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GO~PEl.. MAGAZINE,-

VOL'. VIII.-N0: II.Of a THIRD'SERIES, for F,E'BR'~~RY 1823.

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"In Doctrine shewinguncorruptne,ss." ." Beware ye if the LeaVe?l qf'the -Pliarlsees, which ,is J{'l/pocr~sy.'

~6 THE GOSPEL MAGAZINE,

Permit m~ to ask you how you have fared the last year? Have:you lacked any good and prdmised thing? Have not the Lord beengood amidst all your sufferings, and do you not regret the want of

- a thankful 'heart more than anyone thing beside? H,ave not Jesusbeen,.,yout' frien~1 an,~ shepherd, though manrJoes and'ft)ars mayhmve been your~.pottlOn?' Remember, for yoU]! comfort, t l1at yourfoes, fears, and trials are- not the only livers, for .Jesus is, alive, andas ,he lives, YOll must live also. O! blessed be his dear name forpositive declarations relative to our salvation, it is 'not a may be,so as to hang upon a precariolls botto,m, but all must be as it wasso decreed, and as we are interested in his precious blood, our finalglorificati::m is rendered as absolute and certain as his own being,Have, yob :heen in the Jan of affii\?tio~, t~mp,tat!on. and trial, t~past year? If you have, remember Jesu s prayer for poor Peter, for·he ,lost nothing by the sieve but the chaff of pride, and self-confi­dence; and contrary to Satan's expectations' he was bettered, ratherthan i~jured, though no thanks to Satan, nor yet to his horriblecrime; but all glory' to rich and sovereign grace in reclaiming llndupholding him. Has the Lord the past year plout! hed up the abo­r,ninati9ps of your heart to your view more than ever? if so, thoughlike Man6ah, you may have concluded you must die, yet remem-

- bel', if the Lord had ~eant to have destroyed you, he would nothave shewn you the evils o~ YO\lr heart, the terrors of his law, northe riches of pardon and peace through the cross., The more theLord lessens you in your own eyes the better; but nature is fond ofpomp an~ glare? but ble~sed be ~od he has not designed to &ratifyoui peeVIsh nature, but IS s~vereIgnly pleased to put a curb.Ifl herjaws, if it was not so, where sllould we have been plunged into dur­ing the last y~ar. Rememl;>er .if the pruri!l1g knife ha;s been used in-a way of prOVIdence, or stnl'PHlg you of false hopes, JOys and plea'­sures, it is all as your gracious Father pleases. The operation mayhave been painful, but the consequence desiraqle; the Lord hasdone well in thus discovering your ignorance, and leading you morethan· ever to depe-nd upon him. Amopgall yam lamentations of'one cast; and another; have, you not _had seasons of ,joy, peace, and'tranquillity in communing with your dear friend .Jesus, under thepowerful attractions of the Spirit ot rich grace? though your old'foe Satan told you it would not be so, and though he, and 'his imps,ihave taken. their walkf\ in your heart, 'yet.has not Jesus often de­feated them? some humble souls think all is ;well, while the Spiritwarms their hearts, bllt as soon as darkness, hardness, and barren­'ness takes place, theyqu~stionall the work again; an~ SC\ta~ tellsthem it is all a cheat; they had better give it all fJP, and they a~.e

fooliSh enough to believe him, and as a liar often gets the most' cre-:dil, so the Lord?s people at times believe Satan,' before they will

".the word of God·, Cheer up desponding soqls, look over the oldwritings of the Lord's gracious visits to your squls,and cou,rageous­ly stand against the wiles of the enemy j a~d when he spreads:'You~,

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horrible list· of crimes befo~~your face, hold up the wonders of Im~mauel's cro~s,; and when hechecksyoll about you l' wickedriess tell him,€hrist is' your righteousness,. Satan often suggests that if CQr~st

was a ,tenant in my heart he would keep the house in better r~pair,

so t~a:t there wouJd,not be so many breali.ings out of sill and cor-~

~u;ption; , but! remember the leprous tenement must be, ,takendown by death before it is changed, raised, and purified. Perhaps,dear reader, you are very much employed i'lJ pouring over your ownvileness, ,deficiency, we<lkness, inconstancy and darkness, instead oftriumphin~( in the holiness, su fficiency, strength, constancy andgrace of your blesse,d Lord and Redeemer, which is an unprofitableemployrilent; for tht':l'e certainly' is more holiness, sufficiency,strengtll. and grace in the Head to save, than there is'vqeness, deti­-ciency, inconstancy,.and darkness, in the members to destroy: socheer up desponding soul, for in the Lord .Jehovah there is ever­l;1Sting: strength, though you have to regret yout daily arid hourlymisgivings. Q! I glory in these everlasting favours, and 'never-fail­i.~g promises, \yhich win bailie all the power of internal corruption"and thy force or bulwarks raised against them by men or, devils.­Jesus IS not a house to summer in mer~ly, but a house to winter inalso; for when the north wind ~ blow he proves a covert, yea, at all

, times, quite contrary to the lottery wheel of Arminianism, the mov­ing's of wl,ich leave its admi reI's in a state of uncerta.inty,'not knQW:~iug who shall gain a prize;* for the foundation of God standethsure: having this seaLthe Lord knowetb them ti'at are,bis; and letwhatever storm ,will arise to shake the confidence and try the faith'of the living stones, yet their rock and foundation is ever the same.Probably, dear reader, gi:ey hairs adorn your temples,· havingspelJtmany days in your Lord's honorable service, and I would have youkeep a j ubiLee ev~ry new year in commemoration of o/hat the Lordhas done for you. Only look back to the place where the Lordfoun,d you, which was in the mire aml 9lay; also call to, mind thecondition in "vhich you lay, dead in trespa~ses and sins; and thencall to mind what he did for you, which was this, he breathed uponyou, a\ld made you to live. O! wba,t a time of love was this, whenyour dear Lord passed by yOIl1 and covered your nakedness i ,a!1~ re~

n~ember how good he has been since. to up~lold, defend, comfortal~d sustflin you thus far in the wilderness; and above all rejoice ~n

that future prospect, which now lies before you, of entering in~o

rest, that when you' shall drop the sandals and lay.your staff by, thatJesus who has been your help thus far, will then be your song,andboast,for ever and, ever. You can call to. mind how' good th'e Lord'has been to you, in educating, clothing, and feeding yo;u in.a spiri­tyal sense, tor it was the Lord that taugh~,yciu what you was as a

"', "A Dwarf" glotie,~ in a certain and complete salvation, th:;1t stan'deth no~ inthe wisdom, willingness,. and obedience of men; but ,in the po\,{er of God, and isheartily glad that the page,s o~ the.Gospel M.agaziqe are not sta:in"c!l and di,.<lgracedby its fonductor.s, with such a' flimsy systen'l, as that of. Universaliim. .

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slnn~i:; and he it was,' that clothed you in evidence with the best'l"obe, which hides your nakedness, and proves a cov~ring to you,frqm the charges of sin, Satan, and th~ law; and ah:o, he hils fed.you w'ith the fines,t of the wheat, as you have been blest to eat hi~

flesh and drink his i:>lood by faith; and for your comfort rememberhe"~as Ii6~ thHs far brought you, and now will leave you; 0 no 1blessed be his name,- ' ,

Men may conspire, and devils roar,'1'0 bar US'fr')1Il "ur distant shore;But in fullltiumph w~ must r,is~,

To lake our mansions in Ihe skies.Christ has indemnified, the crew,Ho\vever feeble, faint and few; ­And all for whom he bled and died,

, . Shall fo.the world of glory ride.' ,

, 'Thu~ yve keep' a new yea~ in coinmem~!atiotiof'the faithfulness,love, goodness aIld mercy of our Lord. eVIdenced to us through thepast year; for it is the mefcies we have received that ket;lps us from

'_ fainting. Though our heart sins have, grieved us, and we increasl.ingly grow out of love with ourselves; yei Jesus, is incre;tsingly love~

ly unto us, and his promises-are increasingly precious. $ome maysay, I feel more vile than ever, corruptions more strong, and Satanmote sagacious, and my heart more foolish. 9! hbw I am betrayed ­and beguiled; well, this is the experience of the Lord's family; butwbata mt::i'cy, Satan may tempt, beguile, and betray, but he nevercan destroy: and though you are often cast down, yet you nevercan be finally destroyed. Thus believer, you may triumph over allyour 'opposers; for as you are nought. with Jesu's blood, the -time, isj'aSt hasteI)-ing when y6u will be fteedJrom every clog, fde, fear,and intmder, and be in the presence ofyour Lord and Saviour forever and ever. 'Vait patiently; your dear Lord will soon call youhome, to enter into an everlasting habitation, where,your happinesswill he complete. You may be like a tossed mariner, far fromshore and in the midst of trouble, but remember your pilot is wise,

-yoUt cable strong; and an entrance into harbour sure; and thoughhery at times you can see neither sun, moon, or stars, yet the bless..ed time will soon ~rrive when the borders Of time will no longeI~

confine your Spirit at a distance from your Father's bouse, ,,·hereall your present wishes'will be fully gratified in a ftiture world' ofblessedness. 'Fhen let time run its course, its speedy progress on-

, Iy tend to bring hetterdays. Trials may beset you, and beat hardupon yo';\-, yet they must be short; for man's pilgrimage from hisc'radle to his grave is ,but very short, and when we pass the arms ofdeath) and reach heaven, we shall evermore be freed Jrom woes ofevery kind; and feast on pleasm'es divine. Thus reader, I concludemy remarks, -Qegging the Lord"s blessing, sanction, and supportOl,lr few remaining days, while we are wilderness travellers bou'nd -to,our Father's hOlWe above, tQ whom be glory forever and ever.

RarfC$eJj; Hunts, Nov. 2:5, 1822. A DWARF.,

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M~N'S STRENGTH IS EQUAL '1'0' HIS D'UTY.

" (Continuedfr01n p~ 16.) .MAN'S ,strength' in his state of infJoCellcy in the first creation, wlls ,no doubt, equal to his' duty; he then not only c~uld', but did loveandserve God; he had both will and power in his'original nature tolovt;. and obey his, Creator, with all his heart, soul ana strength;but in, and since the fall, he has Jost all his will, and all his power,not 'a single atom ofeither is left to him; he has fallen from a state ofloveto God, to a stateof enmity against him, from a life of pure ob~di"::_

ence, to a life of sin and slavery; he is literally dead to tne call' of'God in his law, and to the voice of Christ in his gpspel. ~ence}

arises the necessity of the office of the H~ly Spirit to quicken man,who is, said to be dead in: trespasses and sins;, 'and to imparl: to him

, spiritual life? that?e riJ.ayari~e·to. G.od? and ser.ve h~m in rj.gh~eous­ness and true holmess. In pr9PQrtlOn to the hfe gwen WIll be theobedience; but man is so utterly depraved by the fall, that Withouta new life in his soul, proceeding from the Almighty influence ofthe Holy Spirit, he has not a heart to desire, or a hand to move to­wards God-without this Almighty energy, how' therefore can'he exercis,e, or ,be--exp~(;ted 'to produce that which is not in him,and cannot be attained' by him, that which is God's sovereign giftand special favor to bestow; nay, that, which to some he witnholds 'becapse he has decreed they shall never have it.-But we proceed'in our extracts from Lepsog's letter, filling the pages of the NewEvangelicat Magazine, to the disgrace of any publication, and tend-ing to subvert the gospel of phrist. , .

, Extract.-The reverse of man'sability, (namely, a nature, or \.villto do evil,) is the proper object of blame and censure in the crea­tures-sinners cannot do good, or believe in Christ, l:>ecause it' isopposite to their <;;arnal minds; they have no inclinatiob, will df di8-,position, to 'do so. "Th~s inability-or unwillingness is their wicked­ness, and their criminality is proportioned exactly to the degree oftheir inability. , '

AflS'wer.-I have nO,tseparated this extract, in order that thereader may obserVe its inconsistency, and mark how djrectJy the­.latter part' is atvari:lnce w:itb,the' former; -the writer first asserts,that man's evil will and ~vil-doings are the blame and cen§ure; andthen he declares that his il~ability to believe in Christ is his wicked­ness;. and that his criminality is proportioned to such' his inaqility.The'mind that could conceive and 'utter these things as his religi­ous creed, must be lost in the mazes of its own frcc"will and carnalimagination, not knowing what he s~ys, uor whereof he affirms;'there is no fixation or 'certainty, no truth or connection in his state-

- ments; he ereets one building which he declares shall stand, andimmediately sets, tip another against it which demolishes it; and allthis is visible to every body 'else who have eyes to see ~ut hi-\llself;su'ch Babel-builders are Without judgment or discernfi:\ent,unstablein the truth~ 'deceivers, and being deceived, blind gi&le's, ;yed a,nd'

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'flay teacber~,s~~f-righteous, self-sufficient,: they go about to estabJ'lisb another S"0spel; but which St. Paul says, is not another, tD thesubversion of the only true gospel of Chri,st., Suffice it to say here,.that the, positive commission of evil is the crime, and 11.0t the nega­tzvewant or absence of faith, which is not in the power,',or will"ofthe cr.eature to command, nor is (with humble confiden~e,be itsp'oken) in the power or will of God to give to those who are ex­Cluded from his purpose of election to salvatipn through the alonemerit!; of the Almighty Redeemel' and Saviour. , '.

,Extract,-If tbis, sense of the word, (cannot) precluded c,hoice,and left its subjects unable, or without /;ort;cr to act differently, it)would totally annihilate the existeilce of virtue and vice, and pu,t:an: eteJ;nal p~riod to praise and blame., and. place the angels in hea­ven, and, the devils in hell, upon the same level as respects obe~i...ence or disobedience: where there is no choice, there can ,be ll~ith~r .transgression nor,righteouspess. .'. " '. .

4nswer.-According to this" all men have power to act dlfferept­ly; , that is, they have power to resist the devil, and overcome sin;to believe in Christ and gain heaven. AnJ ~ yet this writer asserts,that sinners, canrwt do good, pr believe in Christ,oecause it is oppo··site to their carnal minds: he has left us in the dark ·how the sinner~Olmis by l\ power which he cannot, or does' not use; if however we·say, tlfe powel' is inher~nt, we.fl~ in th~ face of ~hose scriptu~elil.whichassel:t, that the heart liS' deceitful· above all thmgs, and elesperatelywicked: that there is none toat seek after God, none righte9us 01':good, no not one, and that the thoughts of man's heart are evil, on­ill ev,il,' and that continuaL~1J" or if we say,that tht' power is given,.but cannot be, used, and is not effectual, or is overcome by the'ob...stinacy of the carnal will, and the evil principles of the heart; tQiswould be to declare, that 'divine power and invincible grace are to,be overcome by sin, and the mighty will of the cFeature, which isso grossly absurd, that to call in the aid of'reason «;>1' revelation, torefute, would be trifling and useless. This author seems anxious toexplore a.nd reasOn upon what is .a hidden mystery, and. among thesecret., things that, belong to God; and' when any persons. attempt~his they make soi'ry work of it. It is no less than fighting againstGod, and raising. the puny arm.of the creature against the sovereignwill of the Creator. I would put one question to this ~ise and self­sufficient man that will pQzzle all his reason and skill 'to solve an~answer: it is this, How, or why is'it, that Adam's sin.is imputed toall his post()rity, and that they are brought into condcmnution forhis.,original offence? to which I might safely add another, that wouldequally baffle his wit and prudence; namely, How is it ,~hat Godimputes the r,ighteousness of Christ to the sinner, for bis justificati­on without works, and this without the least impeachment of his,own holiness and wisdom. As to the distinction between virtue andvice, it is obvlous that. morality hfts its own reward in this life, ,and,vice its own puni~hment; hence we see the gross \vickedness of some

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TIlE GOSPEL MAGAZINE. si..persons call,a()~n the just and immediate'judgments of Goil 'UpOllthem to mark his. displeasure of theil' cri.mes; 'thelr natural coo­sc;iencesare 'their accusers, alld do jointly charge their own sins onthemselves, inasri:lUch'as they know the evil they are doing and yetwilfl,llly commit it, although it is their duty to avoid it, as it is with­in their power to do; and this -is illustrated in'common We. 'A manis guilty of murder or ,any other' crime, the law 'condemns him forit, ami be suffers the punishment fixed ~pon it; he admits himselfguilty, that it was his own crime, and that he .could, or ought toh\lve avoided it; also that he freely and resolutely committed thedeed, and that his sentence is just: ,But what has all this to dq withreligion? Here is the distinction, a man maY,haveall morality with­out a grain of realfaith; t!'e gospel does Qot offer faith, or its bless..'ings, to the view or acceptance-the choice or,refusal of every, orany man, but the Holy Spirit in his covenant-office, and acc9rdingto the covenant-plan, gives faith to those fof whom it was specially,appointed, and prepares them by l:egeneration to receive it; ,nOl'doesthe gospel condemn any for not baving faith, or not exercising it;the want of it is no sin, although it 'is the evidence of an unrenewedstate. Christ did not come iuto the world" to condemn the world,they were already condemned, by the law, and their own consci­ences, but he came to redeem,and save his elect; 'his plood a,nd .righ­teousne~s cannot contain salvation and the curse too; nor rise in con­demnatiol;l of any, but they will tdmscendantly shine in the resc~e

'and justification of his chosen and beloved people. " , '.EXlrQct.-When I affirm that the sinner can believe, I wish to

c~nvey the id~a', that t~ere is po.tbin~ iI~ heay~n or eart?, to hin~eror preyent hIm, .but Ins own WIcked dISpositIOn; that 1Il the strict'and proper sense of the word, he wants no more power or strengththan he has, but only a will ~r iriclination. He has a price in h'is-hand'to get wisdom, but fool ~s he is, he has not heart to it; ,

