Page images
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

My dear brother in the Lord. GRACE, mercy, and peace, be multiplied unto you, from the Lord our God; may he favour you with many sweet love tokens, in your exalted employment of preaching, our most glorious Christ to the people, and grant you at all times, a door of utterance, that you may speak boldly, as you ought to speak the truth as it is in 'Jesus. Cry aloud, and spare not in this sinful and Christ despising generation, when any other subject but our precious Christ will please the greater part of the professing word, exalt him, lift him up, for he is worthy. Oh, the sweet, the soul refreshing seasons I have been favored with in by gone days under your ministry God is witness, we had then the glorious gospel, of the blessed God in its purity, and the glori ous holy three Persons, in the individual essence, gave an unction to the same, whilst life and vitality was visible, through our whole circle, those seasons will never, no never be forgotten by me, but now the candlestick is removed, and for the want of hearing the pure truth, my spirit sinks so low. We have in our town one preacher, an independent, who says that predestination is one of the greatest errors that can be preached; had not my dear Lord, of his rich, and unsought for grace, fixed his love from eternity upon me, what in time could move him to do it, not my misery, sinfulness, and hell-deservings, infinite wisdom had higher ends in view, even the praise of the glory of his grace, the exaltation of the great God-man, and let us bring forth the crown of our redemption, and place it on the head, all majestic, of our precious Redeemer: no sensation so sweet, no sensation so sublime, no happiness can equal this, when we can feelingly sing" Worthy is the Lamb," &c. Indeed I would not have salva

[ocr errors]

vation in any other way if I could, for where human merit begins, my happiness ends. Do pray for me, that my Lord would discover more and more his heart's love to me, and give me to realize by the faith of the operation of God the Spirit, that he hath loved me and given himself for me. I do find that in the world I have tribulation, and I want to know more the meaning of that promise, In me ye shall have peace." Oh, my brother, you cannot tell nor do you know, what a poor, depraved creature I am in myself, did you see me, as I do myself, you would think nothing of me. But oh, his glorious grace, who can sound it? how marvellously displayed in eternal election, particular redemption and effectual calling; who would have thought he would have made willing such a poor hell-deserving sinner as I am, and still carry on his glorious work in my soul, it must be so, notwithstanding all my doubts and fears at times, for I am enabled to commit the keeping of my soul to his hands, being fully persuaded of the infinite efficacy of his blood, the perfection of his obedience as my justification, and of his omnipotent grace to bear me up, and carry me through. Once more, do not forget me when bending before the throne, for I am here in a barren land. When, oh, when, will the Lord favour us again in this place with the truth. I hope you will favour me with a visit at Christmas, that we may once more hear the joyful sound. That the Lord of all lands may be with and bless you for ever, is the prayer of your unworthy brother in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ,

E. E.

LITERARY ANNOUNCEMENT.

The Infidel, a Poem, Written in Defence of Revealed Religion. By Edward Cock. Octavo.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

Are you under conviction of sin? he will take of the atoning blood of Christ, and sprinkle It on your conscience. Are you under the hidings of God's countenance? this may be to let us see we have nothing in ourselves, and that when he withdraws his influences there is nothing but an horrible void. Are you the subject of violent temptations, injections of the wicked one, a whole body of sin? the highest believer is liable to these assaults, and to feel this body of sin. Be it so, it will make him prize more the light of His countenance. There was one that said, Thanks be unto God, which giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord."

66

In sin, trouble, desertion and temptation, he alone can preserve the believer, he alone can deliver and comfort us.

The Holy Ghost never comes as a visitor, but he comes as an inhabitant. He purifies the heart and consecrates it, and makes it a better temple than St. Paul's Church or any other Church. He was never given

to be taken away; and this is one of the wells of salvation; "And with joy (says the prophet) shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." If we had but a bucket to let down, the christian believer never need to be without his joy.

War never comes but for the sins of the people; it is one of God's judgments. We have been a long time at war, we have had a long war, and yet I do not see any body concerned about it.

I live by breathing. If my breath stop, I die.

The Spirit of God is the same to the spiritual world, that the air of this world is to our bodies.

Most common things in nature should lead us to spiritual things.

The tabernacle and all its furniture was made to set forth spiritual things. They had the pattern before their eyes. The Lord gave them wisdom to make it according to the pattern.

Heb. x. 19-28. The apostle is now making the application. He had been laying open the types and ceremonies of the law, and shewing that they all held forth Christ; and now he comes to the improvement of it under three heads. 1. As it respects the Father; 2. As it respects church members; and, 3. As it respects afflictions. Attend now only to the first of them. "Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest of all by the blood of Christ. The apostle had been shewing that the Jewish rites and ceremonies were now all abolished, the substance come, and therefore there was no further occasion for the figures; no occasion for the priest to go into the holiest of all, and sprinkle the blood there; because the blood of Christ hath perfected for ever. A new and living way is opened by the blood of Jesus. It was a new way because the old was shadowed forth in types and shadows; it was a living way, there was death in the former, a constant succession of slain beasts;

the sacrifices were slain, but he ever liveth, he dieth no more. It is a consecrated way to the Father, a straight way, it leads directly to the Father, through the vail, that is, his flesh. The vail was rent in twain at his death, and the holy of holies that was never seen before but by the high priest, was now laid open. Let us draw near with a true heart; we can never fathom the mystery of the iniquity in the human heart; but when the conscience is sprinkled with the blood of Jesus, this purifies the heart, and makes it a true heart, in full assurance of faith. A full assurance of the reality of the object of faith, as God's appointed way of salvation, our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, with the constant sprinklings of the blood of Christ, and our bodies washed with pure water, so present your bodies holv and acceptable, which is your reasonable service; a living sacrifice washed by the pure water of the Holy Spirit, kept purified and cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. The Holy Spirit is the applier, and therefore we always begin and end with him. His office is to be a witness for Jesus, and to be the Holy Comforter. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurrance of faith, our sins should be no bar. He can forgive a thousand millions of sins as well as one, and great sins as well as what some call little sins. No sins should be a bar, not even unbelief, for there is grace enough in Christ to supply all our need. No turning betwixt Christ and Moses; there is no occasion now for a candlestick, a shew-bread table, an altar of incense, for having Christ, we have it all in him; in him we have the substance. Having such an high priest over the house of God, and whose house are we, let us make daily use of him, and so enjoy the Father's love through him.

