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is there also in the singular number; and yet, is it not obvious that it is employed to denote the whole mass of human traditions by which they set at nought the word or commandment of God? Of this, several different instances indeed are given, but without limiting the application in the least to those instances. Is it not obvious, that it would be no less unreasonable to infer any such limitation from the singular number of the word tradition, than to infer that the expression, "the commandment of God," in the 8th verse, imports but one divine precept?

I have heard also from M-- what I think a very just and im portant remark. It is this, that your attempt to confine 2 Thess. iii. 14, to companying with the idler, on account of the singular form of the word tradition in the 6th verse, goes immediately to an equal limitation of the command in the 6th verse, which enjoins us to withdraw from every brother that walketh disorderly, or contrary to apostolic rule, and therefore goes immediately to unloose the binding authority of every apostolic command-even of this, that you acknowledge singularly binding. For what, if any member of a Christian church should persist in companying with the obstinate idler? Might he not plead that he was not in this violating the apostolic tradition, which enjoins diligence in labour? Other members of the church might indeed say, that he did very wrong in thus companying with the idler; but still as it was not the one tradition referred to in the 6th verse that he despised,—they would have no warrant for withdrawing from him; and it would be easy to shew, in the same way, that there is no precept of the Apostles, to which disobedience might not be tolerated in a church-without affording even those who acknowledge the precept any scriptural ground for purging out the evil from among them. Yet it is plain that, in 1 Thess. iv. 1-8. that Apostle reminds the disciples of all that he delivered them for regulating their walk as of equal authority, as of "commandments he gave them by the Lord Jesus:" just as the same Apostle warns the Corinthians of his being in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when their obedience should be fulfilled." 2 Cor. x. 6. In fact, the whole question would be decided in your mind, if you were but led to revert in your imagination to the apostolic age; and to suppose any member of an apostolic church associated in familiar intercourse with any one put away from its fellowship as refusing to hear the divine Word. At that day, the awfulness of this wickedness was not disguised by the multitude and respectability of those who walked in it, and yet called themselves Christians. And now, I think, I shall not give you any more last words of Baxter. To the Lord I look; convinced that he alone can effectually command the scales to fall from our eyes at any time-can alone bring us into, and keep us in, that unity in which it is pleasant for brethren to dwell together.

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With true affection, yours, &c.

CLXII.

TO J. L

Jan. 31, 1833.

MY VERY DEAR BROTHER,-It is almost time, you will say, that I should make my appearance to you: but, indeed, I rather expected to have disappeared before this. Silent as I have been, I have had you daily in my remembrance. Blessed be the father of mercies, that we can say now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." Rom. xiii. 11. Yet a little while and we shall see Him in whose presence is the fulness of joy. Oh! the grace that causes sinners— instead of flying from his presence-to draw near to Him now as to their God and Father, and to look forward with well-assured confidence to the approaching period of their being with him for ever: and, alas! for those who are searching about themselves for something to warrant that confidence.

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My bodily infirmities and trials continue unabated; but I may well in the view of them-" I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right; and that thou in very faithfulness hast caused me to be troubled." You have, probably, heard that I am likely to leave my bones here. Indeed, since I came over, I have not, at any time, had sufficient strength to return-if I would.

That this paper may not be altogether worthless, I will fill the remainder of it with some brief notes of observation on Ps. v. 8, 9. You will be at no loss to enlarge them. In verse 8, David speaks of his enemies, and in the next verse he gives a description of them. Now, the apostle, in Rom. iii. 13, quotes this as a descriptiondivinely authentic-of all men, "both Jews and Gentiles,' as all under sin and enemies of God. And this must satisfy any, who submit to the interpretation of the psalm by the spirit of truth, that David uttered it as a prophet by the spirit of Christ that was in him, and described the enemies of Christ-" For he that hateth me, hateth my Father also." John xv. 23. So, then, we need not look abroad to find owners for the character given in the psalm. The word of Him who knows what is in us points it at each of us with a "thou art the man.” 2 Sam. xii. Now this our hostility to God's anointed, and to the true God, is manifested in our aversion to the truth as it is in Jesus, and in our attachment to all the various lies that corrupt and oppose it; so that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. xii. 3; and "whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God." Well-but, now that we have been born of God, 1 John v. 1, surely our character is changed! Our own not a whit. We are, indeed, new creatures in Christ Jesus: and the mind of the spirit of life in Him is opposite to that of the flesh, or our own mind; and the unchanged character of the latter appears in our con

tinued "bent to back-sliding" from God-the true God; and this in our continual readiness to depart from the simplicity and purity of the gospel of Christ, to let slip the faith, and turn aside to some deceitful hope and false Christ, adapted to the new character in which we view ourselves. And is not this our continued disposition to depart from the faith proved by this-that he who keepeth the feet of his saints keeps them by his power through faith unto salvation? Is this any needless expenditure of Almighty power? I must have done.

May 6, 1833.- Well, my brother, you find I am still livinggroaning in this tabernacle. To depart and be with Christ would be far, far better. But our times are in his hands whose we are. It is very trying to live a useless and cumbersome log: but my proud heart may need that lesson. I trust the fire burns in this town. How wonderful is it that it remains unextinguished in such a world! It is the wonderful work of God. Lifeless as I am, I shall rejoice to hear good tidings of you, and those with you.

My love be with you all.

