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Philistines' prison, Judges xvi. 22. Jonah, Daniel, and the new testament worthies were emboldened in their afflictions, and thereby established in the essential verities of God; so each spiritual follower of Christ must prosper in the way of God's purpose, and finally shout victory through the power of the Lord! And while some persons, whose faith stands in the wisdom of men, and not in the power of God, account prosperity to consist in worldly preferments, a popular ministry, and a full and respectable congregation, (of which the most erroneous characters may boast) the spiritual worshipper of God will prove that true prosperity in the knowledge and enjoyment of heavenly things, is wholly the result of divine communications from the blessed Spirit, who honours with his sanction,-1. a constant exhibition of the truth as it is in Jesus-2. a faithful and tried witness of the truth-3. he teacheth all his people to seek for an advanced knowledge of the truth, an experience of its power, victory over its enemies, the inward witness of its reality, and the present and eternal presence of its author. May this abound in the true Jerusalem, and love among her peace ministers increase toward each other, and prosperity attend their united exertions,

Is the hearty prayer of

March 21, 1825.

A SON OF JESSE.

(For the Spiritual Magizine.)

A MEDITATION.

ANTICIPATING THE CELEBRATION OF THE LORD'S SUPPER.

ALL hail! coming day-thrice happy, sacred day, on which I shall celebrate the wonders of redeeming love, and call to mind the allastonishing wonders and feats of my once dying Lord; `to sit at the foot of his cross, and gaze upon the scenes that open to my wondering view to behold the glories that there break forth to my astonished sight! O awfully glorious spot-predestinated summit-never-to-beforgotten hill, upon whose brow hung bleeding, the prince of life, the Lord of glory! Here blaze in sacred grandeur, all the unclouded attributes of the Deity, shining in everlasting harmony: here is developed in this sacred mystery, the personalities of the great I AM: here I see beaming forth, the rays of his divinity in supporting his humanity: here I see justice present the cup of divine wrath, deeper than hell, and broader than creation, and eternally satisfied in the nature that sinned!

Here I see satan conquered in the nature he corrupted: here I see the innocent, the holy, and the just, justly condemned, while enslaved criminals are equitably acquitted: here sin is condemned, and the sinner saved: sin, the most detestable thing, occasions the highest honour to God, and the greatest felicity to them whom it had ruined: here I see death destroyed in destroying him, and the grave in making him its prisoner, led captive.

Here I see unquenchable love in its full blaze, devils in consternation, and angels lost in amazement. Here I see the eternal Father

frown his dear Son to death; sin in all its blackest hue, its damning nature, its loathsome, unclean, and horrible vileness. Here I see the immutable virtues, the intrinsic excellence, and infinite worth of the great atonement! O what a purifying fountain, that could wash myriads of myriads clean! Here I see opened, a channel for the love of God to flow for the down-coming of abundant mercy, for the rolling forth of infinite goodness, for the display of triumphant grace, for the Holy Ghost to visit a world of sinners. Here I see an offended Father and his family meet in everlasting friendship: peace for ever made, the debt book crossed with lines of crimson blood, hell doors for ever barred, a door of intercourse between God and his people opened, and heaven thrown open to all believers!

Here I see the fulfilment of promises, and the consummation of prophecies; the world overcome, and the schemes of hell frustrated; the decrees of heaven accomplished, and the purposes of Jehovah unfolded; the love-thoughts of God divulged, and the vast design of eternity reflected. Here I see the greatest battle that was ever fought, and the greatest victory ever won; a foundation laid for the everlasting services and honour of the prince of heaven; the greatest contrast ever was or ever will be known, heaven's brighest glory eclipsed, the sun of glory darkened, the fountain of life give up the ghost, the well of living waters thirst.

