God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. In the presence of their heavenly Father there is a fulness of joy, and at his right hand pleasures for evermore. A few days more, or weeks, or years at most in this track less desert, in this scene of sorrow, disappointment and wickedness: then they shall take the kingdom and possess it for ever and ever. Their toil shall all be over, and no cloud shall intervene between them and their Parent's smiling face. They shall have no more doubts, no more fears, no more conflicts, no more sin. They shall be crowned with glory, an eternal weight of glory, and be with the Lord for ever.

none

66

May we be enabled to trust him at all times, to seek him under all circumstances, to love his truth, which is as clear as crystal, and to praise him for blessings continually vouchsafed unto us. May we rejoice to say with the Psalmist : "Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is upon earth I desire beside thee." To say with John, “ We love him because he first loved us." If God in Christ is our Father, then he will defend us in times of danger: our enemies are powerful, crafty and malicious, but none can overcome him all are controlled by his power, and without his permission none can tempt, harass, or afflict us. There is nothing heartless, nothing cruel in Christ; no unmindfulness of his people in him. He is a wall of fire round about his church.

"What can be more pleasing, more precious and more truthful, than that God in Christ being our Father, he will bring all his family to their final home. Not one shall be missing. Not one shall perish. He giveth unto them eternal life. He will give them the possessions that he as the everlasting Father has laid up for them. Here they are poor, despised, and persecuted, there they shall have eternal riches, eternal glory, and eternal happiness. Remember, ye poor, ye tempted, and

afflicted ones of the Lord, that Jesus is your Father; your rich, your slumberless, and your everlasting Father. One that will not withhold any good from them that walk uprightly. One that giveth grace and glory. One that never leaves you nor forsakes you. One whose promise never fails. One who is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. Faith's Triumph over Death and

Hell, A Sermon on the Occasion of the Death of Miss Mary Howes, by J. A. Wallinger. 12mo. pp. 24. London: Palmers.

This Sermon embodies in it an account of the Lord's dealings with the departed, written by herself, and as Mr. Wallinger says in language so simple and sincere, that it must to the mind of all the Lord's people, carry with it evidence that she was born of God, and is now praising before the throne of God. The Sermon is simple, unadorned, and scriptural. We have read it with great pleasure, and we trust, profit, and

commend it to our readers, both for their own personal perusal, and as highly calculated for usefulness by

distribution.

A Plain Discovery of the Falseness and Unscripturalness of Anabaptism as the same is now pratised by those of that Persuasion. By James Barry. 18mo. pp. 160. London: Palmers.

We have been requested to announce the new Edition of this work. The former Edition issued by Mr. Huntington was in an octavo stitched pamphlet, at four shillings. This which is printed verbatim from that Edition is a neat, pocket volume, bound in cloth, lettered at half that sum. Water baptism being a topic upon which controversy is excluded from our pages we can only remark that it may be well for both sides to read a work which by podobaptists is considered unanswerable, and which certainly Anti-podobaptists have never yet given a reply to.

191

SALVATION BY CHRIST.

Salvation, fruit of boundless grace,
See how it shines in Jesus' face,
With beams of everlasting light,
Immensely great, superbly bright.

The mighty God who reigns on high,
Before he spread the starry sky;
Ordained the plan, his church to save,
From sin and hell's infernal cave.

The covenant was with Jesus made,
Who was ordained our living head,
Ordained to suffer, bleed, and die,
To bring the great salvation nigh.

Lo, and behold the glorious morn,
He comes to put our nature on;
Bright angels leave their heavenly throne,
To bring the glorious tidings down.

Beneath the law our Surety stands,
To honour all its great commands;
That his belov'd and chosen bride,
May through his grace be justified.

On Calvary's cross our Jesus dies,
Our great sin-bearing sacrifice;
His gushing wounds, and open side,
Send forth the crimson, cleansing tide.

Eternal thanks to thee our God,
For free redemption through the blood
Of Jesus Christ thy first-born Son,
With thee in power and glory one;

Who having vanquished death and hell,
Is gone upon his throne to dwell ;
To plead the merits of his blood,
By interceding with our God.

Why should I thus languish and faint by the way,

To Satan's devices for ever a prey; Since thou art my Captain, my battles to fight,

To repel inbred foes and put them to flight My wounds, they are many, and lep'rous I feel,

Yet Christ my Physician is skilful to heal; There's balm still in Gilead enough and

to spare,

To heal all diseases, why should I despair?

To Jesus' kind arms, oh let me then flee, His promise is safe, he 's surety for me; He says his salvation to me he'll bring nigh,

He's mighty to save, then on him I'll rely.

