pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right-hands of fellowship. Thus we publish the fact, in the unction of the Holy One, that verily the elect renewed church, in spiritual union and christian fellowship, united to and built on God the Son, Jesus Christ, the Sure Foundation, was, is, and shall be, not only "the pillar and ground of the truth," but the house of God, builded together for an habitation of God, even the Father, through the Spirit. May the

Lord God render our elucidation a blessing in Zion. Amen.

THEY SHALL REVIVE AS THE CORN. HOSEA XIV. 6.

How doth the corn revive? not to speak of that comparison, that the godly are corn and not chaff as they are, who are driven to and fro without any solidity, which though true is not here especially aimed at. For it is supposed that they who are good and gracious have a substance, solidity, usefulness, and goodness in them like the corn; not being empty chaff, which the wind blows away. This is useful to mention: but to come to the scope intended by the prophet.

1. That as corn when unsown lies dead in the granary, fructifieth not; but when it is sown springs up to an hundred fold, as we read of in Isaac's time, who received so much increase, so it is with converted christians before they were under any gracious means, or in a good place; they lay as it were dead and did not spring forth. But afterwards But afterwards being planted and sown under gracious means, in good company, in a good family, then they increase and grow up and multiply: "they revive like the corn."

2. As it is with the corn, though it seem to die, and doth indeed die in some sort, covered with winter storms, ere it springs out from the

oppressions of frost and snow, and hard weather, as if it were altogether perished: nevertheless it is all the while preparing to spring up again more gloriously. So it is with the church, which seems to die often in regard of spiritual mortification by afflictions, whereby it is dead to the world; yet all this while there is a blessed life in the spirit, preparing the soul under the hard pressures of all weathers, to a glorious springing up again. Therefore the church hath no hurt by afflictions, no more than the corn hath by the winter, which is as necessary for it as the spring-time or summer. For else, how would the earth be ripened and prepared; how should the worms and weeds be killed, if it were not for hard weather? So it is with a christian, those afflictions that he suffers, and under which he seems to be buried, they are as useful to him as all his comforts. Nay, a christian is more beholden to afflictions for his graces and comforts, than he is to outward blessings. One would think that the goldsmith was spoiling a plate when he is burning it, when all that while the dross is but consuming out of it; and the vessel so hammered and beaten out is but preparing to be a vessel of honour to stand before some great man. So it is with a christian; an ignorant person looking but one way, thinks God neglects such a one, and that if God cared for such a one, or such a one, would or could such and such things befal them? They conclude hence, as the Psalmist saith, " God hath forsaken him, and forgotten him." Christ the head of the church was thought to be forgotten and neglected, even when he was most dear and precious unto God: so even they all this while, the Sprit of God is working an excellent work in them, preparing and fitting them for grace and glory. Therefore in that respect also: " They shall revive as the

corn."

And as

A DIALOGUE.

A Few Remarks between Mr. Know-thetruth, Mr. Profligate, Mr. Formalist, Mr. New-man, Mrs. Mimic, Mr. Wrought-upon, and Mr. Freeman.

Mr. Know-the-truth in the chair. Continued from page 133. Mimic.-I think I find some little comfort from what you have been saying about God's people, I hope I have a real desire to be one of them. Know-the-truth.-Come, come Mrs. Mimic, those fleshly feelings and fleshly tears, do not become a true child of God; they are commanded not to be sorry as men without hope; but to rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And notwithstanding the wicked flee when none pursue them; the righteous are as bold as a lion: cheer up Mrs. Mimic, God has promised strength to his own people according to their day.

Mimic. I return you many thanks for the blessed encouragement you give to God's true saints, but yet you know that we poor women, are but the weaker vessel; and with such none can expect to find courage and fortitude, adequate to what man in general is possessed with; for as Christ is head of the church, so is the man the head of the woman, according to the scriptures.

Know-the-truth.-That is true, and as it refers to Christ it stands good in every sense of the word; as Christ is head in a three-fold sense, the head of nature, the head of grace and also the head of glory; so that Christ hath the pre-eminence over all things; even of things that are seen and of those which are unseen: but with reference to man, although he hath the pre-eminence, or is the head over the woman, in an external or natural sense, yet in an internal or spiritual sense, there is no difference betwixt the man and the woman in the Lord: neither is there any difference betwixt the Jew and the Greek, bond nor free, male or female, but all are alike in Christ Jesus; alJuly, 1846.]

