fleshly religion of the day, but after the Spirit; for if the Son hath made you free, then are you free indeed, for " the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made you free from the law of sin and death," Rom. viii. 1, 2; John viii. 26; v. 24. Free from sin, and death, and hell, Rejoice, my soul, for all is well, And thou with Christ shalt sing; And shout amidst the blood-bought throng, And praise the eternal Three-in-One, Father, Spirit, and Son. 66 Thirdly, the immutability of the blessed promise. Faithful is he that hath promised, and he will perform;" for he is a God that cannot lie, heaven and earth shall pass away, but his word never can; and he hath promised to give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him; yes, and he hath promised to put in them the Spirit of grace and supplication, and they shall call upon his name. What a mercy is it, my dear brother, for you and me, that the covenant of grace is ordered in all things and sure, that nothing is left for us poor helpless creatures to do; that the Father hath loved us with an everlasting love, and will never put us away; that the Son hath saved us with an everlasting salvation; and that the Holy Spirit hath engaged to search us out in the dark and cloudy day, kill us of all hope of salvation by the deeds of the law, testify of Jesus to our souls-in all the love of his heart, the glory of his person, the freeness and richness of his salvation, the perfection of his righteousness, and the immutability of his promise that he will never leave us, but will be our Friend at all times, and our guide even unto death, and at last receive us safe into glory, for "all shall know the Lord, from the least even to the greatest:" they shall know and feel his power here, and to all eternity. And eannot you, my dear brother, bear testimony to his faithfulness? hath one of the good things he hath promised thee failed? Methinks you say, No, he hath been better to me than all my fears; though I have been beset on every hand, yet he hath opened a door in the valley of Achor, and made a way for my escape, and I have looked back and seen the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Yes, he hath proved to be notwithstanding my unbelief and rebellion, a thousand times a faithful, covenant-making, and covenant-performing, God; for he saith, "I am the Lord, I change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." 66 But, lastly, its duration. Reader, if thou hast thus learned Christ, I hail thee as one born of God; thou art within the fold of electing love, and shall not fall short of taking thy seat around thy Father's throne: he that hath begun the good work in thee, will never leave thee, but will lead thee into all truth, and unfurl the glorious banner of salvation; for, saith Jesus, he shall testify of me." Thou wilt meet with foes on every hand, and Satan will tempt thy poor soul in dark seasons that the Comforter is clean gone for ever; but fear not, for he hath pledged all the perfections of his Godhead never to leave thee: and though he may appear to depart from thee, he still hath thee under his protection, for he will never leave thee, no, nor never forsake thee. If once made the recipients of his presence, he will dwell in thee for ever. Not all the floods of sin, temptation, or persecution, will ever drive him from his reigning throne, for he hath engaged to lead thee through this vale of rears, carry thee safe over Jordan's river, and land thee with a glorious admittance safe into the mansions of eternal bliss, and dwell in thee to all eternity. It is his influence that shall cheer thy soul in all thy troubles, and shall endear Jesus to thee as thy all in all. For without him we can know nothing of ourselves, nothing of Jesus nor his salvation; but under his tuition we are safe folded in the arms of a triune God, we shall land safe on Zion's My very dear brother in the Lord, MAY all covenant blessings be with you necessary for his glory, and your comfort and joy of faith in the Lord. Did you think I had overlooked, forgotten, or neglected you? Go, letter, and tell my brother and the blood-bought around him, that I have not nor cannot, but for the want of time have not been able ere now to make the least reply to your truly kind epistle. I am always glad to hear from and about you, and the Lord's chosen around you am truly sorry to hear of our friend's illness. I trust I have been enabled to bear him up in my arms of faith and affection before the Lord Jesus. Sweet Jesus hears, and answers, and attends to every, yea the most minute circumstances of his redeemed. The foot cannot be crushed below, and the head be unconscious above. That poor afflicted worm will as assuredly see the King in his beauty, in