Imatges de pàgina
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querors, by the power of our glorious standard-bearer, the Holy Ghost, which is in us, bringing us into a holy and happy sense, to know that God does, indeed, look upon our shield, and there beholds us clothed in his own holiness, majesty, beauty, and love, and there pronounces us very good, all fair, and without spot. Hallelujah!

These are some of the happy and blessed effects of enjoying our eternal union and glorious oneness with the person of the

worthy of the vocation wherewith thou art | Israel, and brings us off more than concalled; and preach peace by Jesus Christ. Herein I rejoice, for your sake, as well as mine, that we do both know, from heart-felt, painful, and happy experience, that there is none other name, under heaven, given among men, whereby we can be saved, not only from eternal miseries, but also from present troubles, trials, and painful dispensations; and that all solid peace and lasting comfort, must, and does come all of him, in him, and through him, to us; and that without him we can do nothing.' Therefore, with thank-Word of God,' the man that is God's fellow; ful hearts, we drop into his dear, everlasting arms, and give him all honour, praise, and glory, and crown him Lord of all for ever; for so he is, and that my soul knoweth right well. All glory and blessings, yea, everlasting blessings be unto his dear, holy, pre-over us. But, sovereign, dear, electing, secious name, for that knowledge, even to know him that is true, 'the way, the truth, and the life,' the everlasting source and fountain of unsullied glory, rest, joy, and love. Yes, my dear fellow member, in, and of the same precious body, Christ, it is this that constitutes all my peace to know him, even Jesus, the eternal word, and to live in a feeling sense that I am one in him, and one with him to all eternity; and that where he is, I shall be also. My witness is with me, and my record is on high. Hallelujah!

hereby we experience the blessedness of that wisdom which is the stability of Zion's times. And thus it is that grace reigns and sin shall not have dominion over us. We know what it is to have other lords to rule

parating, sin-pardoning love, and grace hath set us free. 'Ye are not under the law, but under grace,' the glorious gospel of the blessed God; thus we rest under our own vine and fig tree, none daring to make us afraid, either of death eternal, or death temporal, though we are in deaths often; yet, 'no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper,' and all thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee, for no evil shall befall thee. Living in, and on an experimental knowledge of these ever-blessed promises made by our everlasting Father and Husband, now verified in our own experience by the power of the dear sweet Spirit, what can shake our sure repose? 'Because I live, ye shall live also.' Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

A HIDDEN ONE.

True Conversion.

says,

you

Be of

O, may the Lord, the dear Spirit, help you to make known the mighty acts of our dear, eternal, Sovereign, to raise all thy banners day by day, in the all-glorious name of our Emmanuel, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working, to tell of the mysteries of his kingdom, the beauties of his charming person, and the goodness and tenderness of his loving heart, and talk all the day long of his mighty power, of what he hath done, is doing, and will do for the dear" THE Lord brings many poor souls to objects of his free, undeserved love. Let the last steps of the ladder, to a hopeless others talk of what they may, only do thou condition, and then he puts their pardon inake mention of his righteousness, and his into their bosoms; then he only; not thine own unrighteousness; no, indeed; the Lord help us to forget, that, in good cheer, I have received in favor, a lively sense of his love having wrought out, ciled to you, and will never be separated have set my love upon you, I am reconand brought in an everlasting robe for us, in which we stand complete, not having spot or from you.' You know how God dealt wrinkle, or any such thing; justified through with Paul, after he had awakened and the redemption that is in our God-man, the convinced him, after he had unhorsed living Word, we stand before our most good him, and overthrown him, after he had and gracious Sovereign, King of kings, and amazed and astonished him, then he Lord of lords, blameless and in love; be- shews himself graciously and favourable cause he, the great Jehovah, looks upon the to him, then he takes him up into the precious face of his dear anointed, and there, third heaven, and makes such manifesin him, beholds us, and all the election of tations of his love and favor, of his grace, perfect, even as God is perfect, and holy, as God is holy. O, the sweet and unbeauty and glory, of his mercy and maspeakable mercy of having the very present jesty, as he is not able to utter. So upon help in trouble, raising the mighty standard the prodigal's return, the fatted calf is against all the accusations of legal self, sin, killed, and the best robe is put upon his and the devil, for thus the dear helping Spi-back, and the ring is put upon his hand, rit puts to flight all the aliens of the spiritual and shoes on his feet."-Brooks.

-We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ.

THOUGHTS ON 2 COR. V. IO. IN ANSWER TO A TRIED CHILD OF GOD.

(Continued from p. 191.)