though it is a truth and generally allowed on all hands, that there is a vast disproportion, betwixt tne measure of gift and graces, though by the same Spirit, that he is pleased to bestow upon his own children; some of them have great grace and strong faith; others have a small degree of grace, consequently little faith: some have great light, great love and great knowledge; others have but little light and little knowledge: some can only, in a figurative sense, behold men as trees walking; whilst others have been enabled to say "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." We read in scripture of babes in Christ, of young men and fathers, likewise mothers in Israel, so that it is clear and evident, that the church of Christ is constituted with variety, and were it not so, the harmony of the church would be null and void of music; the sweetest melody and most delightful harmony is produced, when the greatest variety is introduced, so in the church militant there is a variety of sounds, but not one sound but what hath its signification; while one is groaning and lamenting, another is leaping and rejoicing, some cry out of violence, others mourning under the sense of loss, some terrified and distracted with fear and temptation, others shouting victory, through the blood of the Lamb; so then, according to natural conceptions, this chorus is a mass of inconsistencies, discord and confusion, and truly it would be so in every sense of the word, was it not for that binding or middle part, which fills, or makes up for the deficiency; and this part Christ takes for this very reason, because none besides himself is capable or able to perform it; being himself tempted in all points like unto us, he knows how to speak a word to them who are weary; thus being master of this middle or center part, all other parts and sounds center in him, and notwithstanding there is

U

not a choir to be found in all the world, (with all their art and eloquence) that sing in unison, at one and the same time, a major and a minor key, yet Christ by his heavenly art, doth so unite, and so harmonize both major and minor cords, discords, half tones and quarter tones, that is sounded forth by this imperfect choir; that in and through him they chant forth a delightful theme, in the ears of the Lord God of Hosts, and it rebounds back again with this heavenly sanction, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him. But as our time is hastening on, though I do not dislike this disgression from the subject, nor any other, so long as it tends to edify; yet as the time intended is growing to a period, I must beg of you to come to a point, in answering this important question, What hath the Lord answered, and What hath the Lord spoken?

Mimic. I hope I know something of God's speaking to his people; David said, "I will set me on my watch tower, and hear what God the Lord shall speak ;" and so do God's people set on their watch tower, to hear what God the Lord shall say to them; and a blessed thing it is, that they are encouraged so to do; to wait, for the vision is for an appointed time, but at the end it will come, and it will not tarry; and if it tarry, we are exhorted to wait for it, because it will come, and it will speak, and it will not tarry.

Know-the-truth.-That is true Mrs. Mimic, God's people have many invitations, and many exhortations are left on record for the encouragement of their faith and hope; but when they are under the secret sensations of God's grace, it is then that they are enabled to lay hold of these things and claim them as their own; but we must come to the point in answering the question proposed.

Mimic.-Why I trust I can remember some years ago, when I was

n a very great trouble, concerning a heavy loss we had sustained in the world, I thought God Almighty spoke these words to me, We are marching through Emanuel's land to purer worlds on high; and how glad I seemed, then all my troubles left me, and I went on my way singing. Know-the-truth.--That was a timely support to you when you were in such heavy troubles, but yet the question is not answered. You begin at the wrong end, Mrs. Mimic. What has the Lord answered, is the first part, and afterwards what hath the Lord spoken?

Mr. Cry-for-peace creeps in.

Cry-for-peace.-I trust you will excuse the liberty I take, in speaking in my dear friend, Mrs. Mimic's behalf, Mr. Know-the-truth, as she is a woman of very tender feelings, and a little thing agitates such weak minds. You know that I believe you (Mr. Know-the-truth) a very good man, and Mrs. Mimic is a very good gracious woman, but you know, Mr. Know-the-truth, God's people do not all see alike; I believe there are a great many good folks amongst the Calvinists, and a great many amongst the Quakers, and a great many amongst the church people, and amongst all kinds of sects and parties; but yet there is a vast difference in their principles and views, aye, and likewise in their ends and aims too. I have been a preacher more than twelve years, and have collected a good congregation together; and no minister is favoured with a more regular attendance than myself; I think, speaking within compass, there is scarcely a Sunday evening but what seven or eight hundred attend my ministry; but I know full well, was I to strive to bring them to the standard you have been striving to bring this little assembly to,. I should soon lose the whole or most of them; but thank God, I have more discernment than that, and would rather cover a thousand imperfections in my people with the man

tle of love, than have any contention or discord amongst them; I am a lover of peace and an enemy to all

discord.

Know-the-truth.-Mr. Cry-for-peace, your unexpected attendance rather surprised me, and your abrupt conduct surprised me more; are you not ashamed to creep into court with such a whorish forehead, that refuseth to be ashamed; to take the uppermost seat at the feast, and yet not bidden, thou cursed deceiver and enemy to all true vital godliness, thou must with shame take the lowermost seat (unless timely grace doth prevent) the lowest seat in hell. Thou sayest thou hast been a preacher these twelve years and more, yet a stranger to contention and discord; is not this a manifest proof that thou art in alliance with hell; thou boasteth much of thy congregation and of the love thou bearest towards them, and yet full of doubts and mistrusts concerning them; the truth must not be preached or insisted upon, lest they should be offended; therefore thou child of delusion, thou must prophesy smooth things, prophesy deceit, because the people love to have it so. Thou likewise sayest, thou would rather cover a thousand imperfections with the mantle of love, than have contentions or discords amongst thy people; thou whited wall, how is the scripture of divine truth verified in such characters, thou art straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel. Go thy way thou blind guide, thou blind leader of the blind, until both thee and thy people fall into the ditch, the ditch of everlasting misery, so adieu. Mrs. Mimic, I should hope you have recovered yourself a little by this time, and as our time is getting on apace, I should be much obliged if you would come to a final decision in answering this important question. Mimic.-Why I am almost afraid to speak in your presence, you put such constructions on our words; I

