was nothing more than the blood of bulls and goats; but the blood of the cross was truly the blood of God; fee Acts xx. 28. ing, life. ces We are in the next place led to inquire, what was the defign of This may ferve to help us un- this wonderful affair? Why did derstand what is meant by God's the great Jehovah ever affume a laying down his life. He died as human foul and body into perfonal far as he could die. He died in union with himself-when this was that nature, which was capable of done, why did he bleed and die ? dying. Confidered fimply as a di- To this we reply; he took a huvine being, he could not die, there-man body that he might be in a cafore a body was prepared for him.*pacity to die; and he died for us, He was born of a woman.† "He that he might redeem us from the took upon him the feed of Abra- curfe of the law. By our rebelham" the nature of man. "God lion, we had caft contempt upon was manifeft in the ficfb," in fuch the infinite God--we had violated a way, that it is faid, John i. 14. infinite obligation, and were truHe was made flesh. Divinity was ly deferving of an infinite punishnot turned into humanity, but the ment. Punishment is defigned to divinity was truly joined to human how God's oppofition to fin, and nature: So that the body which determination to maintain his holy hung on the cross was the Locy of law. As the oppofition of God God, in diftinction from all other to in does not imply malevolence bodies, just as the, in diftinction towards the finner, it admits of an from all other becres, is the body atonement, or vicarious fufferings. which belongs to my foul. I may But nothing could be admitted as an have children-in one fenfe their adequate atonement, which did not bedies are aire. I my own herds fully exhibit that it Suite oppofition, and flock-th another fenfe they which there is in the divine mind are nunc.. But if my children gat fr. From this it is clear, and beafte fhould all die, it cannot, that no finite lactice could be ac cepted. An infinite facrifice must be made, or finnes muft perfe But where could an infinite facrifice be found? No where in creation. The life of God must be laid down, or finners could not live. But here a difficulty throws itfelf into view. Though it was God, who laid down his life for us, yet it was nothing but his human, mortal part, which fuffered; and how could this make an infinite atonement ? ally fuffer the endless pains of hell.mains of men,' while the carcaffes of thofe creatures, which are mere animals, we expofe to be eaten up by dogs, wild beafts and birds of prey. If our fellow men die in the woods or in the water, where their bodies are expofed to be eaten up by these animals, we take great pains to fearch after them, that we may give them the honors of fepulture. And, no doubt, this is fuitable and proper. Now, if we view our bodies more precious and refpectable than the carcaffes of animals, because they have been, and are again to be connected with reasonable and immortal fouls, how precious and honorable muft the body of Chrift pear, which was really and truly united to the Godhead? It is reunited, and will continue in perfonal union with the great Jehovah to all eternity! This has been a great difficulty in my mind towards underftanding the immenfity of the atonement, or that infinite honor done to the penalty of the divine law, by the fufferings of Chrift. Per haps, fome other weak difciples may be perplexed with the fame difficulty. I feel bound, therefore, if God has given me any light, to impart it to my weak brethren; for I do not expect, by this piece, that I am going to add any thing to the knowledge of the fathers in Christ. When a man dies, though nothing but his mortal part perishes, yet we view it as fomething more than the death of a mere animal. Nothing but the animal part is dead; yet it is a part of man, a rational creature and firft of God's works below. Hence the crime of killing a man, though nothing but his animal part is deftroyed, is great in comparison with the crime of killing a mere animal. "Whofo fheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be fhed: for in the image of God made he man." The lives of many beafts are taken to fupport the life of one man, and that his animal life too. But why is the animal life of man made fo much account of? It is evidently because it is perfonally and intimately joined to a rational foul. It is on this account, we treat with great refpect the mouldering re Another thing, which will tend to illustrate the fubject is this: We inter with more refpect the remains of a man eminently great and ufeful, than we do the remains of an obfcure member of the community. Though funeral pomp is often mifplaced, by being given to the rich inftead of the truly great and excellent; yet there is, no doubt, a propriety in making a difference in our treatment, not only of the living, but of the dead. It was proper that Jofiah and other good kings in Judah fhould be buried in the chiefeft fepulchres of their fathers, and that there fhould be a great mourning at their funeral, while fome of the wicked, idolatrous kings of Ifreal had the burial of an afs. When the foul has left the body, what remains in our fight of a good man is no better than what remains of a wicked man, neither is a man, in this sense, any better than a beast for all moulder back to duft. It is evi dent therefore, that we do, in fome meafure, appreciate, or value the body, in proportion to the greatnefs and goodness of the immortal inhabitant, which does, which has, or which will refide in it again. We view the man, foul and body, in fuch a fenfe, one, that we attach and transfer the dignity and excellency of the foul to the body. In this view, what infinite digaity must be attached to that body, which the infinitely glorious God has been pleased to take into an incomprehenfibly near relation to himself, fo as to call