But

put out, Jerusalem destroyed, and the people of Jews were carried away into Babylon. All hopes of the topstone being now brought up were now apparently extinguished But God seeth not as man seeth; for in the worst of times and darkest ages, there has always been the chosen few, the seed of the church preserved. While they were in Babylon, undergoing a series of complicated calamities, God, from time to time, raised up some excellent men among them, who in opposition to the unbounded wickedness and idolatry of the place, stood forth in the cause of God, and were the means of preserving the true religion. After seventy years captivity, the first edict of Cyrus was procured by the secret of God upon his mind. Darius and Artaxerxes were inclined in the same manner to favour them. especially the instruments employed were Jerubbabel, Joshua, Ezra, and Nehemiah. These were allowed to build the temple of Jerusalem, and to set things in order for the worship of the true God; and to prepare for the return of the church to its own place. But in this they were interrupted by the neighbouring nations, and the work was delayed from time to time, till by God's help it was at length completed. From the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the destruction of that city, which happened after the coming of Christ, there were about four hundred and ninety years. The Jews, being returned to their own country, were, for some time, subject to the kings of Persia, and afterwards to the kings of Syria. They were exposed to divers persecutions, whereof the last and most cruel was that of Antiochus, who plundered the temple and profaned it; and made use of torments, in order to force the Jews to renounce their religion; as may be seen in the history of the Maccabees. This was he that forced Mattathias, and many Jews, to enter into a covenant together for the preservation of their religion, and liberty. They gained many victories by the courage of Judas Maccabeus and Jonathan, both sons of Mattathias. Having recovered their liberty, and again set up the exercise of their religion, they were a long time under the dominion of the Romans, who made Herod King over Judea; and it was this Herod who reigned when Jesus Christ was born into the world.

The time which God had resolved to send his Son, being come, Jesus Christ was born in Judea, and many far greater things fell out than had done before, which made his birth remarkable. His doctrines, miracles, preaching, the holiness of his life, and his God-like power and authority, drew round him vast multitudes to be taught at his mouth, that one might have supposed the topstone was not far from being uplifted, and the spiritual building completed. But now for the reverse of the scene, "he came to his own, but his own received him not." They took him from the midst of his followers, and having unjustly condemned him, they put him to death, thereby supposing both he and his followers would come to nothing. For the space of three days, all was darkness and obscurity; and the very person who appeared to be rapidly bringing thousands to God,

and from his success, the conversion of the whole might have been expected: yet he is now no more. What was to be done then in this emergency? His death was decreed of God to be the salvation of the church. On the third day he rose again according to promise, and after having remained with his disciples for the confirmation of their faith, for the space of forty days, he ascended into heaven, and there he ever liveth to make intercession for his church. To further the work of building the spiritual temple, Christ has appointed twelve persons as his ambassadors, and although they are not possessed of influence, riches, learning, or authority, yet they went forth in the whole world to proclaim salvation only through the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. Every place into which they came, persecutions, bonds, and imprisonments awaited them; and yet notwithstanding, in consequence of the accompanying grace of God's Spirit, giving energy to the word, the idols of the heathen were slain before the cross of Christ.

This sect called christians, though every where spoken against, has been, and still is preserved, and will be till the number shall be completed. Yet the difficulties it has always struggled with, have been so great, as to threaten very frequently its entire destruction. Sometimes it has been so reduced, that thousands of its members have been put to death. Nero, a very monster of a man, laboured to wash it away in the blood of its professor. Domitian followed his steps. Trajan succeeded them in their bloody work of persecution, until Pliny the Younger, wearied of murdering the christians, put a stop to it. The most malicious of persecutions were instituted against them every where; still they increased.

