Dear Sir, may the Holy Spirit smile upon and bless your efforts, and make your little messenger a blessing to all his people. So prays, your's in him, Swaffham, Dec. 10, 1837. J. E. C. LETTER ON SPIRITUAL SUBJECTS. All covenant blessings be with you for evermore. Very many thanks to you for your affectionate epistle. I have but just time to tell you, though with no sweet enjoyment blest, the covenant stands the same. Your letter testifies you are in the same mind respecting truth; and allow me to add, I am sure you ever will remain so, yea, you must. Whose are you? To whom do you belong? You are a component part of, even Him, of whose children it is said, "they shall be all taught of God." One lesson from God the Holy Ghost, I esteem in preference, infinitely so, to all teachers beside. Are you not bought with a price, yea, an invaluable price, even the blood of God's incarnate Son; it is his business to look after you, and to take care of you, as a part of his dear-bought property. Kept by his almighty power, through faith unto salvation; though some tell us he may lose the purchase of his blood, but through grace we know better, yca, far better; a chosen vessel, a mystic member, must be ultimately with his mystic head no absentee in heaven, the whole ransomed must return. God cannot falsify his word, nor deceive his people; having the earnest, we must possess the inheritance; more happy, but not more secure, the glorified spirits in heaven," sung our immortal Toplady. heard the voice of a champion for the I am truly glad to find the Lord is still teaching you. Stand fast in the liberty, you are free, yea, free indeed. Is not the debt, the dreadful debt, cancelled; the whole blotted out; not a line, no, not a letter extant; the prisonhouse opened, the Almighty creditor perfectly satisfied, yea, and glorified, honoured, and pleased by an equi valent, yea, infinitely more than an equivalent: Jehovah's co-equal, coeternal Son, the Surety, the paymaster of his people's debt? What then are all your fears about? Doth the devil tell you, you have no part in the matter? Do you not know his character? a liar from the beginning. Thy anxieties, thy desires, thy hopes, thy fears about it, demonstrate whose you are, and to whom you belong. Our friend, Mrs. P. has requested my last Lord's day subject; I have forwarded it to her; call at her house, and you may see it. I am of the same mind about truth, as when I laboured among you; I have not two subjects; Christ is all, the same yesterday, today, and for ever. I want no other subject, nor ever wish for another. No man having drunk old wine desires new, he prefers the old. The everlasting love of the Holy Three, the Watchers, the Holy Ones in the essence existing, is my darling theme,the principal notes in my ministerial song, with the sovereign acts of his eternal grace, in one eternally glorious Christ, in blessing, choosing, accepting, adopting, justifying, sanctifying, glorifying the whole church before all worlds, in will, purpose, and counsel; and the grand effect of the whole of this must be, we shall see him as he is, notwithstanding all the misery of the fall. All hail, redeeming love, all hail. Tender my kind love to the real lovers of Jesus around you; tell them I am a poor sinner in myself; and the knowledge of this is no small mercy bestowed; but the spiritual knowledge of my Lord is a greater, but they are inseparable. The manner and way of the Holy Ghost's glorifying Christ is to stain the pride of all nature's glory, and to lay us low in the dust, and to fill us with self-loathing and self-abhorrence; then, O then, he appears as altogether suitable, yea, altogether lovely; and when precious faith is in exercise, we say, yea, we speak feelingly, "My beloved is mine, and I am his." 3. Beloved! suffering times are gaining times; and if you rightly considered this truth, it would not be a hard thing to suffer hard things, and that by faith. 1. Because they are teaching times, Ps. xciv. 12.; the cross is God's free school where we learn much. 2. Sindiscovering times: the Holy Spirit by afflictions recalls sins past, and shews us the emptiness of the creature and the fulness of God: when the leaves are off the hedges, you can see where the bird's nests are: so in prosperous times men do not see the nests of their hearts and lives; but when the leaves are off then the nests are seen. They are sin-recollecting times: there is many a man that owes his conversion to his affliction, as the means by which the Lord pleases to work. 4. They are fruitful and growing times, John xv. 2. 5. They are truth-advancing times: in the time of prosperity we lose truth, in the time of adversity we find truth, and bear a peculiar testimony for truth; then truth is advanced. 6. They are uniting times: in times of prosperity professors wrangle, fall out, and divide; but when the shepherd's dog comes, then the sheep run together. 7. They are praying times: In their afflictions they will seek me early." 8. They are soul-assuring times, "I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and there speak comfortably unto her." 9. They are weaning times: when this mustard is laid upon the breast of the world, then we are weaned. 