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and "the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it and are safe." But by error God is insulted, and God is mocked.

(7.) The seventh head of our discourse is, in what sense are we to understand the gospel as our's, or as Paul's gospel? It was not contrived by him, it was not upheld by him, how then was it Paul's gospel? It was not given to Paul to dispose of at his own will and pleasure, and yet men in our day will stand up in a pulpit, and talk about giving the gospel, or offering the gospel, as if it lay with them to give or to withold it. Such is the gospel preached in North America, in ninetynine pulpits out of every hundred. But the gospel was Paul's positively, and without this gospel, not merely received in notion, but in heart, there is no more hope for your salvation than there is for devils. This is different from what men in general see and believe. Look at the dry bones, which represented the house of Israel-the breath of God upon the field of death, this was not to be resisted. In the same way God breathes the breath of life into the soul, and the soul lives. When Jesus passed the sycamore tree, and called Zaccheus down, did he resist? No, he came down. When God's time was come for the children of Israel to leave the house of bondage, neither Pharaoh nor their own wills could keep them there.

(8.) The eighth point is the adaptation of this system. If we know ourselves to be sinners, the gospel is adapted to us. There is nothing in the gospel adapted to self-righteous people, to self-righteous Pharisees, the gospel is adapted to the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind. Whatever unfavourable conclusions a poor sinner may draw against himself, in the gospel he has his remedy, and he has no right to draw such unfavourable conclusions. Are you a sinner? Go to the gospel. What! a man starve amid plenty? It matters not to what depths, or to what state of pungency your soul is brought, the gospel covers the whole. Therefore as HART says :

"Let not conscience make you linger,
Nor of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness he requireth,
Is to feel your need of Him.
This he gives you,

'Tis his Spirit's rising beam."

The gospel is instrumental music; and if a man can play well upon it, he will keep the saints awake. However, I come to the last part of my discourse. Some men can preach the gospel without giving offence, but the apostle Paul could not, and that man that can, must and will be suspected. If a man has right views of truth, he will say with Paul, "I am determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified," and "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, which is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth," and who are those that believe? Why if I mistake not there is such a passage of Scripture as this, "And as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed; we are not to recommend ourselves to God's esteem, this is a stink in God's nostrils. May God bless the remarks I have made for his name's sake. Amen.

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Ishmael and Isaac.

Come, tell me, ye pilgrims, that hold on your way,
Midst conflicts by night and distresses by day;
Does sin much annoy you in trav'ling the road
To Jesus Jehovah, your covenant God?
A look often draws me away from the throne,
And leaves me to wander in darkness alone;
Brings bondage of soul, sinks me down in disgrace,
Then I long for the joys of my Saviour's embrace.
A power that's mighty, lies struggling within,
To rush from the cross, and to wallow in sin;
A power almighty still cleaving to God,
And plunging for mercy in Calvary's blood.

Fain would I, dear Jesus, this warfare was o'er, That doubts and misgivings should vex me no more ; scarce feel the virtue of pardoning blood,

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But satan comes in like an o'erwhelming flood.
Sometimes to my Jesus I get very near,
Sometimes overwhelmed and cast down with fear;
Sometimes on the Rock, 1 triumphantly tell,
of the free grace of Jesus that saved me from hell,
Sometimes from the devil a hot fiery dart
Sticks fast to my flesh, and distresses my heart;
And there I confess I'm compell'd for to lay
Till Jesus in mercy doth take it away.
What groaning, what panting, what struggling within,
Grace just seems sufficient, dear Lord, and thats all,
For when troubles arise, I'm afraid I shall fall,
Sometimes the sweet wonders of mercy I tell,
Sometimes I'm afraid I shall sink into hell;
I wrestle, but cannot get hold of my God,
Till Jesus comes in with his pardoning blood.
But, blessed be God, it is not always so ;

To

get nearer to Jesus and further from sin;

For I oft get a kiss in this valley below;
Much nearness to Jesus is often the case,
Tho' I frequently mourn for the smiles of his face.
Dependent upon Him I'll press on my way.
When afflictions abound, at the cross for to lay,
Still looking to Jesus, the friend of the poor,
And crying, Lord, help me! what can I do more?

A POOR WORM.

HAIL, all hail, ye saints of the most high God; called with a holy calling to be "partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." Israelites have no inheritance on this side Jordan, among corruptible things; our inheritance is in the promised land of milk and honey. And God hath given us his Spirit which is the earnest of the inheritance. Then let us not think of settling here; but of passing over this Jordan, and let us be helpers of each other's faith on our way, and endeavor to comfort one another with his words, who is " gone before to prepare a place for us;" for "here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come."

