Imatges de pàgina
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has done all things well. A debtor to mercy alone, of covenant mercy I'll sing,' &c.

It is equally evident they are precious to the Holy Ghost, for his love is great and wonderful to the saints. First, by the great work he has begun in them. Secondly, by maintaining that work, and by his own grace in the soul, subduing our lust, sin, and unbelief, and keeping us by his power, for amidst all my sinfulness and woe, thy Spirit will not let me go. The love of the Spirit is great toward the saints, he does bear long with our manners in the wilderness; my soul a thousand times has been tempted to give up and go into the world, and would have done so, but for being precious to the Holy Ghost. The dear Spirit would not suffer us, nor the devil, nor sin, nor unbelief to have their way, but has most lovingly, graciously, and victoriously, with conquest, successfully and triumphantly carried on his work; so that grace has reigned through righteousness, unto eternal life, by our Lord Jesus and by the grace of God, we are what we are; and that grace which he hath bestowed upon us was not in vain.

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In the second place we hasten to notice the Lord's testimony concerning them 'Precious in the sight of the Lord, is the death of his saints.' What are we to understand by their death being precious in his sight?

First, their death is precious in the sight of God the Father, because the great end Jehovah had in view in loving, choosing, and ordaining them to life, and eternal glory is answered.

Secondly, because the perpetuity of his love at the death of his saints is demonstrated; the Lord said he had loved them with an everlasting love, and that love should be continued to them for ever; so the saint enters into glory as the effect of that love.

Thirdly, the all-sufficiency of sovereign grace is glorified at the death of the saints; the Lord promises to give grace sufficient, and then glory; this we have experienced; we have often doubted, and thought it impossible for us to hold on and endure unto the end. Sometimes we have felt ourselves to be like walking devils ; sin has been conceived in our hearts; we have felt its mighty workings within, and have feared others would have seen its dreadful workings without, in cursing, swearing, stealing, drunkenness, and so on: such we were once; and such we should be again, but for sovereign grace. The sufficiency of grace has been proved in life, in every trial, and in death, the last great trial; then the grace-made, and keptsaint, enters glory

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Fourthly, the faithfulness, power, wisdom and goodness of God, which love has engaged for the salvation of its objects, has accomplished the great design intended; the saint is brought to his eternal home as a monument of the faithfulness, power, wisdom, and goodness of his indulgent Father.

Fifthly, their death is precious, because the great work of Christ is completed, when the saint is saved to sin no more. As a Surety, as a Saviour, as a Shepherd, as an Advocate, or a Deliverer, and as our King, our Priest, and our all.

Sixthly, because the great work of God the Holy Ghost is completed, the devil is defeated, and the saint enters into the joy of the Lord.

Seventhly, their death is precious, because each saint makes up the number of God's elect, and enters into the mansions prepared in glory for them.

Eighthly, because, then, all the perfections of Deity will be glorified, when the whole elect, redeemed, and quickened church are safely housed in glory. This was the only object Jehovah had in view, in loving, and giving into the hands of Christ to redeem all whom he loved, viz., his own glory, and their eternal and entire salvation; then precious, most precious must their death be in his sight. It is to this, our dear brother has arrived; and these things he richly enjoyed in his own soul while here in the body; and methinks I could hear the Father say, when this dear saint appeared before the throne,

Behold an object of my love! whom I have loved but not in vain, chosen in Christ to

stand before my throne in white! Behold him! Here he is! He has come through much tribulation, and now shall live and reign with me for ever.' So saith the Son-Behold him, my Father, as one whom thou didst give me; redeemed from all iniquity; washed in my blood; clothed with my righteousness; he has been hated, but I have loved him; he has suffered, but I have sustained him; he has been plucked at, but I have kept him; and taken care of him; here he is without fault, whole, and sound, and complete.' And methinks I hear the Holy Ghost reply-Behold him! In the name of Christ I quickened him from death to life; I took up my abode in his heart; kept satan out, kept sin down; I went on with my work until all was done; and now, behold, he is ripe for glory; he enters glory; he is glorious; he is now at home in glory.

"Oh, how the thought delights the soul.
Redeem'd from satan's dire control,

And cleans'd with Jesus' blood;
That thus from sin and death made free,
He now in Christ shouts victory,
And triumphs in his God.'

