SIR, To the Editors of the Gospel Magazine. SHOULD the following meet with your approbation, the insertion of the same would oblige, yours most truly. Portsea, Hants, March 1839. ON THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SPIRIT. Festus said, Thou art beside thyself."-Acts xxvii. 24. H. N. Agrippa said, Almost thou persuadest me to be a christian."-Acts xxvii. 28. THESE words contain the reply of three distinguished characters of the earth, to what the beloved apostle of the Gentiles stated as regarded his life, call and conversion. It will be my principal aim from the words before us to show, how great the difference is, as respects effects, which the gospel of Jesus produces upon various tempers, dispositions, and characters found among mankind. Let us take 1st. The character of Felix.-We are told when Paul reasoned upon "righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come," Felix trembled! and hearing nothing further concerning him, with the exception of his love of money, praise, and the world, we are necessarily led to conclude that the only effect the preaching of the gospel had upon Felix was to cause him to shake !-Precisely so is it with many in the present day by the preaching of the gospel, their natural consciences and feelings are alarmed, and through this circumstance, they run to and fro in a state of agitation, crying for mercy, not from a feeling sense of their need of mercy, but simply from a mere natural conviction, produced by some powerful thrust made by the art of the orator, which penetrates as far as the natural conscience, without effecting anything like true and genuine conversion; except indeed an occasional and momentary trembling of a natural conscience be put in its room and place. Those who have been effected as Felix was by the preaching of the word, have for a season, evinced much external reformation in life, manners, and conversation; and not unfrequently passed in the eyes of many, for sincere seekers and humble followers of the Lord Jesus Christ; but alas, in a little season, there has not wanted proof that the seed sown has fallen upon a barren soil; consequently, nothing but the sour grape of natural terror, fear and despair could be produced: thus the end proves the beginning, for, inasmuch, as nature cannot rise above its level, neither could Felix experience other than he felt, even though an angel from heaven had preached the same truths as the apostle did. Without the Holy Spirit's aid, Paul may preach, and Apollos may water, but Felix will remain dead in trespasses and sins, and without hope of God in this world, or in the world to come. "No man can call Jesus the Lord but by the Holy Ghost." If any one should demand of me why Felix should only tremble under the word, while others are savingly melted with it? I reply, it pleased God! even so Father for so it hath seemed good in thy sight. Thus then have I shown the only effect the gospel produced upon Felix, was to make him tremble! I will now notice, 2nd. The character of Festus.-When Festus had heard Paul, he declared the apostle was beside himself, and that too much learn. ing had made him mad. Thus, Festus only ridiculed. Here Festus acknowledges the apostle to be a learned mun, and in order to get rid of the force and truth of the apostle's arguments and statenients, declares his learning had driven him mad. "I am not mad, most noble Festus, said the apostle, but do speak forth the words of soberness and truth" Just so the true sent servants of Jesus are treated by the Festus's, in this our day. The opinion formed of their doctrines, practice, and experience, is precisely the same as Festus formed of the great apostle of the Gentiles. Singular, deep, and mysterious indeed are the teachings, leadings, and dealings of the Lord with his servants and children; so much so, that when they state the same to such unregenerate souls as Festus, they are considered by them as individuals bereft of their senses, and as such are treated with contempt, ridicule, and slander. It were far better for the child of God in a general way to keep the visions and revelations of the Lord within his own bosom: unless indeed, he meet with one in whom his confidence is justified, by a long christian acquaintance; and then perhaps with caution, and in some particulars with considerable limitations; for the want of this necessary observance, many evils in after days arise. We are too apt to forget what is said of our dear Lord, "that he committed himself to no man.". The apostle declared he had received visions and revelations from the Lord which was not possible, or lawful to utter, that is, not prudent to rehearse in the presence of bypocrites, the world, and the mere professor. If ever the child of God casts his pearl of experience before the swinish multitude, they will be sure to turn round upon him, for the smallest offence, either real or Imaginary, and wound him most severely. Though they may listen