the second Lord's-day in October is past; and then, if the Lord will, I go from hence to Salisbury and London, so as to preach at Brixton, near London, on the third Lord's-day in October.

As Jesus Christ is your all, as truly as he is mine, and I love you in him, so I cannot but wish to fill up the remainder of this paper, with what concerns Him and the preaching of Him. Times are as bad, if not worse, in the religious world as heretofore. There is still the same ignorance and contempt of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the glorious gospel of his grace. What inference are we to draw from this? Most assuredly, that the election of grace is at a very low ebb. Therefore there are but very few left amongst the inhabitants of this land, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Surely if there were a goodly company of the elect amongst us, there would be a revival-there would be an outpouring of the Holy Ghost, and the word of God would be preached with boldness. I go on in my own way, preaching peace by Jesus Christ. I never give myself any concern who likes or dislikes what is delivered; for I neither made the gospel, neither can I add any power unto it. The everlasting gos. pel of the blessed God, contains the great things of God, which can only be made known to any of us, and received into our minds, by the light, teaching, and testimony of the Spirit of God: so that whosoever neglects, or is an enemy to the doctrine of the holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity; denying their distinct personality in the incomprehensible essence, and their equality in the same, and their distinct offices in the covenant of grace; do not preach the everlasting gospel. For it is not the true gospel, if the everlasting gospel of the everlasting love of the Father is omitted; for in this the whole salvation of Christ depends. Our Lord says, God so loved the world, that he

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gave his only begotten Son." also says, The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me," &c. So that if the Father and the Spirit are omitted, we have not the true Mediator-even Him on whom the Father laid up, and whom he set up, and set apart from everlasting, to be the Lamb who was to take away sin by the sacrifice for sin.

I do delight to hear the Christ of God set forth as God's ordinance of salvation-as the Lord our Righteousness as the propitiation for sin. I am very greatly pleased to have his blood and sacrifice exalted in its virtue and efficacy, above and beyond all sort and kind of sin-as infinitely and everlastingly exceeding and transcending the uttermost guilt, filth, evil and demerit, contained in sin as sin. Because, if the Holy Spirit is pleased to give any sinner a true gospel apprehension of the same, it lifts off the sinner from himself, and lifts up the heart to Christ, and God in him. I know myself there is nothing doth my soul so much good, as to have gospel views and apprehensions of the everlasting virtue and efficacy of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. To know this in my conscience, is with me a most important point in experience. I no further get above my sins, than as I am led to believe that the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth from all sin: and that it doth is manifest, because all sin, with all contained in it-the whole guilt, filth, obloquy of it- was all laid by the Father on our Lord Jesus Christ, who bore it in his own body on the tree; and he was made sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Now if Christ had all the sins of the elect laid upon him, then he must have discharged himself from them, or he hath not put them away. That he hath put them away is one of the most essential points of the gospel; and the way in and by which he hath put

them away, is declared to have been by the sacrifice of himself. Then his blood must have been sufficient for himself, to cleanse his body and soul from all the imputation of sin; which imputation of it unto him, was the act of the divine Father, by which all the sins of the whole election of grace was upon him. Therefore, as he bore the whole sin of his church, and sustained the whole curse due unto the same; so he hath washed each and every one of his members from all sin, in his own most precious blood. This is my faith in the belief of this I live, in the belief of it I shall die, and in the truth of it my whole salvation consists. I dearly love this doctrine. I cannot be saved but on the footing of Christ's sacrifice. I am healed and cleansed; I am purified, washed, and sanctified; justified and perfected for ever, by the one sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is in him, and by his blood, I draw nigh unto God. There is, in this particular, no difference between your faith and mine. I stand before God in Christ. He sees me in Him. I am holy, righteous, pure and spotless, in the blood and righteousness of the most precious Lord Jesus.

I am thus free in writing, because it seems by the Lord's holy providence we are to be kept asunder, and are not to communicate with each other but by letter. Therefore I would wish you to know the whole of what I believe, and also in whom I believe for life everlasting. And I doubt not but you and myself have as real communion with each other in the same faith, as if we had ever so much and free conversation with each other. I am an old man, therefore it is not so easy and pleasant to move about, as it is to you. If you knew my heart, you would be fully persuaded of my love towards you: I hope you have no doubt of it. May the Lord be with you, and bless you abundantly, and render you a real blessing to the people to whom you minister.

May they be led to believe on, and come in the Lord Jesus Christ, and him alone, for life and salvation, I hope you and your wife are both well, at least as well as usual, in bodily health: I myself am beyond what I am in general. I preached six times. last week, and three times on the Lord's-day past: this is extraordinary at my time of life. I entered into my seventy-third year, on the twentythird of June last; so I am past the meridian, and am going on fast towards the close of my pilgrimage, strong in the Lord and in the power of his might, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto life eternal. You will remember me in your prayers: I do you and your's. My christian regards to your wife. If you like to give away any of the odd sermons, you are exceeding welcome. If you have not sold the book on Death and Dying, I have a customer for it. The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

I am, your friend and brother in the Lord Jesus Christ,

SAMUEL EYLES PIERCE.

LETTER TO A FRIEND.

Dear Friend,

THERE are ten thousand [pretended] instructers in the things pertaining to the kingdom of God; but not many fathers; that is to say, not many who have in their hearts paternal love to the children of God. And those who have not in their hearts the love of the Father, the love of the Elder Brother, and of the Holy Spirit; those who have not this love, cannot hold communion with those who know the truth, and are by the truth made free, Those who are wrapt up in the religion of the flesh, cannot love those who are led by the Holy Spirit into that liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free.

The doctrines of God, the prophets of God, the Christ of God, the apos

tles of God were, and ministers of God are, hated, opposed, and persecuted by the bond children unto this day. Among these bond-servants are many of the Lord's little ones held in bondage, and that for years, and go on fighting against those very truths which before they die they will be glad to own, embrace, and glory

in.

And unto you, for whom (as it appears to me) the Lord hath done great things, unto Call no you I say, man on earth Master, for one is your master even Christ. Ministers are not to dictate to us as though they had dominion over our faith. We are to esteem them and that highly for their works' sake; but if no work be done in our souls through their instrumentality, we shall soon cease both to esteem and to hear them. And when it becomes manifest to us, that they do not clearly cast up the highway, trace out the operations of the Holy Spirit, show how the love of God is established and magnified for us, together with how conformity to the precept is ensured by the promise of life in Christ Jesus: finding us out in all the caves and dens of earthly self, meeting us with holy bread and heavenly wine, bringing us the grapes of Eshcol, leading us up into the upper room of the everlasting covenant, unfolding to us the manifold wisdom of God in our salvation, speaking a word in season unto us when we are weary, and shewing that they know as much, yea more about us, than we do about ourselves: if they are not thus manifested to our consciences, they have no claim upon our affection.

The Lord will strengthen you by his Spirit, with might in the inner man, that you may stand fast in the truth as it is in Jesus, against all the legalism and legalists with which you are surrounded. As to the minister you speak of, saying that you cannot withdraw from them, I should hearken as much to this as I should to the

threat of a Papist. Treat such old wives' fables with the contempt they deserve; embrace your privilege; call no man on earth master, Send in your resignation and withdraw from them (1 Tim. vi. 5); and if they choose to reject your resignation, and serve you as their fathers of old served the men whose eyes the Lord had opened, let them do so, and be, not afraid of their forces, but shew thyself valiant for the truth. Your faith is not to stand in laws, inventions, and wisdom of men, but in the power of the living God. If you are thus brought to throw off the religion of the flesh, and make the great Master in Israel-Christ Jesus-your all in all: your faith, hope, love, and desires wrapt up in the God-Man Mediator; you will stand out a clear contrast from that world of professors and profane which lieth in the wicked

one.

Think it not strange if corruptions rise, imprison, torment, and make you miserable; the world hate you, legalists despise you, and the devil oppose you. You will often see the world rejoicing, when you are lamenting; and empty professors in full glee, when you are almost lost in gloom: but then it is better to be in this house of mourning, than to be in the paradise of fools: for they know not that they are walking in the light of a fire themselves have kindled; they shall lie down in sorrow, either by humbling mercy or avenging wrath.

May the Holy Spirit, who is the Almighty Teacher of Israel, enable us to look beyond the things that are seen of mortal eyes: for the “ things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal:" these things, and these alone can bring salvation and satisfaction to our souls: the life, light, love, righteousness, redemption, and salvation which are by Jesus Christ, and in which we are interested, are eternal. These are the chief things of the ancient mountains, the precious things

of the lasting hills; and our God is immutable, and will never leave nor forsake us. Why then should we fear what man can do unto us, while the Eternal God is our refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and as thy days so shall thy strength be. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin, his righteousness justifies from all things: the Holy Spirit guides into all truth, and will make known all things needful to be known: God our Father will supply all our needs, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus; he will be with us all our days, guiding us by his counsel, and at the end of the days will receive us to glory.

To long after these things is to thirst after God; to know these things is to know the Lord; and to participate in these things, is to glory in his holy name: to contend for these things, is to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints: which things may we seek, know, enjoy, and contend for, with increasing wisdom, zeal, and love, until we see him who hath loved us.

Your's in the Lord,

A DEBTOR TO FREE GRACE.

"" THE ONE THING NEEDFul."

Luke x. 41, 42.

