GOSPEL MAG,A,ZIISE .,J;I - The Gospel Magazine
GOSPEL MAG,A,ZIISE .,J;I - The Gospel Magazine
GOSPEL MAG,A,ZIISE .,J;I - The Gospel Magazine
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
t1;tt-;t', r- ,,vo#r--<br />
THE<br />
<strong>GOSPEL</strong> <strong>MAG</strong>,A,<strong>ZIISE</strong><br />
.,J;I<br />
Vor.. IX.-I{o. VIII.<br />
Of a FOURTI{ SERIES, for AUGUST', 18s4.<br />
-//-<br />
" In doctrine shewing u,ncorruptneEs,',<br />
't<br />
Bewa.re ge of the teaaen oJ the Plnrisees which is Hgpocrzsg.,,<br />
THE BELIEvER ,rHE LoRDts FREE-sERvaNT.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is therefore now no cond.emnation to them who are in Christ Jesus"-<br />
Rou. vrr. t.<br />
ll HE sentence of the law condemning him to eternal death is annuiled,<br />
is taken off, and can affect him no more. He is made a<br />
free man, delivered:from the curse by him who was rnade a curse.<br />
He is brought out from under the liw as a covenant<br />
('<br />
of works.<br />
Ye are n8t under the law trut uni", qia"e." He is neither lefi<br />
to seek lif'e by his obedience to it, nor cin he any more be doomed<br />
by it to eternal death fbr his disobedience ; the"law being dead to<br />
him, arrd he to it, in this lespect.-Jesus brings him orrl of that<br />
state of sin in rvhich he lay all his days before,-incapable of doins<br />
any thing truly good, capable of noihing but gur noi<br />
the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made "inniirg.<br />
liim free from<br />
the law of sin aird death. <strong>The</strong> prisoner in his natural state, with<br />
the rest of the world, lieth in ryickedness, like a dead man in his<br />
grave, rotting and consumin g. _Christquickens the sinnersropens their<br />
gravesr.and brings thern out from un-der the reigning power of sin<br />
In the day ofconversion, Christ conles to the piisori-doora.to the<br />
graye of Lazarus, and says, as he did to him, Come fbrth. So the<br />
dead qaq lives, the prisoner comes our of,;{lie dungeon, out of n<br />
stale oI sln lnto a state of grace.<br />
[:lis debts_ are discharged, even to the last farthing: .. And you<br />
biring dead in your sinsiand in the uncircumcisiorr"of your flEsh,<br />
hath he. quickened togetherwith lrim, having forgiven you all tres.<br />
passes." <strong>The</strong>y were God's prisoners, and iould- nevdr conre out<br />
without payment of that debr for which they wer.e imprisongd. tsur<br />
the Deliverer takes all the debt on himself': he says to hi$arher,<br />
('<br />
If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee aught, put that on niine<br />
account."<br />
His crimes are forgiven, which otherwise would<br />
his life : 66 iiavc taken an'ay<br />
And the i"nhabiiant shail not say, I am erck ; tne p,:oiile<br />
Vor," IX.-No. VIII. 2v<br />
"
S42 THE cospnr, MAcAzrNs.<br />
that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity." Tlre prisoner'spardon<br />
is written in the blood of his RedtiemLr, ,. This'cup is<br />
the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." For I will<br />
be.merciful_to their u,nrighteousnels; and their sins and their ini,<br />
guities willIremegrber ndmore." <strong>The</strong> [ing's sea] b affixed to it,<br />
so that neither law nor.iustice can q uarrel w]th it : .. fn whom alscr<br />
af,ter that ye believed, ye were sealEd with that holy Spirit of rrromise."<br />
This is the wliite stone given to him that -overcometh,<br />
of<br />
which none knqws the srveetness but those who bave it.<br />
- (t-<strong>The</strong>y are turned from the power of Satan unto God." <strong>The</strong><br />
law has Ro rn-ore power to keep the prisoner, nay, nor ever to bring<br />
him back I becaqse he is not delivered by friud, but in a legii<br />
rvay, by the sovereign authorily of the Kin['s Son, who lras all ihe<br />
power in.heavcn and. earth. Tlre demandi whictr law and justice<br />
had on the prisoner have all been satisfled by the Delivererithere-<br />
{bre lre can be no lonqer held.<br />
. His fl;thy.garn:enti are taken away, and he is cloathed with<br />
change ol<br />
.r'airnent. <strong>The</strong> rags of his own riglrteousness are thrown<br />
away, and he is cloathed wiih the fair white raimeut of Cbristrs<br />
righteousness put on by rhe hand offaith, ., I counsel'thee, (says<br />
Jes,us;. to buy of me gold rried in tbe fire, that thou mayesbbe iich,<br />
and rvhite raiurent thit thou mayest becloathed, and th"at theshame<br />
of thy nakedness do not appeai." <strong>The</strong> old man with his deeds is<br />
put off, rhe body of sin is-destroyed, and the new man is put on.<br />
<strong>The</strong> prisoners stands trefore his deliverer, like Joshua befbre the<br />
angel ; c( cloathe-d with filthy garments, and stood before the angel;<br />
and he ansrvered and spake-to them rhat stood bef
TIIE 6O$PEI, MA&.I.ZINfI 348<br />
the poor and wise child out of prison, he comes to reisn with<br />
thertT, for. tl"y all<br />
?.tq<br />
made kings who are'delivered by ChrTst.<br />
, Now.to be living in d state of sin is the most miierable life in<br />
the.world, the mosr miserable life out of hell. Why are all those<br />
similitudes used, of a captivity, and irnfrisonrnent, ind this Jthe<br />
worst kindr.bur becaus^e no cafrtivity, no'irnprisonrri""i il ,"mei""t<br />
to express the misery of this ciptiviiv r rherefore these similirudes<br />
are muttiplied, that rvhat is winting in one may be made uo bv<br />
another. And whenever the sinne-r's eyes to ,"t his<br />
misery, he willsee thar the worst c"ru ofi"!ti;;, "r"'opened ilJ priil;;"<br />
yltf co.mes infinitely short of the miserabl6 srare h; is io;;; ;o;n<br />
as grermty succeeds time. For,<br />
__91-$l persons_in, the world, un"on"".ted person has the least<br />
groujrd to be joyful:<br />
"r.<br />
" For be that believetlr nbt the son shall not<br />
see llte ; but the wrath of God abideth oo him.,' Some think the5r,<br />
are young a1d.i1 their bloom, and tberefore they may be allowed a<br />
p.,";lr1l,rJourat tife. Some. think lile him wh6 saii to his soul,<br />
hast goods<br />
^^I"Lll-!f."<br />
llid<br />
lp<br />
for many years; rake thine ease,<br />
eatr.d.nnk, and be merry.,t Every one riho is not held down with<br />
wof$ly cares or crossesr"is ready t6 take his ease, thouqh a stranger<br />
to Christ and a state of "But<br />
frace. I woulJ ;;;-;;h;"";Ji,,i'Eia<br />
!o {o.tu.r." What trasT thou to clo with peace l" Let them lire<br />
Joyrutty whose prison-doors have been opdned I thevare set free<br />
to whonr God il a friend, and wbo .r" Ulv"na'J;;J"l;;;;;;;:<br />
tion. But wbat reaso' have you to liv. jojfully, who are;"dr;;,<br />
prisoners, condemned crimin'als, aud kilo'w ;;i b;;th;;il';;;<br />
;nay.beled<br />
out to the execurionl rf there ;;r;;Jr"wr-iri*A<br />
THt"g:o"r ygu,l.heads wherever you wenr, would ir not mar<br />
":::j T'r!h and jollity I <strong>The</strong> srvord of God's justice is thus suspendect<br />
over all those wlro are out of Christ.<br />
It would be impossible for one to live at ease in an. unconverted<br />
state, rf they were not blind to theirown hazard and misery. you<br />
ma.y<br />
-as<br />
well bid a malefactor be eas"y under rhe ,"ntrn"""* a"utL<br />
and the sigbt of the gibbet, o. ,ouri hanging over a deep gulf bv<br />
a dender twig, as to bid an awakened "<br />
sifr*- be easy in'lris casti<br />
Flu*.he<br />
g.el out.of it. But many ;#'tid;';;;;ffi;;<br />
99*,n"[?e hlllr.and yet are very easy, because they see nqt the<br />
rngntlul case they are_in. And why do they not s6e it, because.<br />
therr ey^es are- shur I It is told the-nr, but they will noi believl<br />
it;_so after all, they are as easy as if they hud bde" [Lari;g ;;ilI;<br />
tale.<br />
<strong>The</strong> delivery.of a-sinner out of the state of nature into#tate of<br />
Sra9e, trom under the guilt and reigning power of sinrlFno easy<br />
business, but business oT the great"r't *"'igiiru"a aim",ifiy;;hi;'h<br />
ever the wsrld was witness to] consi.der"the ransom whi6h had to<br />
be paid for the caprives and prisoners; the gr"ut"rt ,;;;il ;;;<br />
glven Dy meR ls not once to be named with it. Silver and gold,<br />
crowni and &ingdorns, would not do here, but blood,<br />
"""n'ttl
84* fnE'cospnr, <strong>MAG</strong>AZTNE.<br />
precious blood of Christ, angels nor men could not furnish it.<br />
Consider the power by which fhe deliverence is to be effected, no<br />
less than an infinite power can do it. What is the storming of<br />
townsr the lreaking down of iron gates, and the recovering-the<br />
qrey. fro_1n<br />
a lion, to the recovering i sinner from the power of the<br />
devil I No less than an omnipoteni power can do this.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is no deliverance out of ihe state of sin and wrath but<br />
through Jesus Cbrist, .( Neither is there salvation in arry other :<br />
for there is none other name under..beaven given among *"n,<br />
whereby we must be saved.tt Had there been inother nam-e, another<br />
person, Jesus had not been emplov-ed in this work. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
was_none but he who could do it; anil *e may add, that the worst<br />
of sinners may be delivered in and bv him. Thlre is no suilt<br />
above the efficacy of his blood, no po*Lr of sin above the effiJacy<br />
of his Spirit. A-t the same time? without him the most blameleJs<br />
person who lives will be ruined for ever: 6( I am tlre wayrtt said<br />
Jesus, 66 no man cometh unto tbe Father but bv me."<br />
Let me address those :pbo have sometimes" walked at libert.y,<br />
lluing<br />
had, their souls brought out of prison by the Redeemei's<br />
blood and Spirit ; bur seem to themselves now to be carried back<br />
ilto<br />
Satan's prison agai,n, and feel his chains heavy uporr them.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Lord sometimes luffers his own people to fall into'this case,<br />
because of their careless walking, thlir grievinq and vexing his<br />
Holy Spir.it, whereby the Spirit is.-quenched, corruption is stren'gthened,<br />
and Satan gets advantage: (' For the iniquity of his covetousness<br />
was I wr"oth, and sm6te him: I hid mri, ni'td *ur wroth,<br />
and he went on frowardly in rhe way of his heari." Whar should<br />
they do in this case, but oiynthe justness of the stroke, apply<br />
themselves to the deliverer, who alone can loose spiritual bonds?<br />
This is the design of the dispensation : ,. I will go and return to<br />
pY.place, till they acknowledge tbeir offence, an-d seek my face ;<br />
in their affiiction ihev will see[. me early." Make new aopiicatiorr<br />
of this blood by fait6, and breathe aftei the communicaiibn of his<br />
Holy Spirit: ', I havll seen his wavs. and will heal him: ,, I will<br />
lead-hini also, and reff&e comfbrts io'him and his mourners." He<br />
delivered'them out offi1isg146le state, and will also deliver them<br />
out of their present uncomfortable condition.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are'those whofeel the bands of guilt strong upon their<br />
souls, and afe ready to despond under theil as bands-whicb never<br />
can be loosed. Such should consider, that there is no exception<br />
of banftdrom which Christ is sent to loose; be they weak, bsthey<br />
strongftds with which the sinner- is bound, Christ froclaims liberrj'<br />
fiom thffi ; and it is an intolerable affront to the N{ediator's dignity,<br />
to enlertain a thought of bands from which the infinite mer-it of<br />
his blood, and the all-powerful efficacy of his Spirit, cannot loose.<br />
<strong>The</strong> dead corpse cast into tlre prophetts grave was restored to life;<br />
and shall not lhe soul bound withihe str6ngest fetters of death, be<br />
set free so soon as quickcning virtue comes"frsm a crucified Chiist.
IIE GOSPEI, MA.GAZIN,f. 3+6<br />
You who are deliver.ed, and have been rnade partakers of the<br />
liberty proclaimed i' the gospel, we exlrort you to'walk suitablrrio<br />
the great deliverence. IF thou'be thus diitinguish;J,_;;;';iil<br />
prize the deliverer above all: .6 l.Jnto you, th'er"]o;;; *'h*h ;;_<br />
liele, he is preciousrl' you will say, .r'Whom haue f lu n*u"lo<br />
our rnee r and there is none in all the earth that I desire beside<br />
thee." And rhe moreyou look back on ih" hazarJ ," *fii"fi"",<br />
were exposed, you-wiil lovb him the more_yo., ,.ill ;;i;;tih;<br />
oetrverence above all which you ever met with, or can rireet with<br />
in this world : ..-Yea, doubtless, and I count all things Uut io*. i"i<br />
the exceliency of the knowledge of Jesus christ my"Lorcr." root<br />
ou thrs ttme as the time of loves._you will long "for the perfect-<br />
i"s ;r ,lr,i,' a"ri""*;::::i1"J j3i<br />
";i:;J',i'"1"i.* lf""ffi:..."';<br />
:."3 ff:[ti?:* J# ixi-*H*{::i, ]* :: li::tre"ri<br />
; ilr,', ;ilT:{"*";:Ji,li,f ffi #f ,:JJ'#,[#m*il:"*Xi;:;i::,""<br />
, fr rJ trffi# [ hril]"l'l<br />
F"Til<br />
and to have no fellorvship il,itb the *oik, oi;;;k;;."r.--"'rrg*lrv'[re<br />
.<br />
BARNABES.<br />
* 00o_<br />
FINISHED }VORK OF CHRIST,.<br />
FolI will be merciful r",ll_"l,,,yi"jqhr€ousDess and tbeir sins and their iniqui_<br />
tres rrill I remember ro rgore.<br />
THrs p.recious language a_s penned by the Holy Ghost, is a subiect of<br />
unspeakable, greei, arid of everlastin! i-port"'n"" i;;i ;r; d#il;<br />
rn lr'; rnere tne rnhirte Jehovah is most wonderfulry declaring<br />
rnihd torvards<br />
his<br />
the objecrs of his tou". rirn*t<br />
basis does this "u"riurting ni"ii"u,<br />
fabric"rest upon; here the'periection;;i;';;i;;_ "<br />
Jehovah most wondertullystiineas a holybei'g; he never;";;;i'"<br />
delight t.n thingthat<br />
1nt<br />
is impure; th*i"for"i*h",, lr";";'i<br />
Lle<br />
;ll<br />
firerclf ul to therr unrighteousness, but is this contrair.'to<br />
hoiy.law I<br />
the<br />
No, iu.nowi..,ih" law is not th"<br />
forbid ! for the cburch "g"gri l;"*ii"rlCli<br />
ever srood holy i-*e promised ."6a,<br />
Jelrovah declared ro Abrabam-In thy i""Gsni"t ir bt"irr, ,f,ir ",<br />
all the nations of the enrth be blessed.'<br />
. <strong>The</strong> great Head of .the Church saidr_your joiced<br />
father Abraham<br />
tJ<br />
re-<br />
see my day, he saw it and *", gloa. rf pr'i#'.f<br />
Peace wou ld hai,-e h is "i"^-i, - cl istre*e,r foilo re rroiJ -L;;;;;;il#,*i* u n d ;<br />
"r"t"" ; i h"r'<br />
ham;;r;-<br />
hatl faith's view of the sin-atoninf<br />
ii;"<br />
?;li ;.,;"y' ;i i "l;;"i' shi ne i n lay i n g<br />
-th<br />
i s ll, ;-n3"H:#, i:::<br />
up.on hrm<br />
1ll 1l"n<br />
who was able to bear it ; he ivas mad"<br />
sln-Dearer<br />
io b"<br />
tor<br />
a<br />
*s who knew no sin, that the elect might be madl<br />
fre,righteousness.of . God irr him : so hrly;J;;i;;;?;;<br />
";<br />
i;' f*<br />
rn.his church,<br />
:,:"1::^y^-_?,l"lrglt<br />
that she is fouid unblameable.<br />
u.nreproveasre In hrs srght.<br />
.<br />
Here does justicc maintain<br />
rity,<br />
its inteel<br />
for Jehovah has c6mplei"ly r",novEJ ,n" i"iq"llv<br />
"r"rrii'riil
346 TIIE cCIt?Er, MAcA.UINE.<br />
ple from them to the Son of God, and as the Saviour finished trans'<br />
gression and made an end of sin and lose a mighty conqueror I sitr<br />
is not found upon him, rror his people; for Moses said, that Jebovah<br />
will have mercy upon whom'tre'witl have rnercy, I will be merciful<br />
to their unrighteousness.<br />
Speakinq of a cirtain number which he had ordained unto salvation'throug:h<br />
sanctification of the Spirit, therefore the whole Israel<br />
of God wil"l receive the knowledge-of the truth in the fulness of<br />
tirne-Becaure ye were sons, God sent forth the spirit of his Son,<br />
whereby ye Abba Father, therefore it is an evidence to those<br />
that re6eive "ry th-e quickening influence of the Holy Ghost that they<br />
are sons, for it iJ an earnest of the inheritance ; for those that are<br />
reiected Iie twice dead; and when the Israel of God are quicrkened<br />
b'i the Almishtv power of tlrc Holi' Spirit, thev are led to see what<br />
ai awful staie t6ey were dm6e iir by nature, which they did not<br />
know before havirig no lif$ffig dead in trespasses anci sins.; and<br />
it is those that the Saviour cime to treal,-For the whole need not a<br />
phvsician, but theythat are sick; sick of sin and also sick of themielves,<br />
and well knowing that they may sink lower than the grav.e,<br />
if nof arrayed in the riihteousneis of Christ, which rvill bear the<br />
eve of infin-ite iustice. "Nothinq can give such a soul ease but the<br />
I6ve of God shdd abroad in the hiear t ; ;and this irresistable power of<br />
the Holv Ghost, when drawn unto mount Calvary, there we stand<br />
amazed<br />
"at the wondrous love of Jehovah our righteoustress, there<br />
to behold him a reconciled God, through the efficacious blood of<br />
Immanuel, which speaketh peace to his troubled children : it is in<br />
this wav that mercy and iusticd can be embraced.<br />
Won'rlerous are iehovih's works, for he is faithful arrd just to<br />
forgive us, thebeloved of trim, a chosen seed, our sins and cleans'e<br />
u, iio* ali unrighteousness. O precious fountain, tlrat is given<br />
fbr this putpot"'i Nlav God graut his people a suScient srength<br />
to bathe therein ! This heals- every sii siik soul : it is here that<br />
iustice and mercv meet in rrerfect barmon,v, and we so enabled, can<br />
iioE u.ong upon Dgld'sien stringed initrument I for Moses cannoiruy<br />
an! thing agffi the blood bf the ever.lastirrg covenant f .<br />
it<br />
is here that the sir,s dT the chosen seed are burted, never to rlse<br />
anv more. <strong>The</strong>re is ns more renrembrance of sin with God ; for he<br />
hai declared with Christ's rigltteousness he is well pleased ; it is<br />
frorn this ancient roct the bEliever's sap is found. Jehovah grant<br />
that thc water of eternal life in his ilearly beloveJ farnily. may water<br />
this rgggof Jcsse with those blessings *hich belong to his mediato'<br />
rial o*. <strong>The</strong>n sang NIoses anillhe children of Israel this so.g<br />
unto th-e Lord-for he"hath triumphed gloriously, the horse and hrs<br />
rider lrath he thrown into the sea : [be Lord is my strength-and -nry<br />
