CAST forth the sacred light of saving truth, I ts object human nature to redeem. Vast are its charms, persuasive are its means Tells him of joys reserved for saints on high, THOMAS BUTLER. Shrewsbury. Page for the Young. THE PATRIARCH WHO WALKED WITH GOD. OUR young readers will understand that when the Bible speaks of people walking, it frequently refers to the whole course of their life or conduct; so when it says that Enoch walked with God,' it does not mean that God left his throne in the heavens to accompany the patriarch in person on this earth; but that the life of Enoch was so regulated, that his time in this world was quite as it would have been had God been present with him. It means that he lived in accordance with the knowledge which he had of God, and with the will of God as God had made it known to him. Though he did not see God, yet he knew that God saw him, and was aware of all that he thought, and said, and did. Having this knowledge, he lived, acted, or walked with God, not without, or apart from, or regardless of Him, but altogether at one with His will. A day came, and Enoch could not be found. No search could discover him. He had not died, neither had he been killed, nor yet had he been drowned. 'He was not, for God took him.' What a great reward this was! How delightful to the good old man who had walked all his life, as if God were with him, thus to be taken home to Him without tasting death, and without the grief of seeing all his friends weeping around his death-bed! But great as this reward was, it is only what God has promised to those who follow the steps of Enoch, and are alive when the Lord Jesus shall come again. Then, said the apostle to the Christians, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trump shall sound.' We have, therefore, in Enoch, an example of what our gracious heavenly Father will do with all who walk with Him on earth. The Lord Jesus shall come and take us to himself, and so shall we be ever with the Lord.' But it shall be terribly different with those who, instead of walking with God, 'walk according to the course of the world; according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.' This same Enoch prophesied of them, saying, 'Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodlily committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.' Here, then, are the two ways of life-Either a walk with God, with its great reward of being received home to Himself; or a walk as the world does, as those do who are under the dominion of Satan, those who are led by the spirit that still works in those who are disobedient to God, and its terrible judgment, conviction, and everlasting banishment, when the Lord Jesus comes as Enoch prophesied he would. But, asks one, How did Enoch thus walk with God, and how may we do so? The apostle answers these questions when he says, 'By faith Enoch was translated, that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.' So we find that this patriarch walked with God, not by seeing God in person beside him, but by faith. So with all the faithful, for Paul says, 'We walk by faith, not by sight.' Observe well, then, dear children, how important and necessary faith in God is. Enoch's faith in God led him to walk with God, it gave him the delightful testimony or assurance that he pleased God, and God, being pleased with him, took him home to himself. Recollect that in no other way can you or any one please God, for, adds the apostle, 'Without faith it is impossible to please Him.' And recollect, too, that God has kindly spoken to you by the prophets and the apostles, and particularly by his dear Son, all in order that your faith and hope might be in Him. Be not satisfied, then, till, by learning of Jesus, you find yourselves walking home to God, by firm faith, gladdened with the joyous assurance that He is pleased with you now, and will receive you to himself at last. Pearls of Truth. LOOKING UPON CHRIST.-He who looks upon Christ through his graces, is like one that sees the sun in water; which wavers and moves as the water doth. Look upon Christ only as shining in the firmament of the Father's grace and love; and then you will see him in his own genuine glory, and unspeakable fulness. Wilcox. A SCEPTICAL young man, one day conversing with the celebrated Dr Parr, observed, that he would believe nothing that he did not understand. Dr Parr replied, 'Then, young man, your creed will be the shortest of any man's I know.' PREACH CHRIST.-He is the text, and all preaching beside Christ is beside the text; therefore, keep to your text. Christ is the very foundation and subject-matter of preaching; and all preaching, without Christ, is building castles in the air. Christ is the life and soul of preaching; and all preaching, without him, is like a body without life and spirit. Christ is the great end of preaching; preaching is to manifest his glory; and when Christ is not preached, the great end is lost. South. FAITH is the means of attaining to the Spirit, and the Spirit is the spring of our power and possibility of working. Faith, in this view, and embraced for this end, will stand its ground against all opposition. There can be no pretence for decrying it as an enemy to good works. Adam's Private Thoughts. BE NOT WEARY.-Christ continued working whilst he continued living. His life and labour ended together. He fainted not in his last work. Oh, be like Christ in this; be not weary of well-doing. Give not over the work of God, while you can move hand or tongue to promote it. And see that your last works be more than your first. Oh, let the motions of your soul after God be, as all natural emotions are, swiftest when nearest the centre. Say not, it is enough, whilst there is any capacity of doing more for God. In these things, Christians, be like your Saviour. Flavel. Correspondence. 'THE CHURCH AND CONGREGATION.' DEAR BROTHER MILNER,—What is the difference of meaning, if any, betwixt the word Church, and the word Congregation; and what is the authority for the popular distinction expressed by the phrase, The Church and Congregation?-Yours in the Gospel, W. H., Berwick. (We hope to answer brother W. H. next month.-ED.) Entelligence. MEETING IN CUPAR, FIFE.