A Letter addressed to Frederick C. Dissassway. By James Osbourn. MY VERY DEAR SIR:-Your letter came safe to hand; and although you have said enough to convince me of there being some good thing in you towards the Lord God of Israel, yet I am led to wonder you should have been so very brief in the relation of the work of grace on your soul; for, to me, it is pretty evident from the little you have said about this matter, that there must be many valuable traces, and striking marks of the Spirit of grace having worked upon your soul in a saving way; and to say no more about them when so fair an opportunity was opened before you, looks to me like holding back more than is meet in a case of this nature. The good work of grace wrought in the soul by the Holy Spirit, is worth publishing at large upon the house tops. The royal Psalmist says 'All thy works shall praise thee, O, Lord, and thy saints shall bless thee; they shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of thy kingdom.' Ps. cxlv. 10, 11, 12. So ought the children of the Lord now to act, and not to keep his money hid in a napkin, or buried in the earth; for, it is well worth exhibiting, (if not to the world at large,) to the church in special. Think! and think soberly on this matter; and then, perhaps in your next letter you will judge it worth while to be a little more minute on this subject; especially, as you will know that a detailed account of divine grace in your soul, would be very acceptable to me. Bear this in mind, if you please; and should you again write to me, write without reserve, and also write at length. I am glad to find that my writings have been made so very beneficial to your soul, and to your poor neighbour's. Give God all the glory; for, to him all the glory belongs. I am also, exceedingly glad that your views of the gospel, and of the great scheme of salvation, are so clear, so sound, and so good. The Spirit, I hope, hath given you right apprehensions of these things; and I wish you may yet grow in grace, and in the saving knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, It likewise is apparent to my mind, that you stand in no need of information from me on the subject of human depravity; for, you know, and feel the truth of it, that man is depraved; not merely in part, but in whole; it is total depravity that we are under, and suffering from. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint; from the sole of the foot, even unto the head, there is no soundness in it; but wounds and bruises, and putrifying sores.' (Isa. i. 5, 6.) And besides all this it is said 'The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.' (Jer. xvii. 9.) And as this is the true state of the case and condition of man, he surely can have nothing to pride himself in, or to boast of; and yet there is a propensity in him to glory in his own doing powers; and this very propensity of his grows out of, or is, indeed, a part of depraved nature; and is one strong proof of his being depraved. This sad degenerate state of man, by nature, is very strikingly exemplified in the conduct and course which is pursued by the whole human family, while in nature's darkness; and in myself, as well as in other persons, it was exemplified to such great clearness, that the fact was indisputable. And, even to this day, if in me there are to be found any pure thoughts, good desires, holy longings, devout breathings, gracious affections, and heavenly emotions, they are from the Lord; for in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing.' I am vile; my heart is corrupt; all is out of order within; and with Paul I can say 'O wretched man that I am!' Under a sense of my sins within, and the foulness of my nature, and a proneness to wander from God, and to forget him, and to lose sight of his indulgent hand, I mourn and sigh, and none can bring me relief, but him who gave me natural and spiritual life. And here, sir, permit me to say, that some years back, the Lord, of his infinite mercy, was pleased to shew me that I was a sinner in his sight, and a foul transgressor of his law, and deserved to be punished. After this, he, in the compassion of his heart, pointed out to me where I might obtain relief without money and without price; for, that he had laid help upon one that was mighty. This was cheering news to me; for, before this gospel information reached my ears, my soul lay scorching and suffering under the just rebukes of God; and sensible was I at the same time, that nothing short of divine clemency could relieve me from the smart I was under, and the sore burden which oppressed me. The view I had of him who is the end of the law for righteousness, filled my soul with joy unspeakable, and full of glory; and in my high raptures I concluded, as did some of old, to follow him through good and evil report. It is good to be taught out of God's law, for thereby we learn something of ourselves— of our weakness-ignorance-and far-gone condition. Yes; the thunderbolts of Sinai wound deep; and he that feels them, and from them suffers much, is sure to set a high estimate