When we speak of God, we consider that which is past, and that not yet come, as present with him: therefore, what he shall hear, is what he has heard from eternity, and what he heard from eternity, he now heareth. At the baptism of the Lord Jesus, the Father glorified the Son, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." At this instant God the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove, and abode upon him, hearing the words and confirming the saying; to which John the Baptist said, "I saw and bear record that this is the Son of God,” Matt. iii, 17.; John i. 34. God the Holy Ghost demonstrates to the people of God this precious truth, "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and believing you shall have life through his name," John xx. 31.

At the mount of transfiguration, Peter, on seeing the glory, and Moses and Elias talking with him, said unto Jesus, Lord it is good for us to be here, if thou wilt let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold a voice out of the cloud which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." Some long time afterward, God the Holy Ghost who witnessed this glorification of the only begotten, brought it to the remembrance of Peter, when writing his second epistle, saying, he received from God the Father honour. and glory, when there came such a voice from the excellent glory, "this

is

my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased:" and this voice we heard when we were with him in the holy mount. These, and such like, are the things which the divine Spirit heard and testified, and will testify them to the understandings of his people to the end of the world; for he shall abide with you for ever.

These sacred things were established in the counsels of old, which

are faithfulness and truth (Isa. xxv. 1), and each of the divine persons equally engaged to each other in honour and glory, to the performance of this everlasting covenant, which was ordered in all things and sure; the works finished, and the lamb slain, from the foundation of the world (2 Sam. xxiii. 5.; Heb. iv. 3.; Rev. xiii. 8). But however complete these things are in the divine mind, they must be promulgated for God is a God of judgment; working all things after the counsel of his own will: bringing to light, the hidden things of darkness, and making manifest the thoughts and intents of the heart in the preaching of the gospel, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven: which things the angels desire to look into. The Lord God commonly worketh by means, and the means or instrumentality is usually the preaching of the gospel: so while Peter, preaching at Cæsarea, yet spake the word, the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word. When Philip was sent to Gaza to preach to the Ethiopian eunuch, he was specially directed to his chariot, and after preaching Jesus unto him, he was baptized, on making confession of his faith "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God;" and when they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing," Acts viii. 26-39. Here we have the evident ministrations of the Holy Ghost teaching his servants and leading them in the way they should go.

66

When the disciples at Antioch ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, "Separate me Paul and Barnabas for the work whereunto I have called them and when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away; so they being sent for by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Selucia," Acts xiii. 1-4. At Paphros they encountered a certain sorcerer named Elymas,

who sought to turn away the Deputy from the faith, when he desired to hear the word of God: then Saul (who is also called Paul) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, and said, O full of all subtilty and mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a season: and immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord." These are such unanswerable and invincible facts of the personal ministrations of God the Holy Ghost, each one proving this to be the work of God, that I shall conclude this part of the subject with the words of the Lord God Omnipotent, to the church at Pergamos, He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches; to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he which receiveth it," Rev. ii. 17, 18. 3. His demonstrations. He will show you things to come." Here is a field indeed. It will be seen by the enquiring soul that every revelation to him is included in this promise. It is something new to the understanding which he never understood before: when he reproved his soul of sin, it was new to him; he might have heard tell of such a thing but now his eye sees the sinner; not merely the sins of the person, but of the nature; if only personal, they would be comparatively trifling, but the whole nature is one mass of corruption: God the Holy Ghost by his own word, and power condemns, and the conscience bears testimony to the justice of the sentence. January, 1839.]

He instructs him and keeps him as the apple of the eye; humbles him by the word of his power, leading him into all truth; but it is by little and little perhaps a great share of casting down, and a little lifting up; much sorrow of heart, but very little comfort; and perhaps all the comfort he has is under the word: still the letter only seeketh to kill him, as it did Moses (Exod. iv, 24), by emptying of all goodness and self-sufficiency, or what is more particularly described by the term "free will." He hears it said, that man has a free will to sin, and nothing else; but he finds a compulsory will to sin; he would willingly abstain from the evil, but he cannot; and do good, but it is far from him. David in Psalm xxxviii and lxxxviii.; and Paul in Romans vii. declare the distress of soul; while Psalm cxxxix. shows the actual condition of his spirit in his thoughts of God: while in the 77th are clearly depicted his misgivings. Here he proves that " the thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done, is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun," Eccles. i. 9. "As in water, face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man," Prov. xxvii. 19. And I think it no small matter of comfort to the broken and contrite heart, to read his character in the word of God, seeing the things which were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope" (Rom. 4.).

XV.

Having laid the sins of his youth before him, and set his secret sins in the light of his countenance, the whole man appears unclean, and the Lord God is proved just, in distroying him for ever, for he is a sinner; not in the ordinary phraseology

all are sinners;" but he is one experimentally. Now God the Holy Ghost engages to show him the manifest righteousness of God in saving

C

him; hence He takes of the things of Jesus Christ, and demonstrates them in his understanding; He proves his eternal power and godhead; so that he may trust in him and not be afraid. That He the eternal God, the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, said John, "the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth;" and this testimony attends his incarnation, "Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins," Matt. i. 21. And the Apostle says, "this is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting," 1 Tim. i. 15.

6.

Concerning the incarnation, the scripture record is, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing, which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God," Luke i. 35. And it is thus written, "That he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him (that is in the faith of him) sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him." Sin here intends, worshipping idols or offering any other sacrifice than the Christ of God," little children let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous," 1 John iii. 5. &c. As for doing righteousness, "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt; but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Rom. iv. 4, 5. It was the covenant will of the glorious Three, that all the glory should lie upon him, for that he should be a glorious throne to his

Father's house," Isc. xx. ii. 23; (here is the permanent throne of grace) so should the sins of his church lie upon him; for all we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all," Isa. liii. 6. Thus the Christ of God is the scape-goat of his church, and the Jesus of his people: for, "He gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father, to whom be glory for ever, amen," Gal. i. 4, 5.

That there should remain no doubt as to the sufficiency of Christ for all the purposes of salvation, God the Holy Ghost declares by his servant that, "In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily," and that "He is able to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them," Col. ii. 9. Heb. vii. 25. Here is the power. And with his own lips he said, " Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out," John vi. 37. This proves his willingness to save "All that call upon him in truth, He also will hear their cry, and will save them." But calling upon him is restricted to the peculiar people of God, for " No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost," 1 Cor. xii. 3. Here the Lord God the Holy Ghost in his own glorious power manifests the glory of the Lord Christ, by taking of the things which pertain to him and shewing them plainly to the people. These are first the glorious attributes of Deity; "All things that the Father hath are mine; therefore said. I, that He shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you," John xvi. 15; Every attribute which the Father hath, the Son hath likewise, for he is "the image of the invisible God," Col. i. 15.

The brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person," Heb. i, 3.; But no can possibly receive this testimony,

man

66

except it be given him from above; it is received in regeneration, John iii. 3.; Gal. iv. 6.; John iii. 27. This is corroborated by Moses, speak ing of him to Israel, saith, the eternal God is thy refuge and underneath the everlasting arms;" in arms;" in contra-distinction to the dunghill gods, which their fathers were not afraid of (Deut. xxxiii. 27.); he had the residue of the Spirit (Mal. ii. 15); again, he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God; for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him (John iii. 34).

The manhood of the Christ of God was seen though not known, because the glory was hidden from the wise and prudent, but revealed unto babes (Luke x. 21). This proves what Isaiah said, “He shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no (visible) beauty that we should desire him." Isa. liii. 2. But it was said to Mary, "That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God," Luke i. 35. And God the Holy Ghost identified him to John the Baptist at Jordan, when he descended in a bodily shape like a dove, and abode upon him; upon this demonstration John said, "I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God." John i. 34; and it is He that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

Job lamented for him, saying, Neither is there any days-man between us, that might lay his hand upon us both," Job ix. 33. From this expression we may gather that Job considered that He who only could make satisfaction for sin, must necessarily possess the nature of the offended and the offenders, that he might lay his hand upon both parties, and be acceptable to them both. He is either the entire nature or not at all: Peter said, under the same influence, "to you that believe he is precious;" why? because ye were re

66

deemed with the precious blood of Christ and nothing less, 1 Peter i. 19. ii. 7. John says, If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another; and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin," 1 John i. 7. Paul says, He hath once appeared in the end of the world, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself," Heb. ix. 26. And again, by one offering he hath forever perfected them that are sanctified: whereof also the Holy Ghost is a witness to us; for after that he had said before, this is the covenant that I will make with them; after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is there no more offering for sin" (Heb. x. 14—18).