HAVING stated a few things in reference to the manifestations of a righteous person; I shall now endeavour to shew the difference there is between such, and the unrighteous. (You will bear in mind that I mean those who make a profession of religion.) In the first place there are many that are religious from custom; brought up to it from their very childhood. Among dissenters, as well as Church people, Roman Catholics, or Pagans. This was so of old, and is so now. Such go to chapel or church; attend to various external services; and by these observances quiet their consciences; wipe their hands; and conclude they have done God honour.

I knew a friend that had a dog as religious as this; and if righteousness is to be obto be obtained by these external observances, then he was a righteous dog; for, as sure as the bell tolled for service, whether the master went or not, this dog was off; would quietly lay down in the pew till service was over; and then leave, and go his way. How many thousands are there in our land of gospel light, that have just such a customary religion! Again: some are religious from education; they are taught to be pious from their very youth; to say a few prayers; keep the Sabbath; forsake bad company; deliver tracts; to give themselves up to the Lord in various ways; and thus make their peace with God. So they are launched off with the idea, that if they do these things, and look to the merits of Christ, then God the Father will love them, and will bless them, with eternal life for so doing; so they wrap it up.' There are others that have been taken by their parents, relations, or friends, under a sound gospel ministry, and have learned, judgmentally, the doctrines of grace and the plan of salvation, as to the letter of it, so as to outshine in talk, even those who are made partakers of divine grace, and who know Jehovah in spirit and truth; such may obtain admission into the church militant; but with all this they know nothing experimentally, of the life, power, and blessedness of the religion they profess. Those who have only a natural, customary, or educational religion, are unrighteous; or in other words, they are wrong; and will never find a God in Christ; nor heaven, nor happiness in the state they are in: for they have no spiritual principle implanted in their hearts, therefore they have no spiritual feelings of necessity for the Spirit's influence in power. Such believe it is their duty to attend various religious ceremonies; and, perhaps, may feel that it would be sinful in them to omit them, they, therefore, make up their minds to be

religious; and to work they go they can influence themselves; regulate themselves; preserve themselves; turn themselves to God when they please; keep their own hearts from evil; forsake sin; resist temptations; pray well; rejoice always; have nothing to cast them down as to soul matters; know nothing about darkness; they are always ready to read, write, pray, or preach, (if they are preachers); they have no obstacles but what they can remove; and, of course, feel no want of the Spirit's power to help them; but let us give such their due; you may hear them talk, sometimes, of doing all in dependence upon the Spirit; but their general language proves quite the reverse. Having no spiritual life, they have no longings of soul for spiritual things; by which, I mean, things which are divine, and only to be found in a covenant God in Christ-his sovereign, unmerited, eternal love-the precious blood of Christ that cleanseth from all sin; his perfect robe of righteousness that justifies ; and a personal feeling, longing of soul, to know if we are interested in the same. These things, the above described characters know nothing about; they have only a carnal view of the matter; are satisfied with the external form; for the unrighteous are not in trouble as the people of God are; they feel not the plague of their own hearts. What can be a greater proof of mere profession? It is true, they may acknowledge that they are sinners, but they do not mourn on account of sin as sin. Tell them that there is the seed of every iniquity in their hearts that was ever committed in the world and would break out if God did not restrain it; that there is nothing in their nature to incline in the least degree towards God and godliness; and that none of their tears, prayers, holy resolutions, nor good feelings form any part of their justification before God; and that they are only kept from sinning, as they are kept by God; they will look at you as a regular Antinomian, and will not want much of your company. To make short of this point, they know nothing of bitter groanings in secret, before the throne of God, on account of what they see and feel of their own vileness, filthiness, and unprofitableness before God. How different is the state of the righteous! they are quickened into life by the everliving God, according to his good will and sovereign pleasure; and there is a divine reality in this divine birth; it is not in mere hearsay, nor perhaps, nor may be: oh, no; it is a life deposited in the heart, by God himself, the gift of grace; what all nature nor holy angels, could never communicate, nor yet supply its wants when bestowed.