on the balm in Gilead, and the good physician there. Your correspondent has been made more or less acquainted with the malady of sin, for I meet with troubles great and many, and very painful; and they seem to say to me-We are but the effects of sin. Corrupt nature in my heart yet puts forth itself at times under strong coloring; and struggle hard it does for mastery; and in the contest I suffer more or less: but still grace reigns, and reign it must and will; and that too, through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ, our Lord. That grace reigns is a source of encouragement to me in my saddest hours. Indeed, but for grace, my soul, in the midst of my trouble, would necessarily sink down to rise no more for ever. By grace, then, I am sustained, and of grace I make my boast. Join with me in this, sir, for I am pretty much alone, both in private life and in the ministry; and so, indeed, I would rather be, unless I had real good companions. Religion, merely in profession, is one thing, and the grace of God in the heart is another; and this point, people, in a general way, pass over unnoticed; thinking that if they put on, and can keep up an outside show of godliness, all these I wish to have nothing to do with; will be well with them. Such religionists as water; or, as Paul says-sounding brass, and for, to me, they are but as froth upon the tinkling cymbals. and with the remedy provided in the gospel. | sailing on a smooth sea; but it is not so; Under the load of sin and guilt he has suffered much, and in view of the mercy of God he has greatly rejoiced, and praised the Lord, and took courage. The endearments of Calvary have always come to me with increased delight; as the danger which sin has exposed my soul to has been opened to my view; and hence, after my escape from impending ruin, Calvary's mount, was to me, a sacred spot; and to the cross my soul would cling, and about it twine, as though virtue, peculiarly adapted to its case was contained in the same. And here, too, your Baltimore friend has fancied he has seen the Saviour of sinners in the midst of the Roman band with the sponge-the nails-the spear the crown of thorns-and the mocking soldiers; and at the sight of which, his soul has melted like wax; and having experienced an abundance of sorrow and joy, and of various dealings of God with me from time to time, and from all which have been helped to draw a favourable conclusion as to the standing of my soul before God; I have felt, and do yet feel, desirous of serving the Lord in the sanctuary through the residue of my days. To live to myself would be a waste of time, and to try merely to please men would be to insult him who hath said-I am God, and there is none else. And hence to live to myself I have no wish, and merely to please men I have no desire for; but, to serve my Maker, who hath done so much for my soul, is the anxiety of my mind; and rather than this anxiety should die within me, let me cease to be. Adieu to this world when in it I have nothing more to do for God. David says-'In God will I praise his word; in God have I put my trust.' (Ps. lvi. 4.) O my God, may this be my case, all through this mortal life! for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely. Christ's in the world, that is of no sort of worth or As there is an abundance of religion now benefit to any body, I would advise you to have nothing to do with it; and also that you be very cautious of what you receive for under reproach; and you see it is so now; gospel. cause has always been and he, who is enabled to embrace it by faith, will be sure to have reproach heaped upon him in some shape or form. Also, if you would be as a green olive tree, in your profession, you will have to be very circumspect in all your movements, and to endeavour to live near, and to walk humbly with It is my intention, dear sir, and the re- God, and closely to consult his word, and quest of many friends, to lay before the often to petition him at a throne of grace, church of Christ an account of the gracious and minutely to watch his hand towards you dealings of God with my soul, and the way in providence. Who is wise, and he shall which he hath led me these many years in understand these things? prudent, and he the wilderness; for methinks I should not shall know them? for the ways of the Lord hide them from our children, but shew to are right, and the just shall walk in them: the generations to come, the praises of the but the transgressors shall fall therein.' Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful (Hosea xiv. 9.) works that he hath done.' (Ps. lxxviii. 