8ODE. and he is becomc rny salvation. What sweet cotrsolttrg larrguJg-er-their<br />
sins and tlieir iniquities will I remernber no more'<br />
E aEtishtfut subiect indecd {br thbsc tlrat feel themselves urrdone :<br />
for hat not GoJ chose some unto eternal tife all must have been
? os r,,c a r n a r m -" .," *ii',io ?fi:fi<br />
" ff;::'ffi i ck aga i n s r,,, o: lf<br />
is what mv sour arlrignts irr, nor cin'i tuir the wonders<br />
me;-it"has<br />
free grace<br />
H:9:::Jt<br />
,"il"a i"op"<br />
corne<br />
were<br />
rrom<br />
hope<br />
"#'io'<br />
coutd<br />
any other.source<br />
nor<br />
; but here, in,this [!,d;i C";;;;;r,<br />
wonderfut cbunsellor, r,.ry iitn ni*; ;;; ;ii:r;fr ;;,rrii.;_<br />
{ice' and bv the smitten r-ock ihe water<br />
course<br />
of life<br />
and<br />
lras<br />
ieached<br />
run its free<br />
trre tirrr.iy's;;i;;;<br />
caused<br />
u'wortrry<br />
the<br />
creature,<br />
barren<br />
and<br />
to blosso#a"a U"i,'"".r<br />
fluences<br />
may<br />
of<br />
the glorious<br />
the.<br />
in_<br />
Holy Spirit ;;;;h;<br />
seud<br />
friunt ot<br />
forth<br />
Grear<br />
its sweer<br />
Renown to<br />
fiagrin-"c r.<br />
garden<br />
ordained<br />
of "lr1r,"i<br />
to<br />
free-gracc<br />
"I"<br />
wark in this<br />
ai,i free lo;;. -.-wi;,r<br />
here<br />
this<br />
those<br />
prant<br />
that<br />
was raised<br />
[ad sunk ro *ir.rJluo.rr'lnu<br />
rewness<br />
*retchedness<br />
o{'life<br />
receive<br />
; for tbis rose of St u.on ,ut<br />
na.s a srveet<br />
"n Snnf<br />
i"i'ty'ifr;'i;;;ir,<br />
perfume, this makes tbe soul<br />
reJolce<br />
or<br />
so<br />
the<br />
as<br />
chosen<br />
to<br />
ones<br />
make<br />
to<br />
them exclainr,<br />
ter_thousandr,]ea,.he<br />
My:,berovedlrlit.<br />
iu altogeth"r i;;Jiy: Ftris work of "iri"i"ri redernu- "r<br />
ron rs rvhar the quickened<br />
""hild<br />
lou"u l,i a*"li ,p*"i" says the soul I<br />
ii*Tl,rla<br />
am- complete i-n<br />
]ii,", ii;<br />
all<br />
Jompletely.iusrifiect<br />
thing.s that I could<br />
from<br />
'not be bt-;t- tl* Ji<br />
approach<br />
mor"s; by<br />
unro<br />
him l<br />
rhe<br />
can<br />
Father, and "here<br />
,h"<br />
says<br />
;i;;;;;<br />
with.one<br />
i"rr.'ii.",<br />
of old,<br />
Ila<br />
Ishafl die i" ;v ;;;<br />
L^Notwlthstanding.a<br />
calm I have lteen in deep<br />
Deen<br />
waters,<br />
very and<br />
near<br />
have<br />
sinking in. o,rl oqn. apprehension!,<br />
to cry, Lord<br />
Uoi,t,<br />
save or I perish, and have sweetly<br />
""_Ui"a<br />
ance from the<br />
l#<br />
storm<br />
illl;;-<br />
^id n*"L *;a, Wt,",-Lanner "ri;"rca<br />
that even<br />
of.person<br />
the winclsand.the<br />
is this,<br />
waves LU"y'[ir-,<br />
m;,,<br />
yes,<br />
desired<br />
and have<br />
haven,<br />
bden at<br />
God in cniirJ L"lr"iffi:<br />
ever wh;;<br />
have ;;;rr"ffi,<br />
theeverlasting arms of.Jehou"h u nJ".n"ath<br />
thir*<br />
you<br />
of<br />
f"i;;p;;1,<br />
sinkingl it must'be.ti,.n tt utyou i,u"t"n"o.rgoryou<br />
of tbem<br />
had<br />
:<br />
no<br />
wonderous<br />
rreed<br />
revelation of i.""_g;".", the<br />
no<br />
promise<br />
temptation<br />
stan,s_<br />
has overtaken you but ,ich u,<br />
but<br />
is cornmon<br />
Goct is faithfur.<br />
to lnan<br />
he w'l n6t<br />
;<br />
.on"r<br />
you t;';; u" t"r"pi"i'"b*;1d,<br />
are able, but will with ,f,. t.,npi"ti;il" -<br />
€scape,<br />
make<br />
thar ye<br />
a way for<br />
mav be<br />
vr,r,.<br />
able to brui i,. f t<br />
loves<br />
i, i, *f,"1<br />
to pleai<br />
irr;t,r"ar*ri<br />
the faithfutness-ri;;;;;".;i'bo<br />
able love<br />
the<br />
and<br />
unfathom_<br />
mercv of Jehorah m";;i.r#;r-i[";;r;;:"?f*ffi;; "na<br />
calvar-v. Here iuitice r"qui."J-."t;;i;;;;<br />
sin-burthened<br />
ror rn_v c.mes,<br />
triveller,<br />
poor<br />
arr'd received<br />
Surety's<br />
tuii i"y*"nr at<br />
hantts.<br />
thy bleedins<br />
and by ttr" 1"n""""" ;l?t'ij;i':'clj'.t,i;"ilH<br />
say, Now urrto him tt"'t tru,f, io;;; ind'*urt,e,t us in his own<br />
ll?i*.^O: :'ertasting praise ; *hllr;';housands<br />
wlll, we "nd<br />
boast<br />
can<br />
of<br />
sav-not<br />
free_<br />
of.works, lest any should<br />
bid<br />
U*",<br />
I should or"f'C€d';;;:<br />
sio'v. s"ue in the cross of'our Lord<br />
may<br />
Jesus<br />
Zion's<br />
cbrist.<br />
Klne<br />
And<br />
L,e ty"ii'rrir'riihful<br />
churclr "rou.un"d<br />
peo'le,<br />
mifitant<br />
and the<br />
Irow up intoan holy ,"rpl"<br />
$atan<br />
in- the Lorul,<br />
and<br />
althouEh"<br />
his sEed oppore.,. G"d i"i[-;;ik<br />
ordained<br />
to,. ^. manv<br />
ro as<br />
eternar<br />
were<br />
u'eiiur; i.i irr"r""ir,.r"i"r,ourl,<br />
he also predestinate.l,<br />
did ?oreknow<br />
;;J ;h;*,-ij;;r"i3-,i"rr"a tlrer' he calted ;
348<br />
TrtE GosPEr' <strong>MAG</strong>AZINS'<br />
and whom he called he justified, and wlrom he iustified he also<br />
gi;'ln-i"' ii"*"i" i"';dil;i'ffiis ) ours' dearl;ii beloved of the<br />
Lord.<br />
, A TRAVELLER'<br />
Somersham, Huntingd'onshre'<br />
#oo0-<br />
No. VII.<br />
THoUGHTSoNDIVINESoVEREIGNTY'MoREESPECIALLYASITIS<br />
DISPI,AYED lN TIrE r'oRD's DEALTNGS \YITIT HIs owN FAMILY'<br />
Hevrxe mentioned in *y ta t lettqr; that when the Surety of the<br />
better coven"rtt ,"d"#"d itit p*pt".fto- the curse of the lawr<br />
;;;"; ;;' c;9' ^;y bi ; r,ffi , tr'a't t' d ne i'x3:<br />
f; 1*:"1#i:,*X -TJ;<br />
nor obtained for them any exemptton lror<br />
chastisements, which, in a g-reater or tess,degre"'<br />
"l:*'^t-,9:^:'i?t<br />
;;;;i"; i; ;h"i," ti,n" 'tate; "I now.proceed.with mv remarks on tne<br />
Lxercise of Sovereign;; i"' ;;; dispensations' And as they are<br />
of Divine appointmeni,;;;-;;;<br />
bb a period fix:d for their co'tmencement;<br />
this tarel place aftcr..they are made partakers ot<br />
ti"<br />
spiritual life, for " oii"t ;;;"<br />
1um'inated"' savs Paul' " 've<br />
eirdured a great ngh' Tt'"tt are apnoi'ited in number'<br />
"l;m'i"tio*'i'<br />
raeiglrt, uno *"",utJ. il;;;; thtt"for" be'endured until the<br />
nleasure is filled up;'Lni"tJhit, in ont tftupt or anothet must not'be<br />
:,l#h;ffi;f rhl"t;il;"* i'"" off the harness and. Puts, on the<br />
tbi#,|;"<br />
the people of God are created.anew in Christ<br />
{,"::^t'l.l'<br />
g o, p.i t h " n " : t'. u; ll.l;'3 rull',l';'-i: i''1" f.li{# iT';<br />
lo power, and ln tne nury vtrvor' "':t-.-:;^:^ ii'l<br />
+l,inos 2re en ev<br />
;hHtb"i -"a ttt" th.at these things or€ oo €vr-<br />
"pt"-du*'ut"t'us<br />
dence to the people? ilat of God" I i:'"1:u'<br />
'<strong>The</strong>ss'<br />
"i""t'*<br />
<strong>The</strong> la*' is spiritual ;;fi;; i1"ir ctt"*1-"pplies it to convittce ot<br />
sin. for bv the t"* iUJ knowl"dgu of sin i<br />
" 'bv this process sin re-<br />
-Ro*.-tir.<br />
vivLs and tb" .inn"r'd-ill.<br />
9' r-eader will, reme-rnber<br />
,Tb.9<br />
that it was not at firsi ily i"'"-"titl to dwell Jong :tl-'lt:-t:"^'H,gt<br />
ffii;;t;;<br />
"? 'rt".p""6le of God under their teachtng and atnrc-<br />
dH^F;;liq::l"f f h:'','li#,f ff :'iill"Jx'13:"'li:*<br />
letters : mY ob.lect $<br />
li"'ai""t.TnJ'Jt"ri"!t'"iGd I-ora with.hisfamily''-'l<br />
But I maY uaa init'i'-place an additional tu*t"i*onv' to a uuth<br />
i'Ji.::i l,"pJ"'t<br />
th;t the-affiiction and chastisement<br />
"r"'1,;;fi;i;;<br />
of the Surety oro noi p'ou" ior hi* p"opi" un exe*ption' frorn all<br />
affiction nnd 'nhut"vei: iustead' if ha-ctr d:ne<br />
'tbey<br />
"ttu'ti'"trrl"nt<br />
this in one instanci";;;';".; in boih' for while we read that<br />
.. the chastisement of o"ur Peace was upon him"'*we read<br />
^1ls9t<br />
(,<br />
in all our africtionl'ft" *"t'-mictecl'" but the di,fferen-ce<br />
]: %:"'tus.<br />
His chastise;";;;;;$;;i<br />
of wrath a'd cttrse of God'<br />
'the<br />
with,the sentence ;;';";;h;;;ntaLlly exeetred, as th' g6vs6ant<br />
under whrch f,",t'#""J *ould 't'l-"*tt*tt not aliow either blessirrg<br />
"'l:":::y'<br />
but with respect ,;;;;<br />
of his body' though tbe curse
tgp cosPEr/ MAcazJN&. a49<br />
sounds through all the chambers of couscicnce, and the whole<br />
sentence of the law is heard with fear and<br />
'<br />
trembling; thonsh'the<br />
sentence of deirh i' e4pgcted to b* carrlea 'priiiiiFtg into'J*L".,tf-on,<br />
yet, not any of tbese can be firrall.v executed on the persons<br />
after the manner-of the Surety, nor can they come into u.ttlr condemnatio',<br />
because, ,3 Christ' has d/ed.,, 'ih" ' iur' is used more as<br />
a chastening rod b.y tlre righteous lawgir.er, who has not vet revqaled<br />
himself as the Fathei of mercy f and thoueir tbe peo'ple are<br />
much africred through chastening, 1:ei both blesfing and m6rcy in<br />
disguise a"ttend tlre pi
S50 TIIE cosPEr; uec.rzrxa.<br />
diftbred from thar which was aliotted to his father. <strong>The</strong> Lord raised<br />
up several adversaries against Solomon. vet thev were not permitted<br />
to drive him froil his citv and -his thron"e for a seasoh as<br />
David his father had been driven"before him ; but his latrer days<br />
were much embittered, and the Lord held back the face of ts<br />
throne by spreading his cloud uporr it. For one transgression of<br />
Jonah he was transmitted to the custody of the fistr, and kept<br />
in one of the most hopeless of human situitions until hecried, by<br />
reason of his affiietionl to the Lord who heard and delivered him":<br />
while on anotl)er occasion, for his daring rebellion, for his gloomy<br />
discontent, and his passionate request, Fe received a r"pro6f frorir<br />
the month of the Lord, couched in language which it is notalwa.ys<br />
possible to read drv-eved. 'lfo cite moi"e cises will be unne"e.rur"u,<br />
i will,fust<br />
"onnr.it,dwhote<br />
starement with ;[" i;il""y-;i Eii;"":<br />
vr'lro says of the [-ord, .( Ife wtthdraweth not kis eyes from, the<br />
r'ighteous, hut zoith kings are theg on the throne;'uea he doth<br />
esittblish them forcorr oid they arZ e.ralted; nnrt I'they be bourd,<br />
'inJetters, and he holden irz cord,s of alfliction, then he sheweth them<br />
their wotk and, tlteir transgressions that theE have erectlecJ: he<br />
o-penet!<br />
.the.ir<br />
ear<br />
-to<br />
d,iscipline and, command1th that theg re turn<br />
.from inlquitg," Job xxxvi. ?.-lo.<br />
I From the evidence adduced, we behold sin to be the cause of<br />
affiiction and chasiiserneut, while the portion is awarded accordins<br />
io llrt: Soverciqnty of Jehovah's will] And it will, also, be<br />
rierrt, while tr maintain tlrat the Lord never afficts or chastises "ul<br />
through n:ere LSovereignty without, the consideration of affliction<br />
and clrastisement being deserved on accourlt of iniquity ; yet he is<br />
not bouud to affiict or chastise all his chiidren ir ,iit't'^onnrr,<br />
wtrether we consider the length of time wirich he afficts, the means<br />
he uses, or tl)e rneasure rvhich is arvarded. No : in the exercise<br />
of his Sovereignty he can rake the most open and immediate cognizance<br />
ot'rrriquity, and make the correctiou as visible as the in-iquity<br />
itself, or he can throw the veil over it and call the offender<br />
1n Secret before him. He can affiict internally or externallv. He<br />
can affiict the body, or reward the sorrows o? the soul. iI"<br />
consume'the substance, or plant a thorn in the flesh so that there "uo<br />
can be no enjoyment. He can command the clouds so that tbey<br />
rain no rain rip6n his people, thus leaving them {. in a dry landri'<br />
rvithout a sufficiently keerr feeling of their condition to uige them<br />
to the footstool of mercy? or without a sufficiency of love in exereise<br />
to allow tlrem there. Sometimes soft words break the bones,<br />
or a look of love, as in the case of Peter which is tt quick and<br />
powerful, sharper than a two.edged sword, piercing- even ro<br />
the
'IITE .EOSPnI, MACTAZTNN! s5t<br />
trealth,are both.cornpletely taken away, and yet tbe contest wilt be<br />
ca.rned on untrl by rnore<br />
_(' terrible things i'rr righteouslress," submrssron<br />
rs produced, and the offender is brought to the fiootstool :<br />
atd in all th.esedispensations, as'rn the gifrs o"f the Holy Ghostthe<br />
Lord ,. dividettr to every in"n ,"""r"llv as he will." "<br />
<strong>The</strong>n shouid this part of ihe sublect be"dismissed withour a remark<br />
on the Sovereignty of grace as it is displayed in sometimes<br />
preventlng transgression from breakins forth outwardlV after ic<br />
has.be€n inwardly received; rvhile at other times tbe L'ord keerrs<br />
back that which he is not bound to bestow, and suffers his child'to<br />
go on his own way. I refer to the conduct-of, David in illustration.<br />
(Jn one occasion the Lord interposed and orevented him takinp<br />
away t{re life of Nabal after he had rletermiired to shed his bloodl<br />
J Sam, xxv. t3-24: but in the afiair of Bathsheba and Mirab,<br />
he suffered bim to pursue the course which ttre iniquity of his owu<br />
Iteart.prescribed. He pardoned the offence, but he 6umbled the<br />
offender, a,nd left both the offence and the coirection upon record,<br />
while the_Sovereignty and freeness of his grace appear'in both instances.<br />
Manv obiervations miglrt be mad-e on thb'divine conduct<br />
as it is manifested towards his familv, for in likc nranner he restrains<br />
outward transgression, in one afte"r'it has beerl conceived, while<br />
another rs lefr tocorrceiveit and ltring it forth: yet the same grace<br />
which restrains it in the former, pari'ons it in tiie ratt"rrandTiiiih<br />
of the two is the nost indebted to'grace7<br />
. And bere m)' paper w"^rnr mel that instead of a page or two, a<br />
stngle paragrapb rnust su{nce, to remark that in ali ti-ese enlargc_<br />
ments horv admirably the wisdom and prudence, the g.u.e ind<br />
compassion of a covenant God ate displayed, for under tle rod his<br />
people are brought into a deeper a'cqrrainiance with their owrr<br />
lrbarr's iniqnity,<br />
.., BlJore I wits rffiictcclr,, said, Davtldr,s I tpcnt<br />
aslray., but ?tozo hazte I kepl lh.y u,ordr', Psalrn cxix. 67. I zuill b(<br />
as a liott, ztnto Ephraim ancl Jidah, saith the Lord, artd, I roill tea,z.<br />
and go aaag. f will go and retunt to my place itltl theu acknow-<br />
Iedge their<br />
_offence, antl seek ury face: ii't'teir a1/ictioi theq uzil<br />
seek<br />
"In<br />
me eurlg. Hosea. v. li. the sieve of Saian tbe self-confidence<br />
of Peter was made manifest. ln the balance of affiictior,<br />
tbe self-righteousness of Job was weighed, he found that ir was<br />
light, and he became acquainted with 6is own vileness. And it is<br />
said of Hezekiah thar,,-God left lrim to try him, that he miEht<br />
know all that was io his heart." Yet Gcrd a-flicts not. merelv, Tor<br />
his pleasure<br />
[gt<br />
for the profir of his people; by thl niystL;ious<br />
p.rocess of. afiiction and-chastisemeut th6 iniqu"ity of tfre heart,<br />
" deceitful above all thiugsr" is more discover'edr-and ai lengttr,<br />
abhorred. But these effects are uot produced 6y affiiction "nor<br />
by chastisement working alone. No: it is the dumbling grace<br />
of God which is bestowed, which shews the true end JetrJvah has<br />
to answer, and which produces the submission intended : so thar
*..<br />
35'i THiL GOSPEI, <strong>MAG</strong>A.ZINE.<br />
the exercised child, Iike Paul tlre apostle, hates the sin of nihich<br />
he is guilty, and is'led to adore the grace which is proved to bc<br />
suffici"ent for him. 2 Cor' xii" ?-9. I remain, Dear Sir, rvith<br />
esteem,<br />
Thornton Rust, Yorkshire, .{ MINISTER OF CHIiIST'S<br />
illay, t, 1834.<br />
<strong>GOSPEL</strong>,<br />
-o00-<br />
' THE LoRons PoRTI0N Is Hrs PEOPLE.<br />
I eu tnr Lono tnv Gou; this draws all the bles,sings of heaven<br />
and eternit-y i.vith it. <strong>The</strong>re i3 not tine promise from the l-r-egin'<br />
ning of G'enesiS to the end of the Revelaiion, rfhich the treliever<br />
maf not'confidently claim as his
THD <strong>GOSPEL</strong> <strong>MAG</strong>AZIN'E.<br />
assuled confid_ence, that he will do it, because he has satd, f 'am<br />
the,Lortl tltg God. () let not the frequent repctition of tltese words<br />
rnalic them ursavoury I for tirere is nrorc than telr thousand milliorrs<br />
of Ireaverrs of glo':lr in them to the soul that viervs tlrem with the<br />
e1'c of faith inlire-light of tlrtr g111ri1.<br />
This pronrise, I atn the Lord, thtl Gocl, draws alonE with it the<br />
swletest and most errd, arino officel arrd lelations thaican be inra_<br />
ginecl, For he who is thy'God, is thy suri to enlighten, direcc,<br />
g?t*,, anrl fructify tlry soul rvirh<br />
'I his benign anti graci,ius influcnccs.<br />
he tla_y-sllring from on hish hatlr begurr to visit thee. the rlar,star<br />
hath.arisen in tlry heart l rhorrgh clJuds rna\. or-erL,asi thy .k"y,<br />
) et, the Sun of- righteousness rvill break through tbern, and ietuin<br />
with the refreshir[ v.isits of everlasting kindness ) for',, his goings<br />
lorth.are prepared," or secured, ., as the morning. Un6 yiu<br />
that feal' my name, shall the Sun of riglrteousnes, aiise with healing<br />
in<br />
.his<br />
wings; and ye shall go fortl and grow up as calves of<br />
the stall."<br />
..<strong>The</strong><br />
Lord thy God is a shicld ro proiect and defend tlreeagairi.r<br />
all the attacks of th.y temporal or ipiritual enemies. Wlren sirr,<br />
satan, and the world,.come in li[
354 TrrE ,GosP&L <strong>MAG</strong>AaT.NE.<br />
joiBeth, and worket'h:righteousness, those that remember thee irr<br />
thv wavs.tt : ;<br />
Thy-God, believeri j$,ttw;Father,<br />
" I will be their God, and<br />
they shall be mylpeople,ll itrigadded, t' I will be a fathdr unto you'<br />
an,[ v" shall be *v uonr arid'daushters, said the Lord Almighty"<br />
nehotd; 'whaL man"ner of love is tiiiqthut we should be calle"d t[c<br />
soris of God !" Let men and aueels wondel at it, that qe lvlro are<br />
sprung of hell, should be dignified with a name atnong;ttie general<br />
airem6ly and church of the'first-born. Thy God is=thy Father;<br />
and, hs"a tender-hearted father, his eye is ufon thee foigood, his<br />
ear is open unto tby cry, his heart follows thee where-:eter thou<br />
