unto the King eternal," was brought with sweet power to my mind, and it set my heart at rest in a moment; for I saw the eternal divinity of Christ in the word as clear as his humanity, and whatever poor, blind, proud mortals may say about it, still divinity is too great a mystery for the human mind to scan.

Sometimes I have, as I think, a peep into the hole in the wall of my fallen nature, and like Agur am led to say, "Surely I am more brutish than any man;" and at other times I am afraid I have not sight enough of myself to be a child of God. But some way or other I blunder out some of these things that I have experienced amongst the people of God, and many of the Ishmaelites mock and persecute me, and even some of Sarah's own children are angry with me, which is a great trouble to me; but I have been kept hobbling on thus far. Potton, September, 1837.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE GOSPEL STANDARD.

AGUR.

Dear Brethren,-I lately received a letter from a valued brother in the Lord, a tried and faithful baptist minister in Suffolk; and being unwilling to feast alone on so rich a display of sound doctrine and experience, I have herewith sent you an extract, and remain, dear brethren, Yours in the Lord.

Liverpool, 4th Nov. 1837.

WILLIAM RUSHTON, Jun.

"The furnace of affliction is, no doubt, wisely appointed for us, and we shall remain in it no longer than it will be beneficial to us. I have sometimes struggled to be taken from it, but am happy that I am resigned, and feel it my privilege to rejoice in tribulation, rather than to be discharged from it. I can say with you that I do not realize that fulness of joy which I desire, but I trust in the promise of life by Christ Jesus. For a few weeks past the Lord has been speaking sweetly and graciously to me by his word, and living by faith has been easy and delightful; easy because the truth and authority of the divine testimony have been demonstrated to me by the Spirit of Jesus, without my labour or effect; delightful because my soul has rested in God and his salvation. This is the sum and essence of my happiness. I have indeed suffered many conflicts within, and groaned in anguish of heart, because of my innate depravity; yet Jesus, I know, is the fountain of sanctity to me, and while I rely on him as my justifying righteousness, I cherish the persuasion that he will eventually perfect me in holiness, and present me, with his glorious church, without spot before the throne of his glory with exceeding joy. "Two things encourage me to ask in faith for every spiritual blessing I need. First, the well ordered and everlasting covenant, as containing all my salvation and all that I desire. The second is, the fact that Christ has ascended on high, and received gifts for men, even the rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell amongst them. These, my dear sir, are substantial and immutable grounds of hope and joy. May you and I rest upon them daily, and when the tide of enjoyment turns, may we remember the sweet truth that though

we believe not, yet our God is faithful, and will not alter the thing that has gone out of his mouth.

"My health has materially improved within the last few weeks; and from the prayers of my dear friends, I have been impressed with the persuasion that my life is to be continued for the church's sake, that the truth of the gospel may remain in this place. I think no more of myself than as one who has obtained mercy, but as I stand alone in this place to bear witness to Jesus, and to make known his unsearchable riches, he may yet see fit to add to the number of my days, and employ me for his glory. For any other purpose I have no desire to live."

ANSWER TO A LANCASHIRE MINISTER.

Messrs. Editors,-In your Standard for November, page 262, “A Lancashire Minister' says he "shall be glad if any of your correspondents will give their thoughts on Acts viii. 14-17." By your permission, I will take the liberty of giving your querist my thoughts, if I can put them on paper before they fly away. I think the passage is in my favour, as it does not appear to me very dark, although I may be in the dark as to the design of the inquirer; and as I am not very systematical, I hope no surprise will be manifested if I write rather irregularly, and that I may not be unnecessarily tedious, let the remarks made serve as an introduction.

some may

I

I. I will make a few observations respecting the persons. consider them to be precious believers in the Lord Jesus, though think otherwise. My reasons for thinking so are these: 1. In verse 12 I read, "They believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus;" such as Baptism, the Lord's supper, the order of God's house, and the precious name of Christ in his various offices, relations, work, and blessedness resulting therefrom; and

2. I gather from the joy with which they were blessed that they were believers in Christ; for in verse 8 we read that they were the subjects of great joy. This was the case with the gaoler at Philippi, as we read "he believed and rejoiced in God with all his house." So those in Acts ii., "They received the word gladly."

