On this page

• Text (1)

  Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

  • 

    Untitled Article

• Transcript

  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

    Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

    Untitled Article

    improvement of these dispositions by tUp act of petitioning 5 which seems to W to 1 > e satytog rial iix&tb , than that an Ardent cfesife for ally disposition , particiilarly if strongly " expressed , has a ' naturalteu'debey ' to excite or strengthen ; tfiW& disposition ; but as the Supreme Being- is riot supposed to hare any immediate airencv in the matter , I should

    think , the petitionary part of the exerci&e ^ s , tojpfy the least of it , superfluous . 0 $ i&r persons pray for all tfijey want , but , not receiving any an-$ ? irer , they contept themselves with the idea ^ , that some suitable disposition of mind has been granted them , instead of the favour soticited ; for example ,

    tiiider the pressure of illness , paiii or Jibverty , they pray for relief , but not receiving any they fancy they acquire . patience ana resignation to the Divine Will . It is very probable , I think , that such constant disappointments , instead of exciting such dispositions , more

    natUrally tend to produce murmuring , discontent and dissatisfaction . Besides , * why , as they find their prayers are not answered , should they persevere in adopting so indirect a mode of improving their dispositions , when they have at hand means so very directly adapted to this purpose ? For examle ^ can any thing be more certain , Slati that the proper contemplation of

    the perfections of the Divine Beingwill generate and confirm that unlimited confidence in him , which will Tprodtice patience , resignation and submission to his most afflictive dispensasions ? On the means of attaining moral excellence in general , my friend Mr . Belsham ( notwithstanding the occasional influence of old orthodox

    prejudices ) has , in his Review of Wilberfoi * ce , expressed himself so well as to leave me nothing to add . He says , ~ * You know what impressions will produce justice , benevolence , piety ,

    de-Votidii , and all other moral virtues 5 expose your mind repeatedly and perseveiingly ^ to the influence of these impressions , and the affections themselves will gradually rise and insensibly improve /* &c . ? As CJhrist ' a prayer in the garden # -JH ^ i $ efe ] ki consid ered by many as a prot&rexample for us to fbllow , I shall

    offer % f ^ remarks , which mav tend WKPK fcl ^ aliility W . the" sup'WMllSfc off Vh& wm &W 44 th vk ^ W ^ '¦? ' ' ¦ \ mm * ^

    Untitled Article

    ang ^ l ' s ^ ssiltance , Ure SSllS nm ^ s . t st ) ^ ^^ wm 0 ^ SSI the time , at the distance 6 f ^ stoned cast from Mm ; ^ ^^ l ^ Bdlii&

    they did not \ vitjtesi ^ Sim € ^ t ^ scene ; who did ^ ittfesia itr > ' BB ^ J ^ bJ himself report the circumstances t 6 ' his disciples > Or did the Vb $ < f $ mx reveal them to them' afterwaitU i t £ not , how came this private affair to be m ade public ? ( 3 ) Whate ^ r the

    nature of the prayer was , it seems to me incredible mat Jesus should have walked backwards arid forwards to the disciples three times , atid have repeated the same address to his Father . ( 4 ) The nature of the ptayer , as given in

    the history , is in my opinion very miworthy of Christ , It follows necessarily from his character and discouftes , that he was intimately and minutely acquainted with all the objects bf his mission , and with all the circumstances

    that were to attend it ; that this was the case with respect to his death and resurrection is beyond all doubt , as they were plainly predicted by him ; but notwithstanding this , hfc is repre ^ iited in the history as most ttrgeritly totreating his Father to removed that cup

    from him , which , at the Same time , he knew his Father had for ^ oM ^ Sned and decreed that he should drinit !^ M which there was consequentl y no power in the universe which could prevent

    him from drinking . ( 5 ) As he riiost distinctly foresaw all the ^ happy and glorious consequences of his death and resurrection , both to himself and to the world , is it credible that % in order

    to avoid comparatively * trifling and very temporary bodily paH he shoiild have been not only willing , but ariiioiisly desirous to sacrifice all these great prospects , and have even eSarnestlysupplicated his Father to pefipit hlm ^ to do so ? ( 6 ) The pain , which he Wished to avoid , was incomparably less wm that which thousands 6 f his f 6 HoW | rs have willingly endured in his ^ cm& , « . ixi > ^ .. ^ jl « —Jii ^ i ^ L — - aS-. ^« Zir * . ( Znl + ckXTT \ nT 0 TLOT

    to his . ( 7 ) What cojic 6 irableto ^< OTl « tachments could J «? su ? ha ^ 5 f h # lwfflp work ! , which xki ^ de ^ ^^^ S ?|«^ desirable to him ? C ^ il- % MMi . mii that he at letigth ^ aW ^ # J ® S in ' ' subitussion to W ' VMrnff ^ BLt i-ett ^; A t ) m \ $ & "SPiy ^^^ ffi ^ mfK ^^ 9 H \^ w + ^ JFJQ ^ fPM ^ JkflMpA ^ b »^^™^ f V ^ r . ' r *^ ^^ ^ • . ¦ / - N

    Untitled Article

    S 84 L . J . J . on Divine Influence . ,

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 2, 1820, page 584, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2493/page/20/