Well may I turn aside, and see this strange sight. Did angels look over the battlements of heaven to behold this wonder of wonders, and shall I not continually gaze upon the vast display of love profound, and with gladness eternal surround the tree of life, and gather up the fruits so sweet to the taste? Ye sparkling glories of the sky, now let me shut mine eyes on you, and open them on this scene of bleeding, dying love. O for faith to behold this brighter scene, and with ravishment and delight let me feel a burning love to a dying Redeemer. When I deeply feel it, how it overcomes me; when I have fellowship with him, beyond creation's utmost line, how fast, how far, my wishes fly. O how my heart languishes for the embrace, the bosom of my Lord Jesus. O how I long to behold my almighty lover, in all his majesty and never-dying beauty. How I long to behold the fair original of all that is lovely, for beauty yet unknown. By what enrapturing attraction he will draw my heart to him: how his lovely form will meet every thought, and fill every view: besides him I shall behold nothing: beyond him, I desire nothing. O sweet burning thirst, to be quenched by nought but the unfathomed ocean of the God of love.

O spot divine! O sacred hill!

The scenes of that momentous day
The bosoms of the saints will fill,
With wonder to eternity.

Oft on that deed with awe I've gazed,
Done on thy sacred eminence;

My thoughts have sweetly been amazed,
To see how sin was carried hence.

Golden Square, London.

E. M.

(For the Spiritual Magazine.)

LETTER ADDRESSED TO A CHURCH DEPRIVED, FOR A SHORT SEASON, OF HER MINISTER.

My beloved Brethren,

Faversham, Nov. 2, 1824.

MUCH work and travelling, fatigue and low spirits, have prevented me writing sooner, but I trust this will reach you on Lord's day morning. I know not what to say to you; for who is sufficient for the care and charge of souls? So said Paul, who did and suffered most for the church. It is plain, therefore, that though he makes such woeful complaints of his emptiness and weakness, he had some source of sufficiency from whence he drew the astonishing ability for his exceeding labours and sufferings. He thus explains the mystery: "I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me; and when I am weak then am I strong." To be living and acting in and upon Christ is truly a great mystery, but no more strange than true; it is the only way of being to which God gives the name of life,—all other living is in death. "I am the life," says Christ, the only life, the bread of life; whosoever eateth him shall live by him, shall live for ever, and we act in the strength of our life. "We cannot act before we live, and life proceeds from grace,"—from the grace of Christ, for his grace is the grace of life; we live by it, and shall reign in life by it, so says the Holy Ghost, the witness for Jesus: and this grace, says Christ, is sufficient for us, against all sin, every enemy, every want, every trouble. The great art lies in knowing how to look for it; and this art Christ teaches by bitter and sweet experience.

us;

In all the battles, trials, and cross-bearing, to which he calls us, we are ever learning, that there is neither righteousness nor strength in that all we have of our own are but clogs, and weights, and draw-backs, and sins that easily beset us, which do but sink, and bow, and bend us down; so that all we can do is to sink in fear and court despair, though we hate it; or run back again towards Egypt, for melons and garlic, and think it better to be quietly roosted in a little worldly good and sinful pleasures, than to make the desperate venture of getting to heaven by faith. These things teach us powerfully; we cannot totally forget them, though our hearts are like riddles, at retaining what is good to be learned; and I find a need that my great prophet should teach me these things afresh, and every day.

Christ has other lessons beside these, or it could not be said, that "his mouth is most sweet." These trials shew us our misery, emptiness, poverty, and death. Under the law the bitterness of sin, the enmity and strength of the devil, and the vexatious vanity of all beneath the sun, bitter temptations, and hard trials, make the rest in Christ truly sweet; in all such times will Christ appear, and shew himself wonderful towards us; he will manifest himself, in all his gracious properties, to us, as truly all in all, giving all, and expecting nothing at all from us, but what his gracious hand produces in us.

We are his husbandry, his vineyard, his garden enclosed, and he ever keeps the key, and plants and dresses every plant himself, and keeps the whole night and day, and waters them every moment. O for faith most stedfastly to believe; and may I, so wicked, so worthless, so constant in rebellion, that with my flesh I serve always the law of sin, and am nothing but a burthen, and to my thoughts a scandal and disgrace to Christ, venture to conclude that I am thus blessed in Christ, thus the object of his most loving care and all watchful attention. Yea, surely, Christ hath spoken to me so, and himself hath done all this to me.

