institution was that they should burn before the Lord continually; so the phrase is Exod. xxvii. 20. Lev. xxiv. 3., it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations.

It is a question here whether the lamps in the temple did burn both day and night, or only by night. Some think there was need of them in the day time because the windows of the temple were fifteen cubits high from the ground, for they were over the side chambers. Others think they were lighted only from evening to morning, because the phrase is, he shall order it from evening to morning," Exod. xxvii. 21. "And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even," Exod. xxx. 7. And in Abijah's speech, 2 Chron. xiii. 11., "the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening." But yet it was a perpetual light in the fit time and season for it. They had therefore two sorts of sacred and perpetual fire belonging to the temple: the fire of the altar, (and this was never to go out at all) and the fire of the golden lamps, which was perpetual, at least in the season of it, that is every night; and they were lighted probably from the fire that was upon the altar.

And so it is with the Spirit of God in the hearts of his people, This is a lamp that never goes out. The foolish virgins indeed their lamps were gone out, Matt. xxv., but in the wise it was not so. There is no falling from grace: the true believer cannot fall away totally and finally.

4. The dressing and trimming of the lamps signify the revivings of the work of the Spirit in the hearts of his people, when it begins or is in danger to decay and decline, for the priests were to light the lamps, &c., see Levit. xxiv. 2, 3, 4. The same thing also in Exod. xxvii. 20. Hence in that expression, 1 Sam. iii. 3., "Before the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord," he had that appearance of God towards break of day. The priests were wont if they found any lamps out, or burning dimly, to light them again; they did not leave it to be always dark. This teaches us both the Lord's goodness and our own duty, for Christ, Matt. xii. 20., " he will not quench the smoking flax." And so we should, as Tim. i. 6., stir up like a fire that is going out, the gifts that are in us.

Also church discipline and mortification are taught us hereby, Matt. xxv. 7., "Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps."

Thus you see something of the mystery of these golden candlesticks in the sanctuary: how the church, the ministry, the word, and the Spirit were shadowed forth thereby.

As to the use; you see here the rise, and withall the evil of the popish superstition of lights and candles in their churches. This is an old testament ordinance, it is to dig Moses out of his grave, and to deny Jesus Christ. Yet their having wax candles is a swerving from he Mosaical law, which they pretend and seem to imitate. For oney as it was forbidden in their sacrifices and offerings made by re, Levit. ii. 11., and consequently wax which belongeth to it. So

we do not find that even they did use wax candles to burn in the sanctuary, but only lights and lamps of oil.

But as to the pressing and improving these things in a more practical way, it is a copious and fruitful subject; let me only repeat and reinculcate the four general heads of things before mentioned.

1. Learn to prize and see the worth and excellency of church society. It is no vile thing which the Lord was pleased to represent and teach by so many glorious types of old. As by Noah's ark, by the temple, by the golden candlestick, &c.; and in church estate look well to the matter of the church that they be golden candlesticks. And when in it look to the exercise of discipline, a church without the rigorous exercise of discipline is a candlestick without snuffers. Let not the golden snuffers be lost or laid aside which by divine institution belong to the golden candlestick.

2. Prize the ministry. They are the lights, the stars that shine in the tops of these candlesticks. A dark ministry was the evening star that ushered in the night of popery and antichrist into the world, Rev. viii. ult. compared with Rev. ix. 1.

3. Much more, prize the word. This is the sun in the church, the great light shining in a dark place. If the lamp be not lighted here, all the light that is in thee is but darkness.

4. Above all, labour to find the Spirit burning and working in your hearts, that you may experience the mystery of this type. The Spirit is the word, and in the ministry of it in the church; the Spirit enlightening, and like oil mollifying and healing the soul, abiding there and reviving his own work there. And remember your own duty also in this thing; look to the trimming of your lamps, Matt.

XXV. 7.

1. Get fresh supplies of oil, Exod. xxx. 7, 8., this is to dress your lamps. This was David's faith, Ps. xcii. 10., " I shall be anointed with fresh oil." Jesus Christ is the fountain, and the Holy Ghost the immediate dispenser of it, Zech. iv. 12., and thence you are to fetch your fresh supplies.

