POETRY. THE NEVER-ENDING SONG OF ALL THE REDEEMED IN HEAVEN AND EARTH. Rev. i. 5, 6. AWAKE, my soul, and chaunt the song Of everlasting love, And join your notes with yonder throng, Who dwell in heaven above. All the dear sons of Zion's king. In heaven and earth are one; To Him who loved our souls, they cry, Yea, the Lord washed us from our sins, And freely made us priests and kings To him be glory, honour, power, My soul, come strike your golden lyre, Although in this vain world you stay, You're numbered with that throng, For Jesus all your debts did pay; You'll dwell with him ere long. 'T is only death which doth divide The blood-redeemed band; We soon shall cross cold Jordan's side, There, on bright Canaan's happy shore, There we shall feed on Jesus' love, Is God my Father? yet I am So prone to wander still; My heart so hard, my love so faint, Is God my Father? what could cause Is God my Father? oh, what love, Is God my Father? can I want? Is God my Father? why complain Is God my Father? all my life He'll guide and guard my way; Then land me safe on Canaan's shoe, To spend an endless day. Is God my Father? in his strengtl. In every trouble go to him, MARY. LINES ON THE DEATH OF A IF END. But lo, her deathless spirit flies, Once she was trav'ling here below, While here she did attend that place Of truth she lov'd to hear and tell, While in this barren wilderness, While here the christian path she trod She's seated on a sapphire throne, She sees the Friend who groaned and died, Enraptured with the dazzling sight, With angels now her spirit vies, Higher than their's her notes arise; Brought to the palace of her King. She of his royal honours sing. Hark! how our sister's spirit sings, Thus saved by rich abounding grace, Her dust that slumbers in the tomb Farewell dear friend till that great day When thou shalt shine in bright array; May we who've often meet you here, Meet you with sacred pleasure there. A COUNTRY MINISTER. THE SINNER'S HOPE. Who knows but such an one as I May grace and mercy find? I hear the God of Israel Is merciful and kind: Had he been pleased to torture me He might have done it long ago, I do not hear the trumpet sound The proofs and patterns of his grace He does not say, Depart from me But, Come into my open breast The trembling wretch who touched his hem, Worse than the swine he fed ; Who only looked for bread. Heaven looks upon the publican, Who was bowed down with shame; Mercy he called, which soon appeared, And answered to its name. My sins are mighty sins indeed. But I have understood, Great sins are foils, which do inflame The price of saving blood. My soul has many ghastly wounds, And a Physician there : The silver trumpet sounds; My day still shines, my tent is fixed Within salvation's bounds. The door is shut, but is not barred, Does bid me ask, and seek, and knock, Here then I'll ask, and seek, and knock, Nor will I stir a foot from hence, S. T. 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. JULY, 1845. 3 THE GOSPEL PULPIT. A Sermon Preached at Bethel Chapel, Cheltenham, on Sunday Evening, March 9, 1845. BY J. BLOMFIELD. "Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and flesh."-1 Chron. xi. 1. defeat him, blast his fiendish designs, and chain him under his omnipotent hand: but this serpent shall bruise his (the seed of the woman) heelChrist's human nature. Jesus is the sum and substance of the scriptures, the golden vein running through them, the golden thread that keeps the leaves together. "Search the scriptures," this had reference to the "Search the scriptures, for in Old Testament, the New being then them ye think ye have eternal life, and not written; he is the true scapethey are they which testify of me," goat that hath borne away all the says one that spake as never man sins of the elect body, the church, spake. Whatever part of the sacred the desire of all nations, the horn of writings our minds are called to sur- salvation, the golden table, the shewvey, or to look into, we find they uni- bread, the true ensign, heavenly dew, forialy preach Jesus. The first pro- the good old corn, finest of the wheat, mise, Gen. iii. 15, "And I will put manna from heaven; his love being enmity between thee and the woman, from everlasting to everlasting is the between thy seed and her seed, it old wine of the kingdom, blessings shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt on his dear name for ever and ever bruise his heel," displays the sove- he is everything that is precious, reignty of God. The act of sove. glorious, and sublime. Here is subreignty is, I will put enmity between limity unparalleled, a subject vast, thy seed and her seed; it preached ponderous, and profound; there is a Jesus as the seed of the woman. But depth in it that has never been exwhat shall this blessed, precious, glo. plored, a height the greatest mind rious person perform? He shall has never yet attained unto. That is bruise thy head (the serpent's), the the man who knows most of this seat of all his schemes; he shall not blessed theme, that enjoys fellowship, keep at the outskirts, but he shall nearness, and oneness with Jesus. come right into the citadel of the foe, But oh, what a path to travel to July, 1845] reach it, for, under beaven's direction and appointment, we must pass through fire and through water to come into the wealthy place." "Search the scriptures," ah, search them, the reason is assigned, they testify of me. That word "me" is big with importance, it is fraught with preciousness, it is full of meaning; in a word, it is ponderous divinity. Blessed Lord, lead us into it. Oh, for the oil, unction, power, blessedness of it; he is the paschal lamb, the rose of Sharon, the great physician, he it is that healeth all thy sorrows, the bundle of myrrh, a prophet, a priest, a king-the head. What saith the word of God, "The wise man's eyes are in his head." Here we see the pre-eminence of Christ, "The head of every man is Christ." The wise, defines character; made wise unto salvation; he has been led to see his own foolishness, his false refuges, his valueless physicians. God's good Spirit thus leading the blind by a way that they not," at last to rest in Jesus, for they that believe do enter into rest,' because they enter into Jesus, the true and glorious rest and sabbath of his people. He is their sun, and shield. Sun of Righteousness; the most impervious cloud flies before him, he is the portion of his dear people. What subject SO near, sweet, and precious to the apostles as Jesus; it is a name that sounds sweet upon the ears of the circumcised. Intrepid Paul preached Jesus, and the resurrection, Acts xvii. 18. 