fleshly religion of the day, but after the Spirit; for if the Son hath made you free, then are you free indeed, for " the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made you free from the law of sin and death," Rom. viii. 1, 2; John viii. 26; v. 24. Free from sin, and death, and hell, Rejoice, my soul, for all is well,

And thou with Christ shalt sing; And shout amidst the blood-bought throng, And praise the eternal Three-in-One,

Father, Spirit, and Son.

66

Thirdly, the immutability of the blessed promise. Faithful is he that hath promised, and he will perform;" for he is a God that cannot lie, heaven and earth shall pass away, but his word never can; and he hath promised to give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him; yes, and he hath promised to put in them the Spirit of grace and supplication, and they shall call upon his name. What a mercy is it, my dear brother, for you and me, that the covenant of grace is ordered in all things and sure, that nothing is left for us poor helpless creatures to do; that the Father hath loved us with an everlasting love, and will never put us away; that the Son hath saved us with an everlasting salvation; and that the Holy Spirit hath engaged to search us out in the dark and cloudy day, kill us of all hope of salvation by the deeds of the law, testify of Jesus to our souls-in all the love of his heart, the glory of his person, the freeness and richness of his salvation, the perfection of his righteousness, and the immutability of his promise that he will never leave us, but will be our Friend at all times, and our guide even unto death, and at last receive us safe into glory, for "all shall know the Lord, from the least even to the greatest:" they shall know and feel his power here, and to all eternity. And eannot you, my dear brother, bear testimony to his faithfulness? hath one of the good things he hath promised thee failed? Methinks you say, No, he hath been

better to me than all my fears; though I have been beset on every hand, yet he hath opened a door in the valley of Achor, and made a way for my escape, and I have looked back and seen the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Yes, he hath proved to be notwithstanding my unbelief and rebellion, a thousand times a faithful, covenant-making, and covenant-performing, God; for he saith, "I am the Lord, I change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed."

66

But, lastly, its duration. Reader, if thou hast thus learned Christ, I hail thee as one born of God; thou art within the fold of electing love, and shall not fall short of taking thy seat around thy Father's throne: he that hath begun the good work in thee, will never leave thee, but will lead thee into all truth, and unfurl the glorious banner of salvation; for, saith Jesus, he shall testify of me." Thou wilt meet with foes on every hand, and Satan will tempt thy poor soul in dark seasons that the Comforter is clean gone for ever; but fear not, for he hath pledged all the perfections of his Godhead never to leave thee: and though he may appear to depart from thee, he still hath thee under his protection, for he will never leave thee, no, nor never forsake thee. If once made the recipients of his presence, he will dwell in thee for ever. Not all the floods of sin, temptation, or persecution, will ever drive him from his reigning throne, for he hath engaged to lead thee through this vale of rears, carry thee safe over Jordan's river, and land thee with a glorious admittance safe into the mansions of eternal bliss, and dwell in thee to all eternity. It is his influence that shall cheer thy soul in all thy troubles, and shall endear Jesus to thee as thy all in all. For without him we can know nothing of ourselves, nothing of Jesus nor his salvation; but under his tuition we are safe folded in the arms of a triune God, we shall land safe on Zion's

My very dear brother in the Lord,

MAY all covenant blessings be with you necessary for his glory, and your comfort and joy of faith in the Lord.

Did you think I had overlooked, forgotten, or neglected you? Go, letter, and tell my brother and the blood-bought around him, that I have not nor cannot, but for the want of time have not been able ere now to make the least reply to your truly kind epistle.

I am always glad to hear from and about you, and the Lord's chosen around you am truly sorry to hear of our friend's illness. I trust I have been enabled to bear him up in my arms of faith and affection before the Lord Jesus. Sweet Jesus hears, and answers, and attends to every, yea the most minute circumstances of his redeemed. The foot cannot be crushed below, and the head be unconscious above. That poor afflicted worm will as assuredly see the King in his beauty, in the regions of glory everlasting, as I am now writing.

I shall be obliged to postpone my journey into Devonshire, where some of my best friends live at this time; nevertheless I love, pray for, and esteem them highly in the Lord. Our Lord times all things relative to his mystical members: through what channel they shall enter this world, and when they shall be new-born and where, and in all the after journey, until they reach their blissful, glorious home.

