XII. John xvii. uttered; John xviii. 1.

XIII. Eight of the apostles left at the entrance (Matt. xxvi. 36). XIV. The other three left in the interior (Matt. xxv. 37).

XV. THE CUP OF WRATH GIVEN.

XVI. Entrance of Judas into the garden with armed attendants (John xviii. 3).

XVII. Jesu's discovery of himself (John xviii. 4).

XVIII. The guards thrown down (John xviii. 6).
XIX.

The traitor-kiss.

XX. Arrest of Jesus, and retreat of his disciples.

XXI. Jesus brought before Annas.

XXII. Jesus brought before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrim.
XXIII. The fall of Peter.

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Jesus! thou didst oftimes resort to Gethsemane with thy disciples, in the days of thy suffering-resort thither with me, now; that by faith, I may behold thee reeking under the wrath of offended justice. And whilst here, fill me with such ardent, affectionate glowing love to thee, for suffering, and to thy Father for giving thee, that all the waters of hell may never quench it.

Gethsemane! let thy silent walks and calm retreat, soothe my mind, and dispose me for meditation. A garden! 'twas here thy decreed fall took place. Oh! my soul, 'twas here thy super-recovery was accomplished. 'Twas here the first man sinned-'twas here the second man suffered; 'twas here where hell rejoiced; 'twas here where hell was conquered; 'twas here where enmity to God was contracted; 'twas here a oneness with God (John xvii. 21), was purchased.

A garden! 'twas here where even thy joys were forfeited-'twas here where they were regained.

And now, my soul, draw off thy thoughts from all sublunary things, and behold thy Saviour entering Gethsemane, surrounded with his little chosen band. He is pensive! musing o'er the enormous weight of suffering he must undergo, ere he repasses those portals. Remember, this was for thee, oh, my Lord! But hark! he speaks! "Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder," is his injunction to his disciples. And " pray "-ah, and suffer too; but they could not bear that. He now leaves eight of them, and goes to the interior of the garden. "And he took with him Peter, and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful, and very heavy." Now Jesus loves! Out of the multitude he chooses twelve; out of the twelve he chooses three; and out of the three, he chooses one. And he says to them, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; tarry ye here, and watch with me." But ah! how is thy sorrow increased? Oh, my Immanuel! It is a relief to "tell the tale of all our troubles;" to unbosom our woes to sympathizing friends; but Jesus, to whom couldst thou unbosom thyself? Thy disciples are finite creatures, and therefore cannot

comprehend thy sufferings. Well therefore, mayst thou say, "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Was ever sorrow like unto my sorrow?" We can but answer 66 no!" we cannot feel what thou felt. And so thou tellest thy disciples in general terms, "Thy soul is sorrowful." They heed not, for they know not why-they know not with what. They fall asleep. Sorrow restrained is sorrow increased.

And now he withdraws from them also, about a stone's cast: how exact the Evangelist seems-private prayer is most important, and when the time for that arrives, we should separate even from our bosom friends. And now, Jesus "fell on his face and prayed." Oh! my soul, my soul, look and love thy Jesus. See him there prostrate; the

hour he dreaded, arrived. But hark! he prays. Silence, all ye angels; be confounded, oh! ye devils, for Jesus prays! What a sight. -a bleeding Saviour! A God, incarnate that he may bleed! But what are the words? ye winds be hushed! "Oh, my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." Oh! who can tell what my Jesus is suffering? A Socinian's Christ-'tis nothing; an Arian's Christ-'tis not enough. The humanity bends beneath the load of God's wrath. None but a God could have borne the punishment inflicted by a God. But it is supported by the Godhead, or verily, how could it have been endnred? He prays also to the Father. What an intimate relation exists between the Father and the Son. Thus does our Father love us too. He loved us, and so he gave his Son. He loved us, and so it was not his will the cup should pass away. If it be possible, but it was not; and oh, my soul, bless God that it was not. There had ever been an intimate union between God, Christ, and his people: but this was in anticipation of the sufferings of Christ; and therefore, that this union. and oneness may be literally accomplished, the blood of man must be spilt, stamped with dignity by being joined to the nature of God. And therefore, oh, my soul, meet thy God in Christ; and oh, ever remember his smile can only come THAT way.

(To be continued.)

REPENTANCE.-Christ is as much the Author of repentance, as He is that of forgiveness of sins; He was "exalted" for the one even as for the other (Acts v. 81). Hence we must go to him for repentance as much as for pardon. Both are his own free gifts to his Church; and so far from our having true godly sorrow before we receive pardon, the latter precedes the former, for as it was not until Christ "turned and looked upon Peter," that he went out and wept bitterly," so it is not until we are brought to "look upon him whom we have pierced," that we shall " mourn, and be in bitterness" (Zech. xii. 10).—ED.

THE SAINTS.

That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ" (Eph, i. 12).

Ir is obvious from the first verse of this epistle, that it was addressed by Paul not only to the saints at Ephesus, but also to the faithful of every age and clime (Eph. i. 1). It is a catholic epistle, and sets forth the unspeakable blessedness of all the faithful in Christ, their living and exalted head (Eph. i. 2-12). Of saints in their collective capacity, it cannot be said that they are to the praise of the glory of any man. Indeed with the creation of saints, man has nothing whatever to do. They are the choice workmanship of God himself, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that they should walk in them (Eph. ii. 10). Accordingly God speaking of them by the mouth of the prophet Isaiah, says, "This people have I formed for myself" (Isa. xliii. 21). The law of their being is, that they shall show forth the praises of Him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light (1. Peter ii. 9).

