The breastplate had twelve stones, all the precious stones in the world. They reflected the colours. There are seven primary ones only. The breastplate was upon his heart, with all the names, to shew he has the concerns of the weakest of you under his eye, and those that cannot walk he takes and carries in his bosom, May it be given you to look to him and be saved. Stephen fell asleep praying, and his prayer was heard and answered. Christ only hath salvation. Aaron is dead, and all the succeeding priests. Jesus ever liveth. Comparisons all fail, in all of them he must have the pre-eminence. Christ lives for ever. "Because I live, ye shall live also." If you have fled to Jesus for refuge, the Father sees you in his Son, loves you with the same love, and has prepared the same heaven for you. God is love. The day of Pentecost, never was there an effusion of blessings as on that day. Poor ignorant men wise in the things of God in a moment, and spoke all the languages of the known world in a moment. The gospel was carried on as far as the success with which the Lord was pleased to crown it; eight thousand were converted in two days, and the apostles carried the news of finished salvation all over the known world. This was one of the royal gifts of our loving Lord, King Jesus. All that is done in bringing sinners to Christ, is all the Spirit's operation. His gifts bestowed on the apostles, were demonstrations to sense, that he who gave them was Lord over all for ever. Are you under afflictions, in sorrows, a miserable man: he will comfort you. In sin, trouble, desertion and temptation, he alone can preserve the believer, he alone can deliver and comfort us. What are all other comforts to a man who has looked into the other world, and sees the emptiness of this? The believer carries about with him real pleasure, a paradise in his own heart, for Christ and he are one. What a miserable life is this that I live, may a believer say, what is there that is worth living for? But here we come to a centre, to a point, all comforts are in Christ Jesus. And the disciples were called christians first at Antioch. The apostles went travelling about over the world. Probably Great Britain was favoured with the gospel from the mouth of Paul. Our's is a highly favoured land; no land in the world like it. The disciples were called christians; we rest in the name. The meaning of the name christians, is, a man in Christ; a man quickened by the Holy Ghost, and united by faith to Jesus Christ, and so living upon him that we live to him, and to the Father's glory in him. The anointing of kings, priests, and prophets shewed forth the Spirit's influence. It was made death by the law of God, for any one to make the like sweet perfume to smell to. And this to shew that we cannot have it but from Jesus Christ. He is the anointed, and he is the anointer, what the Spirit does he does for POETRY. THE SWEETNESS OF MEDITATION. “In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul."-Psalm xciv. 19. JESUS, 't is sweet to bow the knee 'Tis sweet to feel the soul drawn forth To join the praise, to speak the prayer To trace the dealings of thy hand, Though we are oft with sin perplexed, The same, though earthly comforts die, Unchangeable! 'T is sweet to know Lord, though thou dost obscure thy face In little wrath thy face was hid, With everlasting kindness, Lord, In thine own time thy power shall show Help us, thy children, Lord, we pray, To pray to thee, our faithful God, Oh, be our strength from day to day, Through all our journey be our guide, Then will we praise in songs divine, Oh, glorious prospect, happy hope Our faith anticipates the day Among their number, Lord, may we Grove Hill, Deptford. FAREWELL. J. HARDING. Suggested on Hearing a Farewell Sermon by POOR sinner! ask thyself to-night, Say, if thy Maker shouldst ordain Of ease and carnal mirth; And health and honours given; The rich instructions of God's word, Couldst thou dispense with the blest hours The calmness sometimes sweetly known The happy hours that spirit knows Whose time is spent with God; Are these all lightly prized by thee, And earthly things preferred? Oh, sad the end of such shall be, Is told us in God's word! The Scriptures lightly estimate And what the world call good and great, That soul is blest, who feels assured Of oneness with the Lamb; By grace eternally secured From law and sin and shame. Such only as have heavenly peace And with the Lord appear. Earth's many pleasures, take them all, But if thy soul those blessings crave, JOSEPHUS. THE ETERNAL AND UNCHANGEABLE LOVE OF GOD. How vast and how wonderful great Is the love of Jehovah to man; Nor can any mortal relate Yea, says Moses, the people he loved; Ere the day-star was fixed in its place, Or the world from dark chaos arose ; Jehovah determined by grace His election in Jesus to choose. He loved them ere Adam first fell, In Jesus they all stood complete, Ere time's wheels were suffered to move; Nor can any power defeat His plans of unchangeable love. The chosen in Jesus' hands Are safe as when first they were given, To keep them and guide them to heaven. They were given to Christ as his bride, For them did he tread all alone, The winepress of God's righteous wrath; His love, God the Spirit makes known Then he leads them to Calvary's tree, Nought in earth or in heaven above, THE SPIRITUAL MAGAZINE, AND ZION'S CASKET. "For there are Three that bear record in heaven the FATHER, the WORD, and the HOLY GHOST: and these Three are One."