disturb him not, he is drinking of the rivers of pleasure, which are at God's right hand for evermore. May the good Lord grant, if it be his will, that dear Mrs of whom dear Dr. Hawker speaks so affectionately, although unknown to me, yet I trust well known to God, as his own loved and redeemed vessel of mercy with yourself, enjoy God as the strength of your heart, and your portion for ever. As partakers of the one Spirit, as branches in the same vine, as redeemed by the same precious blood and washed in the same fountain, covered with the same robe of righteousness, fed with the same provision, dwelling in the same spiritual house, built upon the same foundation, looking through the same glass to behold the glory of the Lord, enlightened by the same sun of righteousness, walking the same way, which the vulture's eye hath not seen, nor the lion's whelp ever trod, drinking from the streams of the same river, that makes glad the city of God, possessed of the same unsearchable riches of Christ, married to the same husband, made ready and invited to the same marriage supper of the Lamb, written in the same book of life, and bound up in same bundle of life with the Lord our God, eating the lamb with the same bitter herbs, and enduring the same spiritual tribulation, carrying the same body of sin and death, fighting the same enemies, under the same banner having the same helmet, breastplate, sword, and shield, walk. ing in the same shoes, and sleep at night in the same bed, (in Jesus) under the same shepherd's tent, under his shadow, shout the same victory, through the blood of the Lamb, and the word of his testimony, ride to the city of the great king in the same chariot, on the same bottom paved with love, enter the pearly gate, walk the same golden street, live for ever in the same mansion, worship in the same temple, same "for the Lord God is the temple of it, and the Lamb is the light thereof," and be crowned with the same crown of righteousness and glory that fadeth not away, and sit upon the same throne, and sing the same song to God and the Lamb. There sorrow and sighing will flee away, for God will wipe away all tears from your eyes, Hallelujah, Amen. As it respects myself, I have a weak and sickly body, and have many soul and family troubles; like the sparrow, I live on God daily for my crumb, and the archers have shot at me, and have sorely grieved me, and having to struggle with poverty, my trials are very heavy; but the Lord is faithful that hath promised: bread has been given, and my water has been sure, But in this great day of profession, we cannot have a greater sin, in the eyes of professors, than poverty, written on the knocker of our door, it will be avoided as a pestilence. But it is well the servant be as his master. "He was a man of of sorows and his only acquaintance was grief." With all the profession when upon earth, in his day, there was not religion enongh to buy him a bed, nor give him a lodging, for he had not where to lay his head. Christ having suffered in the flesh, he has left us an example that we must follow his steps. Therefore we are told, not to think it strange concerning the fiery trial, as if some strange thing had happened unto us, for the very same things were accomplished in our brethren that have passed the wilderness before us, "For they wandered about in sheep skins and goat skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, they wandered in deserts, and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth." And these all obtained a good roport through faith in heaven, but while they were in this world, they were accounted the filth of the earth, and the offscouring of all things. What is this world, this wretched world, It seldom casts a smile on those, What is this world, this wretched world, Suffering is one part of our conformity to the dear Redeemer. It is easier to talk of faith and tribulation than to live by it, and in it. For it is by these things regenerate men live by faith, and in all these things is the life of my spirit, Christ manifested. I do not find (says one,) any person puts in to Calvary, but as necessity presses. It is the sick man that asks where the physician lives; it is the poor man that feels distressed about his debts; it is the helpless man that wants support, the blind man that wants a guide, the insolvent that wants liberation. But my desire is to endure all things for the elect sake, "Neither do I count my life dear so that I may finish my course with joy, and the ministry I have received of the Lord Jesus." I am now getting near my journey's end, the winds of the wilderness will soon be hushed by my soft repose in a Saviour's bosom. But I must like Jacob, wrestle all the night of time until the eternal day star appear, and the eternal day break upon me. Then the winter will be over and gone, and the time of the singing of birds will come in a song that will never end only to Christ with the Father, and the eternal Spirit will belong, must belong, must be owned to belong, all the glory throughout eternal ages and world without end. Why without end? Because the benefit is without end, the connection is without end, the advantages are without end, the relationship is without end. Many a christian, says one, after having passed the desert through, his name forgotten, his character reproached, his peace broken, his enemies triumphant, his friends depart ing, dying under the sheltering wings of Jesus, and awaking in the robe of a Saviour's righteousness in the world above. How delightful is the brilliancy of his appearance, and satisfactory the abundance of his enjoyments when his miseries have subsided and he is at home. No more trouble about the wintry blast, the stormy day, the sandals are put off, the night lantern is left behind, and death, the last enemy, is gone for ever. Hallelujah. Yours in the best of bonds in Jesus, To my highly esteemed though unknown friend, an Old Watchman I