by and by, in order to save their credit they say it is a new disease they never saw before. But nothing baffles the skill of our shepherd; he has skill to heal the diseases of his sheep, he covers the whole ground, he makes up a composition himself, the same ingredients are employed: one is blood, and another is love, mercy, grace, and truth, this variety of things all make this compound, which is brought forward by this Physician, he knows the depth of the disease within, how long it has been standing, how deep seated, without feeling the pulse, or looking at the tongue, he can see the inward part, and as soon as ever the application is made the dying man springs up and says, "Oh magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together." Such is the astonishing skill of our shepherd, he heals poor broken hearted sheep; he is unlike all other physicians, because if you are recovered what a dreadful after clap comes in the shape of a long bill, it may be twenty, thirty, forty, or even fifty pounds, though you feel restored that comes high. But here it is all gratuitous, without money, without price. Will this produce nothing worthy of notice? It will produce every thing to the soul healed; this bows him down in contrition, gratitude, and godly sorrow. What a pleasure to such, how they will try to exalt the divine Redeemer, speak of his faith, his skill, and knowledge of things, his goodness, compassion, his boundless mercy and grace. he How cheerfully does he break forth, and in songs sublime he repeats : There is the shepherd of Israel, from henceforth and for ever, speak good of his name. This shepherd of Israel is then the speaker in the text. are many other precious things in the text, and as we are just commencing the subject, just got into the porch, and as far as relates to him, I am at a loss what to say, lest I should leave unsaid any thing that that ought to be said, as not the half has been said nor ever will be; as time admonishes me, I will, God willing, preach this afternoon if my strength will permit. We shall not do wrong in resuming this endearing subject, when we meet again. God bless the few hints dropped and his name shall have all the praise. Having an hour to spare, I will drop you a line or two, God willing, by way of answer to your's. You first tell me, that you could not hear Mr. G. for noise and confusion, although it was your desire: a plain proof that the man's voice is of no use, be he who he may, without the power to a living child of God; and that we his children, cannot rivet our attention, nor have one good thought nor desire without the almighty grace of Jehovah: neither can we overcome the devil, nor rout from our minds his awful temptations, only as our God is pleased to give us strength, so to "What was there in me that could me it do by faith, in the blood of the Lamb esteem, Or give the Creator delight, Even so Father, we ever must sing and testimony of Jesus. This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. In your way home you could not think of any thing of what This is the happy conclusion, he I spoke of on the sabbath, only "if : it be so, why am I thus." I should wonder if you could, seeing one of the greatest apostles living was not sufficient of himself to think a good thought and this teaching brings us feelingly to know, that all sufficiency is of God the Holy Ghost. He shall bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have told you. You did right in praying to the Lord, to turn away your eyes from beholding vanity but the Lord did much righter in laying afflictions upon your loins and a heavy burden upon your mind, and by his light discovering to you the evils of your heart, which lead you to see where all the rest of the world is, and in this way the dear Lord is pleased to shew and keep his children from evil-" Before I was afflicted I went astray." "In very faithfulness hast thou afflicted me." Under this divine teaching we lose our taste for worldly pleasure, and all its charms die. The words that the Lord gave you are precious words, "I will help, &c.," and was a token for good, and which you ought to treasure up as the words of a faithful God in covenant, and plead the same, and for the fulfilment thereof, although they did not come with that power as at other times. Yet, remember the Lord gave them at a time when suited to the state in which you was placed. Again, you say when you was sunk very low, and concluding all was lost, and that you had no God, Christ, or hope; then is the time for the Lord to work, as is plain he did by the words of Mr. H's. hymn, this is as a word in season, like apples of gold in pictures of silver, which was a word of life, for you say, it was turned into prayer, and this prayer was directed to God the fountain of life, so that it was a word of life to thy poor soul; and then it follows, that life is received by the word into the heart, and the recipient of it must be a living soul, Then you say, you feel dark, sinful and ignorant, that you do not think any ever felt as you do, Job says, “He hath set darkness in my path.' Jeremiah, "He hath led me into darkness and not into light." David, "I