with attention at the time, and appear even to commiserate, approve, or rejoice at the communication made, they will be sure ultimately to turn all into ridicule, and with Festus declare, be is altogether mad. The same method is pursued, and the samne result is visible, with respect to the servants of Christ in the pulpit, as with private christians in their respective connections. Festus was a perfect stranger to the sublime doctrines of the gospel, and a complete novice to the apostle's experience, therefore, he ridiculed what he could not comprehend. The preaching of the cross is indeed to some a stumbling block, to others it is foolishness-to some it is a savour of life unto life, and to others it is a savour of death unto death. But why should Festus ridicule that gospel, which the dying thief, and Mary Magdalen heard with joy? It pleased God! I will now consider— 3rd.-The character of Agrippa.-The language of Agrippa to Paul was certainly far different to that of Felix or Festus, so much so, that at first sight, one would be tempted to think favourably of him in some respects, although there is one word he uses, which precludes the possibility of supposing him to be a changed charac. ter; and that is the word ALMOST. For he in effect states, that so great was the impression wrought upon his judgment by the conclusive arguments of the apostle, and so powerful was his language in setting forth what God had done for his soul, in his miraculous conversion; that he could not refrain from declaring," ALMOST he was persuaded to be a christian." When the tinselly glare is worn from the mind which the reply of Agrippa is calculated to create, we are irresistibly brought to believe that king Agrippa is precisely in the same dead and carnal state as Felix or Festus, and why? Because ALMOST to be a christian is to be eternally lost. Thus, the only effect the gospel produced upon Agrippa was hesitation and reflection. Many, my dear readers, are found sitting under the sound of the gospel for months and years, and yet, like Agrippa, are only ALMOST christians. A man may discover much seeming signs of repentance-may appear indeed to be humbled under a sense of sin-and may lead a life among men of the strictest morality, and yet be only an almost christian! And why? Because his repentance may not be after a godly sort-his humility may arise solely from his natural fear, and his morals may be checked merely from the dint of reading, persuasion, secular interests, or creature-condemnation, so that neither his repentance, his humility, or his reformation of morals, proceed from an alteration in the heart, consequently are altogether unavailing. Yea, a man may be led to use the means of grace, and follow them assiduously and even to take a sort of pleasure in them-he may join churchessing praises-repeat many prayers-and shed many tears, and yet be only an ALMOST Christian! And why? Truly, because all those may be done by a mere worldling, clothed with the mask of hypocrisy, the armour of self-sufficiency, and while strutting in possession of mere natural gifts! Indeed, nothing is more successfully imitated than religion; and the effects produced, as regards EXTERNALS, are so similar between the professor and possessor, or between those who possess only natural convictions, and those who possess spiritual ones; that time alone can make manifest what is merely natural, and what is truly spiritual. Yea, the apostle tells us of some who went so far as to have tasted the heavenly gift, the good word of God, and the power of the world to come; yea, who absolutely were once enlightened, and made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and yet were only like Agrippa, ALMOST CHRISTIANS! How many, my dear readers, are there who once declared the precious truths of the gospel in all their purity, richuess, and glory, and are now turned aside to the fables of men, and the pest-house of Arminianism has become their daily habitation. What can such individuals be, whether preachers or hearers but only almost christians? Many run well, for a time, in the paths of truth and righteousness, but when the sun of trial, persecution, and affliction is up, their gourd of profession withers away; and in some cases they turn out in the end to be even great opposers and haters of the truths of the gospel of the blessed God, and all that stedfastly adhere to the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. Such individuals, by their life and conduct confess themselves to be that which Agrippa by mouth declared he himself was, only an almost christian! What a solemn thought! what a topic for private meditation, and deep self-examination for us all! O Lord, ever keep us in the truth, to love the truth, to walk in the truth, and to rejoice in the truth ; then the truth shall make us free, for "if the Son shall make us free, we shall be free indeed." 