it his own body, and the blood poured from it his own blood! It is no wonder that this blood is called the precious blood of Chrift. It is reckoned by us a much greater thing to fuffer in our perfon than in our eftate. The taking away life is the greatest punishment, which men inflict. "All that a man hath will he give for his life." A fine, even if it were to extend to all our property, would be viewed as a light punishment, or a light evil, in comparison to the lofs of life. It would by men of feeling be viewed light in comparison to any corporeal punishment. It was a greater expreffion and more decided proof of the real, unfeigned love of God to finners, to lay down his life for them than to have made a facrifice of all creation in their behalf. This would be orly like a man's giving up his property but that is like a man's giving up himself. "Greater love than this hath no man than that a man lay down his life for his friend." And as God by laying down his life for us has given the most decided proof of his unfeigned love toward us; fo he has, at the fame time, given the cleareft poffible exhibition of his infinite oppofition to fin and full determination forever to frown upon it. And this is what is neceffary to conftitute an atonement infinite. Though the Divinity itfelf did not fuffer (for this was impoffible) yet it was the greateft facrifice, which God could make to give up to fuch bitter fufferings, fhame and reproach the man Christ Jefus, whom he had taken into an incomprehenfibly near and fweet connection with himself, even fo near, as to be a part of himself, fo that his blood fhould be God's blood, and his dying be called God's laying down his life. Let thefe thoughts be purfued, and we fhall difcover the infinite greatness of the atonement, made by the fufferings of the Son of God. We fhall fee, that by this propitiation, the righteoufnefs of God is fo fully declared, that he can now be juft, while he justifieth him, who believeth in Jefus. There is forgiveness with God, because there is plenteous redemption through the blood, the precious blood of Chrift, who was a Lamb, without fpot. Here is a broad bafis; on which to build everlasting hopes! FOR THE CONNECTICUT EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE. Explanatory notes and remarks on Ezek. x. 8-12. "And there appeared in the cheru bims, the form of a man's hand under their wings. And when I looked, behold, the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: And the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a berylone. And as for their appearance, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel. When they went, they went upon their four fides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the bead looked, they fol- They had the form of a man's foved it; they turned not as they hand under their wings, which may And their whole body, and denote their preparedness to do their backs, and their hands, and God's will. They have hands to their wings, and the wheels were do their work and probably to full of eyes round about, even the fignify that their manner of workeubels that they four had." ing is facred, their hands are hid under their wings. In the first chap. Kable vifion which he had in Babylon in the fifth year of Jehoiachin's captivity. And again in this chap. he gives an account of feeing the fame vif. ion. Here we may obferve, that this remarkable vifion, was but a vifion, though a very affecting and inftru&ive one. And for a right onderftanding of it, let us obferve, that what are called living creatures in the firft chap. are here termed cherubims. Cherubims here means an order of angels, it is conceived. And they fignify more generally, the angels whom God employs in the administration of the affairs of his providence. Thefe are reprefented, as having each four wings. With two of thefe wings they did fly, and with two cover their bodies. This may denote the reverence of their mirds, and their entire obedience to God. Each one has four faces, one : looking to every quarter. This may fignify their fitness to watch, and do what God requires of them on all occafions: their fitnefs to run any way on his meflages. Each face is compared to what is soft excellent in its kind. They had the face of a man, denoting intelligence and wifdom: The Lace of a lion, denoting their dignity and ftrength: The face of an ox, denoting their obedience and patience: The face of an eagle, denoting the acuteness of their penetration or difcernment, and celerity in performing the divine will. In the vifion, there are four cherubims, and four wheels; a our of the wheels, was that of a wheel by each cherub. The colberyl-ftone, i.e. a lively fea green; which may denote the apparent infability of all human affairs. The of a remarkable workmanship; as wheels were all four alike; and if a wheel had been in the midft of a wheel. with the four faces of each cherub. This correfponds The wheels were fo framed as framed into another, i. e. as if it one ring or rim of a wheel was had two rims, one fet to run north or fouth, and the other eaft or weft: fo that the wheels, as well as cherubimos were ready to run any. and II verfes, it is faid, “as for way without turning. In the 10 their appearance, they four had one likenefs, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel; when they went, they went upon their four fides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked, they followed it; they turned not as they went.” In this vifion, this feems to be a ftate in which the Lord Jehovah reprefentation of the chariot of rides, in the adminiftration of the affairs of the kingdom of providence. -Both cherubims and wheels are full of eyes. "And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels were full of eyes round,about, even the wheels that they four had." And further, the spirit of the living creature or cherubims was in |