The formation of our Lord's humanity was "a new thing in the earth," effected in a peculiar and miraculous manner. Our Saviour properly called himself "the Son of man," because he had really assumed our nature, by uniting to himself a human body and soul, though he had no human father, nor was descended from Adam by ordinary generation, and thus was totally uncontaminated with sin, which has infected all our race.

The dove, which appeared at the time of our Lord's Baptism, and the tongues of fire, which rested on the heads of the Apostles, at the day of Pentecost, wére visible symbols of the Holy Spirit; but the Spirit himself is omnipresent, as the Psalmist implies, when he asks, "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?"

I have already suggested, that to us the doctrine of the Trinity is important, chiefly on account of its being connected with the glorious plan of human redemption. "We cannot understand this scheme, unless we know who the Saviour is. Nor can we rationally, and with comfort and satisfaction, believe and trust in him, .. unless we know his sufficiency as a Saviour; his sufficiency in power to subdue our corrupt inclinations, to sanctify our souls, to conquer Satan and all our spiritual foes, and to uphold us to the end; his sufficiency in wisdom, to disappoint the devices of our grand adversary, and of all men who are employed in his service, and to make us wise unto salvation; his sufficiency in goodness and grace, to forgive our sins, to watch over us continually for our preservation, to intercede for us with the Father, and to dispense to us grace to help in time of need; and the sufficiency of his merit, and the price of his redemption, or his propitiatory sacrifice, to atone for all our sins, and to procure our acceptance with the Father. Now, if he be a divine person, his sufficiency in these and in all other respects appear at once. But if he were not a divine person, might we not doubt, yea positively deny, his sufficiency? How should a finite price redeem us from an endless or infinite punishment? How should a finite atonement satisfy for crimes deserving a punishment without end? If Christ were a mere creature, we might well disbelieve, either the Scriptural doctrine of endless punishment, or the sufficiency of the Redeemer. No wonder, therefore, that those who disbelieve the divinity of Christ, do generally, if not universally, disbelieve the endless misery of those who die impenitent."

If therefore you reject the doctrine of the Trinity, you must also reject the divinity of Christ, the need and the efficacy of his atonement, and all that constitutes the Gospel, or glad tidings of salvation to the lost and the guilty.

You must also, in full contradiction to the whole tenor of Scripture, deny, that men are lost and guilty, and deserving of being made the objects of the divine displeasure.

You must also lose sight of the extent and spirituality of God's law, and entertain very different ideas of the moral government

and moral attributes of God, from those which are evidently taught us in the Scriptures.

For if God loves righteousness, and holiness infinitely, and hates all iniquity proportionably, then he will be sure to display his righteousness, in his final treatment of all mankind. And he will never exercise pardoning mercy, but in a way that shall increase our reverence of his majesty, purity, justice, and truth; at the same time, that it encourages us to trust in him, for a full and free salvation.

The whole law is summed up in one word-LOVE. It is divided into two great commandments: the first demands the whole heart for God, and says, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and shalt serve him with all thy might." And the second is like unto it, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." "On these two commandments," our Lord says, "hang all the law and the prophets." The first four commandments of the ten, delivered on Mount Sinai, direct us how to shew our love to God; and the six last of those commandments direct us how to shew our love to our neighbours. The prohibitory form, in which they are delivered, strongly implies, that they were given to depraved and sinful creatures; and the last or tenth commandment shews the spirituality of all the rest; that they prohibited not only the outward act, but the inward inclination to sin.

Now no man can be found, who considers the second great Commandment too strict, when viewed as the rule of other people's conduct towards himself. He is very willing that all men should be prohibited, under pain of God's displeasure, to injure him ; and that they should be required to love him as they love themselves. But if you readily admit it to be right, that all men should be obliged to love you, is it not equally fair, that you should be required to love them? And if it is perfectly right, that all men should be required to love me or you, must it not be right that they should be required to love God.

But does the native disposition of men teach and incline them, most earnestly and sincerely, to keep this good and holy law? Or if we compare their hearts and lives with the divine law, shall we not see abundant evidence, that they all have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God, and are most plainly in a fallen, depraved, and guilty state?

And did not Moses enjoin it upon the Israelites, that on their entrance into the promised land, they should all assemble together, on two neighbouring mounts, and there solemnly rehearse the blessings and curses of the law ?and were not all the people, twelve times going, obliged to say, Amen? While the last of the twelve curses ran in these remarkable terms, "Cursed be he that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them ;" and to this they were all obliged to say, Amen. Now, to this awful curse are

all our race exposed; so that by the deeds of the law, no flesh living can be justified. All are most righteously exposed to this dreadful malediction.

From this tremendous doom there is no deliverance, but through the obedience unto death of God's incarnate Son. But “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us*."

This, O Rammohun Roy, is confessedly the great mystery of godliness. Other foundation, for the hope of a sinner, can no one lay, but that which is laid by God himself. This is the word of reconciliation, by which peace is preached unto you who were afar off, and to them that were night. Now, in Christ Jesus, we who some time ago were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ; and to make this Gospel known to all nations, for the obedience of faith, we would gladly be at any expence in our power, to send Missionaries to the ends of the earth. For we are fully convinced, that there is salvation in none other. There is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby a sinner can be saved, but the name of Jesus, who hath made peace by the blood of his cross. Oh! that you may receive this glorious Gospel of the blessed God with your whole heart; and thus set your seal to the truth of his testimony concerning his Son, whom he has set forth as a propitiation for sin, through faith in his blood; through whom alone God can be just, while he justifies the ungodly. Do not, I beseech you, reject the counsel of God against yourself; but flee for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before you in the Gospel, and thankfully accept of this great Salvation.