goest, tris hand is reid.y io help thee and hold thee up, his Spirit'<br />
ln and by the word, to-counsel and comfort thee, his house of man-v<br />
mansions prepared.and .ready to receive thee, whenever thou art<br />
dislodged from the earthl.y house of this tabernacle.<br />
fhri Goa is thv husbirrd: "Thy l\{aker.is tbirie husband, the<br />
Lord bf hosts is 6ir na,rt"'; and thy' Iledeemer the Eloli Orre of<br />
fsrael." Thv name before,lri.rn.is Hephzibah and Beulah I he,rejoices<br />
over thee, as the bridegroorn rejolces over iris bride. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
is a complication of interests be*vixt hirn and thee ; and thl' eoncerns<br />
are so much of tris. that whatever action the law lras against<br />
thee, he is. bound by virtue of his.relatioo to thee as a husbaud, to<br />
cover and defend tlree asainst all dcadlv foes.<br />
Thy God, believer, is thy vcry lite, yea, the strengtfiTif thy<br />
lil'e; ;'<strong>The</strong> Lord is t'he strength of my lifcr-of whorn ilrall l lrc<br />
afrai,l l" Thv God lives ; anii " becarise he lives, tbou shalt: live<br />
also. <strong>The</strong> Lrird liveth, and blessed be my rock : and let the God<br />
of mv salvation be exalted." Thus you see by these iittle hints,<br />
rviiat"this promise, f am the Lord tltl God, ri rirrs efter it far tire<br />
consolation of the believer, n'ho has b-v faith laid hold of it.'Faith's<br />
vien's oi the grace wrapt up in this prornise, would nake'us ail to<br />
ioin issue wit6 David, ?' O'ho* great is thy goodness, w'hich thou<br />
hast laid up for theru that fear,thee; wlrich thou hast wtought<br />
for thern that trust iu thee'before the. so0s of metr !" So much<br />
f,or the use of comfort,<br />
&'<br />
To the Etlitors ol the <strong>Gospel</strong> llugazine.<br />
IMPORTANT QUESTION PROPOUNDED<br />
lllrssi.s. Eotrons,<br />
As there is rnuclr talk in the present daY, evetr among good an.l<br />
gracious meu, of, the moral abilities of man, I should be very glad<br />
if any of )'our col'respondents would an-*wer, scripturally, the fol'<br />
lowing sirnple inquiries :<br />
lst] Is thete in fallen human nature such a thing as moral<br />
$ower ' independent of the direct influence of tlre l{ost High t<br />
Zntl. l. hot morality to be corrsidered as a good action, aud ii'<br />
so, how cau it be said -t,r be in the llolYel: of tnan, when the scrip-
,I}IE<br />
' <strong>GOSPEL</strong> <strong>MAG</strong>AZINE. :}55<br />
tures declare ((<br />
That every good gift, ,ili6 every<br />
cometh<br />
perfe",<br />
down from<br />
gifr,<br />
abovel"" Jimes i it.<br />
trf mgralityis<br />
^ ?11. in the p"r";;"nj'*frut musr<br />
quence'<br />
be the<br />
at<br />
conse_<br />
_t!e disposal of do<br />
"min,<br />
not *" d"tr""l fr; ;h"';;;"_<br />
;:m,fr:ij"#fiI<br />
that grory which l; h;, l; $";;;"i s.;;;_<br />
4th. Horv can it be pfoperly *"i{ ,,<br />
In him we<br />
and<br />
live, we<br />
do.exist,"<br />
move,<br />
if the ireaiures of his power have a<br />
porver (whether<br />
certain m,or.ar<br />
srear or snralr) at theii' own dirporui *ir'rr""i rri,<br />
direct influerrce i<br />
Many more misht be adduced, but the preceding<br />
But,<br />
will<br />
N,lessrs,<br />
suffice,<br />
Edito"rs.yo' musr g*nt *. tf,",f i["ity,'i"i;;;;i;;;"<br />
llJ.::yll:",,to draw " f*" iir"."";;r'f."* wnrch the word<br />
evrdentlv of God,<br />
militate against this inherent *"rrf<br />
not<br />
iry<br />
call tf* li_"-<br />
it'v a better nuorE; u'ro;;Ii;* my<br />
tbat "n.l<br />
opinion,<br />
it<br />
in<br />
mav<br />
order<br />
be refuted if 1""rip,"r", b.y<br />
"o,itru.y1f<br />
the person<br />
will favorime<br />
who<br />
by takirrg tt'" *u't.1."t i"n'ri;;;;'";td i,,""1a"."i'rrJr"i,<br />
lnay<br />
be con6rmed if adtordant *ith ,c.ipiure, datioir'.<br />
by a further<br />
T[e<br />
eluci-<br />
inferences I.draw,tt,"r"ir"-i."re-rhar<br />
cannot<br />
the fair<br />
be<br />
of<br />
t6tal<br />
maa<br />
and complete if<br />
!;;,lt-a.-ro a"<br />
remairrs<br />
that which<br />
i'<br />
is risht<br />
fallerr.manl.anrr that it is contrary to<br />
says<br />
scripture rvherJ it<br />
.., <strong>The</strong>-wtrole head is sick and tfr"<br />
";.;;;<br />
*n6t"-f,;;;'f;i;,.<br />
the sole of the foot ei'en'nto tn" r,"uar1t"r"<br />
irut<br />
i, no<br />
wounds<br />
soundness<br />
and<br />
in<br />
bruises,<br />
it.<br />
and putrifying ,o;"r.,, ir"i"fi il s, ;:" ",<br />
Now.I rvould ask, \t hat moralit,v can there oe rn<br />
corruption<br />
such a<br />
I<br />
mass<br />
Surely<br />
of<br />
common sense would say,<br />
Jeremiah<br />
None.<br />
savs.<br />
Aeain.<br />
.( '*""'lr;:;'i;<br />
O Lord I know tt"t-ti," *i'.f<br />
himself, it is not in marr thar walketh ao J,."",<br />
23'<br />
his steps.<br />
Is nsr this<br />
Jer.<br />
to be<br />
x.<br />
consiriered in a liieral as<br />
sensel<br />
wet as a<br />
But<br />
spiritual<br />
some may reply, i. i, po*".<br />
rny roorn,<br />
to walk<br />
or into ""ri","y<br />
across<br />
tb6 streets, ,vhenever i''rfi"ff<br />
repllr,<br />
pi"*"i-i ffi;ld<br />
.Certainly not. S:p.Rpr.", for i,rstance,<br />
ro exhibit .you were<br />
a specimen<br />
about<br />
of ihi, Uo^rt"d po*"., small<br />
could ror<br />
as ir<br />
God,<br />
aD,ears<br />
prior tg.-vour attemr)r, gi"" J"";it'.itir<br />
or lay you low by affiiction irr a lnoirerrt ; then where "r*'lrirriJil<br />
power is voui<br />
.to<br />
perfoirrl: the most t.iu,ul u"iio" l,i i,f" f fi".r'lr,<br />
T?.t f]ij:ll;appearil!11every "",<br />
breath- *, i.ur,<br />
eat,<br />
el.er).<br />
eu(.ry drop<br />
crumb<br />
we<br />
we<br />
drink, and cuery blessing<br />
sr'all,<br />
iu"<br />
all"6o*s<br />
h;;"u;;<br />
from tt" g;oJ hund ;i;;;;cnanr God,<br />
"njo;.,<br />
th" sgrarrotvs<br />
rvho feed_<br />
::!<br />
arrd wiio cioathetl iri* i""r.rr<br />
beautv.<br />
in at their verda*r<br />
..^.t"-:.."::therefore, without .the will and power of<br />
t"r"<br />
God -*r"if".i-ffll we<br />
one<br />
corrld<br />
srep<br />
:l:1<br />
before another; bur whai nrakerh<br />
tolly of man to tbe greatest degree is, thareven were<br />
ol' his<br />
he conscious<br />
incapabrirt,', h! cioe, nrrr fonsidir tro,,r,*,,,,n,<br />
Hows,<br />
;*;iffir;;<br />
arrtl he is too nroud to,ap-ply^tg GoJ rur. tne snrallest<br />
agrceablv to<br />
mire.<br />
the divine rec.ord,''" "God<br />
i, not in -1i-r,ir'i,""gi,ir'ii<br />
Fsairn x" 4" anri (( ilye wiil nit h-;;;f;';;"n ro rersn over us.,,
ft56 fIrE GoSPEL <strong>MAG</strong>AUII{n.<br />
Luke xix. 14. Besides, were we to search the word of Gorl,<br />
*o far from finding any morality in thc best of men by nature,<br />
I believe we should i," oior" thoroughly convinced to the contrary.<br />
TLe Ptalnrist wisely expresses. ltii conviction on.tbis. point,<br />
.. verily every man al his'best state is altogether vanity." Psalrrr<br />
xxxix' "35. Not part vanigy and part morality, but (',altogether<br />
vanitv,t' Asain. ., Every imagiuation'ol the tlloughls. of l)ls<br />
h"*rt'**, onft continu;lly." Gcnesis vi' 5' \Vhat a blorv to<br />
rtt tt boaste'd goodness "uil and dignity of the Pharisees of the Presenl<br />
do'. " Tlrese a€ the words of h-im i'ho carlnot err : ls it not thereioi.<br />
*i*t.o b"ii"n" him rather than the mosr uervou1.l9gi.c1l r.e1soninss<br />
and arquments of the wisest of men ? Evcry c.hiltl, of God, i.n<br />
his rillrt rnind ,uould prefler it. Also Jesus, in<br />
!t]9.<br />
days ot his<br />
fl"rh,'told his disciples ihese important *'ords, " Without me '.e<br />
;;;;1, no,l,ing." Jbhn xv. 5. 'Are we not to consider tlrat rnoi"iiri;<br />
i, ex.luri'ed in this expression I N.ay, may wc not, with scrilr-<br />
;;;;"";; ; ;;id;*" fu rt ner ind s^'', rv ithou t t lrat per nrissivl F<br />
1itl,1<br />
God his children cannot commit anY tran-s{iesslon).f or nas<br />
.Uoo<br />
said concernine the clrurch of olti, 6( Thtrefore trehold I wtll hedqc<br />
,"lftt tttu *itti tho.tt.' arrd male a rvali tiiat she shali not finrl<br />
f,5r"o!,tr-i" Ho,"o ii.'0. as also ir mav justly be said of the<br />
clect', thet'they shall llot l)css the bo-unclary GotJ has set tllem:<br />
", Fliiherto shalt tho*.coffle, but uo further I and here shall thy<br />
1lt'outl rvaves be stayecl;" Jott tl' nor can, they,9o-.tllo1"<br />
1xlv.iii'<br />
nr l"u, thair fill up tile measure God has-apqointed them, l' trlll ye<br />
up tlren the ineasure of 5'our f athers'" Matihew xxiii' 32' IJut let<br />
nor an' onc supposc thit God is responrible for thc sins of the non-<br />
;-;;'t1;;;;Ji r,l., * hrch be indce'l rvouid be, rvere he.to corn'el<br />
;h;;;;;;;gainst iheir wiils, but Ier.it ever be remembered that<br />
man sins rvith a ready and greedv rrind, and it is by lrature iris<br />
very el,'ment.<br />
I conte now to shew my opinion.of tho^se passages of scripture<br />
rvhich appear to favour_ the suppositiorr ot a m:ral.pow:l ']:]".q.1:vested<br />
in ?allen nran. Most good nten when treatlng upon tnose<br />
p;rrtg; tt'i l"ii uporr thi Jervs^for outward re{orrr'a'tion antt<br />
""tt<br />
national rcl)entallce, b"f , h.t" is acall froru God to the Jervs ior doin3<br />
;h.;;hi;;';;';,sh, il;,';.etr man and man, and lbr national lrumility<br />
il?;;;l;;;;r'ii d"a" '" iu. good ; but then imnrediatelv.acld'<br />
"u"'y<br />
;;;; *"t'?" ir,";o io*"t to uicorr'tplish this repentance and hu'<br />
*tl!{;.<br />
examine this by the unerring standard,.and we shall finrr<br />
God iudges *.n ro*"tirries out of tireii own mouth, as was.the case<br />
;i,;',;;.;;'l;-,h; ;;rable, who had but one talcttt, " o-ut,or<br />
;i;;;';;;;oit *tn i loag" thee, thou rvicked servanr." L*ke<br />
-1".-ez. Iif r"f'"tting- io tfie last chapter of Joshua' we-find thar<br />
lre (Jostrua) ,, ,""upiiitoiins befor" the children of Israei so'ue of<br />
;h"';i;tl;;'";tt Coi l:acl cio"ne for tiretn, and leaving to their own<br />
ffii;;:;1";i;;t;";ill-;;;" Goil, o' the idols olr the nations
TIIE <strong>GOSPEL</strong> 1V[AG.A,ZINE. 35'T<br />
round about rhem, verse li: the children of Israel directlv make<br />
choice of God, for sa5r they-He brought us out of the iand of<br />
Egypt,.&c. 16, l?, 18. IJur what did .Ioshua sayl He did not<br />
nurse thenr uJ: witlr an idea rhat they could serve God even naturally<br />
or nationally, but boldly telli tlrem ,, Ye cannot serve the<br />
Lold." Did this havc the deslred effect of convinciirg them it was<br />
out of their poweri No. For they repl.v trvice af,terwirds, o, Nay,<br />
but ',ve rvrll serve the [,ord ;" 2l;24.'as though they had'said, ie<br />
knowwe can serr:e GoJ, nctwithstanding all 5''-oo ray, rror wrll we:<br />
believe but that it is in our p.wer to do ji. iVe ttreiefore see how<br />
Xittic cfft:ct the positive testimony of Joshua had asainst thenr ; and<br />
it is exactly the sanre now, for i?you ask a man rvhether he<br />
believ-es he can turil ro God and repentl "arnal he will reply, 6. Certainly<br />
I cln:".uor wiil all rhe scriptures )ou can bi.iirg against<br />
trlunr convlnce him to the contrary. This ground being granted,<br />
there aie airnost numbcrless passaees tc the point, but tiie-first we<br />
coirle at will do. ,, \Vash !ou, make you clean; put awav the<br />
evi.i c'i']urrr uoirlgs lronr befole mine-eyes; cease to do 6vil."<br />
lsaiah i. 16. As urough the Lord lradsaid, 6. Come letme seea<br />
slrt'cimcrr of your rvorki, you have prof"rsed, nay you have positwely<br />
declarcd you cail ser\.c rne, altltough I havc told ;'ou bi *y<br />
servar!ts, That i'e cannor do it; yer ye har.e obstioately-refused t'o<br />
hcrlken ro me: 1'e rtriuld havc ilone of my counsel, ye despised<br />
ali ury rc1lloof,"" Plovelbs i. 30, Bv the mouth oF "nrv seivant<br />
Jeremiah i irar,e toici loil, ,, It is nor in man thatwalket6 todirect<br />
his sieps ; Jer. x. z.i, yet -ye rvould net believe me, but have<br />
lrearkened tt'r lying vani'iies,-and "irave turned aside wiih false refuges.;<br />
now therefbre I will exact from you which you have profesied<br />
5't-ru c,arr do, I t'ill take 5oo upon yourowu te.*r; utid if<br />
_t'ou tail ab a natiolr to accoml>lish 'be them, your house shall lre left<br />
io you tlcnolnte and ; oir scatteretl" over all nations (whicli<br />
has been literally fulfilled)<br />
"hall<br />
if you fail as irrdividuals after such professions,<br />
you shall perish'everlastingly, but nry hidden nn"t Jhull<br />
be brought out from among )'ou,:'ihe hail ihall sweep awal' the<br />
refuge rif Jies, &c.; Isaiah"xiviii. l?. aud she shall b'e no inore<br />
ter.med Forsaken, but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, for tbe Lord<br />
delighteth in thee, &c." Isaiah lxii. 4. He wili resr in his love,<br />
he willj,ry over thee with sinqing- Zeph, iii. tT.<br />
Vv har soirl ravishing rleclaratiorrs I What glorious expressions !<br />
But as fbr rhe wicked they shall not be chastise,l (lor ivhom the<br />
Lord loves he chastens) birt they shail ciie in their sins, as Clrrisr<br />
tolcl them, and where he is tirey canoot come. John viii.2t.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y believe t)o! on him becauseih"y u." not of his sheep. John<br />
x. 96. ' Hard nuts for goats ro crack.<br />
Norv, Nicssrs. Edrtorsl b3'tLreinsertion of this you will oblige rne,<br />
and many of vour readers, arrd shail also bc ol.rligcciio u',.u<br />
ol y_our co_rrespondents to take the subject up "qr.iotty in brotheriy love, as<br />
Vor. IX.-I{o. Vili. z Y
, 358 TIIE Gospnr, -<strong>MAG</strong>AzINET<br />
most of,themr'I believe, are muclr better capacitated to treat ,,neri<br />
it thsrr<br />
^l .3p,<br />
and I think it wiil not prove urledifvi;; i; th" i;;;""<br />
lo,,' ,of, tarth; we.are. exholted to ,6 grorv in graiE and irr the<br />
knowled{e of our Lord and saviour Jesirs crrristi' Arrcr the orrrniscient<br />
God who searcheth the bearr and trietir ttr* ,";nu, fi-r"tf,<br />
that. tliis is expressly done to know his rnind and rvill nrore oerlectl)'<br />
a$ revealed in his blessed word, and as Hartwiselv.urr, '<br />
' .. r r<br />
Tbe written and incailrate rvord<br />
:<br />
€.,<br />
In all things are the sarue.,,<br />
That grace, nrerc), arrd peace rrray bc aburrdantlv rnultiplie
TIIE GOSPEIT <strong>MAG</strong>AZINE. .359<br />
€ngaged his attention--the countenances of his friends .b,ecome<br />
rnore and more indistinct--the sweet expressiong of love and friendehip<br />
are no longer intelligible-his ear 'wakes no mor.ej at the rvell<br />
known voice oF liis chilr,lrerr, arrd the soothirlg accents of terrder<br />
affection die away, unheard u,pon bis decayiilg seoses. To him<br />
the.specracle of hrrman life is drawing to its close, arrd the curtain<br />
is descenditrg which shr:ts out this eirth, its actois, and its scer)e!i.<br />
He is now no longer interested in all that is done under the sun.-<br />
Here.we nlust stop, for we cannot opcrn the recesses of his soui, nor<br />
reseal tlrat light whiclr then darts iirto the clranrbers of his un,lerstanding,<br />
while the soul rs approaching that rvorld rvlrich ir iras sn<br />
long seen in faith. He is sone to add- another to rhe rnlrriads of'<br />
the just made perfcct, rhar are every nroment entefirrg<br />
:into.<br />
tlre<br />
pof tals of lleaven.<br />
,Those<br />
masters of pagan u'isdom. Plato, Soerates, Cicbro arrd:the<br />
whole host of philosbp-hers down to the present time, what are all<br />
their systerns to rhe Christian dispensation brrt light clouds, which<br />
t:hase one arrother ar.r'ay, before! tlie gospel of Jes]trs Christ, irre surr<br />
of.Righteousness.<br />
-Nothing is kno-wn-amoog tlrern,of what the<br />
b*liever enio.1's, when faith supporred by tte ooblest Fvicleoce,<br />
transports him beyond rlre lirre oT rinre, lintls hinr on the shore oF<br />
eve.rlastirrg happin^ess, and introd'ces him to the general assembly<br />
arrtl chure lr of tLe first. born-to God rhe judge of iil-to tlre spirits<br />
*.of iust rnelr rnatle perfect; antl ro Jesus ihe'Ilediator. O blessed<br />
\tate, tlle inhahitanrs are ull lrol y, peaceful and happv; the Lamb<br />
orr the throne is in rh.e nridst bf 'them, and trr the 6njoymenr of<br />
whose presence tlle belier.er possesses a never-endirrg idration of<br />
bliss..arrd glory.<br />
.So<br />
shall he be ever with the Lord. " Wherefbre,<br />
corniort one another wirh the glory that shall be hereafter. ret"^!"r[<br />
arrrl realized<br />
Loutlon, Ot./. t{, l'19$. W. R.<br />
N' B. 'I'he above ''as .'ritten fo'this lllagazi'e rrear Thi't1' six yeats since<br />
but rvas mislaid.<br />
fu.nfollouing interesting<br />
_epistle<br />
has beot sent us bg the Rer.rcrend,<br />
w,iter., and we cannot satl but he has bem rtrong a{visrd bu inserting<br />
hts.Letter.in_t&.e I.'irnes..<br />
.4'ltf had, introd,u1ed his subject as a<br />
pamphlet, and then athtertised, it in the above neus-.paperi ir zoould,<br />
rcot hare cost.ot.z€._ Eu.arter oJ the eeorbitant eepmcer'the pi-oprietors<br />
have denandd lor its iusertion.<br />
, Y.1 kroy little of .the<br />
publicution called the Christian Observer.,<br />
but through.the nt,ed,ium of our Correspundents, having. ,tever yen a.<br />
nurnber' 'lt has aluugs heen hinted to us, that it ltas hem totully<br />
ave?"se to a.f ull d isplay of the tr-uths- of I h e' <strong>Gospel</strong>, artd. arc uvorv.'d<br />
*l9my to.those who unequioocullg defend them'. Neoertltele.,s gtiti_<br />
able as the publication ii, in-thii reipect, ue little thou,ght ,t ,riorirt<br />
taunlettance those ideal aild lunat' tiolions, ilozs going" tt,r.w,ard. of<br />
Geologg, in direct oppositi,on to tlrc Sun o!'Reveli'ti,,,i la-,, tri ,,ir
860 THE co-$pnr, <strong>MAG</strong>AZTNE.<br />
sclgnllft hten ransack the grcat storelcouse of kumun nature, uith:<br />
all their invc.stigationt,<br />
!ht! only grasp a fihantom, an emb't'qo af<br />
soutetktng, thcg can ncither tnoke wp the for.mor chur.acter; dt the<br />
ve'ry best, q child of Jancy and,.fctiott; for au, impenetruble z,etl is<br />
cast ooer the ahole, Aftbr all,'it must-come to this, that the Scripture<br />
is lie ultimatum of all humqn knouledge, ancl that the wis_<br />
nou o1f thrc world is FoolrsuNEss with God !.! !<br />
THE trDITOTtS.<br />
TO THE EDITOR OF.THE CHRISTTAN OBSERVER, RSSpEClrrNG Hrs<br />
