we ought always to exercise towards God and man.

But, how can we be under obligation to forgive our brethren, while they continue insensible of their faults, or presume to justify them, or persist in the repetition of them God does not forgive them, while they pursue this course; and why should we? How can we forgive them, while remaining in their trespasses, if forgiveness, as we have seen, implies complacency and cordial esteem? Our Lord does not require such inconsistency.

It is only when our brethren, who have trespased against us, manifest repentance for what they have done, that we are bound to forgive them. Accordingly, our Lord and Master says (Luke xvii. 3)"If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him."

A brother, who has trespassed, gives evidence of repentance, when he appears sensible of his sin, is willing to confess his faults as publickly as they were committed, and does all in his power to repair the injury he has done. Until he does this, he does not act the part of a brother, and we are not bound to receive and treat him as such. Until he does this, after suitable admonition, we are to treat him as a heathen man, and a publican. But, when a trespassing brother gives signs of repentance; it becomes a question, IV. To what extent we ought to forgive him?”

his offences are often repeated; we must, nevertheless forgive him; if he confesses them and asks forgiveness. "If he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him." Luke, xvii. 4. And again we read, Matthew xviii. 21, 22, "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, until seven times; but, until seventy times seven."

We come now to the last question proposed, viz.

V.Why must we forgive our repenting brother, in order to obtain forgiveness of our heavenly Father?"

In reply to this question, It may be observed,

1. That in order to obtain forgiveness of God, we must exercise repentance for sin. Repentance is the indispensible condition of pardon. "Except ye repent, said Christ, ye shall perish." The exhortation of the Apostles, is "Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out."

2. Repentance is a holy exercise of heart. That is but a false and counterfeit repentance, which consists in selfish sorrow for the evil and bitter consequences of sin, or for the Divine purpose and agency which brought it into the world. The sorrow, comprised in true repentance, is godly sorrow, such as follows from supreme love to God, approbation of his law and reconciliation to his justice. The true penitent hates sin itself, and loathes himself on account of it. Disinterested love is the essence of repentance as it of faith, and of every other Christian grace. And hence,

The answer to this question may be short. Our forgiveness ought to keep pace with his signs of repentance. There are no limits to be set, either as to degree or number. Whether the offences of the offending brother, be small or great; we must for-is give him; if he exhibits evidence of genuine repentance. And if

s. All those who exercise true repentance toward God and become the objects of his forgiving grace, at the same time feel good will, or kind, benevolent affection toward their fellow creatures:Feeling thus, they cannot fail to forgive those who trespass against them as soon, and as often, as they profess and manifest sincere repentance. Those who will not forgive, from the heart, their repenting fellow-men, are selfish, revengeful creatures, without love to God, without repentance for sin, without faith in Christ: and so, altogether unfit to be forgiven.

The following Reflections arise in view of the preceding observations.

1. A forgiving spirit is an excellent spirit. It is a benevolent, disinterested spirit. It is the very spirit of Christ. It assimilates men to God. Well did the poet say,

"To err is human, to forgive, divine."

2. Between the spirit of Christ, and the spirit of the world, there is a perfect contrast. The spirit of Christ, which all real Christians possess, is a spirit of forgiveness: but the spirit of the world, is a spirit of revenge. Impenitent sinners never exercise forgiveness toward any of their fellow-creatures, however humble and penitent.They may indeed, perform the external part of forgiveness, which consists in remitting the penalty incurred by offenders and discontinuing that severity with which it is sometimes proper to treat them: but impenitent sinners never from the heart, forgive those who have trespassed against them. They feel enmity towards such, as have injured and offended them, and are disposed to render evil for evil. None but Christians who have learned of Him, who is meek and lowly of heart, can truly and sincerely say the Lord's prayer,

Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors?'

3. Men are not bound to forgive their enemies. This has often been supposed; and the supposition has often troubled the hearts and clouded the hopes of humble Christians. Men may indeed be bound to forgive those, who have been their enemies; but not those, who continue to be their enemies. Those, who continue to be their enemies, exhibit no evidence of repentance, and are not, therefore, proper objects of forgiveness. There is no evidencethat Christ ever forgave his enemies, while they continued such. It is true, he prayed for his murderers, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do; but this prayer implied a petition, that God would give them repentance, and so fit them for forgiveness;otherwise the prayer would have set aside the term of the gospel.

Christ loved his enemies with a love of benevolence; and so ought all men. But Christ did not love his persevering enemies with the love of complacence; nor is this the duty of men. While we ought ever to feel a forgiving spirit, i. e. a benevolent spirit, towards all men; we are required to forgive our brethren only, when they repent.

4. It is uncharitable to represent those, as destitute of a forgiving spirit, who do not forgive all their brethren, Those are to be treated as brethren, who are in regular standing in the same church with us.