There is not, there cannot possibly exist nor occur the least, the most minute circumstance, but what was pre-appointed before all worlds and time, by our great and glorious triune Jehovah; all of which are to minister

to his glory, and the good of his chosen, from the womb to the tomb. When things transpire which are truly painful to flesh and blood; crosses and afflictions, which are the lot of his dear heritage in this world, of whom he hath said, "I will bring the third part through the fire," [mark, he doth not say above it, beneath it, or by the side of it, but through it; neither doth he say he will leave them in the midst of it, no, bless his dear name, but through, and finally out of it, for a chosen vessel cannot be lost] oh! may we be kept (while the Esaus mock, the Egyptians oppress, the Shimeis curse, the Sabeans make havoc, the winds blow, and the fire burns) like him who said, Shall I receive good at the hand of the Lord, and not evil?" Oh, it is blessed to see that nothing, no nothing can obtain to afflict God's family, but by his sovereign appointment.

May the great Three-One that bear record in heaven, give you sweet communion with himself in all his covenant purposes, and glorious displays of his almighty grace. His grace! oh, what a dimensionless deep, a boundless sea, a bottomless, shoreless ocean. To it may you be led daily, of it receive incessantly, and by it live, walk, and talk, to the praise of its glory. The Holy Ghost give you an unctious enjoyment of its indescribable sweetness and blessedness, and enlarged apprehensions of the great giver of all grace, until grace is consummated in endless glory. So prays the poorest and most undeserviug of the Lord's saved ones,

THE ANNUNCIATION.

WHAT means that lovely, radiant star,
Shining so brightly from afar?

And whence those sounds so soft and clear,
Bursting upon the ravished ear?
Which in the solemn nightly hour,

Speak to the heart, and speak with power.
That star points out a Saviour King,
And angel-tongues the message bring;
The message full of truth and grace,
To man's degraded, fallen race.

"Fear not! for unto you this day-
Where yon bright star points out the way-
Is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord,
The glorious, the Incarnate Word.
Fear not, for blissful news we bring,
With which heaven's holy mansions ring;
Peace we proclaim, and they who late
In darkness sad and gloomy sat,
Shall see this glorious Light arise,
To glad their hearts with blest surprise.
Behold, behold! far in the east,
That star, the harbinger of peace;
It rests above the sacred place,
Where lies the Lord, a babe of days.
Fit emblem too, becomes of him
Born to redeem his own from sin,
Who rises in the humble breast,
The Star to lead to endless rest.
Go ye to Bethlehem, there ye 'll see,
In human form-The Deity."

They ceased, and sought their native skies,
Filling the air with melodies,
And silence held again her reign,
Throughout the now deserted plain;
Except that oft a joyous note

Was borne upon the breeze afloat,
And wafted to the shepherds' ear,
Dispersing every rising fear.

Raise we the song that echoed then,
"Peace, peace on earth, good will to men,
Glory to God:" come lift your voice,
Saints of the Lord, and loud rejoice;
Take from the willow every lyre,
And oh, blest Spirit, deign t' inspire
Our hearts with thy seraphic fire,
That we our offerings meet may bring,
That we may laud our infant King.

The shepherds mused and gazed around,
The very spot seemed holy ground;
And in the east that radiant star,
Still beamed upon them from afar
And tells them where those wonders are.

At length they rose, they left the plain
Where the celestial vision came,
And journeyed on (thrice happy men),
Until they came to Bethlehem.

Let us too follow, and adore
The God whom angels bow before;
With frankincense and odours sweet,
Let us anoint his infant feet:
For unto us this child is born,
(Though unbelievers rail and scorn,,
To us, to us this Son is given,

And we through him shall reign in heaven.
He comes to suffer, bleed, and die,
To lay his princely glory by,
And dwell in deep humility,
To raise us to a throne on high.
He comes for sinners' guilt t' atone,
By imputation made his own;
For holy, harmless, undefiled,
Is Jesus Christ, God's holy child.
He comes to comfort the distrest.
Pour balm into the wounded breast,
And give the conscious sinner rest.
He comes to save!-loud, loud proclaim
That Saviour is his precious name,
Then well may every heart rejoice,
Sing to his praise with raptured voice,
And strike anew the echoing chord,
To glorify our matchless Lord.
Glory to God! with saints above,
We'll loudly shout that he is Love,
And honor, glory, might and praise,
Ascribe to him through endless days.