-A gathering of brethren was held in Kirkgate meeting-house, Cupar, on 25th December last, to consider a variety of important questions respecting the advancement of the gospel and church of the Lord Jesus. Above twenty brethren were present from churches in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Cupar, Kirkcaldy, Auchtermuchty, Crossgates; and letters and messages were delivered from other congregations in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Berwick, Banff, and Sanquhar. The following conclusions unanimously arrived at by the brethren assembled, and affectionately recommended to the consideration of the disciples and churches of Christ, shall, it is hoped, receive that attention which their importance merits :— I. That Christian Churches are congregations composed of persons who have individually received Christ Jesus the Lord, by faith in him, as presented in the gospel, and submission to Him in his own ordinance of immersion, and who thereafter continue stedfastly in the teaching of the apostles. II. That all such persons occupying the common standing before God as His people and children, ought to be received by the congregations upon their giving evidence, by letter of commendation, or personal knowledge of their maintenance of the Christian character. III. Considering the general and almost universal departure from the simple gospel which has obtained in this country, and feeling the responsibility that devolves upon us as Christians to hold forth the word of life, and plead for a return to the New Testament rule and practice, and believing in the necessity and great advantage of united effort, this meeting recommends, to brethren throughout the country, a full and unreserved co-operation, in spreading the gospel, planting churches, and comforting and confirming one another. IV. That inasmuch as all the congregations of the saints are but one body, and all the work which they are called to engage in is the Lord's, it should be borne in mind, that the example of the first churches was to lay in a common fund all that the spontaneous liberality of the brethren produced, and that, according to the apostle's injunctions, the means thus gathered ought to be sent in the direction, and at the time which, either in the case of the Lord's poor or His servants, it may be required, the deacons and messengers of the churches being the proper custodiers of it. V. That since the brethren in the apostolic age went everywhere preaching the word, the Lord working by them, and the apostles and elders gladly acknowledging them, and seeing also, that besides this individual voluntary method of going to the work, there was also the sending forth by the churches of those brethren whom God had blessed in their labours, this meeting exhort the churches to encourage all brethren possessing the requisite gifts to engage in the work of preaching the gospel, and further, to exhort such as have been owned of God in the conversion of sinners, to give themselves wholly to the work of evangelization. VI. Inasmuch as the bestowment by God of even the most splendid gifts does not supersede the necessity of their cultivation, and, inasmuch as but very moderate endowments, when faithfully cultivated, are productive of very great results, the brethren suggest, that in accordance with Paul's injunction to Timothy, to study to shew himself a workman approved of God, that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, brethren be exhorted to take all opportunities of self and mutual improvement, not forgetting that while the great end of study is the knowledge of the word of God, yet the Bible, like other books, being constructed on the common principles of human language, a knowledge of grammar and logic gives great facility to the understanding and exposition of the sacred Scriptures. VII. That since there is the example of such facts as those narrated in the 15th of Acts, where it is said that chosen men, chief among the brethren, were sent to visit the congregations, this meeting urge the visiting of especially weaker churches by such brethren, as far as their immediate duties will allow, and that, with this view, churches communicate with such brethren as they may desire to receive visits from, and that brethren visiting any localities where congregations are situated, advise the churches of their intention to be in the neighbourhood, that time may be given for sufficient arrangements and publicity. VIII. That this meeting recommend to the support of the brethren and churches The Christian Advocate,' trusting that it will prove a successful means of extending the knowledge of the truth, of calling forth the gifts of the brethren, and of fostering union and intercourse amongst the congregations. And this meeting further approve of the Editor's proposal to issue tracts from time to time, after having submitted them to the revisal of brethren who may be willing to be consulted on that business. The question as to the regulation of mutual teaching and exhortation in the congregations, was answered by simple reference to the specific instructions of Rom. xii. 3; 1 Cor. xiv. 19, 29, 31, 32, 40; 1 Pet. iv. 11, which the brethren saw had only to be given heed to in order to insure the comfort and edification of the churches. A conversation on the pastorate, and on the order of the congregations on the first of the week, followed, and evening being now come, the brethren retired, after commending one another to the grace of Him in whom they believed, and happy also that all the conclusions come to were adopted with one heart and one voice. THE TRUTH IN FRANCE.-For some years a number of congregations have existed in France, originated in a secession from the National Protestant Church. The constitution of those congregations is somewhat between the Independent and Presbyterian systems of this country. But recently, further light has been dawning upon them, and they are now discovering that they have not yet reached the Scripture Standard. The question of Baptism is being fully discussed, and two ministers, Messieurs Pozzy and Lenoir, have already published in favour of believer immersion. CHURCH IN KELSO.-About two years ago five or six brethren associated themselves together in the fellowship of the gospel; meeting first in the house of a sister in the Lord till they obtained a very comfortable little meeting-house, seated to accommodate about eighty persons. The meetings for preaching were well attended; the place being often crowded. By these labours of our late devoted brother, William Aitken, seconded by the endeavours of other brethren in the country, the little band soon numbered upwards of twenty. But the removal to England of brother Thomson, co-pastor with brother Aitken, then of brother Aitken to Glasgow, whence, after four months of successful labour, the Lord translated him to the General Assembly above, and the still further removal from the town of other brethren, the number was reduced to about twelve. Thus cast down, but not destroyed, the brethren wisely determined not to forsake the assembling of themselves together, and having still among them one or two able to admonish fidelity to the Lord, to one another, and to the world, will not fail to perpetuate and spread the light of this lampstand of the truth. That the brethren engaged in teaching may know how to act in the house of God, let us commend to their earnest study Paul's letters to Timothy and Titus; let them particularly observe the Apostle's solemn charges as to both the preaching and the teaching; let them not forget that the one proper subject of |