the law any demand? it must go to Him for satis. faction. Have we any wants? we may look to Him. for a supply; to Him, Theron, in whom it has pleased the Father, that all fulness should dwell.'+ If any thing can express an union more intimate and inseparable than the conjugal, it is that of the members with the head; and this image is used by the Holy Ghost to shadow forth the connexion between Christ and the faithful. He is the Head over all things' with respect to rule and supremacy, but a head of union and influence with respect to the church.' The lead and the members constitute one natural body: Christ and his church compose one mystical body. What kindness is done, what injury is offered to the members, the head regards them as done to itself; accordingly, Christ says to the outrageous Saul, who made havoc of the church, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?' He declares, concerning those indigent Christians to whose necessities we administer relief, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto them, ye have done it unto Me.' The animal spirits formed in the head are formed for the benefit of the whole body, and designed for the use of all the members; so the righteousness wrought by Jesus Christ is wrought out for his whole mystical body, and intended for the advantage of all his people; to be the cause of their justification, and the purchase of their salvation. Being then so nearly related, so closely united to the blessed Jesus, it is no wonder that believers are now loved with the same fatherly love, and will hereafter be partakers of the same heavenly glory. What might we not expect from the divine Redeemer, if he vouchsafed to acknowledge but one of these endearing names? Since he has engaged himself to us by all the ties of affinity and affection, may we not promise ourselves, and with the assurance of hope, every good thing, even all the fulness of God' our Saviour? The demands of the law are perfect obedience; Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart:' to which, in case of disobedience, is superadded condign punishment; Cursed is he that continueth not in all things.' 1 Eph. 1. 22. Acts. ix. 4. Matt. xxv. 40. + Col. 1. 19. VOL. II. Eph. iii. 19. Does not each of these tender relations subsisting be. tween Christ and his saints imply an entire property in one another, and a mutual participation of all that belongs to either? My beloved is mine, and I am his,' I dare not say is the posey of the mystical ring, but it is the undoubted effect of this divine union. How pleasing, and yet how amazing the thought! Shall we, who say to corruption, Thou art my father," and to the worm, Thou art my mother and my sister;' shall we be permitted to say, concerning the Head of all principality and power, 'We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones ?'t What a mercy might we esteem it, not to be confounded before a Ma. jesty so exalted and sublime! What a favour to obtain the least propitious regard from the King immor. tal and invisible! What an honour to be admitted into his family, and numbered among the meanest of his servants! But to be his adopted children, to be his espoused bride, to be the members of his sacred body, to have Him for our everlasting Father, Him for the Bridegroom of our souls, Him for our heavenly Head, who is the Maker of all worlds, and the Sovereign of all creatures! what words can duly celebrate, what heart can sufficiently admire, the condescension and the love of our adorable Jesus? or who can justly question the fruits of such a fellowship, and the consequences of such an union? Question them! No, the fruits are infallibly sure, as the privileges are inexpres. sibly great. Let me once again introduce a great and venerable witness of both these truths; 'Laban spake high when he said, "These children are mine, and all these things thou seest are mine ;" but how high and glorious is that which may be said of a justified person! All thou hearest of Christ is thine; his life is thine, his death is thine, his obedience, merit, Spirit, all thine. Rich and important words! than which nothing can give us a juster or fuller explanation of the apostle's assertion, We are partakers of Christ.'§ When some foreign ladies of the first quality paid a visit to Leonidas's queen, the talk turned upon their rich clothes, their costly jewels, and splendid equipage. After they had severally displayed each her own grandeur, they inquired after her majesty's finery, what she had to distinguish her from the vulgar? She replied, My illustrious husband." What else? My illustrious husband.' And as often as they repeated the same question, she returned the same answer. Could this queen speak in such admiring, rejoicing, self-gratulating terms of her royal consort; and shall not vile. sinners look upon their Redeemer-that all-glorious, yet all-condescending bridegroom, who is full of grace and truth, full of merit and righteousness? shall not they much more look upon Him as their honour and their joy, the object of their dependence, and the cause of their boasting? I should find it difficult to refrain from the farther prosecution of so engaging a topic, did I not propose to wait upon my Theron very speedily; then I shall have an opportunity of pouring into his bosom all the fulness of my heart with regard to this delightful subject. In the mean time, let me exhort my dear friend to be of good comfort. Heaviness may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.'t This sorrow of which you complain, may be the seed of spiritual and eternal consolation. While I am writing, there appears full in my view one of the finest rainbows I ever beheld. 