4.) The God of Israel hath wrought marvellously for me, and I hope a publication of it will be for his glory and honour. When I shall commence writing and preparing it for the press cannot say at present, for I am very busy in writing of other works, and in travelling and preaching. I should judge by your letter that you think I am almost or quite without trials and difficulties in the divine life, and am As far as it can comport with propriety, stand aloof from all carnal religionists, since their conversation on religious subjects will only tend to worry your mind, and confuse your judgment; they, not understanding the spirit of the gospel. Experimental christians, who know the Scriptures, and the power of God, and are alive in the ways of the Lord, will be the best companions for you to have; and a few of them will be sufficient for you, and especially if you make good use of them, Also, as the God of solation must flow into your troubled breast, providence has seen fit that the circle and afflicted conscience-then there must in which you move should be of a much be struggles for a long time between duty higher class than what is common for chris- and latent pride, concerning writing to a tians to move in, you, no doubt, will find person so low and inconsiderable as myselfsome snares peculiar to that situation; and, the trammels of ambition must give way, which will be very alluring, and entangling and pride retire to make room for duty to to your mind. I hope grace and strength do its office-a few lines must, forthwith be will be given you according to the day of posted off to Baltimore in Maryland-all trial. My soul feels for you, sir; but, I know these things attended to, the German gentlethat nothing is too hard for the Lord. My man must return to his native land, a sound wish is that your heart may be right with believer in the eternal Son of God! God, and daily under the tuition of the Holy Ghost; and, that you may be filled with such a degree of holy fervor, as may be honourable to so noble a cause, as is the one, in which, through grace, you have embarked; and, also, that you may live to the praise of the glory of his grace, who remembered us in our low estate, and whose mercy endureth for ever. I trust, likewise, that the Lord, our God, will fill your soul with divine faith, and your mouth with such arguments as that you shall plead with him so as to prevail. And, sir, there certainly is such a thing as living near to God, and having fellowship with him, and with his Son, Jesus Christ. Do, pray, try this manner of living; and you will find it to be gainful to your soul. I, also, must here intreat you to bear in mind, that real christianity consists in something more than the mere letter of truth, in the head; and an outside show. Yes; it consists in an experimental acquaintance with ourselves as sinners, lost and undone; and a knowledge of salvation by the remission of our sins. (Luke i.) Think these few things over in your mind, and preserve this letter from a premature grave, so that you may glance at it again, when on your own soil, whither it seems the whole family of you are going ere it be long. Many things wrought, and done, for, and in you, by Jehovah, the Spirit, within these two or three years past, will strongly tend to remind you of this Western Continent, when in Germany; and this epistle, also, will jog your memory, sometimes of where you have been, and with whom you have had to do. How mysterious, I say, are the footsteps of providence ! In my own instance I have found them to be so; and they are yet so. Well may it be said, in reference to our eternal God-Clouds and darkness are round about him. (Ps. xcvii. 2.) I now, sir, beg to take my leave of you, with a sincere desire for the promotion of your spiritual welfare all through this mortal life. I am, your's, very affectionately, JAMES OSBOURN. Baltimore, May, 1826. AN Smiting Kirjath-sepher. EXPLANATION OF MATT. VI. 23. "If, therefore, the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness." THIS is the second text proposed by your correspondent, A. B., and which I will endeavour to unfold, as the Lord may give me light and understanding. I am hard pressed for time, my daily labour occupying much of it, at this period of the year: consequently, my observations must be confined to spare limits. In the preceding chapter we have an account of the Lord's followers, or disciples; and, of his instructing them in many things, particularly against the errors of that day. Some, perhaps, may be curious to ask, 'how we are to know a disciple?' To which, I answer, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Christ says 'Every man that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.' (See John vi. 45, latter clause.) Now, it is very clear that the Lord's followers are in search for mercy; and, according to the Word, must be in great fear of being lost. This we may see by Peter's sermon, when the multitude cried out-Men and brethren what shall we do?' &c. While a man remains in a state of nature, he feels no concern about the state of his immortal soul: no! Examine the testimony of Paul, in his seventh chapter to the Romans, and particularly the ninth verse, which reads thus How vastly mysterious are the footsteps of providence! I must needs leave England and come to America to preach the gospel, and write and publish books; and most who hear the word from my mouth, and read my books, must be so left of God as to hate and condemn the preaching and the books-some few must be singled out to read them, and love them, and to feed on what is contained therein:-You, a blind Lutheran must leave Germany, and come, and live in this happy land long enough to peruse my works, volume after volume, till your mind is awakened to a deep sense of For, I was alive without the law, once; your ruined condition by nature; and still but, when the commandment came, sin reto read on till light, peace, and divine con-vived, and I died.' Paul was a great pro fessor at that time, but he had not been | more than this-that the Lord has left it on convinced of sin; but, when convinced, his sins and his presumption was brought to light and, he says, he despaired of all hope. 