To the Readers of the Earthen Vessel. | the church for a time may be, and is deceived by such: but the best of painters cannot draw the shape of the wind, that is only heard and felt; viz, the Holy Spirit is only heard and felt in those who are born of God. Men may make painted saints outwardly in appearance; but God only makes living saints with the breath of the Spirit, and holy affections in them. Men may make marble busts, and draw very correct pictures on canvas; but they cannot paint life, breath, spirit, love, nor affections in them. Therefore if the Lord hath by his Spirit put these things in our souls, this exceeds all the work of devils and hypocrites: and the Spirit itself will sometimes witness with our spirits that we have some holy desires, and affections after the holy things of God, and some love to those who are born of God.

Therefore we are deeply concerned not to carry either strange fire, or gunpowder in our Vessel, neither do we desire to war, only in a defensive war with our implacable enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil, with whom we cannot make peace, on any good terms; and if foreigners, or other unkind men, board us, we would put on the helmet of salvation, and the breast-plate of righteousness, and fight them with no other weapons than the weapons of love, prayer, and faith, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; and all poor creatures wounded in this war, or ship-wrecked, or sinking, or drowning, or dying in despair, we take them on board our Vessel if we can, and nourish them with such things as we have, and tell them that we are homeward bound, to their Father's house in their own kingdom where there are the richest provisions, and plenty of fresh water; even "fountains of living water, and God shall wipe all tears from their eyes."

Another year of our time on earth is sunk into the vortex of eternity, and gone for ever, never to return; and our mortal sands are momentarily running out, and falling into that fathomless abyss, unknown: "Lord, so teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," in our souls, but true wisdom was from everlasting with God, "Christ is the wisdom of God and the power of God;" "rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth and his delights were with the sons of men;" and he saith "whosoever findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord." (Prov. viii. 35.) Then let not the dear saints of God, with "the light of life" in their souls, spend too many gloomy hours in poring over their vileness, death, and the grave; since Christ has carried all the designs of infinite wisdom, and eternal love, into execution, by his death, atonement, powerful and glorious resurrection from the grave. Let us think more of life in him than we do of death in ourselves, for though we bear about with us daily, this vile body of death, Our little Vessel has been preserved which makes us groan, and is an evidence during the past year, and by the help of of the life of God in our souls, the full- the Lord of the seas, has made its way ness of light, love, and life, that is in through contrary winds, and foaming Christ, shall soon swallow up sin, dark-waves of this dead black sea, which casts ness, and death in victory.

We know that men destitute of the life of God in their souls may repeat and preach these things, give a history of the gospel, make a map of the promised land, and draw out pictures of the living saints of God, and yet be dead in sin themselves, as Baalam was. And we believe

VOL. III.

up mire and dirt against her, and we have had some shots, and broad-sides fired upon us in the dark, from some which we would hope better things of: who have endeavoured to split and sink our little bark: to such, we would only say, leave us alone, there is sea-room for us all, who do business with this far

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country; and the riches are unsearchable, and you cannot bring them all from thence for the city of Zion below, and we can say this in truth, and in the sight of God, that we have gained no pecuniary advantage by our Vessel, but considerable loss at the present; though many have confessed that it has been made spiritual gain to their souls. Therefore, if it be the Lord's good pleasure, we would go on in his strength, trading in all the good things we can find, but if it is his pleasure to lay our Vessel by in the harbour, "The Lord's will be done," and we would be content.

By the help, and good hand of the Lord, we are off for another year's voyage not knowing what is before us, or what 1847 may bring forth. Thus we pray that our Vessel may be like the virtuous woman in proverbs (the true church of God,) like the merchant's ship, she bringeth her food from afar." Though we are but poor earthen vessels, and some earth and dust must be expected to be found among our goods. Still we trust that our compass is set for the good land, that central point of bliss, and we desire to see that every one who bring goods to the Vessel, may receive them from above, the land of spices, for they will be known by their taste and flavour, if it be food from afar: for nothing really good for food is found in the flesh, or in this country of corruption, sin and death. To the weak we would become weak, and sympathise with you in all your weaknesses, fears, and infirmities, for we are really weak in ourselves. But we say, look not to us poor weak mortals for help, strength, or wisdom, nor to any of the so-called great men of the age: God is dishonoured if we look to man: "Wait on the Lord, and be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart." Ask, knock, seek, wrestle, cry like the importunate widow; God will avenge his own elect, though he bears long with them." And nothing but a word or a token from himself can satisfy an honest sincere seeker that he, or she, is one of his chosen.

