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their heavy shackles. The iron not only wears the body, but enters into the soul. As they sit in darkness, and in the land of the shadow of death, so they are held bound in affliction and iron. They are prisoners in the prisonhouse of hell, of which Satan himself is the keeper. "Ye are from beneath," said Jesus to the Jews; "ye are of your own father, the devil." To him they were in bondage. And because this is the natural condition of the children of men, even from the fall up to the present moment, therefore Messiah came to proclaim "the opening of the prison to them that are bound," and to "set at liberty them that are bruised." He says to those who are in darkness, show yourselves! or come forth into the light. He says to the prisoners, go forth! Yea, he brings out the prisoners from the prison. He opens the prison doors for them, having in his own possession the keys of hell and of death; and brings them forth, as the angel of the Lord did the apostles. Rev. i. 18. He opens the eyes of the blind, as those of Bartimeus. He comes upon them in his power; bursts upon them in the splendour of his majesty; causes his light to shine in the prison, even as on Jonah in the belly of hell, and as on Saul of Tarsus when hotly engaged in the service of hell; he smites them on the side, as he did Peter; he raises them up; he makes their chains fall of; and then he says to them, arise up quickly, and gird yourselves, and bind on your sandals,-and cast your garment about you," and follow me." Oh what a sketch of the moral misery of man have we, in that historical painting of Sampson; when he was shorn of his strength through the wiles of the seducer, and he had fallen into the power of the enemy! Then the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass, and threw him into prison, and there doomed him to grind in the prisonhouse. Somewhat similar was the fate of Zedekiah, king of Judah, when vanquished and taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. But what a delightful contrast have we, as picturing to us the happier fate of those, whom the king of Salem manumits, in the better fortune of Jehoiachin, king of Judah, whom the king of Babylon befriended! In the first year of his reign, Evil Merodach lifted up the head of the king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison, and spake kindly unto him, or words that were good and comforting; and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, and changed his prison garments, and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life. 2 Kings xxv. 27.”

We shall add another extract from the second discourse, which considers the principle or grand point of this gospel, by which alone the believer enjoys the plenitude of its blessedness.

"A third particular comprehended in the blessing of believing Abraham, as hinted at in the context, is the inheritance. "For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise." The argument of the apostle is founded on the essential difference between a conditional law of works, such as that of Moses was, and an absolute and unconditional deed of gift. If the inheritance of Abraham be by law, it is no more by naked promise. But God did certainly bestow it most gratuitously on Abraham by mere promise. And therefore, the law of Moses, which was introduced about four hundred and thirty years afterward, cannot disannul the previous deed of gift, so as to make the promise of it rela tive to the inheritance of none effect. But now understand, that here again the mere letter of the promise proves fatal; and only the Spirit of it is fraught with a vital energy which diffuses a vigorous animation through the whole constitution of the child of God. The husk and shell of the promise was the land of the Canaanites. "I am Jehovah, who brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it." But we want to strip off the rough, unseemly, and uninviting husk, and to break the uneatable shell also, that we may arrive at the delicacies within, which are both catable and pot