I long to be with him; where Christ is to be seen without a veil; approached without hindrances; loved without coolness

praised without weariness; and enjoyed with- | above.' He said, 'I want to be there; but

out interruptions. May we have much grace to enable us to walk in his steps, to keep, to guard, and bring us not only to heaven's gate, but through the gate into the city. But I must stop my pen for the present.

·

JOHN BUNYAN M'CURE. [Truly, we must say, the reading of the above skeleton of John Bunyan's discourse has warmed and comforted our souls. Go on, John, in the declaration of these most precious truths. By these things, God, in the Trinity of his Persons, is glorified, and souls must be blessed: for, unto him that soweth righteousness, there shall be a sure reward. We cannot in this number, find room for the letters written by our deceased friend to his brother; but they shall appear. The following was written by Mr. Crundwell to J. B. M'Cure.] DEAR BROTHER-On several occasions I had the sweet pleasure of seeing the holy peace, and overflowing divine joy vouchsafed to our dear departed brother Crowhurst. The first time I was favoured to see him during his illness, I shall never forget his edifying conversation. To use his own words, when speaking of his dear and precious Jesus, he said, Christ is more sweet, infinitely more sweet to me than my eyes, my head, my hands, my feet, my soul, my wife, or any thing I have, or ever did have or enjoy. His person is precious, his blood is precious, his righteousness is precious, and his truth, and his faitfulness, and his love, and his compassion, and his mercy, and his words all are precious. Yea, he said 'In a word he is indeed the altogether lovely to my immortal soul. He is just as I wish him to be; nothing is wanting; nothing can be added to make him more sweet, precious, or acceptable to my ransomed spirit; he is indeed just as I wish him to be; and these eyes of mine will for ever feast upon his precious, and glorious, and ever lovely person; and never become weary; but I shall be happy and delighted with him for ever and ever; and so he added with a sweet smile, that reached my heart, 'will you, brother Crundwell.' Speaking to him of his bodily affliction, at another time on the same day,' he said, I am as perfectly happy now, as I expect to be out of heaven; I want nothing altered; it is just as it should be; it pleases my dear Lord, and I am perfectly satisfied with things just as they are. I would not change my place with the queen; no, nor with the happiest saint on the earth, who may be in the enjoyment of full health of body, and peace in his soul;' and after a moment's pause, he added, 'No, nor will I change my situation under present circumstances, with the saints already perfected

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I am not impatient to be gone, knowing that
all is ordered wisely, and as my Lord sees
best; and I see it and know it.' I then
asked him if the adversary did not try to
disturb the peace of his mind, and thrust
into it doubts and fears respecting either
present or future things. I shall never for-
get his answer-'He does hover about at
times; he did the other day; but I told him
bruised his head, chained him to his chariot
he was a conquered foe; my Jesus had
wheels, and triumphed gloriously over him,
and that he had no power but what my Jesus
permitted him to have.' Well I said, What
then,' he said 'I believe satan is the proud-
est spirit in the universe, and in consequence
of my speaking of the victories of Christ
over him, and telling him that he was a
fallen and damned spirit, he was stung to
the quick; his pride received a deadly wound
and he slunk away like a thief.' I asked if
he did not attempt to renew his attacks?
He answered 'Very little; and if he does
ever again, I will tell him, and shall continue
to tell him of the same things.' Here we
see the truth of God's words, this is the
victory, even our faith. Other conversa-
tions I was privileged to have with this dear
man of God, and always saw him in the
same firm and happy state of mind, speak-
ing of Christ and his glory, preciousness,
&c. I am, dear brother, your's in great
haste.
S. CRUNDWell.

Tunbridge.

The Only Things worth Living For.

[We have been favoured with a small packet of sweet, experimental Letters, written by Mr. Spencer, Minister of the Gospel, Guildford, Surrey, which we hope to insert from time to time. It is a fact, that sometimes fills out hearts with gladness, that the Lord is, in many parts of this highlyfavoured land, raising up young men, who have not only been made bitterly to feel the awful consequences of sin, the curse of a broken law, and the plague and deceitfulness of the human heart, but have also been led solemnly and savingly into the mysteries of God's everlasting loveChrist's atoning blood, and the eternal Spirit's work in the soul: and thus qualified, have been sent forth into the Gospel Vineyard, to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. That the God of all grace may abundantly bless their labours, keep their consciences clean and tender, enable them to dig deeply into the mines of heavenly truth, make them instruments in bringing many precious souls to a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus; and of comforting, and building up such as have

believed, shall be our most earnest prayer. We trust, also, that the perusal of Isaac Spencer's Letters may be a means, in the Lord's hands, of refreshing many weary travellers to Zion.]

