did the like, should we not fall under the same condemnation? Certainly. 66 But what say the well-tried, the well-disciplined, the well-exercised part of our readers? "If you take forth the precious from the vile, you shall be as God's mouth;" "You are left a few men from the sword, and from the famine, and from the pestilence, that you may declare all their abominations;" The Lord hath set you over the nations, and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, and to destroy and to throw down, as well as to build up and to plant." (Jer. i. 10.) Therefore, "shun not to declare the whole counsel of God;" for remember Saul lost his kingdom because he did not utterly destroy the Lord's enemies. As regards I. K., we have before said that, as a man, however severely he may write against religious hypocrites, we know of no man whom the grace of God has made more humble than he. We believe that he would not hurt any created being, not even a worm; but when he comes into battle with the King's enemies, then his sword is drawn, and he gives no quarter. We rejoice that God has raised up such a man; and though we may not, perhaps, agree with every sentence he utters, yet in the general, there is a power, a life, a vitality in his writings which men may sneer at, but which, in some way or other, either as a savour of life or of death, they must feel. If we admitted into our work no writings but his, then the weak in faith might complain that there was little food for them; but we hope we are not altogether disappointed in our wish, which is, to deal out milk for babes, and strong meat for men and fathers; and we have evidence after evidence that great numbers of our readers peruse I. K.'s pieces with pleasure. And all we can say is, let those who have not got so far, pass them by till they become of full age, and meantime read those that are more suitable to their feelings. B. W. says that one of our correspondents, when preaching from Ps. cxlvi. 8, observed, that "sin could not hurt the believer, considered as in his high standing in Christ Jesus;" and then B. W. asks, if we consider that "such assertions are consistent with the tenor of God's revealed mind and will." Now though it is true that sin cannot hurt the believer eventually, yet we by no means approve of such modes of expression, unless a clear explanation go before or follow after them. We know from experience that sin does hurt the believer, and greatly hurt him. It damps his faith and confidence, distresses his soul, produces barrenness and death in his conscience, and instead of the feeling delights produced by the Holy Ghost, substitutes grief and mourning. It causes grief and trouble in church members, gives the enemies of truth cause to blaspheme, and many other grievous things when it is of an outward character; and although the believer stands in Christ complete, and although the Lord overrules sin in his experience for good, yet this is no proof that, in other senses, it does not hurt him. Every living soul knows by experience that it does hurt him, and he also knows how it hurts him. THE GOSPEL STANDARD, OR, FEEBLE CHRISTIAN'S SUPPORT. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled."-Matt. v. 6. "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began."—2 Tim. i. 9. "The election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded."-Rom. xi. 7. "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.-And they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.-In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."-Acts viii. 37, 38; Matt. xxviii. 19. No. 36. DECEMBER, 1838. VOL. IV. ABOUNDING GRACE. (Concluded from page 260.) 66 O how I wished myself anything but an acccountable creature, often smiting on my breast, "Woe is me, I am undone!" At times I attempted to read my Bible, but these portions would follow me; "He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy; and whom he will he hardeneth." Now," saith the tempter, "you are one of that hardened race, and the hope of such shall perish," with many sayings of the like kind. I was now given up to my friends; my health, through continued trouble of mind, was much impaired, so that I could not attend to my trade. My poor affectionate father, willing to get me something for relief, sent for a doctor, as is common in these cases, not knowing the nature of the affliction. He, anxious to get rid of his drugs, sent me them very plentifully, after bleeding, &c., for several days, until I plainly said I would have no more of his mixtures, for he could do me no good, perceiving him to be a physician of no value to me. About this time, I had a letter from my old friend, in which he recommended me to the Physician of souls, "He makes sore, and binds up; he wounds, and he heals." This did my troubled spirit more good than all the medicines and visits I had from the former. Shortly after, I had another sight of my own vileness, and was again plunged in the ditch, so that I abhorred myself, and said, "How can God be just; his Jacobs love and Esaus hate? for he shutteth out my prayer.' O what hard thoughts of God, and I now seemed to ransack every dark corner of my soul. About this time, I had as much religion as made me M 66 melancholy, as my friends termed it; so they pressed me to get into cheerful company. This, at times, poor hearts, they attempted, but it only added grief to my sorrow. I longed to get away and escape company, and have often gone round about to get a solitary walk, so that I might groan out my troubles to God by myself, that none else might hear me, for I verily thought there was not such a monster upon earth as myself, and I dared not tell my case to any one. I was kept in bondage many weeks, and all this time had many visitors. Some cried one thing, and some another, but all alike ignorant of my affliction. Some urged very cruel measures to my friends; others were more feeling towards me, but one and all could not understand why this ado about religion, neither would they believe me. With Job, I exclaimed, "Why dost thou not cut me off? cursed be the day wherein I was born," &c. The first six or eight chapters of Job seemed most to describe my case. Still unable to do any work, fearfulness and trembling took hold upon me, my poor mother casting such reflections as, Ah! yours is a pretty religion; why not keep in the church?" &c. This, with the dire temptations of Satan, made my soul choose death rather than life, taking as little food as possible, to keep me in a miserable existence. At night, I said, “ Would God it were morning;" and in the morning, “ Would God it was night;" and I have been so terrified at the thought of enduring everlasting pains, that I have held my finger in the flame of a candle, to try how I should be able to bear such intolerable sufferings, as for my desert for sin awaited me. I well know what Bunyan's Christian felt when shook over the brink of hell, and also, when in the iron cage of despair, he said within himself, "There is no hope!" All this time, the eye of justice was upon me. Here I saw myself, with all the rest of Adam's posterity, alike fallen, and had forfeited all right to any mercy or favour, and could only say, Amen, to my condemnation, and believed God would be just in sending me to the lowest hell, as the just desert of sin. I then saw, if a good thought would gain me heaven, I had it not. My arm was