Reader! here is where the distinction lays! | crisy ; fervently, and less half-heartedly;

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Spiritual life requires spiritual food; just as continually, and less interruptedly. But, much as natural life needs natural food; alas! they are soon brought to know, that and they are as different as heaven in them, that is in their flesh, dwelleth no and hell, as light and darkness. Spiritual life good thing; that divine life in the soul does requires for its support and comfort what not make flesh better in itself; and that as this world, with all its treasures and plea- long as they are in the body, they will have sures cannot give-what can only be found to groan, being burdened;' they not only in a just God and Saviour, that is a salvation find that they cannot get flesh heavenward as just as it is merciful. Where this life is, when they please; but after being born that soul wants Christ in his fulness, sweet- again, that there is not only a disposition, ness, blessedness, and preciousness; it wants but an inclination, at times, to run after any, to know more of him, to feel more love to- and every evil; and sometimes more so after wards him; to walk more frequently with they are born of God than it was beforehim; and to hold blessed converse with him; the flesh lusting against the Spirit and the to live more and more daily upon him; and to Spirit against the flesh.' So that they are rejoice in him as its portion, its beloved; how brought to mourn, as Paul did, that what often is such a soul saying with the church of they would do they do not, and what they old, 'Tell me, O, thou, whom my soul loveth, would not, (and have prayed earnestly and where thou feedest, were thou makest thy mightily that they might not,) even that flock to rest at noon;' &c. (Cant. i. 7.) they do.' Well, they may cry in their souls, Consciousness of guilt in such a soul is an Oh, wretched creature that I am!' 'They inward fever that produces such a burning find a will to good, but how to perform, they heat in the heart, that nothing short of the find not;' nor ever will in themselves; all precious blood of Christ can assuage its our help must come from our blessed Lord. grief. A consciousness, or experimental Under these exercises they are often brought sense of their frequent short comings before to the footstool of mercy with grieved and God; their many defects in their serving broken hearts; to cry mightily unto the God; their continued deformity, crooked- Lord for help, preservation, and deliverance; ness, or perverseness to the righteous com- for when God is pleased to withhold his gra mands of their gracious Lord and King, cious influences, they are brought into capunder the gracious influences of the Eternal tivity by the law of sin in their members; Spirit, brings their souls to pant so ardently carnality is then experienced; carelessness for the righteousness of Christ, (Phil. iii. 9,) in heavenly things is felt; and unless the that they are never truly happy till they are Lord is pleased to put forth his divine power enabled to get fully into Christ, and lose to save, sinful wanderings and indifference themselves and all their ugliness in his ever-in spiritual matters will be the consequence. blessed completeness, 'for we are complete in him; Col. ii. 10. Such a soul wants, by faith, to lay hold of God's faithful arm, daily to come out of the wilderness, trusting in the faithfulness of him who cannot lie, that amidst all their trials and afflictions, disobedience, emptiness, darkness, nothingness, worthlessness, and wretchedness, they might be enabled to live upon his fulness of covenant mercy and unchanging love in all the secured blessings of grace divine in Christ, (Eph. i 3:) as the everliving source of true blessedness. The true Christian is only happy (really so) as he is enabled, by gracious influences, to live here; and to yield obedience to his holy will; not as a slave to gain freedom; but as a child from real affection to him, as their Father. Not only so, but they, when healthy and in their right mind, long and pant for more fellowship with him, and to love, praise, and adore him more. At times they are not half satisfied; they feel that they are so unmindful of his many, and wonderful mercies, so very ungrateful for his long-suffering, and forbearing kindness, that they long for the powers of their souls to be so sweetly and blessedly swallowed up in God, that they might be able to serve him sincerely, without hypo

It is true there may be the outward form kept up, in the observance of religious matters, but very little of its power enjoyed: half-heartedness is felt in all they do; their words in prayer are like icicles hanging on their lips, with a death-like coldness; and if the Lord the Spirit does not, in the riches of his grace, put forth his reviving power, they sink into a hardened state of mind like Ephraim; (Hosea iv. 17:) and like Samson, so that when they see what their nature's like, they will say with him in reference to Timnath 6 get it me, it pleaseth me well.' Oh, the desperate wickedness of the heart! for if the Lord does not prevent by his grace, like Samson, they will pursue after it until they obtain it, and lay asleep for a time, in the very lap of that which will deprive them of their strength; so that instead of their being as strong as a lion, trembling will take possession of their souls. The enemy has occasion to triumph; and terror pursues the transgressor. When the Holy Spirit arrests the guilty wanderer, sorrow fills the soul, darkness covers the mind. This, through rich mercy, is to bring them to judgment. In the Lord's time they are brought as prisoners before the Lord as their judge, in their miserable feelings; their trial will take

place in this world, in the body, and they ever; who hath declared, 'If I forget thee, will receive according to the things they let my right hand forget her cunning; who have done in the body; in their soul's exer- hath, and will ransack worlds, overturn cises. David suffered more in his soul's kingdoms, dethrone devils, upset all the terfeelings than Abraham; yet it was grace ritories of hell, in order that his children that preserved Abraham from doing as David shall be righted and made happy in himself. did. It is well when we are brought feel-O, yes; ingly to say 'I will bear the indignation of the Lord. The judgment of the righteous, in my opinion, is brought to a final close (as to affliction, punishment, or correction,) in this world. They are brought into the court of conscience under various and bitter feel

He'll sin, and death, and hell o`erthrow
And we stand still and see.