was as a beast before him." The light discovers our darkness and sinfulness, and life gives us to feel our wretchedness and misery as lost sinners in the sight of God, and leads us to groan and sigh for deliverance from the curse of the law, the hands of justice, the power and dominion of sin, from the world, the cruel oppression of the devil, and from darkness, bondage, hardness of heart, blindness of mind, rebellion, desperation, and from wrath eternal to this almighty deliverer of his people Jesus, "They shall cry unto me, saith God, and I will send them a great Saviour, and he shall deliver them." Remember that a poor sinner sunk under the sentence of the law, and bowed down under a deep sense of his sin and guilt by the Spirit's conviction, never can raise his soul to a hope in the mercy of God in Christ; but as the same blessed Spirit works faith in his heart to enable him, so that every rising up of hope from the word that you have, whether preached in secret, or in reading the same is from the Lord, and should encourage you more and more to hope for better days and greater manifestations of his love, "He that has begun the good work in you, will carry it on until the day of Christ." "The Lord direct you heart into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ." Remember me to your dear old father, may my God bless him in life and death, not forgetting mother, brothers and sisters, with all that love a precious Jesus; my wife joins in the same. I have been very busy in my Master's work of late, may he bless it to many God bless you, so prays E. PARSONS. SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION. A Dialogue between Stephanus, Aristarchus, and Epaphras. (Continued from page 58.) Furthermore, it was preached to Abraham in the promised seed, in Isaac who was a figure of Christ, it was set forth to Israel by the brazen serpent, it was prefigured by the types and shadows of the ceremonial law, which was the Jewish gospel, it was set forth in the ministry of the prophets, and then came the forerunner of his Master, John the Baptist, and thus he began his declaration, “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand for this is he that was having done any good or evil, that purposes ever will be fulfilled in all 'Twas his own purpose that began Step. What a sandy foundation are they on, who deny, and with all their might fight against those sweet truths, you have been relating. The purpose of God some assert is horrid, and everlasting love a dreadful declaration; however, though I am a poor crawling worm, this I know, that as many as are ordained to eternal life, shall believe, but no more: "And he will have mercy, on whom he will have mercy; and whom he will he hardens; for it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." Rom. ix. 16, 17, 18. spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.' Matt. iii. 2, 3. Then comes John's Master," the faithful and true witness, and the first-begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth." Rev. i. 5. The promised seed is the cabinet wherein all God's jewels were secured, the head of the covenant, the husband of the church, the gospel in all its glory, he being the substance from everlasting, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, and the Amen. The purpose of God in the gospel is from everlasting, let men rage and fight with all their power against so glorious a plan. Have you never read the apostle's observation to the Ephesians, where he is setting forth the hidden mystery of Christ, and of the salvation of the Gentiles, that it Aris. Very right Stephen, conwas According to God's purpose, fident I am, free-will has lost its and that purpose was eternal which power through the fall, however man he purposed in Christ Jesus." Eph. may boast of it; for as you observed iii. 11. And when speaking of elec-you are a crawling worm, and I am tion, he tells the Romans, in the ixth. chapter and 11th verse, "For the children being not yet born, neither 66 sure, neither you or I should have crawled out of the holes among the bats, unless eternal life had been communicated to our souls. And blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that has remembered us, and made us to differ by his grace; and that shall be my song through time, and to all eternity. Step. And my song also: though my harp is often out of tune, and many fears I have on my way to the city. Epap.-True, Stephen, our harps are often out of tune, but the Lord is such a skilful musician, that in a moment one touch from him, sets all in motion. I sometimes ascend my pulpit, as distressed and uneasy as a poor creature can possibly be; but when he appears, all the springs begin to play. I must depart, time hastens on, they will expect me to-morrow with tidings, as usual, and you know our exchange business is never done. Aris. Let us have a little more from you. You are like Abraham's servant, you are richly laden with jewels of the best quality; and as for your spices, nuts and almonds, with the powders of the heavenly merchant, there is none to excel them; though to numbers your jewels are not valuable, nor are your spices, fruits and powders odoriferous. But blessed be God, with the offspring of Zion, both me and Stephen prove sweetness and the excellent virtue there is in them, for they spring from him in whom all fulness dwells. the Step.