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with blood. Yea, the bleeding hand of Jesus-the surety-has passed over the whole debt; which, instead of being exacted, is by God remitted for when they had nothing to pay, He frankly forgave them. So that now there is nothing seen of the account but Jesus' blood and the name of the sinner pardoned.

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And Forgiveness is also expressed by putting our sins out of reach-as far as the east is from the west, &c." Psalm ciii. 12. "Thou wilt cast our sins into the depths of the sea."-Mic. vii. 19. "Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back."-Is. xxxviii. Out of sight as well as out of reach; "for in that time," saith the Lord, "the iniquities of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found :" &c. Jer. 1. 20. And

when the Lord applies these precious truths to us, as the live coal from the altar, saying, "Lo! this hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is purged"-then the load of guilt is removed, peace is found, and pardon sealed by the Holy Ghost.

Lastly, on this head-God has one way by which he leads all his children to seek this forgiveness. God the Father hath provided the means in Jesus, but God the Holy Ghost reveals them. He reproves of sin. He opens and applies the law, and leads to godly sorrow and humble confession.

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Confession is the uncovering of our sins-laying them open with our lips but God's forgiveness is the covering of our sins with the blood and righteousness of Christ. God said, "Only acknowledge thy iniquities." David said, "I confessed my sin and thou forgavest my iniquities." The prodigal said, "I have sinned."-The Father received him graciously. And John saith, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful," &c.

Here, Mr. Editor, permit me to close these remarks until the following month, lest I should occupy too large a space in your valuable pages. May the Lord, who has already blessed your Editorial labours in connexion with the GOSPEL MAGAZINE, encourage you to persevere in his strength, by the consideration that, while many are engaged in spreading the poison of infidelity, the fatal delusions of Popery, and others are substituting mere nominal Christianity for vital godliness, you are set for the defence of the Gospel of Christ, in whom I wish you great success, and

Remain sincerely yours,

D. DENHAM.

Horslydown.

A SALUTATION TO THE ONE CHURCH OF OUR COVENANT GOD IN CHRIST JESUS, UPON THE OPENING OF THE NEW YEAR, 1841.

BRETHREN and Companions in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, in whose most holy name I desire to greet you, through the same favoured channel of communication, where we have before met, and where we have so often been refreshed in

the bowels of Him whose we are, and whom we serve in the Gospel of the grace of God.

With many we have regretted the partial separation which has taken place during the density of that atmosphere with which our favourite Miscellany became inclosed, after the death of the venerable Walter Row, whose memory for honesty and integrity will be long cherished by the few who knew his worth; and from our watch-tower have we been anxiously looking out for the Lord to dispel the same, nor have we looked in vain. For although we do not expect to find in every respect such another, yet we fondly cherish the hope that in our beloved brother who has undertaken to guide our monthly bark over the boisterous ocean, we shall find one upon whom the spirit of Elijah doth rest; and who will by his wisdom and judgment show his approval of those things which are excellent. May his hands be strengthened, and the sweet zephyr of divine grace be found continually to aid the whole

convoy.

Accustomed as we have been to salute you upon the opening of a new era of time, and often experiencing the goodness of Him who crowneth the year, we can do no less upon the threshold of the present than wish you "All Hail" in Him in whose sight a thousand years are but as yesterday, and before whom the inhabitants of the earth are as grasshoppers. We bless you in him, and pray that a kindred spirit might be found to pervade the whole body, and that our love for each other may be found more fervently to abound, and an increase of faith and hope accompany us through every period of that year now opened before us.

Need I tell you, brethren, that by our arrival at the present period, we have passed over so much of our appointed time here on earth; and with the flitted moments that have passed so rapidly before us, are gone the sorrows we have met with by the way, which however overwhelming they seemed in appearance, have not been destructive in their nature. Each season of extremity with us having opened one of opportunity with our God, who has gloriously worked on our behalf; and in every renewed instance of his kindness in sparing our lives by a great deliverance, given us to know "our times are in his hands," and of his mercies it is we have not been given over into the hands of our enemies.