God's tried children are frequently wronged; at any rate I find it so. Wronged by the world, the flesh, the devil, sin, and self; in a word, I frequently find and feel myself ings of soul, with (like David) My wounds wrong altogether; and sometimes I am foolare corrupt, and stink through my foolish-ish enough to try some experiment to set ness;' or like Samson, they have the eyes of myself right: but, alas! I get more wrong; their evidences put out, so that they cannot try to make things better, but sad to say, I see the mind of God concerning themselves. make them worse. It is something like the Like Joseph to his brethren, the Lord speaks black man trying to wash himself white; the roughly to them in various dispensations both leopard to change its spots: at length, I am in providence and grace. brought in with David-' So foolish and ignorant am I, I am as a beast before thee.'

JAMES.

(To be concluded in our next.)

I have experienced many changes since I last saw you; as I make no doubt you have also; for this is the lot of God's elect;

Altogether Right, & Altogether Wrong. changes and difficulties, more or less, all the

MY DEAR CHRISTIAN BROTHER :-As God shall help me I will endeavour to write a few lines to you. The devil told me last week that all my correspondents were either dead, or they did not think me worthy of writing to; but, however, as in numberless instances, so in this also, I live in hopes, in due time, to prove him (that is the devil) a liar. I hardly know how I am to look upon my brother as a correspondent, having never received an epistle from him, unless I look upon you in this way; as sending your epistles or letters up to head quarters on my behalf; writing in secret before God; when no eye sees, when no God hears. In a certain sense, this, my brother is the best sort of writing. I feel thankful to the God of heaven, that I have no correspondents that plague my brains with the passing compliments and cant of the day, if I had, I should ever wish myself rid of them, as in other matters. Also in writing, I have proved that when God shuts no man can open, and when he opens no man can shut; oh, for the opening of the mouth therefore at this time, that my lips may shew forth his praise; that the heavens may drop down dew; that the voice of the blessed turtle may be heard; that the winter may be over and past; that you and I, my brother, may be made to sing the high praises of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light; who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; who hath blotted out our sins as a cloud, our transgressions as a thick cloud; who hath declared that he will not be wrath with us nor rebuke us, and that our sins and our iniquities he will remember no more for

journey; and as Hart words it—

The Christian man is seldom long at ease When one fright's gone, another doth him seize. But, blessed be God, there can be nothing start up to frighten us out of God's bosom, out of God's love, God's care, God's faithfulness, God's covenant, God's oath; nothing start up either from the world, the flesh, or the devil to frighten us out of God's favour; in his favour there is life, at his right hand, there is fulness of joy, and pleasures for ever more.' I feel to hope, in submission to God, that my brother is making good progress in the divine life; not getting more holy or more perfect in the flesh; this is not my meaning by progression; my meaning is this:-You are daily being made to feel your own emptiness, and Christ's fulness; your own poverty, and Christ's riches; your own nakedness, and Christ's righteousness to cover you; even that robe that is wove from the top throughout, and is without seam; this, my brother, is the only robe that will screen you from death, hell, and the devil, from yourself, the world, sin, sorrow, darkness, and dismay; you are daily feeling yourself in yourself lost; and yet saved in a triune Jehovah with an everlasting salvation. This is what I mean by going on in the divine life. I must confess that I do not travel along so fast as I could wish; therefore from necessity my cry is 'Draw me, then I will run after thee.' I find no going in God's ways comfortably, only as he is pleased to enlarge my heart, to bless me with light and life, power and liberty, unction and efficacy. No getting on without these. Your's to serve, I. SPENCER. Woodbridge, near Guildford.

Thirty-nine Questions to Unitarians.

(Continued from p. 161, Vol. III.) 18. If, (according to the Unitarian creed) Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, are but three names, answerable to three office-characters and assumed by one divine person only; does it not undeniably follow that, in the solemn ceremony of Christ's baptism, the great God of all, publicly sustained three distinct parts at one and the same time, before the creatures of his hand? Is not this a rather mysterious feature in the creed of your adoption, as great as any the Trinitarian one contains; which latter you entirely reject, chiefly for its mysteriousness? Admirable consistency! 19. If the Holy Ghost, (I write it with reluctance) be only the influence of God (as some of you say) and not a divine person, is it not absurd to apply personal pronouns to a mere quality; for instance, I might by the same rule apply them to the grace of God, and say He is present. Who? Grace. He has departed.' It is His to turn man to God. To Him we owe our conversion and salvation. Praise Him. But is this Scriptural? Is it sensible? If, then, every personal pronoun is repeatedly applied to the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures, what warrant have you for your blasphemies?