feel myself much hurt, that my dear friend, Mr. Cry-for-peace, should get himself into such disgrace through me, I hope the dear man will not lay it to heart. I have set under his ministry for many years, and never heard him preach one discouraging sermon in all my life; and I firmly believe, his whole aim and study hath been for the peace and comfort of his hearers. I have joined the church more than eight years, and have not repented concerning it, neither do I think that ever I shall. We have more than a hundred which have attended to the ordinance of baptism already,and many more bleating round who have not courage as yet to come forward and make an open profession of their faith. I make no doubt but our dear Mr. Cry-for-peace will bring them forward after a time, he has preached two or three sermons already concerning it; and we expect that we shall have another or two upon the same subject, and I am led to believe that the cause of our dear Mr. Cryfor-peace, after a little time, will go on rapidly, for God, I think, has blessed him with as liberal hearted a people as any minister could wish to have. We have lately made a large addition of nearly fifty pounds a year to his salary, and he certainly is a very deserving character, and very well beloved of all his friends and acquaintances: I am heartily sorrow, Mr. Know-the-truth, you and him could not agree in their opinions; but however, as I heard a good man say once, although good people did fall out by the way, when once they did get to heaven, all would be made up again; and I hope and trust Mr.

Know-the-truth-Mrs. Mimic, you will excuse my interrupting you, for I must tell you the truth; such fleshly, abominable trumpery doth sicken my very soul, I am weary of it, therefore I must beg you to cut short the business in answering this question? Come Mrs. Mimic, I hope you will begin.

Mimic.-I do not feel inclined to answer such a question as that; and I have heard that there are none but what are called antimonians, that do ask such simple questions; for my own part, I see no cause for such nice distinctions, splitting hairs in divinity, and the like; but however, I have heard it is the constant practice of those kind of self conceited bigots, to strive to bring all they have to do with, up to a certain standard, and if they cannot come up to that, that they are accounted by them nothing more than hypocrites and self deceivers, notwithstanding their lives and conversations be ever so blameless; this was nothing else with them, unless they can come up to their standard; and this standard I have heard is an extraordinary revelation of Jesus Christ to the immortal soul; and for this extraordinary revelation or inspiration of the Spirit, they do earnestly and most strenuously contend and confidently affirm, that there is no good hope obtained, without some experimental knowledge of it in the soul; and this they call a good hope through grace, because they say by this extraordinary revelation, or inspiration of the Spirit, the love of God is shed abroad in the heart. And this they say is the only hope that will not make ashamed; all other hope that is not obtained by this means, is by them accounted spurious and vain. The hope of the hypocrite, which must of necessity perish. But our minister brings no such strange things to our ears (that none understood but themselves) but that which is easy, simple and plain to the and plain to the meanest capacity, such as we can read ourselves in the book of God, and from that occan of truth they draw their wisdom and instruction, even as the clouds draw water from the sea; here they learn their own duty, and how to instruct us poor creatures in the way we ought to go. And in this book of God, they say,

is plain and clearly laid down, all the institutions and duties that we have any need of; and that by taking good heed thereto, we may walk securely on, without these enthusiastic notions, imaginary feelings, and sweet sensations of the Spirit; and what not, that those poor deluded, deceived mortals, pretend to be the subjects of; for my own part, I hate such enthusiastic cant, as these kind of gipsy christians prate about; and our minister doth warn us, time after time, to be aware of such wicked men; they call them blasphemers, and dangerous characters, and what is, I was going to say, too bad to mention; and some of our ministers do faithfully and boldly declare, even to their very faces, that if any man, let him be what he may, that pretended to any extraordinary revelation, that man did actually despise prophesying, and you know, Mr. Know-the-truth, we are commanded not to, in scripture.

Know-the-truth.-Mrs. Mimic, as your name is, so are you; you are filled with all deceivableness of unrighteousness, lies and errors are your hiding place, and your refuge deceit, your hope is that of the hypocrite, which must and will be cut of, and your pretended religion is as the cockatrice's egg, which when touched or tried breaketh forth into a viper. Your ignorance of the work of God's Spirit, and your implacable enmity against his precious and most essential operations, both testify unto the discerning mind, that you have not been with Jesus, neither learnt of him. This being your unhappy lot, you are in the gall of bitterness, and in the bonds of iniquity and delusion, and I must in faithfulness declare, your mimicking time will soon, very soon be over, and that shortly you will be called upon to stand before the eye of scrutiny, whose eye is as a flame of fire, penetrating through the darkest scenes, and to whom all hearts are open and manifest.

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