When Constantine arose, he favoured the sect, and opposition was in a great measure removed. But in after ages worse calamities arose, even the sins and errors of prosperity. Popery began to rear her hideous head; the true light of the gospel was hidden; evangelical truth was almost totally buried beneath a mass of errors and superstitions; and Christ was only known to very few; until the fifteenth century, when our Reformers began to cut off the power of the Pope, and preach Christ and him crucified. Numbers of them were put to death, but nevertheless the glorious work proceeded, until our apostolic church was thoroughly purged of Popish rubbish and established in its ancient pristine beauty and correctness. Since the Reformation, the church has encountered many enemies. It has been rent by foolish dissensions. Cromwell laboured hard for its destruction, but still it revived. Attacks have been made upon it by Arminianism, Socinianism, and Antinomianism; yet still it stands in opposition to all its enemies. Its truths are spreading, its correctness being seen, and its professors are rousing themselves; and in God's good time the topstone shall be brought up, notwithstanding its antagonists, with shoutings of "Grace, grace unto it ;" and that because it is a true branch of Christ's apostolical church. But as it evidently appears, that the prosperity and salvation of the church in general, is

owing altogether to grace; so the salvation of every individual member, either in time or eternity, is alike indebted to the same cause, operating in the soul by the influence of the Holy Ghost; hence, St. Paul says, "By grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast." Original sin is so powerful in the nature of man, that all his fancied good desires, his efforts and his prayers, are incapable of eradicating it; in short, nothing can subdue and change a natural man but the grace of God. This will be evident when you consider that his understanding is darkened, and that he neither knows himself, his God, the scriptures, the sinfulness of his practices, the nature of hell and the joys of heaven. Whatever religious subject he meditates upon, being unenlightened by the Spirit, the produce is sure to be error, for the unconverted can do nothing but sin. His will is bound to that which is bad, and to the choice of every thing and any thing that leads to perdition. All his affections are corrupted, his pursuits unholy, his ideas full of mistake, and in addition to all this, the world and Satan conspire together to ruin eternally his immortal soul. This being the condition of mankind universally by nature, it may be asked how can the topstone be brought up? How can God collect a people, and make them holy, out of such a race? Every mountain shall vanish, and every difficulty will disappear, at the introduction of Christ. Man's nature shall be changed, his sinfulness removed, his soul clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and made holy by the sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit. Grace alone, in its sovereign display, can effect this mighty work, and nothing can hinder it. God is, by the preaching of the gospel, calling first this man and that man; this individual and that individual; and when the number of stones, sufficient for the completion of the spiritual temple, be brought together, then shall ye behold the topstone lifted up, and the whole universe shall ring with joyous shoutings of "Grace, grace unto it."

We also learn from this subject, that where the Holy Ghost has once evinced the election of a soul, or in other words, converted a sinner to God, that soul shall never fall into hell, This, his security does not depend on himself, or his performances; for if it did, hell would undoubtedly be his portion; but it rests alone on God's grace; and that all-powerful grace which is amply sufficient for perseverance will be duly supplied; for where God has graciously bestowed his love, he will still continue to vouchsafe his grace, and he will give it more abundantly, and finally crown it with glory. His grace is all sufficient for the believer in every state. His grace shall begin and carry on the work of religion, in the souls of those whom the Father hath given to his Christ. Therefore lift up your heads, O ye elect of God, your final redemption draweth nigh! Before long you shall be favoured with an inseparable union to that company, and shall see the topstone brought up, and shout with immortal voices, "Grace, grace unto it."

But antecedent to this happy and glorious termination, let us just consider, some of our present enemies, and contemplate the divine power and energy by which we are made victorious over them in this world. They may be said to be three, the flesh, the world and the devil. And although a threefold cord is not easily broken, yet it is utterly impossible for a child of God, to be securely bound therewith, and that because Christ has made him free from sin, delivered him out of the world, and put Satan under his feet.