The evidence that is required for the assurance of eternal life is, that you believe in your heart that Jesus is the Son of God; some will ask how is this to be understood? I answer just as God the Holy Ghost witnesses it in the scripture; for God is not the author of confusion but of peace. It may be said, how am I to apprehend the sonship, as God or as man? I answer as he appears in the scriptures; very God and truly man, one Christ, the Son of God; and believing, you shall have life through his name. A thousand things may present themselves to the curious and enquiring mind, but one thing is needful, faith in the Son of God is that one thing: and God the Holy Ghost has engaged to lead all as many as the Lord our God shall call into all truth: and he will show you things to come. All truth, Jesus Christ is the Son of God, with power and believing you shall have life through his name. Things to come. "The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the portion of fools," Prov. iii. 35. The wise are the faith

ful in Christ Jesus; the fools are the unbelievers.

Having given my thoughts on the text propounded by J. M. K., what I think it really refers to and speaks of, though inconceivably short of the sum, and no minister of Christ will ever be able to state the whole; if so, he would be wise as God himself; but I humbly submit that the disciples must be content to be learning of him who teacheth as never man taught, and wait patiently for the blessing of the Lord which maketh rich, to inform their understandings; while by little and little they are advanced in those things, which it is the holy pleasure of God our Father to reveal; while the fulness of the revelation will undoubtedly be the subject of eternity.

As regards the subject of Mr. Nunn's sermon, much as I esteem that servant of God, and love him for the truth's sake which is in him, and truly as I am satisfied of the truth of his assertions, I cannot say that I think the text has any reference to the subject; it being one of pure inference deducible from necessity, founded upon God's electing love, eternal grace, and unalterable purpose; he being the first cause of all things: all things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. The thought and conclusion are the result of great spiritual conflict, wherein the subject is brought to feel and know distinctly that the seed of every sin, however abominable in itself, and degrading to human nature, that is committed under the whole heaven, is in himself, and but for that sovereign electing love of God the Father, the eternal grace given him in Christ Jesus the Lord, the Son of the Father in truth and in love; and the manifestation of the infallible purpose of God in covenant, by the Holy Ghost in regeneration, to save him eternally without any respect to works good or bad; he must inevitably sink under it and

perish everlastingly in commendation of divine justice. Such an one pities all his fellow-creatures, would willingly spend and be spent for them, but cannot make one hair white or black; and concludes with the apostle, what I am I am by the grace of God.

The promises in the text are absolute and must be fulfilled; they relate specially to the glorification of Emanuel, whom all the election of grace must know; for he says, " they shall all know me." But the things named in Mr. Nunn's sermon are not necessary to all, nor desirable to any: nevertheless, the soul which has past through them, looks back in communion with Jabez, Job, David, and Jeremiah, and says, it is good for me that I have been afflicted."

R. WRIGHT.

LETTER FROM REV. SAMUEL EYLES PIERCE, TO A FRIEND. (Never before Published.)

My Good Friend,

I CAME here, through the good hand of the Lord upon me, Saturday, July 11; and have been here ever since, unless a few days in some weeks, when I have paid some visits to old friends. I have been so engaged in writing to friends, I could not possibly attend to you; now I have a little leisure, I thought I would write you, so that you may know where I am, and also how long I am to be here. Next week I expect to be at Mr. Gifford's, at Lopen, from Monday until Friday; so that if you can come over, or I come over to you, it may be we may have an interview: and if you have any or all of the books I sent you, unsold, you can send them me, &c.

On Monday, the 17th of this month, I am to leave this place, and go iuto Devonshire, and from thence into Cornwall; and, if the Lord please, I shall return here, so as to preach here on the third Lord's-day in September, and remain here until