-1 John v. 7. "Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.-Jude 3. Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience."-1 Tim. iii. 6. SEPTEMBER, 1844. THE GOSPEL PULPIT. THE CHILDREN'S INVENTORY. The Substance of a Sermon Preached at Corpus Christi Chapel, Stonehouse, BY G. H. GODDEN. "Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are your's, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your's, and ye are Chrisl's, and Christ is God's."-1 Cor. iii. 21, 23. " 'BEWARE then, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily; and ye are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and power." Hence, the Father loved the Son, and hath given all things into his hands, as it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell. And hence said Jesus, "All things are delivered unto me of my Father; and no man knoweth the Son but the neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." Thus all things are of God, who September, 1844. Father; hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. So seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." And on this ground Paul writes in the 9th verse, We are labourers together with God; ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building." How great then your privileges, beloved in the Lord, to have been so built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. Built up in his almighty person, precious blood-shedding, and everlasting righteousness, as the alone mean whereby we are washed, and sanctified, and justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. In a word, "" builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit," upon that immoveable Rock, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail. The revelation therefore on this glorious subject is most blessed, CC namely, "The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his : and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." And tell me, what can be more iniquitous, than after having so begun in the Spirit, to be seeking perfection in the flesh? Nothing, for "whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Now, saith the apostle in the context, if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward; but if any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, yet he himself shall be saved so as by fire.” You perceive then, I trust, my friends, that there is no possibility of our falling into this fleshly error; and being taken up with the wisdom and traditions of men, more than with the power of God. So likewise in this church of Corinth, many of them were tainted with much carnality on this point, which caused great strife and divisions among them. "For while one saith, I am of Paul, and another I am of Apollos, are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then, neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase." And are we better than they? No, in no wise, for we have before proved, both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin." Wherefore, as all such partiality to, or preference of the Lord's servants, is nought but iniquity; so doth my text open with a very suitable admonition, Let no is sharper than a thorn hedge. Hear ye then the word of the Lord by his servant Jeremiah, Cursed is," &c. Jer. xvii. 5, 6. Look to it, therefore, ye who profess the adorable name of Jesus, that nothing short of Christ, in the glories of his person, greatness of his love, riches of his grace, and perfection of his work, can satisfy your immortal mind, all beside being but wood, hay and stubble. And ye know him who hath said, Heb. ii. 19. man glory in men." For the best of them is a briar, and the most upright But this is not the whole, generally speaking. Inasmuch as that a gracious reason is immediately annexed, why the elected, redeemed, and regenerated children are so exhorted, "For all things are your's." How came they so? Even as made over to us by God the Father in the person of his dear Son, from everlasting, that we should be to the praise of the glory of his grace who first trusted in Christ." All things in the everlasting covenant, ordered in every point and sure; all things in the kingdoms of creation and providence, as likewise in the departments of grace and glory, are our's, by virtue of our oneness and union with the Son of God. And not only so, but all things actually work together for good to them who love God, and who are the called according to his purpose. Oh, then," the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God; how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counsellor ? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and to him, and through him are all things, to whom be glory for ever. Amen." Words methinks cannot be more to the point in proof, that "all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of mercy redound to the glory of God." The Lord help you then continually to bear in mind, under every trouble, persecution, or |