That the flesh is an enemy to true spirituality of soul is very evident not only from its infirmities, but also especially on account of its opposition thereto. The understanding is totally enveloped in moral and spiritual darkness as to be rendered utterly incapacitated to comprehend savingly divine things. And the will, which is the servant of the understanding, is likewise so rebellious against Christ and submission to his cross, that nothing can subdue it but the arm of God's grace. But what is worse than all this, the heart with all its affections and motions is so universally defiled by corruption, as that every imagination thereof is only evil and that continually. And yet, notwithstanding all this, and much more which might be advanced upon the subject, proving man to be inimical to, and incapacitated for, the attainment and enjoyment of salvation by Christ; yet nevertheless when he is converted to God, made a new creation in Christ Jesus, and has become the temple of the Holy Ghost, all the powers of his carnal nature, however potent, are made subject to God's grace; and though after conversion they still live in opposition and retardation of spirituality in the soul, they must, notwithstanding, be prevented by the Holy Ghost within us, from causing either the loss of the soul's happiness here or its eternal glory hereafter. It is promised in the word of God that "sin shall not have dominion over us, because we are not under the law, but under grace." Hence, the Spirit continually operates in our understandings, in the impartation of divine knowledge; in our wills subduing us to God's ways and God's truth, by the sweet application of Christ's constraining love; and in our hearts and affections by the saving presentation of Christ as the fairest among ten thousand and altogether lovely. The purposes, promises, oath, and seriptures of God, all conspire to assure us, that we are redeemed and saved from sin, with all its hinderances, influences, and consequences; for which we are indebted exclusively to God's grace, and sovereign good will and pleasure in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The world, that lieth in the wicked one, is equally an opponent to our present and future salvation. It comes in with its lusts and pleasures, its riches and honours, its duties and requirements, its friends and foes, its errors and heresies, its persecutions, cruelties and deaths; and is determined, if possible, to drive or draw us back into carnality, infidelity, and hell; and for the accomplishment of this, it exercises all its ingenuity and puts forth all its mighty energies, and that against one who has no power of himself to help himself. This

often makes the children of God to cry out to their Lord for help which is never withheld from them. Yea, he ever liveth before and upon the throne of God, making intercession for them, and saving to the uttermost all that come unto God by him. And though in and from the world we are said to have tribulation, yet for our comfort it is added, "be of good cheer, I have overcome the world;" and this he has especially done for us. The world, therefore, although it annoys us; yet blessed be our covenant God, it cannot destroy us, nor deprive us of one blessing which God has laid up in Christ for our reception, sanctification, enjoyment and salvation.

But there is another enemy always on the alert, possessing the power of a roaring lion; going constantly about in search of destroying the souls of God's people, although he has never succeeded in capturing one of them, yet his implacable enmity is so intolerable, that nothing fatigues him, nothing abashes him, and nothing and nobody can repel and overcome him but Christ. We should all be deceived by his subtlety and overcome by his potency, but for the wisdom and power lodged in Christ as the head of the church, and received by his members as their necessities require, to support them against, and make them victorious over all their spiritual foes. Be of good cheer, therefore, ye beloved of the Lord, for "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."-Rom. viii. 38, 39.

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ANTI-SCRIPTURAL UNIONS.

THE attention of the christian world has from time to time been called to a most important subject; the grand fundamental doctrines of our Holy Religion have been ably and powerfully advocated, and the Lord has stirred up the hearts of many of his people to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints-God grant that it may be a means in his hand of arousing the church to a sense of her duty and deep responsibility; she has long been slumbering at her post; supineness, and I could almost say indifference to the vital truths of Christianity has long marked her cause, and she has well nigh been sinking into the state of Laodicean apathy so awfully depicted in Rev. iii. 16. But her midnight slumber has been intruded upon, and the voice of the Bridegroom has resounded through the darkened chambers of Popery, Infidelity, and Latitudinarianism, and something of that spirit which animated the bosoms of our pious forefathers on emerging from the thraldom of Papal influence, has been in the present day strikingly visible; may the blessed spirit of the Reformation revive the drooping energies of our Church, and may the light of the glorious Gospel shine forth with increasing splendour, till VOL. IV. No. IX.

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