'For, sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.' (Rom. vii. 11.) The next account he gives us, is of his happy deliverance from his trouble, in the eighth chapter of Romans, and the second verse- For the law of the spirit of life, in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death.' Now, every person must know this teaching, in a degree, which Paul came up to, before they can be accounted a disciple, or a follower of our Lord; and, if a man take the office of a minister upon him, without this knowledge, he runs unsent, let him be whom he may, and that he will find out to his sorrow, in a dying hour. The Lord knew his people would have an abundance of enemies, through preaching the truth, and speaking of it before them who were destitute of this knowledge, therefore he taught them this, among many things, by way of establishment; and, so he does, by his Spirit to this day. See his sermon in the mount. (Matt. v.) There our Lord tells them they are the light of the world; but in the twentieth verse he particularly enforces-That except your righteousness shall exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall, in no case, enter into the kingdom of heaven. In the following chapter (the sixth,) he spake many encouraging words to them, that they might be on their guard, and keep in view the true teaching of the Spirit; and to try all other doctrines by it. Then he instructs them in the knowledge of prayer; and, in the 16th verse, he opens up the profane humility of the Pharisees, and shews that the whole of their doctrine was from satan, Ye are of your father, the devil, and the lusts of your father will ye do.' (John viii. 44.) record, to shew what his law is, and its effects, when, and where it is applied; the state men are brought to, by it; their happy deliverance therefrom; with the knowledge of their being in Christ Jesus through faith; and that from all their corruptions and temptations of satan, coupled with the ininsults of wicked professors, the Lord will deliver them, and land them safe in eternal glory. This light is from the Lord; and all other doctrines, in opposition to it, is darkness; whether we take those of former days, in the days of Christ's incarnation, such as that of the Pharisee, Saducee, Nicolaitan, who all judged themselves to have the greatest light; but the light which was in them was 'darkness.' And coming down to the present day, taking a glance at the high Church, the Arminian, the Unitarian, the Sabellian, and the greater part of professed Calvinists, they also judge themselves possessed of the greatest light; but, like the former, their great light is but darkness;' but, our Lord was shewing the dark state of the Pharisee, and acquainting his own people with it, that they might be on their guard, and shun the doctrine of devils. WILLIAM HARRIS, the Ploughman. Hailsham. WHAT THINGS ARE NECESSARY Spiritual Ministration of the Gospel. MY DEAR BROTHER IN THE LORD:-1, In the chapter at the head of my paper, our Lord is encouraging his ministers, and their followers, not to covet after earthly things, as the Scribes and Pharisees did; and then comes, immediately, to the words, 'If, therefore, the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness.' Here the Lord is unfolding to his people the rise of the doctrine of the Pharisees, and its not being of God; but the whole was from satan, for there are but two spirits: and so all doc- To Timothy, dearly beloved in the Lord, trines now, that differ from the true disci- Grace, mercy, and peace from God our pline of the Spirit of God, originate from Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord.' 'This the spirit of darkness, satan. The children is a true saying, if a man desire the office of God are said to be light in the Lord,' of a bishop he desireth a good thing.' because they receive it from the Spirit; and,Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in again, he is said, 'to take of the things of the latter times some shall depart from the Christ, and reveal it to his people.' The faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and meaning of the passage, I believe, is no doctrines of devils.' We live in these 6 latter times, perilous times, the professing | before a scoffing and infidel world, the church loves darkness rather than light, they apostate gentile professing church, and the are saying, prophecy unto us smooth things; spirit taught