feel bound to express my thanks, for the courteous manner in which he has treated me, notwithstanding his opinion that I am so seriously in error; of this I am not as yet convinced, therefore I hope that our friend, the Editor, will give me a place in an early number. It is not my intention to remark on the whole of what an Old Watchman has written, since this would occupy both time and space to but little profit, but I will endeavour to point out, as briefly as possible, wherein, in my opinion, he has erred. He has erred in confounding sins generally with the sin against the Holy Ghost, not remembering that blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is a peculiar sin. All sins are sins against the Holy Ghost, but all sins are not the sin against the Holy Ghost, for Christ himself says, Mark iii. 29, "Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme, but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damna, tion. Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit." An Old Watchman confounds these sins. Christ has named but one sin, as the sin or blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, but the Old Watchman refers to a hundred. He produces Satan in the serpent, and says that he committed the sin against the Holy Ghost in tempting our first parents; now surely if Satan committed that sin in tempting them, they also committed it in complying, yet he states that no elect vessel can commit that sin. Again, an Old Watchman produces the case of Cain murdering his brother, which he also considers to be the sin against the Holy Ghost, and concludes, from the fact of his destroying Abel, that he was not an elect vessel. We readily admit that Cain was a child of perdition, but we do not learn it from the fact of his murdering Abel, any more than we do that Saul of Tarsus was, who sat or stood watching with an infernal pleasure the death of the martyr Stephen. Has our friend forgotten that the great apostle of the gentiles was a murderer; has he forgotten that Saul had charge of the apparel; has he forgotten that he was consenting to, and a party in his death; has he forgotten that Saul breathed out threatenings and slaughter; has he forgotten that he persecuted the way of the Lord, or the disciples who trod in that way; has he forgotten that he persecuted them unto strange cities, and even unto the death? Now if murder is the sin against the Holy Ghost, the apostle committed that sin. Now as he who commits the sin against the Holy Ghost never has forgiveness, and the apostle was privy to and a party in the murder of Stephen, yet was an elect vessel, there fore the murder of Stephen was not the sin against the Holy Ghost. All this appears so plain that we cannot think of wasting time to prove it. We observe, also, that an Old Watchman errs, and materially errs, in considering that the secession of the Puseyites from the church of England is the sin against the Holy Ghost, for if so, the disscnters to a man are guilty of that sin, since they oppose and wilfully resist the protestant church dignitaries,' more, yea infinitely more than do the Puseyites, who, he says, have, by forsaking the English church, turned from the holy commandment delivered unto them, contrary to their vows, &c., at their ordination. Then he says, the Puseyites have unitedly, presumptuously and wilfully sinned, next unto blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, by doing despite unto the Holy Ghost, as he is graciously and influentially the Spirit of grace, in his heirs, the Father's witnesses, bishops, pastors and watchmen in the national protestant established church. Surely an Old Watchman proves by far too much here. This is a sword which cuts both ways with a witness. The Holy Ghost is graciously and influentially in these heirs of the Father, the bishops and pastors of the church of England, therefore it is a wilful and presumptuous sin to oppose them. This is taking things for granted with a witness. Who informed an Old Watchman that the bishops of the church of England were heirs of the Holy Ghost? Surely he has been dreaming. It is quite possible that a bishop may be an heir of glory, but his being a bishop is no proof of it. It is equally possible that a deacon in that church may be an heir of glory, but his being a deacon is not the proof. But allow that all the dignitaries of the church of England were elect vessels, it would not then be next to the sin against the Holy Ghost to dissent from her communion, for if it would, the free church of Scotland has committed that sin; yes, Chalmers and his friends are equally guilty as Pusey, Newman and Froude; and indeed every dissenter in the three kingdoms is equally under ban, is equally guilty of presumptuous and wilful sins against the Holy Ghost's heirs, in committing a sin next in order to the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, separation being the ultimate in both cases. But the dissenter must be most guilty, since the distance between Rome and England bears no comparison to the space between the pure principles of dissent and the established religion of the land. Again, an Old Watchman errs in not considering that the most trifling sins, if there are trifling sins, may be wilful and presumptuous, while acts, the most heinous, may be sins of ignorance. This is an axiom, and so needs no proof, yet we will bring one quotation, referring again to Paul, who, when speaking of his diabolical acts, affirms that he obtained mercy because he did them ignorantly, but Peter sinned wilfully when he dissembled respecting circumcision. Need we define again what we mean by wilful or presumptuous sins? it is this, then, the being guilty of any thing, whether trifling or important, while we know at the time that it is wrong to do it. Sinning wilfully or presumptuously, is acting contrary to a known and acknowledged prohibition. Thus whether sins are those of ignorance or of presumption, cannot