EMMELINE.

THE PASTOR'S FAREWELL SALUTATION
To a sister begotten unto a lively hope.
FAREWELL dear friend, in Christ secure,
I wish thee well indeed;
All suited grace and help below,
Proportioned to thy need.

Though ofton in the furnace cast,

Doubt not thy Saviour's care; For God hath pledged his precious word, "I will be with thee there.'

Ye chosen child of sovereign grace,

Thy christian path pursue,
And sing the praises of the Lamb,
As on to heaven ye go,

With Mary, at Immanuel's feet

May my dear sister lay,
And weep her cares into His heart
Who bore her sins away.

Tell him a member pleads his help,

The name he 'll not disown ;
But will thee keep through life's short road,
And safe conduct thee home.

"Who shall remove the stone?" may be
The burden of thy song;
But when to Calvary thou art drawn,
Thou 'It find the stone is gone.

On love's blest everlasting arms,
Repose thy trembling mind;
And thus supported up the hill,

The summit thou shalt find.

Then live upon, and walk with Christ,
Whilst in this vale of care;
Uutil ye mount th' ethereal plains,
And breathe celestial air.

There pastors and their people meet
Around the sacred throne,

And all the ransomed family

For ever crown'd at home.

Then with the whole assembled church,
Thy God in Christ thou 'lt see,
And glorify the great Three-One

To all eternity. Boston.

WILLIAM FELTON.

CONGRATULATION.

ALL hail, Zion's Casket, well laden with

store,

For humble believers, the naked and poor; While sweetly unfolding the treasures of grace, Which shine so resplendent in Jesus's facc.

Some years have now passed since thou first

didst appear,

With all thy rich treasures the weary to cheer, And still thou art bringing, their wants to supply,

Rich food for the hungry, and drink for the dry.

Amidst the world's changes unchanged be thy theme,

Make Jesus thy subject, his glory thy aim: Go on still defending His secret decrees Who reigns as a sovereign and doth as he please.

Good news for poor sinners the gospel proclaims,

And freedom for captives long bent in their chains,

How worthless so ever and guilty they be No pow'r can retain those whom Jesus sets free.

And while truth is supported and creatures stript bare,

From all creature works which they love very dear;

-Think my soul,

If thy weak mind can grasp so large a thought,
Of the Almighty-He whose powerful word
Called up this universe from nought, ere yet
He spoke it to existence, when his eye
Omniscient saw the blight it should sustain—
Think of Him, in a thoughtful attitude.
Heaven's rich pavilion with its curtains drawn
And meditation's lamp alight, while God
In mood contemplative, prepares a scheme
To circumvent the spoiler. Mighty One,
Nothing was left for feeble man to do,
Well known to thee his frailty, and thy grace,
Must not be left to his contingencies.
WILLS and SHALLS, the utterance of that
voice

Which said, "Let there be light," must be
Like towers of brass for the security
Of all thy chosen. "I will be their God
Which all hell's sophistry can ne'er deface,
And they shall be my people." Blissful words
Nor all hell's power prevent. Immutable,
Thou changest not, nor hath defeat

Been known in all thy history. Every one
Embraced in that thy mercy covenant,
Must reach his throne, his palm-branch, and

his crown,

Or Calvary's hill will shout a loud reproach, And heaven's wide arch in hollow vacancy, Blush for a God who did not count the cost.

REZENEB.

193

113

Dr. Owen

159, 181, 208

49

A Glorious Display of Divine Sove-
reignty in the triumphant Death of
Western Eve, of West Hanningfield,
Occasioned by the Bite of a Mad
Dog

A Little Instruction for Mnason..
All-Prayer, or the Believer's War-
Engine

An Address Delivered to a Young Gen-
tleman on the Anniversary of his
Birth-day, by Samuel E. Pierce.. 289
An Antidote against Geological Infidelity 131
A New Year's Address to the Church
Mystical, the Lamb's Bride, by the
Rev. Alfred Hewlett

A Query on Family Prayer.

A Short History of the Life and Con-
version of Sukey Harley a labouring
woman in the parish of Pulverbach
near Shrewsbury

18

254

God's Christ

God's Everlasting Love

God's Love to his People the cause of
their love to Him, a Sermon lately
Preached in the Parish Church of
by the Curate, and for preach-
ing which he received an instanta-
neous dismissal....

169, 197

161, 177