To save sinners, and to the uttermost, all his love, grace, power, and truth, are solely occupied ; and all his creatures, in heaven, earth, and hell, are bowed by his irresistible power to help in some way or other in this most glorious work. What have we then in Christ ? All he has all his heart. He can do nothing for his, but love them. Judge it by his word, not by his outward providence. Saith he, “as the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you, continue ye in my love ;"-continue to trust always most confidently in it; believe my love to you, and you will love me again. To continue in his love actively, requires that we do remember always his love to us; he gave himself for us; his infinitely precious self is the price of our ransom from the lowest hell. His death was for us, and abolished our's; his blood now cleanseth us from all sin, and we need not wonder at it, for it is the blood of God.

If he had given himself for all worlds, they must have been saved with an everlasting salvation; how easily then can he save us. He himself is our righteousness. Think of his perfections: holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, whose greatness is unsearchable. His Almighty Spirit is in commission of his infinite love to us, to shew us all things; to be our strength, and light, and joy; to mortify our lusts, and make us meet for the inheritance of the saints in light. He shall be our guide even unto death: I am with you always, says Christ, even to the end of the world, to uphold you in my strength, comfort you with my peace and joy; to give you all my victories, to supply all your wants, and to take you to my heaven and my glory. So much I know Christ will do for all his, for me, for you; and the more stedfastly you believe this, the better you will serve him for such wonderful love, and the more ashamed you will be of all your services when you have done them. Christ is no loser by such faith as this, but gets his most rightful glory, and his people the fulness of his joy. My prayer is, that he would bless each of you with such faith, and all its precious fruits. O wait on him always for it; continue instant in prayer; remember his commandments to do them; diligently aim, in his promised strength, to walk in all his commands and ordinances blamelessly; especially forgive and love one another. To hate our brethren is to hate Christ, and love the devil and give place to him. Pray for me, as I do ever for you. My hearty love in Christ to each of you. I am your very unworthy, but willing servant, for Christ's sake,

T. H.

(For the Spiritual Magazine.)

THE ALMOST AND THE ALTOGETHER CHRISTIAN.

Dear Sir,

It is, you know, mentioned in the 26th chap. of the Acts of the Apostles, that "king Agrippa said to Paul, almost thou persuadest me to be a christian ;" and from these words I have been led to the following reflections, which are much at your service, if you think they may be useful for the purpose of a little self-examination in these days of bold profession.

I take it, sir, that an almost christian, is one that has much light and knowledge, but no grace. He may know something of himself, and of sin, of its being a violation of the law of God, and of the bad consequences of it, but has not true repentance for it. He may know much of Christ, in a speculative way, concerning his person and offices, as the devils themselves do; and of the good things which come by him, as peace, pardon, righteousness and salvation; but has no application of these things to himself. He may have a large, rational knowledge of the doctrines of the gospel; but has no experience of the power, sweetness, and comfort of them, in his own soul: all his knowledge is unsanctified, and without practice.

He is one that has a taste of divine things, but has not the truth of them. He may taste of the heavenly gift, of the good word of God, and of the powers of the world to come, (see St. Paul's account of this in the 6th chap. Heb.) yet he does not savour and relish these things, nor is he nourished by them. He may have a great deal of faith in the historical way, and sometimes a bold confidence and assurance of everlasting happiness, and yet be without faith of the right kind, which is spiritual and special; which the apostle speaks of as "the faith of God's elect," " the gift of God," and "the operation of his Spirit. That faith by which the soul beholds the glory, fulness and suitableness of Christ, under a sense of need; and goes forth to him, renouncing every thing of self, and lays hold upon him, and trusts in him for salvation; that faith which works by love to Christ and his people, and has with it the fruits of righteousness. He may express a great deal of fleshly affection to the word, and the ministers of it, for a while, and yet be without any thing solid or substantial in him. He may partake of the Holy Ghost, of his gifts largely, and yet be without special and internal grace.

King Agrippa was an almost christian. How different is the character of the man who preached to him! Paul was a christian altogether; regenerated by the Spirit of God, a new creature in Christ, called by the grace of God with a holy calling; a believer in Christ, a lover of him, pardoned by his blood, justified by his righteousness, sanctified by his grace; a child of God, enjoying a lively hope of the incorruptible inheritance, and who had received a right to it, and a meetness for it. How is this difference to be accounted for, between VOL. II.-No. 15.

H

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