REvIEw oF (( coLDts aNsItrER To EEDolyrcK oN GEolocyrtl.et*n<br />
I{IS EYASTON OF TIIE STIPULATDD IT{SERTION O}' AN ANSWER TO<br />
HIS TN'IERROGATIONS.<br />
SrRs,<br />
YouR evasion of tbe insertion of my Heply to the interroEations prrt<br />
forth in your review of my ,, Answer"to Professor "sedgwidk's<br />
Comneucenrent Sermon on-Geologyr" contained in your nurnber<br />
for June, 1834, cannot be vierryed by the eye of in observaut<br />
worldr.and..by the friends of divine ii,evelation in particular, in<br />
any other light, than as utterl) unfair in a Reviewer, far from<br />
honourable as a public journalist, anrl intluctise of deep reflectiorr<br />
as a tt Christian" Advoiate. 'l'hat you may not, hcwever, reserve<br />
to y'o.urself thc possrbility of openirig or sLuttiog the door oJ the<br />
world to tlre issue of a divirrc and transcendently irnportant cause,<br />
the preseut means are a(iopted for giving publicity io the irrvited<br />
Iteply, which 1'611 have thus refuseci admission irito your pages;<br />
and though a pubiic newspaper is not a metiiuur the most desirable<br />
and appropriate for such discussions, vet, untier all the circurn-<br />
&tances conuected with the present scnptural arl i eeological corrf.H*versy,<br />
tltere are trto particutars n hich adnti:srblv iu:til.y arrtl<br />
grrctio'n the procedure. Fir.r, becau:e t:re Tiu,cs prp". ot iu,,uarJ<br />
lO, lil34, originally irrtroduceri Professor Sedgwir;k's (' Conrmencemerlt<br />
Sermon" to pubiic notice, by a revierv of its principles<br />
in the highesr Jain of iulogy. a"i, d.uoiiii, rr";r,!, ;il;;<br />
such a medirn, no impedirnent can, by the intervention of the purposes<br />
of a Revieler, be thrown in the way of the open result of the<br />
important qneetion zrt is\ue. And though the sacrifice, in a pecuniarv.point<br />
of.vierr', is considerabl,e; yct, I have a.gratifJ'ing exemption<br />
from bearing aoy part ofthat onus. Several triends, who,<br />
corrscious of the sacr.,dness and invincibilitv of tbe cause thev advocate,<br />
have been anxiou.ly waiting the resilt of my first Letier to<br />
the Edrtor of rlre 'fimes o{ Februar/zo, l}s4, and oi the .( Answer<br />
to Professor Se,igwick's Commerrcemenc Sermonr" now published<br />
byHatchard and Son, immediatcly, upon knowing the .. Christian<br />
Obseryer's" decisiorr, vol u ntarily contri buted the requi red ex pense<br />
sf the present publication. Iiy this meafts, therefore, the ques'<br />
tion is brought ar, once to a defrnite termination I and alsor'on the<br />
pages of the same journal were it originated, <strong>The</strong> question, we<br />
repeat, is thus brought to a conciusive termination : for, if the
TI{E GOSPI{L I\lAGAZINE. 36I<br />
dirtinguishetl geologists ryrentioued in the sulloinecl reply, cannot<br />
sct tptw'allg subvert the scriptu,ral position therein -contained,<br />
(rvIich subversion we are satisfietl they never will accornpiish) the<br />
qle.rt qrrcstion is at once finally seitled,*to the disproof and cicstr'.:ctiol;<br />
of all contra rcvelation geologrcal theories, to the triumph<br />
of the naLed, unmutilated, unmoditied record ol' revealed veraeity,<br />
-and to tlte sacred gratification of its concerneci advocates and<br />
friencls. <strong>The</strong> Repl,v ii h"r" inserted,Mr. Uditcr, s5 ig rvas sent to<br />
you, exceping one of two variations in.the phraseoloey, arrd the<br />
omi*siotr of an indefirrite scierrtific question, which ,rrrly furnishcd<br />
r,ou with an evasive e.titus, bv rvhiclr vou mighr diverge frorn<br />
meetirrg the one all-deciding -scripturai<br />
llosition : ii.liich !ositiori<br />
.you have stuJiouslv avoided, and never met, from fir:t to last. Thc<br />
Reply was thus-<br />
To tlze Editor of the Christian Observer.<br />
Dear Sir,<br />
Your review of my tt Answer to Professor Sedgwickts Comrnence<br />
ment Serrnon on Geologyr" I have read, and I trrrly acknorvledr.e<br />
(and the same acknowlEdgrnerrt is due from the worltlT yoor caridour,<br />
at the close of your observation, in leaving a (' safety valve"<br />
to prevert auy impetlirnent being desrgnediy'op.poseiJ to. the prcgress<br />
o[ the rnonreritous cause in question. I shali take advantage,<br />
therefore, of your prornised insertlon of mr repi-;- ri) i'oLlr interro{atories;<br />
and I rust that replv rvill contairi rrotiiing in violation oF<br />
the conditions rvirieir viru hate not improperly lald down firr its<br />
admission, It shall also be verv brief i nor does the nature ancl<br />
state of the case at all require it io be oiherwise"<br />
First of ail, dear Sir, you rnust not refuse a short hint at thc (.L<br />
may surely siy) very uniair way rn rvhich you have repriser)ted.1$rj*i,auswer<br />
to Professor Sedgwicli on Geolo.g.y' to the world. You ha+b'',''<br />
tlcclaretl it to be wholly devoid of argurnent and 3leol,rgica! facts,<br />
and a mere mass of declanration and denunciaticn. Whereas (trs lbelieve<br />
the pervertels of geologi'rviii firrd)it contains thlec distjnt:t<br />
and continued lines of argument. bearing directl',' oir the reai<br />
poitit involved, with infc,reritial appeals d.duc..l froin i'he<br />
first argument (occupyirlg<br />
"aclr.<br />
;O pages) is a scripturcl, prooJ' oi th:'s<br />
conseuttioe eonne.,rion of '6 the b:ginning," Gen. i. r,'irh tilq<br />
" first day's" crcation work, r'erses 2, gr. Lh" puirlr- on wirich the<br />
whole turns. You have not only not iefuted tiirs line of argunltnt,<br />
not onlynot menliorrecl it, but asslrted the rror:-existr.nce
362 TI{E GIOSPEI/ <strong>MAG</strong>AZINE.<br />
This line of argument also you ha'e neither refuted nor acknowledged.<br />
A third<br />
_<br />
Iine of
THE COSPEL IVTAGAZINE. 36:3<br />
the perversion of the sciences therefcrre, and tn tlrat of Geoiosy irr<br />
particular,and not to the sciences themselves, that I have been con_<br />
strained to stand an open foe; and as such I hopetoremain to<br />
the termirration of my cxistence.<br />
Nor is the revibw any nearer the truth of rhe case when it imputes<br />
to rrre<br />
('the shutting mI e\.es to the Jacls of geology and<br />
the dectanng that tbc.v are mere lrypothesis " <strong>The</strong> published<br />
cs An"wer to Professor Setlgwickr" euinces no such orilusio,r of<br />
sight, nor contarls any st,Ih de6laration. It is tbc ilutubilitu of<br />
the tacts (otherwise tharr as scriprurally proved to be rlated) not<br />
tly f,t_cls .thentstlz,es,<br />
that I have declaieri arrd provcd (irrsuliverribly<br />
I believe) to be (. bare hypothesis,' froni'first to last. No<br />
one can nrole convincedly acknorviedge all the lugirimatc facts<br />
whiclr you have errumerarid than I do'j and rrere I'to atrempr to<br />
deny thern., I nrust violare every piain dictate of conscienc"j u"d<br />
every intellectual sense of nature. Nor is tirere any need whatever<br />
for such a denial in the defence of revealed veraciiy. Geology<br />
is a legitimate scierce, and irs legitir'ate pursulr can never tend<br />
to the supplantation of the word of God : nbr can the same Dursuit<br />
of any.o.ther scie,oce issue in that awflul result. No work ni 6n,|,<br />
or lawful scientific research inro that work, can contratlicct his<br />
Word ; unless ostensibly made to do so bl, ihe in6delitv and pre_<br />
sumption. of mau.^ If ihey presenr therntelves *,y=r"ii", in'the<br />
infant science of Geology, which no huma* abilirv can yet suf[ciently<br />
eomprehend,. .so<br />
-as ro make them intelligibly h"arrnonizc<br />
with the inspired volume of eternal Truth, whv i're ihev not left<br />
till God shall<br />
,tre please.d-^(if he shall 6e so pleasecr<br />
"ver<br />
)'to reveal<br />
them, and solve -the dififrcultv I Why, in the' absence of suc,h<br />
solutiorr, does finite hurnau intellect Iift up her absurdlv ir'oerir*i&;.<br />
head, arrd show her"eli rcsolvetl to suspecr, falsify, u', .i rejffi.''<br />
tbe record of infinite'eraciryr. rathei than ru.rifi"" or "u",i reoign"hti ,,<br />
pridc and^ iame ol' mortal a-bilii r, ? ,l rid supPose tlle sovcreigir<br />
dispt-sg1 of lhirg's sirould nel'er giant those ,oi,ition, of cilfrcultlen<br />
in geologv *lrich he iras hirherio ref,rsed rir nranv o/,ir,r.scie;rccs<br />
anci-'irr alrno.t universal n rure; io wironr .f *. it't.i"",r";;";;;;;<br />
to,the Sovrreigrr.and Ornnjscienr Cllcj . or to subject-anrl falii_<br />
able,manI" gy-which shall r,t€ srarrd ari,t rillch ,hili '.,e tieferrrjl<br />
snall wi'delerrd tbe bare urrpro-vabie h-rpoliresi. oi a morrai, wbiclr<br />
is of . no accourrt, or the ''refutable evidence of everiastins truth<br />
on rvhich our etern*l all dependsi \vhich course we adirl,t l<br />
Shali rve consiiler the worci of God<br />
"hall<br />
ur,".f v-.ui;;;il; ilp-ortance.toscienrific<br />
pursuit, and ". * reject it altoeelherr" with thc<br />
-tleverend oxford Pro-fessor Porveil, ani .leclare *itt ttt" Revererr,l<br />
cantabriau Prol'essor sedgrvick, ri that it was neven intenried tu<br />
teach nran the hnowledge"of the creatiori i" or shail we starrrl in<br />
awe of divine ret'eiation as an, inspiretl and ur;c,rring record, antl<br />
ec'r'Jre io ibar. (r.1,-ieve[ nra\.: become of the greailrei arrri la,..re cf<br />
our physicrl abilities), arrtl leale both rhe yet'unsoivabie diftiulries
s64 TIIE <strong>GOSPEL</strong> MAEAZINN.<br />
.of the science of geologl', and our mortal inability, at the feet of<br />
Him who is eternally true in his word, though incomprehensible<br />
to us in numberless parts of his works, which works are 'nevertheless<br />
in everlasting and glorious harmony with that word I This<br />
appeai for the diiposal of the matter) h6wever, in the abserrce of<br />
bitherto unpermitted intelligible solurion, is held up even b.y a<br />
Christiarr Observer to contem"pt and clerision, an
THE GOSPEI, <strong>MAG</strong>AZINE, 365<br />
Genesis,,?s to give a divinely true account of ,, the lleginning" of<br />
this world, and of the order also in which its creatures-were riade.<br />
Seconcily, the._question thus put is, at best, but a bare lrypthesis,<br />
orr the supposition of the absince of that (the existence oI an eldei<br />
sister of the irrspired lawgiver) which is'acrually etpressed,. <strong>The</strong><br />
on€ portion of the.Scriptures, thereflore, is no true parallel to the<br />
other; nor cioes the ohe furnish anv siandard whalever for the<br />
rnutilation and modification of *he'otherr-for the mere sake of<br />
keeping the fame of human science on its legi. Moreover (which<br />
conclusively ends this part of the matter) tlie proved connesion af<br />
tr<br />
the beginnirrg" with ihe ., first davs" cieation work, as set befor.e<br />
tlre world- in tb;.. Answer to Profess"or Sedgwickr" is not ltgpothett"<br />
colr- but_stands based on the positioe declaraTion ol the eterial rvord<br />
itself; therebyieaving all_tlie hypothetical parallels, like that now<br />
adduced, utterly superseded. \.i<br />
i-<br />
You next enquire, . Whether a scriptural geologist.Canr pfbvc<br />
that the layers of fossiliferous strata required io m-ore thau some<br />
I6oo years for their formation i' W6atever renly a , lavman'<br />
may be inclined to make (of whorn I have no knowlidge, bui from<br />
the res.pe_ct with which you speak of lrim and his geolJgical attainments,)<br />
I could not and should not. if I had a"huniiredfold his<br />
geological acquirements, atternpt to-oft'er arry other chronological<br />
htstor'-y or datation than rhai. which the word of God is thus 'rtro*n nioaed<br />
to co.niain.; being frxe
366 Trra. cosPur, MAeAzIr{p.<br />
ha.ve existed, dven to the cogniaance of those who were saved frorn<br />
the waters, or of their irnmediate deocendants I Where shall we.<br />
find a solution for such an universally known and acknowledged<br />
fact but in the purpose, will, and aUility of God to oblireratel in<br />
a way beyond human comprehensionr.the rvhole antediluvian race<br />
of mankind (to except the favoured tenants of the ark) i Such a<br />
solution is, however, held out to a wiser world as an object of<br />
derision and conternpt ! Upon €he sanre sacred prineiple of solu*<br />
tion, the Sovereign disposer of things might, at al)y time, lrave<br />
contemporaneously destroyed man and beast, and yct have permitted<br />
eremenant of the one, and not of the other. And perhaps<br />
his total annihilation of man'was designetl to bear the marled impress<br />
of his anger on that creature, whose sins had called down his<br />
righteous judgment. When, thereforen the Christian Observer or<br />
any eminent geologist shall have solved, by tlre application of any<br />
krrown laws, the question I have proposed as an answer to his interrogation,<br />
he shall be considered as standing on just grountl to<br />
demand an answer to the latter; but till then, botb his interroga-<br />
.tory, and enyanswer tbat can be given to it, will remain deemed<br />
what'they really are, utterly vague, vain, and iaconclusive on the<br />
llornt at rssue.<br />
But toreturn entinely from all these vain<br />
'which<br />
counter,inteErogations,<br />
can only end where thcy began, in baseless and fruitless<br />
hyJrotlresis; lei us all concerneil ts that whrclr brings into a<br />
small compass the sum and reality "ome of the matter, aud which sum<br />
and reality the (c Aoswer to Profersor Sedgwick"- specifically and<br />
;.qpregily embraces, though not acknowledged by the review.<br />
Gftl#ljf i.ik;i,.fr if f*,",,-T';i:i';i'f ;:1";H<br />
'retrt<br />
geological question. Will you nol , and must you not, witb<br />
every one concerned, coufess, thnt the whole matter of discussiorr<br />
turnsi for or against its respective contenders, on these two hingest.<br />
<strong>The</strong> cdnne.rion, ar ?.on connesion of the " beginning" witb<br />
.t,he 6( frrst creation day ?" and<br />
g. <strong>The</strong>. &t!,t a b lene ss ir ilon,. tl ut ab le ness ofl t he geognostic fossi lli fe rous<br />
strata.'r&c, from their own evidences i<br />
<strong>The</strong>n; the issue of the whole matter, if unimpedddfu and candidly<br />
gone through with, must proceed thus:-<strong>The</strong> " Answer to<br />
Profesior Sedgwickr' in its 6rst line of argument, scripturally<br />
(and I believe rnsubvertably) proves '6 the beginuirrg" recorded itr<br />
rn the first verse of ths first chapter of Genesis to be identified<br />
with the '6 frrst creation dayr" a-nd to be six natural days onlv<br />
ahterior to tbe creation of rnarr. Until, therefore, Professor Sedgwick<br />
or the distinguished geologists you have named (Chalrners,<br />
Faber, Buckland, bonybeai, BisHop J, Bird, Sumner), or yourself,<br />
sball have scripturallg disproved thrs scri pturally-proved connezion,<br />
the 5{ Cornrnenucment $ernlonr" and rhe upholders of its geologt-
.THE<br />
GOSPNL .IIAGAZIND. 867<br />
cal principles, are in the face of the rvorld, succumbent befsre the<br />
eviderrce of iuspired veracity arrayed in the (, answer" against<br />
them.<br />
<strong>The</strong> same issues follows on the turn of the second caidinal dee<br />
cisjon. Until the Rev. Professor. or some one of the above emi.<br />
nent geologists, shall have substantially and undeniably proved the<br />
dutableness of the geounostic strata arid their contenti, 'from their<br />
outz evidentesl ths-rt answerr" whicb proves their non'-datableness,<br />
must be deemed alike immovable froni its position, and the princio<br />
ple.s of popular eeology herein also succumbent before the ivorkl ;<br />
and I will certainly make a public acknowledgment of rhe ,. Answer<br />
to Professor Sedgwick's" refutation on these"two conclusive points<br />
the moment it comes to m1, knowledqe; bug I am quite saiisfied<br />
I shall never be called on so to do, th6ugh this confidence, against<br />
which the Christiau Observer and otherleviervers bave so po"inted<br />
the firrger of ridicule, stands not in anv conceit of personal abilitv.<br />
but,simply and only-in.the huppy cinsciousnesr bf th" palpabie<br />
evluence and rmpregnablllty of revealed etcrrral veracity.<br />
- <strong>The</strong>latter cardinaldecision is, however, necessarilv involved in the<br />
fr',rrmer and its *ssues; for if .. rhe beginning" cannot be separated<br />
fiomthe t( 6rst dayr" to the refutatiJn of its'connerion in the (t answe'rr"<br />
it must follow, according to the (. ans$,er's', inferential conclusion,<br />
that all geological phenomena musl be the consequences<br />
of the prirneval ireation (thus understood) and the desiroying<br />
flood I arrd thoueh exalted talent, human ability, and scieiti6i<br />
fame, may have to bow and succnmb to revealed truih, the resulr is<br />
inevitable ! Arrd what is rhe natrrre of such a result I It is, no<br />
oner.-a 191y<br />
Ir (JHIJ/ praces [ne sc]ence or geotogy upon a toottng. footing wl witti,<br />
lnyslery<br />
veracity. By this then, tiil thus disproved, may the rvlrole army<br />
of- its sincere- frienrls have patie'r"" foriitude to srand. arid<br />
what Attractive hyporhesis s'oerer, unsupported "n,l<br />
by rhe scrrpture of<br />
involving sciences .t.naf t as we have said already<br />
footing with alnro-st urriversal udture; and (what is of th6<br />
morneot) it exalts the rvord of God in all the glory oi its eterlal<br />
tr-uth, the erninent talents of<br />
-mortals mijr devise, may every heart<br />
oft o the forcible decision ol the Apostla, ., Lat God<br />
be tru\a y. lnalr a liar."<br />
ot God dpqg- not satiEfy them no scienrific hypcthesis .will. It a<br />
rsan acknowledge not the. divine and eternii aurhority of that<br />
wor(PjElle<br />
yor$Ee ts is not worth)' ilorth;' wltn with wbom whonr to argue on any"sutt3ect<br />
any subjlct whrch which<br />
involves'its snction. - Let such be turned our of thl frelf, of sacred<br />
argurn6nt, argurnEnt, cs they have have.often often nobly been from a court court of .iustice, justice,<br />
a$. a$ not worthy ol baing heard. heard" Arrd Aod this is, morcover, moreover, the t.he exprrss exprtss<br />
admonition df Him r,vfr'o is above ali hurnan authoritv, ,, Go 'frorn<br />
the presence of a fociish mau, wheir thou perceivest not in him the<br />
lips of knowledge." '( Answer uor a fbol accordiug to his fblly."