followers of the once crucified, men are lovers of their ownselves, the pas- but now risen and exalted Jesus. To enable tors have become brutish, and the people us to do this, we need-Secondly, - an have no spiritual understanding in divine absolute and humble dependance on the things, 'having the form of godliness, but power and ministry of the Holy Ghost: this denying the power thereof; from such turn will lead us to feel with Paul, when he said, away.' The word of the Lord by Paul to And who is sufficient for these things?' Timothy is a solemn word - (2 Tim. iv. 1, 5). And again, 'Not that we are sufficient of Three things are necessary to a spiritua! ourselves, to think anything as of ourselves; gospel ministry, an uncompromising deter- but our sufficiency is of God.' 'Then shall mination to contend earnestly for the faith we know and rejoice that we have this treaonce delivered to the saints;' an absolute sure of the gospel in earthen vessels, that dependance on the power and ministry of the excellency of the power may be of God, the Holy Ghost; and a deep solemnity of and not of us,' and then the inore we see mind under a consciousness of the divine and feel our own weakness, insufficiency and presence. infirmity, the more gladly shall we rather glory in our infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon us; rejoice in our weakness, for when we are weak, then are we strong; and bless God for a sense of insufficiency, knowing that our sufficiency is of the Lord. In this state of dependance, the Holy Spirit, our divine teacher and guide, who sat upon the disciples as cloven tongues of fire, will make our tongues in the ministry of the word as the pen of a ready writer, and the hearers who receive the word with power, the manifestly declared epistles of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart; and the man who is made alive by the power of the Holy Ghost to the responsibility of the ministerial work, will earnestly seek of the divine spirit. Thirdly, -Solemnity of mind under a consciousness of the divine presence. The church is God's Zion, God's city, and the name of it is Jehovah-shammah, 'The Lord is there;' as the place of his feet, the church is glorious. We go as God's servants, to deliver God's message in God's house to God's people. We profess to be ministers of Christ; commissioned by the Spirit to testify of the grace of God to the church of Christ, in his more immediate presence: For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there (says Jesus) am I in the midst of them.' First, an uncompromising determination to contend for the truth once delivered to the saints.' Faithfully, fearlessly and affectionately declaring the whole counsel of God, whether men will hear, or whether they will forbear; a separating the precious from the vile that we may be as God's mouth. In doctrine showing incorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that he which is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. The eternal, unchanging and unalterable love of God the Father to the church in his eternal purpose, which he purposed in himself from before the foundation of the world; his sovereign election of the church in Christ Jesus before time, his blessing them with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, and his gift of the Holy Spirit to convince, regenerate and sanctify them, to make them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. The surety-ship office and responsible engagements of our glorious Lord in an everlasting and well-ordered covenant of grace, his incarnation, sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension and intercession at the right hand of God, the relationship he bears, and the characters he sustains to the church by virtue of his covenant engagements with the Father, together with those endearing manifestations of grace, by which he calls forth the love of the church to himself, and proves the one-liness becometh the house of the Lord for ness of the church with himself, and gives her nearness of access to God by the full interest and all-prevailing plea of his name, person, blood and righteousness; and the almighty operations and invincible grace of God the Holy Ghost in the soul of a believer; revealing the love of the Father and the redemption of the Son, thus bringing the church to the 'knowledge of the mystery of God, and the Father, and of Christ,' is the grand basis of our most holy faith, that faith once delivered to the saints, and, for which we are called earnestly to contend, Ho ever, (whose house are we) For holy and reverend is his name.' Shall we then solemnly trifle and lightly sport after the fleshly inclinations of our carnal mind with the solemn truths of God's holy word? And that too in the presence of the divine majesty, professing to be solemnly engaged in the glorious ministration of the Spirit? God forbid. 'God is greatly to be feared in the assemblies of his saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.' On all the truths of God, the ministrations of the Spirit, and the worship of |