But there may be such, who give no evidence of piety, and never manifest any true. repentance for their offences. We are not bound to forgive such false brethren. Nor are we bound to forgive such as appear to be brethren indeed, except when they appear penitent, and duly confess and forsake their sins.

5. It may be wholly the fault of

and support such as will not confess, or who refuse to pardon the penitent; that the commission of offences disturbs, divides, and sometimes destroys a visible church of Christ.

7. Christians may be happy to

offenders themselves, that they are not forgiven. There may be a-want of a forgiving spirit in the church towards those who suitably humble themselves for their of fences. But, when those who have been convicted of offences, refuse to acknowledge their faults,gether in heaven, notwithstanding and manifest no sincere repentance for them, they put it out of the power of their Christian brethren to forgive them. They have no reason to complain of the church, for excluding them from their fellowship.

all their dissentions upon earth Those have become Christians, who were, previously in a state of the most irreconcilable enmity, "hateful, and hating one another." Real Christians sometimes fall out by the way,' and for a season, offend one another.

6. Disorders in the church of Christ, are owing to false brethren. "It must needs be that offences come." But, offences would not occasion disorders and divisions in the churches, if they did not comprise false brethren. If all the members of our churches were what they profess to be; all offences would be humbly confessed, and all offenders cheerfully forgiven. It is because there are false brethren, who will not con-ly low. fess their faults, or who justify

But, when they arrive at heaven; all, who bave given occasion of offence, will be perfectly penitent; and all, who have been injured, will feel the spirit of forgiveness. No former animosities, therefore, will prevent their perfect esteem and mutual complacence. Their hearts will be knit together in love.' Finally. The terms of the Gospel are sufficiently low. It is only to forgive; and you shall be forgiven.

Religious Antelligence.

pondence with landholders, and having visited, in person, certain sites offered them, reported, at an extra meeting on the 14th of April last, that in their opinion the most eligible place which could be procured, was a farm, herein after described, in the town of Harrison, in West Chester County, State of New-York, containing about 400 acres of good land, and within three miles of the landing at Saw-Pits; whence an outlet is provided for surplus produce from the farm, and for articles which may be made by any of the converts engaged in mechanical operations.

The farm was accordingly ta

Religious Intelligence.

ken on a lease for the term of seven years, at the annual rent of $700. Whereupon a Committee was appointed to prepare a plan and regulations for the establishment. The Committee of rways and means were authorized forthwith to stock the farm, to provide household furniture and the necessary agricultural implements for the cultivation of the same; to dispose of the place hired at Murray Hill, to take immediate measures to procure a practical farmer, upon the most to take advantageous terms, charge of the farm, and to superintend all the agricultural concerns of the settlement, subject to the regulations of the Board.

A resolution was then passed, that our Jewish brethren already connected with the Society, be informed that we have procured a place of settlement for them ;— where they are to be supported in habits of industry, at our expense; and invited to remove to it without delay, that they may enter upon the duties assigned them by the Board. Any of them who do intend to remove to the settlement, were directed to report themselves to Dr. Rowan, of the Society, and to receive from him directions in the premises.

The Board further resolved, That inasmuch as our present funds are obviously inadequate to the accomplishment of the designs of the Society upon an extensive scale, application be made circular to our Auxiliary Societies for additional contributions towards the preparation of the land for settlers, that thus the public confidence in the stability of the Society may be preserved, a definite object be presented to the friends of Jews in America, in Britain, and on the Continent;and our agents at home and abroad be encouraged to make one grand

and simultaneous effort, to obtain
the means for accomplishing the
meliorating the condition of the
Jews; an end most desirable in
itself, and one to which all Christ-
endom should contribute.

REVIVALS.

The following is a copy of a letter to the Editor of the Western Recorder. SIR-Being led by business, last winter, to the village of Ovid, in Seneca county, I enquired what was the state of religion there; and in answer to my enquiries, received the following statement :-That there was no revival or special attention to religion in the congregation; that the meetings statedly attended,

were the usual meetings for public worship, one or two evening lectures, and a prayer meeting (if I remember correctly) in the course of the week, and the monthly concert; that these meetings were generally well attended; that, without any uncommon excitement, under the use of those means of grace and the faithful labours of the present worthy minister, about fifty persons had been added to the church and within the last two years; that there had seldom been a period within that time, in which some were not known to be anx

iously enquiring, or rejoicing in hope recently obtained.

Here, then, we have indubitable proof of the efficacy of a punetual and persevering attention to the ordinary means of grace. In one small church, in the course of two years, about fifty souls have been added to its number; and the benign influences of the Holy Spirit have been constantly wit nessed among that favoured people. Truly may we exclaim, Happy is that people whose God is the Lord."

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But while we rejoice in this in