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the best robe, that was put on the prodigal, "bring forth the best robe, and this is none other than the imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, and this is essential to salvation, for the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God; now Paul, Peter and John, who were all fathers, brought forth to their children, this best robe; Paul tells them that by Christ's obedience they should be made righteous. Peter tells them that they will suffer for righteousness sake, so it was then, and so it ever will be, for "the wicked hate the just and gnasheth at him with his teeth." John also tells us, he that doeth righteousness is born of him, and what is this doing but believing, called the obedience of faith, so that when we are enabled to exercise faith on the righteousness of Christ, we then are clothed with it, and are righteous, even as Christ is righteous; but another part of our clothing is a created righteousness, and this is the new man. Now these fathers all enforced this clothing, Paul calls it the righteousness on the left, "by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left."

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Peter calls it the hidden man of the heart, a being a partaker of the divine nature, and John tells us it is the love of God; thus they all brought forth this robe. Once more, humility was a robe that these fathers brought forth to their children. Paul says, Serving the Lord, with all humility of mind," unto me who am the least of all saints, &c." Peter says "be clothed with humility, for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble," and as John enforces, all through his epistles, the love God, so Paul tells us that charity vaunteth not itself." Having treated of the food and clothing I have one thing more in view, and that is this: it lays with a father to settle estates on his children, and to Jortion them off, as God has in his

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providence prospered him; hence that the heir, as long as he is a child, Paul writes as follows: "Now I say differeth nothing from a though he be lord of all, but is under tutors and governors, until the 1, 2, and here we all are under time appointed of the father." Gal. iv. these tutors and governors, and have only a little spending money. But who are these tutors and governors, I answer, they are letter preachers, who are sound in the letter of God's truth, and they will talk of the be liever's inheritance very largely, and set it forth in a wonderful way, that he is an heir of life, of righteousGod, of glory, an heir of God, and a ness, of salvation, of the kingdom of joint heir with Jesus Christ. But the child of God, is full of doubts longs, wishes and craves to get full and fears, and oh, how he looks and possession of these blessed things; he hears and reads, he prays, he converses, but seems further and further off. One and another come to their estate, but he is still in the back ground, and although he is told, that there is an appointed time, yea, a set time to favour Zion, yet he is sadly plagued and tormented; Satan sug gests, you are not one of them, and unbelief after innumerable fears and doubts, says the same. However the time being come he takes full possession of his inheritance, and his soul rejoices in it, and it is impossible Was I to

to tell what he is worth. fill a large volume, I never could describe it, but one text swallows up all, and that is this, "God is his por tion;" now although I might bring ten thousand things, that he is an heir of, yet this takes in all, for only consider how rich a man must be, that has God for his portion, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and this is confirmed by some, that after long seeking, have come to their estate. Jeremiah was one, tion, saith my soul, therefore will I "the Lord is my por hope in him," Lam. iii. 24.

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is another, "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and my cup, thou maintainest my lot." Ps. xvi. 5. Asaph is another, after all his sad complaints he says, Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth, that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever," Psa. lxxiii. 25, 26. I will mention one more, and that is Abraham; " after these things, (ah, fellow traveller, what numberless things, there are that come in our way so that we shall often conclude, that we shall never gain the point, that we are far enough from having any thing to do with this inheritance, but we are wrong, for, after these things) "the word of the Lord came unto Abraham in a vision, saying, Fear not Abraham, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward," Gen. xv. 1. A shield to defend thee from every enemy and thy eternal portion, therefore fear not. Thus friend T. I have gone through the little work, in which you see the various sorts there are in the Lord's family, babes, such are babes, when once light and life enter their souls; they are regenerated and born again of the Spirit, "the incorruptible seed, the word of God, that liveth and abideth for ever," such desire the sincere milk of the word, and therefore, are sucklings, and they suck and are satisfied with the breasts of Zion's consolations; but as they grow up to little children, they hear talk of a law work, and now they conclude that they are all wrong, that they have been deceived all through by Satan, that they are in an unpardoned state. Now John, a father in Christ, writes to such, to try to encourage them, "I write unto you, little children, that ye may know that your sins are forgiven you for his name sake," this shews that these little children were under a law work, that the thing they greatly feared was come upon them, and that they had deeper and deeper discoveries of their

