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. 1. AUGUST, 1835. ADDRESS. CHRISTIAN READER, 2d. At a time like the present, when so many religious periodicals are already afloat, and when so many high professions are made of their adherence to truth, it may be, to some, matter of surprise that we should venture to launch our little vessel into so wide an ocean, lest the first tempest that it meets with should sink it into oblivion, never to appear again. But when, setting aside all who make no pretensions to steer beyond the general doctrines of the day, we look amongst those who hang out for their banner the discriminating Sovereignty of God, and see some setting forth the law of works, the killing letter, as the spiritually-living man's perfect rule of walk and conduct, thereby, as far as words can do it, sullying the glory of the Gospel, others fearing to er. press their sentiments, lest they should give offence; and others insisting upon the spirituality of certain dead forms, clenching their views with blasphemously asserting that, in their estimation, they hold the writers of some of them as being "as much inspired by the Holy Spirit when they composed them as any of the sacred writers of the Holy Scriptures;" then calling upon men—whose eyes God has opened to see the abominations of the system with which they were connected, and whose hearts have been made to chill when they heard the most dreadfully-dissipated characters so awfully chattering over their beliefs and prayers, with all the mockery and mummery of Popery—to return to the mother who gave them birth, and again partake of her corruptions and fornications;—when, we say, we see these things, and reflect that in nearly all there is so much flesh-pleasing conformity to the spirit of the world, and so little desire manifested to set forth the simplicity and preciousness of the Gospel, as it is in Jesus, we are free to confess that, under the Divine blessing, and guided as we trust we are by personally disinterested motives, we have few fears but that we shall meet with that encouragement from the truly enlightened followers of the Lamb which will keep our bark upon the wave, despite all the storms and batterings of men with which it may be assailed. In our labours, we hope ever to keep in view the following things, and to vindicate them, in all their bearings, whether men will hear, or whether they will forbear: -- That there are Three Persons in the One-Undivided Jehovah-the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: that each Person in this blessed Three-One God are equal-equal in power, and in glory, and in love to the church; the love of the Father being displayed in Election, the love of the Son in Redemption, and the love of the Holy Ghost in Regeneration and the glorious things arising therefrom, and connected therewith: that in eternity Jehovah, foreseeing every the most minute circumstance and event, chose to himself, in Christ, a people whom he is determined to save with an everlasting salvation, and who shall show forth his praise; while the rest, being left to the hardness of their hearts, must inevitably perish in their sins: that nothing short of the divine power and energy of God the Holy Ghost in the heart of a sinner will make him spiritually repent-all other repentance being, like Judas's, fleshly: that wherever the blessed Spirit begins his work of grace in a sinner's heart, he will perfect it, it being not in the power of Satan or men to wrest one soul from his hands: that his blessed Majesty will daily lead his quickened children into the mystery of the iniquity of their carnal nature, and into the glorious mystery of God in Christ, as suited to and designed for them, thus glorifying Christ in their hearts as all and in all, teaching them the deep things of God, and inspiring their hearts to bless the Lord Jesus Christ, that because he lives, they shall live also: that the imputed righteousness of Christ is absolutely necessary for the justification of a sinner, and his holiness for sanctification-fallen, ruined, guilty man, by nature as well as by practice, being utterly incapacitated from doing anything towards the salvation of his soul: that the Gospel, which contains all the glory of all the laws that ever were promulgated from the throne of God, and in which harmonize all the glorious doctrines, promises, and precepts of the grace of God, is the only perfect rule of the believer's life and conduct, everything else leaving him destitute of hope: that the ordinance of the Lord's Supper can only be Scripturally administered to those who have been made to feel their lost and ruined state as sinners, and who, having been enabled to give a reason of the hope that is in them, and the answer of a good conscience toward God, have been solemnly immersed in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: and, finally, that the Scripture, being the absolute, infallible, revealed word and will of God, is the only standard by which the faith of man can rightly be tried. But while it will be our privilege ever to adhere to these God-glorifying, man-abasing sentiments, our pages will not be altogether closed against fair and candid discussion; and we shall at all times be glad to receive the communications of our friends, and give place to any remarks that will tend to the comforting, instructing, or edifying of the flock of Christ, knowing that the weakest instruments are sometimes made the greatest blessing. In the hands of the Divine Master, we desire to leave ourselves; and if it should please him to make our work a blessing to the poor of his household, we trust, as we soar not to a higher object, we shall be enabled to give him the glory. THE EDITORS. THE BLESSEDNESS OF THE HUNGRY, &c. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled."-Matt. v. 6. The righteousness intended here is not creature-righteousness, worth, or worthiness, for that is as the morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away (Hos. vi. 4); nay, at best it is but filthy rags, and its fountain unclean. (Isa. lxiv. 6.) Eternal truth declareth, that "all flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field, which withereth and fadeth away when the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it." (Isa. xl. 6, 7.) But the righteousness the dear Lord has in view in this text, is that blessed righteousness which is unto all and upon all them that believe, even the glorious person and obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ; for "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." (Rom. x. 4.) This is that righteousness which justifies the ungodly; and when this glorious righteousness is received into the heart by faith, through the divine power of God the Holy Ghost, the soul will unite with the church of old, and say, "In the Lord have I righteousness and strength;" not merely by him, or from him, but in him: and the Lord the Spirit solemnly says, that " in the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory." (Isa. xlv. 24, 25.) God is determined that no flesh shall glory in his presence, but in the Lord alone. Therefore, "Christ is made of God unto his people wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." (1 Cor. i. 26-31.) Yea, "God hath made him to be sin for them, that they might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Cor. v. 21.) Here it is the child of God stands acquit of all charge, and is viewed, by the God of gods, perfect and complete (Čol. ii. 10); for, by the blessed Lord Jesus Christ, all that believe are justified from all things, not partially, but fully and completely. (Acts xiii. 39.) Now, this blessed justification is all of free grace: "Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." (Rom. iii. 24.) It is on this glorious ground the apostle sends forth his God-glorifying, soul-supporting chal lenge: "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Rom. viii. 33, 34.) Here divine faith makes a solemn stand, and, with indescribable pleasure, makes its boast of the Lord, |