Tell of his wond'rous love to man, Tell how he form'd the glorious plan Foul was the blot, and sad the stain, Which brought a curse to man so great, That Jesus, O that precious name, Must bleed and die to expiate His death has full atonement made, His spotless life my ransom paid, None can be lost, who are upheld, He saves from death, and sin, and hell, Yes blessed Lord! thy Spirit's given, That oft our souls are call'd to taste, And when the Spirit drops the shell, How will it soar away to dwell This world is dark, our eyes are dim, But there our eyes will feast on Him, The sins, the doubts, which now beset, Death cannot enter that abode Where all is life and peace, Redeemed souls shall dwell with God In everlasting bliss. O blessed thought, no grief or pain, Soon shall we sing in joyful strain, All doubtful things will then be clear, The soul which sins so often here, To thee, O Triune God in One, My humble praise I'll bring- THE GOSPEL MAGAZINE. VOL. IV. No. XII. Of a FIFTH SERIES, for DECEMBER, 1839. "In doctrine shewing uncorruptness." "Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees which is Hypocrisy.” "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday to-day and for ever. Whom to know is life eternal." 1 THE grand design which influenced the mighty mind of the Great Jehovah, in the creation of our species, was the manifestation of his own ineffable glory, as seen in the radiancy of his own attributes. For speaking of man, he says, "I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him," Isa. xliii. 7. and whether he be an object of divine love and grace or hatred, yet God's design will be accomplished, for "the Lord hath made all things for himself: yea even the wicked for the day of judgment." Prov. xvi. 4. Hence, all things which conspire to the salvation of the one, or the condemnation of the other, shall set forth the glory of his power," for of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory forever." Rom. xi. 36. Therefore nothing can frustrate his designs, or debar the developement of his glory, but on the contrary all persons, creatures, and events, will be proved to live, move, and transpire according to the fixed regulations of his unalterable purpose. 4 But the only creature that can advance the declarative glory of God in a more especial manner is man. And this he does by being enabled to make choice of God, and enjoy him as his supreme good for ever; consequently, his language is, "whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee." Ps. lxxiii. 25. Now this experimental language not only evidences the peculiar frame of the soul; but it also proves the fixation of the mind in the choice of God, to live alone to his glory. It shows that all things below or above are not half so precious as his God. It arVOL. IV.-No. XII. 3 Y gues a complete renunciation of the world, and self, in the enjoyment of Christ, as saith the Word, "I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me." Ps. cxix. 30. which is always the sure consequence of faith, leading the soul to glorify God in pursuing the way of his precepts, as when the Psalmist says, "let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts." Ps. cxix. 173. And as certainly as God reveals himself to man, so positively will man make choice of God. But although we affirm that man can only glorify God in this especial manner, yet it is impossible even for him to make any addition to God's glory; for created beings cannot possibly do this. But he glorifies God when he lives to him, and ascribes glory, and greatness, and truth, and mercy to his name: still he is questioned "If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?" Job xxxv. 7. As God himself declares, "whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I shew the salvation of God." Ps. 1. 23. But while true godliness consists in glorifying God, it is also additionally sweet by our enjoying him therein. Now to enjoy God is to be convincingly assured in our own souls, that he has unreservedly and irrevocably accepted of us in Christ, vouchsafed his divine presence, and holds communion with us, in his grace here, with a positive and unfailing promise of everlasting glory hereafter; hence says the apostle, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." 1 John iii. 2. But the only creature which can glorify and enjoy God are reasonable beings, namely, angels, men, and glorified spirits. It is true that creatures without reason can glorify God in their kind; but they cannot certainly in an intelligible manner either enjoy or glorify him. It is for man only, as renewed in the image of Jesus Christ to say, "I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise unto thy name, O thou Most High." Psa. ix. 2. and to ascribe all mercies to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." Eph i. 6. True religion which consists in a true sense of the Deity, and a knowledge of that worship due to him, impressed on the heart by the Holy Spirit, lays many obligations on reasonable creatures to glorify God, and to enjoy him in the soul. We say true religion, moreover, because men under the influence of false religion, may attempt to glorify God, but they glorify him not as God, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was da kened." Rom. i. 19-21. True reli gion, then, may be distinguished from false, by these three terms, the fear of God, godliness, and christianity. The fear of God consists in a life of reverential glorifying and enjoying God in faith and love: "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear." Heb. xii. 