with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat." After describing the ark, which he said was a kind of portable chest or box; which the children of Israel carried about with them from place to place; and the solemn antiquities the ark contained; and its exact dimensions; and the breadth and length of the mercy seat above it, being exactly the same; and then he spoke of the solemn emblem of all this to the Lord Jesus Christ, the spiritual ark, and the length and breadth of the great atonement, reaching to all those chosen in Christ, before all time; so the mercy seat was as long and as broad as the ark; but no longer, nor no broader; and the glorious gospel of Christ was a dispensation and revelation recorded and made known to every beloved, elect vessel of God's sovereign mercy, in due time by the Eternal Spirit, the great Revealer and Sealer of all covenant mercy and covenant blessings. 6 though modern pharisees hate it with the Then he solemnly described the awful state of all men by nature, and with a dead profession of religion; like the boasting pharisee of old, in the temple; proving from many Scripture testimonies how far from God, and the only place of mercy and spiritual communion, such characters all stood; blind to their own lost condition, having never felt the condemnation of the law; and how bitter was the enmity of such men, against the real truth of God, and against Psalm, xcii, 3. his humble followers, and seekers for his DAVID was, no doubt, a skilful musician both mercy, at the only place to obtain it. There, literally and spiritually; he charmed himthere will I meet with thee. This, he said, self, and many others, on the harp, in a was the state of the great majority of pro-literal sense; he also charmed himself and fessors, in his adopted country; and it would be well he said, if it was not the same here. An Instrument of Ten Strings. two ways, Doctrinally and Experimentally : each string being separately touched, will, in the issue, produce a joyful sound; and blessed are the people that know it. many others, (and does to the present day,) on the gospel harp, spiritually. The gospel harp is a full toned instrument, and conThen he went on to describe the solemn sequently possesses a perfect number of work of God in spiritual conviction; mak-strings, viz. ten; it is to be played upon ing such truly feel guilty before God; stripped them of all their beauty and plumage; how he brought down all their pride; broke down all creature carved work, and all human merit; shook them out of all confidence, in duties, dead works, and fleshly prayers; put a cry into their soul where there was no strength shut up nor left; like as he did the poor publican and others. Then the dear, and faithful man put the question close to his hearers by saying, 'Have you felt these things?' If not,' he said, 'I would say to you, as Pilate's wife said to him-' Have nothing to do with this just man.' Then he gave us a solemn, but brief account, of what he had felt and experienced of the solemn work of God in humbling and emptying his own poor soul: and his scriptural, and solemn manner of address, and personal testimony, was with such undeniable certainty and asurance, all confirmed with a Thus saith the Lord,' that it bid defiance to men or devils to attempt to contradict him; The The Doctrinal notes touched on each string, are, 1, God the Father; 2, God the Son; 3, God the Holy Ghost; 4, Eternal Election; 5, Eternal Love; 6, Eternal Predestination; 7, Eternal Redemption; 8, Eternal Sanctification; 9, Eternal Justification; 10, Eternal Glorification. experimental notes are, 1, Feeling: 2, Knowledge; 3, Fear; 4, Hope; 5, Faith; 6, Love; 7, Peace; 8, Desire; 9, Joy; 10, Assurance. Now, in order to avoid prolixity, I must only touch each string, the whole terminating in one sweet accord and a certain sound. 1, God the Father in his covenant enactments, settlements, and designs relative to his elect people, all immovably fixed. 2, God the Son in his covenant responsibility, undertakings and engagements perfectly arranged. 3, God the Holy Ghost in his Covenant agreement, purpose and promise | constrained to put up earnestly the publiunalterably planned, the three incommuni- can's prayer; this is a bass note on the bass cable persons in the one co-equal, co-essential, co-eternal Jehovah; the I am which was and is, and is to come, incomprehensible Deity. 4, The eternal election of the church out of every kindred, nation, tongue, and people, in the person of Christ by Jehovah the Father, revealed and discovered to the saints by Jehovah the Spirit. 5, The everlasting love of God set upon them; loved by the Father, in the Son, by the Son in the Father, by the Spirit in the Father and the Son, and by the Father and the Son, in the Spirit. God is love, in which the church was from, and shall be to, all eternity, swallowed up; and who shall separate her from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. 6. Eternally predestinated to everlasting life, though spiritually dead in the first Adam, her spiritual and eternal life was, and is with Christ in God, the second Adam; being then predestinated she shall persevere through millions of foes and mountains of opposition, and finally reach her destined port, for so he bringeth them to their desired haven. 7, Eternal redemption through the blood of the Lamb, from all thraldom, all slavery, all sin, all death, all curse, all condemnation, and all hell. O, glorious truth! the Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob; the work is finished, the victory won, and the church is safe. 8, Eternal Sanctification, separated and set apart by God himself, from everlasting, for God himself, to everlasting the people shall dwell aloné, sanctified and made holy by the Spirit's work within them, as the glorious result of their eternal union to, and oneness with Christ. 