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ty," or into the liberty of the gospel, for such an one could not say, "I am carnal, sold under sin;" or that I see another law in my members &c. ;" but the apostle meant to set forth one, who was partially awakened only and not brought into the liberty of the gospel.

This being somewhat foreign to my own views, I should be glad, if some of your valuable Correspondents, would give publicly their ideas of the apostle's meaning in the verses named,

Your's truly in Christ.

J. J. H.

GOD'S COMFORTS FOR GOD'S CHILDREN.

No. 4.

O Lord, to thee will I cry," Joel i. 19. None of God's children are still-born, when regenerated by the Spirit and grace of Christ, for they immediately cry, and thereby prove that they have spiritual life; and as they then begin to cry, so they continue crying, whilst they remain in this world of sin, sorrow, trouble and perplexity, They are taught to cry unto the Lord in humility, in faith, in love and in hope, because he only can hear and understand and answer their cry; and for their encouragement, he has promised always to hear and attend to their cries, "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry," Psalm xxxiv. 15; "He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him, he also will hear their cry, and will save them," Psalm cxlv. 19. Now here is a trinity of wills, which evidently imports the ONENESS in WILL of the Three-one Jehovah, concerning the past, present, future and eternal welfare of all God's people, who, when regenerated, cry unto him in prosperity, in adversity, in trouble, in distress, in darkness, in temptation, in persecution, in affliction, in life and

at death. They also cry unto him in private and in public, at home and abroad, by night and by day; and they not only cry for themselves, but for each and every member of the mystical body of Christ. And they cry unto God for pardon, for salvation, for wisdom, for instruction, for strength, for direction, for protection, and for every thing they need, both for time and eternity; and remember, my fellow-traveller to Zion, that it is written, that God forgetteth not the cry of the humble," Psalm ix. 12; and, therefore, in all your trials, troubles and difficulties. resolve with the prophet, and say,

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O Lord, to thee will I cry," for it was never known that one of God's children repented of their crying to God; but on the contrary, many examples are on record, to prove that God has invariably fulfilled his pro mise, in hearing the cries of his own beloved people and regenerate children, 2 Sam. xxii. 7; Exod. ii. 23; iii. 7, 9; Psalm xxxiv. 6; cxxviii. 3. And "as it was in the beginning, so it is now, and ever shall be, world without end." God loves his people, in every age and in every clime, and therefore, the cries of his people in the peesent day, he will hear and remember the same, as he has done in days of old; for with God there is no variableness, nor the least shadow of a turn, James i. 17.

"Thou shalt see greater abominations than these," Ezek. viii. 15. The longer the regenerated child of God lives, the more he discovers of the wickedness and deceitfulness of his heart, Jer. xvii. 9; for instead of his heart or old Adam nature growing better and holier every day, as thousands in the present day of nominal professors and self-deceiving Pharisees ignorantly suppose and maintain, it grows every day worse and worse; namely, more hardened, rebellious, treacherous and wicked; for which reason, the christian is repeatedly led with the apostle to ex

claim, "Oh wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the bond. age of this death?" Rom. vii. 24, and with David, to pray, Search me, O God, and know (or discover) my heart, try me, and know (or reveal) my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting,' everlasting," Psalm cxxxix. 23, 24, Now God in a vision shewed the prophet Ezekiel, the various abominations which were practised by the children of Israel; and as God alone is the searcher and trier of hearts, he alone knows the utmost depth of that depravity, which lurks in the human breast, and he is pleased to make the same known to his children by degrees, in order that, like Job, they may be brought to abhor themselves in dust and ashes, and put their whole trust and confidence in that God, who has promised present and sufficient grace, with future and eternal glory, Psalm lxxxiv. 11; 2 Cor. xii. 9; James iv. 6; Philip. i. 6, &c. Believer, be not cast down at the sight of your deformity and abominable nature, however earthly, sensual and devilish it may appear, but look to Jesus, in whom you are comely, though black as the devil in yourself and remember the language of God to his Church, Thou art perfect through my comeliness, which I have put upon thee, saith the Lord God," Ezek. xvi. 14. And soon will the period arrive, when thou shalt quit thy house of clay, and leave behind thy deceitful and wicked heart, and ascend to the right hand of thy heavenly Father, where sin is unknown and can never enter, but where all is purity, holiness, harmony and blessedness, through an endless eternity.