Ahswf?r.-This is to mix the world and the church together, andphtCe all on the same footing in one indiscriminate chance for sal­vation ; the elect may lose their standing ill the divine decree, andthe non-elect may take their place. \\le have already sufficientlyshewn by the scriptures and by e;xpej:ience, that t'le sinner cannotbelieve; and although we do not know who are~ or are not includedin the secret purpose of electing. love, yet the fact is, that the ptir­poseof God, according to election must stand; and that those whoare ordained to eternal life shall be saved, and this not of works,but of Him that calleth; not"ing therefore in heaven or earth,'canlet" or ~ind~r .their ~alvatfon, 1101' separate them from tHe love.}~fGod, whICh IS 111 ChrJst .fesus our Lord; and as to the rest, that is;they which are the children of the fk,h, these are 110t, and cannotbe, the ,'children of God, for it is written,' " Jacob have Iloved,' butEsa~ have I hated; therefore hath he mercy on,'whom he willhav,mercy, and whom he wtll he hardeneth: what if God, willing: to shew 'Ms wrathan,d,·toJmake his power known, endured with much 10Tlg-;'

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sutf~ring tll~ 'tJess~ls ofwrqth:ft(ted f~ destructi~n., ~ow ~h9se whomypd hateth nei cap never l,ove, thope whom ,he, hard.ens he, can nev~J,"

shew;mercy to, a~ the vessels of wrath fitted to destrut.:tion, canpever pe vessels of mercy prepared unto glory:, what ~h~ll w9saythen, Jstheir unrighteousness ",ith~God?-God forbid. The non­e~l(ct'siJ.?-i~er,be he.wno hemay, is therefore" not only hindered) or pre­v'ente~ froIP believing in Cht;~sfs salvatio.n by his own wicked dispo':sitioJ;l, but by the irrevocable decrees of God, wpich have fixedandpral).irie4 his eterqal,destruction; for it is written, "when the Sonof 'Mall. shall' cQme in his glory, he will gather all nations beforehi111, and pe shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd di­videth his sheep from--the'goab; and he shall set the s/u:e-p on hisfigbt hand, but the goats on his left: then shall t/le king say un­.tq them on his right 1;Jalid, c9me .ye blessed of my Father, inherit theking40m prepared fm' youfrom thefound(ltion~f the world; and un­to t!l~m on the left hand, depart from me, ye cursed,into everlast­z'ng firep/'cpared for the devil and his angels." Then will the doc­trines 9f election and reprobation be opcn\y ~roclaimed before thewholy assell)bled wor\~ by the gre,at king ~n1~Juqge. Here the sin­Iler W;hoi~ calleQ.ftnd dist:;nguished by divi1lC grace, being over­powered -by the miraculous display of it in his sa!yation, ex~laims,." 7£!lfy in~ Lord, 'lohy me l " and the only reply to. be given to the_~Jl:clarpation ~s, because, ~t lS his Lord's good will and pleasure.­,Tqe uncalled and h<\-rdened 'simier, from the ignorance and enmityof his heart, may 'call ip question the justice and ~quity of the di- ';vine qecrees, reply against God, and resist.~is will~; and b~cause hisreason pau!1otdefine,or solve them, he exclal~s, how 01' wh.7J can thesethip,gs be? B.!l~ hear ~t, P~l;ll,.or the Spirit by, hilll, ~'Nay, 0 man!whR l\r;~tno\l tll~t replle!?t agamst God.? ('hall the thlOg .formed saytq<qim tllat fot'med jt, Why hast thol-J. triage me thus?" Shall ~nite

dust anq, ~shes atte~.pt to iJllpeach'the infjnite",:isdom, and holiness,o{lthe ,great Jehovah.T;he 091y apSwer to be, g~ven to this niply is,£qJ:so., it. seemed, .good in his s~gh~: c9Mequf1ntly, both saint andi>inr~r ,mBst .~wait tile gener~l. rl:l~l1trectiqn aqq finaJjudgP1en~ to'h,av,c :tlt<:jir ~:x:clam~tions. a~d rep}ie~ ;fulJy al~swered and ~atisfiedfrpfp. th~.mouth of the Almighty :SavIOur and JU'dge; when thy.for­rni'll' vviH ,~~wr to the sceptre of his ~ovel arig ~ th(daiter will hend toJh~ rpd of his wrath; and when. thejustice of God in both, shall ber~cogp~s~d. . . ' ,',.

. .fj:.~tr;ac(,-,-Fr~m PP~erYllt~on! ~',1~from m,y 0'Yne1'pe~ll')n<;y" ~ C9D­

C;lqq~~j witlW\lt ~ny maql1er of ~es.ita~~QlI, that'Gpfl, r~quir~s ~v.ery,w~n to whom hi!,! w,9rd .i1i ~ent, .~o belil'<~e,jt, an,d H~at :p'HW'S present.stHTf.gjh ill, e.lJ'l/al tp, the;performan<;e ,of th~,duty tP\l~ irnp~JiQusly .renuue~ of him. . • 'j" . • -..."1:1"",1. ~ <: _, v .l,,~""I ' .. , . \' I 'J.. ,'o

.i.fl~S'!I!er.I~.ltc.om:es to ~~is .~P~s~? ~pa~,F' hl1P'pQg,': ffo,rp 9is o./Jf~rf',~a.tipnlll»d;~fP'~r,W1JCf~AllAs \11S."CJlw~\~fr~pg~liJu]ly ~,q,l,\~l tq Pyliey,~i9e.hfis~ tP.' t,qp, ~al~!}t.ion :o~ qis sl?l,l;l;, and this is his c,?n.~ly,~j!?IJ pf.5h~~at~er, .~~ bait w,elghe~ h!JIlself 111 t{le b~l1l-Q.ees.~ lmt, Ul§~9 gf ~Clp"g

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found 'wanting, ,heba; a fuH and sufficieht measure of strength ~nd,subs#ltnce to '~riswer. eye!X d~and~.pon him'; ,he ,determines '~odshall not be I:hsappointed ill Ins reqUirements, because he has,trledan.d proved himself-equal to them aU; his faith does not StaIld in:tqepower of God. bVt ill his OWl) present strength: but know this, ,0man! 'that the security thou hast in thy present strength, is th(t de­viPs strong hold upon tfll~e, arid that .he is, an4- will be piIffin,g theeup in fly fnighty proui:l self.,·so long as thou canst do without God,until at length thy stature shall' be more Ithan equal to the perform..~nce of ti,e duty, and thou find it necessary to give the oVlerpluso(,t~r good,ness and merit to Him from 'Who~ t~ou re'c~i:ved it,. iia oj,.del' that It may be bp.stowed on others,f0~ SImIlar uses. Oh! H0~Y

Spiri~ arise, an.cI come quickly, and for jealou~y of thine hpI)0.~I:/ap" 'pear In the mCl:Jesty of thy power, and destroy fni>m thafa<le,Qf it4~

ea~th, all such" Lepsog" religion, and let Christ alone l)e e~!llted.:. . . ~ B~

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" THE LIVE OF WILLIAM TINDALI••

, " (Conti'nued/rom p. 38.)I'~ came to pass not lon~ after this, that then; .was a ,sltting.'pf.theBIshop's chanc~llor appomted, an,d not-Ice was gIven to the p;J;1est~,lpattend; amollgst whom Mr. Tindall waS ordered to befthepe~; apd

. whether he had any doubt in ,his mind, by their thteatenings;, 'Or

.knowledge given him, that they would :lay something t9 ;his c<hargeis uncertain: but certain this'is (as 'RC himself declare4,~ that hedoubted their privy accusations, so that he by the way, in going,thi­theI:, cried in his mind heartily to God, to give him strength tostand in the truth of his word. ' When the time came tor him to ap­pear before the chancellor, he threatened him, reviling and raili~

at him, as though be were a dog; alld laid to his cbai'ge many tllings. whereof no accuser could be brought, (as ,commonlytheirwaim~r,is

not to bring forth. tn.e accuser,) notwithstan~ing"the priests of thecountry at the same .tIme were there) Mr. Tmdall, after t.hese·,6X,­'amina:tions, escaping out of their Hands, retul"ned to his maste;r.

There lived not far off an old dOctor that had, been ,'3, chancellor·.before to a bishop, who 'was an .old acquaintance of Mr. TindaU:~s,and also fayored him; unto whom Mr. Tindall went, Cl,bd opened'his

:tniod upon many questions of the scripture, for to hi.m he was ,notafraid to disclose his heart. Unto whom, the doctor said, " do younot know that the Pope is very antichrist, wl~om the sctipture&peak_eth of;, but mind what ybl} say, f()r 'if. you are perceived to b(l,0ftoat opinion, it will cost',yOl1 your life."· ' " , " .

, He,' alsp said? "'I have b~en an offioer of his, out I h~v~ given; itup, and defy hIm and all hIS works." Not long after th)$,~-r. Tm­da~ll~appened ~b.~ in ,~he co~~any o~.a ce~tain ·~:ivj~e, ~ccP"1lnt~da lear,~e~ man, :;tnd'in cOtptnum.n~ and dIsputmg WJJ# Jri.m; drov:e hunto that IS~U{l' 'that'he burst 0111:' l~tb thtr~e blasphemous WQP~, .~d

Vdl;·IVIII.-1"<Jo. H.' ,1,1" ,','H .: t ,. .." " 1 ,.. . ' ..

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sa!d; ',',we,h~dbett,er be withou~God's law than the PORe's.'" Ml",Tmdall hearmg thIs, and full of godly zeal, and not likinO' thatblasph~mouse:xpression: said ,I " 1. defy the Pope, and all hislaws;and saId, that If God spared his life, before many years, he would'cause a: boy that driveth the plough, to know more of the scripturesthan he did." After this, the grudge of tlle papists, increasiI1O'm~.>r: and m?re agai~st him; .they never ceased ra,iling athim, andlaId ~any wlc~ed thmg,s ~o, hIS charge: saying, he was an heretic insophIstry, lOgIC? and dlvllllty; and moreover said,. he was kept by'the gentlemen 111 the country: but notwlthstand.mg, shortly,. heshould be otherwise dealt with." To whom Mr, Tindall answering~gain,thus: "th~t he should he cO~1t~nted ift'ley would bring him,mto any county III all England, g1Vlllg ten p~und,sa year to live,and bindin~ him no more than to teach children and to preach:" tobe short, Mr. Tindall being so molested, and vexed in the countyby the priests, was obliged to leave that county,and to seek anotherplace: and coming to Mr. Welsh, he desired him of his ~oodwill

.that he might depart; saying t~ him, " Sir, I perceive I shall notpe ~u{fered. to stay long here, neIther shall you he ..hIe, though youwould, to keep me out of the hapqs of the spirituality; and also,what 'displeasure might you have by keeping me: God kl10weth!for which I should he very sorry." So that, at last, Mr, TIndall,with the goodwill of his master, departed and came up to London,'and there preac~ed so.metime, according as he h~d done in the coun­try before, .\lnd espeCIally about the t~wn of Bnstow, a~ length hethought of Cuthbert Tonstal, then bIshop of London, and especi .ally for the great commendation of Erasmus, who in his Annotationspraised him for his learning; thus thought with himself, that if hemight attain u~to his servi~e l~e were a happy man;. ar~d so ~omi~gto sir Henry GI{ford, the k1pg s comptroller, and bnnllI?g' wlth~Iman oration of Socrates, whIch he had translated out of Greek ll1toEnglish, he desired him to sp~ak to th.e Bishop of Londo,n for him,which he did, and persuaded hIm to wnte a letter to the BIShop, andto 0'0 with him,' which he did, and delivered it to a servant of his,na~ed William Helslthwaite a man of his acqmlintance. But God,who seetb and disposeth the course of all things, saw that it was no.tbest for TindalPs purpose, nor for the people of his church; andtherefore gave him no favor in the Bishops's sight. His.ariswer wa&,that his house was full, and he had more than he could well keep:and 'advised him to seek about London, where he said he would notlose any service; ~nd so. h~ re~ained in London nearly .a ;year, be..,holding and watchmg. 'YIthm hImself the course of the world; espe-

. dally the demean O! the preachers, how they boasted, and set uptheir authority and kmgdom. '"

. Beholding 'also the pomIl of the prelates, ,WIth oth~r th.lllgS he dI~1not like, insomuch 1;hat he saw, that there was no room~ not only in

;the .Bishop's house, to ~ra!1s1ate the New T~stament, but tha~ ~he~e~as not a place to do It m all England: and therefore fjn~mg nq

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phtey' Murlmioth , a worthy alderman of the city of London,'and cer­taih other good menj he took his leave of the realm, and departedi11to Germany; where he being inflamed with a tender care and zealf0~ hJs 'country, did,not spaTe pains or diligence, now by all meansp6ssil?le; to bring, his brethren and countrymen of Enghuid to thesame'taste arid understanding of God's boly word ana trutJ., with\vhic'h the }jord had endued him. - I'

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To the Editor, I!! the Gospel Magazine,THE BELIEVER IN A !"INLESS S'I:ATE.

MR. EDITOR, .l'MAy'seem to you as one coming: out of due time: nevertheless, tcannot altogether satisfy myself to be silent concertiing " Dwarf's"animadversion upon a small IJiece of mine, in your Magazine forJun,e, last volume, p. 246. Sir, permit me to appeal to your deci­sion, if there be not a considerable difference in our views concern­ing the great things of salvation. I can assure you, if I am wrongin any·single point, I should be glad to be directed by thfivery least'ofan in my Father's house, to the truth as it is\n Jesus. For ilis thetruth I desire to love and to live in: and oh! that the truth may livein me forever. Therefore by your permission, I would attempt oncemore, a furtber.eIucidation ot, what I have advanced, and what o.ul'Correspomif)nt'stumbles at in what I have written. ,

"D\¥arf" charges "M. M." for siglii(ying ,that beiug born of.God, implied a Sillless stateJ this saying' of his,le.ads me~to con.ceivethat he does not as yet belIeve: that God's famIly are 111 a·smless,state; and what confirms me in this opinio~ is, hearing him in hiswriting saying, that rlo believer call commit the unpardonable sin:thus, according to his exposition, he confiiles.his views \Yholly tothe unpardonable sin, as the only sin that the believer can' commit.,Now if satisfied with this his view, why send forth such a question'for public consideration', if he was satisfied that it was the unpar­.donable sin only, that the believer could not commit. .But we ven~

. ture to say, that this blessed portion of the worq'contains more in itthan this; 1 John iii.' 9. "whosoever is born of G~d, cloth not com­'mitsin, for his seed remaineth ill him, and he cannot sin because, h~is born o£God" Our apostle in this chapter, says nothing cOl\!;>~rn7'iog the unpardonable sin. But is dwelling on the two estates, toatis our 'natural state, and spiritual state, with their diflerent fruits, assigns that 'we may judge for ourselves, to the,wbich we belong? .

Therefore; for tbe clearing 'up of what I'have advanced, and theobJeetion, namely, our being born of God implies a sinless state.

,Take three ideas :-first, that there is such a state for the peqple,of God. .

Sec~:mclly, where this sinless state is. to be found.

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~Jll the fi'fst Hlace, there is' a siQlessJ state, and th<tt-accQr,qiFlg tp ~b.0'scrIptures';, Israel 'possessing' the land of Canaan.~ ,th~y haq)i~standquietness, and perfectti.esj; with God here, tl).ose 'Q'f them ~tw"t be...lieved and lived upon God their Saviour,' as a covenant-maJting,covenant-performing, and! a cO,venant-prevai1ingGod. ~rbese thingijl

, shewed fo~r~\l unto: U/> the rest df rai.th, a.nd the perf~c~ness~f th~tnew <;:oh~_htltjnw:hlCh the soul enters'lllto, 10 the exerCISe of \aItn onthe fulness-oftbe incarnation of the Son of God. Througnthe agell-~y of the Holy Spirit, we 'also discover the great design of our God]s to gather to himself all things in one, and this he does by uniting

.our iouls to Christ, our regenerated head; "for our God bath notbeheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness/in Is·rael." -, This b.rings me to the second thing ~roposed,.which was to t<11­

-deavour to point' out where thissinless state is to ,be found.- I a1)1"'swe~ negatively, not in ourselves; oh! no, no, unclean! un<;lean IUll;-

, clean'! never more fit to come into th~ congregation of the righte;­ous in the flesh fmever. _0 1 we see the' heart is deceitful above all'things and desperately ,wic~ed. Who can know it.? man now is the~ost abominable of all creatUlfes<Upon the face of the earth,. HereI woul:d observe aspir,itual discernment of our lost and ruined cou­eUtion;will by no, means' close, our eyes upon our state in the faU,

'so- as to say We have no sin, as our c~rrespond~nthas suggested; wewould answer'such a charge as this with abhorrence, saying, Godforbid. And this b.r.ings'me to endeavour to answer th~ question

, pqsitively, "Vhere: this sinless state is to be found? .and in ord~rto dothIS, we must produce one whose nature and performances is ~jth-out< sin. .