able, and feast our souls on them as on the honeyed nut and kernel of the cocoa-palm, as white as snow, and rich flavoured as the almond, and on the milky nectar of its cooling, refreshing, nourishing, and delicious juice. Observe then, that the patriarchs, piercing through the literal inheritance of Palestine, descried a delightsome land beyond; they looked for a country, a better country, that is to say, "a heavenly." Heb. ii. 13-16. Psalm lxxxvii. 1-7. Yea, and for a city too, a city built on foundations never to be removed, and whose immediate Maker and Builder is God himself. And that this was verily intended in the promise to Abraham is obvious; because it was confirmed to him, not in his fleshly seed, Isaac, and Jacob, and the twelve tribes of Israel at large, but in his spiritual seed, Christ. "The law was added, says Paul, "because of transgressions, until the seed, or Son, should come, to whom the promise was made." This was the original covenant that had been confirmed before, to Abraham, by God, in Abraham's seed, even Christ. For "to Abraham" immediately, and "to his seed" prospectively and eventually "were the promises made; and that seed was Christ." Accordingly, when the seed came, and the covenant began to be brought into operation, and the promise to be fulfilled, instead of the establishment of the Jews in Palestine, as in a terrestrial Eden, by the breaking of the Roman yoke from off their necks, and the expulsion of the legions of Rome from out of their country, that yoke was riveted; and those legions were all ready on the wing, as eagles strongly pounced just cowering to the prey, to dart upon their victim, and destroy it. And very quickly, as with a headlong mountain-torrent rupture, which desolates the country in a moment, and rolls the hugest rocks from the bosom of their mother earth, whereon they had reposed and been nursed for ages, those raging forces of the iron kingdom poured the resistless flood of war upon this ancient people, and rapidly converted the goodly lot of their fair inheritance into a vast scene of devastation and depopulation. But hark! whilst as yet the din of battle, and the confused noise of warrior voices, hoarse sounding from the devoted city, and the desecrated temple, and the shout of the Lord of Hosts himself rendering his recompences to his enemies as in flames of devouring fire, were but as a distant rumour, a still small voice is heard, whispering the tidings of Zion's travail without pain, and her safe delivery of a man child. In him, as the new stock, his spiritual seed were included. He, the everlasting Father; and they, the children of glory, honour, immortality, incorruption, and eternal life. "Who hath heard such a thing? who hath ever seen such a thing? shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once?" Yes! "For as soon as Zion travailed, she" not only brought forth her man-child, but likewise, brought forth all her children at one birth. Isa. lxv. and lxvi. And mark the renovated scene! The inheritance of the saints in light now springs to view. The kingdom of God's dear Son discloses itself. The kingdom of heaven, all uncurtained, bursts on the eager ken of those, who, like that honourable counsellor Joseph, of Arimathea, "also were waiting for the kingdom of God." They were looking anxiously "for redemption in Jerusalem." They watched unweariedly "for the consolation of Israel." And lo! they realize all in the child born and the Son given, in the Lord's Christ; in him who was now born King of the Jews. In him they saw the redemption of Jerusalem. In him they found "the consolation of Israel." In him they received the kingdom of God within themselves, constituted of righteousness, and peace, and joy by the Holy Ghost. "In whom also," as the apostle writes to the Ephesians, I trust that "we" all "have obtained an inheritance," the very inheritance entailed on Abraham in his seed, Christ: "being predestinated to it, according to the purpose of him, who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. In whom also," I would cheerfully hope, "in that we have believed, we are sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise; who" whilst he now causes us to inherit together the grace of life, "is" at the same moment "the earnest of our inheritance" in the future world of unfading glory."

We have exceeded our bounds, but we were so much gratified with these two discourses, that we were anxious to induce our readers to possess them; praying that the unction of the Holy Ghost may attend the reader in his perusal of them, for we have no doubt they will be rendered eminently useful. It is necessary to add, that each tract constitutes in itself a complete discourse.

A Cluster of Grapes from the Land of Promise: or, a Glance at the Acts and Achievements of a Living Faith, 12mo. p.p. 40. Palmer.

THIS tract contains a short comment on Heb. xi. 33, 34. which the author has divided into nine sections, on each of which he makes some short observations, which with an introductory preface of seventeen pages, an extract from a sermon by William Dell, and three hymns, concludes the tract. As the writer is a layman, and not accustomed as himself says to book-making, we pass over some remarks which he has made on the words, as not arising in our view from the connexion; but as it contains some good observations on faith and its actings, we hope sufficient number will sell to prevent the author sustaining any loss, as we do not doubt his aim is to benefit plain christians.

Observations on certain points of Doctrine, contained in the pamphlets of Sylvanus and Discipulus, lately published at Cheltenham. By Amicus, 12mo. p.p. 35. Palmer.

Two pamphlets have been recently published at Cheltenham, by two anonymous writers; the one under the signature of Sylvanus, the other under that of Discipulus. The former denounces against the Mosaic law as having any claim on the Gentiles at any time, and that since the advent of Christ it is entirely abrogated, both with reference to Jews and Gentiles. The latter strenuously advocates the rigid observance of the moral law, and charges as antinomians all who venture to deviate from his views. The pamphlet before us is also anonymous, though we perceive by a remark on the tenth page, that the author is a clergyman of the establishment, who for reasons unknown to us has not given his name. He has attempted in a very concise way to make some observations on each of the above writers, and to shew wherein, in his view, both err. Our readers may by comparing each with the volume of inspiration, judge for themselves how far Amicus has succeeded.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

THE Eleventh Anniversary of the Baptist Church, Rye Lane, Peckham, will be held (by Divine permission) on Wednesday, Aug. 4, when Three Sermons will be Preached that in the Morning, at Eleven o'Clock, by Mr. STODHART, of Pell Street; that in the Afternoon, at Three o'Clock, by Mr. DENHAM, of Margate; and that in the Evening, at Half-past Six o'clock, by Mr. G. COMB, of Soho Chapel, Oxford Street. After each Service a Collection will be made.