Oct. 2, 1833.-In brotherly affection and sincerity I frankly tell you, that I never received a communication from you with less satisfaction than your last; you seem to have written in a fit of spleen. The church is, indeed, very poor in members, gifts, circumstances, &c., but if you mean the Spirit, by your animus, I have every comfortable confidence that it has not departed from them. Torpid and despicable as the body appears to you, they have witnessed among them, within the last year, some of the wondrous goings of the Lord in his sanctuary: among these I reckon the re-union of one to their fellowship (along with his wife), who manifested his being brought to the mind of the truth at the free sacrifice of two hundred pounds yearly.

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What there is to justify you in predicting that the be expected in the long run to sink, or in apprehending that they unscripturally undervalue human instruments, I know not. I confess, I see more reason to apprehend that they overvalued me; and I am sure we are all too ready to forget that divine principle-" man liveth not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Mat. iv. 4. If we are warranted to regard a certain end as desirable, we cannot be justified in neglecting any instituted means for attaining it; while we, at the same time, recollect that God alone "giveth the increase," &c. But if He see fit to put all ordinary means out of our reach, their removal affords no ground at all for shaking our confidence in looking to Him to do his own work. And, to teach us this lesson, does he not often employ instruments the most unlikely? Wituess, the widow-woman of Sarepta-the ravens -the reduction of Gideon's men to three hundred, &c. &c. I should

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consider it quite according to the Lord's ordinary dealings with his people, if he were to make that despised church in guished among the churches for the prosperity which he gives. That is a very remarkable word in Jer. xxx. 17, "because they called thee," &c.

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SIR,-Whether you will condescend, or can find leisure, to read this letter or any of the printed pieces which I take the liberty of sending you, I am very uncertain. But some passages in three of your publications, which I have lately read-(your letter to the Archbishop of York, and two sermons)-have excited in me an interest which constrains me to make the attempt, if so be it may please God to bless it, for engaging your attention to some points of divine truth, on which you appear at present to be astray; but astray in common with the great mass of religious professors in these countries. You will not be surprised at my writing with all plainness and simplicity, for I write on subjects, on which, if I sought to please men, I should not be a servant of Christ.

You see something of the Antichristian character of all statereligion, of all attempts to incorporate the kingdom of Christ with the kingdoms of the world. (On this subject I send you a short pamphlet, which I published many years ago.) But you more than once express yourself, as if you conceive that the soi-disant church of England may yet become a true church of Christ by an entire disconnection from the state, and some other improvements in her constitution, discipline, liturgy, &c.

This idea arises partly from inattention to the scriptural meaning of the phrase, "a church of Christ;" namely, an assembly of the Christians of any place, coming together on the first day of the week to break bread, and walking together in the fellowship of the Gospel as fellow-heirs of the grace of life. In this view it is obviously nonsense to talk of the church of England: and so far as the phrase has any meaning, it must have an unscriptural meaning. Accordingly, we never meet in Scripture with such an expression as, "the church of Judæa," but, "the churches of Christ that were in Judæa," &c. 1 Thess. ii. 14. Now, it has long been one of Satan's devices to give a currency to the words of Scripture in an unscriptural sense and it is an evil, which a disciple in his right mind will abhor.

But the idea which I have marked is obviously connected in your mind with another deep error: namely, an admiration of the clerical

character, when the clergyman is devout, zealous, and evangelical. Such men you view as ministers of Christ, and almost semi-apostles. But stare not, when I assert that the distinction between clergy and laity is essentially Antichristian, and indeed one of the main pillars supporting the edifice of the man of sin. You are somewhat aware how high the superior orders of clergy have carried their pretensions. The blasphemous titles assumed by the pope of Rome go but little beyond the profane arrogance of our English bishops, in styling themselves" successors of the apostles in the government of the church." Successors of the Apostles! Well do they approve themselves legitimate ministers of him, who puts himself forward as having succeeded to the throne of the king of Zion. And from the prime ministers of Antichrist all the inferior orders of clergy receive their ordination-their appointment to their sacred function! But let us forget for a moment the obviously foul source whence they derive it; and consider the clerical function itself in the most moderate form of its pretensions. The clergy are a distinct caste, assuming to possess a peculiar or exclusive right to preach sermons, and administer Christian ordinances to the laity: insomuch that these ordinances are supposed to be deficient in validity, unless administered by one of the corps wearing black regimentals. As to the preaching or hearing of sermons, I shall only say at present that it forms no part at all of the objects for which a Christian church comes together on the first day of the week: and that, if any member of it should attempt to preach a sermon to the rest, his brethren, holding fast the word, would immediately consider him a subject of reproof and discipline. Then, as to Christian ordinances-for instance, the supper of the Lord - do the words of the divine institution convey the slightest intimation of an administrator of the bread and of the wine? "This do in remembrance of me," saith the Lord. No, no!' say the clergy; 'presume not to do it, unless ye have among you one of the clerical caste, to consecrate the elements, and administer them to you.'

But some will still urge-had not the Apostolic churches elders, or bishops, who were specially charged with the watchful oversight and diligent feeding of the flock? Yes, indeed, they commonly had. These were among the gifts given to his churches by their great head of old, and still given according to his sovereign will. But it is utterly false that these servants of a Christian church were ordinarily coeval with the church; and still more grossly false that they were any thing like clergymen, either in their origin or in their office. It appears evident from Acts xiv. that the first churches, as planted by the apostles, were commonly for some time without elders: and indeed, in the nature of the thing, it is evident that a church must ordinarily be going on for some time as a church in Christian fellowship, before it can be proved which of the brethren possess the qualifications needful for the eldership. But in the course of their walking together as churches of the saints, in the observance of all the ordinances delivered to them by the apostles, teaching and admonishing one another, and building up each other in their most holy faith; in the course of such a walk, one and another of the brethren appeared distinguished by "aptness to teach," and

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