'ANd here I wou~d say, there is none holy blilt the Lord; none 1,> utCnrist appointed, none but Chri~tengaged for us, none but Christ iswor.thy;' none but Christ is holy. True holiness consists ina pe~fect

coMorrnitytothe nature and will of God: here we haveitin our Christ;hol)';-'as 'he ishbly; righteous, as he is righteous: hisveryenemies beingwitness which of you accuseth me of sin; "great is' the Holy One oflsrael in the midst of thee, called the holiness which Jehovah loveth,Cal,,}ed th~ ho~ything that should be b~rn~fth,e. Virgin, called the ne~ I~man, which IS created after God, 111 nghteousness and Uue holl-

- net's:" it must be Christ that the apostle means, for he is speaking Idi~tii1otty of the two states, of putting off the one, and putting, 011

the other: the sam~ as in 'another.place, "put ye on the Lord .Jesus rChrist; and make no provision for the flesh. All;d as,tbat man of

.God, Mr. Sanders, writing to his wife, a little before he suffered,exhorting her to make a stand against the evil oftne times; by put­tij'lg on the new man, ~reated after God i~ righteousness' and tru~

holiness;, and lest she srnould mistake him, he adds, even our LordJesus Christ. And until our Correspondent comes. in the unity <!Ifthe faith, and of tlhe knowledge of the Soh of Ged~ unto a. perfect

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man, unto the, measure of t~e stature of the fu~llJe$S of Y~fist; h~

fiev~r;~~UbeJtkndly"with Ihe in: the faitl1,'nbr with hi~ best irit~r­e,~t. ',And t?~sbrings.'m~ t?; the" tqir(l ,po~W~m;-wh~c.nwM, tq'sge,w!ho\vwe attain ,unto t41s slllles~ .state. ,I al)swer, by theRo)Vc~f&l

operation ofGod the Holy 'Spir~t, exci~iI.lg faith ill QllrSouTs; Miere;oby we s~~ 'our sins, anf.!: our miserable, los,t, and ruined state" by,thefall: ana~lsotaking ofthe thingsofour Lord Jesus Christ, anel shewing'them unto us; that is, taking or revealing unto us the glory and dig­nity of the persl'mof Christ:, aIjd all the things bf the active and pas­siye capacity ofou-l: Lord, as bf;ing done fOf us, and also rriakin~

tbern our,s. Surely he hath lwrne our griefs, "and ~arried 091"$01''7rows," ,', h~ w,as, wounded for 01)1' tran,sgre~sions,,~e was bruised foriniquities, the chas:tisem,ent ,of our peace was upon him, and with his

, s~ripe~.we are,heal~d." 'l'bus, we view the fall upon Christ, aIld,n~t

'upon ours~lves,: thus invoH:ing himself with us in all th~ miseries.,ofth~ fall, taking all OlU prod~gality, sin, curse, and ,the wrath. of anilJ,cei1sed Diety. Thus, whef,l)le made. his soul an offeringJqr sin,he 'swallowed l,lpdeath 'in victory; and well might there be:mirth in .heaV'en,~or this thy brother was~"!f!.d, and is alive again; ,and was lost',apd ~s f~und. So now we are privileged by t~~ blesse'dteaching ofth'eSpirit to,know that w,e are buried with him by baptism into de~th, thl\t'thebody of sin might be destrQye~;ifdestroyed- it no IC)11gerexists.An,other separathlg privilege of the gospel, is freedom from ~in: fO,rif we have be-en planted together in ,the likeness of his death, weshall be also iil the likeness of his resurrection; And h<jw was that,wit~out sin? th~n, are :tl;e childrenfree also ; and tbis :is th~'sinl,eSs,state I meant, and our Correspondent; stumbles at. NQHo beljl1vet~at sin is put away by the body of Christ,!S to rernainin tHe fle~l:i.Here is the true gospel separation from sIn; I do not mean a,$ M,~.

Turner, in ~he flesh; but 'in the active and passive ;work (ilfviy"Lord, and also in his glorious resurrection:, w:ithout sin,for QuI: sal:­iatioQ: here theIl is tl;l1other g,ospe,l privil~ge, ~hel~~by ~y s01:\1 byf~ith, is miited'toChrist, !vho is ~he, resurrection and the life, a~qw46soever abideth in him sinneth not': or a~ "Cl1i'ist wa;; rais.ed upfrom the dead by the glory of the, Fatl:rer; eyen so, we aIM sh9uld_,yalk in newness, of life." Jhlls, Christ becoming .our life, w~ must,a,l§o walk il~him, as:ou,r 1V~sdom,r~ghteousliess, sanctification; andn;demptiol1lj and this is all that I mean bya sinless State: the uni,­011 that is formed by the p0wcr of t1,lelioly, Ghost,between thes,oul and Christ, whereby we.becomebomple~e,i:q hitp, perfect'illhim without spot, without blame ',before him in love: 'I rerpail~

your's in Christ. M. M.--'000--

To the Editor of the, Gospel ]}Iaguzine_ ' ," My DEAR SIR, . '.,' \

CONVINCED as I am that no §l'J.bject can afford so pleasillg and pro:"~table '3, theme t~ i:lebate upon, as t!le.love of J~sus to h}s.(k~r

'58 'T~jE'GOSPJn IIIAGAZINE.

~lood:"bougntpeopl'e;' I have vent~~re(),'t9' tl:an~mi,~ y,0!u, ~ f~w. r~fl.;~~~ ~tIons thereon, hastily collected while my thought~were,r1;lmmatlng jon the blessedness of those whose God is the Loi'd; I shall be gla:l1 "if you will give them an early insertion i~l tlie trrily)valuable pages II

of your Magazine: hoping they may: be edifying to"the,hollsenoldoffaith, 'and administer to the divine glory:' your"s in gdspelhol)(~S,

, ~ , . ., H. C.', ,

THE LOVE .oF CHRIS'l' TO HIS PE~PI.E.

TI.JE !?;lorious mystery of incarnate love is a theme immortal'! thedisplays of the riches of this love will be 'ever-telling, yet untold!Tobe interested therein is greater riches than the treasures ofEgypt!Its heights none can kn,ow-its depths' none.can fathom-it is afountai!l ever-flowing-an ocean without a shore-yea, H the loveof Christ surpasseth knowledge." Among'st men it is a ~agbaJii­

mOlls- exhibition of love for one to sacrifice his life for his frieMl: but'04! 'what superlative, what incomprehe'nsible love is that, whicllshonesoconspicuouslyitt the dear Redeemer, who gave his life a'ran:"~om (not for 'his fri.ends, fo~ then it co~ld ~10t be tenried Rur,ely di~-:,mterested,) but hiS enemies; "herem IS love, not that w~ lovedhim, but he hath first loved us ;"-here 1S an exhibitioh oflo"e wor­

,'thy of a God which,forms a three-fold 'cord, which carlno,t be brokenby all the-inveterate craft and subtlety of Satan, nor the'evil designsdf wicked men, though. both in league with hearts the'most deceit­'ful anti desperately wicked., It is to .me a most delightful thought'that divine love is everlasting-yea', as its source was before anworlds,.so its continuation shall increasingly be manifested through­clut the countless ages of eternity. How blessed the thought! and'wheil' applied by the Spirit of all grace with power to the heart, howravishing the coIt501ationthat Jesus, the ever-blessed Jesus, who is~lle, ~oun~ain of love, and ,the'a~thorand finisher. of'our ,glorious sal­vatIOn, WIll wear the crown, whIle the lambs of hIS fold, for whom hebled and'died, shall sparkle alike therein as his own most costly-:­niost precious jewels!, 011, what' unspeakable hon01' is this conferredon:'the worms-of the earth-:rebels against G'od-+-in whom dwellethtlle' leprosy of sin, which can only be eradicated when the Clayey ta­bei'rlacle i's levelled. with the dust. Well might the apostle of the

'Gebtiles exclaim, while regaled' with tlie sensible manifestiltions ofco'venant love; "oh! tpe d~pths of the riches b.ot? of the,wisdomand ~nowl~ge of God; how unsearchable are hIS Judgments~ andhis ways past finding Olit." Sweet and consoling is the truth to thesoul-humbled sensible sinner, despairing of all hope save" in thecross. That Jehovah foresaw nothing in his chosen to merit his re­gard and excite his compassion, consequently that he beholds no­thing in them, to condemn them-sin has lost his damning power,for Christ their Saviour died. In the Person of Jesus, justice and'lliercy have met, Zeah. xiii. 7.-peace and righteousness have em,'braced each other'; therefore, to those 'sin-burtheried souls who have

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tied to Jes,us fOf refuge ~':there is 'now no.,c9nd~mnation~'!. Herewe beholGl111L,the'attributes of God harmonize in,the complete sa}­v.ation- of his ,own. electv-the,violated law of God has all its honQr:~

rel'tored apd its requirements fulfilled, incensed. jU9tice no long~r~sks the siqner's blood, for Jesus shed his own, Behold our spouse

, going fprth.in pll,e' purposes of grace, from the cradle to the cross,an~ liistj'mate ifyou;can.,the ext.ent of love he bearethto his beJov,eddisciples-Oh, what a stupendol1s stoop of sovereign mercy! Wellmight the heavenly Host chaunt forth an hymn of praise at his in­carn;;ttion; and well may we be dissolved into nothingness, when weremember that. our sins were the cause of all the aggravated sufl'er-in gs he endured to redeem us from ,the lowest abyss of wretchednessand woe; for a small moment let contemplation take the wing,...:.­Be,hold the ever blessed .Jesus, the lovely Lamb of God as it \\;'ere'a lamb slain from the foundation of the world-he who knew no sinbecame our sacrifice .acceptable to God~Beh.old the beauteousbabe (n?t the offspri~lgof an earthly dia:d,~n, .the King of kings,inwealth Immensely nch; oh' condescendIng love!) a manger gave~lim birth! it was thus, by' partaking. of our meanness and poyer.ty, hechose to stain the boast of human pride and glory.'. Fo~low the help­l~ss infant through the ,tender years of childhood-mark well his wis'­doll). at an earlyag. e-still extend thy view from child_like fuerilitythrough its various stages to that of manhood, and you wiI behold,a II)an, 9f sorrows acquainted with grief; you will l,>ehold a life ofunsulli,ed ptp'jty-a righteousness wrought out by spotless obed~~

cnce, fully commensurate with all the demands of law and- justice,.and a con<,luct at once fln unparallelled transcript of divine purity.And,thisfor thee my soul; if thy hopes, like the pillars of heaven, ares9le~y built on this irremovable foundation. If thou beholdest thy:­selflaw-condemned, conscience,condemned "'and altogether deserv- ,hIg divine ',wrath; and if tl:~ou hast seen any, excellency in this,bleeding. sacrifice, wherefore thou shouldest desire him above \111,t4ings of an. earthly and transitory nature: ,well might God tl:\eFa­ther, beholding his e~ected choseI;!, in sodivine and beautepus a robepS this, exclaim; "thou art all fair my love, my qove" QlY unqe-:qled." , ." .. 9h! what unceasing 'l.·eason have w:€;\ to bless our covenant-keep­

ing God, that this salvation from its rise to its consummation', is allof grace-but to feel it, and to kno~ it'1~y happy experience, is afavor of. intrinsic value fraught with the ~ost exalted felicity, wordsare inadequate to express. Oh! llletqinks, how would salvatioil

'lose its saving sweetness, could \ye put think one good th,oug{lt to\ /ldd to our justifying righteollsness, and complete our salvatipn:we should not then have to sing of a~finished s,alvation by JesusChrist-this would be to divest him of his' crown, I bless the Lordsuch is our poverty, we cannot think a goodtho~ght, therefore hemus~ have all the glory. 1t is' the glory. of the. gospel, that the"p'eam& pf .salvation are all of richJ free, distirig;vishing" ~Il~ &Qve-

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reig;1 ,gl:ace, floWing freely' and abouilding richly in the SOli-W~~l):,:,e ~ a'do~e a ~11l~e'God in covenant, .who are ali'ke interestedIn Its nch dISpIay~: 'these are ,soul-humbhpg truths, but the more'they are knowd, felt, and lived upon in our experience, by preci­'ous faith, the more humbled 'shall we lie in the dust of'.a,basement;n;j~icii1g. in anticip~tio~lof uniting our notes of hallelujah with'theblest choIr above; smgmg' unto hIm that hath loved us, and wash.ed us in his' own most precious blood, &c. " ,, And, my dear Sir, whatever may be the high towering thoughts'of some professors who cherish the nature-pleasing doctrine of de.:.grees in glory so big with pride and se'nsual glory, I who am blackby nature, by sin and practice, as the tehts of ,Kedar, a Jerusalemsinner, and one who has to groan daily underneath the weight andstench of a complete body of sin and death, 1011ging for deliverance,am well satisfied with, yea, desire to glory in 'the righteousness ofJesus, in which arrayed I shall be like him; and who would nbtbe like our blessed Saviour? thus, may' I shine, and thus may mydeformity be hidden from view. I eXpect' no other-l desire,noother plan of salvation, therefore, cannot admit! allYthing 'grace haswrought in me, any ~roun,? why I should .glory· . -,, The flock of Chnst bemg all washed m the's'ame nch atomngblo';ld, 'and all"clatf in one perfect robe of righteoUSi)eSS will, in their

,beauty,' far transcend the sun in his noon-day splendour,-Thusblessed with untold glory, will they bask in the fun sun-shine oftheir Redeemer's presence, and all unite together whether a learn­'ed apostle of the gentiles, o~ a babe ill Christ, in 'one song,

O! for this love" let rocks and hills their ,lasting silence break. To'finish this gloriOUS work oflove,andmakea full ellp. of sin; it becamenecess~ry that OUl~ surety, .Jesus, should render toi'ustice his passive

'as: ~ell as ltctive obeel'ience.-Ah! we\! he k;new the agonizing painsl;1~; had shortly.to endure while' h~pH~si.aed·with his saints, at hislast most solemn banquet; but who can tell the intolerable agony'he sustained ulld~rneath the load of human 'guilt, which, aggravatedBeyond degree' by 'divine wiihdrawmetlts, e~torted from theJIl the

-dolo!"<>lis cry, eloi, elo!, lama 'sabaEthina; my God! my God! whyhast thou forsak~n me. The cross of Christ exhibits a scene of un-expected sufferin'g-:here the ju~t suffe!s for the unjust, su~taininga ponderous load of Imputed gUIlt, WhICh would have sunk a mil­lion worlds to hell. This was ~n agony alId bloody sweat indeed!

, and well might the ~oc'ks rend cthd the dead awake ; 'well might the,ve,Hof t~e ~empl~ r~nd ~n twain, and the earth agitated to its centre"reel to and fto; well mIght the moon be turned tp blQod and e,ffect'~more:than miuniglit darkness, while Goq, in ~urnan natu'r,e, wasexpiri1tg on,. ~ cr~ss, and that for rebels of'. the ,dust. ,

, I. '," , "Com~ snints and drop a 'tear or'two,O'er him who groari'd benbth your :load," 'Sic."

,":~U;t ;~~""" ~he:e~~li:ed )~avio1!1r liVes aftel. re~gns at:G60"s tight hand,-'interce8hi.g J01" IhIS' chosen; he poss'essesan unchangable prieSt-pood:-' ,

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I "HisJ'reciou,s blooe! which once aton'd,. ! • Now Imercedes before the throne." '.

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! I':l hi~ ther~for~ his brdqved people are all serene, f6r their li~es arehId wIth hIm 10 God. And oh! should the unwoi'thy wnter ben,uml;>el~,ed with those happy spirits .now ~cfore the throne, with the

,electiOn of grace, wbat ascnptJOns of praIse shall red,ound to Father,.Son, and Spirit, for the unequalled love which brought him there,for ,he is indeed a brand.plucked ant of.the bUi'nir1S-s! !

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THE PORTR1AT OF THE CHURCH; Tl\KEN FROi\l I,IFE ACCOllDING 1'0

THE STATEMENT OF HOLY SCRIPTURE. AFFECTIONATELY PRE'". SEN'i'ED TO'nlE WHOLE FAlIlTIN 0.11 GRACE, A~ THE STANI:),.'~RD OF(,HARACT'E~ OF THE LORD'S PEOPI,E,. IN THE PRESENT AWI"UJ, DAYo~' UEBURE AND BLASPHEMY, ' I

IT, is an OblCct of infinite concern, tb every redeemed, and regene-"rated child of GOD,_under divine teaching, to have always in 're­membrance, his hio'h connection, ann character. For from hencewe learn, that the present state of thr church, is neither her origi­l~al, nor her final state. She was chosen in CHRIST, before .the.fO~1T1dation of the world: and ,her being, and well-being, in CHRISTwill continue, when the world, and all that is in it, will be done~way. , Hence it is, both the privile.ge, and'the int~rest, of thechurch, to be tracing upon every occasion, her origin, and to en­joy her immunities up to their source, among the ancient settle-.ments of eternity. For as she -claims relation before all time; tohel" glorious head and husband: she is entitled thereby, hy virtueof?er union, and marriage, to dower. She te'tkes her LORD'S name.She hath interest in her LORD'S property. And she bears by rightthe arms of the family, in the election of grace, as registered in\he heraldry ot heaven. Thus en'clowed, i-t is. the common inter­est, and birth-right, of the whole church, and of every individualof CHRIST'S mystical body,. when called by sovereign gl:ace, to

.keep up, and preserve; from day to day, unceasing intercourse andcommunion, at the heavenly court. Every regenerated child ofGOD, should accustom hiimelf to connect in one, (as so many linksin the same chain,) pl'esenbnercies, with everlasting love. For asthere is not a ,;ingle instan'ce of the LORD'S manifestations here be­low, to any of his chos~n; but what brings with it the LOIlD~S to~ken as coming from his original purpose frem·above; it would al­ways tend to enhance the blessing, when the LOim's sign manuelwas seen, on the cover. I should lose the sweetest part of everygift of my LORD: were I to lose sight of the LOll D himself, in themercy. i Whereas, when I am enabled to behold the several streamflof favor, which flow in upon my soul, as issuing from the fountainof his everlasting love: 1 find a tenfold blessedi1ess in everyone.411 the comfortsoflhepl'esent time-state, are heightened by thiscOJ;lnection. They afford a joy unspeakable, and full of glory,,when known and ~eceived, as the result of ,divine pUl~p(')se, and

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grace, given to the church in CHRIST, before the world began.-'And in my apprehension, it forms the choicest of all memoran­dums, i,n the diary of life', when we can,a~ddo, mark down everyrenewed manifestation of th'e present, with the date of the past;a,nd in the mercies of time; behold the LORD'S unchanging cove­nant promises, from all eternity.

And what tends t,o magnify yet m0re, such marvellous grace, isthe freeness and the distinguishing nature of it. The LORD'S loveto his church, and the LORD'S choice of his church, hath no onecause whatever; b.ut his own sovereign will, and pleasure. Therecotlld be nothing out of GOD to prmnpt to such acts of marked fa­vor. And there could be nothing in man; to merit it. The LORD

is in himself, an ocean of blessedness, to which nothing carl' be'ad­ded; and fi'om which, nothing can be taken. The LORD hatH in­deed exp~essed this great truth himself, in language so infinitelysublime and decisive, as must challenge everlasting silence, in thehearing of it, from all his creatures. Behold, the nations are as a drop0/ a bucket, and are counted as the small dust if the balance.' Behold,he taketh up the isles as a ver.1J Httle thing. And Lebanon ~s not suffi-'.dent to burn: nor the beasts tlureif, su:.fficient fOl' a burnt r!f[efing.All nations before him, O1'e as nothing: and (h~y are counted to him.less than nothing, and vani~y, Isa. xl. 15. .'