66 Christ and him crucified," 1 Cor. i. 23. See him persecuted, reviled, suffering, for so doing; but what says Paul, bless you, he speaks like one feeling the vitality, power, and unction of the religion of Christ, notwithstanding the mighty formidable phalanx of his enemies, he preached Jesus, For the which cause I also suffer these things, nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know in whom I have believed," 2 Tim. i. 12. There is nothing to be ashamed of in the glorious person of Christ, the eternal realities and verities of his kingdom. There is no other subject worth preaching about, but Jesus, his suitability, consummate righteousness, his truth and faithfulness, and his powerful invincible operations. He is "the amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning (or the head) of the creation of God," Rev. iii. 14. The sun preaches Jesus: the stars declare him: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy work,” Ps. xix. 1. "The bright and morning star." Rev. xxii. 16. Every spire of grass, shining with the dew of heaven, proclaims him to the spiritual mind; every leaf that bends to the breeze, preaches him to the mind, drawn out into the field of spiritual contemplation. The poet says when writing on the heavens, "Those mighty orbs proclaim thy power, Their motions speak thy skill, And on the wings of every hour, We read thy patience still." This blessed person must be a prccious subject to those who know him. The great trouble of our souls is, because we know so little of him, as our rock, tower, and hiding-place. The mind oft goes out after things of antiquity, here is a subject the most ancient; the mind is so constituted as to want a variety, here is a rich variety, that we can only enter unctuously into, by the Spirit of wisdom and counsel. It is the most important subject, "For there is none other name given under heaven, whereby men can be saved but through the name of Jesus," which is a name above every name, for "he is the chiefest among ten thousand." Listen to the accents of one, who knew what it was to enjoy fellowship with God, Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon the earth, that I desire beside thee." Oh, says the poor traveller, the broken-hearted sinner, I love to hear Jesus spoken well of, but I want to feel his power, to enjoy nearness with him. This Jesus whom David sung, whom Paul blessedly proclaimed, his glories are illimitable, his fame in the church indestructible; he is heaven's catholicon, for the broken in heart, the wounded in spirit, cast down, burdened sinner, he is the balm that will suit all the cases of his dear bloodbought family, the balm of Gilead, the tree of life, the plant of renown, Passing over the literal interpretation of this passage, may the blessed Spirit of all truth lead us to search it, to see if it testifies of Jesus and his dear people. "Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold we are thy bone and thy flesh." In the words we will observe, as far as the Spirit may enable us. I. The Person, David, as a type of Christ. II. The People, Israel, as typical of God's spiritual people. III. The Testimony, "Behold we are thy bone." I. The Person, as a type of Christ. 1st In the appellation itself—David, it signifies beloved. The scriptures speak of Jesus under this name, I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,' Ps. lxxiii. 3. He is said to be the chosen of God. In Isa. lxii. 1, "Behold my servant whom I uphold, my elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.' Jer. xxx. 9. "But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king whom I will raise up unto them." They that have been in trouble, soul trouble, spiritual conflicts, that have been in bondage, shall serve the Lord their God. Mark, the blessed relationship, and David their king, the blessed Jesus king of the Jews, reigning in their hearts by powerful, invincible, sover. eign grace, "and David my servant shall be king over them. " Again, "and my servant (observe the capacity of Jesus, servant) David shall be their prince for ever." The dignity, prince, duration 66 for ever; and many other scriptures might be quoted on this point, such as Ezek. xxxiv; Hosea iii. 5. But it signifies Beloved. Jesus Christ in his complex character is emphatically styled, the Beloved of God, "Lo, a voice from heaven saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." See him also at the mount of transfiguration. Matt. xvii. 5. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;" here is a wonderful development of heaven's glory, he is the Beloved of the Father, and the Beloved of his dear people; what is there resting on this fact, that he was and is the Beloved of his Father, as the Father loved me, so have I loved you; continue ye in my love." God the Father loved his Son from everlasting, so Christ, the God Man, set up from everlasting, in the purposes, counsels, settlements of grace, loved his people from everlasting; the Father loved his Son with an unchanging, eternal love : so Jesus having loved his own, which were in the world, he loveth them unto the end. Here is posses sion, his own, mark the position, "In the world," not of it, for they are crucified to it. The testimony, "loved them unto the end." He is the same yesterday, to day, and for ever; the same in person, love, and fulness. What an untellable blessing for the poor and afflicted soul who is oft doing business in deep waters, cast down with doubts and fears, enemies without and within, infidelity, peevishness, and fretfulness. That, He is a friend that loveth at all times, one born for adversity," a "priest touched with the feelings of our infirmities." Well he is truly the Beloved of God and his church. 2nd. In his employment, shepherd, "behold he keepeth the sheep," 1 Sam. xvi. 11. 'But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem," 1 Sam. xvii. 15. Holy Spirit, aid us, while we look at our most glorious and precious Christ, under this character, a shepherd, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall |