sense. God, and all holy beings, approve of a just and beneficent appropriation of wealth. The preposition "of," " before "mammon," evidently has the sense of " with," in this place. 3. His motive was a temporary lodge; ours, a permanent abode in heaven.

From the text we make one single inference: that wealth is an invaluable talent.

Perhaps you will say, it is not necessary to insist upon this, because all persons value it sufficiently. But it is not true as is commonly supposed, that all men are eagerly desirous to be rich. If they were, more would become so. The multitude desire to be rich, like they desire to be learned or virtuous; but few so desire it, as to resolve, if practicable, to make the attainment. Fewer still wish to acquire, or possess wealth, that they may employ it usefully.

How much good a rich man may do! From the nature of our institutions, we are not burdened in this country, as certain classes are in Europe, with overgrown fortunes. But there are thousands of Christians in the United States, each of whom might with his mere pocket-money support such a man as Mr. Comstock or Mr Shuck. And many a lady might from her pin-money, educate, year after year, a theological student. We read of some man on the banks of the Mississippi, or of the Ganges, who is blessing the world with his labors, and that man is supported at the expense of $600 or $800 per annum from the funds of some society. Many a Church member who has no talent for such a work, has the means of supporting one or more such men, while men who have the talent, are earning their bread by the ordinary pursuits of life, and the Church and the world are deprived of their services. To "make haste to be rich," is folly; to covet it that we may consume it upon our lusts" is worse; but to acquire and possess wealth with a view to its lawful enjoyment, and our usefulness, is highly praise worthy.

TO OUR PATRONS.

Two years have passed away, since "The Virginia Baptist Preacher" commenced its evangelical labors, and these labors, we trust, have not been "in vain, in the Lord.' In many respects, our success has surpassed our own most sanguine anticipations. As regards material for the Publication, we have had more of it, and of better quality, than could have been reasonably expected. It will be recollected that, of the 24 Nos. we have published, frequently comprising two, and sometimes, three sermons each, one was from Kentucky, and all the rest either from ministers residing in Virginia, or from those who have migrated from this, to other States. Several ministers who promised their

aid, and from whom we still expect contributions, have as yet rendered us no aid in this way; and we candidly affirm that we consider the discourses which have appeared, a mere specimen of the capabilities of the Ministry in Virginia.

Of single Sermons we have issued between 50,000, and 60,000. If these have been read, and heard read, on an average, by five persons each, the Preacher has already had more than a quarter of a million of readers or hearers. Some of these Sermons, are of uncommon excellence; they all teach the way of salvation, and press it home upon the conscience. Ought we to fear that so much good seed, has all fallen by the "way side," or in "stony ground?" We cannot fear it. We doubt not, that fruit has been produced, in the instruction, consolation, and increased piety, of many a Christian; and we cherish the thought that salutary impressions have been made on unconverted minds.

It will be perceived from our Title Page, that we have erased the word "Virginia," from our name. The suggestion was first made from the North, by the Editor of the Baptist Record, Rev. L. Burrows, who spoke favorably of the Work, and manifested a desire for its more extensive circulation. In the South, the same feeling was exhibited, especially by Rev. Joseph Baker, Editor of the Christian Index. Of the three names proposed, the one selected will probably combine the views of all, and be liable to the least objections from any quarter. Our "Western brethren will not complain that the word "Southern" is too local; and "Baptist" is sufficiently comprehensive to include, as suggested by Rev. Dr. Babcock, of the "Baptist Memorial," the whole of our great family in every part of our country, and of the world. And may we not hope that our columns will sometimes be enriched, by the productions even of those, who have gone "far hence to the Gentiles?" But this change, does not imply an abandonment of any one of the objects originally contemplated by this Publication. Our young Ministers will not be the less likely to profit by our pages, from the circumstance that contributions will be made from a more extensive field; nor can it be probable that those who write will be less careful because they expect an increased list of readers.

But, were we, in entering afresh upon our employment, to look no farther than to the improvement of any particular classes, even though they be Ministers, our view would be entirely too confined. We look to the advancement of the religious interests of the denomination, and of the world. We wish to perform our humble part in diffusing abroad truth and righteousness in the earth, in bringing to pass that glorious era, when none shall have cause to say to his neighbor, "know thou the Lord," but when all, from the least to the greatest, shall know him, whom to know, is eternal life.

A Sermon, delivered at the Meeting of the General Association, in Richmond, June, 1843, by REV. W. SOUTHWOOD, of the County of King & Queen, Va.

"I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." MALACHI, III: 6.

"Whatsoever God does in the world, he does it as suitable to the highest goodness; the idea and fairest copy of which is his own essence.'

CUDWORTH.

"The transition from a partial exhibition of truth to the adoption of positive error is a most natural one: and he who commences with consigning certain important doctrines to oblivion, will generally end in perverting or denying them."