But we must not stop here. For in our contemplation, of thisl:wparaUeled condescension in GOD, who needed nothing from hiscreatures, and to w;hom nothing could be given by any of his crea_tures'; we must further add, ~hat the scriptures have revealed illrebtion to himself. He is said to be, the king eternal, immortal,invzsiJble. Ele only hath immortali~lJ, dwellhlg in tlu:light whz~'h norimn can approach unto, 'whom no rI'lan !lath seen, nor can see. 1 Tim.i. 17.andvi. 16. And elsewhere we find the ~OHDmakiogproclama­tion of himself.. Tht~s saith the high and lofty ONE tlmt.inha&itetlteternity, whose name is ho1:Y. 1sa. lvii. 15.' And again: am I aGOD at hand saith the LORD; and not a GOD afar <!/f'? Can anyhide Mmse!fzn secret places, that I shall not see him saitlt the LORD?

- Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith the LORD'? Jer. xxiii. 23, 24.W'e ,refld, or hear of those wonderful perfections in .J EROVA H; andtheyimpress a certain somelVhat on the mind, of his infinite greatness.But what created powers can be competent to conceive, much lessdedare , what is contained ill such. attributes? Clnoely, none lessthan GOD himself, can explain; what eternity, immortality, invi­sibility, and an immeJ;lsity which fills all space, mean?' I pause forthe moment in this view of GOD'S glory, as m himself, to observe;how very blessed it is, and whata sure evidence ofgrace, when wecan, and do adore him, for the possession of such perfections, as

. we cannot apprehend, nor ever shall apprehend to all eter~ity.­For tl)is ~ not barely blessing Gtm,. fo~. th~ ~xercise of his good­ness to hlschurch; but for what he IS, 111 hlS own nature, and be-'iug, and ess~nce. We glorify the LORD that he is so grea~ a;

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Lpiu>, and so greatly to be:,praised; and of whom it may, ancLmust, 'be,siiid, according to holy scriptm:e, and without an hyperbole, hisgreatnf'Ss z"s unsearchahie; Psm. cxlv. 3. An d hath this great GoD, ~his

~IIflight.v.GOD;. th,is high ~l1ld lofty ONE, who only !lath im~orta:..,!;ity; and mha.bIteth etermty; condescended to choose to himself,a'church, from his creatures, and toput himself into cQven~nt.,rela"tiolls concerning them? I would ponder the thought for awhile insilence. .

But neither must. we stop here. For our astonishment is ye!:further excited, when we go on tQ the ,contemplation,. of what thescripture path both graciously, and clearly revealed; nam~ly, thatas tl~is high and lofty ONE, whJch is, and whz"eh was, al,ld 'lohich isto come; hath his being, distinguished from all his creatures, in aTrinity of PERSONS; ~o hath he, as 'graciously made hiOlSelfknQwnto his church', by special acts oflove, which clearly define eachPERSON, in the uriity o( the div'ine essence., Here opens to thespiritual apprehension, of every redeemed', and regenerated childof God, in the church ,of:our most glorious ~HRIST; such views ofdivine love; as passeth' knowledge. The personal acts of GOD theF A:rHER, oflove to the church in CURIST, are stated in all the partsof scr:ipture. The church not only p,riginated before all timein his choice of the church in CHRIST; but the FATHER. gave herto CHRIST: gifted her with eternal life in CHRIST; with grace inCHRIST; and with all spiritual blessings in CHRIST. The personalacts of GOD the SON, ili his love to his chur,ch, not only testified'

,... e8.ual gTace, but equally defined, distinction in person. .For hebe,tl:otlied her to himselffor ever. And hence the prophet In afterages, sung that love song, to ~he church: for thY ,nwka,z'.s Iili{l) !"us,..'hand: the LORD of Hostn's Ms name: an,d thy Redeemer, ,th~ Ho­J;Y ONE rif Tsme!: the GaD qfthe whole eaTth shall he be L'allr.d,I,sa, liv 5 And the personal acts of GOD the HOLY GHOST, inIlis rove 'to the church, gave equal proof, both of affection; andof power; and no less of his own eternal PERSON, and GOD,HEAD.

, For in the benignity qf his grace, he made the church 4is temple,~nd undertook to dwell therc, and to walk there. And what hathn?t.1.>eenso generally attended to, as the infinite iluportance; Qf the~u~Jectdemands, but \\;'hich, upon the p~esel~toccaslOn,I very ear,,;nestIy would recommend to be noticed, IS thIs; namely, that these ,~istilld ~cts" of ~l~e' HQLY THREE in ONE, do !lecessarily prove,rM~, ~-I5'J'riI6,u;~ doc.tr!11e of a Trihity ~f PEllS~NS III the ~ODHAED;~np ,that thIS Tnmty of PERSONS, IS essentlal to the very nature,a*~: be,ing 'of GOD,. /Let this point ~e duly considered" and i,ts~r?ghty p,a~ure 'Yill\~eas duly appreclatecl '. .

And wHat endears',the whole, to the church of our most glono,usCHM~T, in the)l,~lstanc,e of evei~y indi.vidllaI..o~~HR,lS'l'~SmY~ticlll~od;Y>,whenreg;'eIH~r*te'd,.anc;l 1:lrotightll1to spl.m~ual appr~henSlOn1i,~f ~h3;t tI~~'~pos~~e calls;.'tli,eXu?l:'a'ssurrance qjiunde~st~nd.'rtg, .. to t4~bclcrtl:Jwt~~~bu:~jt, lqf. ilz~'~w.~~~~iJ} (fl.~ O:j)i!~1td lql ~he f .471*~!1;,!q~dof CHRIST!; IS .tIns delrcIJh'i'fuh.:oninderiltwl1';', namely" thatl ]!~ 1$;Ht

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his person, in whom are hid all the treasures qf wisdom and know.ledge,; ,all manifestations of .J EHOV AH are made. , He is both thecovenan~, and' the messenge~ of th~ covenant,' to re:veal, and toaccomplIsh all the, vast desIgns which relate to the cnurc!,., By,

\rirtlle'of his compuurid nature, GOD, a]1d man, in one; he, and he.alol1e, is competent to the infinite wotk. An,d while both reasonand revelation· C'l11cur, in the scripture tes~iJD0ny;- tl 'at no manhath seen (;od at any time: from ,the same assurance, we learnthat t!leonly brgotten SON u:hich,is ill the 1I0soI/I (!j'IIIl:'}'./I.THER,lIe hath (lee/an'd· ki!ll; John i 18. And the HoJ,Y GHOST, byhis servants, hath shewn the .'competency, of our most gloriousCHR~ST, in his double nature, thus to do. For, as ill him dwell­eth all the tidtllf'sS qf the GodI'! EAD uodilll:, all manifes,tations in­dude both. Hence, the apostle John, speakir).g of th.tl/ dernallife whiph was with the l'ATHT<:R; and Was nou; mllll/les[t'd to the,ehuTc~; prefaceth~theaccount, with saying; it was that,. wMch wasfrom, l&e be{{i7i/;ing which ;J/'C have hell I'd; wlu'ch wy !lI/VI' seen withoUT.eyes, wh~c!l we have looked upon, and ou/' .hands II/Ivt handled·iftIle word ij life. 1 John i 12. The, SON of GOD by the assumpt~on

of ma'nhood, becomes the visible JEIiOVAH. He is tangible, touch­able, and capable of being looked upon: And thus that blessedscripture, which folds in his bosom,' and in. a single verse, the ,ac­count of the whole P.ERSON~ in the GODHEAD, is fully proved:

Jar GO'D 'i~'ho comlll~J1ded the light to shme uut qj daTklll'ss, hq/It shin­,'ed in our hea1'[s, to give tltr light qj the kl/l,JU:led!!,e Cll the glur,yqfGOD; in thej(jcc (1. JESUS,CHRIST .. 2 Cor. iv. 6. ," From these preliminary o.bservations, which are the sta~eJ!lent

of scripture, concerning the origin o(thiugs, on which. all is bot­tomed of revelation ;' it will be no difficult l,Ilatter to give ,tIle por­trl'lit Qf tl71' dw;,,'!J, taken frowlife, ac~ording to this standard.­And which in the first compartrnent'0f the pi~ture, will pre,sent alovely fprmindeed, when, (as th'e word of pOD e?\presses it) s4ecame' up to the divine view, choser( 1:11 (-'[:IRIST, Ilpl,y and WIthoutblame b~/ore him m love.'Eph. j:4.", " ., ;". ".;," The HO,I.y GllOST 'hath pel1Cllh:;d sOIl?e ,of t4e more pron:pneI)tfeatures of the chureh,.ill th,at ep1thalam£1inl, .01' love song, in w,nich

, the espousals 'of CHRIST, withc):lis·bride,a,.r~ figuratlvefY, butele­gantly set forth, Psm.'xLv , She i~ gescribed, ils <IlL /,101'ioiIS'w.it.h.­m; her .cl(;thill~,,is said to' b.e; 11/ wr'qught gp/d. . T)1e ni:eaning is,that she 'was, all pure, all holy, ,all~potlyss. She \f,ag .suph, ~s ~p.

.Ci"~,tST;' ',lEHO\' A'I:I 'could, and did., b~hol? witl,1 C,?\11p)~~enc:y a~1d, delight. " Chosen }n,.CHll1!>T, apd acjopted 111 C~lln~r :fln~ fl.~c~pt~d

in CH1UST; she was as CH RfsT saitLof h,er; /hou'~f.rt 11 IlJall ,rny, Ip:ce;ither1e' i!i;1i'o:spot 1;1I",thee., .B6ng i,v. ;7., : Jhis ,ipp.e fir'F vit1\f' pf .thechurch;! arid"as she 'was, ,in 't'l;IRlS,T;. i ,FPT it, is prop.er f) ob~e~'};e;

thatiI.t0t;n~1glin fthe:cbrrch,i.i~! .rr·,q.C!~,,~'~, :l.oy:e!y :',R,Y~ ,~~ ,she is, !l~~,.held:, Il').;:QHRo1SIV.1 ).~.EH9VA».,lI). hIS\T,r~IlI,ty of PEllisq~fi',Bll).l lJi~l(ptp,.\nothi'hg.~~velY, or.tb,be.,pl~a,fled: 'fith; qut as behe!d HU:;R.p~e;~tI?.Ii\'

. with himself, ,ry'he .cboic(:lJ,()f:the cn'\lI:d}-, anc1.tbe a,dQIlt,!On' ,(lth~\. I J ~l' I " l"'~.! ~., \. "11..' :1

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church, and ,the acceptation of the church, is, in tIle 'belov.~d.i. 6', , ," , ' ' , " ,

MOI'eover; the church's beauty,~and holiness, and glory; is notonly In 'CHRTST; ~ut for CHRIST. GOD the 'l:~THER so',speaks tothe church, when 'calling her' daughter, because ofher'marriag'ewith his SON" li.'earken, 0 daughter and consider; and inclzne .thzneear: .f()rget also thine own people, 'anel t1~y fathe1"'s hplise: so shall'th~ kz'l1,Sr /{l'catly desire thlf Ibeat/~y, for he is t~y LORD GOD, and'l1!O)'sln'p thou him. Psm xlv. 10,11. "\yhat a blessed testimony is'here given, by GOD the F,,'timR himself, to the GODHEAD o'fhisdear SON; and to the union of CHRIST with his church? '

And to add 110 more. What a plain and palpable, and incontro­~'ertible truth cloth the whole contain, in,this portrait 'of the church,as she w(~s before all time, Cl;nd as' she will again be to all eternity,when this 'tirhe'state is ovel',>that as she '~as, first presented toCHRIST~ in all thoseiewels of gmce, and holiness, ,and glory? soshe shall be, ,when CHRIST shall bring her home, and present her tohimself, a glorious church,'ndt,havin;( spot or wrinkle, or any sucht.hing, but that she shall he holy, and Wlj/lOlIt blcfliz'sh, Eph'. v. 27.

Such is the first view of th~ 'church, in our most !!'IOl'ious CHRIST,as she came .1,Jp at the comman~ o~ GOD before all worlds. And thisis the portrait, according to 'the statement of holy scripture, wqichthe HOJ,v Gl-IOS'r bath drawn: in this odginal compartment of thepictuPe!' .

To be continued.--000--'

ERRATTA.Page 9, line 25,/01' evidence, 1't!ad, credence",---- -- 40, for needy" r,ead, cheery.--,."10,-·, 3,for their, read,h,(·re. "

.-"-:'-'--' 27 ,'for ellt~U!lted; read, interested.'-'- I), -- 4. lifter burial" olM!. and. ' ,

,: ,--13;-,39,/01' aClually, read, actUal. " ,: .'"7'"7 ]5,,-:-:-- 4./01' Henc(' they are, read, Here they;are. ,-,-,-,--,- 6, for the purposes gf divinity, l~ead, purposes of diver~iIY:

, -'- '16;...::...· 2rl,for slacked read, slaked. . "--':":O()(lG-:_"-' " "I ,I,'

, ; CHRISTIAN RElIIEMIJR'ANCER. '. (Continued,Hom:p. 464, la'st"VoZume./"i SKELETOIV )nt1. " I

1 ". \ 41" , .,./ I' i' l' f'!' . ~ J .. "

.•Andit shall, come to'p~ss,in Ibat day, ,thai. Ih.e.'flrea,I.,tnl1,?'p~/ shall'be'blown, andthey shall, come, ,whICh \Vue ready to perISh III ,he lan'd 'ot AssyTJa, and ihe O\lt­'ca'sts in 'the land, df: E.;ypt, and, ,shall worship The' 'lord in the hoiv \!'ll'(lUn,t 'at iJeru-saleIJl.""--b~.'.X:,xJv,~lt.~I(l. '.. , I,' ; "I! :'1': ·,'i .h,,""THIS chapter,"~~ts forth the:happystate of thi:l'churcb. in' the lasttimes, tog-ether with Its /ruif/ulni ss under the care 'and protectionof.th~,Lor.d,as it d())es also; his affectionateregard for it·. ' It pointso:utlikeWiise,its peace, 'Prosperity and jlollri~bin.eHbonditi6n;!,as wellas the ruin and destruction I of: its etlerllies.;-;.i-It then informsJ:ns ofagreat ingathering 'of the LdrdJs people by/the" miI~.istry, 6:fthei'gbs~

pel; for it shall come to pass in that <lay".th~Uhe'g,i'<:at' 1rumpe~. '

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sh'l-U be blown, ;md they shall~ome,which wery ~eady'to peri~h inthe land'of'Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall'Yorship tpe Lprd in the poly mount at Jeru&alem.-HoweVEir, theseworqs~ay refer to ,the Lord's gathering in of his P!lople among theJews iil the lattp~days; yet we shall find them eqmdlyapplicabletq his people in these presept times.-Let us therefore enquire,

What we are to understand by the great trumpet.Take notice of what is said of it, namely, that it shall be blown:

and, .Attend to the blessed effe<;:ts thereof. \,With regard to the trumpet mentioned in my text, we ar~ doubt­

~ess to understand therehy the ever blessed gospel of Jesus Christ,c.alled a truQlpet in allusiop to those which were ordered by Moses,

. in Num~. x. 2. and whilih were emblematical of the gospel.:6\s ~o their make, for the Lord said unto Moses, ma~e thee two

ttumpets of si~ver, of a whole piece shalt thou make them; fromwhence we may learn the true nature of the gospel ofChrist, it isall of one uniform piece, that is,to say of~alvation, from/irs/.to last,by. free and sovereign grace. AgreeabJe to which idea the apostlesays, our word 'Cor, preaching) toward yQu, was not yea and nay; 2Co~. i. 18. that is, it was not sometimes, salvation by grace, and atpther times' salvation by works, they did not c0ntra~ict in one partof ~~eir discourses what they had ,asserted in the other; but as theybegan with salvation by grace, so also they ended with it, a,nd thusjt beeame all yea, to the glory of God.

But these trumpets were an emblem ,of the gospel also,As to their use; for the above-mentioned text in numbers informs

us, that they were used for the call£71g if the 'assernbl ~'-arid of thesame use also is the gospel of Christ, namely, to call,together thevarious cong-regations in the ~ifferent pla~es of worship; that theymay hear pointed out to them, th'e way of life and salvation by Je­sus Christ, tl\rough free and sovereign grace;' for whicq purpose,Christ commissioned his disciples to go into all the world and preachthe gospel to every'creature.; Mark xvi. 15. that is, i~ the presenceof all that would come to hear them. '

We .may obser1'e as these trumpets wer~ an emblem of the {(ospel,so also were thpse who were appointed to blow the.m, an emblem ofgospel ministers; for \ve are told" ~h,at. the sons of Aaron the pt'£estsshall blow with the trumpets, Num. x. 8: mid none else had a rightto do it.' So also we may.observe, that none but thQse wl10 are madeministers by the Lord, and are by him qualified and appointed fOl~

the work, have any right to blow the gospel trumpet'; and if t!leydq~, the Lord will address them with, who h'at.h, required this at yourhands,?' Is,a. i. .12.;, . I " .': •

But the t,li'urnpet in my text is called a g'l'eat one, all(~: wliich, alsois an:emblem of the gosp.el oJ ~'hrist!;, J not only becaI;1s.e?f its au~hor",Wb,01Si the greatt God; I Rom...1J. ,1. hut' a1s0, because,IbIS, '.,., :J\he{eJifeot ofi,g.reatlove; li.ljohn iv.. H)l 1.\' '" '

\:The prQdupe, of grea.J; ,wisdol1il,.1 Cor} i,) 24•.c i ~. il '\',

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It proclaims gre.at bless~ngs, Col. i. 1~-:-14. ,It IS attenq.edwIth great power, Acts 11. 4l.And produces great, effects on ,tbe mind, Acts xvii. 6.This leads me, .' , ,To take notice of' what is said of it. My text teVs u,s, it shall ,pe'

bloron, apd that too ih spite of all the oppusition with which it ,maymeet, either fi'om Satan, or from any of his servants.-This gospeltr~p1pet was blown, '

By the pruphets cif old, all of whom, more or less, pointed, or di-rected their hearers to Christ who was to come,

For pardon, Isa. xliii. 25.'For righteou,sness; Jer:xxiii. 6. 'For grace and glory. Psal. lxxxiv. 11.,It was blown likewise, ,By Christ hi-mserT, which appears clear from his own words,

w:here he says, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hathanoi1,1ted me to preach the gospel to the poor:; he hath sent meto heal the broken-hearted, to preach c\elivenln'ce to the cap­tive~, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them thatare b~uised, Lukeiv. 18. It was blown ,also,

By the apostles of Christ, whom he qua,li6ed and sent into theworld for that purPose, and of whom, it is said, that they went everywhere, preaching the-word. Acts viii. 4.-And, ,

Th~s gospel trumpet has been, and will be blown, by all the suc­ceeding ministers of the gospel, who are men ofknowle',!e, strength;'and courage: in consequence of which it is, that they are notasham~d to blow it puhlicly: for says th~ apostle, I have taught youpublicly, and from hOllse' to house. Acts xx, ~O. }-le not only dis­p'uted with Jews in the synagogue, but also in the public market.Acts xvii, 17. '.