I most earnestly wish you would read with attention, and with earnest prayer, the third chapter of the Gospel of John, the third chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, and the third chapter of the Epistle to Titus. Oh! that you would read the whole Scriptures with an unbiassed mind. If they do not contain a revelation from God, it is unaccountable that they should contain a morality unspeakably superior to the writings of the whole heathen world, whether in the East or in the West. But if they are a revelation from God, they must be wholly received, or wholly rejected.

You mention a number of literary works, written within a few years past by your countrymen. We do not call in question their ability to write on various subjects. But what way can they point out to eternal life? What ideas have they of a future state? Do not many of your writings represent the enjoyments of heaven of such a nature as to suit the most depraved taste of polluted sinners; instead of describing it as a state which can be enjoyed only by the pure in heart? Or, if some have a less sensual idea, do not they represent it as such an absorption in the Deity, as annihilates all personal consciousness? + Eph. ii. 13.

* Gal. iii. 13. + Eph. ii. 15.

Have the Hindoo writers any fixed standard of morality, which extends to the very springs of action, and the thoughts of the heart? And have they any knowledge of such a way of acceptance with God, as will at once assure the sinner of safety and the enjoyment of the divine power, and at the same time clearly display the justice of God, and his infinite abhorrence of sin, while he manifests the unsearchable riches of his grace and which, if it be truly embraced, will infallibly constrain the sinner in future to walk in newness of life, while he rejoices in his deliverance from that punishment which he is conscious his sins had justly deserved ?

It is not the name of a Christian which will be of essential service to any man; nor that would be of the least avail to if you, you were to take it upon you, without receiving the truth in the love of it, and having your heart sanctified by faith in Christ Jesus. We testify to our own countrymen, that they are dead in trespasses and sins, till they are quickened by divine grace, and born

of God.

But you well know the cruelties and the obscenity which attend the very worship of idolators. You have doubtless seen the carvings and paintings on the car of Jaggernaut, which our Missionaries say, they cannot describe. You know, that the picture which Paul gave, in the first chapter of his Epistle to the Romans, of the state of the ancient heathens in the West, (which we know from the writings of the Greeks and Romans that are still extant, was awfully just,) is too fully applicable to the various nations of the East. You may, from a partial and speculative acquaintance with the Scriptures, derive a light like the twilight, which will enable you to correct some abuses, which, without this aid, you would not have corrected for many ages to come: but we wish you to enjoy the meridian light of Gospel-day; to follow fully, whithersoever he goeth, Him who has illuminated life and immortality. Thus being justified by faith, you shall have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom believers have access by faith into that grace wherein they stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God; and find that this hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit, which is given unto you*.

Do examine if genuine Christianity is not intended to introduce the true believer to sublimer enjoyments and expectations than you have yet realized, and not merely to correct men's outward morals.

I have not time to go through all the doctrines of Christianity, and to carry on, at this distance, a long discussion of them. But I again exhort you, earnestly and affectionately, to examine closely the Evidences of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures, and if you see reason to believe, that the writers of our sacred books were indeed taught of God, I trust you will be concerned impartially to * Rom. v. 1, &c.

examine their contents, and to unite with that examination most earnest prayer to God, that he himself would lead you into all the truth, and then shall the truth make you free.

Your opposition to the Divinity of Christ will doubtless excite some of our countrymen to send you plenty of books, to keep you from advancing much farther into the essence of Christianity. If I refer you to any thing besides the Scriptures themselves, I would request you (as I apprehend you will understand our language) to borrow of some of our Missionaries, one book, not very large, Mr. Scott's Essays: do give this the reading, and compare it with the Bible. On one point only I am obliged to differ from that excellent man, but it is of very small consequence to me, whether you adopt his opinion or mine, provided you are brought to agree with us, on other subjects of superior importance.

I know of no motive that could influence me to trouble you, with these few remarks, on your piece in the Brahmunical Magazine, but that sincere desire after the salvation of a fellow-creature, which must influence every one who has felt the love of Christ, and which I trust will be found, in the last day, to have influenced Your cordial well-wisher,

JOHN RYLAND.

And

P. S.-Though the Doctrine of the Trinity is not so fully stated in the Old Testament as in the New, yet there are several intimations in the former of a plurality in the Deity. The common name for God is a plural noun, and though generally united with singular verbs, adjectives, and pronouns, is yet sometimes connected with these parts of speech in the plural number; as in Gen. i. 26, and in many other places*, which I need not now enumerate. the Messiah is often predicted in the Old Testament as a Divine Persont. And ill would his coming have been represented as so great a blessing, and he himself have been described, as a light to enlighten the Gentiles," if God foresaw, that the vast majority of his followers, especially the most serious and devout, and those that have sealed their doctrine with their blood, would through their misunderstanding of what he said of himself, and what the prophets and Apostles said of him, be led into idolatry for many centuries, and make far too much of him; and this previously to the time in which it was foretold, that he should be most highly exalted!

66

I might just mention the general ideas prevalent among most heathen nations, concerning a triad, a divine incarnation, and with respect to sacrifices, as being, in all probability, the confused and distorted remains of an original revelation, handed down by tradition from Noah, but which in the course of so many ages, and through so uncertain a mode of transmission, became strangely altered and obscured.

* Gen. iii. 22. xi. 7. xx. 13. D'N 'n won, xxxv. 7. Dumban va 12 Dw, Ps. lviii. 2, &c. + Isa. vii. 14: ix. 6. liv. 5. Jer. xxiii. 6, &c. &c.