368 . THE cospEr, <strong>MAG</strong>AZIND,<br />
Tlrere is one<br />
.particular more in the review which I ougirt noE<br />
to pass by unnoticed. You say ,, that I am no chemist or EeoTosist.,'<br />
J rvillingly confess<br />
!t ; nor hive I presented myself as s'r1ch tE rhe<br />
ft.orld,<br />
nor designed nor desired to do so. I haie, horvever, a sufficient<br />
comprehension of the geognostic facts to acknowledge freel;,<br />
therr exis-tence-, and of'the populat. geological theories, to-be con.<br />
viircecl of, and to prove, their abs"urditiEs and impieiies, ,, Let<br />
both the iudge and the iury (vou continue) in the question be<br />
geologists-;" implying, of"coursJ, that the principles an'd docrrines<br />
ol rro perverted science, directed to the subversion of the word of<br />
God, can ,be lawfully refuted lry anv others than those who are<br />
equaliy versed in that science rvith their opponents. But is such<br />
a pcsition scripturally tenablel And, aboi,e all, will any (( Christiarr"<br />
advocat6 attenipt to defcrrd it I Upon such a principle, if<br />
an eminent geonretrician or other rnathematieian shill publi.lr a<br />
scientific treatise, purpor.tirrg to prove tbe doctrine oi'the Holy<br />
Trinity falseaud absu_id,<br />
.be6ause'three cannot be mathematicall!<br />
or scie-ntijcallg proved to be one, nor one to be three, no one can<br />
be a lawful C,hristian opponent ro such an adversary, unless he<br />
be his er;u.al also in mathematical seience, and disproi" hi, urgurnents<br />
on his own grounds. Again, if a hieblv fam'ed anatomisti or<br />
other plrysical phllosopher, slhall issue what" he considers to be a<br />
physiological proof of the materiality of the soul of man, no one<br />
can be [ris lawiul opl)onent upon scriptural grounds who is not his<br />
eoual.also in physico-sophical attainmerrts. Surely such laws of<br />
sacred coniroversv are not tenable for a rnoment.<br />
- What, then,<br />
shall we think of the publicly professecl ancl desiqnated .('Chris-<br />
;is1=:' advocate rvho offers to inake, to defend, o, &"n to merrtion<br />
ffiblarvs ! That, therefore, which I said before (thouglr tlrer.eiu<br />
-Cti*b misrepresented and vituoerated) I bere repeat, tliat bv rhe<br />
scriptural position maintained in thei.o.Answer tb Professor Sedgwick,"<br />
iire malter is for ezter settled on the sacred side of divine<br />
reveiation, in everv scripture revering mind-not settled to the full<br />
iutellrgence ot all geological phenomerra, and their natures and<br />
bealings a (tlrought I nevcrexprcssed or cnteltained),but settled as<br />
to thqir reai.'and imarovable d,ate, to the utter refrrtation of all coatrar;z<br />
theo.ries, and their consequences; leaving tbe- rest to be dis-<br />
.ncsed of, in the absence of yet unperrnitted<br />
-solution, where tlre<br />
ktndred mystertes of almost ur[versal nature reDos€.<br />
With the earnest desire that the result of th'eseobservations. to.<br />
gether rvith the '6 "r\nsler to Professor Sedgwickr" 'may induce<br />
g iight views of the science of geology, check ihe perilouirashness<br />
. anrl infirlclity of contra-scriptural theories, and confirrn the friends<br />
" of divine revelation. I am, dear Sirs, obediently and faitbi'ully<br />
yours,<br />
zs, Itrig hbury-pla ce, I sling ton.<br />
July 9, 1834,<br />
HENRY COLE.
TIIE GOSPDL <strong>MAG</strong>AZINE. 369<br />
CONFESS TIIE TRUTII AND SHA,I}IE TTIE DEVIL.<br />
In we are made sensible we aresinners, we must and shall confess<br />
we deserve nothing I but shanre and confusion if the Lord shoulcl<br />
deal with us in jusiice. Seek the cross of Clrrist for yonr glory,<br />
and say with the apostle Paul, God forbid thet I should reioic".<br />
but in the cross oF our Lord Jesus Christ. Thiswill pur the"devii<br />
to shame. Christ on the cross made void the devil's hbpe, that our<br />
hope nriglrt never make us asharned. O believer, be strons in the<br />
Lord Jesus, anil pray for strong faith iu hisl-rlood, and reilrernber<br />
rvhen thou hast to deal witlr the devil, thou hast to do with an<br />
astramed creature. Hold our tlre finished work of Christ to thv<br />
great adversaryrand Lre rvill beashamed to look ar thee; he will bL<br />
sure to hide his head ; he cannot bear the sight of those who trulr;<br />
rest upon christ as the foundation. Reurefrbel' that christ bv trils<br />
death not orrly overcame the devil, aud stripped him of all now"er to<br />
hurt God',' clrosen people, but in his death'he got himselh honour<br />
and glory over the devil ; that was our Lord's tr-iumph, and should<br />
be ours; as.he has obtained the glory and full vicioiy ancl conquest<br />
over himt.<br />
.i- R.<br />
-000-<br />
To the Editors aJ the <strong>Gospel</strong> trIagazine.<br />
Deln Srns,<br />
Being delighted and profited by the sound confession of faith<br />
recorded in your Miscellarr-y, respectins the Eternal sonshirr afchrist,<br />
if you think proper -Robt'rt io add-another testimonv bv anri*idl<br />
of christ, the'Reverend Mossom, delivered ut Rich*otd*h=;, -iffi''<br />
Surry, in.the 1,ear l-65_3, you. will obligg<br />
Dis, Norfolk, Jul.y<br />
^-<br />
1, ili:4" A bBBTOR TO GRACE. ,i,<br />
GOD II{ THE TBINITY OF PERSONS.<br />
TuB.knowle^dge of Go.l, whieh is from the light of nature, doth<br />
take its rise fiom sense, and can ascend no bigher than it is sup<br />
ported, nor go any tnrther than it is led by,enlibleobiecrs. rvhich<br />
give us no clearer knowledge of God than iffects do ot-"theii cause ;<br />
namely, that he is not such as rhey are, bur far exceeding thenr in<br />
essence and attributes; as not being compounderl, nC de"pending,<br />
not finire, not mutablc, and the lik-e; bui the knowldS of Go?,<br />
which is trorn a srrpe'rarural lrght, that is rnerel' bv dinine revelation<br />
I as that God is the Father of Christ, and of his church, the<br />
leward of tlre faitirful, the salvation of Israel. and the lrke: vea<br />
such is our knorvleclge of c"i -it[i*;tr-ih;<br />
;p;i"rr"""it,ili<br />
laith) in<br />
,the<br />
glorio-us.mgs.(ry of the bles\ert Trini[1, whereby rve<br />
beireve the saure Gocl, which is One in nature oi beins. isalso<br />
Three in persons, or fftanner of subsisting, Father, Sou, incl Hoiy
37O flrg. eospEr, <strong>MAG</strong>AZrNE.<br />
Ghost, which Three p€rsons dq n9t divide the Unitv into parts,<br />
but distinguislr the Trinitv by their DroDertres.<br />
And heie we acknowledEe it impoisib'le that a finite understand.<br />
ing should comprehend tha"r mystery which is infinite in its glory;<br />
and therefore when the mind ioars- hieh to coriceive the rith bf<br />
the Unity, it is, da"zled with the glory*of the Trinity ; and rvhen<br />
it would conceive the mvstery of the -Trinitv. it is oveicome with<br />
the glory of the Unity. And to illustraie rhis mvsrery with<br />
'instunces is to shadow out the light with colours, thoirgh ih" in.<br />
stances are that of the same sun in its bodv, beams. aud"liEht-the<br />
same water in its fountain, sprins and rivei ! yeu, tle samE soul in<br />
its understandirtg, memorj' dna ilitt.<br />
_<br />
This is as high as reasin will reach: God is an inlfrnite being,<br />
haviug in hirnself a power_ to be, which begets a knon'lbdge thar he<br />
is,. and f19rn bgth pioceeds a loye of that knowledge andporyer o[<br />
being : this infinite,beingis equal and one in all thele relations, yet<br />
the ielations distinguishid in ihemselves. as drstincr *"noer oi ih*<br />
beings subsistence." Thus the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost Three<br />
distinct substances of One Infinite Essence; Thlee distinct Fer.<br />
sons of One Eternal Godhead ; the Father as the polver of the<br />
Godhead begem the Son; the Son as the wisdom of tbat Godhead<br />
is begotteu of the Father ; and the Holy Ghost, as the loye of both,<br />
proceeds from the Father and tlre Son. And as that power never<br />
was withoutthat krrowledge, nor tbat power and knowledge without<br />
that love, so nor ever rvas the Father without the Son, nor the<br />
Father and the Son without the Holv Ghost I and as that knowledge<br />
is equal to the power, and the love equal to both, so the Son<br />
- @ual to the Father, and the Holy Ghost equal to the Father arrd<br />
6RrSon.<br />
Now though reason cannot instruct us to know what is hid, yet<br />
it doth direct us to believe wbat is revealed concerning this mystery ;<br />
for what more reasonable than this, that what we cannot attain by<br />
a natural knoivledge, we shoulcl receive by a divine faith, wheu<br />
revealed unto us by God in his rvord; which word teacheth us that<br />
the Three Pcrsons in the Godhead are not three parts of Gocl, but<br />
only one God. <strong>The</strong> Father God, the Son God, and the HolyGhost<br />
God ; and yet not Three Gods but One God : all the Thiee Persons<br />
being co-essential arrd co-equa!.<br />
That the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God, is made evident<br />
to the eye of faith, frorn tbe testimony of sacred scriptures,<br />
'<br />
which give thern the proper natnes, the essential attribures, the<br />
tliltine operations, and the holy worship of God.<br />
In this Trinity the Godlread is not divided, but the persons are<br />
'distinguished<br />
; the Godhead is not divided irr its essence, but<br />
the persons distinguished by their properties; the Father begetting,<br />
the Son begottenrand th: uoly,Ghost proceeding, which properties<br />
clo n.ot mahe thenr ciiff*rent beings, but one and the sl{t)e be-
GQSPEI.I, <strong>MAG</strong>AZINE: s?1<br />
ing in a diverse<br />
"HE<br />
manner subsisting. God begettins as the !-atherr<br />
God begotten as the Son, and God proceeding as t-he Holv Ghost,<br />
Again" <strong>The</strong> Father is God begctting the Son, the Son is Gocl<br />
begotten,*.,h1 Father, and the Holy Ghost is God, proceeding<br />
from both the Fatber and rhe Son.<br />
Tlrough the words Trinity and Person are nor found literally<br />
cxpressedr.yetare they found plainly employed in text of sacre"d<br />
seripture; yea, seeing St. John doth tell us of God that he is Threc,<br />
the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost : Who shall questiorr<br />
the.word Trinit_v, (numerous numeratus in the abstract?) who<br />
reacJs the rvord Three (numerus numerous) rvith concrete, which<br />
T.hl"." bearing.regold, mosr sure it ir by a Trinity of testimonies,<br />
which doth pl-ainly intimate a Trinity of subsisterices: and what a<br />
subsistence is, St. Paul resolves us, when be aays ofthe Son that he<br />
is the express image of his Father's subsisteice;. where tiie word<br />
subsistence doth truly and fully signify the Divine Essence, with<br />
Its per5onal property.<br />
the Father is thL Ttrst person, net in priority of dienitv or of<br />
tinre, but of orderl as bcing the fountain'of the-Triniti,<br />
nicating, (not alienating from himselt) the whole natur.6 and "'nrn*u- cssen_<br />
tial attributes of thc Godhead to the Sonranrl rvith the Son to rhu<br />
Holy Ghost. So that the Father hatlr the whole essence and attri_<br />
butes of tbe Godhead in himself, and from none other; the Son<br />
hath the whole essence and attributes of the Godhead in himself<br />
bur from the Father ; and the Holy Ghost hath the rvhole essence<br />
and attributes of the Godbead in himself, but from the Father and<br />
the Son. Thus the persoo of the Son is (in the Unity of Esseucel<br />
begotten of the person of the Father, and the percon- of the HoLJ<br />
Ghosq is (in Unity of the same Essence) pLocedding from tlre pg"<br />
son of the Father and of the Son. This Divine Esi6nce and eod,<br />
lread neither begetteth nor is begotten; neicher proceedeth 'or is<br />
l)roceedtng.; so.-that- each person of the Godhead is God, sub_<br />
sisting in himself ; which subsisting doth imply, with the Unity cf'<br />
thc Essence, the manner of existence.<br />
As the Father is Eternal, so the Son of God is Eternal, and the<br />
Holy Ghost is Eternal : and as the Father is God Almiehfv. so the<br />
Son is God.Almighty, and the Holy Ghost is God Almiehiy ; and<br />
these also in the other atrributes of the Derty tbey are ilr 6oualtv<br />
aud fully comrnunicated in an erernal generition"from rhe *lathdr<br />
to the Son ; and in an eternal Spirir from the Father and the Sori<br />
to the Holy Ghost.<br />
But though che essential artributes of the Godhead are conrnru_<br />
rricable to all the persons, yet the several properties of tlrcDersons<br />
arc incornmunicable to each other of themielves; so that trrc sorr<br />
cannot be saitl to beget, nor_the Father to be begotten, '<br />
rror tlre<br />
IJoly Ghost to be begotten or begettiog, but pro"*e",1iug.