And as they blew this trumpet publicl'l/, so also 'they blew it rntui­cally; there is a sweet harmony to be, discovered in 'the truths ofthe everlasting gospel, and whosoever embrace them, and set them:forth in a clear and experimental manner, will make such music inso doing, that the hearts of those, who are convinced of their lost

, stat,e, WIll dance for joy when they hear them: this is verified in thecase of the eunuch, of whom it is said, after he ha~'heard,~md em­braced the gospel as preached by Pbillip, he went on his way re- .joicing, Acts Viii. 39: Therefore <!od's minis~ers blow this trllIilpet '

Su'tcesifully. ThiS appears plam, not only frwn the case of 'Phi­lip' above-mentioned; but also from that ot\Peter, who, while hewas blowillf! this gospel trumpet, found no less than t!tree thousandpeople, 'who were pricked in the heart, and were added to thechurch the same day. Acts ii. 37-':1-1. And blessed be God, hisfaithfUl ministet"s in'these our days, do not labour in vain, nor spendtheir strength for noug-ht,-But this teads,me;"

To attend to ,the blessed effects of blowing this great tTlCmpet;- .and my text tells me,'· .' ,',. ,. ,

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They shall come who are ready to perlslt.-Now all. men by na­ture are in a perishing state and condition, but aI' men do not know,or feel it; but those \yha feel themselves in this state, are the per­sons to whom my text alludes.' And this is the case with all thosewho are quickened by the Spiri"t of God; for h,aving a sight' andsense of their sirffulness, both by natul'e and practice, and also. oftheir utter inability' to help themselves; they are apprehensive toattheir destruction is near: but says my text, tile!) shall come, that is,(under the guidance of the Spirit .of God) they shall come toChrist,

For righteousness, 1 Cor. i. 30.For pardon, 1 John.i. 7.For peace, John xiv, 2]. .And (or supplies of grace, Phil

iiv. 19.

But my text tells us moreover, ,That they shallwol'shtp the Lord, in tlte h;qty mount at Jerusa..

lem; that is, they shall join the church and pe.ople of GOdUpOliearth, with whom they shall worship God in Spirit and in truth, and

. shall partake of every blessin( of the gospel of peace.-And,~ ." They shal~ at last be brought to glory. For w'lom he calls, them

~e also justifies, aad whom he justifies, therrt be'also~lorifics, Rom.viii. 30. Tak.e encourl:!gement then, ye poor distressed and perish­ing sinners, for Christ came into the world to save such. 1 Tim. i. 15.

SKEbETOJV' XJ;,II." For I perceive that thou 'art in the gall of bitterness, and'in the bond of iniquity," _

" , ACT S V Ill. ,33. "IN thefourteenth verse of this chapter, we are informed, tha~ whenthe apostles who were at Jesusaleri:l, hea~d that Samaria had receivedthe word of G,od,they sent unto them Peter and Jolnl, who prayedwith the~:n, that they might receive the Holy Ghost, for which pilr­pose they abo laid their hands on them~andwhen Bimon saw thatthrough laying on of the apostle's hands, the Holy Ghost was giv­en, he offer~d them money, (we are told) saying, give lJle also thispower, that on whomsoever 1 lay hanos, he may receive the HolyGhost.-For which Peter sharply rep~oved bim, lJaying-, tby moneyperish with thee, because thou hast thought th~t the !!f/t qf God,may be purchased with money; adding, thou hast neither plirt norlot in this matter, for thine heart is n,ot right in the si4 ht ofGod­for (said ,'he in the words of my text) I pen:eive that (fw!: al't i(l thegallqf bitterness, am/in lhe bond if iniquity. '

In which words two things are necessary to pointo.ut, which are,This man's stale,-And, 'How it was perceived.As to the stale in which Simon was, is expre~scd by the' apostle

in these words-thou art in the gall cif bitterness, and in the-hand 0/"';niqui(iJ; signifying no doubt, that he W;1S in a stlde a/nature, and'under the. pow.er and dpminion of Sill, l).S appears by his covetousne,ss,amb#ion, and hypocrt'sy, ~hich led ,him to ma~e such an unh~<;p-rn7".

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.ing and ,um~arrantable request, in trying ~o procure the po~er ~fcommumcatmg" the Holy Ghost, on whomsoever he sl!ould Ia.y IllS

hands.-)3ut let it be ~b~erved, ' .That/a, state of nature:, is called by the apostle, a state of bztter~

ness, and this ('no doubt) il! allusion t9 DCj:ut. x.},,'xii. S<il. where theLo~d says, when sp'eaking of the wicke<;l, and of the fr uitJwhich theybrought forth, their 'V.ine is of the vin~ ~l Sodo I'n: , and (JJ thefiel~sifGomop'ah, their /!rajJe~ are grapes Qj gall, thelp. elusters are hz!ter,and in Jer. ii. 19. we are told, that it is an eviJ thing and blUer,that thoushouldest forsake the Lord thy~God.We·may obser~ealso, that the apostle Paul, when speaking of the wicked, says, t.hezrmouth is.full 11' cursing and bz'ttemess., Rom. iii. 14. and the psalm­ist also tells us, that the wicked whet their tongues like 'a:sword, andbend their bow's, ,to shoot th'eir arrows, e'Ven bilter words, Psalmlxiv. 3. _' _

Now leti~ be remembered brethren, that si9- is bitter; .To ,God, which evidently appears by the .bitter suffirings which

he inAicted on Christ, as his people's surety, who had all theiFiSinstransferred to his account" for the Father laid om ,christ, the iniqui- _ties ofthem all. Isa. liii. 6. So,bitter were the.sufferings of Christ 0)).

account .of the sins of his people, that he cried out, saying, rn31 soutis ezoceeding sor.rowful, even unto death, Matt. xxvi. 3.~. In,.short,.~le endmed the whole of God's wrath which they had deserved~ inotder that ,they. might be delivered from wrath. to come; 1 ·.Thess..i, 10. and thus did Jesus taste the bitterness of sin. Butsin is bit:. .ter also; .', . .. '., -. To 'every 'good man, .whicll is found to be so, uncler .their first

awakenings by the Spirit of God; it causes them mu'ch bittel" re­morse (;>11 the account ther~0f, t~e~ llke Pet~r of o~d,f~eqli~nf1yweep hilted!!, under the gl1llt of It, Matt. XXVi. 75. and have manybitter ,xeAections pass' through their minds, when they tHin)" q(thiirb,ase conduct in sinning against so ,good, .and gracious a. God ..:.....:.Their'ill-:bred corruptjons,. as well as. outward a~ts of sin; wiUoefound In'/"r' to them, all the while they are in his world; ·amtUllder1\1hich, they will be brought to lament bitter(y with the ap6s~]~,~ay­iug:, 0 wretched man that I am I who shall deliver'me from thebody of this death? ROI'n. vii; 2'1.-Butsin will be found bittel' Hke-wise. , , ' ,.

to the l~mpt:niten't{1jwick~d, for sucll 'fil~nav~ to endure the bit- .ter wruth of God for ev.er, 111 that place "rh-ere .he worm dieth not,and, the firp i~ not quenched, Mark ix... 44-. w: ere the' smoke oftheIr torment ascende~hup f<,>r ever a.nd ever, and where they willhave no rest day nor mght. Rom. XVi. 11. From these consid~ra

tio~s, the bitterness of sin mary i.ri some measure be discovered ". B;ut tpis m4nf Slitate ~s farth~r described, by his being in thf:'bol;d

fJ/ ~jwit'y.-::-Agree~ble to ~pich i~ea, the ~ise man when ~peak~­lug .Qf.tP~ ,~lckedl says, heJl~'haltr~"..ho,(dQ,l 'It)zth the cords of hzs.sins ..

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Prov. v. 22. From whence we may ~ee, t~at this bond·of iniquityis a very strong one, so strong indeed is this bond, t!Jat none canloose him~~lf from it-and as it is a strong bon~, so also it is a re­proacliful 'one, for the wise nlan tells us, that "in is (J rrproach toany people, Pray. xiv. 34. and as it is a reproacHful bond, so also itis an unprofitable one; for much may be lost by it:, but nothing canbe gflined thereby. This then was the state of Simon, and this toois the state of eve~ man, who (as·Simon was) is destitute of the

, grace of God.":-,But let us.procecd to point out,How it was percdved.'--Under which head we may observe, 'That our Lor,d lays 'down a rule, whereby this matter may be

detennined, where 'he says, the tTee is !cl/own kv its./iuit -And al­so, where he informs us, that an' ~vil man out of the /'vill rt''a.wre 0/his heart, bringethforth eVil thinKs; Matt. xiI. 3i, 35. ther'efore,if the gen~ral deportment of a man be evil or sinful, it proves clear:­Iy, that he is an evil man, and that the treasure of his heart is eVilalso, But to be more particular', a manJs state may be perceived,

,or discerned. 'By'; his ignorance 0/ divl:ne things. This no doubt was what the

apostle iJdged by, respecting the state of Simon,. and which hemight do, \Yith some degree of certainty, for' had not Simon lleen-a:' yV.'an 'Ignorant of divine things, he would never have offered topur~~ase the gift of God with money; and equally as ignoraI}t,are .aU'those,'who think of procuring the favour of God, and the/6t~erblessings whi'ch they want at the price of their own doings. ~ut aman's state may be pe~ceived, 01' di.scovered moreover, .', 1:.

By the ,compam/ WlzlCb he keeps, If a man therefore turn hIS hack'upon God's people, and habitually associate with tqe men of theworld, who are enemies tq God.; it plainly' proves, tbat'his mind is~a~nal, and that he is in the state 111entioned in my text; namely, in

.the gap of bitterness; and in the bond bf iniquity;, forrere it: notso, he would come out from among the 'unconverted'part of the

',world, and associate with'the people of God, with 'profi't:, ple,asure,and delight,-This 'man's slate may be perceived' a~so, " •

By'th'e books which h~ reads-for alt'longh ,the 'christian clm say"vVlthi'David, thy words are sweeter to me than honey to mY'lnouto,Psm. cxix. 103. yet the man who is in the gall of hiUf'I'JII'SS and inthe b,ond cif iniquit'l/, fjnds much more d~lightin' reading of plays.

"novI:)1s; ,0r bo6kli1of"obscenity,' than he does in reading: or searching.,th'~. scriptu~e~~~c'c;.~rditJg to Christ's com~'and,. wh~;ha~, cx~ressly"saId, search thf' ,;crzplw'cs. John v. 39. But thIS ;''0 I'na' ''1!/Jn s state'jmiy b~ ,perc~~\'ed 'likewise, by men' of spiritual un{l'erstamling, '.1 By his p/cuJs Hf resort; therefore, if you want a mah :of the' abovedesb-iptiori; you m'ay ~nd'him at,a play-bouse, at a hdrse~~ace, at a

l'b'all/ol" l:\11 iass~mbly; at a ca.i-d; rapt; at tpe ple'asure g'ardens~ o~, som.~other·place of diversior(' anti sinful amusement; but let it be

remembered, that those who 'delight in these places'at~,in the gallof bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity ; as'in short,l are all those

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whd are notb6rn agaln, ,and if they continue to live after thtt flesh,they shall die 'eternally. Rom. viii. 13.' ,',

',.:' i,~'::' SI{ELETON XL.IV~ , ,I will hiss.forthem, and gather them: for I have redeemed them; ZECH. x. 8.

'~Hrs chapter contains a prophecy of the cbnversidn of the Jews intne latter day, after the fullness of the gen,tiles is brought in'---'in the

, verses that precede my text, the vanity of idols and of idolaters' is,exposed~theY,~hen inform us of God's anger against the sheph~rds,and. of punishment being inflicted upon the goats-then follows alla,ccount of, his gracious visitation' of the people of the .Jews, fromwhom the Messiah 'sprang-after which we find various promises re­lative to them, and 'in the wdrds of my text it is said-I will hiss foi'them; and gather them:' for I have redeemed them. By il",verting't~e' or~er of the wotds, three things present themselves for ~)Ur 'cbn-s,lderatlOn. ' ' "'",

The persons-:-the redeemed. ,The pi OlllSle- I 'will gather them, 'and "

, THe mean to be made use of-I will hiss for them. " ('Vith ~egard to the 'pasons mentioned in my text, they ate 'the re...

deemed of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that too, in consequence 'ofGod's everlasting love towards them, for had they not been loved'ofthe Father,they would never' have been given to .Christ, in order1tobe redeemed by ,him. --'Now be it remembeted; brethl'en, thatChrjsthath redeemed, or deliveredall his people, ,,"" !

, From the 11I'w's curse., this, is a g lorioris tl~uth, not only believed bythe apostle Paul, but also expre~sed by' him, his words ar~, Christ!lath rede.eined us (his people)jmm the curse a/the law;bezng made~ curse/or us; Gal. iii. 13. Mark, my. brethr~n, the apostle tellst,he churches at Galatia, tb,at Chtist had redeemed, or delivered:ihem from the curse ofthe law-and he tells them also, how this 'was done, namely, by being made a curse for. them, and if ChristJ by

: being made a curse for his people, hath delivered them from 'thecurse of the law: it is utterly impossible that ,the, curse of the lawshould ever fall upon them, £.01' if it were not so; wherein wouldappear the deliverance, of which tpe apostle speai\s in the above­mentiOlied text1- But as Christ has delivered his people from thelaw's curse, so also hath he delivered'them, ' '

From IIlll11.ilJlli{y. This may be gathered f!'om the sam~ apostle';,writing, where he says, (Christ) gave himselffor us, (that is, God'select, as mentioned in the fi'rst verse of this epistle), that he mio-ht'redeem us (the elect) from all £l/iqlli~'lJ, and purify unto himself apeculiar people, zealous of good works. Tit, ii. 14.. How clearly,my brethren, has the apostle expresse~ himself in this text; he tells'us first, tllat Chr£st gave /till/self jor us-he then informs us, what' I

Chr~st gave himself for, namely, to redeem Us .from all iniquity;that· is', from the punislupent, both of original, and ,actual transgres'­sion; ~nd'to purify unto Iui~Mella peculiar people, ('mark the expres­sion brethi:eri,) Christ did not give himself to'redeem ana purify 1111-

72 . THE GOSPEL MAGAZINE.

to hi~self all 'people; bu~ t9,;.ecleenland p.urify unt~ hims.elf apecu~liar peopte-after'which work of purification, they becoine zeakU$cif (or for) good works. So that upon t.he whole we may observe,that Christ first redeems, or deliverl> his people from the punishmentof'sill , and then purifies them by his Spiri~, an.cl that makes tqe/llzr:alous of gpod works. Therefore no man is qehvered frompumsh­ment beca~s9 l\c IS purified, or sanctified, and becomes zealous of.good works, but he is sanctified and becoql.e zealous ot' goodvyorks, becaus,e he is ,redeemed by Christ.-But we are toldmoreover by this same apostle, in 1 Thess. i. 10,. .

That Christ hath del~vered US; (that is, the elect, as in verse the4th oft.his epistle, )./1'0'111. wrath to come; and tl!.erefore it is irqpos­sible that any of his people should suffer the '{Q;ralh cifiGod, whichis d.ue for sin; for the' apostle tells us in plain words, and in the mostunequivocal manner, that Qhrist hath delivered them fi'om it: and inshort; this redemption is a redemption, or deliverance out of thelIand of all our enemie$, that we might serve him without feal;, (or,dread) en holiness and righteousness before him, all the days bf ourlife, t-l1ke i. '71'-75. From which passage we may learn, that mendo not serve God in (holiness and righteousness, in order to be deli­v~red from the' hand of their 'epeqlie's; but they are first deliveredout of the hand of their enemies, and then are enabled to serve Godin h(,Jliness and righteousness before him~"as above observe~.-Butthis leads tne, "'"Th~ p,Tomise-I will 'gather them~tb\.s implies, ' ,That tFIC liedeemed are by nature in a SC(ltterr:d state, or in a state

of alienation' from God, which is certainl)! a very great trllth, bothknown and lamented by an those who are called by gracc: they can,say with the prophet, all we like sheep have gone astray, we haveturned every .one to his own way, Isa: hii., 6. Mark, my brethren, 'how lj.niversal is the departure-all ZI.JC like/sheep have gone!~stray,

t'hatis, from Gbd, bis people, his word, and ordinances-take i10ticealso, into what way we have turned, we have tUflled ev,,:ryone to hisow/tway; which is, :' .