R. HALL.

Every created object which passes before us, and challenges. our contemplation as it passes, has the marks of mutability upon it. Do we press the yielding sand, or strike the rock of adamant, and enquire for immutability? The answer is, It is not in me. In every direction, in things animate and things inanimate; in the physical and the intellectual world; we meet with evidences of mutability. The earth and the heavens shall perish, all of them shall wax old as a garment, and as a vesture they shall be folded up and changed. He who made all things, and who governs all things, is alone immutable, and this we know from his word, which he hath magnified above all his name. † His wisdom and his power are discovered in creation, but revelation was necessary to make known to us the immutability of God. And it is no small consolation to the people of God to know that revelation is made with a special reference to them. Indeed all things are for their sake, and whether it be creation or revelation they have

*

Heb. i: 11--12.

+ Ps. cxxxviii: 2.

+2 Cor. iv: 15.

an interest in all, because they have an interest in Christ through precious faith. All things, says the Apostle, are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's. *

That there is an Almighty Being, the light of nature will teach us, and that he made and governs the world, the heathen in all ages have acknowledged; but unassisted reason has drawn sentiments of the Deity from his power and vengeance, and men in their blind attempts to propitiate him have shown that_their wisdom is folly, † and that their tender mercies are cruel. Revelation has been given to exalt our reason, to place man upon an eminence, where, in the province of faith, the Almighty might be surrounded by a brightness and a grandeur which the light of nature could not bestow.

The immutability of Jehovah is an attribute of the most exalted nature, and of the purest excellence. In a peculiar manner it distinguishes him from all the creatures that he hath made. Man, his fairest work, fell, because he was mutable; the angels, who kept not their first estate were mutable, ‡ and those who remained faithful stood, not by their own power but because they were elect, || and because they were sustained by him who had chosen them; whose prerogative it is, to be the same, yesterday, to-day, and for ever. §

**

That the works of God, without his word, cannot sufficiently inform our minds of the unchangeableness of God is clear from this circumstance, all his works are ordained to mutability. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handi-works; T but soon, the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the world, and all that is therein, shall be burnt up. Then shall the sun start from his place, and the stars shall fall like falling leaves from off a fig-tree: †† then shall the hills melt like wax before the presence of the Lord, ‡‡ and the mountains flee from their stations like chaff before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind: then it shall appear, that, all flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the field, the grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away, but the word of the Lord endureth for ever; and this is the word, which by the Gospel is preached unto you. §§

Jehovah's immutability is the ground of security to the Church of God. He who is unchangeable in his nature is unchangeable in his purposes, and unchangeable in his covenant promises in Christ, to a thousand generations. ¶¶ Though

* 1 Cor. iii: 21, 22, § 1 Tim. v: 21.

++ Isa. xxxiv:

23. + Rom. i: 22.

Heb. xiii: 8.
Ps. xcvii: 5.

Prov. xii: 10. Il Jude, 6. ** Ps. xix: 4. tt 1 Pet. iii: 10. SS Isa, xvii: 13. TT 1 Pet. i: 24, 25.

worldly policy may sneer at such expressions, it is to be feared that the same philosophy, falsely so called, will lead to the denial that one being or essence subsists in three distinct persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, who are co-eternal and co-equal in all the properties and perfections of the Godhead; or, at least, to the keeping back of such truths of the Bible, as too antiquated for the popular taste, till on their revival, for revived they must be, they will be so far forgotten that, like the philosophers at Athens, christian congregations will say-May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? for thou bringest strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things

The visible Church, is, in the context, represented as degenerate and rebellious, and the true children of God among them were not guiltless. But while the Lord says to the formalists, I will come near to you in judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, and turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me saith the Lord of hosts, verse 5, he adds for the comfort of true believers the words of our text, For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. For our general instruction, and for the true believer's consolation, let us consider,

I. Those things in which Jehovah shews his immutability:— II. What advantages result from it to his people:-and

III. Make some reflections which seem naturally to arise from the subject. We are to notice,

First, Those things in which Jehovah shews his immutability.

And here I would premise that this attribute is common to all the persons of the trinity. As we proceed we shall discover that all those acts of God's grace and love towards his Church come to us entirely through the everlasting covenant in which God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are equally engaged. Indeed we can never look at the word, or the acts of God's grace aright, but as we see them in this covenant.† This is the only way to secure a fixedness of attention on Christ, and here he appears gloriously. He is called, The covenant, for he was given as a covenant for his people. In all God's dealings with us, he acts in and by Christ; and we can only come to God, and behold him in that same way as he is given. Vague ideas of Christ such as we often hear uttered, in the words " Our Savior" will do the soul no good. It was such a view of Christ as the Spirit taught which led David, in his last days, when to all believers a correct view of Christ is peculiarly endearing, to lay fast hold on the

* Acts xvii: 18, 19, 20. + Heb. viii: 6. Isa. xlii: 6. || Col. ii: 2, 3.