28. Godliness signifies leading a life according to God: according as his divine power hath given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue." 2 Pet. i. 3. And christianity is a life of godliness in Christ Jesus. The two former are included in the latter. For until a man is born again, and made a new creature in Christ, he can neither enjoy God nor glorify him. For antecedent to this, he is dead in sin, dead to God, and averse both to him an his ways. His understanding is darkened and he knoweth not; his will is rebellious and he submitteth to him not; and his affections are alienated and he loveth him not, but is opposed to him. There must therefore be a spiritual revelation of God's love to the heart, in the person and work of Jesus Christ; an union of the soul to him as the church's living head, by faith of the creation of the Holy Ghost; and the Spirit must operate in the soul before we can either glorify or enjoy God. And even then it can only be done so often and so far as the Spirit acts. But then the Spirit is promised to abide in the church for ever, and therefore its members should glorify and enjoy God for ever, and in all circumstances and ways. And this they desire to do, yea, and actually perform the same, under all diversified providences of this world's pilgrimage, whether by life or by death. Their language is," but God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Gal. vi. 14. And hence, in order to glorify and enjoy God, the christian made strong by the Holy Ghost, in, and with all his proceedings, glorifies his God in Christ. In treating of godliness we must enter into the nature of it, as experienced by every believing soul. It proceeds from and is pleasing to God. This must be the case, for whatsoever is of God, must be acceptable to God. Now a godly man's principles are those which he has received from God. They are not the self-formed dogmas of carnal reason, or the unexamined notions of mere professors; but they are sentiments impressed upon the soul by the Holy Ghost through the Word. They are the very same principles which God himself would entertain if he were man possessed, of his present wisdom as God. Hence, no marvel, why the doctrines of the gospel are so universally opposed and derided by the worldly; for that which is worldly and that which is godly can never stand together. And because christians receive their opinions from the Holy Ghost, and advance them to the rejection of all other adverse notions, they are therefore godly in their principles. For where godly principle does not prevail, un 66 godly practice is sure to follow as a consequent result. A godly man, then, is one who having received grace from God, makes it his business to glorify him, by receiving, worshipping, and imitating him. Such characters are very rare, and hence the Psalmist prays, Help Lord, for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from the children of men." Ps. xii. 1. "But yet there are those, who having received Christ in their souls by faith, are godly in their lives, and worship God according to his revealed will, and all their conduct proves their endeavour to imitate him, as the consequence of which, they deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live soberly, and righteously, and godly in this present world." Tit. ii. 12. 66 Such persons being under the influence of godly fear, feel their inclinations to sin checked withim them. This is not a slavish or intimidating impulse, forcing to the performance of conduct which meets with the actor's abhorrence. But it is a holy and filial reverence of God, as an infinitely kind, great and merciful Father, feeling a deep and abiding regard to the fulfilment of his mind and heavenly will: "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve the Lord acceptably with reverence and godly fear." Heb. xii. 28. His kindness and love in the bestowment of Christ and everlasting blessedness, and these being secured unto us by an unchangeable covenant, and our interest in them personally certified by the divine teaching of the Holy Ghost, we are led in gratitude and praise to reverence God and fear before him. Hence Christians feel their love to their Lord is so great, and their sense of his infinite kindness so deep, that they would not be guilty of any thing in thought, word, or deed, that they consider in the slightest degree offensive to him. Like an affectionate child who dreads the disapprobation of his parent more than the rod of his tutor, a christian feels a constant anxiety always to be found in the path of, obedience that Christ may be glorified by him on earth, as well as in heaven hereafter. Godliness is also distinguished by its true characteristic, spiritual sincerity. This is true candour flowing from fellowship with God through Jesus Christ, and is manifested in conformity to his nature and law;" for our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you ward." 2 Cor. i. 12. The attachinent, then, and avowed devotion of the christian is not the result of some sinister motive, or self-righteous feeling, but the open attestation of a sincere heart, influenced by the love of God in Christ. And as believers are a godly seed, that is, children which have real grace and love in their hearts, so they worship and serve God in sincerity and truth. These are they who having the love of God shed abroad in their hearts by the Spirit of Christ who is given unto them, know what true godly sorrow for sin is, proceeding from the faith of God's love, and for sin |