9, Eternal justification; sin and guilt for ever taken away; holiness and righteousness imputed to, and implanted within the saints of the most high; justified from all things, made free from all sin, acquitted from all curse, and delivered from all condemnation; eternally pardoned and cleansed from all evil and iniquity, in and through the blood of the Lamb. 10, Eternal Glorification; for whom he justified, them, he glorified;' and what glorification is, we must die to know; yet blessed be God, we 'shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is,' and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Having just touched the ten strings in point of doctrine, and find them sweet and harmonious, I now touch them in point of experience, and 1, Feeling; when the Holy Ghost communicates supernatural life and light to the soul, there follows a deep feeling sense of what we are as lost, ruined, wretched, hell-deserving sinners: some are more solemnly acquainted with this, their fallen condition, than others; God is a sovereign in these important matters, yet all shall know their own sore, so as to be : string, yet music is not worth a rush with- is one of the properties of the kingdom Desiring to depart and to be with Christ. had no more desire to live but did most earnestly long, and beg, and pray, for my soul could sweetly sing-'O, death where is thy sting? O, grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law: but Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth,' therefore, 'Thanks!' Eternal thanks! be to God, who giveth us the victory, through his Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord.' O, what sweet peace, and tranquility of mind I felt! Truly, this peace of God passes all understanding; none can comprehend it but those that have felt it; this is that sweet 'secret of the Lord,' that 'is with them that fear him,' which is hid from all others. O, that I had a free tongue to speak the praise of my dear Redeemer, who loved me and gave himself for me! Oh! how my soul sometimes sinks astonished that the great and Infinite Being of heaven and earth, before whom the nations are counted but as a drop of a bucket, should ever take notice of such a poor worm of the earth as I am, and that he should set his everlasting love upon me, and watch over me for good, even when I set at nought all his counsels, and would none of his reproof. "Determin'd to save, He watch'd o'er my path; When my feet made haste to hell; But thou dost all things well." "Thy love was great, thy mercy free, MY DEAR SISTER :- -As I am now better in health, but not able to work, I have taken this opportunity to write you a few lines to tell you a little of the loving-kindness of the Lord which he has so bountifully bestowed upon me. Oh! that he may enable me so to speak of his goodness that your soul may be refreshed, that you may exalt the Lord with me, for truly, he alone, is worthy to be praised; his name alone is excellent, for he has delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and I hope and trust he Which from the pit delivered me.” will keep my feet from falling. 'He hath brought me up out of an horrible pit and out Oh, I am satisfied that a sense of this love of the miry clay, he hath set my feet upon a will melt the hardest heart! Oh, what rock and established my goings; he hath strong consolation it gives under trouble! put a new song into my mouth, even praiseWhen he giveth quietness, who then, can to our God. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.' You know it hath pleased him to afflict me, which I know he has done in faithfulness, in tender mercy, and compassion to my poor soul; for he has most sweetly brought me to fall under it at his feet, and to kiss his rod, and him that appointed it. I never, in all my life spent, such a comfortable week as I did last week. The dear Lord did most sweetly break in upon my soul, on Monday afternoon, with his pardoning love and mercy, and sealed it home upon my heart with such power, sweetness, and assurance as I never felt before. I was then very weak and poorly in body, and did not much expect that I should get better, but oh, I found the Saviour's blood a balm for every wound; I make trouble?' In the midst of all our trouble in our business, my heart has not been the least moved, it has been nothing to me, and I can now say with the apostle Paul, None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself that I may finish my course with joy;' Christ is all my salvation and all my desire. All my desires are now content to be comprised in one;" I desire nothing but to enjoy daily a heartfelt union and communion with my dear Redeemer; this I sweetly enjoyed more or less every day last week. Oh, how sweetly would my cheerful soul look up to God, as my reconciled God and Father in Christ Jesus; how very precious his word has been to my soul! I have not read much since but the Bible, and I find that that yields me all that I can desire, when the dear Lord is pleased to shine upon and apply it to my heart as he has done many times. Oh, how strong, how solid is that consolation which | belief shall not hinder it a single day. It the word of God affords when applied by shall assuredly come to pass in its apthe Spirit of all grace to the heart as he has pointed season. This time is reckoned up done many times, thy word was found,' says in Scripture, by days, by months, by years, the prophet, and I did eat it, and it was the not that we should know the time of it, joy and rejoicing of my heart, Christ says, but the certainty of it; for if it hath but The words that I speak unto you they are so many days, so many months, then it must spirit and they are life.' Oh, the unspeak- have a certain period. The fixing and comable goodness, mercy, and love of God! I puting of the time of the man of sin, of have filled all this paper with words and have Antichrist, by days and months, and years, said nothing about it as I wanted to do. I is to secure our faith in the punctual deterwill leave off attempting to speak of it with mination of the season, but not to satisfy the words of dear Rutherford-' Oh that the our curiosity when that season should be. heavens and the heaven of heavens were But the consideration