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To the poor sufferers, who suffer for truth, conscience, righteousness, and Jesus' sake, we say, rejoice, that ye are "partakers of Christ's sufferings," for while on earth we must "always bear about in the body, the dying of the Lord Jesus." (2 Cor. iv. 10.) Jesus, the

Son of God, lingered in death, a long while on the cross, before his dear body was quite dead, and all the sighs, tears, wounds, and dying groans now felt in his body, (the church, left behind on the earth,) from sin and persecution, are but the last dying groans of the body of Christ! this is the fellowship, (or partnership) of his sufferings." Hear dear brother Paul's utterance by the Holy Ghost, "who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for his body's sake, which is the church. (Col. i. 24.) Blessed sufferers ! your groans of anguish, shall end in songs of triumph to the slaughtered Lamb.

To our enemies who rail on us, (calling us vile dirty fellows,) we would not return a railing accusation, but only say "consider your ways," and through the help of a loving God, and the comforts of the Spirit, and in the meekness of Jesus, we would pray for our enemies and them that despitefully use us."

Now to our beloved correspondents and readers, we would say, watch, stand fast in the faith, quit yourselves like men. Popery, error, and unsound doctrine abounds on every side, in vàrious shades and grades; but we believe that the sixth angel hath sounded a long time, and the second woe will soon be past, and that the third woe will be the total fall of antichrist, "when the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever." (Rev. xi. 15.)

Now may the God of peace and love be with you: lift up the light of his countenance upon you, bless you and give you peace, prays,

THE EDITOR'S FRIEND.

SCRAPS OF

A Sermon by Mr. JAMES OSBOURN, Preached at Zoar Chapel, York St. Leicester.

I herewith send you a few particulars which I took down from the mouth of Mr. Osbourn. Many were truly blessed under the Sermon. He appeared to me like one of the old Apostles risen from the dead; there was so much heavenly fervor, godly sincerity, without partiality and without hypocrisy, that I really felt

great love to the man, and could but admire the grace of God in him; and felt compelled to bless him in the name of the Lord. Your's truly,

W. GARRARD.

"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God, speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquities are pardoned, for she hath received at the Lord's hand double for all her sins."

I PRESUME that we shall be safe in saying that the prophet Isaiah occupied the same situation of old as God's ministers in the present day. His sayings were so concise, bright, and luminous, that in his ministry he represented a man sowing stars his words are so bright and glorious, that he appeared like an incarnate angel.

We consider that our sins and the wrath of God formed a junction when they fell on the head of the Lord Jesus Christ but Christ, by his death and atonement, silenced the tempest: and by his resurrection and ascension to glory, opened the way to God for his beloved bride, the church (who was sunk in sin and sorrow,) to the Father, and shall say, "Father, here am I, and all the children which thou hast given me, not one of them have I lost," only Judas, and that was no loss at all; for though he was given in office, he was not given to Christ in the covenant of life and grace. No! Judas was only a purse-bearer, and we have many such in my country, (America). First, (said Mr. Osbourn) we must draw the line of demarcation: all people are not the children of God, though all are his by creation. Christ's sheep "were chosen in him before the foundation of the world," and loved of the Father in him, with the same love as he loved the Son. Jesus saith, "Father, all mine are thine; and thine are mine;" and he will say, "Father, here am I, and all them which thou hast given me; count them; count them; and see if any are lost." This is the doctrine of election so clearly marked out in scripture, that you who are in the habit of reading the Bible need not me to spend much time on this head to prove it, though I know many professors of religion hate this doctrine of election much more than they hate their own sins and the devil. Yea, many in my country (America) who mount the rostrum pulpits in America,

hate the doctrine and deny it altogether. But now I would not have you think that this is a doctrine of my own make, or of my fabrication: no, the scriptures prove it to be God's own words, and whoever fights against it, fights against God.

Secondly, these people are the regenerated children of God, who are to be comforted; not all the people in the world; they neither seek nor desire such comfort; neither is this comfort to be spoken to all the elect family of God at present, because some of them are still in unregeneracy; in nature's darkness; dead in sin; and do not see nor feel the need of this comfort until they are quickened by the Spirit and born of God. But let me tell you that man by sin hath cut himself off, and cast himself out, it was his own act and deed; and let me tell you more, that man can do nothing towards regenerating himself; that is the work of God alone, and he must have the glory of our salvation. Man's destruction is of himself, and salvation is of the Lord. It is a bad rule that will not work both ways. God had nothing to do in man's destruction, and man has nothing to do in his own salvation.

Yea,

But man neither sees, feels, nor knows of himself, what salvation means until he feels himself a condemned sinner; justly condemned for his sins by the righteous law of God. And Paul said that when the law was sent home to his conscience, so far it was from helping him, or saving him, that sin taking occasion by the commandment wrought in him all manner of concupiscence. (Rom. vii. 8.) Now, Dr. Johnson, in his dictionary tells us that concupiscence means something of zigzag work. Ah, the law worketh wrath, and all manner of crooked works in the heart. when the law breaks in, it rouses up the nest of devils found there: and the law cuts a sinner up so that he has neither root nor branch, straw, nor rush, to lay hold on to save himself. Yea, it cuts every fibre of the heart; and conscience files every bill which the law brings against it, but has nothing to pay withall. And now what can free-will do for a soul in this case? Nothing at all! Free-will only grows and lives in a seared conscience, and seared by the devil's red-hot iron ! That man who boasts of free-will, his mouth never was

stopped; but every mouth must be stopped it is of no use cringing to Moses, no help there, no mercy there. Now the Lord puts a cry into the poor sinner's heart for mercy, but there being much bustle and confusion at that time in the court of conscience, and the adversaries very clamorous, these prevent the voice of mercy being heard from the hills of frankincence, for a time. "But how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings." The name of Jesus sounds sweetly; the death, sacrifice, and blood of Jesus, opens a channel for mercy to flow down to us condemned sinners. Mercy comes into the court; sin goes out; sin is removed to make way for mercy; sin is removed to make a channel for mercy to run: and "mercy rejoiceth against judgment." Now the banqueting house is opened, and the feast of love begins, Christ is found, and seen, and known, and felt and the poor soul cries out "This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O, ye daughters of Jerusalem," and creeps into Christ's bosom.

The law can do nothing for these poor and afflicted children; in Jesus, there they are comforted; his love makes them bold, and brings them into the closest intimacy, casts out their fears, and they can then say "I am my beloved's and he is mine." But if they begin to think too much of themselves, and too little of him, they will soon feel the effects of it, and wonder what is the matter. Have not the mildew of God fallen upon you, and you are blighted, and are in a comfortless state? Then you find the "good man is gone, he has taken a purse of money and gone a long journey." All your spending money and comfort is gone, and in comes Esau, he is a hairy man, a very rough man, the "old man" uses you very roughly.

Now what is to be done? Done! come boldly to the throne of grace, not presumptuously; when you were laying in the bosom of Jesus you made very free with him then, and were assured of his love, and were very bold with him. "Is he changed? No! it is you that are changed: then you must go boldly to him again in all the confidence of faith, for "he is the same yesterday to day and for ever." You must call on him again and again: sometimes, you know, that persons have business with some great man, a lord or duke, it may be, they call on him, the servant comes out instead of the master, master is engaged, he cannot be spoken with, you must call again, cannot you leave your business with me? No! Then you must call again. So if the Lord does not answer at first you must call again, and again; for his people must be comforted, and they shall be comforted.

II.-These are the people who are to be comforted. These are the people who will need comforting, for they cannot find any more comfort in sin or self. Now you know that if a person have a family of children, and one among them is afflicted more than the others, it may be blind, or lame, or very sickly, that child is taken more notice of than the rest, by affectionate parents, because of its affliction and because it cannot help itself; others are left to play about and do as well as they can: and the poor little helpless dear begins to be awake to the parent's affection towards it, even by the motions and looks of its parent. Ah, and it begins to be up to this too, that the parent knows its needs by its whimperings, looks, and the form of the muscels of its face, and begins to know that the parent's bowels are moved towards it in its affliction.

But now say you, how shall we prove that all God's children are like this afflicted child? Very easily indeed; truly all professors are not such; but the Lord saith, "I will leave amongst you a poor and afflicted people, and they shall trust in my name.' And I can tell you that if you are not of these poor and afflicted ones, the gospel is nothing to you, neither is it for you; you will despise

it.

It is with me to night as it has been with me many times in my own country, I must stop short and conclude before I have finished. Mr. Osbourn then promised to finish the subject at York Street Chapel on his next visit to Leicester.

Jacob at Bethel.

DEAR BROTHER BANKS.-Brothers we are; sinners alike; saints alike; preachers alike; travelling on the free-grace road to the freely given kingdom of Emmanuel's endless glory: truly I sympathise with you in your trials, crosses, perplexities, and persecutions; as I took up your letter thie morning, these words came

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