be known by the act itself, but must depend upon the amount of information possessed by the person who commits them, for where there is no law there is no transgression. Let us see, then, if an Old Watchman is correct, when he states that none of the elect family ever committed wilful sins, What will he say of Abraham denying his wife, when he knew to the contrary ? What will he say to Aaron the high priest, who made a golden calf, and danced round it, ascribing to it the honour of bringing Israel out of Egypt, and who, though he had fashioned it with a graven tool, after he had made it a molten calf, yet when accused by Moses, said, equivocally, They gave me the gold, and I cast it into the fire. and out came this calf: that he made the did he not know calf, and that he fashioned it? Did he not know that the calf he made was not the God of Israel? Surely he did, and when the anger of the Lord was hot against him, what would have been the issue, had not Moses, as a type of Christ, stood in the breach? why, instant death. We pause here to observe, that our friend misunderstood us with regard to the efficacy of the blood of Christ, for we never meant it was less efficacious under the old dispensation than it was under the new, but our belief respecting the old testament saints, is, that they went to heaven on the credit of the Saviour's blood, which was as efficacious then as now. It cleansed those who looked at it prospectively then, as it does now all who look to it retrospectively. Yes, it then cleansed Aaron from his wilful sins, notwithstanding his body fell in the wilderness. The law indeed made no provision for such sins, but the gospel did, which is clearly portrayed by the way in which the hand of the Lord was stayed, through the intervention of Moses, who was a striking type of the Mediator of the better testament. There is, also, the case of Eli. Did he not know he was wrong in allowing his sons to act so base a part? He did, and so committed wilful sin. Again, Did not David know he was acting wrong in the affair of Bathsheba ? Did he not know he was acting wrong when he used such art to induce Uriah to go to his own home, in order to cover his (David's) guilt? Did he not know he was acting wrong when he wrote, "Set ye Uriah in the fore-front of the battle;" and that he was acting hypocritically, when on receiving the tidings of his death, he said, Well, the sword devours one as well as another? Unquestionably he did. Further, Did not Solomon know he was acting wrong when he worshipped strange gods; and Jonah, in going to Tarshish? Did not Peter know he was doing wrong in denying that he ever knew the Lord? Let us exam He ine the case. Peter was called by Jesus, had been his associate for some time, had attended on his ministra tions with the other apostles, and was with him on the mount of transfiguration. He was one of the two sent to prepare the passover. He was at that meal, at also at the last supper. His feet were washed by Jesus. also was one of the two who watched while Jesus was agonizing in the garden, and afterwards foolishly drew his sword to defend him, yet, wonder, O heavens, be astonished, O earth, this Peter, this redoubtable champion, in a few short hours, with no very great temptation, swore thrice, though he had been forewarned, and with oaths and curses, that " he never knew the man." Now will an Old Watchman call this a sin of ignorance, no, he cannot, this was sinning presumptuously, yet the Lord turned and looked on him, for he was an elect vessel, washed in that blood that knows of but one limitation, the sin against the Holy Ghost. Now a denial of Christ does not constitute this sin, and the case of Peter proves the assertion. But no sacrifices of rams or of lambs could atone for them, nor had there been a victim offered every remaining mon ent of their life would it have satisfied, yea, had every Jew been a priest, and all employed in sacrificing, atonement could not have been made. But Christ, the great sacrifice, offered himself up once for all, and therefore there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin. Should this fall into the hands of a poor soul who is conscious of having sinned wilfully, we would say, Flee to the fountain that is open for all sin, both of ignorance and wilfulness, for there needs no other sacrifice, Thou mayest, poor soul, be expecting hell, and Satan may harass thee with a fearful looking-for of judgment and fiery indignation, yet cheer up, dear soul, God is thy Father, if ever thou hast fled to Christ, and thy Father is thy Judge, and the spirit of burning TO AN INQUIRER AFTER TRUTH. Since forwarding the above I have seen the paper of " an Inquirer after truth," who, with " an Old Watchman,' seems to me to attach my inferences to their first principles, thus they assume that wilful and presumptuous sins cannot be committed by the people of God, since the new man never concurs in the commission. And does the new man, we ask, ever concur in the commission of sins of ignorance, any more than of wilful sins? certainly not, it does not alter the nature of the sin. The apostle does not attempt to extenuate sin or change its character, when he says, "It is no more I that do it, but sin that worketh in me," but would shew that the new principle is pure. But what we have to establish is this, that wilful, or presumptuous sins, are those which we commit knowing we do wrong in perpetrating them, which is the turning point of the whole matter; so if we are right in thus describing it, and we think we are, the sin is the same, let it be cominitted by whoever it may, and we think that but few of the Lord's family will refuse their assent to this statement, That we often do that which we know to be wrong. That this is what the scriptures intend by presumptuous or wilful sins we have already proved in our first article, when quoting from the Old Testament. To us there appears two kinds of sins named |