POETRY.

THE POWER AND MAJESTY OF GOD.

FATHER of lights! can earthly lays proclaim
The power and grandeur of thy dazzling name?
Fain would we mount like eagles to the skies,
And see thy glory with our mortal eyes;
Where angel ranks, in flaming splendour bright,
Resound "Hosanna" through the realms of light;
Where ransom'd nations glow with sacred fire,
Join the bright host and sweep the enraptured lyre
Cloth'd in immortal radiance they outvie,
The sun in his meridian majesty.

Yet all their glory shines with borrow'd rays;
Lost in the bright refulgence of thy blaze
They are but sparks, that glitter round thy throne;
They are the beams, and THOU the central SUN.

When man's transgression in an evil hour,
Roused the dread vengeance of Almighty power,
When seas on seas, in vast confusion hurl'd,
At thy command o'erwhelm'd the guilty world;
How did creation tremble at thy nod,

At the dire wrath of an incensed GOD!

And when on Sinai's mount thy glory shone,
Angels thy ministers, and clouds thy throne;
While thunders roll'd and lightnings shot their glare,
And the loud trumpet-blast convuls'd the air:

June 22,

Earth heard thy voice; and whirlwinds bore the sound
Far to the quaking lamp's remotest bound;
While Israel look'd with fear-bewilder'd eye,
And own'd the presence of the DEITY!

And when at last the dreadful hour shall come,
To call earth's sleeping millions from the tomb,
Who rising, view expiring nature's frame
Wrapt in one blaze-a UNIVERSE of flame!
The skies shall cleave, the JUDGE of all descend,
Ten thousand angels on his state attend;
Millions and millions, bursting from the tomb,

Wait at his bar, their everlasting doom.

Th' accursed throng, hurl'd downward through the air,
Sink to the dreadful regions of despair:

Whilst his redeem'd shall take their glorious flight,

To the blest mansions of the saints in light;

Then shall they reign with him, no more to fall,
AND GOD OMNIPOTENT be all in all!

1830.

ESTHER.

THE

Spiritual Magazine;

OR,

SAINTS' TREASURY.

"There are Three that bear record in heaven; the FATHER, the WORD, and the HOLY GHOST: and these Three are One."

"Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."

SEPTEMBER, 1830.

(For the Spiritual Magazine.)

John v. 7.

Jude 3.

CHRIST THE FATHER'S WITNESS TO THE PEOPLE. "Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a Leader and Commander to the people "-Isa. lv. 4.

ALL scripture, (saith the apostle Paul, when writing to Timothy) is given by inspiration of God: therefore, whatever it saith, must not only in the strictest sense be true, but also of the first importance. In them is contained a revelation of the mind of Jehovah, who by them has condescended to speak to the church in all ages. Unto the fathers he spake by the prophets, and in "these latter days unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things," Heb. i. 1, 2. And it is very pleasing and edifying to trace the agreement there is between the old testament and the new, now that the fulness of time is come, in which it hath pleased the Father to make a more open discovery of his mind by the gift of his Son; whose glory, while it eclipses all preceding dispensations, reflects a fight back upon them, clearly discovering them to have been of divine origin, and having immediate reference to the person and kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ;. and indeed he only has been viewed as the object of faith by every one of the Lord's called ones in every age. For the comfort of these, the Holy Spirit has in many places spoken in terms so explicit, as not to be mistaken by those who have Been taught to feel their need of him, in all his official capacities in which he stands related to the church. Amongst these, as a brilliant emanation of light, stands the text at the head of this article: in attempting to open which, I shall notice, first, the witness, and what he gives evidence of: and, secondly, his official engagements, as VOL. VII.-No. 77.

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