66 I might mention various other effects produced upon men by the preaching of the word, such as upon Gamaliel-seriousness; upon Gallio-indifference; and upon others envy, malice, and revenge; they gnashed with their teeth." Thus, we see clearly how far a man may go in outward things, and how many various, and at first, promising effects the gospel may produce upon the lives, actions, minds, tempers, and dispositions of men, and yet be nothing more than like Agrippa, ALMOST a Christian! which in truth is to be eternally damned. 4th.The character of Paul.-We are informed by the apostle himself that previous to his conversion he was a persecutor, a blasphemer, injurious, and an hater of the truth as it was in Jesus. the riches of divine grace! how full, free, and sovereign! Who would think, that he who actually consented to the death of the saints, and sought to imbrue his hands in their very blood, should be a chosen vessel of the Lord to bear his holy name among the Gentiles? "Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my life, my soul, my all." It was GRACE alone that produced the change so observable in the apostle's life and conduct. Paul could no more effect a change in bis own heart, than he could create his own body from the dust of the earth. But when it pleased the Father of Mercies to reveal his beloved Son in him, and form him in his heart, the hope of glory; he conferred not with flesh and blood, but went and preached that very gospel, under the Spirit's divine instruction, which a little time previous he shunned, detested, and ridiculed. Is anything too hard for God? He tells us the light by which he was surrounded, caused him to fall to the earth; and the voice which he heard cried out to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? So great was his bindness previous to his conversion, that he declares he thought he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus; therefore he shut the saints up in prisons, frequently punished them in every syna. gogne, caused them to blaspheme, became mad against them, and persecuted them even unto strange cities. What a proof my dear reader is here: how bitterly opposed a man by nature is to the gospel of Jesus; how totally inadequate are all human aids to produce a saving change in the heart; and how perfectly sovereign are all the acts of Jehovah in the calling of his servants and chil dren? While in this dreadful hardened state, the Lord was pleased to call the apostle, by his almighty power! He caused a light from heaven, above the sun's brightness, to shine round about him; and when he had fallen to the earth, a voice cried out, as just stated, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? To which the apostle replied, Who art thou, Lord and the reply was, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. And when the Lord had assured him of the purpose for which he had thus appeared unto him, he informs Agrippa he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. He then immediately went about preaching repentance towards God, faith in Jesus Christ, and works meet for repentance. He also bore testimony to what the prophets and Moses wrote concerning the Person, Mission, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. The declaration of which truths caused the Jews to seek his life, Felix to tremble, Festus to declare he was mad, Agrippa almost to become a Christin, but the church of God to rejoice. Paul had learning, but it was misapplied; he had judg ment, but it was in a wrong cause; he had zeal, but it was for evil; he had authority, but it was to tyrannize; he had gifts, but they were applied to the worst of purposes. Thus a man may have learning, judgment, zeal, authority, and gifts, but alas! un less these are under the Divine guidance, they are only a curse to the church of Christ; whereas the smallest attainments, under the Spirit's direction, exceed all other accomplishments, as much as the light of the sun does the light of the glow worm of earth. Paul was called to do a great work, therefore the Lord qualified him both in natural as well as spiritual attainments: and in order he should be made a greater blessing to the church of God, in her suffering members, the Lord was further pleased to cause him to pass through manifold temptations, afflictions, desertions, and exercises. Thus death frequently worked in the apostle, but life in his hearers. He knew what it was both to be exalted and abased. He knew what it was to be surrounded by hypocrites, heresiarchs, and gainsayers. He was deceived in many, loved comparatively by few, and felt and groaned daily under a body of sin and death. He bitterly complained of the thorn in the side, the awful departures of many from the faith they once professed, and frequently wept for his kinsmen after the flesh. Notwithstanding, the Lord upheld him, comforted his spirit, and granted him gracious revelations of his mercy, goodness, love, and kingdom. He frequently longed to depart and be with Jesus. He often groaned in this |