Though billows may roll, and floods overflow,

Though lions may roar, and storms overthrow ;

My soul is at anchor, I nothing will fear,
My Pilot has wisdom my vessel to steer.

Come sorrows, come crosses, I'll not be dismay'd.

Since my Jesus has said, be thou not afraid; In his strong pavilion he says he will hide Those who in his promise can fully confide.

Then why should we tremble when dangers are near, When providence threatens, and friends disappear;

Though nations be shattered, and kings come to nought,

Our King is victorious, his battles are fought.

His kingdom's established, his crown he has won,

His reign is on earth and in heaven begun; His subjects all loyal, true to his decree, Though some do still wander, his face they shall see.

His conquests are finished, his throne is on high,

He's pleading for those whom his Spirit brings nigh;

In favour of Zion, then let us implore Those sweet consolations her King has in store.

His fulness is great, he will richly supply, Those who flee unto him he ne'er can deny; Then, O dearest Jesus, thou great King of kings,

Let sinners take refuge safe under thy wings.

Art thou not their shelter, and dost thou not see,

How in all their sorrows they flee unto thee?

Lord, can'st thou be deaf to their grievous complaint,

And wilt thou not lay on their foes a restraint ?

Though antichrist fain would lay waste thy choice vine,

Do thou, Lord, protect it, and claim it as thine;

"Till storms are all over, and tempests are past,

And all arrive safe at their haven at last.

There shall our souls bask in eternal delight,

Nor dread evermore to remove from thy sight;

But in one loud chorus our voices to raise, With harps in full tune sing aloud to thy praise.

FAITH is a glow-worm grace ! In the bright sunshine of prosperity; When in life's pathway many coloured flowers

Yield brilliancy and perfume; when glad birds

Warble on every branch, and the light breeze,

With the soft ripple of the chrystal brook
Plays wantonly, the glow-worm is unseen,
Its little lamp extinguished, and itself,
A disregarded object; but not so
When night's dark curtain shrouds the
hemisphere,

Veiling terrestrial beauties; meekly then
Its gentle glimmer is observed and prized.
Thus in the christian's life, the broad
bright glow

Of temporal or of soul prosperity Shrouds faith, and leaves no room for exercise.

But He, who says of faith: The trial of it Is much more precious than famed Ophir's

A plenteous shower of strange vicissitudes, Changes and war, bereavement, cares and gloom,

And then shall faith find work commensurate;

Strong faith and weak, each shall be amply tried,

And each be but sufficient to sustain !
"T is sweet and 't is consoling to reflect
That while in calm and quietness, this grace
Is sparely given like gold not meant for

waste;

In the dark hour, when tribulation frowns, When persecution whets his angry sword, When pale bereavement cuts some tender tie,

When slander utters some reproachful tale, When want, or woe, or sickness hover round,

And when we battle with life's latest foe, The gift is then abundantly vouchsafed, And faith, all conquering faith, shines brilliantly.

"His blood be upon us and our children !” -Matt. xxvii. 25.

LET me, Lord,

Transmute the impious yell into a prayer,
And reverentially the mercy seat
Approaching, ask of Israel's great High
Priest,

To sprinkle on my soul his hyssop branch.
Long suppliant at thy footstool, sensible
Of sin's pollution, staining every thing,
The application of a Saviour's blood
Has been my ardent, my unceasing prayer.
Oh that I might by faith appropriate;
Oh that its healing influence, sweetly felt,
Opened to me free access to the throne.
I ask, I seek, I prize no other plea
Than Christ's atoning blood and righte-

ousness.

Spirit Jehovah, who hath taught my soul
Its need and nothingness, teaching me
Where all I want is stored sufficiently,
Open to me the treasures that I crave,
Reveal to me my right and title there,
Witness to me electing, pardoning love,
Wash me in Calv'ry's mystic purple stream,
Clothe me in linen which is always white,
Give me the new unutterable name,
Seal me with thine own impress as an heir,
An heir of God and a joint-heir with
Christ,

By virtue of an union to the Lord,

Made manifest by his own blood applied ; Thus wearing on my forehead and my heart,

Assurance, as a jewel and a crown,

I shall live 'bove the world's vicissitudes, With all my hopes in heaven.

REZENEB

THE GOSPEL PULPIT.

A SERMON

Preached at Staplefield, Sussex, on Lord'sDay, Morning, May 29th. 1848.

BY EDMUND GREENFIELD.

BELOVED, our God in rich mercy, and great love, has given us a text this morning, as follows:

"The law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.”—Heb. vii. 19.