Beloved brethren, can we not refer to the time when the Lord was pleased to make our hearts glad, by delivering us from conscious guilt that had stopped our mouth, dashed our hopes, marred our carnal pleasures, brought death into the soul, though not destitute of life and light, seeing our misery but not our deliverer? O what joy, gladness, and rejoicing when brought into the liberty of the sons of God; and many times since then we have experienced sore troubles and sweet deliverances, and by them have learned the experience of such expressions as these, "Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great;""Will the Lord be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever?" "Bring my soul out of prison;" "I sink in deep waters;" Why standest thou afar off?" &c. These are some of the

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dark side; but now and then a ray of light and a gleam of hope spring up, and sweet deliverance comes. Then we sing like Israel at the Red Sea, or as David, when he said, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name." Then our mountain stands strong, and we are ready to say (unto any one) "Come and I will tell you what he has done for my soul." Then presently comes a messenger of Satan to buffet us, lest we should be exalted above measure. Thus are we the subjects of changes, and how necessary these are I will not say, to make us more acquainted with and abhor ourselves; to see more of the suitability of Christ, and feel a greater need of the Holy Ghost to comfort us. Now, we can read in the Psalms, and occasionally hold a few minutes' converse with David and his sorrows and joys.

3. I also gather that the persons were believers from the practical effects which were produced. In verse 6 it is said, "They gave heed unto those things which Philip spake;" i. e., concerning the kingdom of God; &c., just as we read of Lydia, "She attended unto the things spoken of Paul." Accordingly, in both cases they were baptized in order to their making an open profession of their faith, and of entering visibly into the church of God. This is not all; for I have no doubt they, like others we have read of, (Acts ii. 42) continued steadfastly in the Apostle's doctrine and fellowship, and breaking of bread, and in prayer. What an honourable testimony in favour of the primitive disciples, and how blessed, my brethren, when by the grace of God we are enabled to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all these things. I fear this cannot be fairly said of many in the churches of Christ. Do you, my reader, continue steadfastly in the Apostle's doctrine and fellowship with the brethren, in spiritual conversation and breaking of bread? or is your practice in unison with those who say it is only a prayer meeting? These may be strictly attended to, and be no real evidence of interest in Christ; for Simon attended to baptism, though in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity; yet if we make no conscience of attending to these things, we give no outward evidence to our brethren of our faith in Jesus.

"When on the boughs rich fruit we see,
'Tis then we cry a goodly tree."

II. I will speak a little of the prayer put up for this people by Peter and John, of whom it is said, "when they came down" (that is from Jerusalem, as in verse 25) "they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost." (ver. 15.)

1. This does not prove that they were destitute of the Comforter, for genuine faith is his fruit (Gal. v. 22), and so is joy, which springs from an enjoyment of God's love (Rom. v, 5); "Hope maketh not ashamed, for the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us;" and David says, "Remember unto thy servant the word upon which thou hast caused him to hope." 2. Why did Peter and John pray for them to receive the Holy Ghost, if they were already in possession of him? I answer, they did not pray to receive him as named above, but to enjoy him in

his extraordinary gifts as the Apostles on the day of Pentecost; (Acts ii. 1-18;) and as those did in Acts x. 44, and Acts xi. 15, which latter verse says, "The Holy Ghost fell on them as on us (the Apostles) at the beginning." So I judge the same is meant in the text; for we read in verse 18 that "when Simon saw that by laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given," which was by their speaking with tongues and working miracles, as in verse 13, "he wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.'