We live in a day when there is much dust made for the serpent to feed upon, by professors of religion; yea, and even by the children of the Lord, who are too many of them, like poor Martha, cumbered about much serving, and very unlike Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus there to be taught. Some of the Lord's dear children are brought to trust their all to Immanuel's free, glorious, and complete salvation; while some are permitted to grovel in duty-faith, and what they call good works, kept in legal bondage by listening to those ministers of the letter with which we are surrounded.

My purpose is, as far as the Lord shall enable me, to show the difference

between the state of these two chil dren, as the Lord Jesus saith, “ Martha, thou art cumbered about much serving, one thing is needful: Mary hath chosen that good part that shall not be taken away from her."

I will first notice the state of Martha's mind. She was distressed and troubled about making ready for her Lord, as though Jesus was such an one as herself; and no doubt she thought Jesus would have sharply reproved Mary for her conduct, but Jesus declared that Mary had chosen the good part. And is it not the case now with the greatest part of professors? What work there is going on to make ready for Jesus. Do not the pulpits ring with Do! do!' and is it not a scarce thing to hear the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. Do we not swarm with preachers who worship the creature and not the Creator? Whose gospel is ' Up and be doing,' instead of looking to him that hath done all things well, and proclaiming his spotless work and righteousness. And with all the noise these brawlers make about doing, there is none do much less than they do. They do not love the truth. Some may ask, What do you call truth? I would answer, the eternal decrees of God in the salvation of the church, and the consequent rejection of all the nonelect-that man is a helpless creature, and cannot do one good thing towards God-that Christ undertook for his church in the councils of eternity, engaged to come forth in the fulness of time and take upon himself our nature, and that no part of the human nature of Christ pre-existed before his incarnation-that Jesus is truly God and man in one personthat he shed his blood for his church, and for them only-that he wrought out an everlasting righteousness for them, so that sin can never destroy them, for " he hath cast all their sins behind his back"-that they shall all be brought out of the fall at the "set time to favour Zion"-that they shall

all persevere unto the end, and at last get safe home to glory.

Now I ask, do you love these blessed truths? no, for if you did you would not keep them back in your pulpits, neither do you love those of the children of God that do love the truth, for you term them antinomians, lawless professors, and every ill name you can think of; so that with all your talk about doing, these three things which all the Lord's children do, you do not, for you neither love the truth, nor the God of truth, nor those of God's children that love the truth. And are there not many of the Lord's children kept in legal bondage by sitting under deceitful preachers, and who are confused and in distress of mind, looking into their own deceitful hearts for that which they will never find; and distressed and troubled they will be, until they are brought by the Holy Spirit into the blessed liberty of the gospel; and all God's children shall be brought there, for the promise is, All thy people shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be their peace." And I am sure there is no peace for living souls to gather from such preachers as the duty-faith ones. And our Lord told Martha that she was destitute of that peace which passeth all understanding, which is only to be found at the feet of Jesus; but Mary was brought to trust her all to that salvation which was finished upon Calvary, that is complete and suitable for lost, helpless sinners, yea to those that feel their helplessness.

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Most professors talk about their helplessness, and yet boast about what they can do, and declare they have a free will of their own; but Mary felt that she was helpless, and Jesus declared that she was in possession of that blessed fruit of the Spirit, and was enabled to rejoice in Christ Jesus her Lord, and glory in the God of her salvation: while Martha with all her trouble got no peace, but distress for her pains.

January, 1839.]

I will here notice, in the second place, the state of Mary's mind. Her position was at the feet of Jesus: blessed seat for a poor soul to rest in! Here the poor sinner learns the mysteries of that love which was displayed on Calvary. Here the blessed Spirit teaches a poor sinner his total helplessness and unworthiness, and the suitability of that salvation which is free and unconditional. And here he admires the riches of that love which marked him out of the rubbish of the fall, which eternally provided for him a Redeemer, which fixed the day of his conversion, and made him cry out,

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Unclean, unclean!" Here he will admire the riches of that grace which made him satisfied with the salvation of God. Here he will admire the justice of God in the salvation of his chosen, and in the condemnation of the non-elect. Here he will find his soul going out after his beloved Friend, who is "a friend that sticketh closer than a brother," and who will

never leave nor forsake him," but will be a friend at all times, and defend him from all his foes. Here his soul will be led into the beauty and mystery of that covenant" ordered in all things and sure," and admire the wisdom of God in so securing his church; that the Father hath laid all upon his co-equal and co-eternal Son, that He hath become responsible to bring them safe into the mansions of eternal bliss, secure them from all their foes, bless them in their souls with that faith which can live only on a full Christ, on a free salvation, and is at home only when enjoying the presence of his dear Lord, walking in the light of his countenance, and rejoicing in Christ Jesus, having no confidence in the flesh. There is no fear of a soul thus taught living in sin, this is the only place where a true hatred to sin can be learnt: the terrors of the law will never teach a soul so much of the hatefulness of sin, as a heart-felt scene of Calvary. And those who are so fond of declar

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