Ps. lxv. 10.-"He blesseth the springing thereof." These fine showers and returning sun had made a

visible alteration in nature. A fine verdure was already spread over the face of it, the trees were putting out buds and leaves, the plants and the grass grew, and all around the returning light in its influences were already seen. These operations were carried on by the action of light upon the plants. These showers soaked to the roots, the light acting upon the moisture rarified and expanded it, and so it repels and pushes forward into those fine tubes, which we call the roots, prepared to receive this rarefied moisture. This is the philosophy of the natural world, and so it is that animal life is carried on in its operations. But the observations now made will be confined to the vegetable creation. You remember that the growth of plants is entirely owing to the action of the Isun and air, this is described beautifully and clearly, and no philosopher can give an adeqnate description of his works, but the Holy Ghost we read, 2 Sam. xxiii. 4, “And he shall arise as the morning light, the sun in a morning without clouds, raining down upon the produce of the ground." See Bates. But our translation is, "And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as tender grass springing out of the earth by clear springing water." Here you see vegetation is described as owing to the clear shining of the sun after rain. These are clear descriptions of spiritual things, and what the agents that carry on the operations of nature are in the natural world, the Son and the Spirit are in the spiritual world: It is by their agency alone that the work of grace is carried on. The Lord prepares the fallow ground, ploughs it up, manifests what it is, he prepares the seed, he is the sower. For though ministers may have a great deal of seed in their hearts, yet the sower is the Son of Man. The ground must be first prepared, for it would be vain

to sow seed in Cheapside. And when the seed is sown, the Lord alone can give the increase. The seed is the word of God, Deut. xxxii. 2, "My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass; because I will publish the name of the Lord, ascribe ye greatness unto our God." The name of the Lord, that is the seed, and that is the seed which the Lord blesses; and when the Lord blesses it, then one fruit is, we make mention of his righteousness, even of his only, and there is abundance of peace; we do not see the plants grow, though we know they are grown: we are brought to renounce all life and liveliness in ourselves, and declare all our fresh springs are in him. The water that I shall give you shall be in you as a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. The action of the spirit is explained, Hosea xiv. 5, "I I will be as the dew unto Israel, he shall grow up as the lily, and cast out his roots as Lebanon, his branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, and the smell as Lebanon." If ever you saw an olivetree, its leaves shine and look as if they smiled upon you. Says one, I do not grow as I could wish. Can you tell me who does? Perhaps there may be more growth in your complaints than you are aware of. Many are saying, Who will shew us any good? The question is asked at the Exchange, at the playhouse, at the card table, but here is no trafficking for spiritual blessings. He giveth freely you are not to bring any thing but to come and receive them, and bless the Lord for them. There is but one description that beggars all that ever was wrote on the seasons, or on the spring, as much as the writer exceeds the writers of these pieces.

Sol. Song ii. 19.-" My beloved spake and said to me, Rise up my

love, my fair one, and come away." The description is truly inimitable. Come away from a state of nature. Nature's dead dark state. The winter is past. He bore away the winter of God's wrath manifested against sin. The flowers appear on the earth in consequence of the sun's return. For though we have a great deal of sun shining in winter there is no life it. We are now more directly under his rays. The time of singing is come; and the birds very few of them, sing after midsummer. And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. That is the Holy Spirit. He is the turtle-dove. His voice speaketh the glories of Jesus. The fig-tree putting forth her green figs, that is repentance, the emblem of repentance. And the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell. The vines signify justification; the righ teousness of Jesus. The fig-tree putting forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell. There is no fragrancy in the world like the blossom of the grapes, and especially in the vine countries, "Arise my love, my fair one, and come away.'

[ocr errors]

The Second Epistle to Timothy was the last Paul wrote. In prospect of soon seeing Him, that blessed apostle breaks out into language full of immortality and glory: "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day, and not to me only but unto all them who love his appearing.”

As one with Christ death cannot hurt you. It is to bring you closer to Jesus. He is our happiness to-day and he will be our happiness to-morrow, and he will be our happiness when we come to see him face to face in glory.

[blocks in formation]

POETRY.

LINES

Written on hearing of the return of my beloved Pastor, Mr. Hobbs, after a long and serious illness,

SHALL my dear Pastor come again,
Shall I his face behold;
And hear again the welcome voice,
Which oft has wonders told?

Oh yes, I hope to see his face,
Which makes my heart rejoice;
But oh, I pant with great desire
To hear my Saviour's voice.

O Lord, thine house has often proved
A Bethel unto me,

There thou hast caused my weary soul

To find her rest in thee.

But since those times I 've had to pass
Through darkness and distress,
Satan and sin and unbelief
With grief my soul possess.

Oh come, dear Jesus, come again,
Step o'er these hills with speed;
May I obtain delivering grace
To help in time of need.

For thee I long, I pant. I groan,
O Jesus, hear my cry,

And bless the word thy servant speaks,
Thy name to glorify.

May he with all thy church rejoice,
And bless thy chastening rod;
Say, This affliction 's for our good,
It 's led us to our God.

Accept a humble tribute, Lord,

Of praise to thy great name, That our dear Pastor yet is spared To meet with us again.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »