unbelief and hardness of heart, alas, alas, where should we have been. How justly does he accuse us, and how keenly do we feel it."Your ways are unequal saith the Lord." Then he repeats his promises, and the day-star arises in our hearts, as he opens to us the scriptures, and tells us in his word, "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant." It is then that we can look steadfastly to the end of that which is abolished. It is then only that we can see the middle wall of partition, contained in ordinances, broken down by his perfect obedience to the law in all its righteous demands! Every thing now which constitutes perfection and holiness is ours. In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. By him we all have access into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. "This is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me saith the Lord." Though in themselves the most filthy and polluted, yet are they all pure in the eye of God, and without a spot!

We often remark in the pursuit of our common concerns, that "love hides a multitude of faults." This is strictly true, and analagous to this is the love of God in Christ, though of a superlatively higher degree. "He is well pleased for his dear Son's righteousness sake,"" for he is our PEACE." "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." For, "We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Oh how good the Lord is! How this dears Christ. The mention of his name makes Satan tremble, and the saints triumph.

en

Reader, May the Lord the Spirit constrain you to think upon his name! A HEWER OF WOOD.

Cussey, Feb. 14.

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THE BELIEVER'S STRUGGLE.

"It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing." THE gospel is so essentially and intrinsically glorious, that it is impossible it should receive the least lustre from any creature, or that it should stand in need of any external aid. It is like the sun, which gives a lustre but receives none; and though creatures may be employed in its service, yet that is their honour and happiness; if they are spiritual ministers. Though we cannot do without God, yet God can do without us. He will have mercy, and not sacrifice. It is admitted that gifts are not grace. Covet earnestly, says Paul, the best gifts, and yet I show you a more excellent way. This more excellent way is, charity, or love; without which, whatever we may do or suffer; whatever we may know as to the letter; or however we may preach, with consistency of doctrines, with freedom of speech, and with energy of expression, nay, with apparent success, as to numbers; be very popular, and reap much temporal

advantage; nevertheless all is nothing; we are but as sounding brass, or as tinkling cymbals. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; and where that is wanting, no sacrifice of ours can be accepted. The continuance of a church in the world, and the propagation of the gospel, is a standing miracle; as much so, as to see a bush burning with fire, and yet for that bush not to be consumed. The conversion of a sinner is a standing miracle, and this every one will acknowledge who has known and felt the evil of sin, and the enmity of a carnal mind against a free grace gospel. The quickening and convincing of a sinner, the application of the word, and the sprinkling of the blood, is as much the work of God the Spirit, as salvation is the work of God the Son. We are God's workmanship; God's husbandry, God's building. It is he who fits us for himself, and sanctifies us as vessels for his own use and service, marks us for his own, inscribes his own name upon us, even holiness to the Lord; and thus makes us meet for his eternal kingdom and glory. What the Lord does, he does for ever; the impression which he makes, when he puts his laws into our hearts, and writes them in our inward parts, is so deep, that it can never be erased again. The impression, so far from wearing out, will sink deeper and deeper. Out of his fulness we shall be continually receiving; the righteousness of God which is revealed from faith to faith; the word of the Lord, once received, abideth for ever; once changed into the image of the Lord; the more we see of his grace, his goodness, and his glory, the more we shall be like him, till we come at last to see him as he is; and then we shall be altogether like him. It is the work of Jesus, "both to search his sheep, and seek them out, where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day." Ezekiel xxxiv. 11, 12.

He found me naked, and clothed me with royal apparel; poor and wretched, and made over all his riches to me; put a chain of gold about my neck, bracelets on my arms, and rings on my fin gers; told me to make a free use of all he is and has: I was blind from my birth, and he created in me light, and gave the visive faculty, and I with wonder saw myself, and with astonishment beheld him he said, behold me; yes, behold my hands, look into my side. I was constrained to say, O Lamb of God! was ever pain, was ever love like thine! I was lame, withered and crippled in every limb; he made my feet like hind's feet, and I ran after him with delight, and handled him with joy unspeakable and full of glory: I was dumb, he opened my mouth, and sweetly constrained me to speak of him and to him, and has made me speak out for his glory. I will give them a heart to know me," is the promise; and all that the church as a body, or as individual members, know of God, is from Jehovah the Spirit; and the language will be, glory be to him for his powerful teaching. I was ignorant, and he instructed me; taught me my state as a sinner, wounded me and healed me, killed me and made me alive, condemned me and liberated me, laid me

low and raised me up, shone with life and light into my conscience, stopped my mouth, led me to the Saviour, revealed his heart to me, opened his wounds for my cleansing, bathed me in the fountain of his precious blood, gave me a spirit of grace and supplication; taught me to pray, answered my prayers, opened the treasures of his word, and I did eat-it revealed the covenant of promise, and my soul with wonder traced the Father's counsels, the Son's undertaking, and accomplishing the same on account of the church. Moreover, he showed me that it was for me, even for me a worthless sinner; and I lisped out, My Father! he took me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love; he girded me for the battle, and proclaimed war, perpetual war with Amalek; made and fitted on my feet shoes of iron and brass, and inscribed on the frontlets of my armour, " as the day is, thy strength shall be;" and insured me success through the battle. Glory, be to Jehovah, the Spirit, he has discovered unto me my weakness, and revealed unto me where my strength is, so that if a host encamp against me, I cannot be overcome or finally conquered. Rom. viii. 37. Though weak, I am strong through his strength, and my strength is the strength of the Lord God Omnipotent. While he has wisdom, I cannot err in my path; and power, I cannot sink; he will glorify himself in saving me, a poor sinner.

The people of God are always to bear in mind that salvation is a state, and a state unalterable, by the sin of those who are fixed in it. So also is regeneration, it is a translation, a taking out of one kingdom or state, and putting into another, which never can be altered-sin can have no more dominion over such that are brought into this, for they are not under the law, but under grace, and this grace shall reign unto eternal life-regeneration is the earnest of it, and a meetness for it. What the ever blessed Spirit communicates to us in this work corresponds with a glorified state. So grace is glory began-grace is the first degree of glory, and glory is the highest degree of grace-grace is glory militant-glory is grace triumphant.

As these are glorious scriptural truths, we must take one view more of the Lord's people in their present state of warfare-engaged in a war that can only end in death; hence we find them sighing and singing, rising and falling, soaring and sinking, mourning and rejoicing, with the wings of a dove, yet chained to a dead body, in light and in darkness, in life and deadness, in gospel liberty and yet shut up. Oh, what a paradox is a believer! For as soon as God begins to work, the devil begins to wage war and more or less, this warfare is carried on in every believing soul, till death that puts an end to strife, will put an end to sin. Every believer after conversion, and especially if he is of long standing in the divine life, feels an inward man; and that which is born of the flesh is flesh still, and that which is born of the Spirit is spiritualhe one never can be converted into the other, notwithstanding all

the struggles, groans, cries and prayers of the saints. Oh! how they long to get rid of sin,-but that is an inmate they can never drive out; ever pestering, ever plaguing the new man of grace ; yea all the graces of the Holy Spirit.

The flesh, the old man, sin, with his vile affections; goes by various names, and it is the believer's duty to put him off, shun him; to keep all the doors shut, the eyes, the ears, the mouth and the thoughts; I can only do so in my Lord's grace and strength, "for without him, I can do nothing." To whom be glory and honour, for ever and ever. Amen.

W. C.

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APHORISMS BY WILLIAM ROMAINE,

Never before Published.

No. LIV.

In the ministry I have long learnt this lesson, an entire dependence on the Lord to bless his work. For we may toil all night and day, and catch nothing till the Lord bless the gospel net. Paul may plant and Apollos may water.

Self, proud self, is such a dull scholar, and has such a bad memory, that though I am satisfied to day, Christ must do all for me, and all in me, and all by me too, yet I soon forget, and soon want to be something in the work myself; but I do know, and blessed be the name of Jesus, I do experience, that his grace is sufficient for me; in pulling down my pride, and making me willing to be nothing, that Christ may be All.

There is a great difference between saying and feeling, God be merciful to me a sinner.

I live with Christ and Christ with me, I worship him, and do all on earth as well as I can, till he enables me to do it better in hea ven. Thus my present condition is a subject of praise and thankfulness.

This night, FORTY-FOUR years have passed, since I stood upon this spot. My first text then was, as it is now," Brethren, I desire to know nothing among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified." Few, very few of my then auditory are now remaining. Such as are left, I ask you, are you tired of the subject; I am not, it has been my one central point in my ministry, and will be my unceasing song of triumph, when I join the assembly of the redeemed in glory.

Would to God I knew the proper means to awaken men's consciences, and to make them sensible of their condition, I have tried every ingenuity that the heart of man can devise, but men turn a deaf ear; I have now learnt by long laboured experience, that this is the alone work of the Holy Spirit, he it is that must dispose the heart to receive instruction.

The winds and the sea obey the command of our Lord and Saviour, and remember, believer, he is the same in the spiritual world, as he is in the natural.

If you can but once see your danger, you are safe, for your distress cannot be greater, than the Redeemer's mercy.

Those who are of Christ's family and flock, let the times be ever so bad and corrupt, they shall be safe; or the times ever so tempestuous, they shall be set on high, out of the reach of the storm. Their defence shall be the munition of rocks.

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To the Editors of the Gospel Magazine.

BELIEVING MADE EASY WITHOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT; OR, ArmiNIANISM A LITTLE DISGUISED BY DR. CHALMERS.

MESSRS. EDItors,

I HAVE lately met with a periodical publication called "The Scottish Christian Herald," in which some writings, " On peace in believing," by Dr. Thomas Chalmers, occupy prominent places.Dr. C., as you very well know, is a man eminently distinguished by his science and eloquence, and it would afford me unfeigned pleasure to add, with truth, that he is distinguished by the soundness of his faith and the purity of his doctrine. But, in both these latter respects, his own writings exhibit him as lamentably deficient, albeit he is the Professor of Theology in the University of Edinburgh.

It may seem presumption in one of the untutored laity to find fauit with such a man, standing as he does at the very head of the Scottish Divinity School, and who came to London a little while ago, he being a Presbyterian, to enlighten us his Episcopalian brethren relative to the advantages of Church Establishments, endowments, and so forth. But even at the risk of being deemed presumptuous, I shall venture to call in question the learned Doctor's creed; for I do not believe that any man, having correct views of redemption, faith, and the everlasting covenant of grace, which is ordered in all things and sure, would write in such wise as this great theological professor does. I do not believe that any real godly man, instructed by the Word and Spirit of God, would ever assert, or even insinuate that God's grace might have been frustrated by the will of man: or that Christ might have died in vain and unhonoured, but for the will of man: or even that the redemption by Christ might be limited in its extent and application by the will of man. And yet Dr. Chalmers asserts or insinuates all this, unless I very much misunderstand him. It is grievous to see how free will is now almost every where sheltering itself under the mantle of one or other of our Calvinistical Reformers. It was the same leaven that worked in the Pharisees of our Lord's time: it still works in Vol. IV.-No. V.

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