372 TrrE segpnr, MAcAzrNE.<br />
THE BLASPIIEMY OF TIIE FIRST ARTICI,E IN TH}: PRE.EXIS't.8.<br />
RIAN SEXUAL-SOUL.CREED.<br />
. (Conti,nuedfront, p. SZt.)<br />
Tn,c.r the reader may be preserved from Dagonism, or if deceived,<br />
that he may be undeceived, to the praise oFthe slorv of Jehovatr's<br />
fTrace.: I shall, to shew the balefulind baneful,iatoi" ofsrevens's<br />
doctrrr)e, give a few more scriptures as they read in the Dagon.ver.<br />
ston, berng stevens's correction of some of the scriptrrres m6ntioned<br />
in his letter to lrving., which he c_alls ungrammaiicar or elliptical<br />
sentences in the Greek v_e_rsion-lrte Holg Spirit,s ,plenarg inipira,<br />
tion! ls Mr. Stevens<br />
"<br />
a Neotrosist t<br />
John viii. 58, Verily, veriiy, I say unto .you, lrefore Abraham<br />
was, f<br />
-was a created pre.existing huiuan soul, *ithout a bodv, aiz,<br />
inaperfect man*.<br />
Matt. xxiv. 5. Mark<br />
-xiii. 6, Many shail come in mJi narne,<br />
saying, I was a created pre-existeni human soal. an imperfect<br />
ma,n.<br />
John iv. 26. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee was a F<br />
cre_ated pre-existing buman soul, az im.perJeit man.<br />
. John itii. Z+..If I'e believe nof that I'was. u crearerl pre-existent<br />
human soul, animperfect man, t1e shnll die zn qour sms.<br />
Johu viii. 28. lVhen you have lifted up th6 Son of Man, then<br />
sbalf ye know that I wls a created prelelirlin* f, - tru**,"irl;too<br />
irnpelfect matt.<br />
John xiii. tg. Now I tell you before it come, that when. it is<br />
come to pass ve. may- believe that I n'as a created pre-existing<br />
_forman soul, an imperfect man.<br />
;rr'/o.hn xviii. 5, 6r B. Jesus saitb unto them, I $'as a created precxisting<br />
human soul, cn impetfect nan: as soon as be bad said to<br />
them, I was created pre-existing human soul, an impeifect marr,<br />
they went backward ind fell to lhe ground.<br />
To establish his awful peroersioi of those importarrt scriptures,<br />
where Jesus is revealed by his self-existent name ., I amr,'Steu"rtt<br />
says, t' Now, strrely, any one ma-y observe that these l)assages arc<br />
ellipltt:al, and that some words must be added lo co|n4leie then<br />
senic., Bt.theyfully.shewrthat our Lord's sa_ving, f antr was not<br />
to r r lrrr'ss h\s deity." ,. For our Lord to asseit a-prr.oritg to Abra-<br />
Jr;rr;, t'i15 suited to intirnate his antiguity as the inanlr"God's f'el-<br />
* Slevens, il his verses orlthe Sonship of Chr.isr, admits that Christ rvithout<br />
lris ltu,nan borly an intpeqlfect man; Tor after stating his disbelief in Lhe<br />
Infinite foreknolvledge of Jehovah's r:usrbn, rrhich n-as rioticed in tlie <strong>Gospel</strong><br />
<strong>Magazine</strong> for'.}-ebluary, p. 80-82, and April, p.<br />
{71, Stevens theusays, speak-<br />
- iqg compalatively,<br />
.' As soon may $re prove, that the Lorilreckons now<br />
PauI'spe rson cunplete in his sight ;<br />
W'hile his botlg is htuied in eafih bere belorv,<br />
And his soul tLnlg dwells irr ihe iighf."<br />
I Zech" xiii. 1.<br />
'[he<br />
Gibbot', tttrt ntr:ttz, but lllighly One. Sept. reuder. it bv
'i<br />
Y<br />
THE GOSPEI, <strong>MAG</strong>AZINE. 378<br />
low, or near one; bur it was no ways suited to establish the idea<br />
of his Eternal being." W'e are rrot, however, to .tuppose when<br />
Stevens says, " f amrtt intimated his antiquity as the man, that he<br />
meant any thing mor'e than the pre-exist"i."bf the soul, oneahh'd<br />
part of a-man. " Stevens does not profess to embrace the whole of<br />
tlre Vali:ntinian *'heresy, or to deny the resurrection oJ the body.<br />
Wltatsoever is not of faith is sin, Rom. -^iv. 23, t' By includirrg,<br />
(says Steverrs in lris Disllla.y, t,. 30.) the ancient existence of<br />
tfrl souI of our Lord, rve obiain d ptain redson for tlre rrames of<br />
Father and Son." A plaiareasonindeedl Wirat reasoncan cotttprehend,<br />
requires nat faitlt to apprehend? t\ plain ?'easott substi.<br />
tutc(|, io deprive fuitlt of ils ttt.ysterq. t Tirn. iii, 9,<br />
fs Painc's'Age of Reason, th"en, igrart of Divine Revelation ! Is<br />
Thornas Paine.-an Evangelist ? Is a vain creature's reason to be set<br />
up in opposition to revciation I Is Stockeli's pre-existing a// souls,<br />
Squirrell's pre.existing bodies, and Stevens'spla[n reason to overtltrow<br />
the trstimony oJ Jesus and the sptrit of prophec_U ? Rev. xix.<br />
lo, Bur rvhat saiih the scriptures I <strong>The</strong>ir testirnony is, that the<br />
Son of God as the Father's own (idion) Son, is not to be-known by<br />
l'tuson, whether plain or su,blle; but only by tlre revelation of God<br />
Aner,whichrwhen appliecl to Christ the Lonn should be translated vlighty<br />
One, and. r.oi tnan, whieh it incorrectly is in John i. B0 Actsxrii. St,&c.<br />
Aner isrerrdered htLsLandin John iv. lti-18 Acts v. 9, 10. I Cor. vii.3,4, l0<br />
-16,<br />
"te. <strong>The</strong> angel that appeared to Cornelirrs is called AnerrEee Acts x,<br />
., 3, 30, So are rheiugels that appeare,l ro rlre rrornen al the sepulchre, Luke<br />
xxiv, 4,23, Rendel theref'rre untc Ciesar the things thatare Casar,s, aud unto<br />
' G9d the things that are God's. trIatt. xxii. 21. By rendering ft ilfightg One,<br />
when it is applied to Christ the Loen, it will not only be eoryect, 6ut be in<br />
accordance rrith Johl's testimony when lie said, He that cometh after me is<br />
tttightzer than I, &c. Matt. iii. r t; Mark i. z. Luke iii.<br />
,<br />
16.<br />
,<br />
'<br />
* 1Wr. Silver, in a work written in a catechetical form, entitled<br />
.3 Imrnanu,;<br />
, elr" w i thout rnentionin g tlte narne of Kitson, Stevens, or an,v other Dagonite or1<br />
.' eartlr, placed parts<br />
'<br />
of iheir reason-cteed into the for,n ofquestions,"and eil<br />
posed theit blasphemy and i4litlelity bt, the .u'ord of God. <strong>The</strong> Dagonites roere<br />
lherebl pierced even to tllre diuttling q,suntler oJ'the sou.l ardspirtt, Ileb. iv. lp.<br />
and theil champion<br />
'Iiie<br />
even rrttre4 out. -Uagonites had irot :r rnan among<br />
tlrern that had courage ao c.me foi'th openll-, but they seut forth the a.uthors il<br />
r. Celestial Filiation<br />
'<br />
anonynous, like souls rrithout jodes.<br />
'<br />
lest thel should be<br />
discovered, (for tiars are alwa-rs cou:ar,ls,) and as the.v could not r:epl,l' to the<br />
2g:i1t!1.tyes<br />
which so fully exposed their Dagon /r'es, rhey, zt:thout naraar, attacked<br />
Mr. Silver's personally by narnel they cailed him-an iilnolure,lthinS, a9toot,<br />
thWr?barkhtgdogra spider, a Llack su)an, a guctck, [;c. ! rhinking ]ir. Silvel<br />
might be-a young recruit, one that could not bear r.eproach for. the sake ol<br />
Christ. One ofStevens's disciples, it is believed at Stevens suggestion or request,<br />
Nrote to Mr. Silvern and recommended him to tnake an aioloou for s'hat<br />
he had done, under theprelelce ofbeing ;his Iiiend, and rirat if ne iia nc,t Ao<br />
so he uoultll,e ruined. .But a good soldier of Jesus Clrris! is not ashamed of<br />
hisname, neither wiltr he quit the field of battle lbr. all tbe rucA nutncs ol men,<br />
oi that the devils carr invent,norrvillhe cease v.-ieltling the srvbrd of the Spirit<br />
for so fleshly an objcct els that of brnshing ufl'flonr t,is-clotlres lhe,tirt oJ uiuse,<br />
the_only means_x hich, through ihe good providence of God, the Dagon-ites are<br />
sufia'edor ableto :use<br />
in del'ence of thcir pirar.isaical traclitions,<br />
Vor,, trX.-No. VI. sS A<br />
'*<br />
!
€74 "IHE <strong>GOSPEL</strong> IVIAGAZII{H.<br />
hirnsell', In proof, .6 Wlrom, said Jesus to his disciples. do men<br />
say thar I tlre Son of Man am ? And thev said. Some iav thou art<br />
J.ohn the- Daptr$t ; some say t)lias, arrd 'otlrers Jeremial, or one of<br />
the.prophetsx. Hesaith unto them, but rvhom say ye that I am i<br />
And tiimon Peter answered and said, Thou art the-C"lrrist, the Soli<br />
oF'tHE trvlNc GoD. And Jesus answered and said unto him,<br />
Blessed. art thou, Simon Bar-jonar./or flesh and, blood, hath not revealed,it<br />
unto thee, but my Flinnn which is in heaveu.'And I sav<br />
t:.nto thee, that thorr art Peter; and uporr this Rock, (the Son of<br />
tlrc. lrving God, rcoealal by thc Fathei,) I will buili nry church,<br />
anrl the sates of hell shail nbt prevail against it. Matt. xvi-" l3-tg,<br />
<strong>The</strong>n it was nor plain reasoni nor tt"iil;t;on, but tlrc revelation oJ<br />
{)od the Fathcr to Perer. bv which he knew that Jesus was the<br />
Son of God, consequently, c-annot be a non-essenlia,l, ar an assumed<br />
?t&??1e,<br />
As the Son of God rvas reztealed to Peter by God the Father, so<br />
he was reuealed to Paul.,,W'hen it pleased G6d whoseparated me,<br />
isaith Paul) irom nr.y mother's rv,rmb, and called me by his grace,<br />
lo reveul nis Sol in rne, tiiat I might preach uru among th6 heatherr<br />
i r,rrmediately I conftrred nol a:ith-flesh and bhod." Gal. i,<br />
i3-16. Fle drd nor consult the traditions of the Pharisees, of<br />
svhicb lrc irad been theretofore exceedingly zealousr-uor ptain iea-<br />
.r*;r. ii;r' the na*res of ihe Father und Soi j bot, onih" coitraryr-he<br />
rjrca('lr(jd lhe zourcl of failh., and not of reasan, And the word of<br />
,hitlr l:r: lireached, Ronr. x. g. is particularly recordedz for straigltta'u4<br />
hr preaclted, Cht'ist in the',lqnagogie, that heiilie Soi oe<br />
Crru. Acts ir. 2O.<br />
'l<br />
lrat he r?r?.r/'preached the llharrsaical tradition of the pre existence<br />
of the human soui is certain I for if he had, there rvoold have<br />
been sorne record of the fact. <strong>The</strong> Hory StrRrr, whose office is , -'*'<br />
io telttfv of, an,l to glorify Jesus, is not to be clrarged wirh being<br />
unJatthJul, or dlt'ttr;e in his restimony-but at the peril of the<br />
4CCUSer.<br />
Nloreover the Holy Spirit, upon one occasion, for our comfort,<br />
recortietl tlre ase of t:he human nature of Christ from its birth. See<br />
Luke iii. zS.ai,J if the Dagonites continue to r'-esist nls infallible<br />
testimony, and to give HrM the lie, either directly or dnliretlg,<br />
there is a day coming when the,v will receive the just reward of<br />
their riceds, dho makE the God oi truth a liar, and io despite unto<br />
thc Spririt of srace Heb. x. 29.<br />
\Ve have nit only the l-Ioly Spirit's testimony eoncerning Paul<br />
and l'eter's faith ;-ancl the iay'tbey received'it, namely,<br />
.-by<br />
the<br />
reoelatinn of God the Fatber i and'that the woid of iaith- Paul<br />
preaclred, rlas Christ the Scn of God ; and theage of Christ's hu-<br />
. i <strong>The</strong> phariseesbelieved, as well as Stevens, in ttre Dagon doctrine ofpreeristerce<br />
antd trwunigration oJ souls ; and they thought Jesus of Nazarelhsas<br />
the soul oi one of the prophets, that had fronsmigraledinto another body' This<br />
transrnigraling palt oi the I)agon creed is notiCed in the <strong>Gospel</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> of<br />
"fanuary<br />
and March last, and the extracts are flom Stevenc's writings.
it<br />
THE GOBPEL <strong>MAG</strong>AZINE. 87€'<br />
inan nature specifically recorded on a particular ttccasion<br />
; but the<br />
gospel, penned by John, was expressly written that we rnight<br />
' believe, not reason, that Jesus<br />
is th6 Christ, the Sou on Goo. inrl<br />
that belic'ttittg we might have life through h'is nartte, John xx.<br />
31. !<br />
'Ihen he tbat dies under the plain reason creed, of a non.ess:enlial<br />
and an aswmed, n&me,musl be damned : for there is salvation in no<br />
otber name than thaf of the essential Son of God. Acts iv. 12"<br />
<strong>The</strong> author's of Celestial Filiation, Part L p. t0. mock a/ Mr. Silver<br />
for repeatedly calling our blessed Lord the essential Son. As the<br />
Jews spat upon Christ in the.days of his flesh, so do the l)agon-<br />
ites spir upon the word esseztici<br />
i when applied to Chris'.<br />
' <strong>The</strong> ministrv of Philip, at tbe expresj command of the Holy<br />
Spirit to the Eirnuch, rvas of the infinite greatn(ss, and of the i.n..<br />
fintte lwnihly of Cbrist the \'on of God.' for he preached unto him<br />
Jesus. '( And as tlrev went on their way thel'c*me unto a certain<br />
rvater: and the Eunuch said, See, here ii watlr; what doth hinder<br />
me to be baptized I Aod l'hilip said, if thora belier:est with all thine<br />
heart thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that'.lesus<br />
Christ is the fian of God." Acts viii. 3?. And he was baptized ;<br />
but not in the n0n-e$sentia.I ancl assumed name of the Son of God.<br />
Otherwise, how many inrt,dels under the denomination of Unitarians<br />
r ould be equally entitled to believer's baptism; fbr rhey<br />
belieue with c1l tieirheart,and from plainreasonrin the non-essen*<br />
tial qad nssumed, name of the Son of God.<br />
Irt further confirmation of tbe essential Sonship of Christ, if fut "<br />
ther con6rmation be needed, we have rhe testimony of Jesus himself<br />
as well as of the spirit of prophecy. ,( Verily, verily, I sa-v<br />
utlto you, the hour is coming and now rso when the dead strall hear<br />
the voice of the Son o/ God, and they that hear shall live"" Johrr<br />
v 25, <strong>The</strong>se are bl,,ssed words in proof of his Person, as the Es.<br />
sential, Self-existent, Son of Goci.Many hearcl his t;,,ice, os the aoi.ce<br />
oJ the Son o.f'ntan, irr the davs of his hunriliation, who hearcl it nc't<br />
tD Lhe esseilliat pou'et' oJ the f,'on ol God.<br />
- In dependence upon the Holy Spirit's demonstration and power,<br />
I goon to prove, in testirnony of this esserztial name, that the \'onshipof<br />
Christ isincotnprehensibk to men, whether wise orprudent;<br />
which has been the faith of believers in all ages, however they may<br />
have been Jor a seaton in tloubt or darknesi respectirre it. " That<br />
the saints sirould be perplexed conccrnirrg it, is nLt surp"rising ; tbr<br />
it is not against an otfice, but against the eisential Son of God and his<br />
kin_gdom, tirat the devil and hisangels fig-ht.<br />
' John says, tr saw heaven opened, and behold a r.vlrite holse, anrl<br />
he that sat upon it was called-Faithfuland True, antl in riglrteousness<br />
he doth iudgeand rnake war'. His eves were as a ffame of fire,<br />
and on his headilere many crowns; and ire HAD A NA[rErvRrrrEN!<br />
THAT t{o uxx (oudei.r/ r
tWG<br />
rHE cospnr, <strong>MAG</strong>AzrNa.<br />
rse Wono oF Goo." Rev. xix. I t-lg. Thiswrittennane.tltat<br />
na.mannorcreature lcnevt, we find recorded in Matt. xi. z?. Luke<br />
.x, 22. in the words following: .6 All things are deliveredonto ru<br />
of .my Father; and nir man<br />
.(1udeis1 i"riiTn the Son tut ihe-iiitr,rr,<br />
ne{her knoweth any man the Father save the Son, and t" to *hom_<br />
soe_verthe So' will -reoeal him.,, <strong>The</strong>n tbe Father and the Son u."<br />
to p9,kno,wg by a'supernatural revelarion, byJaithr-r.t<br />
and blood, but of God.<br />
"l'h.ri,<br />
On this. irnportant scripture the late Dr. Hawker has left in<br />
tvntrng tbts. note: (. <strong>The</strong>se are r.ery blessed wonls of Jesus. (for<br />
they<br />
If:y.lt:fd<br />
are<br />
1n ty view,)^ in thich the lo*o -tuiil-'rlia,<br />
tlrat th.e knowleiige of the persons of<br />
'the<br />
Godhead is wholrv in thenrselves."<br />
If these words of the Lord Jesus where but cluly attended<br />
to b)' those who call themselves Christians, after Christ", and con-<br />
::,g,1lll{. profegs to believe that whar.Christ nath saict i-tie,<br />
t'o\tld theg, consistently witir their own creed; .p.resume to so daring<br />
anact oJ u,ngodlinessl-when Jesus hinrseff h;;t, said, that * *"n<br />
knorveth the ,\'on but the Father, in dlrtct d.e/tance ofitris ,cripiur"<br />
j_?,$.""f r,t:l they kngw hmo the Son is Jie iii ii eri."'Til;;;;",<br />
wltl hnd that the whole design of Dagbnism is-to make the God of<br />
Truth a liar.<br />
Arrtichrist,<br />
,_^t?^ll"-:",^1"ysof<br />
the reader will not be displeased with<br />
rne fotto!vtng notes of Dr. Gill and others, upon this irnpbrtant<br />
turc<br />
'-<br />
scrip_<br />
in Nlati. xi. eT.and<br />
at-No<br />
Luke x. D;:<br />
man knoweth the son but tbe Fatber:" [hat is the<br />
cende't<br />
trans.<br />
slories arrd perf'ections of his nurur" as the ^S,or:r- ^'u'L 'J n7-i;;:_ vuu'-<br />
Dr' Gill'-<br />
,IoT" k:r9o"r,whor. or what the Son is, and wbat is the trust conrmtrreo<br />
to htm,<br />
'l'hese<br />
but the Father._Dr. Gu1.se.<br />
rvords evide.ntly declare, that there is something ineznlicub.lg<br />
mqsterioas in the'nature i"a prri,ioi Ci;;;;;:_b;:'tiffi_<br />
ridge.<br />
,htllf,,h]!"r"i,ffT"": has also the following excellent note uporl<br />
-,j1*: pliticuiars^are aicribedrto.the Father,alone, to the Son<br />
afone, and to, the<br />
.Spirit alone, which are not to be inderstioi i"<br />
rererence to the other persons in the Godh ead, but onltt in relation<br />
to the creatures. For instance, u"tt.1i. ir.-:; N;"fr;"ir;;;;:yerno),<br />
knowerh the Son but the Father; thai it, f," fi""*"*.<br />
But the Son must certainly know his ownself, R"". "f*"<br />
can<br />
i;.;;,<br />
the Spirit be ignorantbf him, because;;;";;;;;4""1iti"g_, "i*.<br />
* Owf.eis, is rendered by our translators, in the New<br />
noman,_nathing.<br />
Testame ntrby no, none,<br />
<strong>The</strong> learned Gomer,_Serie, and br. ffr*t"i<br />
one. Tbe anonrmous authors of ,' cureJai'rirLiion,, gi"e the ""ia:"r';di;:;"<br />
rie ro ail these<br />
gb9$ m.en, i. Part L p 87. See Drr fi;ii;r,,- W;r.ks, vol. iii. 6tr,<br />
Solitarie, vol.<br />
and Horo<br />
ii. 4s. ' q<br />
No u.ontler, ttren; ttrai ifrei. .t,outO .on.Luf ;i,;i;";;:.<br />
<strong>The</strong> churl d,eviseth rvicked devices t" a.Jt."ilt'."poor<br />
ulte{r<br />
wilh lging words, evea<br />
the nesdy speakerh right." Isaiiir;;ii. ;:" '
THD GospEL rTAcAzrNE, BTff,<br />
!ea, the. (profunda) or deep things of God. t Cor. ii. to, Here<br />
rne cre&tures are etclucled.<br />
$gu1n, Christ says in the above rextj<br />
Nei,thqr knowetlr any one, the" Faiher, .uu" "th",S*r;J<br />
h;1:<br />
whom the s.n will r&ear lrim<br />
^Iiqr", .lr"iy, trr. rutrrlr-ir-n;l-";cluded<br />
from the knowledge of hi,nrelf,-r,'or.yet tfr" H"iy'diiii.<br />
Lastly. <strong>The</strong> things o.f Gid knoweth (oionrl no one, bur<br />
Spirit the<br />
of God.. r -Corinthians<br />
ii. rr. il,; yl,r,"U"yJ"h;il:"#troversy'<br />
rreither the.Father nor the sorr arJ."x"lud"a,rr.J* *"t<br />
fff gf,9 q:., {y ?l<br />
I t h e, e p ro p os i tii" r,7 i,* ii<br />
";; G' ;" ; ; i ;' ii rne o",i,'<br />
-(atner i o<br />
atone. the knou.ledee d the Father to the"Sin otoni. oid<br />
*' !::,: ! :,!r: .{ 9 :!<br />
t o t,h e i p ii t ;'r' : ;;;,;- b;' ;<br />
";;;;;'<br />
;;;,<br />
as exetudlng the knowledge of one Divine person f.om th"<br />
twor.but ontg<br />
oih.r<br />
as e,rcluding7he creattn.es.,,<br />
_ Blessed be God, we hase Jehovah's iofallible rvord I we<br />
testirnonl,<br />
have<br />
of Jesus<br />
the<br />
; and we have tlre.pi.ii.i pi"pil;";;"T;""r"dirl:",li:l<br />
-,_h:<br />
experience of the,uinirj that'th6 Faiher<br />
Don are r N co$r IREH<br />
;il-;["<br />
ENsr B LE, as,sac!t, t9 all cr e.atures, ana,<br />
oyly tty<br />
ori<br />
revelarion<br />
iiir"<br />
to the saints byfaitn, una not b;;;;;;:'"';;;<br />
thus rhe F-'ather reveahd the son [o"p"t"'., uira ;;-pri"r,<br />
S.on. rgxgals,the Father..<br />
. Jhen ""i;;"r'ii;:<br />
*bat ir1."o*" of Mr. Drew<br />
Ar{nih.ian<br />
the<br />
preacher,. wi th. his p.tain rruri n_ii""rli ni.'if<br />
negyric<br />
*<br />
on h-im,<br />
il_1,<br />
ancl on-his religious is ;hi;,",,^H; ""]<br />
pre-cninently<br />
"hur""t"r,<br />
ff,<br />
arutiona.l Chrisiian.,, a"J ir-;;;;."^;<br />
clarkel Tbese "li,<br />
;;:<br />
are soremn querrionr.-'inqy ir.th--h"T"r"'.pi"ii<br />
reason-creed, as weil as.stevens-; a creerr whic[ was so ratioiati<br />
&rn&n must<br />
th-at<br />
be a christian to disberieve thre non-descriltt<br />
,!:l:-,:!<br />
Trinitu.<br />
Steoens profess to betiece. A"; if ;il;; S;;.#<br />
Depldrn<br />
;"','::;iI:<br />
reason, and he declares it is, surely he cannot<br />
be the<br />
d"ny:i-tJ<br />
dutu of all unregener..ate *ri-'ti-iit'irre ;ti<br />
rcasonabtel<br />
ii'"i"; ti<br />
u-n{<br />
i;;;<br />
cs 'uri, itni,";i;;;tp;;;;. Here<br />
Fuller<br />
stevens<br />
are<br />
and<br />
made friends.<br />
But the Holy Ghost saith, that whatsoever is not of<br />
and withour<br />
fuith is sin"<br />
fal tb it is^ i mpoiri r,l; ;J; t;iil c;.i.' ir;#: "'i'tr. " Heb. xi. 6. but then, Srer.ens<br />
ii,"<br />
says, ,-'i.-outy i;igrii;irti;,r,<br />
of course, ;;<br />
to make the God of truth a liur ri onry a ,negutne,<br />
thing.<br />
a n0-<br />
<strong>The</strong>rc is, houever. glf coming, when<br />
:<br />
the wise<br />
rvill<br />
and prudent<br />
ack'owledge it wo.uld'haue b#,r rvisdorn rn them<br />
reasoned,<br />
not<br />
or<br />
to haye<br />
explained by ussunptiott,<br />
.theingstery of<br />
have<br />
Co.t-,<br />
laboured<br />
or tJ<br />
to make t6e worcr i,r cJa "rry ,ti.ii't,iiiioir""-<br />
Tbat hiqhlv favoured servanr.f ;;1;;J, "oiJ<br />
trre late<br />
in<br />
Dr. Hawker;<br />
his firsiani*,er ro Srevens<br />
lul.-.r.]. Sir, I frave never presumecl te<br />
look into, rnuclr lers<br />
"rt.rr-.thr"hullorr,"j<br />
g.oun.f of. mystery<br />
larion to<br />
irr re_<br />
themodus eri,tendiof ,il'bi;il"pirron* in the Godhead,"<br />
na conceptio,t of<br />
l,h:u:<br />
the n"trr"<br />
sfsts t)ctween<br />
which<br />
"i'rf,"r'*f"tiouship<br />
sub*<br />
tlre FaLlrcr aud the Son. Iteatt of-it<br />
lhe<br />
,fr,:,';;;;;rti;;<br />
scriptures, antl I rnost cordiaity aicrplr'i, (ts tt ts Ttt.oposrd fot,<br />
the object rt' ng faith, But as intr-iifi,"f Co;,;f;;i;";tii;
I rHE eogpEr/ <strong>MAG</strong>AZINE;<br />
deciaring it, hath not erpladned, itrto neither drt I,,' See Dr. FIawker'sWorks,<br />
vol. ix. p. 441.<br />
If the reader desires an antidote to the poison contained in Stevens's<br />
writings, hc will find it in Dr. Hawker's tract entitled,<br />
(t<br />
<strong>The</strong> Best of Remedies in the Worst of Times," and in his pamphle.t<br />
entitled, (r <strong>The</strong> Personal Testimony of God the Father, to<br />
the Person, Godhead, and Sonship, of God the Sonl as set forth irr<br />
the scriptures of God the Holy Ghost." To which may be added,<br />
the Viliage Sermons, aud tlie two u,nanstoerable Lerien written<br />
by the Dr. in reply to Stevens.<br />
(6<br />
It is the1frct, (said that gracious manr) and not the modus e,ristendi,<br />
that the church is concerned to know. Bvery artemt)t ro<br />
investigate this mystery, is presumptuous. From all such uns'uitable<br />
and unbecoming enquiries I would rvish to retire with the most<br />
profound humitity," This is ealled ,,Jumbling," by the anooymous<br />
authors of (3 Celestial Filiationr" by way of contentptrbe.<br />
cause it condemns their vain attempts to #t ui, tl'rc leavei of the<br />
tradition of the pharisees, which tire Lorc| of Lif'e and Glory saith,<br />
is hgponisg. Luke xii. t.<br />
I shall closethis present essa5r,.in dependence on the Holy Spirit's<br />
.testimony to his own word, which, will neter return eoild.' <strong>The</strong><br />
things which I have spoken concerning the incomprehensibility of<br />
the Sonship ofl Christ, art: not in the words which man's rvisdonr<br />
teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparirrg spiritual<br />
things with spiritual, scriptuie witlr scripture dfging ai l'do this<br />
day, all the nisdom of the world, to firrd any thing in theessential<br />
rlames of Fatber, Son, and Holy Spirit, that is rn-the least dcgrce<br />
derogatory to the Trinity in LInity,as though they rvere nor of th eiunte<br />
naturc, and of all the perfections of Jehoi-ab. And so fullv assured<br />
by divine revelatiorr was that humble aud lriglrly f avourrd man l)1.<br />
Iiawker, of tlre essenlial truth of tlte rcuelailan'whicb Jehovah harl<br />
made of lrimseli, that a very short tjme previous to his departure<br />
he wrote as follows:<br />
.' I have totally omitted speaking of the gracious aots of .Ieho"<br />
valr in his Trinity of, Persons towards his people, as was injurticlousl.y<br />
done in tlic forrner editiorrs of my worksl under rl,c tciur ol<br />
ffie. I know it is used by many of the Lord's people, and Ileli<br />
dnttt tlte satne error, But, accordirrg to nry present viervs, (ile was<br />
thc'r .)n the suburtrs of glory) I considtr the term highly unsut'labic<br />
atd drgrading ; \ea, sornea/Mt u,tirse than botlt. Jehovah hath,<br />
indeerJ, irr his Trinity of Ptr'ons, graciousl,v contlesccn,led ro tua-<br />
'rantee to h;s clrurt lr irr Clrrist, an assurance tlrat eaclr ulorious Dt r..<br />
son in the Gorlhead, in tlre ecorloilly antl covenarrt of glace, ivilI<br />
fulfil all (' the good picasure of hrs ivill," anil confirnr all l,i. 1,rorynises<br />
in Christ. But while God our F'atber hath ensaged in all<br />
these blissful tlrinqs, as.our Father, shall n'e call his fathellv love"<br />
ano1ffice? Is thatlrnparalleled instance oflove, in one of,the per,<br />
sons taking intu unir.rn rvitlr hirn our n.rtule, antl ofi.ce, ,\nd all'the
TIIE <strong>GOSPEL</strong> <strong>MAG</strong>AZINE. S?ffi<br />
'<br />
rich conrforts and consolations of the IIoly Ghost, so many offices?-*-<br />
We do not so in the comrnori charities ind relations of iifel Mv<br />
father in nature is not m.y father in fficerbut in reality: and by<br />
that tie, rTe are brought into a very srveet and endearing relationship.<br />
How irrfinitel! morc, in those spiritual and eternil connexior<br />
s into which the church is brought, by our ailoption as children<br />
6y Christ. Eph. i. 5. John would not have called such acts of<br />
glace, acts of r'fi,cerwhen, under the impression of tbat looe, which<br />
passeth knorrledge, he cried out: Behold ! what manner ol love<br />
the Fathertrath bcstowcrl upon us, that rr.e should be called sons of<br />
God," l John iii. t,<br />
Herc, reader: ] ou scc tlre distinguishing mark of a oery humble<br />
rnd lighly tuughi suint of G'od. 'lirrrth wis dearer to him"than his<br />
lrfe orlefiutati"on. $e wut willing forChrist'g. sake to haye everv<br />
obloquy -cast<br />
upon his character, irther thau one of the children of<br />
(iod should be deceived by those parts of his writinqs whiclr had<br />
bcetr. the fruit of ,"easan iather tlian ofJuith. .. I-see enough,<br />
sa[d he, to lament in the imprcrfections of many of those writiugs<br />
gonc before, and more cspccially in rny lier productioni;<br />
*nicn I pray the Lord to pa'rdon."" His last<br />
"u'<br />
writings'were indeed<br />
the result of divine teachirrg, and have the evidcnt marks of growth<br />
il. grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus<br />
Christ.<br />
(To bc Continued.)<br />
FONTNY.<br />
I,INES ADDRESSED TO A DEAR RELATIVE ON IIER BIRTH.DAY,<br />
MARCII 2, r83s.<br />
lVlTlI delight could I ever relate,<br />
<strong>The</strong> love rlrictr I bear to rny friend;<br />
A love shich lol time can abate,<br />
A love ubich will last to the end.<br />
ftr tbe season of youth, wben "o rrild,<br />
You anxiorrsly rriatched 'nith eare;<br />
And altho'an untractable child,<br />
You guarded my feet florn each snare.<br />
Oh ! holt lnanJ Years are uow fled,<br />
1'he moments, how quickly they fly;<br />
IIow many kiud friends silce are dead,<br />
Retlospection will cause u6 to 6igh.<br />
A Parent, is laid in the dust ;<br />
. A Sister, is snatch'd from your uight ;<br />
Tho' remov'd from us, yet may we trustt<br />
Ttrey are shining in realms of deligbt,
$-:po<br />
Oh l he is a fliend far aboye,<br />
Not on earth can be found such a ft iend;<br />
If he chastens us,<br />
Whom he loves he rrill love to the end.<br />
March, Isle cJ EQ1, March 20, L833, A ]ITOURNER<br />
'tis but in love:<br />
'<br />
TIIE GOSPEI, <strong>MAG</strong>AZIN.E.<br />
'<br />
Let us banidhbqgh.gorrow awhile,<br />
And draw bac\ our thoughts to the earth ;<br />
Hail the day of your birth with a smile,<br />
May it prove a short season bf mirth !<br />
May friendship arouse all her:,powers<br />
To banish your sorrows away i<br />
May the garden, the fielcls, ancl. the bowers,<br />
.Rejoice you, on this your birth-day !<br />
But the v'ish that is nearestmy heatt<br />
Is one, far above all the rest,<br />
That when death shall dcmand us to part,<br />
You may find that oni: friend who's the best.<br />
May Jesus your Saviour appear,<br />
On l our pillor.r' of death as you Iie ;<br />
And chase away every fear,<br />
And wipe ev'ry tear from your eye.<br />
: OOO-<br />
JESUS.<br />
Though lre rvas richyet forour sakes h_e became poor, that through his pover:ty<br />
,we might become rich.<br />
'<br />
Ye, ies, our dear incarnate God did rvalk<br />
lYithout his sceptre and without his erown,<br />
" A man of solrowq" thro' this wilderness:<br />
-Whose<br />
A merrdicant he look'd-tre liv'd as one,<br />
crealures angels are ! fV-hose empire<br />
<strong>The</strong> boundless all seen and unseen !<br />
LF<br />
Oh ! What a stoop for Majesty supreme !<br />
From uightless light of highest heaven down<br />
'Where all is beauty and perfection all,<br />
Eternal all, and all happiness,<br />
To this dark,sin.-curst, wretchedn worthless world:<br />
'Ihis all but hell, tvhere devils incarnate s\r,arln t<br />
All 'neath the destructive trio's horrid srra;*,<br />
Olcl Satan dread, grim death, ani! ugly sin. -<br />
Sue! ending rt the crcss his race of love,<br />
Those hands, outstretch'd ever to help distress,<br />
And fi:et, that rre'er from child ofsorrorv lurn'd:<br />
(O cruelty ! O ignomiry !<br />
<strong>The</strong>g, tlteg were nail'd like cat'rion to the tree,<br />
Those e-';es ali love, and all benevol.ence,<br />
While dim'd with anguish of a violent death,<br />
Smil'd pardon on his trutchers'ere they clos'd !<br />
IIis tongue, ttrat raised the dead, (that holy tongue)<br />
Onits iast aecents rnild, sweet mercy llrng,
THE GOSP.EI, <strong>MAG</strong>AZIN T<br />
A,nd killing kind, breatb'd this foro'earing prayer:<br />
r' Father forgive, they know not what ttrev do.,'<br />
His healt th;t beat nbt lor ifself, (the honie)<br />
<strong>The</strong> only home of .. ev'l'y virtue, ev'ry grace,"<br />
Was burst beneath the pi'ess of heav'nsi,rarh,<br />
And from each panting pore forlh gush'd its blood !<br />
Arrd did he sow in sorl.o\t', bloorl, and tears<br />
:<br />
<strong>The</strong> bread of<br />
l<br />
lif'e thus on the rvater.s cast,<br />
4nd<br />
shall he not, sons o[ Armirrius, sa1 ,<br />
Spite of freer.vill, his glorious harvest reap ?<br />
_ t<br />
huppy nrau ! who'ere old time began,<br />
Or Ealth's lruge folm appear'd,the FatlGr lov'd,<br />
Ordain'd his Son to save alrtl iustifr<br />
<strong>The</strong> Holy Ghcst to teach, and sanctify, '<br />
And fit fol irrheritance oo hieh ,<br />
Blest favourite of Almightl'triune God,<br />
Thou knowtst rrot hcr.e Jne-half thy joy !<br />
O wond'rous'lovb ! ail boundless love !<br />
Love infinite ! (how aain are words)<br />
Loading its object rvith immor.tal gifts,<br />
tlternal lrle, and lrappy boliness;<br />
' And all theno-return thal object makes,<br />
Is praise sponlaneous and grititnde.<br />
l-eiccster,,Sepl. 1833. J-N H-T',<br />
38t<br />
CORIIESPONDENCES<br />
ARISING OUT OF THE TEMPORAL HUMAN<br />
SOUL PRE.EXISTENT OPINIONS.<br />
Bs,nonn we proceed, we request leave to make a few preliminary<br />
remarks.<br />
To such of our readers who mav treat the subiect of inouirv<br />
whicir we havc heen investigatingr"with coolness arid indiffere'nce',<br />
lve rnu:t be permitted to say, ihat we suspect that they are un:<br />
souncl in the iaith, antl are worshipping, thdy know not "*h^t,<br />
unknou/n God; Him, u'hom they'ign;iantli worship. declare rve "n<br />
unto them, to the intent thar they m"iqht see the listit'of the Holv<br />
Spirit's illumination. What is tlie fefiowship of thi musteru wlicit<br />
frrrm the.beginrring of the world, hath beln hid in G5d, w:ho created<br />
all things by-Jesus Christ, to the intenr, that now might be<br />
kriorvn by the church, the manifold wisdonr of God.<br />
Let our Christian brethren ponder well in their minds, in know.<br />
iag rvhom they serve, and whoie they are, for this is the foundation<br />
qf ogt hope for time aud erernity. "<strong>The</strong>re is a peculiar portion of<br />
God's word rvhicl.r sa.ys, ,, I rvili set hirn on hish beeau'se he has<br />
KIgyN<br />
{I ryAME; heshall call upon meand I *illanswer him; t*<br />
will be with hiru in trouble, I wili deliver and honour him. and "<br />
sherv him filv salvation.r?<br />
While rvi: enter into the rn?/ster'rJ of the Holv and blessed<br />
\.-ror,. IX.-No. IX, ,g B
S8g TrIE" co.$Par, <strong>MAG</strong>.[zrNEr<br />
'frinit.y,so<br />
far as Goil has revealed it, lct rts rrot get out of our deptl'"<br />
for llc"it lcmernbered, and let it 6e decply -impressed<br />
uporr the<br />
nriuds of our honouied readers, that the fulI blaze thereof rve cannot<br />
behold, it cair bnly be the 'd seer pARr, rng,racE cANNor<br />
BE sEEN"" Nevertheless, this is revealed with the light of a sun<br />
beam, and this is our foundation principle, Tnanu ETERNAE<br />
DrsT'rNcr pgnsoirs it* onig EssDNoE, to whorn be equal glory a'rd<br />
horrour, in time, and wherr tinre is no more.<br />
\lre meddle not witlr the natttt:e anel str/'slcrlce of.the Father, Sono<br />
and Holy Spirit ; nor do we presume to inquire in what rnanner<br />
the Son ilerixeth 6i. b"iog from tlre Father, orho* the Holy Spirit<br />
proceedeth from the Father and tlrc Son I such an inquiry would<br />
be rash and inconsiderate, fqr we bnow nothing of the rtature of<br />
ol.God,as he is in himself. When n'espeak of'the gloryof his Majesty"<br />
we fall low at his footstool I we have no tcnns in tranguage to use<br />
but wl,at are peurile, or metaphorical. <strong>The</strong> highest note our feeble,-fforts<br />
cari raise is, Hor,v, Hot,v, Hor,1, is ilre Lord of Flosts,<br />
tbe rvbole earth is fuli of his glory ! I !<br />
Revclatiou giues us the reality of the fact, which is rcverently to<br />
be believetl anil adcred, not to be disputed up-on, or canvassed by<br />
schoiasti c lsubtilties, an d pro phane o p position, of ' scienc-e, so called,.<br />
Likewise..'alren tlre scriptures have taught us to.eoneeive the r/zslittct<br />
ltersonal substance of the Son, and the Holy Spirit, by the<br />
terns ltegotlen, and proceeding ; we learn from thence that<br />
the Father is of none, that the Son is of the Father, who is the<br />
Eternal Word, :the only begotterr ; tbat the Holy Spirit is of the<br />
Father antl ttre Sori, as pro-ceeding from and seht liy the Father<br />
and the Sorr. <strong>The</strong> fact is revcaled, but we presume not to determine<br />
the munner. <strong>The</strong> Son with respect to eternal generatioll ii<br />
called the only begotten of the Farher; this is altogetber ineompreliensible,--here<br />
we are plurrged into atr unfathomable abys,<br />
All rvc can sr)' is, tlrat rve al'e taught, fronr the analogl' of scriptnrc<br />
that thiJ relation arises from the same .fbundatien in the<br />
Go,{lreird, as it d,lrlr amor}g men; aud that ihe Son is as truly<br />
the bcgotten. Son, of .the .!!ather, with the rohole ttatut'c and<br />
sssence o{ the Father communicated unto him, as the nature and<br />
essence'of our parents were communicated to us, making us a<br />
ilistincl intliaidud,. Here let the profane be silent; for though we<br />
are obliged to speak in a gross and literal sense, as we do of the<br />
tiivine aitributes, it is in orcl-er to sherv, that the relation of God the<br />
Fatber, and God the Son, is notirtguratii'e nor illusive, but a nn.Lr,try.<br />
Wc guard then against all grossness and vulgarity of speech,<br />
in speakiug in the words, which man's. wisdom teacheth, in unfoldrng<br />
ttre mystery whiclr the Holy Spirit teacheth. All the syr:nbols<br />
and irnages thc human rnind can invent, are otll.y faint shadows<br />
and cliitant representations of the Trinity in-Unity, and<br />
Unit.yrin Trinit.y. trt coures to this in all our researcltes, t' To<br />
whofr will ve liken God t or with what LIKENnss will you cou-
TTIE .G'OSPEL <strong>MAG</strong>AZINET 38S<br />
qARE HlM." Ne'crtheless in speaking of the ournisciencc ancl<br />
omnipresencc of God we use figurativ&xprcssrorrs, such as trunJr;<br />
eyes, *nd ears ; we represer,t hi-nr as sitting, standingn and h"aril"nilg.<br />
So with regard io the Father and fiL Son,.qie o." tinurutrve<br />