2. Stir up that which you have, as well as take in new supplies, 2 Tim. i. 6., "Stir up the gift that is in thee;" Rev. iii. 2., "Strengthen the things that remain and are ready to die." Stir up thyself to lay hold on God.

3. Snuff the wick, Exod. xxv. 38., mortify corruption, cut off that superfluity of nauhgtiness, James i. 23. This must be your frequent and daily work.

A MEDITATION ON PSALM xlii. i.

"As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God."

HERE is one of those sweet and strong ejaculations which David, under divine influence, sent up to heaven, the place of his treasure and hope, and the dwelling of his gracious God and Father. There is a most divine emphasis in all scripture eloquence; every word

has majesty shining in it, because it has eternity stamped upon it. It is likely here, in the text, it is meant of the hart's panting when it is chased by the hunters; it then pants after the water-brook, for the quenching of its thirst, as the following words clearly intimate, "My soul is athirst." The little relics of strength that it has, it spends in panting after the streams of water. Thus, did David's soul ardently pant after the living God; and so does every awakened subject of divine favour. Nothing can calm the thirsty hart, but the streams of water; neither can any thing content the panting soul, but manifesting discoveries of the pardoning love of God in Christ Jesus. The soul has a vast capacity, and nothing can satisfy or fill it, but he that is fulness itself. It is true, the least manifestation of God's favourable presence, is enough to support the soul, but it is not enough to satisfy the redeemed child :

"A glimpse of love cannot suffice;

My soul for all thy presence cries."

O how delightful is it to see precious Christ through the lattices of promises and ordinances! There is great sweetness in all these clusters of Canaan; but yet, such as causes an ardent longing for more; the soul longs for fulness of communion with Jehovah in all his divine Persons. The thirsty hart never leaves panting while it has any being, neither does a true follower of the Lamb; for the heaven-born soul finds more incomparable sweetness in the very panting after his God, than any of the sons of earth can, when with complacency they take their fill of their choicest delights, which, at best, is but muddy contentment.

In temptation seasons the pantings of the soul are strong after God, languishing and praying thus, "Compass me, O God, with thy favour, as with a shield; keep me as the apple of thine eye, and hide me under the covert of thy wings; deliver me from my strong enemy, and from him that hateth me, for he is too strong for me. O send me help from thy sanctuary, and strengthen me out of Sion!" Redeemed soul! Satan can never make a partition between thee and thy God; he can never tear thee out of the loving heart and bleeding wounds of thy precious Lord and Saviour! The tenderest bowels of God's dearest compassions are towards thee in precious Christ, so that the gates of hell can never prevail against thee, being founded on the permanent rock of eternity, who is thy refuge, and who will make thee more than conqueror over all thy temptations. In deser tion seasons, even then the soul pants after its gracious God and Saviour, when the soul walketh in darkness and hath no light, when it can meet with nothing but waters of Marah and Meribah; when its drink is nothing but gall and vinegar, and its food bitter herbs; and under an eclipse of God's favour, even then the soul thirsteth after God with, O that one would give me to drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem! Well, my soul, is it thus with thee? Well, thou shalt find a door of hope opened unto thee in the valley of Achor; thou shalt find him to be a God of consolation in which all the sweet balm of Gilead is wrapped up.

A. C.

ON UNION AND JUSTIFICATION.

An unbeliever cannot put forth any act of spiritual life, seeing he himself is dead in sin: and every such act which a believer puts forth is the act of a justified person. These are self-evident truths to an enlightened mind; and the necessary conclusions resulting from them must be-1. That union and justification precede conviction of sin; though the knowledge of these blessings be subsequent thereto.