A sinful, way, ., A GDd-dishonoring,

'And a soul-distressing way.-But,The Lord says, when speaking of his redeeined ones, I will ga­

therthem-I wilt say to the north, give up; ,and to the south, keepnot back; b~'ing my son.~fTomf(ll', and my dauglzter'sjl'(Jm the endsof the ~arth: Isa. xliii. 6. Agreeable to which w~ are informed,Caiapbas' prophesied, that Jesus should die for that nation ; (that is,his own peopleamcing tbe Jews) and not for that nation oQly, but

,that also be should gather togetlla in'one, (that is, in onc' body) thechildren if God, that "yere sr';attered ab)'oad, J'ohn xi. 51, 52. thatis, his own peo~l~ amon~ t~e Gentiles,who were then, ~q'a scatteredstate and condItIOn, as well 'as those among the ~ews: .50 that 'l~t

l~gth there sball pe. one fold, undeI' QIle shepherd, !esusChris..t.,

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No~ this work isaccorIJplished in regeneration; at whic;:h timetl?~y are gathered to Christ for life andsalvation---:they are gatheredor folded together in church-fellowsfiip-and shall by and by 'begathered as wheat into the glJ.rner, Matt. iii. 12. to pn.ise God andthe Lamb for ever and ever; with the genera..l assembly apd chur;chof the first-born, which are written in heaven. Hel>. xii. ·.t3.,-But,let us proceed" -

.To the mean to be made use of: the Lord Eells us in my text,J'wzll hzssfol' them, that .is, I will call for them. This I presul11,e.isthe meaning of the word ht"ss, in Isaiah's prophecy, where t le Lordsays, I will lift up an ensign to the nations fronl tin, and I' will hiss,(or call), unto themfrom the en~l- of the earth. Isa. y. i6. see also,Isa. 'vii. 1'8. The allusion is, to shepherds using a wliistle to caUthe flocks togedJer, and thus it is, that tl'l\'l ,great :~/uphe'rd oftbe sh.eepJe~us Christ, calls and gathers together his flock, even by causingto be preached the ever blessed gospel, in the hearing of his sh,eep,these are brought to know,'l@ve, and ell/braef the gospel, and par- .take o~ the b~essings eXhi?it.ed the~ein. This is to them a. pleasin{J ,c!wrm:tng vozce, bec~mse It IS a VOIce of love, and mercl/.--The Re-~eemer hissed, or called for his people, :

By the prophets of old"as he did alsoby John the B~ptist.He hissed for them himself wh(;:n here upon earth.He hissed for them by the apostles, as h~ dlles also by his .rninis­

·ters in this our day. But why does be thus his~ (or ,call) Jor, anu.g'ather them? my text tells us, for,.or becausG { have redeemed~hem:' hence w~ n~ay learn, that all the redeemed, sllall,\:>e c.alledand gathered together by the LOPel. .

SKELETON XLV.

" Wait ~n the Lord; be of good co~rage, and be,shall strength~n thine heart; wait, 1 say, on the ~ord.-PsALM XXVII. 14.

DAVID be~ns ~his psalm by depressing his confideo~ in God, say- .iog, the Lor\i is my light and my s~lvation-the Lord (says he) isthe strength of my life; and so necessary and comfortable did,' Da­"id find the presence of the Lord, that in the 9th. verse of this psalmhe prays unto him, saying, leave me not, neithei: forsake me, 0God of my salvation. In the following verses we find, that from asense .of his ignorance, he prays unto God to be taught-and fwr~cl sen~e of his weakness,' he applies unto him for deliverance fromthe hands of his enemies y who breathed out cruelty against him;­in which trying circumstance he tells us, I had fainted,. unless Ihad bel~eved to see the goodness of the Lord, in the land o{the'liv­iug; a sense of whose goodness constrained him to say, .for 'the en­cOUl;agefnent of others ;-wait 011 tile Lord; be of good courage;an~, he shall strehgtn\'lll tbine heart: ,wait, I sa)", on the Lord.--lnthes~words are contained two things,

An -e:thf!r:tation, al19, \An affir''i'f1«tirJTt. "

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74 THE GOSPEL lIJXGAZINE.

, As to" the exhortation, two things are contained therein, which, rin~, ' "

. Wait on the Lord," Be, of good, courage. , ' ,,. >lYait on the L01'd.-It is undoubtedly the duty, as well as' the

Jl':ivilege of all the children of 'God to wait upon him, not only inprivate, but .also in all tbe publio means of grace, or in his houseand' ordiQances:-And which they ought to do,

, :; As se1'vants wait upon their masters. Agreeable to which idea thePsalmist says, bebold,'as the eyes of servants look unto the I'and oftHeir lIIasters', and as the eyes ofa mazden unto ~he hand of hermis­tress; so'our eyes wait upon the Lord our God,. until that he havemercy upon us. Psa!' cxxiii. 2. Thus then did'David, and thusdoes every child of ,God wait upon him for that mercy, wbicb theyas,'sinner~ stand in,need of.-BlIt they sho,lild wait upon'bim like-wise, , . ', As beggars upon their bem([a'ctors, with expectation of receivingwhat they petition for at their bands. Thus it was with blind Bar­tiineus, ,the, son of Timeus, who sat by the highway-sfl:le begging'Mark x. 46. he not only as,~ed, but waited ,with expectation, to re­cc~ve a.supply from his benefactors: and so it s;lould QC also, withthe children of God; they should nbt'only ask, but wait p'atiently

'. upon the Lord, their bountiful benefactor, for: a supply of all theirw'ants, remembering that he hath said, ask .. and it skall be' giventhee; Matt. vii. 7. ,and tnat it is ne, who ·raiseth up tl;Je poor out ofthe dust, and lifteth up the beggarfrom the dunghill. 1 Sam. ii. 8.-But they sbould wait upon him also, ' ,

As ch,z,l(lren upon their parents;,thatis obedient(v; f~r ~he apostlesays, chzldrim obey your parents In the Lord: Eph. VI. 1. and thus'als.o it is, that God's child~'e\n OU&~t to' wait upon him i~ all the ap- .pomted means of, grace, 111 obedIence to what he theIr heavenlyFather hath'Gommanded them.-They h~ve to wait upon moreover,

For lZ:~/zt In darkness; for David tells. us, that l(ght is sown 'forthe righlMus~ Psal~ xcvii. 11. of which he himself was a witness,when he said the Lord is my light and my salvation. Psal. xxvii. 1.And as they wait upon him for light in darkness, so ~lsQ,

, . They wait upon him for strength, in weakness; and for their en­couragement in so doing, they are told hc( God)giveth power to thefaiiit, and 10 them thell have 110' mig;ht he ir!l;rcaset/~ strength. Isaiahxl. 2!9. they therefore that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their­strength. Isaiah xl. 31. ,But mark the pe,-sons, bretheren they that.w,ait upon the Lord; take notice -also of1:he. absolute nature of thepromise, they shall reneW thezr stl'cl1gth.:.-But we have to wait uponhim also, \

. ,For ,deliverance ,from all our enemies, which we have a right to ex­pect, since tne intent of Christ's coining "into this world was, that hiis-people might be save~ from their enemies, and from the hand of allthat hate them; in order that they might serve God· without :a sla-

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But they are exhorted-'- ,To be o.! {!ood coura~ ~, notwithstanding'The number of their enemies,The power of their enemies, andThe, policy of them.-For they ~ave,

A good Father, one who is r,ich unto all that call upon him :'Rom. x.,12.

They ~lave a good Saviour, who is able to save them to the utter­, most that come unto God by him, s~eing he everliveth to make in.tercession for them: Heb. vii. 25.

They have a good /?uide, namely the Spirit of the Lord, who is eli­gaged to lead and guide,them into all truth : ,John xiv" 13.-And, '

They are engaged in a good cause, namely the cause of God a.mt.truth, and are sure of victory, because the LOJ;,d fighteth for them:Exod. xiv. 14. a sense of which truths made David sl,ly, be ofgoodcOitrage.-Prbceed we now,' ' 'o',

, To'the /fJlil'mation ;-which is contained in these wo'rds,-and heshall strengthen thine heart. Agreeable to what is expressed iQ.Isaiah!s prophecy, where the Lord says, fear thou not; for I am withthee: bl? not dismayed; for I am thy God: I wilt strengthen thee,yea, I will help thee; yea, I wilLuphold thee, with the right handof my righteousnes~. Isai, xli. 10. Oh! what a cluster of sweet,pro­mises doth, this verse contain, for the encouragement of all God'speople" who have a feeling ~ense of their own weakness. ~ B~t letus enquire for a few minut€s, how it is that the Lord strengthens the',hearts of his people:, and we shall find that he does it:, '

'By inCieaslng theirfaith, for in proportion to the strength of their'faith, so their comforts will be, and their hearts encouraQ'ed and'stre!1gthened accordingly'- ,Hence appears the ne~essity otwaitingupon the Lord~ both in puBlic and private, and,of their crying withthe apostles of old, Lord l'ncrease ourfaith. Luke xvii. 5.

, , 'But he comforts the he5lrts of his people,By the' app/icfLti(ln of his promises, for there are given unto them

great and PI't'Cz'ous promises; 2 Pet. i. :i. and when the Lord is plea- 'sed to open their understandings, to give them to seE( their excellen­cy and suitableness, and to enable them by faith to rely upon the'faithfulness of God in the promise; thei.· droopin~ spirits revive,and their bearts become strengthened thereby. I" •

But we may observe again, that the Lord sometimes strengthens'the hearts of his people, .

By the discovq/e,s'of his lav" for he hath promised to manifesthimself unto them, John xiv. l i. that is to make known himself asa God of love in Christ to their souls, than which, nothing will 'strengthen the hearts of God's people more: for howeverfaint alldweak they may,be froIn a sense of their sz'~!uln~ss and insuffidency ;as soon a~tIle Lord'reveals to them a sense of his pdrdom'ng 1(l've, and

We 'are now about to' consider a verse" viz. Gen. ix. 21. wl'ioseoriginal it· aPlflcal1s toqe indispensably requisite to examine, ,withtbe utmost attention, and, as the Hebrew will admit of it, to alterthe cornm<on: translation;. because that rt·adililg· el'lcourages drunkc­enness" I feat, not only in the debauched andl lic~ntious, b;Q·t eveniI'l.:so~e yO'l1ng plilople, who, have·1'I!ad r.eligi6us lpareu'ts, wHo haveen~eiJ,ivo"red: to, give 'them 3.i.det~stati~Iii.,ofth~t sin ; aadJ who, it.mayhe Justly appfl:1herrded, have' gMm mtQthis ebm~OI1tand tob f31­shioRl.l.ble; dreadful vice, ' through. the influence'of exam-pIe 1,"":and"

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As this verse stands in our cOlu'mon' 'translation, it seems as ifGod could jorget h~s covenant, alld stood in ll~ed of somet:hiil'g' toputhirn in mind of his :promise: for, all tbe covenants, mentionediil' th~ holy scriptures, are promises, not compacts, 0'1" agl'cemerits ;much less bargains, that.render those covenant~ conditional, ,as Ar­minians supppse. But, that 'they are unconditz:Olwl pr<inuises maybe seen by examining Gen. xi. 2'7-32. xii. 1-3. xvii. 1-8. xviii.9'-14, :Psal, lxxxix. $, 4'. 3 L}" cv. 8--H. 42. ' And the late Rev.-'Julins Bate says, "the promises of God; made to u,s in Christ,. arerIOt a covenant between God and man, but {nits; man cannot bar­gain with God, and the bow is.~n emblem, of mercy, and the signofit, ",the faithful witness in heav.~l1J.'1 r ratbe[""suppose, it shouldbe read, " the faithful witness in" tlieJirnzament, ,Psa}, lxxxix. 3'7.b'ecause PT'\tV is the Doun' used here,alld signifiea '~the celestialjlu£d." !' .The ccmfhcting ether.,"-,01 li:i:1ow, th\lt the Deists laugh atthe bow bein~ a:nemblem or token of God's pl'dmise~ that 'the worldshould not be again destroyed by' a deluge ofwate~s;, but, let suchmm) teadthe late Rev. Alexander CatcQt's " Treatise om. the De­luge," and I am not afraid to:assert, that it will be as impossible forthem 'u')'deny that there was an UniVel}Sal d~h:rge, as to denj\ thatthe slilill is the source of light by day to o]Jr hemisphere..

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gives tllemto see that theyare accepted in the beloved ; thei~' heart' thet~,become strengthened and they revive again: and' mark here breth-.ren, that the Psalmist repeats the former par.to,f his' exhortation,saying, wait, I say, on the Lord; and this he does to express th,e im­portance of this duty, and the necessity there is of attending therF-

. to, both for God!s glory, and for our own good.--oopo-·~.

AN ATTEMP'f '1'0 RESC,lJE THE HOLY SCRIPTURES ,FROM THE

RIDICULE AND OBJECTIONS OF UNBELIEVERS., BY ROBER:t1

'fOMLINSO\IT ,- ESQ.• (Continuedfrom p. 4'7'7. lus·t ~)Ql.)

CHAPTER IX, \. 16. "'And the bow shall be in the cloud, and I wil'lloo'k upon~t.;" AS AJ\IEMORIAL OF "'l'HE EVERLASTING COVENAN,T," &c.

'rUE ~OSI'EL 'IIIAGAZINE. . tl"'il

when their consciences ha;e stung them for it, either their wickedcOf!lpanions, or th~ enemy.of souls, have suggested to them.­H Why need you shudder Qn tq.e reAection of being drunk, when~ve read that NOil!1, a highly-favoured servant of God, was drunkfJnce at least perhaps many times r therefore a man'~ getting drQenkocca,sionally is only ,apatural infirmity, and not a sin that pe willh~p'lnishflt;lJor."--.-On this account I shall alter the cQmmonl:~d­iJil'g of th;;Lt Y\,lrse, and, I ,~atter myself, g-ive such forcible n;~SQnS1

for so doing" a.~ cannot be controverted; because it is declared­" Be not deceived,-drunkard.~shall not enter theking:dom of ,God." S~e 1 Cor. vi. ~, 1'9'

prunkep, .but not with wine," ' , or sHong drink.

lsaiah xxix. 9.-- li.21.,

CHAP. IX.,2,1.AI)d he (Noah) drank of the 'fil"\e, and was .satisfied;* and

he uncover~d himself~n the IJlidst, ,n"nN, OF THE TA~EJ:tNACLE.t

~ Althc'Ugh the root .,~tV, ~.ecar, iS1frt'quently translate,l cC drlluken;" yet, {fill humbly of opinion, tllat it' gevcrally implies spirit11al drul1kenn/i:s,:, )l~' I find',t, and (its deriva,tive,s, under the' follpwing ,signitlc~\io,l)s, in the ¥ariau,s ,s~ript!,lresb~low enlHlleratecl., , ,-' ,,,,t:1-.

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Earth drunken,

Jer, li. 7.

Drllllk\,n wh1l bl'1od.

J)ell.(, .xll.~ji. '42,,Tsaiil,h xlix~ ,26

, Ezek. xxxix. J9.Tt can'not be rlenierl. that these are all metaphorical expressions.-But I find

Dlher words, in the Hebrew, transJateil ,dnI1iJ-enl1css,' which could not have anyot~er meaning, than a stup.ifying .into;xica:ion; ~nd" as that language is sp cm/rise,as well as correcSt.. 'I humbly suppose that ifNoahhad been intoxicatedw'iih wine.one of t'he~<illowingwords wOl'l~d have'heen med. ., .D k l" DrUl'lkenness wjlh Drunkenness )vith strong

run enness to tllrSt. .' glutlony. drink.

-- M~"- ;""N':1t:3':"" ~"MfV"""Deut. xxix. 19. De~ll. X"Ii. 20:" • Psa!·rp "xix, 112,Isaiah xxxiv. 7. Margm. P~P:V. xxiii. ~\. Eccles. x, ]7.Jer. xlvi. 10. Text. Nahum i. 10. ,, Had Noah been drunken, it is reasonable to imagine, that the w,(lrd so trans·J;ared . .'wo1.!ld not hav\l been i::3tV'~, but M'i'l~ ; because the first is f~'orn dl~ rooti::3t:f, whose pri!"itive si,gnificalion is, "10 satiVY thirst" J:lere it is-i::3tV'I~.3rd pen. sing: fut. in Ka'!. with ~ prefixed; therefore I ha"e translated it, anlJ'W{1S satisfied. I have ,shewn, a little above, that M", is the root from when'ce.drunkenness added 10 the satisfying of thirst. is us\'d r and in 'Df'IIt. xxix, 119': mewhole clause shows, that in., is the proper word for intoxication; as the ':sinnersays in that verse, " T shall have peace, tholl,gh I-add drunkenness to thjrst~-:­And in the margin of Isaiah xxxiv, 7, a'lso Jer·. xlv,i.]O; a ,word from that'roodsm;lde u.~e of ,to expr.ess tir:unkenn.t:ss, even after 'the word" sd/jate." I thereforer~,asopfb~¥.Gond,ude that N~ah was NO~ dW>lken? bu~ only t?~t his thirst \vas sa.tlsfied. t'lr'~uenched, (as W,e comm.onlv Say) and h.t~ al)tma'l spmts were cheered.

;. Mr. 'Parkhur,st says, " Noa~h wa; un~o"erecl i,n the midst of (not his but) thetent, or tabernacle consecrated to God's worship; whit'her. aft('r drinking t'he'wine/he hac! re'ti'reil in the e~p'ectation of a projJlteric dream, which, it appears,he had1. an,d fherejorOze 1ua$ not drunk; for d6t'~ God'J'1ispire drul)kard~ In thtir

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CHAP. XI.7. Come, we will descend, 'and WE will confqund there .their lan~'

guage-(perhaps their religious ~entiments, Heb. OJif:JV, Lip.)

'CHAP. XIII. ,15. ~pr all-the land which th(jll::s~est, to thee will I give' it, ajld

to t!)y seed"- (Heqrew) O'~l'--'V,for ~ver'" ,If ,

" CHAP.' XV. ,'" ,1'8. hlstead of" The Lord made a covenant rmih Abralwm," read

",JEHOVAH divided a purifU:ation sacj-t/iceivith Abralzarn;" which"'i' ~ tJ ,-. I'" . ",' . ., • ,.~~ .....

'~ery "state of drunkenness ?". And the lateR'cv. Juii~s 'Bat,e, M. A>lsays,,Noah ray down for a d,ivinc, t;ream, which th~y (the pwphets) prepared/for,bY'Yinc, See lsa.,lxii, 9, ~nd wine n,aturally con,tributes to sleep and dreaming.The· ,earth was now to be dividecl, and. Noah want,ed.directions frpm heaven onf~a~ hea'd, and had them; as ~~ learn by what he: sla,,; in his ~r~aln: it contains,\l\~ hi,',\9ry of the whole world, which,could hard~y have been reveale~ to a dru~~~/l

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','.,"" As the children of Abraharn, according to the flesh, in Is~ac's line..~ave not.P?~ses~~d tha~g.oodly land for near J 7,Ob years, .it i: a' certain proof, that ~7~.v.-".v ,<\oe~ not mean mfintty,' as Dr. Toulmm would msmu.ate, but'a hmlt,ed tllne; there-

( [ore that word, translat~d Eccles. i. 4. "for ever,:',. must certainlY,.'inean, as it does10. I?aryy,other script,ur~s. h,r ag'cs., But if .we ta~~ the last clallse ,of this verse in

•.a, S~~Jptural sen~~"II'amel¥, "that the prolllls~ ":'l!~!10t to Al>r~ha1l}, pr to his ,eed,(hrough the law, Imt thrOltgh the t'ighteousneSs offaitfz~," ti)ert th.e q/essi'og is/or,ever: for, in thee shall all the natiolls of the earth he blesed;l> ' ,-- " \ "."