First, in speaking from the text, I am to treat of and manifest God in his own given light, and also his eternal purposes, acts, and deeds and his law eternally made, and the use of his law, in his power and will, proving withal, that "the law made nothing perfect."

Secondly, declare, and scripturally prove, what the better hope, was, and is, for the human election, when called, sanctified, renewed, and quickened by the Holy Ghost," by the which we draw nigh unto God" the Father in heart and soul distress, as fallen, sinful, poor, needy, guilty, imperfect sinners, sighing, groaning, and longing for the Father's covenant-promised blessings. July, 1848.]

Thirdly and lastly, I am to testify scripturally and experimentally, as we draw nigh unto God the Father, through the better hope, than the law, in his Spirit and blessing, we receive his covenant blessings, and are assured of our election, redemption, and regeneration, and also know and enjoy his approbation, before or in our last dying moments in mortality, and have this testimony, that we please God. Heb. xi. 5; waiting for his taking our souls from our mortal bodies to glory. So we stand "perfect and complete in all the will of God," Col. iv. 12.

Such was and is, "the mystery of godliness," enjoyed by God's election, whilst we are in mortality, by grace, through faith, in hope and love. To God Three-One be praise, Amen.

Now in my first general head, as promised, I am to treat of God, his purposes, acts, deeds, law, &c., which is necessary for you who are assembled, as for all peoples, because," he, or they, that cometh unto God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." See Heb. xi. 6.

Well, then, God, by the Scriptures, assures me, and all his given

A A

pastors sent to his Zion upon earth, that he was and is, an Eternal, Everlasting, Self-existing Spirit, Three Persons, who in the eternal glories of his sovereignty, will, and way, in one indivisible essence, and divine nature, was and is, a God, in glorious, infinite relation, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The purposes, and the acts, and deeds of God, in eternity, first was, the Father chose the Son for the Creator of a fore-purposed creation, in time, for his glory, and appointed the Son Heir of all things, and to be the Judge, Lawgiver, and King of all

creatures.

The eternal Son being so set up by the Father, and Holy Ghost, in his glorious high throne, the purposes of election, and acts of election and predestination by the Father began, and he chose his only begotten Son in God, and the Godhead, his first elect, and predes tinated Son and Servant. And the Head, Life, and Lord of election and predestination, as well as that he was Lord and God of all creation, "before all things, and by him all things consist." Col. i. 17. The eternal Son so set up eternally, the Father proceeding with election and predestination, whilst all creatures appeared in his foreviews in the book of creation, where they were written by names. He chose a certain number of angels, and called them elect angels, and predestinated them to life and glory, and gave them to his Son Jesus Christ for his angels, and obedient ministering spirits, to do his pleasure. Behold, ye saints, the glorious procedure of the the eternal Father in secret eternal glory, as revealed by the Scriptures, to make us wise. Well, next the Father chose a certain number of the human race, and called them his elect sons and daughters, and predestinated them to life and glory. The first two were Adam and Eve, the natural human parents of all hu

In

man posterity. And with and in Adam, God the Father chose and predestinated to life and glory a certain number of their offspring, from Abel, passing by Cain and others, through all generations foreviewed, unto the end of time, out of all nations, and kindreds, and peoples, and tongues, Rev. vii. 9. : and gave them to the Son for his mystical members and bride, and the Son to them for a Head and Husband, in the presence of the Holy Ghost, who was the eternal witness; and as the Son and Holy Ghost were of one will with the Father, the eternal marriage union was complete. that eternal act and deed, we, the human election, individually became relations to God, and our life was hid in God, Col. iii. 3; yes, we became the eternal everlasting sons and daughters of the Father, the members and bride of the Son, and heirs of the Holy Ghost. And thus, in eternity, God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who recorded his own names, and proved his own three persons, one essence, one God, a Spirit, in the book of life wrote the elect's names, both angels and the human race, in "the book of life.” Rev. xx. 15.

In this Scripture light, we see light, and apprehend God, "the Father of lights," James i. 17. proceeding in eternal secret glory, with the Son and Holy Ghost, in determined counsel and fore-knowledge, and fore-views of all creation : and when all was done, aforesaid, and the whole human and angelic hosts appeared mystically in vision, as they should really be in their time-creation, righteous and holy in their natures, and capable to keep a righteous, holy law of God, then God made and recorded the law, which for the human race, was a law and covenant of works, to serve, honour, obey and worship the Son, with the Father, and Holy Ghost, one God, and abstain from eating of one tree