own hearts, "for by the law is the knowledge of sin." However they keep on growing in grace, until they get to be young men, and engaged in the fight of faith, "being strengthened with might by the Spirit in the inner man, they are strong in the Lord and in the power of his might," they stand fast in the Lord, they stand fast in the liberty, and they stand fast in the faith, and after many ups and downs, ins and outs, and hard fightings they grow up to be fathers in Christ, and are useful in communicating the same grace and spirit unto others, and were these things properly attended to, it would remove much of that strife and contention which there is in the church of God, which arises from ignorance of God's work, and you may see all that I have wrote on this page in Job's experience. I can see him a babe, first, quickened, he had the fear of the Lord, there is life. Then a suckling, "the rock poured him out rivers of oil." After this, a law-work, "thou writest bitter things against me," and as a little child he wants to know his pardon. After this he goes to fight, and he fights hard too, and declares that the root of the mat. ter is found in him, neither will he give way to any, but declares that his Redeemer lived. Thus you see he was a young man in Christ, and after this a father, and no doubt but he was like John very useful in his old age to the church of God. Now these things cannot be contradicted upon the ground of truth, and you know we are told to cleanse our way, by taking heed according to God's word. Life in the soul proves to God's saints that I am born again, but perfect love casting out all fear and all torment proves to ourselves that it is so. May the Lord enable

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friend T. to persevere in all good things. I shall conclude with the following blessed text, "Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us is God, who

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BY J. BLOMFIELD.

(Continued from page 152.)

"Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and flesh."-1 Chron. xi. 1.

The flood-gates of heaven were loosed. The mighty deluge of Jeho vah's wrath, came upon him, " all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me," says Christ. So the poor children of God experimentally feel that there is no fury in him." No condemnation to them in Christ Jesus, who walk after the Spirit, and not after the flesh." So that a fleshly religion, will not suit them, they must have a supernatural religion, a religion of everlastings, felt and experienced in the soul. Now they have a little reviving in the midst of their bondage. "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us, wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption."

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The end of it.-The exhibition of the adorable riches of his sovereign grace in the final glorification of the objects of it. "God hath not appointed us unto wrath, but to obtain salvation, by our Lord Jesus Christ." "As many as were ordained to eternal life believed." "God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation.” "The Lord hath made all things for himself, for his own glory.” "This people have I formed for myself, they shall shew forth my praise." Observe that amazing scripture, Rom. ix. 23. And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory."

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Again, Israel was a circumcised people.-Hear the great apostle Rom. ii. 28, 29. "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God." The author of this circumcision, "The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart." It is a painful operation, it is a cutting off the foreskin of our righteousness, it is under this operation that we are brought into the stripping room, to the place of stopping of mouths, it strips us of our conceitedness and fleshly wisdom, thwarts our plans, cuts off all fleshly prospects and props, it cuts us from self-importance, brings us to whisper out of the dust, have mercy, "God be merciful unto me a sinner." Lord save, or I perish." This is a work of continuation, for there is a needs be for this work, and indeed God does teach his people, by "terrible thinga, in righteousness." This is a very unpleasing operation, flesh does not like it. It is said of Enoch, that he was not. Why? because God took him, he translated him. So it might be be declared of of all God's dear spiritual people, they are not resting on flesh, fleshly

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schemes and religion and why are we not, because we are translated out of the kingdom of darkness, into the kingdom of God's dear Son; because God hath taken us into everlasting relatiouship to himself, and is now causing the poor soul to be cut off from every thing, that he might enjoy this sacred indestructible union to Jesus; bringing them experimentally to rejoice, and say, For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh," their ears are circumcised to hear the truth, their hearts to feel the power of it, and receive it, so that nothing but truth, spiritual and experimental will suit them. Truth in its power, savour and unction, they want to live upon. What do we, my friends, know about this important matter? Again Israel was a saved people. So spiritual Israel; "who is like unto thee, oh people, saved by the Lord." In his love and pity he has redeemed us; Israel shall be saved with an everlasting salvation in the Lord. Who saved us ? our most blessed Immanuel worked salvation for us, he was the accomplisher of it, "The angel of his presence saved us." Its source was the love of God. "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son." there is an eternity of meaning in that particle, so. Jesus is the unspeakable gift of God, He gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity," Titus ii.14. He saved us from its curse, by being made a curse for us, bringing a poor soul by the powerful, invincible operations of the eternal Spirit, to feel that there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus. The Spirit works salvation within us. 1st, By leading us experimentally to feel our lost condition as sinners. 2nd, By causing us to cry out in our perilous situation, "Lord save or I perish, God be merciful to me a sinner." 3rd, By showing us that Christ bore all our sins, that he was our scape goat,

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Propitiation, our Redeemer, Surety, Substitute and Husband. 4th, And by showing us, through all our doubts, infidelity, and wickedness, that Christ is a friend that loveth at all times, one born for adversity.