the regions of glory everlasting, as I am now writing. I shall be obliged to postpone my journey into Devonshire, where some of my best friends live at this time; nevertheless I love, pray for, and esteem them highly in the Lord. Our Lord times all things relative to his mystical members: through what channel they shall enter this world, and when they shall be new-born and where, and in all the after journey, until they reach their blissful, glorious home. There is not, there cannot possibly exist nor occur the least, the most minute circumstance, but what was pre-appointed before all worlds and time, by our great and glorious triune Jehovah; all of which are to minister to his glory, and the good of his chosen, from the womb to the tomb. When things transpire which are truly painful to flesh and blood; crosses and afflictions, which are the lot of his dear heritage in this world, of whom he hath said, "I will bring the third part through the fire," [mark, he doth not say above it, beneath it, or by the side of it, but through it; neither doth he say he will leave them in the midst of it, no, bless his dear name, but through, and finally out of it, for a chosen vessel cannot be lost] oh! may we be kept (while the Esaus mock, the Egyptians oppress, the Shimeis curse, the Sabeans make havoc, the winds blow, and the fire burns) like him who said, Shall I receive good at the hand of the Lord, and not evil?" Oh, it is blessed to see that nothing, no nothing can obtain to afflict God's family, but by his sovereign appointment. May the great Three-One that bear record in heaven, give you sweet communion with himself in all his covenant purposes, and glorious displays of his almighty grace. His grace! oh, what a dimensionless deep, a boundless sea, a bottomless, shoreless ocean. To it may you be led daily, of it receive incessantly, and by it live, walk, and talk, to the praise of its glory. The Holy Ghost give you an unctious enjoyment of its indescribable sweetness and blessedness, and enlarged apprehensions of the great giver of all grace, until grace is consummated in endless glory. So prays the poorest and most undeserviug of the Lord's saved ones, POETRY. THE ANNUNCIATION. WHAT means that lovely, radiant star, And whence those sounds so soft and clear, Speak to the heart, and speak with power. "Fear not! for unto you this day- They ceased, and sought their native skies, Was borne upon the breeze afloat, Raise we the song that echoed then, The shepherds mused and gazed around, At length they rose, they left the plain Let us too follow, and adore And we through him shall reign in heaven. EMMELINE. THE PASTOR'S FAREWELL SALUTATION Though ofton in the furnace cast, Doubt not thy Saviour's care; For God hath pledged his precious word, "I will be with thee there.' Ye chosen child of sovereign grace, Thy christian path pursue, With Mary, at Immanuel's feet May my dear sister lay, Tell him a member pleads his help, The name he 'll not disown ; "Who shall remove the stone?" may be On love's blest everlasting arms, The summit thou shalt find. Then live upon, and walk with Christ, There pastors and their people meet And all the ransomed family For ever crown'd at home. Then with the whole assembled church, To all eternity. Boston. WILLIAM FELTON. CONGRATULATION. ALL hail, Zion's Casket, well laden with store, For humble believers, the naked and poor; While sweetly unfolding the treasures of grace, Which shine so resplendent in Jesus's facc. Some years have now passed since thou first didst appear, With all thy rich treasures the weary to cheer, And still thou art bringing, their wants to supply, Rich food for the hungry, and drink for the dry. Amidst the world's changes unchanged be thy theme, Make Jesus thy subject, his glory thy aim: Go on still defending His secret decrees Who reigns as a sovereign and doth as he please. Good news for poor sinners the gospel proclaims, And freedom for captives long bent in their chains, How worthless so ever and guilty they be No pow'r can retain those whom Jesus sets free. And while truth is supported and creatures stript bare, From all creature works which they love very dear; -Think my soul, If thy weak mind can grasp so large a thought, Which said, "Let there be light," must be Been known in all thy history. Every one his crown, Or Calvary's hill will shout a loud reproach, And heaven's wide arch in hollow vacancy, Blush for a God who did not count the cost. REZENEB. 193 113 Dr. Owen 159, 181, 208 49 A Glorious Display of Divine Sove- A Little Instruction for Mnason.. An Address Delivered to a Young Gen- A Query on Family Prayer. A Short History of the Life and Con- 18 254 God's Christ God's Everlasting Love God's Love to his People the cause of 169, 197 161, 177 |