20. God the Son, in the days of his manifested humanity, frequently declared himself as sent of God the Father, and that God the Holy Spirit should testify of him. WE believe, and assert a trinity of persons in the Godhead, on the warrant of Scripture. It is for you to say, how the sender, the sent, and the testifier, are one person. Are the Three- three names borne by one person? Never will ye prove it.

Jehovah Tsidkenu.

Hail, Son of God! bright morning star, all hail !
I welcome thine approach, and with the angel choir
Thy praises sing. From heaven's empyrean seats
Thou didst come down, to gather rebels home.
Deep in eternal solitude, ere time began,
Thy Father contemplated rescuing men
By thy shed blood, from misery and death.
When the first Adam fell, the scheme of love
Was partially discover'd; and thro' successive years
New light was thrown upon redemption's plan.
At length the fire of prophecy went out,
And a portentous silence interven❜d.
Years rolled away, and men grew more corrupt;
All wander'd-all were hostile-all profane,
Until thy hallowed precursor was heard
Breaking the silence with his powerful voice,
Crying- Behold God's sacrificial Lamb !?
He comes to conquer sin, and set his people free.
Thousands, compelled by grace invincible,

His voice regarded, and in the Jordan's waves
Were by him plunged, whilst mercy's hands
Unloosed their chains and set the captives free.
Beyond the gates of doomed Jerusalem, thou didst go
forth,

power,

banished ones.

Bearing the ponderous cross, and on the rugged steep
Of Calvary, thy sheep were bought, and, by thy
An everlasting righteousness wrought out for all thy
There, Mercy Truth embraced! there, all God's at-
Like kindred drops together blended, and that debt
was paid,
Which fills with terror, each awakened soul.

tributes,

The middle wall fell down, and hell was vanquished !
Heaven opened wide its gates, whilst angels sung-
'Glory to God, on high, good will and peace to men,'
Since that momentous hour, millions of fallen men,
Though sunk amidst the mire and clay
of dark corruption's pit, have issued forth,
Led on by sovereign grace to that blest spot,
Where fears give place to hope, and woe to joy,
Joy, rich, unutterable, and full of glory.'
Through thy eternal love, myriads have reached the

goal,

And now are basking 'midst that glorious light,
Encircling the high throne of heaven's eternal King.
And the same grace which rescued them from sin,
Will rescue millions more, and lead them to the
skies.

Hail, glorious Saviour, fairest among ten thousand,
hail!
Come thou, and reign within my heart, control my

foes,

share

21. God the Father bore witness of God the Son with a voice from heaven; God the Son strongly asserted and proved his divinity when he said, 'If ye believe not Call me thy child, and wrap me in that glorious robe, that I AM, ye shall die in your sins;' In which arrayed, nor death, nor hell, I'll fear. Clothed in that spotless garment, I shall walk and God the Holy Ghost testified of the Undaunted through death's darksome vale, Godhead of God the Son when he inspired And gain that high abode, where angels dwell. the apostle to write of him these words-Wrapped in that hallowed robe, I'll smile to hear Thy throne (to the Son, he saith) O, God, The Archangel's trumpet;—and when ruin's ploughis for ever and for ever!' Does not there- Is driven o'er creation, I'll rejoice ; fore, the denial, on your part, of Christ's Soar 'bove the wreck of matter, and the crash of worlds, proper divinity, amount to a total denial To that sweet home on high, where through unendaltogether of the God of the Bible, and prove ing years, you to be in close affinity with the fool in the I shall extol thy love, and bending low Before thy throne, ascribe my exaltation Psalms, who saith in his heart, 'There is no To free electing love, and sovereign grace. God? J. H. Whilst I'm a pilgrim here, my heart establish In the truth. And when life's fitful fever ends, Place me amidst the sunlit bowers of heaven, Calmly to wait the breaking of that morn, When from the sepulchre my body shall emerge. 'Arrayed in glorious grace,' and with my soul, Free'd from corruption, spend a long eternity In sounding forth that all-controling grace, Which won my soul, and found for me a home,

Leicester.

(To be continued.)

"Frequently the Lord writes upon his people's hearts, a knowledge of Jesus as the way, before he writes upon their souls a sweet testimony that he is their way."-Sep. Sears.

Hull.

T. J. MESSER.

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