10. They are heavenly times: when the world is most bitter, heaven tastes most sweet and glorious. Are not all these things true? Then surely you will agree with me, suffering times are gaining times. -Extract from an old Puritan. REVIEW. The Supreme Dominion of Jehovah ; being the substance of a Sermon preached at St. Matthew's, Liverpool, by the Rev. William Nunn, M. A, Minister of St. Clement's, Manchester; in which the Author has endeavoured to illustrate the sovereignty of Jehovah in all things occurent, whether they be good or evil, 8vo. pp. 24. Manchester, H. Smith; London, Palmer. In taking up this Sermon, we felt some doubts arise in our minds, whether the preacher had not indulged in the consideration of his subject, in a way tending more to "minister questions rather than godly edifying;" and on perusing the discourse, our doubts were confirmed: and while we confess the subject is a profound, which none but Jehovah can fully explore, we feel ourselves called upon to make a few observations on the arguments adduced by this writer "to illustrate the sovereignty of God in all things occurrent, whether they be good or evil." And to this end we rely on the teaching of the blessed Spirit, who has graciously promised to lead his people into all truth, while we direct the minds of the Lord's people to those statements which we consider unsupportable from the word of God; and we regret that we should have occasion so to do, where there is so much in accordance with our own views of divine truth. The text selected for the basis of this discourse, is from Prov. xxi. 30. "There is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor purpose, without the Lord." The subject is considered under two general heads: first, that in all things the Lord must reign supreme: secondly, that there are no powers which can overturn his universal dominion. In the first of these, Mr. Nunn inquires respecting the primary introduction of evil, and asks, Jan. 1838.] on page 6, "Could it have occurred contrary to the will of God? Assuredly not!" We concur in his reply; but he proceeds, "We would not be wise above that which is written, and attempt to solve the mysterious subject how sin was first produced in the apostate spirits, when the eternal Jehovah, we believe, withdrew from them the power by which they stood, and an innate principle of evil immediately arose, in a way and manner we cannot understand; we are content to know that it must have been agreeable to the will of God; for as the transgression of the fallen angels was but the prelude to the fall of man, and as already had the Lord Jesus been set up as the appointed Redeemer, so we understand the whole of the mysterious transaction of the fall of the non-elect angels, and the fall of man, to be in perfect unison with the will of Him, who "hath made all things for himself, yea, even the wicked for the day of evil," Prov. xvi. 4. That God then willed, and that by eternal purpose, the introduction of evil into heaven and upon earth." To the general argument here stated, we object: while we contend that the omniscient Jehovah foreknew and foresaw in his divine mind the transgression of the non-elect angels, and also the fall of man, and that prior to the taking place of either, the Eternal Three entered into covenant for the certain salvation of the church by the substitution of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was set up in the divine mind from everlasting as the appointed Redeemer thereof; but to assert, that sin was introduced agreeably to, and in perfect unison with the will of God, is a shocking perversion of holy scripture; He is of purer eyes than to behold the least iniquity but with abhorrence;" while, therefore, we admire and adore the wisdom of God, as displayed in overruling the D introduction of sin into our world to display his own glory, we contend that God made man upright, and that he (man) sought out many inventions ;" and although God in his omniscience foreknew, yet was he no propelling cause. Adam was created a free agent, able to stand, though free to fall; and thus we see, that though a perfect finite being, Adam yielded to outward temptation when proffered. What abundant cause, therefore, has every believer to bless and praise his covenant God, who took occasion from our first parents' abuse of their free agency, to fix the standing of the church—not in her own hands, but in the safe keeping of the God-Man Christ Jesus, thereby fixing her standing more secure than 'twas before she fell. Having considered the first introduc. tion of evil, the preacher dilates on the continued proofs of the omnipotence of God, in the work of his hands upon succeeding generations. To the arguments likewise upon this branch of the subject, we have many objections. On page 7, we read, "every person born into the world is appointed unto, and fitted for, the peculiar sphere in which he has to move every human being may be said to have a circle drawn around him by the invisible hand of God, out of which he cannot pass;" and when referring to the Adam-fall transgression, the author states, that "although Adam was made perfectly upright, and very good, yet all his posterity are now formed by God of his fallen clay; clay (it may be said) now tempered with sin." We might add many more extracts of a similar character, but our limits forbid. While we give place to none in contending for the sovereignty of Jehovah, we fearlessly denounce the foregoing statements as unscriptural. There