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(!J)\)fStt\)ationfS.I know that spm~ persons ~uPP'ose, ,., tpat ~f Noap was really

i;hunk, his being so was left upon~~c9rd; that even drunkards;'when convinced 'of sin, might not despair of ,mercy:" But thislooks so like encouragin~iniquity,'that I hope nbtruly 'serious peNson will allow the argurpe1)t to be' wo'rihi of the' least 'ahention.'-':'Others suppose, that" Noah did not kn6~ th~ intoxicating qualityof wine."-Bu,t I am of opinion, that drunkehriess was one of thecrying sins, of the anti~deluvjan world, as flow; so th'l-t No'ah ~as

not ignorant of the properties of wine.-But it should be ver,y parti­(."Ular:~yobserved, that the Hebrew word ".iJi~' does not mean, as ourcommon translation reads it, ." alld he, was uncovered,"- but, and~e un(..u,v,~~ed!Lim~~V.(; ~f6~ the verb)~ il;. t~,e conjug-. H,it,hp) or, as",e cqr,nmonly s~y, lie wu;lrA~'Sed '1mflself. HaqJ's entdnce ll1to thetent, "or tabhnacle, at thgt' time, 'vas an' impudei1t intrusion; 'butwe know hewas a wicked p'er"on, and, proh~glYiwent in there witha wicked' desi~n; for; as Mr. Parkhurst well ohsefives, '''as'the'cherubim were instituted at the fall of' man, ,.( Gen. ii124.) so nodoubt a sacred'taber'nacle was th~.n, also prepared for-their recep­tion, and contil1l)ed in the believing line;" anp it is probable" wa~

:preserved by Noah in the ark; but whether so or,not,-" it is plainfrom"Exod. xxxiii. 7-9, that the Israelites had a sacrfd tabernaclebefore that erected by Moses." .

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,\vas the ,cm;emony that God was pleased ~b appoil)t at ratifying apromise, as it was on confirming any solemn covenant: as may beseen by consulting ,Ter. xxxiv: 18. ,";"

'i . CHAP:~ XVII., I." (1,1;t~t clause). I am ,God all. bountiful; thou shalt walk'hefore

me, and I:>:e sincere, uprigp.t. .

CHAP. XVIII. , "I

r:, 1'.' And (fehov'ah appeared again unto him, in the grove' of, oaks~\ near Mamre, as he sat in a teht-door; abo,ut the he,at of the day. ,

2. When he lifted up his c:;yes and lookyd, and behe~d three menhovering,or susp,ended) above him, and'he feared '(or reverenced),but, ran (or hasted·) to meet them, from the tent-door, and hawedhimself to the earth.* ' "

~ 2i. I "rill descend nOw and see whether they have niade a fullend, according to the cry that is come unto, me; and if not, I willrespect it. ' . ,

CHAP. XXH.1. God did PROVE, or 1'IlY~ Abraham.

, :l.,And Abraham .rose up'early in the morning, amI saddled hisass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son,and clave the wood for the burnt~offering,and rose up, that hemight go unto the place. ' " '

12. 'For I knew that he (Tsaac) reared (the Aleim) God; and,now,thou hast npt withheld thy son, thine only son from me.t '

14. -'- In the mount, Jeliovgh shall be seen. '

CHAP. XXV.29,. And.J acob sod pottage, and Esau came from the field a,nd

he was faint. , .30. And Esau said to Jacoh, Let me swallow down now th~t same

* 1 I)e~d IIot m~ke any apology forthis alteration from' the common,reading;because, If those O';)~,) O'ft))~, anashim nitsabim, "h.ad'stood C.JIAbraham,"he ,ha'd nil nefd', " when he saw them, to run to IDllet them."-To avoid contro.ve"sy, I h~ve not insisted upon what I reaUy believe to be the true meaning ot~').v O~;)~~ O~ft)J~ ;;~"ft); but I am well satisfied that no perso~, wbo ~m'd~rstands hebrew, can say It, is "three men stood by bitn ;" because 0';)1') is nota verb, as the common translation renders it, nbr a participle, 8eli Arius .~Jain andSoeinus monally Wounded, printed in 1792, wherein I have illustrateJ the Hebrew.of these texts, and proved a pluralily of persons in the Deity,

t It has been asked, ,. Did not Jebovah know whetber Abraham feared Godb~lofe this'rri'al of his faith 1" Surely he did, , But die evidellce was 10' be, uponrecord to· future generations. Therefore, if that vers~ sl\\,uld bave been renderedas the common translation reads it. I humBly suppose Ihat the Hebrew .word~j\ repdereJ,,'" tlwujearest," would have been JiN.i'; bUl, as it,is' Ni'.3rd' pers., sing.'pretfr. ill KaJ, it cannot, with,'propriety, be rejld, " thauIra rest,"because it certainly means, HE feared, or ye:llerated; and the wor~ i1n.v, now~

must be put in the English readin,g, as I have placed it; whereby the above deisti­cal objectilon is removed, (without offering any vjoleilce to the sacred oril!;inal)/andJehovah's pres.cience duly snpport'ed. It also nianifests that Isaac offered himself awilling sacrifice ; a type of Chsist, who died, "thejl/st, the unjust to save."

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80', 'filE ,GOSPEL MAGAZINE. I1'ed, req, for I am faint; the~efore his name was called EDOl\I, r.' e;redness. ', 31. A~d Jacob said, sell this day thy birth-right to. me. ,

32, And Esau said, Behold I am .going ,todie, therefore what ,£sthis birt/z-n'ght to me? ."

33. Alia Jacob said, SWeaI" to me this day, and he swore untohim; and he sold his birth-right unto .Jaeon.~ 34. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage oflentiles, and he

ate and drank;' then he rose up and went away. Thus Esau de­slllsed the bh'th-right. i~

CHAP. XXVIII.20. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, since (the Aleim) God will

b~ with me, and will pres~rve me in the way that I go, and wjU,gIve me bread to eat, and raiment to pu~ on :

\'f I should not have'thought of altering the translation bf these verses frdm the

common reading; but that L have so frequently heard the matter of them most se­verely commented upon by Ihose who would be thought wise '\mong men,. that Icannot excuse myself from making some reply to such.:-Esau seems to have 'beena man of'a voracio~s appetite, an.d ~o greedy, that he will not give himself time tocall the pottage by Its proper mime; probably, at the same lime so excessIvelyfond of hunting, (for it is said, ver. 27. "'He was a cunning hunter, a man ofthejield,") that his diversion had so much engaged his attention, that he did notconsider the calls of nature, in due time l neither is it probable, that he was a manof any.reflection, or he would haye known the value of his bil·th-right too wellto have· sol'd it for an.If consideratioll, much less for" a mess ofpottage." -Godhad told Rebckah, in answer to her prayer, ver. 22,23. that" the elder sh,uldserpe th(! yozmger," of those' cbildren Ihat she snould bring forth. Jacob, mostprobably, kneY{ this, and being" a plain milli dwelling In tellts, " he was atontemplative man, a6.d.knew the value of that birth-right which ~'Esau despis­ed." And as, we find that Rebekah loved Jacob, we may reasonably suppose tha'tshe had told him of the promise God had n\ad(~ to her, "that the elder should~tl1've the youngez·;~'therefore Ja\=ob had a right to endeavour at obtaining the bless-Ing annexed to primogeniture by any lawful means; ':specially" as" Esaudespisedit," 1',ane! Jacob valued it pz"uperly, he was best entitled to it; ..for, if we duly consider the (1,1characters of the' two men, we cannot blame Hebekah's partiality to Jaco!?, nor her ,conduct in consequence of it.~ I st. he knew God's favour was to JlJcub.-2nd . ..shef.und by experience that Esau was stubbo1"rl, refa,cto1;y, and di~obedieJlt,;. f9t, ,be-fore she took the method whereby Isaac was decelv,ecl, and whICh loo hlm-Io CM-fer the'palriarchal benediction on Jacob, Esau had taken two wives from alDong theHittites, which caused" bitterness of spirit unto lsaac and Rebekah," See chap.xxvi. 34, 35. Nor was this all: for it is said, chap. xxviii. 8,!J. "and Es,au see-iD;g [lhat the daughters of Canaan (margin) )vere evil in, the,eyesof h"a'c his father."

Ver. 9. "Then went Il:sau unto Ishma~l, and took ~.v, besides !he ~yives that hehad, M'ahalath the claughter of hhmael.-View Jacob's couduct. He was verydutiful and obedient to his parents, in all cases and circumstances; 'and Jehovahconfirmed the blessing (t,hat lsaac had pronounced u?on hi~) in a very remarkablemanner, when Jaoob, In obedience to, the command of hIS parents, was gOing to I"

Padan-Aram; as may he seen, chap. xxviii. 10-22. ,For a pleasing and edifying signification on the hon~ur and advantages of promi.

geniture, I refer the reacier \0 J~orJ President l"orbes's Thoughts on.Religion; ane!to Mr. Parldmrst's Hebre\v and~nglish Lexicon/p. 51.

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THE GOSPEL l\1AGAZINE. ;g,i21. And I shall return in peace to my father's llOuse; therefore~'

Jehovah shall be to me the Aleim. Or"the LORD shall be my God.*'

CHAP. XXXI.7. (last clause)-But the Aleim, they, would not permit him to

hurt me.'CHAP. XXXV.

7. -and called the place El-bethel, because they, the Aleim,were revealed unto him there.

CHAP. XXXIX., 22,. (last clause)--'-" whatsoever they did there, he was,jthe di-

'rector of it. ,CHAP. XLI. .

45. Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaplmatlt Paaneach.t

CHAP. XLII.1. "Now, when Jacob" understood "that tnere was corn'in

Egypt,?'CHAP. XLIX.

21. Naphtali (the word signifies one that ~truggles or fights" isa flourishing, tree shoo,ting forth goodly branches." ,

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'fUE PRUDENT !\fAN.As the people of God,.redeemed by the 'blood of Jesus, an? sanc­tified by the Holy Spirit, we cannot enjoy peace in mind andcon~cience, if we do not endeavour to wall{ as becometh the gos-'peI. Carelessness of our thoughts, words, and works, is always at­tended by restlessn~ss of mind. If a person has not light to seehis error, he has not understanding to discover whence his unea-SiIl~SS arises. , '

Every habit of life is followed by its own ett:ects: the 'sinceremind is peaceable. The lover of truth is stedfast, Th~ humble ­lllan is' submissive, to, God. The diligent man grows in gralC~,.

On the other hand, the thoughtless professor is' full of vanity.The lover of error with confusion,. Theprestirnptuous with car-\nal security. The sinful profossor w,ith guilt. The slothful withbeggarliness of mind. Thus, every man reaps the fruit of his owndoings. Gal. vi. 7. Be not deceived, God is' not mocked, for

., Whoever considers who He is that speaks to Jacah in ver. 13, 14, of this chap.ter, with the positive promise in ver. 15. and Ihat the partjcle,O~ "denotes thefin71ness on which ,tbe tn~th of a proposition is sustajne~;" and after, examiningthe Hebrew text, they will be constrained'to acknowledge, that the tra,nslation 1Ilave given those verSes is the proper reading. '

t Z,apll1lath, PaatuJach siKnifi<:s, a treasure of glorious comfort." "Not as aname he should go by instead of his former one, bu~ as a declaration of wh,,! hewas to that and all the neighbouring nations." See the Rev,'Julius Bate's New andLiteral Translation of tHe Pentateuch of Moses. '

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S:2 'i;HE GOSPEL~IAGAZIl\IE. I~hatsoever a man $oweth, that shall he reap; he that soweth Wthe flesh, shall of the flesh reap cOliruption: he, that soweth to thlt'~pirit sb~l~ of tkle I Spirit ~eap life o~ve.r~asting. T~e man ,wbo J~­SIres to enJoy peace of mmd, must look well to hIS WilY or be wIllbe entangled in some 'of~Sat~il's snares, '.It is the property o'f. th~,prudent to look well thell~gomgs. Prov. XIV, 15. Let us con~;Jdel

a few of the 'pritlciples \vhich ,govern the mind of the prudentman. '

1st. He is one who regards the proof. Prov. xv. 5., He,atte.Jl~'

, tively examines the losses ,and crosses" which God in hisprovl­dence brings upon him; he finds they are reproofs for his sin;s',­He knows, by observation, that if he yields to the solicitations ofthe corruptions of his ~leart, or indulges in any evil, sooner otfater, God will reprove by such crosses that the dis~ernin'g mindmay read his sin in his pt! nishment. The prudent pian 'considersthese things. He prays like Job that God' would shew him, where­for,e !.,le contends with him. He examine;; himself; confesses hissins; and prays for pardoning grace to subdue theni. ' He endea~vours to take up the cross, 'anci bow "(ith submission, and say~'as

David, " I will lay my halidon my mouth, because thou didst it,"thus he regards reproof. "

~nd. The prudent' man covered shame and concealetlj know­ledge. Prov. xii. 16,23. When he bears of shamefl;ll conduct ofsaints or sinners, he does not go up and down as a tale-bearer. Lev.xix. 16. Ifth~ transgressor is, a samt, he will pmy for him, andlove will, constra~n him to hide his brother's fault, for Jove h~J:les 'a,multitude of sins. If he is an' open sinner, he will conceal theaffail" and Iiever mention it, but when prudence requires it fdrthc benefit of others. ,Sometimes it is necessary to mention thecondu.ct of evil :nfn, that the honest mfLY not be ensnared by theirflattenes. The prudent man conceals ~nowledge from some per­sQns. It would be highly impolitic to open our ,minds to ,every,ptofessor, alld tell 9f tl)'e precious visitations of the 'floly Spirit~

whell he prompts us, tO'prayer, revives our aroopi'ng faith, encou­ragbs ou'rhopes,- by, appearing in providence to supply our need'sin answer to, fervent petitions., By inward reproofs an9 cautions,

, By giving us views' of the vanity of this world, and the solemnityand 'near appro'ach of death. To speak of these invaluable ble~s::­

,ings to 'every ?ne, would be castilig pearls before swine. Theywould turn again, and rc~Ht us, by upbraiding us with our weak. I

ness and infirmi,ies, by, asking, If we thirik we arc saints? Whenthose who fear God Illeet together, and the ti!TIe is suitable, thel?Tudent man takes pleasur~ in ~peakingof ih~'goodnessand ~ercyof God,-of the glory of hIS kmgdom,-of hIS, power and ,mIghtyacts. " " "

3rd. The prudent man fore-seeth the evil; and hideth himself.:'­Prov. xxii: 3. He fore-sees th'e,evil consequences of sinful thoughts,words and worl,s. When guilt is contracted by wilful sin, the, be"

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'I:~1E GOSPEt- ,MAGAZINE. 113liever cannot obtain ease but by confession~ humiliation and pray­er fOI"pardon., No, p'erson wlio has felt the stiri'g of guilt woulddeliberately transgress God's word. Plel,tsure ~nd profit are,of noavail, when guilt enters the cons~ience. Nothing l;>lii free sovereigngtaceean (bring deliver~nce, whi,;hl genei'ally ,folloiVs confes'sion~U1d pl'aye'i',· The prudeht sees these things,'and' hiaes himself byclea¥li1i,to ehi'i~t, and intreatillg' ,his ,preserving gt:.rce to keep ,himfroIll evelye,:il''Work'\' , IIre kIlowshis weakness, fhei'efore ist!anlestfor gTCut grace' tOl'est upOl~ ?itll:' He ptay,s for kriQw.ledge' thathe mayul'lderstand the way 111 WhICh he should walk;Rlid that Godwould teach him to do his will; thus he walks iil f&;;feats; aildendeavours to encourage' others so to do. By'the s\veetagreementof his words and life, with God's word, his cdmpaniolls increase inlearning. ' .. ' ',I, '". : •

4,th. The prudent roan endeavours to walk lIJ the footsteps of theflock. Like Abraham, Gen. xiii, 9., he will for the sake of- peace,give up somethiilg of his.i ust right. He does not: en;courage strife,but as much as in him lieth, will live peaceable ,vith all men:knowing that-yielding, often paci~eth' great offenc,es. He desires

'to be wise, meek, lowly, penitent, contented, sl1bmissive, holy,and heavenly., ,,' ,". ,11 ,

5th. The prudent man desires:to be wise as a serpent, and 'harm­less asa doye. In his wOFldly affairs, he uses e~ery'policy con­'sistent with God's words. 'Jac'obsent messengers aI'ld presents toappt:ase b"is bi'other Esau, J oseph iiJtreats his felh~w~prisoner to thinkon 'him, when he should obtain' his former honourable situation.-'­The, Gileadites were wise to detect their enem:ies at the passages ,ofJordan .. Jude xii. 5. Jeh~jadaused sOllndpoli(}'yi,to~;sec'ure~the

-tlwofle for the king's son.. She played a wise:part who cut off thehead of Sheba to save the city. 2 Sam., xx. 16. The wise con­duct of Nebemiah, in his· trouble, wHen he s6ug'ht Ithe weIfai1e, ofhis people;'has afforded irlstl1uction to milljon~'of God's--people..:.:.-.The' policy of Jonathan and Davii:l to avoid ,the consequence of

,theirfat1:ler1s wntth "ras,gOotl.,1;Sam_xx.': ',', -, It Was 'by:stratagem Joshua took Ai. :rhus' we are taught by'God's word to >use 'wisdom and policy il1 oUr';iffairs:' , : ' , ,, 6th.' The:pruclen~ man in all his policy, attends, to these fourthings; 1st. lie neiiherdoes'ilOrsays'any thiilg against the tl:uth'of

'the gospeJ.1l 2. :Nor any thing'unjust, by which !reproachmightlSe'cast on rdigiOli. 3 Nor any 'thing that'militate~lagaimtthe ho­,nour,or glory 6fGod. 4. Nor any thill'g,t;hat wouJd,l!>ring ,extre­mity of'.sufferings on his enemies,-,fartherihan If good'conscience willjustify. rhus;t.he prudent m,an' Joo,ks well,to his way, a:Qdis ',fol-'

. Jowed by the blessing of God.' ',' ,> ':." ; , . "'~I i "~I ', '", I" . RAUVUS~ ,

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.... To tlte Edit01' of the Gospel blag4$ine.ON PUNISHMENT ,Ffi)R SIN. ".