'It compasseth the heavens with a glorious circle;' so glorious that it is no disparagement of the Almighty Creator to say, the hands of the Most High have bended it.' On what foundation, would I ask, is that stately and beautiful arch raised? From what source do all its radiant and lovely colours spring? It is raised on a gloomy assemblage of vapours, and all its rich tinctures spring from a lowering cloud. Thus does the blessed God, on a conviction of guilt and a sense of ruin, spread faith, The amiable and heroic Panthea expresses herself in much the same manner concerning her gallant husband Abradates, Συ γαρ έμοιγε μέγιστος κοσμος εση. Xenoph. Cyropaed. lib. vi. + Psal. xxx. 5. Ecclus. xliii. 12. paint holiness, and diffuse gladness. May all these, ere long, arise in my Theron's breast; and each be bright as that resplendent bow, lasting as the sun that creates it! In the mean time it is the ardent wish of my soul, and shall be my frequent prayer to God, That both our hearts may be comforted, being knit together in love; unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding," in this great mystery of godliness. What vigour of expression, what exuberance of ideas, and, above all, what distinguished privileges are here! Assurance-full assurance-riches of the full assurance-all riches of the full assurauce of understanding, in reference to our union with Christ, and its unutterably precious effects! Can the orator express more? Can the sinner desire more? Can the saint, I had almost said, can the archangel enjoy more? May this be the portion of my dear Theron, and of His ever faithful ASPASIO. DIALOGUE XV. Aspasio revisits Theron-Theron under anxiety of Spirit-Partly to entertain, partly to comfort his Friend, Aspasio enlarges upon the bounty of the Creator, visible both in the animal and vegetable world-The new Convert is slow of heart to believe -Evangelical motives to Faith. ASPASIO had taken leave of his friend Camillus, and was come to revisit Theron, whose thoughts seemed to be in a state of much fluctuation and no small anxiety; hoping, that some proper conversation on the grace and privileges of the everlasting gospel might compose and comfort his mind: might, while his heart was softened by humbling convictions, fix the stamp of genuine Christianity, and deliver his whole soul into the mould of evangelical religion. Col. ii. 1. + Deliver into the mould'-this is the literal translation and exact sense of St. Paul's phrase; Eig ov TapeдWONTE TUROU When sorrow wounds the breast, as ploughs the glebe, He arrived pretty late in the evening, and being somewhat weary with the journey, soon withdrew to his repose. The next morning, as Theron walked abroad to taste the cool delights of the dawn, he was agreeably surprised by meeting Aspasio. Ther. So soon awake, my worthy friend! and after so much fatigue on the preceding day! I had not the least expectation of your company till breakfast; then, indeed, I promised myself a double regale-the refreshments exhibited on the table, and those wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ,'+ which, more precious than manna, drop Asp. How, Theron! Have you also learned those soothing arts, which polish the speech to deprave our sentiments? Could I have suspected the enchanting wiles of flattery from my, sincere, my tried, my bosom friend? Ther. Your friend is still sincere, and his words are very remote from flattery. How welcome to the windbound mariner, weary with expectation and sick with disappointments, is the visit of a propitious gale! how welcome to the fields, parched with drought and gasping for moisture, are copious showers of rain! How acceptable to the Israelites, travelling through the inhospitable desert, and pining away for want of the fruits of the earth, was the miraculous supply of heavenly bread! Yet neither propitious gales to the windbound mariner, nor copious showers to the thirsty soil, nor heavenly bread to the fainished Israelites, could be more welcome than your late conversation, and later correspondence, to my anxious soul. Asp. Why I thought you looked upon my notions as chimerical. Is Theron also become credulous, like didaxns. Rom. vi. 17.; which, as it contains a beautiful allusion, conveys also a very instructive admonition; intimating, that our minds, all plant and ductile, should be conformed to the refined precepts of the gospel, as liquid metals take the figure of some elegant mould into which they are cast. t1 Tim, vi. 3. *Night Thoughts. |