expression, God so loved the world, that he sent his " onrl nsco.trau<br />
Son, who rvas. in the ,6osoat of the .Father, that whos'oever<br />
believeth in him should not'perish, bui have .ternal liie.<br />
W'e trust our readers will -pardon<br />
this.prolixity., it is a subject of<br />
eve_rlasting imporrance. Add if any bli.me t attacheA to ;;<br />
as Superintendents,of this Publicatio-n, it is this, "ui a " remisrness, anJ<br />
neglrgenc€ rn dwclling so suPerficially upon the essence and attributes<br />
ot God, necessarily to be believed to the salvation of our<br />
souls. It is not Jehovah, Jove, or Lord, as the singsong poet urut<br />
ters atrol!.; no, it is Jeho'ah Elohim,'the Three"in OlrJ, ancl rlLe<br />
Orie in Three, wlro we are to worslrip and adore.<br />
t":q5tuble<br />
, 11'<br />
correspondent hasseni us an epistle ,, C)n rire Sorr.<br />
slrip of Christr" by way of reply to James's questions in the Magezrte<br />
fbr Jurre.. we entered.-upon the interrogarion last month<br />
in ourcorrespondences, but llad nbt room to rrotiie at the time the<br />
abgve letter, and we are cornpelled to say, that we tbink the<br />
writer
S84 THE cosppr, s{aeAzrus.<br />
toassert '. Sg,<br />
tong.qs<br />
a thing rg-majgs a mysrery, therecalr be no<br />
conclusrve sprrrtual knowledge." What, Can nothing exist, that<br />
is above our comprehension?-can nothing be true, bit wtrai our<br />
reason can-every rvay account forl shall -it be said tbat we knoto<br />
not that the sun shineth, because its lustre is too briEht for our<br />
eyes to look upon I ,God dvi,elleth in 'the lisht which fio *"n<br />
approach untor -whom no man hath reenorian see; and shall ""n wc<br />
say we do,not know s.f bis existence, because wo cannot see his<br />
face. <strong>The</strong> mysteries of Godliness will ever remain so on this side<br />
of time.-tbey are above our c,learest faculties to discover, and<br />
whe.n known, to comprehend. i<strong>The</strong> facr is, rre walk by faith.and<br />
not by sight.<br />
Wrll our friendly correspondent say, because we know not the<br />
machinery of a clock, and- when we-see it cannot comnreheud its<br />
complicated operatioo of wheel within wheel, which ordduces thar<br />
proportion aud dependance between parts so differint aud appa.<br />
rently unconnected in their functions, that this knowledgc is necessary<br />
to know the bour and minute of tirne. lVhat did Sir Isaac<br />
Newton know of the great system of the universe I fte could talk<br />
of .its dependancies, conneciions, and relations-here his human<br />
penitration wbs puzzleel; he was forced to bottom all his Leasorilg.on<br />
the hypothesis of gravitation, and coultl not procede any<br />
l'urther. Job made a confission to the barrier affixerl to all humair<br />
researc.hes, that a part of God's ways he had seen, .. But the thunder<br />
of hrs power rvho carr unde.rstand, rvlrosc ways are in the great<br />
d.e9p,<br />
'<br />
and his paths in the nrigttty !vaters.',.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is another expression-in"the above letter obnoxious, which<br />
i*, ('Tbere is no mystery thar Chrisr Jesus is the Son of God."<br />
Pray, what isthe nryiteny -of Godliners, but God manifested in the<br />
ffesh. What makes th'n irritable controeersy we are upon. but<br />
that rnan will not stoop to this mystery, but rvish to be wlse iU"r.<br />
wbat is written. Nicodemus likd, bo;- cao rhese things be, and<br />
tlr.ougb- earthly tbings are mysteries ro them, yet thEy wili not<br />
allow the unsearchable nrysterles of the kingdoor bf heavin.<br />
A{ter dwelling upon th"e above assertiono, what can we make of<br />
the_follo-wing_contradictory one .. As lo lhenature antl essence of<br />
Godrtt is alhiyg that ae-cannoto and, ought not to lerzowrnot eoen<br />
ruts, how and by athat rneans God, in his-fulness fuoells in'the Son;<br />
ze)e cext no wtot'e know of this, than howour natural spirits dacll or<br />
c,zist 'in, our boilies," And then be most enerseticallv expresses<br />
him-self by saying, l. We being the Sons of Gid, ani ioitit heirs<br />
vtith Christ Jesus., God, hath sent the Spii.it of- his Sin into our<br />
hearls, crying lbbu Father, und the griat uv-srenv o/ God,liness<br />
is,man'ifested-to us in the.flesh, and, God,s dealings in the church are<br />
also knownrifor rr IsrcrvoN to us to know the Mr'srERrEs oJi thc<br />
4"94":rrof -Gydruhile<br />
to:others,it is hid, and the secret 6f the<br />
Lortl is rozth the righteous, and, he wilt shew the6 7it coveitant,,,<br />
We can scarely think it possible that one person could indite the<br />
::'<br />
:=
THE G0SPSL itiAcAztNd. sgs<br />
guotations;<br />
lbgu?.<br />
if so, rhe.re appears an oblique aspect towards<br />
sabelianism' May Go.d of his infinite mercy) tir"ngtli"n tli" *iJ<br />
or our corresponde-nt, keep him stedfast and not waverinq. and<br />
thct he lr)ay grow in grace and in the knoroletlge of our fo?i unJ<br />
.\avrour Jesns.christ, rvhorn to KNow is life eGr.nal, and rvhom io<br />
bc unrted.to, is a mystety of mysteries, but wlrich makes a rreaven<br />
upon ear:th.<br />
Lond,on ,lwte 4,1854. THE EDITORS<br />
-<br />
A REPLY TO VARIOUS CORRESPONDENTS ARISING OUT OF TIIb<br />
BAPTIS}IAI CONTROVERSY.<br />
'IHnns<br />
appea.rs. at present, a great comnrotion Soing f61rya1.6<br />
ao'olrg our rerrgrors.forks, not of a solid, but of a flu'id description:<br />
rt rs a sort of periodical mania, which we have noticed eenerallv<br />
::.::y,t"u"nlh, year, an ^aquatic excursion, which is ,ur"?o "riJ i'.,<br />
ortlng, scratchlng and fightins.<br />
We, who are rrot altog.ethei' partial to weter, keep our stand orr<br />
tert'aifirmu, and often sdile at tire combatants, but io tfr" ,ial<br />
t,nelr plulrglng a.nd cliving, though we endeavour as nrnch as we "i<br />
cal to. get at,a distance, yet we aie sure to come in fo,. ,o*" oi tli"<br />
splashirrg ; thcy being determined to bring us into the *q,,ubbl".<br />
we cry for peace,<br />
111,,11"_tt9l,<br />
rhe_r-are for rvar_rhty u,iJl not leav.<br />
us atone rn our qutet retreat.<br />
LateJl' rve had the names of two tsaptist preachers sbnt us, whom<br />
we noticed on our June. wrapper, we'have nou, rebeivea rr",i".*<br />
to adrJ, who have been lbr ytiais doirrg all in rhcir po;;;* r,i"0""'<br />
the distribution of the <strong>Gospel</strong> Mag"azine. Findi'ng ah"i; ;fI;;<br />
unvailable to crush the pu'blicatioil, they hau" en-d"uvo;r;;-;;<br />
whisperingsr. and .sly inuendos, to strikc at our morai ;h;;;;;: b.i,<br />
webtess Uod, and cannot thank lrirn too much,thathc iras kent us<br />
lrarmless, and.inoffensive to tltisclay; upright ;" ;il;;,;;;;J;";cations<br />
in civil sociery, neverthelesi, a,irrrrirar the foorstooi ;?;i;-<br />
UNcREATED na.resrvll \/e stand, to the mor.ti{ication of those<br />
cruel men, on a pedesral, too high for tireir p"lting, and rrr"ii"i*si<br />
stratagems to reach us, except irr pecuniar.y circrrmstances,<br />
Wc have had sent usacoirr"ill wriuen"pa*ptrt.i,"oiuirored bu<br />
one ofl the party, too conteurptible for irs vulsaiitv t6<br />
rJ-,1:: tnu:, rr ""fi'"".-*#<br />
.mighr,in some measure hurr-thc" pfoperry of om<br />
l'''ter, who is an horrourable ullright charactei, uh,l a"n i'dustrious<br />
man. <strong>The</strong> oblique dart is birbecl as follows,_fhat oo,<br />
Publicatio. '( Is the niost ab,sive irt csistence.,, (Fstrg te,ms of<br />
even e.t:traot.{ijr!t:y scurrilityi, and thcn rvith a sacarrtiJrn.",. UJsrgnates<br />
our Publication-
S86 TIrE qos8pr, MAcaztNE;<br />
countable, qnly a few months since, called u-Pou us requesting us<br />
to review a,tract ,of ,his, and with a smiling face, a candy tongue,<br />
apd a shake of hand, gave us an invitation to take a fi'iendly<br />
r€past. 'Wh"t<br />
is human nature I Wlat is man in his best estate but altosether<br />
vanitv. As such we are commanded to cease from man,<br />
wfiose breath is iu his nostrilsrfor wherein is he to be accounted of'<br />
And not onlv so. but the advice is stronger expresscd, when it is<br />
said, Trust i,ot in u friend, Put no confidEnce iri a guide..<br />
. ^<br />
We here challenge this fointed adversa-ry, ol aly of his frater'<br />
nitv. to mark out in"all we ever wrote, one liie abusitte ot scurrilous,<br />
ot ino composition of ours, w'herein there was au absence of that<br />
suaviiy ofdisposition' or a want ofthat politeness and good breedinq,d-ue<br />
from one man to another. Certainly wltcn we meut with<br />
a iuffian, or an igttorant conceited boor, tnctl of coarse and vulgar<br />
lariguage and hi'bits, we caunot treat them with that courtesy' of<br />
*oiln"it due to a 'scholar or the gentlernan, for ever]' thing<br />
should be suited to its kind. It has been said when St, Dutrstan<br />
wenE to lay hold of the devil by the nose, lre took a pair of tongs'<br />
Upon tbe"whole, itt rebutLirrg tiris nralicious charge, lve catl appeal<br />
to'the candid and unprejudiied of our reat.lers, and ale haplr.t'in<br />
the retrospective view, that in all we have ever \t'rote, *'e asoided<br />
personalit]es, nor did w€ ever dip our pen in scandal or invective,<br />
so as to stab ihe introccnt in heart, or do an injury to a worm'<br />
Those who have been in the constant habit of pergsirrg our<br />
pages, must rvell knorv, that we have repeatedly cautioned them to<br />
L.il.r.of tbe profane world, and. not less.o, ol the.t'eligious' lt ts<br />
for such admonitary wartrings, [rve -are denottttccd., by tllose, who<br />
lay in wait to deceiv-e, as beiqq of a bitter spilil, and ertraordinat'q<br />
sc,"urrilous. So likewise, when we see menr rvhom God ncver sent,<br />
thrusting themselves into the ministry, ieaving tbeir lawfu,l occupations,<br />
thleir countersr stalls, and shop-boards, getting themselves<br />
dubbid .Rnvnnnxls, in order to live upon those they congregate<br />
together, too lazy and idle to work. When we.make such ao. e.x '<br />
pooror", a whole iribe \s up in arms against us, because w9<br />
$.ake<br />
[teir ti'nYt; they blow thb trumpet, but not the. trumpet of<br />
.Zion,<br />
and crrfteavour"to blast our rcputatioo, and tlre Iancour o['their<br />
heartr lroil up, because s'e do rrot wink at strch atrocities'<br />
So wlrcn rie stand forward in deferrding any of the promirrt'trt<br />
docrriries of the gospel, tlre eneuries of t'uth con{'cderate.tcgether<br />
and say,-Com"] l"r us smite theut rvith the tongue: they.then<br />
bedeviiand black ball us with rhe title ol Axrrxour,ln I and tt *'t:<br />
were as free I'rom sin as Michael the arcitangel, it would be of tto<br />
ler.vicel the 6( coat of mail" of ol the bottomless pit, rs<br />
"Apoll-yon<br />
certain-to be upon us. witness for. instance, .the<br />
acrirnonious<br />
trlolrert Hall, tlre'Baptist, who casthis (3 -oozeand !]s<br />
ntirer" upon<br />
a crpat lu,liirary latelv diceased, of the Church of Euglanci, wliose
\<br />
fn-E cosFEL M*cazINn gEh--_<br />
f :i.: :::- " counter pa.rt of all t'e beatitudes,.and who usea his'itter<br />
il)vecttves agatost us.<br />
1'he rnark-of deception in these men, which covers theirlnefarious<br />
desigus is,they have honey una *ii[-i,nJertheir tonEuei.<br />
will <strong>The</strong>y<br />
sive us hbmities upoh meeknr* i"A- drii:r;;;i;;:<br />
*tild in temper; r'o""ti*<br />
tl_b,:^jl{yy,; tg<br />
"9, 1. nilct(r i ro.r.ove.your<br />
borrr as yout'self.<br />
neigh:<br />
At trre very in-stant they are Denorrrg therr<br />
like thcir trows<br />
tongues<br />
for ties,. thcj, ;iifi;;;;'t.-autrac,ty, or rather pro_<br />
rf brirrsing Ctrrist<br />
l1:l,I<br />
a"s ^n.r*:n,ipii,.. We<br />
rnhnrtc<br />
i;"t c;j";fi'hi_<br />
compassiorr<br />
'rl<br />
to k.e1r us fi'om the tents or t'n"'a"rtrou"r,<br />
God be our shi.lJ arrd bLck.ler,*lif" ii,"'i"a.g"r;.il.;'"Ji;;";<br />
rnerr lasterlt, and from tlrc lgittg tongtrs wnrch<br />
n<br />
devouretb<br />
re.<br />
like<br />
<strong>The</strong>se reflcctions ba'e brou-qht to our remembrance<br />
of<br />
a<br />
Job^Orto.<br />
confessiiln<br />
or Dr. Stoneho-ise, *" f..g", which,<br />
rnournfulcomplaint<br />
who .rakcs a<br />
in sayiog., und *" ,ii'""r"ly<br />
tre<br />
wilrr,<br />
as<br />
i["i'lr:l;;<br />
muclr.impressed upbn Tt," memory of oui. fri";'d; ;;t;;;r_<br />
ypon us- when we first iead it. <strong>The</strong> ivriter obr".u"r*il<br />
lear.nt a le-sson,<br />
i<br />
and<br />
il;<br />
muc.h lament to;;J.; ';h",<br />
amorg a<br />
florid prof'cssors<br />
nmtber<br />
of<br />
of<br />
religion, there is gr"",-.1"*i';i",1;""i;l;;;<br />
likewiie a want o. irrtEgrity, " ;_<br />
*nriuirrri'""o renderness.<br />
t lrei r. zeal. a n<br />
Arnidsr<br />
d p ie te n ce t= oy "<br />
iy,, k.ne<br />
1 i, -<br />
i *iit;t y, ;;;'.hJ'<br />
of ChristianirJ:,<br />
;il;<br />
as also the Christian ;;;;;;, rrErR owN " "*<br />
SNUG pARry<br />
r,rrrl'<br />
is upperrnost. <strong>The</strong>re is iirat *"nting io<br />
soften<br />
;;il;;;;<br />
th"eir spiriis. and open. thei. heart, ro that-compas.<br />
sion.and feeli'ng fbr u,f,.r! *f,i.f,lr'rl;;";y ";;;<br />
of the<br />
Christian<br />
man and.rhe<br />
character. In short tlrere are- oriny brut"r;'pilr,;;<br />
legs among them, and won-to him whol i"l aepenaent unon rhem<br />
.or is iit<br />
'rl;;<br />
-Ariy wAyj.cONNnorFjD with !he,m.,t Speakiig<br />
tongue of detraction, he f urrlrcr says: ,, A i,igti*Ll:*;;t.;, "f<br />
of'nr;- purse,<br />
;:<br />
and therc is perhaps afi errd oF rhelbusine*r.<br />
tian<br />
A<br />
brstlter<br />
Cl;i;:<br />
robs me ol fry ,"pn t"tionr,p"";;;<br />
and ".'te"-;<br />
;;;i;;;;<br />
usefulness., and ar the same time liffs up his;y;.-;,;J'1,;;;;J<br />
to heavenr rnd seem t,q ..uy., Let the Lot.tl ie gtorilierl; th;;;;;<br />
'e no.loss to know, rvhic'"is- ttr* g."*t".i rogi" o'i thl,r*;;;<br />
most.deserves t,r. be hanged.r,<br />
.\<br />
o-- -' "rv L. v, @(ru.<br />
Really, had the Edirois of tlre <strong>Gospel</strong> llagazine said onry half<br />
much as<br />
as<br />
this ltevcrend gerr'enran, rve shoulJ [;;; b"""";;id"il;;<br />
riionstersr,arrrl rrot only "lave l_,ecn ,l;,,;;,,; ;f ,i;'i;;i;;,;yr;;,<br />
uncflartabre , standalous. and ultusiaer" but demons in hurnan.i;;":<br />
Here let not the irreligious or profane, ii tn"v ,f,""ia ;;;;il5;<br />
Iulesr.exult<br />
.and say, so rvould we have ir; -but rathcr let them<br />
1."^']:i.{.:;1_.:i .rt11td<br />
detp,ly, That stra-it is ttre gate ,"d<br />
."';il<br />
;;;<br />
ya{:: rne,klltSoonl ot treaven, and ferv therJbe rvho rvalk therein.<br />
And though Satarr has the harvcst, yet God has a sheaf he." uni u<br />
sheaf tLcre." Trvo or three b"rriei in it . uppermost boush. ancl<br />
four or.five berrics in the outrnort brun.h".li;'A -- ;;;;;;;;:;'ilril<br />
ing<br />
'<br />
to the eleetion of grace.
.SSE ,, 'fHE GoSPEL <strong>MAG</strong>AZTNET<br />
' .lse[oied brethrenr-pardon this lEngtlrened intrusion; bear with<br />
u$'in our complaiuti and in our weak-ness, for.who.is.weak and we<br />
6rc not weak.' And when we commend ourselves it is not {br our<br />
.:srikes. but that the way of truth be not evil spoken of' We are<br />
cotnmund"d to provide things honest in the sight oF all men, thae<br />
orfr deeds mav be made manifest. And when we hold the rnys-<br />
- tery of 6itf, it should be in a pure co'science, void of offenee towa"rdt<br />
God, and towards man.' It is proper then,-to boast upon<br />
some occasions, therefore we ask rvith an aPostler Have we com'<br />
*itt"d an offence lrgeause we have t6rougli evil report and good<br />
report, endeavoured to disseminate the gospel of God freely' -We<br />
huie touched no man's silver or gold, and rather than nrahe the<br />
gosllel of Christ cliargeable, the vcry llands now w.ritrng, are min'<br />
i-rreii"g to our necessities-, and.to those tbat are with us. And rve<br />
will fuittrer say, so as to leave it upon record, that man,v tirnes ttr<br />
nlue h lanqo,,r" anfl weariness of botly, exhausted rvith farlgue by<br />
the avocaiions of the day, have we abstractetl those hours f,rom resf<br />
to superinterrtl rhese pig"t. And here let ttre midnight larrlp be<br />
our,Jpobgistforauyiup"susltnguis'oranoversightfortheerfors'of<br />
the press.<br />
.],t.ouin'ouradversariesin|othehandsofhimwlrohasa|lhearts<br />
at his co*"*nand, 4nd 'who can , turn,them, as it seemeth bestr.to his<br />
Godly wisdom,'conclude these lines by saying, this is our triumph<br />
and ciown of rejoicing, tbat We are not g,s many.whtch corrupt the<br />
ulori,],ofGotI',bitasii.sincerztg,asofGod,speakweinChrist.<br />
,<br />
'<br />
Lonrlon, JuIU t6,ll3+.<br />
THE EDITORS'<br />
-o0o<br />
-\-.,-^,ftr1*<br />
ORDINATION OF REV. C. D, GA\l'I.ER,<br />
irf llchester, in the county of Somerset, rrho after labouring in the vineyartl of<br />
_clrrist in the above place for seven tear€ and a !a,lf,<br />
at tbe uilanimous r.equesl<br />
ol' the chutch and congregation assembling fordivine worship in Providence<br />
Chapel, in that torvn, io."pqbli"ly tet aparl as their Pastor-r oll Tuesdal July<br />
s, rss+. <strong>The</strong> Ordination in lhe morning by ilre Rev' J. L. Knight' of Provirlenc,'<br />
Chapel, Exeter: the Rev. J. Barton, of the Old Tabernacle, Exeter,<br />
stated the na-ture of a <strong>Gospel</strong> Churcb, asked the usual questions, and gave thg.<br />
Charge in a very impressive manne?' <strong>The</strong> Rev' J. L. Knight oil'ered. ttp thei<br />
Ordination Prayer, addressed the people, and concluded. <strong>The</strong> serviee was<br />
highly interestirrg to lire people assembled, antl the presence ,l the Lord rtas<br />
toib ittt and enjiyed. In-the evening the above ministers severally addressed<br />
the people tobe a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.<br />
In the pless, and publishing in parts, Dem; 8vo. rhe Select Works of 'Williar.n]Hunt1ngton,S'S.Commencirtgwit1r1beBankofFaith.<br />
Th" P"eu""h"ris Manual: Lecturei on Preachilg; containing the Rules and<br />
Examplesnecess:lr:y for everyspecies of Pulpit Address, by^S. T.SturteYant.<br />
Nen' etlition; rvith'all the essentidl parts of his Letters and Conversatiorts.<br />
Scraps for the Household of Faith,<br />
Street, Chapel,<br />
By Henry Fowler, iVlinister of Gower<br />
<strong>The</strong> P'rintei most respeclfulty oL,cerl,est that ou'tng to a, superubundance ol tettet'<br />
press itt this illonti's inftrr, he is obtigetl to onil rc pagis o! Rnieu of Books"