-My beloved Epaphras, I have heard many who call themselves christians, despise and laugh at extemporary prayer, saying, it is not methodical, as they consider we should address the Almighly in a comprehensive form of words. Epap.-A man will never pray, sue, not cry to God, until he is awakened to a sense of his misery: and as the Holy Ghost is the only spring of motion, such being quickened, worship God in the Spirit, their heart being prepared by him, and not by form, nor yet by notion. When the Lord made me sensible of my wants and my fallen condition, I was glad to get into any corner (but not into the corners of the streets with the Pharisees, for they love to be seen of men) where no eye could see me, but his, and pour out my heart. before him, shew before him my trouble, and beg him to communicate that to my soul which I sensibly felt my need of. And this is prayer indeed, for none can make me feel my wants, and prompt my soul to call upon God, but the Holy Ghost, who is the helper of my infirmities. Rom. viii. 26. Step. Then from your description, I am a poor supplicant at the footstool of mercy; and they who adhere to form, are welcome; God give me to enjoy the power of prayer, and be a prevailing Israel. Epap.-Broken language, true feelings, earnest desires, heart pantings, and sincere longings, is the inspiration of the Lord in the heart. Every sigh from inward abominations, every burdens, shall never lose their way groan from the experience of soul up to the throne, and be accepted on the golden altar. As the poet sweetly describes the prayers of our first parents, after their recovering from the fall. God and with man. Hannah asked Samuel, and got him after much wrestling. Indeed time would fail me to tell of Samuel, David, and the prophets; but it sufficeth to say, that I well know prayer to be a bulwark against the devil, and a heavenly trading between God and my soul: and though at times I cannot pray with words, yet I can pray without them, that is, I am shut up for language, yet pregnant with feelings, like a bottle, as Elihu informs Job, that wants vent. And blessed be God, I well know to this moment what it is for the divine prompter, to set my soul at sweet liberty; and then the Lord discovers himself propitious indeed and the dew descending on the fleece, causes me to rejoice with joy in the Holy Ghost, proving what John saith: "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us and if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." 1 John v. 14, 15. I am a living witness to John's testimony, if there is one on earth, and I believe there are numbers, who with me prove the fact. Indeed, all the way I have come, many sharp trials, many sore burdens, and hard things have I met with, which God, by his Spirit, has enabled me to call upon him under, and has caused me to rejoice in this truth, which Solomon observes, "For he shall not much remember the days of his life, because God answereth him in the joy of his heart." Eccles, v. 20. Therefore I can set to my seal that he is a God hearing and answering prayer, and much work between him and me is carried on in private, and I believe will be accomplished in his time towards me, "For faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Heb. xi, 1. You well know I have sur prized some hundreds through the good hand of God towards me : and I shall surprize numbers more yet, understand me, I mean not by my doings, but what God will do for me, and by me, for he is faithful that promised. Hebrews i. 23. And my venerable father and mother, Abraham and Sarah, judge him faithful, who had promised. Heb. xi. 11. And through mercy being a partaker of the same faith, the apostle saith, Know ye therefore, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham, after the Spirit, consequently are blessed with faithful Abraham. Gal. iii. 7, 9. Step.-Aristarchus, my heart rejoices at hearing these things from our beloved friend; I pray God I may enjoy them, and experience the power of prayer more, and the life of faith, with a sweet dependance on God, while I am travelling here below. I feel my soul refreshed, do proceed my beloved Epaphras. Epap.-I am willing to impart my whole soul to you, and any one of Zion's fraternity, for I freely have recieved, and freely do I give; but as I observed before, I must be going, and at another opportunity, shall very gladly enter on any subject, as far as God hsa given me wisdom and experience; however, I will tarry an hour with you, and now, if you please, I will give you my firm belief of the promises, and the preaching of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The promises of everlasting life to the elect, was made to them in Christ Jesus, as it is written, "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began. Titus i. 2. And the same apostle declares, writing to the Galatians, "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise," (To be continued.) |