III. I will conclude with a few observations. Perhaps a "Lancashire Minister" is (as I once was) an advocate for what is called infant baptism, and attempting to defend their supposed right from the above verses, by judging that the persons spoken of were baptized before they received the Holy Ghost. If so, I hope the Lord will make him see that he has been insulting Christ and opposing his truth, and that his present attempts are in vain; for we read nothing of such right in the context, but only of men and women being baptized, nor of such practice in the New Testament. Indeed, it is not likely, as there is no command by Christ or his Apostles, nor is there one solitary example to be found. attempts to shelter in the baptized household, I will entreat him to prove that in these households there were infants at the time, and that these were baptized, and I will then prove that whether they were infants or not, they were all believers.

December 16th, 1837.

AN AWKWARD SOLDIER.

INQUIRY.

Dear Sirs,-During a late severe indisposition, I was much exercised respecting my eternal state; my poor nerves were very low; among other friends who kindly visited me, was one, who I hope is a child of God. But his ideas much cast me down (being of a feeble mind.) His creed is, that all conviction of sin and our lost estate, even that which makes Christ so desirable that the soul would give a thousand worlds to call him theirs; even this is nothing; not a spark of the new birth or regeneration in any of it, and that nothing is regeneration or the new birth, short of saying with full confidence, This Beloved, even Jesus, is mine and I am his.'

Now, thinking in my own poor way, he is not consistent with scripture, I asked him if Peter and the other apostles before the day of Pentecost were regenerate, (particularly Peter) for we all know he would have hindered the atonement taking place if he could; but he had faith, and the dear Lord prayed it might not fail. In answer to this, he said he did not consider them at that time in a state of regeneracy. Now, Sirs, will it be too much to ask, that you, or some of your highly-favoured correspondents would give your thoughts on the 32nd verse of the 22nd chap. of Luke: "But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not ;" in order that the nature of Peter's faith,

as named in the above passage may be explained, and I doubt not I shall see it was the work of God the Holy Ghost, in Peter's heart, notwithstanding all his darkness. I am, dear Sirs, Yours in the best bonds,

Islington.

I. S.

THE SOUL IN PRISON PRAYING TO BE
BROUGHT OUT.

"Bring my soul out of prison that I may praise thy name."-Ps. clxii. 7.

It is not certain whether David composed this Psalm in the cave of Adullam, when he had fled from Achish king of Gath, or in the cave of Engedi, when he had-taken refuge from the wrath of Saul. (See 1 Sam. xxii. 1, 2, and xxiv. 1—3.) But this is a matter of very little consequence to us; as it is the state of his soul we want to come at, in order to render the subject profitable to the Lord's tempted, tried, and harassed people, whose souls are often in such a state of captivity as obliges them to cry with the Psalmist, "Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name."

Let us, then, notice the threefold state of imprisonment, of a spiritual nature, the scriptures treat of, and with which all God's elected, redeemed, and regenerated people are, more or less, acquainted.

First, our attention is directed to that condition of thraldom we are all in by nature; namely, "the pit wherein is no water," (Zech. ix. 11,) under sin's dark dominion; (Rom. iii. 9.) under the law, and subject to its curse; as the apostle observes, "for as many as are of the works of the law, are under its curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.". (Gal. iii. 10.) And what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." (Rom. iii. 19.) Thus men are shut up under the law, in unbelief, led captive by the devil at his will, are wholly under the power and dominion of sin and Satan; for he is the strong man armed, that has the possession of the heart, and keepeth his house, and his goods are in peace. And yet men fancy they are at liberty; or, if bound at all, that it is so slightly, they can at any time break their chains, open the prison doors, and let themselves out. Awful delusion! But the child of God made sensible of his imprisoned state, does not think and speak thus; but, with the Psalmist, he confesses his bondage, sighs and groans under it, and cries unto the Lord, who alone can set his soul at liberty, and redeem his life from destruction.

We now come to notice the second state of imprisonment; which is, the condition of soul of a sinner, made sensible of his undone, wretched, and miserable state, arising from the law having come with power to his heart in the hand of its divine author, by which he has a knowledge of sin, and the wrath and curse of God due to