withered, and if only offered grace, I could not get it, not having power to lay hold of it. All this time I was fully persuaded of the truth of the doctrine of election, and that it was a remnant only that would be saved, but could not once, as yet, hope I should share in such great favours; "for the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded." Many professing people came to see me, and exhorted me to believe that God was merciful, and that Christ died for all, &c. I replied to such, "Tell me no such thing, I believe the elect will be saved, and none else; and though there is no hope for me, yet, if I perish, it shall be with those truths on my lips, for sure I am, they, and they only, are a saved people." Continuing thus for several days, sometimes wishing there was no God, sitting in sullen silence, mourning my hard fate; at times reading the word of God, often cut down with such portions, as "The deceiver and deceived are his;" and, again, "The hope of the hypocrite shall perish," with many others; Satan still tempting me to destroy myself; but, after many dreadful suggestions, all his efforts failed, by the powerful applica tion of those words, "He is a liar from the beginning, and the father of it." Those words were so confirmed to my soul, that I was now led to see through many dark avenues, and my mind was, in some measure, brought to hope all this soul travail was not unto death, but rather chastened of the Lord that I should not be condemned with the world. Now was I led to see how many times the tempter distressed me, for as often as I attempted to read the word of God, then he would ply all the threatenings against me, and cut me up, so that my life seemed only to be for a prey. About this time the minister of the parish church called upon me, and tried to persuade me to go to church, saying that God was all love, &c.; but I felt that "God is angry with the wicked every day;" and refused to go, knowing that those dry breasts could afford no comfort to one bound with the chain of his sins, unless, as the wind bloweth where it listeth, the Spirit is pleased to apply his word; which was the case with me on one occasion afterwards, for my friends compelled me to go. I received a small drop of consolation while the singers were repeating those words, "Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." By the application of these words, I seemed to lose a part of my burden; but as to the priest and people, they were as blind as bats to the way of salvation, and so I left them to return no more. I was still bowed down with a sense of sin and Satan's temptations, so that I could scarcely go about or do anything. Dependant on my friends for the little support I needed; having a daily sight of my own wretchedness; hard thoughts of God; wishing I had never been taught to read my Bible, for it only increased my misery, and added to my greater condemnation; and still determined to seek for place and opportunity to finish my distressed and miserable life; all without avail, as a secret something upheld me, better felt than described; "Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul which long for death, but it cometh not, and dig for it more than for hid treasure." but I have now, Christian reader, given you the dark side of the case, and shall, by the good Spirit's assistance, aim to describe to you the delivering hand of God towards me in after days. The first words applied, which abated the power of these temptations, were these; "1 will sweep away the refuges of lies," &c.; and, "He is a liar from the beginning, and the father of it." I was now led to see through many of Satan's wiles, and that God's word was true, while his suggestions were false, and this portion, "O that I knew where I might find him," was the desire of my soul; but the tempter soon suggested to me, "But where is your confidence as expressed in the latter part of the verse? Would he speak against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me!" There he sadly foiled me; but soon after I got another grape from Eschol, which was this; "It is because his compassions fail not, I am unconsumed." This, indeed, was a word of comfort to me, and I exclaimed, with Hart, "O what amazing change was here; But, again, I thought such good news did not belong to me; however, as the lame take the prey, after some time, I got a little comfort from this portion, "And they shall come that are ready to perish." I now began to read my Bible with some hopes that I should yet be saved, after so many conflicts with sin, Satan, and unbelief; for, before faith came, I was shut up under the law unto the faith that should be afterwards revealed; and, all thanks be to the blessed Comforter and testifier of Christ, I was soon led into all the precious truths needful to save my soul from despair. Old things were passed away, and most blessedly did I read the word of God with new eyes, and found those wholesome truths of election, predestination, and effectual calling to be the only support of my shattered bark and sure bulwark against the enemy. Scarcely could I see a chapter in the Old or New Testament, but what tended to confirm me in all the blessings of a well ordered covenant; which blessed truths are, for the most part, kept back or denied by most men who call themselves preachers of the gospel in the present day; but such, I believe, are Ahimaar's fraternity, run before they are sent, but have no tidings to carry. Many such, the writer was either led or driven to hear, but never once did he get the least comfort from them, for they always pulled down, at the conclusion, what they endeavoured to build up at the beginning, and have sent me away; many a time, more miserable than I went. Such may truly be said to build up the pharisee's false, self-righteous hopes, but give the Lord's people a wound. This, I affirm, from a feeling sense, by the captivity I was then in, and doubt not but many at the present day are driven ashore on those dangerous quicksands, and nothing short of sovereign grace and distinguishing mercy, free favour, unmerited grace, and effectual calling can rescue from those shackles ; but sure I am, every vessel of mercy shall be delivered at the set time to favour Zion, "for all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children; for they shall all know me, from the least even unto the greatest, and the secret of the Lord. is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant." But to conclude. One night, as I was sitting up with my dying father, who had been laid on a bed of affliction ten weeks, with no hopes of recovery, I was reflecting what will become of me, being so unable to work, and, to all appearance, shall soon be deprived of my present means of subsistence, while reading a work of Macgowan's, entitled, "Death, a Vision," these words were powerfully fastened on. my mind, "Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive;"" alive through grace." Here, my Christian reader, the scales fell off my eyes; like Bunyan's pilgrim, the burden fell off my back at the sight of the cross. Here I had such a sight of Christ as crucified for me, that I trust never to forget this side time's bounds; and, although eighteen years have elapsed, I have not forgotten the glorious scene, the precious interview. I could then say with the prophet, "When the iniquity of Jacob shall be sought for, |