2. That justification is passed over to the soul, whilst it is spiritually dead.-3. That repentance does not fit or prepare any soul for pardoning mercy, but is a proof that the soul has received mercy as an ungodly sinner.-4. That to preach up humiliation and reformation, in order to qualify the soul for pardon, is in effect to preach the law instead of the gospel.-5. That all such preachers require living works from dead men, and the obedience of God's children from such as are children of wrath.-6. That both faith and repentance are fruits of union with Christ, and of reconciliation through his blood.— 7. That the life of a believer is "hid with Christ in God."-8. That "because Christ liveth, he shall live also."-9. That where the Holy Spirit dwells in the heart by faith, there the fruits of the Spirit must appear in the life.-10. That where Christ, the living Head of his church now is, there every member must also be.

The above conclusions will pave the way for the following absurdities, which are necessarily involved in the common popular mistake of placing conviction of sin by the Spirit of Christ, before pardon of sin by the merit of Christ.

To say, that a man has the grace of God in his heart, and that he is made a partaker of the life-giving Spirit, convincing him of the evil of sin, and making him willing to receive Christ in all his offices, and yet that his person is under condemnation, is full of gross contradiction. It is to make a man at once dead, and alive; a child of light, and a child of darkness; a believer and an unbeliever; regenerate and carnal; one with Christ, and yet at enmity with him. Into all these, and a thousand more absurdities, as destructive of the soul's peace as subversive of pure gospel truth, do they fall into, who instead of freely holding up Christ to sinners as such, tell poor souls that by grace they must repent, by grace they must amend their lives, by grace they must do this, that, and the other, and then there is no doubt but God will pardon them, and give them an interest in Christ; yet this is the language of many ministers-yea, of many who I am persuaded not only mean well, but who are really the children of God, and who wish to bring souls to Christ, and whose labours the Lord blesses, notwithstanding the remaining darkness by which, in a pious sincerity and an honest fear and jealousy for the interests of holiness, they keep many of the Lord's people in continual bondage and distress of conscience, labouring as it were in the fires, and calling for "the whole tale of bricks," without "giving straw" to make one.

REVIEW.

Early Sonship; or, Christ before all things. Being a Defensive Letter to Mr. W. H. Colyer, occasioned by his "Reasons for rejecting the Doctrine of the Pre-existence." By John Stevens, 8vo. pp. 40. London, J. Nichols, E. Palmer.

From our last month's review of it, our readers are aware that Mr. Colyer has recently published an Introductory Letter to Mr. Stevens, extracting from, and commenting upon, certain pieces published in a Magazine about 27 years since. These Mr. Stevens has stated are not his productions, but written by a gentleman named Barnard, now resident in America, but at that time a deacon of the Baptist Church at Boston. Mr. Colyer, in consequence of this denial, called in his Letter, but only for the purpose of affixing a Postscript containing reasons for still persisting that they are from Mr. Stevens' pen; thus most improperly and impudently giving the lie to one, whose character and standing in the church are a sufficient answer to such a charge. This Letter to Mr. Colyer is the result of all this unmanly and most unchristianlike behaviour.

It is well known, for we have had the subject more than once largely discussed within our pages, that we do not believe in the doctrine which Mr. Stevens so strenuously, and, we believe, sincerely advocates; but for all that we can and do esteem him as a useful and laborious servant of our Lord; and when by such an one a negative is given to a plain statement, Mr. Colyer degrades himself much by an obstinate adherence to his blunder. Men of the world do not act so. How painful then is it to witness it in one who addresses his opponent as a christian brother, and who tells us that though differing by the way, they are both travelling to the same heaven, where controversy will for ever cease.

This Letter contains little more in defence of the sentiment than Mr. Stevens has already adduced. The controversy, particularly in the way at present carried on, is certainly not calculated to interest, but rather to grieve the children of God. We shall therefore at

once take our leave of it, by praying that Mr. Colyer may soon have the honesty and the candour to admit his error, and crave pardon for attributing falsehood to one, whom he must admit is as little capable of it as himself.

Mr. Colyer must have a proud opinion of his own argumentative powers, to imagine for a moment that the Author of the unanswerable answer to the Fullerian scheme, need descend to a lie to avoid coping with so mighty a champion: proh pudor.

VOL. XI.-No. 133.]

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