Having enriched them with his choicest gifts, God expects and looks for more love and honour, for more prayers and praises from them than from all the world besides (Mal. i. 6; Peter ii. 5, 9).

Hence it is written, "Thou, O God, art praised in Sion; and unto thee shall the vow be performed in Jerusalem" (Ps. lxv. 1).†

Thy saints give thanks unto thee. They show the glory of thy kingdom and talk of thy power; that thy power, thy glory, and mightiness of thy kingdom: might be known unto men (Ps. cxlv. 10 -13). In perfect keeping with the tenour and spirit of the above Scripture passages, Paul prays that the glory of Jehovah may be preeminently displayed in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end, amen (Eph. iii. 21). God the Father takes pleasure in his people, and beautifies them with his salvation (Ps. cxlix. 4). He looks with truly paternal interest and affection upon themsees no iniquity in them, and is well pleased with the spiritual sacrifices, which they offer unto him through Jesus Christ. It is their blessed privilege to celebrate the high praises of God, in marvellous dealings with them (Ex. xv. 11; Micah vii. 18-20). Redemption is the glory of all God's works, the wonder of angels, and the admiration of saints (1 Peter i. 12; Rev. v. 9). To extol the mystery of redemption, as displaying every attribute of Jehovah with overpowering majesty and fulness, is the delightful employ of the church militant and triumphant. Believers are empty vessels, which grace glorifies itself by filling with all spiritual blessings, according to the good pleasure of

Jehovah's will. They show forth the praise of God's glory, by manifesting, in their daily walk, the spiritual gifts, with which he has enriched them. The apostle then speaks not of a mere man, but of God the Father, when he says, "That we (the saints), should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ." The saints trust in Christ, after that they hear the word of truth, the gospel of their salvation, according as it is written, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Eph. i. 13; Rom. x. 17). But the Father of glory trusted in him from all eternity. It was solely upon the faith of Immanuel's word plighted to him in the covenant transactions of eternity, that the Father accepted the persons of the Old Testament saints, and blessed them with all spiritual blessings. There can be no mercy for sinners, except through the intervention of a Mediator, whom the Lord himself accepts; and he can accept none in whom he has not perfect confidence (Col. i. 14; Job. xlii. 8). He confided implicitly in Christ, because he knew that he was every way competent to undertake the redemption of the church, inasmuch as he is his fellow (Zech. xiii. 7). Moreover he knew that Christ's heart was set upon the church, and that it would be his choicest delight to redeem her from all iniquity, and to present her to him at the last great day without spot or blemish (Prov. viii. 22, 23, 30, 31; John xiii. 1, 15, 9).

Accordingly he appointed him to be the Redeemer of his people; saying unto him, Thou art my servant, oh, Israel, in whom I will be glorified (Isa. xlix. 3). Blessed be his name! his confidence has not been misplaced. Christ has glorified him, by finishing the work which he gave him to do (John xvii. 4). The Church is redeemed. It is now Immanuel's purchased possession (Eph. i. 14). Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the Church by Jesus Christ, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (Eph. iii. 20, 21).

Harewood,
Oct. 13, 1846.

JOSHUA LAYCOCK.

PARDON.-Multitudes of the Lord's children are still kept in legal bonds, because they are wanting to bring to Christ their tears for the past, as well as their promises for the future. This is only another mode of striving to purchase-to pay for-pardon and God will never grant it upon such grounds; for it is a free gift-to be had " without money and without price."--ED.

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SIN NOT IMPUTED.

To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine.

MY DEAR FRIEND AND BROTHER IN THE LORD, WHO IS THE GREAT AND RESPONSIBLE HEAD OF HIS CHURCH,

I greet you in His name, and wish you all prosperity in the work to which the Lord hath called you. Hitherto he hath blessed you, and enabled you to make known the secrets of the heart, and so to administer comfort to the members of his Church, who are knit together in one body; being compacted together according to the effectual working in each member from, and in the Head, even Christ. I much admired and enjoyed your two admirable extracts from Crisp's Sermons. "Crispin " in his late letter to you mentions the fact, that Rowland Hill attacks these Sermons in his Village Dialogues, and calls them Antinomian.

One of Rowland Hill's pretended quotations from Crisp, consists of two passages wrested from their context, and taken from two different sermons; but yet put together by this author, as though they occurred together in one and the same sermon.. I must leave the religious world to settle the point, whether this is honest or not. If this plan of quotation were adopted, we might prove anything, even from the Holy Scriptures; for instance, on Rowland Hill's principle, I might say the following was a quotation from the Bible, "Judas went and hanged himself: go and do thou likewise."

However, the old proverb will always be found true, "Honesty is the best policy." I wish our friend "Crispin" could be induced to give us a few more of his neglected scraps.

I enclose you another extract from Crisp; it occurs in his second sermon "On Christ the Way," on which he especially dwells on his being the way from wrath. I conceive that obscurity on the doctrine of redemption, generally arises from incorrect, or inadequate views of the actual transfer of sins from the members of the Church as sinners, to Christ their Head and responsible Substitute.

The ministry of reconciliation committed unto those whom the Lord calls to preach his gospel, is this: God in Christ not imputing sin. And why not imputing it? but that it hath been imputed unto Christ, for "The Jehovah hath laid (or made too meet) on Him, the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah liii). The all here mentioned, appear clearly from the previous verse, to be those who eventually are the healed.