They were a peculiar people, so Israel spiritually, they have peculiar troubles, troubles that the mere professor knows nothing of, often tried about their troubles, whether they are the pecu. liar trials, marks, and spots of God's children, or whether they are troubles peculiar to the world : a mere professor, a hypocrite, is never exercised in this way. They have peculiar battles, within, a warring of two principles, or powers, and no one is acquainted spiritually and experimentally with this warfare, but they who have the incorruptible seed within them; the implantation of the divine nature, feeling something of the power, vitality, and verity of the religion of Christ, "When they are weak, then are they strong." Peculiar revelations of God's love are made to them under severe trials, in their relationship to God, in their dwelling, they dwell on high, they dwell alone, in a word, in God; they are peculiarly described in God's word, soldiers, kingdom of priests, holy nation, city of truth, city of the living God, building, husbandry of God, a garden of nuts, clothed in royal apparel, sometimes, notwithstanding all they have talked and professed to enjoy, constrained to break out in bitter complaint, "We see not our signs." What a mercy, God abideth faithful, no variation in him.

Let us now consider under what circumstances, they gathered themselves? We read in 1 Samuel xxii, 2, "Every one that was in distress, every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves together unto him." Hark, says the Arminian, they gathered themselves, yes, mark how and when they did it spiritually. 1st, The description of persons: in debt, in distress, and discontented, God's dear family

are brought to feel they are truly debtors, and have nothing to pay with, their destitution felt is what causes them to be in distress; they have gone down to Egypt for help, trusted in man and have found a curse upon it, tried every physician, found them to be physicians of no value, tried all refuges, found them to be refuges of lies; they have put confidence in fleshly efforts and found themselves to be fools; hence they are discontented with all the several schemes of the day, with self, doings, prayers, in a word they are discontented with everything, and think they shall perish,but "the great trumpet shall be blown, and they that are ready to perish shall come." Hear, my people shall come, “and him that cometh I will in no wise cast out." 2nd, The manner of their coming, "They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them;" no presumptuous confidence; where is the man breath ing the vital air, living under the vaulted arches of heaven, who is not a debtor to God? but how few in this day of abounding profession feel it spiritually; but some, bless God, are brought to feel it, and have been brought to feel that Christ hath paid it all by the shedding of his own blood, justified us in the high court of hea

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and made us blessedly to feel it by an application of atoning mercy. They now sing with dear Toplady,

"A debtor to mercy alone, Of covenant mercy I sing." It is said, in 2 Samuel xvii. 29. "the people are hungry and thirsty and weary in the wilderness." Christ says, "Blessed are they that hunger, for they shall be fed," he will cause them spiritually to feed upon this truth, upon Limself, the fatted calf, the shew-bread, the cakes and the oiled wafers, he will give them honey out of the rock; the weary he will give to rest in him. self, the true spiritual and everlast ing rest; it is in him the wicked cease

from troubling, and in him the wearied with self, sin, the world, either professing or profane, are at rest. The thirsty, he will give to drink of the water of life, the water of the well of Bethlehem; his word says, "Ho every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat, yea come, buy wine and milk, without money and without price;" when this is brought home to the heart, by God the eternal Spirit, then there is a partaking of these gospel blessings.

III Their testimony, "Behold we are thy bone and thy flesh."

The place where this testimony was given, Hebron, which signifies, society, friendship, enchantment or invincible influence, overpowering delight. This place was formerly called by the name Arba or Kirjath-Arba, which signifies awaking, uncovering, then before we are brought experimentally into the blessed, ravishing, animating, supporting society of Jesus, we must know what it is to awaken, or inwardly to feel the quickening, lifegiving and life-supporting influences of the eternal Spirit; we must know the import of the apostle's language,

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you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” When, the law came home in the hand of the Spirit, the apostle says Sin revived and I died," he saw sin then as he never saw it before, yes and felt it too. It signifies friendship, being brought into sweet communion with our most blessed Lord, through union street; he appears unto us a friend indeed, and we have experimentally felt him a friend in need; he is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, a friend that loveth at all times, one born for adversity, he became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich, rich we are if interested in Jesus, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ; oh, what dignity, and honour, king's sons, having a royal education; it signifies overpowering delight; "I sat down under his shadow with great

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