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MY DEAR CHRISTIAN FRIEND Since I last wrote to you, I have passed through various scenes of soul exercise; but amidst it all I am made to feel it is better to suffer soul exercise, and be saved at last, than to live at ease, and at last be damned. It is said of the wicked, because they have no

changes, they fear not God; and that they have no bonds in their death, neither are they troubled like other men; and I am quite sure, my friend, we have no need to go far from home for a fulfilment of this awful truth; for the great bulk of mankind are living at ease, and go off at last, as though all was right, and nothing the matter, when, alas! all is wrong, and so they find when their eyes are opened in another world. Say unto the righteous, well with him; but woe unto the wicked.

When your kind letter came to hand, it found me in a low place in my feelings, I had become as a sparrow alone upon the house top. I was like an owl of the desert, or a pelican of the wilderness, left to mourn in bitterness over my sad, dark, unfeeling

condition; the blackness and wretchedness of my bad heart and corrupt nature, is far too bad ever to be described by writing; I feel I can come in with Hart where he says

My own bad heart, creats a smart,

Which none but God can know.

And, my dear friend, I believe God's dear children are made to feel and mourn over things that they can never tell to mortals. Indeed, if even they had a wish, they would be at a loss for language to describe it. The heart is above all things deceitful and desperately wicked frequently, my dear friend, am I brought to think my reading, writing, speaking, praying, is all over, all come to an end; the upper and the nether springs, according to my feelings, are clean dryed up: God forgotten to be gracious; and yet, mercy of mercies, he is gracious all the time, though he be behind the cloud, for his name is The Lord God, gracious and merciful.' You say in your letter that you trust your eternal welfare lays near the heart of your Lord and your God: I feel, my dear friend, that I am enabled to go a step further than this. I believe it not only lays near the heart of your Lord and your God, but I believe it is in the heart of the Lord your God. But, say you, I feel so unrighteous: I am glad to hear it; for if you were bolstered up in death; vamped up with the religion of the day; you would not feel much, or cry out much before God about your unrighteousness; but, say you, how can you prove that

my eternal welfare is in the heart of the Lord God? Why, he has said that he hath loved us with an everlasting love, that he hath chosen us in Christ from before the foundation of the world, and that our sins are cast behind his back; when sought for, shall never be found; and that we shall never come into condemnation, world without end. Well, say you, there are times when I do feel Lord hath loved me; there are moments when a little hope spring up in my mind, that the I am helped to say, I trust the Lord hath chosen me; there are seasons (though they may be few and far between,) that I am mountains, deep as hell, black as the prince helped to say that my sins, though high as of darkness, and countless as the stars; yet, I do hope, say you, they are all got rid of; carried away by the blood-shedding of the dear Redeemer;

Lost, as in a shoreless flood,
Drown'd as in a Saviour's blood.

I had a sweet sight and sense granted unto me, the other morning, by God the Holy Ghost, of the dear Lord Jesus, while I was led in Spirit to muse over the words of the Prophet Jonah, where he says, 'I went down to the bottoms of the mountains:' in the margin of the Bible, it reads 'I went down dear friend, how this sets forth the Lord to the cuttings of the mountains.' O, my Jesus Christ, as God and Man, in his finishing the work he undertook from everlasting to go to redeem a chosen world from the jaws and dominion of death and hell! Here, the sin, wrath, death, hell, and damnation, due to the church, fell upon his shoulders, and bore him down to the bottoms of the mountains, the cuttings of God's fierce wrath! and the cuttings of the keen sword of justice, battering in blood, sheathing itself in the heart of our dear Immanuel! It may well be said he went down to the bottoms of the mountains, and had he not been God as well as man, the weight of our guilt would have kept him at the bottoms of the mountains for ever, but he being God as well as man he was infinitely capable of going through all he undertook; therefore, in the fulness of time, he accomplished all; and whilst he was bowed down to death in his human nature, in his divine nature he conquered death, and carried down all the guilt, and filth, corruption and sin, of his ransomed bride, to the bottoms of the mountains for ever and ever; and there left it and rose up himself as a mighty conquerer over sin, death, hell, and the grave, and the mountain that has risen up over the guilt of the church, is God's everlasting forgetfulness of the sins of his bride. I will not be wrath with thee, nor rebuke thee; thy sins and thy iniquities will I remember no more for ever.' O, my friend, the infinite blessedness of the mercy! And now, our dear Lord has ascended up on high,

has led captivity captive, has received gifts [ where the blessed Spirit had began the work for men, even the rebellious also. I feel my heart warm with these things; may a spark from the same fire kindle in your breast, and be puffed up to a flame; for these are the only things worth living for, worth fighting for, these are the things that will help us through time, stand by us in death, and prove our friend in the judgment scene.

The Lord bless you, and keep you; the Lord watch over you, and water you with the dews of heaven. Many thanks for the little tract you sent me: I send you one which I promised to dear Benjamin after you had read it, and I am quite sure if the same divine unction rests upon its contents, and you feel the same in your hearts, as I did when I read it, you will never regret reading it. I pray in submission to God, this may be the case, for

'Tis heaven to rest in his embrace,
And no where else but there.

Farewell! my christian regards to Benjamin, I shall be glad to hear from you, Believe me your's in christian bonds, ISAAC SPENcer.

Woodbridge, near Guildford,

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7.

SIR-Observing in your last number of the Earthen Vessel, a communication from A. B. wherein he requests the Thoughts of some of your correspondents, on four (apparently mysterious passages,) that are recorded in Scripture,' I will, in God's strength, undertake each in succession; and submit them to you for publication, when you have space; and may the Lord enable me so to do, to the honour of his holy name, and the comfort and satisfaction of A. B., and every other humble enquirer.

The first passage that is submitted, is in 2 Timothy, iii. 7. which reads thus Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.' It is very clear that the Apostle was a prisoner at Rome, at the time he was writing this, and almost daily expecting his martyrdom to take place; and as he had been instrumental in the conversion of Timothy, he had the greatest love for him; and further, in answer to his petitions at a throne of grace, he knew that his son Timothy was appointed for the ministry, which the Apostle in some degree had before seen fulfilled. He well knew the opposition which himself had met with from Demas, the coppersmith, and many others who professed to know the truth in the power and love thereof; and had had a call to the ministry, but he knew that it was not so; he knew that

of grace, that he would carry it on; and that pardon must be enjoyed in the conscience, before they could be at a point that they were in Christ the head. The Apostle knew the common saying of many was I have got an impression;' but he also knew that every sent servant of Christ must have the word applied, before he could be at a point that he was sent of Christ. See Acts xxvi. 18; and read the whole chapter; there you will see the Apostle, when in a state of nature, when in alarm, when justified and in the ministry. Every sent servant of Jesus feels the greatest love to each other, as was the case with Paul to Timothy; and as Paul had been deceived by many in conversion and their call to the ministry, he himself looked more closely into these mysteries, and cautioned his son to be on his guard; not to lay hands 'suddenly on any man,' and further, whatever he saw needful to know or to be known, he carefully unfolded to him.

In the beginning of this chapter, the Apostle is setting forth the perilous times in the latter days; but I shall not make any observation on that, here. Then he goes on to take a view of ministers or heads of a I church or churches, and of their evil encroachments; (verse 6.) Then follows the subject of our enquiry-'Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth,' as it is in Christ. Now, a man before he knows Christ in a saving way, is dead in trespasses and sins, (see Eph. ii. 12.) A man who is savingly taught by the Spirit, has a conviction sent home to his conscience, and then like the jailer, he will cry out in the very anguish of his soul, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' And there he is held down until he sees no way of escape from the wrath to come. Then the blessed Spirit leads him forth to supplicate for mercy; the Lord hears and answers it, to the joy and rejoicing of his soul. Now, the Lord will favour him with a saving faith, apply a promise to his soul, communicate his love to the conscience, and the person will feelingly and sweetly find a coming forth from all his trouble and distress into a happy liberty; and he will be satisfied that all his sins are put away: such will be the gratitude and thankfulness of his heart, that no person can describe, save him who has enjoyed it.

If such a person as this is to be a mouth for God, he will have a sweet promise applied, so that he will be at a point, as it regards his call to the ministry; for this teaching is from the Spirit of God; and whatever a man may hold, teach, or preach, short of this teaching, will most assuredly give way in a dying hour.

Our Lord spake of some who would get into the ministry after he left this world, and

Ordination of Mr. J. L. Meeres.

THE following is a brief outline of the
services of the ordination of Mr. J. L.
Meeres, New Church-street, Bermondsey,
June 22nd :—

was gone to the Father, and cautioned them to take heed that no man deceived them; for he says There will arise among you false Christs, and false prophets that will shew you signs and wonders to deceive the very elect, if it were possible.' (See Matt. xxiv. 24.) Ah! how often you may see such men, in sheep's clothing. Our Lord says, Mr. Carpenter opened the service by 'Beware of such!' inwardly they are ravenan hymn; Mr. Curtis, of Homerton ening wolves. (See Matt. vii. 15.) They put on a feigned humility, like the wife of Jero-gaged in prayer, and proceeded, very boam, and run the Scriptures from the be- briefly, to state the nature of a gospel ginning of Genesis to the end of Revela-church, under the following division:tions, and at the same time know nothing 1. Its authority-the Scriptures. 2. Its of the teaching which I have been endea- Constitution-spiritual persons. 3. Its vouring to describe; they possess nothing Officers-pastor and deacons. 4. The more than the common gift of the Spirit. design of a gospel church-to shew (See Balaam, Numbers xxiii.) Read the there was life and death in the wilderwhole chapter. See King Saul; he prophe-ness, to be a manifestation of the power sied amongst the people; yet never had a of God's grace. change of heart. See also Micaiah, against the four hundred false prophets, 1 Kings, xxii. ; See also the account of Moses against Jannes and Jambres, two false teachers. What was their end? and what will be the miserable end of all such, so living and dying? Never able to come to the knowledge of the

truth.'

Paul is here alluding principally to false prophets and teachers, who thrust themselves into the ministry; strangers to the teaching of the Holy Ghost, who never knew law or Gospel in a saving way.

Suppose we take a view of the high Church Clergy in our day, and of their doctrine; they know not what they say, nor whereof they affirm. Look again at the numerous tribe of Arminians; they are in just the same state of darkness as the former. Suppose we take a view of the Sardis church, how few there are of the real Calvinistic persuasion; and the Apostle, by the Spirit, viewing these, and the evidences they hold up, both in the former and latter days being short of the real knowledge of the forgiveof sins, in general; he calls them thieves and robbers, on account of stealing from commentators, and from the mouths of good men; so they are ever learning, ever stealing, ever studying, but never able feelingly to set forth the Spirit's work upon the soul; consequently are never able to come to a knowledge of the truth, because they were never taught it by the blessed Spirit of Truth.

ness

These passages of Scripture, satan has often hurled into my mind, when under my first awakenings, and many more beside, even since I have known my eternal interest in Christ Jesus my Lord. Such as treat of 'falling away,' &c. &c. Such passages do not belong to a true child of God, but to him only who stands in presumption; a child in the covenant cannot apostatize, but him only, who resteth in a form. Hailsham: WM. HARRIS, the Ploughman.

In this statement, the rich national Church of England had some severe lashes inflicted. The parliament could set up any doctrine it pleased; Arminianism or Arianism. Two instances he referred to of this being done; one in Queen Elizabeth's, the other in Queen Anne's reign; in which the latter shewed her supremacy, in spite of a convocation of bishops to pull down the ruling archbishop's doctrine. He also noticed the present position of the churches; how things were softened down to peace, peace, and piety, and the sharp edge of truth taken away. But thanked God, there stood here and there one among the Baptists, that could give in an honest testimony as a witness for God from his own experience.

The next minister in the order of course was Mr. Moyll; whose office was to ask some very important questions from some member of their small body, respecting the steps that gave rise to their proceedings; which were simply these:-A few belonging to Mr. Fenelon's ministry, occupied the present place in 1844. Mr. Sadler was engaged for In 1845 Mr, the first twelvemonth.

Meeres came; in June seven members formed themselves into a church by Messrs. Milner and Jones. The present number of members is eleven, and these in May last agreed that Mr. M. should accept the pastoral office over them.

Mr. Moyll then called for a shew of hands from them, to recognize him as their pastor; which was done. He then said, I recollect a saying of my brother, George Coomb, at an ordination, at seeing a shew of hands for their ministerGod grant that those hands you have

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