of this, that there is paper, and the sea ink, and the multitude of such a determinate season, is a great foundamountains pens of brass, and I were able to tion of faith and patience. When we know write that paper within and without, full of it will come, that there is such a determinate the praises of my dearest, my sweetest, my time, that it will surely come, is a great loveliest, my matchless, my most sinless, ground of patience to wait for it. This is and most marvellously well-beloved.' Now a great consideration with me, and I leave may the God of peace, that brought again it with you. Here I can exercise faith withfrom the dead, our Lord Jesus Christ be out fancy in the counsel of God, that he will with you, amen. From your affectionate brother. SAMUEL DAw. pour out all his judgements and plagues on the antichristian world until antichristianism be destroyed and rooted out. [This Samuel Daw was the author of a very precious little volume of Experimental Poems, advertised on the wrapper of this work. He is now in glory.] THE CERTAIN, SUDDEN, AND PROBABLY Speedy Downfall of Antichrist. "The judgments of God shall come upon the antichristian world when they look not for them; when the kings of the earth do not look for them; yea, when believers themselves do not look for them; they shall come so suddenly. The Holy Ghost saith so expressly, Rev. xviii. 18, 'Her plagues shall come in one day-death and mourning, and JOHN OWEN says in his sermon on the famine and she shall be utterly burnt with Use of Faith, if Popery should return upon fire.' The reason is, 'For strong is the Lord us, 'The second difficuly that we have or that judgeth her.' Almighty strength shall may have to conflict with, is the return of be put forth for the accomplishing of it. Popery into this land: I verily believe that And if this be not enough, the seventeenth those who have the conduct of the Papal verse tells you that it shall come in one hour. antichristian affairs, throughout the world, And I do verily believe, that the destruction are endeavouring to bring it upon us. I of this cursed antichristian state (of the head remember what holy Latimer said when he of it) will be brought about by none of those came to die: 'Once I believed Popery means we see or know of: but that the would never return into England; but,' strong Lord shall break in upon her and said he, 'I find it was not faith, but fancy.' destroy her by ways unknown to us. It may I wish it may not prove so, with many of be to-morrow; and it may not be these us. Now that which I am to speak unto hundred years. She herself, when it is done you is this, how we should live by faith, shall look for no such thing, verse 7th. both in the prospect of the danger of it, When she is boasting herself, destruction and if it should come upon us. I shall shall come. The kings of the earth shall name a few things, which I exercise my-have no expectation of it, for they shall cry self with. If you have more supporting (verse 16th,) Alas! alas! that great city thoughts and a better guidance of light, I Babylon, that mighty city; for in one hour pray God confirm it unto you. so great riches is come to nought.' Believers themselves will be like the children of Israel in Egypt; they could not believe Moses because of the cruel bondage they were under. So will God's judgments come upon antichrist, the old enemies of Jesus Christ." "The first thing I would exercise my thoughts upon, and that my faith rests in in this case, is this, that there is a fixed, determinate time, in the counsels of God, when Antichrist, and Babylon, and idolatry, and superstition, together with that profaneness of life which they brought in, shall be destroyed. It is so fixed that it shall not be altered. All the wisdom of men, all the sins of men, and all our un "If the waters of the sanctuary have flowed into your soul, the death of the minister will not drown your religion. Oh no; that it won't."-C. W. B. Another Persecuting Saul BROUGHT TO THE FEET OF JESUS. I'm oft'times tempted to believe But, O my friend, when I review The path the Lord hath brought me through, I stand astonished, and confess I am a monument of grace! I once was led a blinded slave, 1 thought that years to come would do, But Oh, the Lord, I must repeat He kindly heard and answer'd too, But Oh, the time, and where he met ; I went with oaths upon my mind, I thought I'd go, and go to sleep; His power I felt, I straitway cri'd, 1 felt myself so vile and base, Thus I have been most sorely toss'd, But midst it all, there's something says I now must say, farewell, my friend, A Crying Child. Dear Lord! if I favor have found in thine eyes, My request is that thou wilt now list to my cries, To deliver my soul from this treacherous foe. This base wicked Haman, who fills me with woe. For if thou prevent not, he'll surely devour, For I trust that like her, through distress I've been brought To stand by the place where the King doth resort. The sceptre of mercy held out in thy hand. And hear thee say, Trembler ! what is it you need? Thou knowest my wants, and where I now stand, Extract of a Letter FROM THE LATE WM. GADSBY TO WM. GILES "Oh, the matchless wonders of God's grace, Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift,' and adored be his name for the methods he takes in revealing it to the conscience of poor sin-sick, hell-deserving sinners. Honours crown his brow, he has been, is now, and ever will be, the help and glory of his people; and when a glorious Christ and a detestable, vile sinner, are brought together by the invincible power and glory of God the Holy Ghost, and the glory of God shines upon and in the sinner, what a God-glorifying sight it is! Here reason is confounded, and free-will and unbelief are obliged to skulk out of the way, while vital faith and love have solemn and free intercourse with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost; and the soul solemnly sings a measure of the glory of the love and blood of the God-manthis is one branch of the solemnities of Zion."-From "Christian Converse." |