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Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need," Heb. iv. 16. Every moment is a time of need with the sensible sinner or sincere christian,

for he is always in need of more grace, more strength, more love, more faith, more humility, more knowledge and more patience; clearer views of the doctrines of the gospel, and brighter evidences of his interest in the blood and righteousness of Christ, and of his right and title to all the blessings of the everlasting covenant, as pardon, peace, righteousness and eternal life. Now literally, the support we take to-day, may satisfy us for the present, but we shall want more to-morrow; and so it is with the soul of every regenerated child of God, it is ever hungering, thirsting, longing and desiring for the bread of life and the water of life; and therefore how encouraging is the invitation of the apostle, to every sensible sinner and longing saint, "Let us come boldly to the throne of grace," namely, to Christ himself, from whose fulness it is we all receive grace for grace, John i. 16. And why should we not come boldly to him, when he freely and constantly invites us, Matt. xi. 28, and is always interceding for all who come unto God by him? Heb. vii. 25. Rest assured, that he will not spurn us from his presence, nor deny what we ask in faith, for he has declared, "Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out,"John vi. 37. Christ expects no fitness in any who come to him, but they are to come just as they are; yea, come boldly, come constantly, come in faith, come in hope, and come by desire and by prayer and supplication, accompanied with humility and thanksgiving; for, as the poet justly remarks—

"All the fitness he requireth,
Is to feel our need of him."

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And though oft by sin much crossed,
Christ will set his children free:
He'll sustain them,

Till they his full glory see.

Bless'd indeed, all over glorious,
Is the christian's righteous lot;
By the Spirit's power victorious,
Far beyond the reach of thought:
Christ sustains them,

He has them from bondage brought.

From his heart they can't be moved,
He will ever hold them fast;
When their hearts are throughly proved,
They on him shall anchor cast;
He 'll sustain them,

From the world, and Satan's blast.

Be my state among their number,

Now, and at the trumpet's sound, When the ransomed wake from slumber, When the dead shall leave the ground; Then in glory,

I shall live an endless round.

Live and reign, adore and wonder,

Join the saints' and angels' song. Oh, ye saints, the theme now ponder, And with me his praise prolong: Thus sustained,

Sweet indeed will be our song.

Then we 'll sing that Christ is worthy,
Who redeem'd us by his blood;
Helped us all along our journey,
Gave our souls and bodies food:
While sustaining,
Still rejoiced to do us good.

Sweet the prospect, great the blessing,
Which awaits the saints above;
Endless joy each soul possessing,
They shall Christ's full glory prove;
Still sustained,

Never from his presence rove.
Deptford.

J. HARDING.

RECONCILIATION.

FATHER, we adore thy grace, Bless the love so richly shown, Shown to an apostate race,

Up in arms against thy throne.

Long we did thy Spirit grieve,

Now we humbly sue for peace, And a blessing would receive, Sealed with a Father's kiss.

Shew thy heart is reconcil'd,
Call us sons and daughters dear,
Give us tempers of a child,
Godly love, and godly fear.

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"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.

SUPPLEMENT,

A REPLY TO A LETTER FROM A CON-
VERT TO THE POPISH FAITH, AND
HER PRIEST.

Ar the request of your aunt, I have taken up my pen to write a few lines to you, praying, in submission to the will of God, that he may open your eyes to see yourself a lost and ruined sinner, and Christ an all-sufficient and suitable Saviour; for there is

one

1843.

they must be in purgatorial flames for ever; which is a place invented by the blind priests, to impose on poor blind creatures, in order to fill their pockets with money: for if they are not paid, they will not pray them out, and there they may burn for ever, for what care have they for them? What would you think of a person, if he saw a poor fellow creature in the flames, who could get him out by praying for him, yet he stood unmoved, and declared he would do nothing in the matter, unless he was paid for it? Would you not say such a person was a monster? Then such monsters are the popish priests, who have invented a place which is no. where to be found in God's word, as a place of purgation from sin; and Yet have set at nought the blood of Christ, the only purgation of the soul, for it cleanseth from all sin. What is the cause of this? Because they are dead in trespasses and sins, and are under the influence of the devil, who works in the children of disobedience, and is the god of this world-of the blind protestant as well as the blind papist. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the ditch of hell, without the grace of God; from which all the prayers and masses of

Mediator, and but one, between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." And not, as the Papists say, all the saints are mediators. Thus they are robbing Christ of his glory. "But there is no other name given among men under heaven, whereby we must be saved, but the name of Jesus, who is exalted to give repentance unto Israel, and remission of sins." the blind popish priests, presumptuously pretend to absolve men from their sins, and also to make men pay for their confession of them and not only so, but to this present time there are two-penny societies among the poor of Ireland, and all other papistical countries, to pray their souls out of purgatory. The poor people in Portugal half starve themselves, out of their scanty pittance to save money to fee the priest for that purpose, or Supplement, 1843.]

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