is a distinction always to be kept in view, between the permissive and the decretive will of Jehovah. The all-wise God permitted the introduction of sin into our world, and decreed from all eternity to save, and made choice of a certain number, who, though involved in the Adam-fall transgression, were before Adam was created secured in and given to the Lord Jesus Christ, who covenanted to become incarnate to suffer for their sins, and thus satisfy divine justice on their behalf; and it is also the believer's privilege to know, that his God and Father will over-rule all things, even the sinful actions of sinful men, for the display of his own glory, and the good of his chosen. But though our God is the Creator of man, he never created one sinner as such; Adam fell, and all his posterity fell in him; but God never yet created one immortal being out of sinful clay, nor is one vicious sinner compelled by any decree of that Holy God, who is "righteous in all his ways, and just in all his works," to continue in his sinful course. Oh no, the man that sins does it of his own depraved will; so saith the scripture, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any man; but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then, when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning," James i. 13, &c. And while by metaphysical argument, and the use of terms to which the scriptures have no parallel, the speculative man may sketch out a finely arranged theory; and, flushed with self confidence, demand our assent thereto, we are content to know, that when man is tempted, he is drawn away of his own lusts; and that he is enticed to evil, not impelled to the action. While on this subject, we are reminded of a remark made to us by the late venerable Dr. Hawker, in reference to this error: the excellent man of God, with his accustomed to sit at the feet of Jesus; and learn warmth, exclaimed, "Such sentiments, of him, aiming rather to direct the Sir, make God the author of sin, enquiring sinner to the Saviour, than however men may twist the argument, to please or amuse the inventive fancies and it is what, my dear Sir, I abhor; of mere professors. it is the doctrine of hell." The preacher adduces many very excellent observations from the consideration of the supreme dominion of Jehovah, in the government of his church; but here also we must demur a little the consolation of the church of God does not arise so much from the doctrine of divine sovereignty, as from the union subsisting between her and her covenant Head: Christ, the Head; she, the body: he, the husband; she, his spouse: he, the vine; she, a living branch in that vine. Thus, while many of the inferences are good, they are drawn from wrong premises. The sovereignty of Jehovah will indeed furnish much support to the church, when under affliction, persecution, or distress, knowing that "all things shall work together for good," under the sovereign guidance of a covenant Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But we must close our observations; in doing which, we can only express our regret, that the author of this discourse, whose steady adherence to, and able advocacy of, the grand and glorious doctrines of our most holy faith, should in this instance have climbed the dangerous summit of adventurous speculation, and advanced that which, as we said at the beginning, at best tends more to minister questions and strifes rather than the edification of the church. What benefit can accrue to the child of God, by attempting to persuade him that God decreed all the evils that exist in our world? And what benefit will arise, by telling the worldling, who is drinking in iniquity like water, and sinning with an high hand and outstretched arm, that Jehovah has drawn a circle around him, and fitted him for all his vicious course? Come down, dear Sir, from these lofty heights, and be content Divine Registration, the Pledge of When called upon by a sense of duty in our editorial capacity to censure any publication we receive, it is painful, and more especially so, when emanating from one whom we have considered sound in the faith; such was the case with the preceding sermon. And we pray God, that however painful it may be to us, when we manifestly perceive his truth to be injured or obscured, we may at all times be found faithful. In the same degree that this is painful, it is equally cheering and delightful, to meet with one like the present, calculated in the hand of God the Holy Ghost, to awaken, confirm, instruct, and console the children of God while passing through the wilderness. The preacher has acted up to his commission in feeding the flock of Christ. Happy, thrice happy the man who is found so doing; but woe to him who indulges in mystical and metaphysical harangues, which tend only to amuse the lofty towering professor, whose growth in knowledge, not in grace, is discoverable only by the extension of his head. Mr. Irons has selected as his text, Dan. xii. 1., "At that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." After glancing at the harmonious chain which may be traced throughout the sacred volume in the history of the church, as distinguished from the world, and that the more that distinction has existed, the more refulgent has been her glory, and the more abounding her enjoyments, the preacher goes on to notice |