. DEAR SIR, . :1 CANNOT but acknowledge the politeness of Research in giving upthe point he has; had he, all through our controversy,.wrote in asplain terms, terms suited to the comprehension of us, the mattermight have ended long ago; I thank him fo!, baving done.. it now.I am not about to enter more at large upon the subject; if I at:­,tell)pt an answer to the letter of NOvember, I must go over old,ground, and thus occupyroom in your valuable work, which maybe, much better employed; my own mind, has n.ever from the be­ginning, doubted on which side TRUTH is, I am still firmly per­suaded, that the!) wao have '/10 sin imputed unto them, cannot be,punislzedfqr it; if there still remains a doubt upon the minds ofthose who have witnessed the controversy, let them re-peruse thepapers Of both parties: ,and may God the Holy Spirit, so hle,ss whatth.ey may I'ead, that it may prove refreshing unto tJlCir souls.

Christian reader, \you who are not only one by profession, butwho have felUhe "loye of Christ" shed richly abroad in thy heart,Dost thou require any punishment for sin to make thee hate it?Art thou living-up to thy profession, became y-o,"\ ;1re afqid of thepunishment of transgressors? or, art thou ~v<tlking in newness oflife;, through the in,fluences qf the· Spirit of Hfe, bringing J01;th

, fr;ui~; "being united to Christ the true vine? Artthou able to makethy, .calling and election sure? Canst thou say "I am int~rest­edj~l the blood of the ,covenant; my Jesus bare my sins, he,hathclothed me with the "garment of salvation," he hath maCle me~;omely in his comeliness; put upcm me ''-the robt;:of ~is right~ous­

nest!;" satisfied all the demands both of taw and JustIce on my be­'.half; and all this in opposition to any deservings of, mine? Howcatpcst thou ,into this state, and ,whrut 'keeps thee in it? Art thouan~ious to set up the great idol self, or to lay the crown at the feetof him who hath loved thee, and washed thee in his own blood; al}dwho 'hath promised to keep thee in all,thy ways, and finally to takethee to himself?" Is it the fear of punishment supports thee UJlderthe assaults' of the great enemy and ,prey;ents thy falHng ?_or" artthou in possession oftnat implicit (aith, by which thQU canst.tak.e,Gl@.d,a:t his word,and rely upon him fOl~ his promised support? 'f,hISi~ w.:ill<ing in the liberty of the childr~n of God, ~d u; some,t}.~ii1g.hke'Xhat the apostle speaks of, "ye;h~v,e not fecewedthe spmt ofbondage· again to feaT:'~ .and,Ukea'Jchild who weH lmolWs its F;t­ther's 'strength, relies, upon him to :doreveryJthing tfor it; i~ i~ sweetthus to the "passive in his hands." It is: tru.e, you maysometimes q,avefear offaUing, this will make you rather cry to your Fathprfor help,than trust to your own strength; and you wont cry to him to keepyou from falling, merely ~hat you may esc~pe t~e 'punis~ment, b.utthat you may escape ~he sm; and he has saId" m SIX trqubles I WIll

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'- .T:1I:&\ <;ioOSl';EIl 1~J\G.{\ZI\'iE. 85

he,wi.th!,·thee,f&cd$cc~.. -:I;f the;r;lJ~a)\e~stw9r~JjiY,Y,,()W'llol\ice, pleaset'0 ittsert'it. l,riYou~'s.·nesp~~tfj1Hyt,\(:l:( ; i ,'i .':' '1. Chelmifcf,pd,.' , ,. Ji>:C 7 ::! : ';;,: . JUVENIS.• ; ""," 'f,'; 'll'ft-~()a~ , ",

, h' ',~To:the:'Ed,ltoi~Jt'J£e f?OsP'el'il1aga:tine,M

', \ ....·r ~ ,..., .,..').('C' !,-~~ -- t... ,R. 'EDITOR;' . (, ,'" ~,' :"", I,' I I', "

As you sometimes indulge yopr readers' \\fitl1 'a short Obituary,-Ihave sent the f?llo~vit~f0~1'Yr~'i.~ ~P~P~cHo.l;lr;, and.~f yo~ dee~itworthy it place. 111 y,0ur ,1\f~gg;:Z;fV1~:b~p,. ,e~t~.f Insertion Wll~ ?blIgeYour constant re:;tdeJ:" "~" '., ",. G. M.

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D~PAn'r~D this"Ht'eo11,'tlte,l:2th df)Dec~"1'8'22.'Mr.1Jame's'iFairey,of St. Neot"§ Hunting"ddl1'·¥HJe' in t.'file: 40th yea~ dNifi ag'e .'after1" I '" H ,,,\ ~,)\.... , •

a short" thou.gh seve).'~,f.Lmi:ct~on, or t'pasmodic as\:qrri;l. Hkdescend-ed fr0II! ~racio~s,pare~ts, «r~l~ ':~U?wrl'Al'd J'nuF1l' rT:pected' ir~"t~i'Sto~n~ .It was ;h~s me~~y ~c, feel;ii?e 'J;)OlVetof,soverel.f~? 'and. dlstl''!'­gUlshirig grace,' early'm 'lJ:fe:' 'al,ld beIng 1?rought ,to enj'!'>y' hIS anCI..ieht unioh to, and interest in 'Christ,' hi~ gloriou'g beaU tiHife andgi'ace, he gave himself up to the particular Baptist church of thi-splace, among whom he was received' with affe·ction and gratitude, 'after he had related an interesting experience of t~e ltra:cious deal:"ings of God with his soul. . ' He was sqmefime after chosen deaconof the church, whicp office he filled with credit; and was muchesteemed by his Christian friends, and resf'ected in all the circleof hi,s acquaintance, He wa,s bless~d with 't 'clear perception andsweet ~njoym~nt of the glol'ious~plan of ~race and rede.mpti~n',as mamfested 111 the work of the Eternal Three. CommUmO}l wIthGod at ,the throne of love he highly prized; n'o1"\Va's his shdte ofsuch holy p\easul'e small. He l~ad an ~umbling view of the totaldepravity ~f human l1ltture", and fll\1H;u('lntlY;,Jillourned the ebulitionof his Qwn COl'rl,l.ption: this made)iil;n p:t:ize atoning hlood, andfeeling himself weak, and ~vicked, ,q.epraved, and lost, he wantedGod fora Saviour, and such he found, in the incarnate babe ofBethlehem"""tiJ1esus of N aza.Jleth. " ;. 1

He was vel.'Y gl1'eatly fav()i'€d throughout his last illness. FOl~ th.~nl?S'~ part he'. enJoy'e<il.(m.u~;h pft~e Lord'spl'esence; I so thflt, he ,cou~dl'CjCi>lCe l11',tnb:u.latl011. l'hat God ,whoha:d supported him 111 SIXtr,~m1;>les d,it~'not. leave him in'the sev(lnth,: .,~le, frequently expl'es~e~

a 'gi:'ea~ 'd~sire to b.e gone'; but ;at. ·th~ :sa~e ,time e~rn;est1;y: beggedfor pa.~tE:nce'.to wMt,jt1~ the days fjf hls·appO!iIl't~d,tlme.,1~'1'o11;llthy,first of h~s bemg taken/tU, he felt,persuaded 'it wq\lld end III death;ibut-findil1g this ,in the in, the'inve:ntPq' of his h'ess~pg~'rhe longedfor its, approath.' :That whiclij~ til1~ terror of.the human rac~;; w;i\Sa '\'llc:~~'ill1g·:suL\jec.t, i0f ~ cl)ntempla.ti~m to our,td~B(lil;ted r~fiend;~ 'ashl\l1"~pnt')the termlitlatlOl1 ,Qf :lli1l·hts jsor,rowsi ,ana the accomnh~h,-

'VoL ·Vl'll......No. 11." ' ,M. "

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86 THE GOSPEL MAGAZINE.

ment of his best wishes: 'his accounts for another world were allmade up\ andr-his credentials for heaven clear-. 'J~us he loved,and with him he longed to be: he would often cry out; "0 myGod! send thy fiery chariot to waft my soul to glory.~' "Lord,take me to thyself I pray'." f' Yet if it is thy will I shQuld sufferthis pain another month, thy will be done, not mil1e." This versewas. very; sw.eet tq' his mind:;-, . ,

" I:Ieh; a God of so~)reign '}G'I"e,, : That promised'heav'n to me;.,'And tatlght my thoughts to soar above,

Where hapPY,spirits be.",

" Sure Jordan'.s stream is wond'rous deep,And Canaan's walls are high;

. Bu~ he who guards us while we sleep,Will keep us when we die,"

• r He said" "I ,have loved to m~et with the Lord's \p.ear p~qp1ehere." , "With pleasure I h<}¥e set und~r the' ~ord: 'united iri hispraise, and waited at his throne.1> ~' Though t(I:IcOlnpassed with a:body ,of sin:, yet, his ways have been pleasant.", "Soon I hope toleave·t4is sinful, body"and enter into the full'. e~)joyment of his }ire":se.nce, ,behold l)im whom I have loved and; s~l;vedbelow; thollghWIth much imperfection." " But he knows our fJ;'ames, he remem.,.bereth we are but dust." if a taste here is so sweet, what will itpe to take, full draughts?" "Oh! 'tis a~eaven worth dying'fDr.'1He frequently sang the following stanza:- .'

His physician coming to see him, he ad,dressed him in the fol.,.lowing manner: "well doctor! what ·do you think of me? if youwas to tell me I should die this night, it would be the best newsyou cduld bring me! the God I'serve, and the religion I enjoy,'~lOt only' r~i~es m~ above th:e fear of death, but make~ me long forIt: my l'~hglOn WIll do to dIe by doctor." He sometImes sufferedextremely, and would cry out; "Lord, how long; why is tb'y cha­riot so long in colilsUpg?" '~Cut the work short, 0 my God!," "Yet'not my will, but'thI'p.e be done." "Give me patience, and keepme from murmuring-; and I will wait and suffer."

Once for' a short time he was sorely buffeted by the, enemy: andthe consolations 'of, the SpiriFi were sovereignly suspepded. With,~yident emotion of disquietude he said, " Satan has been telling

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,",. ," AI;; 'i shall soon' be dying,. Time quickly flies away;'Y~t on i~lY LOrd relying;' .

\ ~ h~i' 'tile happy day;"

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me to curse G,od and die." He suggests, with a roar, " the Lordhath fo:s~ken me quite, an~ that.he will be no more gracious to me,sijrely It JS not so :-Satan IS trymg hard to persuade me the Lordhath forgotten and forsaken me; but he has' been a liar from the~gim}ing: yet jf the Lord thus withdraws his presence I shall faint\1l1der my amic~ion." That passage being mentioned to hi~, Heb. I

vi. ]8. That God had given two immutable things, ,that thosemight have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay holdon the' hope set before them." He replied, " J have fled there forrefuge-I have laid hold on that hope ...:.-I will trust and not beafraid." A few hours after this lIe broke out in prayer; and con~

tinued in a sweet strain for ab'out twenty minutes, enjoying greatnearness and 'freedom with God. ThIS proved a means of breakingthe snare of the fowler, and the Lord fuJfilled his promise in "Isaiahlxv. 24. " Before they call I will answer, and while they are yetspeakin'g I will hear." He afterwarQs spoke of the ,privilegegranted, and the pleasure felt in drawing near to a coven~nt-God,

an~ said it was a foretaste of eternal bliss. He was, from this timeto h~s dissolution, mostly tranquil,. an.d sometimes.triumphant;longlllg to be gone, ,and frequently smgmg the fQllowmg verse:-".

" Hallelujah to the Lal~lb 'wh,? has bQught us a pardon,,We \vill praise him more cheerful when we pass o'ver ?ordari."

His mind throughout his aflliction was entirely freed from hisworldly c'oncerns ; and though' he stood at the head of a large andinteresting family; yet he could resign th,em up 'to the Lord. Not,.withstanding he had one, of the m~st "amiable companions in .theworld, yet, he could hold his heart to time no longer. He enjoyedso much of heaven, that/he could not be satisfied to stay in the'body_ ,Being asked if the Lard should, see fit to restore him, whe-'ther he was willing to stay a little longer; he said,." J would ratherdepart and be withphrist.-Why should you wish to hold m'e from'my rest, my God, my glory.-Tryto give me up; I,have given youall up/" ' '" . ,

He was quite s~nsible of his approaching end" and he said hefelt sure he was dying. "My flesh and heart .is failing, but Godis the strength of my heart and my portion for ever." He declinedrapidly; but the comfort, of his mind conti,nueduntH he was inca­pable of conversation, and scarcely able to speak. Jordan's flooclwas flowing round him; the last enemy' and he was in Close con­flict;., While this solemn scene. presented ifself to the view of thespectators, one present said," My dear brother, if you are happysqueeze my hand," and he instantly grasped1the hand 6fhis friend.Thus 4e erecte,d his victpi'iotls banner in the very dominion of, the'King ofTerrors, !Md without a sigh or a struggle, he fell asleep.­He changeth his countenance and,sendeth him away. Let my lastend be like his. He has left a young widow and nine fatheJ,less~hild~en to cleplore their loss.

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,PRA,ISE Tp GOD. " hel';a~t ;e'dark clb~cf/ih'~to~s~lfre.;:~y';, • • I (' I ,~ r, ; .

WtHilN ER'm~ ,soullook~b~ck,to see, ' , ,bri,g.bnkY,l 1] )".,

The ~ast abns,of misery, My.Jesus',sch':niot draws ll.igh: ,M,y sins l)atJI,on ;me brpught: ' "To hear his' soft woi~e, sweet musical

I, stll~ld ast,GljIish'd am\, l}!11aZ'd, . .str,ajn, [plain,Th\lt Gl;>d ,shopld 011 me deigll'-to gaz~, He bids me, be silent an'd cease to com-

On O~le ISO vile and lost. Oh, what,shall I wantl or what ,~hall rThat he should ere 'all !worlds began fear,Pl'oyide a way;-that way his Son Since Jesus my SaviQur's so ll~,!,r;,

To save my soul froJTI hell: lle's mighty to SllYC in,the deepest dii-'L'a',magli'ify the law fOl' lue, , . I tFess. [bless;TOlpay"my debts and ,set me free, H,e's,mi:g}lty to give, alHI.:rnighty too

That I milSht with him dwell. He's 'God QV,er all in the Father's richPreser,,:il nie from eternity, love, {far above.IIl'Ch!,ist,W'l1O was my surety" Aild,to,.51:we,me,he came fr,1ln'l the hills, My'Snviou\', and ~y God; I n the mi\hger ,he-laiq-h~,mllity's inn,1)l'l"<.lesf!ii1'd:me',to be 'a "sl:ln, , On tbe cross he once hUin,S',to pardonAn heir to an ethereal crown, mv ,sin;

Bought with the blo,?d ,of God, In the t~mb he was laid, bu(in triumphAlld now.I stand celnpletelY bless'd,' he rose, ' [op~ose.Cldth'dil'pon Mth I:Yghfeouslless, T,ho' dust, !death,a:nd-hell <,all stral'e to,; Fhji!J1\ecl' oil' Calvary :', In his 'majestic tascent ,his Gl;>clheacl ,heNo spot, IJor,wrinkle, nor such t'hing; ','!ll'ov'd, ' [rcm0v'd,'Is in this gal'ment seen,' 'W,nen lSatan's lastltlone by his 'p.ow'q' heTho~ worn by sinful me. ,Ndw 'feigns on 'l~i·s t'hr'one my prophet,

But I am not t/Je olli,~ one, "- "fJ.\y 1;,ri~st ~nd my king,That hil!v~ 'the blessJ~~.:thr(/ th~ L:lInb~,IHid'v!!)g c~lJ(\uer'dall {lileS, I when 'he

B!lt all the chosen.race: ' ," conquer'cl death's 'sting.. .they,all sb,all a.cc their int'rest her~ ,~.Qh,' tOlne then my· ~'esus/ by. faith let'Arid be preserv'd from ev'ry snare, ',1 -l11'c'i'Qve " [t4Iy,lovlt.

And wear,this.dghteopsness. O'el: the victorious fields-the fiel;~s OfArise: n;Jy,~oul to,prilis~ the Lord, :May, I lean on thin~ arm, j'ecli-ne Oll

'I:he'l';ather Spldt and -the Word' thy breast, <

, , " • I~n'll b . ' , I ' . 'I_ Id joyfl;l'l ,accents ,raise: l'l ,?l'Ile ~nove s WllllWlo:t le· It'e-~ro him, who ~jn was nll\de for thee, glons Ofl'est.And,paidJthy (lebts.onrCall'al'Y4 Then ill white shall r wa'rk" ili fnll vi-

, ;Give eyerlasting pr.a:ise." sion, gaze, " ,[praise;Slladwell. " ,J'

1I.;*,>lt1lttb~orb·d in thy sllJ'it~5, ,and lost in .thy

..,...... ::Sweet angel~, sq, 'bl'lght,.'louder -than'

) LEAiNIN'G ION 'CHlUS1'. , ,'thee shall I ~ill~' ~ ""~Yln~i~lItj,o'n5 of him ~hlltLb~ sw,eet.,.... Of hl~ ~~"c~~ ,and IllS l1rer~y, 'the'hea-. ' "', ,~eal. civ,.,$5. 13. veli~ 'rH ring, ' , ,

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l?/;,!'iC?1ff::'fe ~~;).l 9al',':~j~~gone ye valll \yi~h 1py h,~r:p and 11~~ crOWn, 1''\~ 1'an,ge 'fears, " the plJllllS 'o'er, ' '

Cease flowing ye sorrowful teps; My Fat1l'"er;tl1i~$O'n;)arid'the'Spiritil)ddre~

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