In this forbearance of our manners in the wilderness, we receive so many proofs of his unchangeable love towards us; and which, methinks, will tend to encourage us in our entering the every cloud that might arise during our journey through the whole or any part of the eventful year to which we have now been brought. For this, like all others that have gone before, will bear its portion of those sorrows and calamities which are the heir-loom of all the posterity of Adam; yet one sweet consolation aboundeth therewith, they are all in weight and measure, which while our keenest judgment cannot fathom their mighty depths, are all under the rule and order of Him who is excellent in counsel doing wonders. Let us, therefore, gird up the loins of our minds, be sober, and watch unto the end.

"Our times are in his hands" who from eternity set his love upon

his people, and in which he still rests; nor shall anything be found ever to occur that shall in the least affect it. The excellency of it shall cause the poor among men to put their trust under the shadow of its wings, until every calamity be overpast; and who shall be brought to enjoy the fulness of that sweet truth, God is love," and he that dwelleth in God dwelleth in love.

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"Our times are in the hands of Him" whose eternal thoughts provided against all the exigencies of time, and secured the blessings above the fall (for the purposes of answering the necessities of that fall) in the Person of that Glorious One in whom he has chosen us before the foundation of the world, "that we should be holy and without blame before him in love."

"Our times are in his hands" whose infinite wisdom devised those means which prevented our banishment from him, and who remembering us in our low estate, when bound with the galling chain of sin and misery, "sent redemption," demanding our deliverance from the pit, for he had "found a ransom."

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"In his hands are our times who, when we were strangers and enemies unto him by wicked works, did commend his love unto us; and though both blind and deaf to the sweet voice of mercy and salvation by grace, did anoint our eyes and open our ears, thereby making us partakers of the "heavenly calling" which is not according to our works, but according to his purpose and grace given to us in Christ Jesus.

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"Nor are our times less in his hands" amid all the sorrows and exercises we meet with by the way; for he has comforted us in all our tribulation, and has never failed to accompany us through all the deep waters we have been called to go, and to regulate the heat of every furnace into which we have been brought. Yea, he still sitteth as a refiner and purifier of silver, and will carefully watch the whole process with a gracious desire to bring forth the vessel fit for the Master's use. Again, we do well to remember that "our times are in his hands who, with his blessed "fear nots," is going before us in all that shall open up throughout the chequered scenes of the present year; which lie hid beneath the surface, and shall be thrown up in that divine order and arrangement that too much shall not be laid upon us, but in the whole a way shall be made for our escape: and though we have to wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against spiritual wickedness in high places, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God, to the pulling down the strong holds of sin and Satan. And while the carnal notions of our ungodly hearts will often strive for the mastery, and our poor hearts ready to sink with fear under the frequent attacks of the enemy, yet no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper, for greater is he that is for us than all those that are against us.

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Cheer up, my brethren, for he who hath said, "Because I live ye shall live also,' "And where I am there shall my servants be,' even "in his hands are our times." What the revolving period of Eighteen Hundred and Forty-one may be productive of to us we cannot

say. Life and death are inseparably bound together in the inventory made out for our information, and the one must be passed in order to obtain full possession of the other; hence our great Forerunner has gone through death to secure the destruction of it, and we must pass through the shadow of it also, ere we can enjoy the fruition of eternal life. Seeing we have here no continuing city, and our lives which are but a span long, in jeopardy every hour, what is there the least desirable that we should wish to be detained or kept from the presence of Him with whom "there is fulness of joy, and at his right hand pleasures for evermore?" The journey is but short, and though the path lies though a dangerous country, every step of it we shall be conducted through with safety; and after having passed both fire and water, shall most assuredly be put in possession of that wealthy land.

Once more, "All Hail !" Let the prospect stimulate you to forget those things which are behind, and amid the passing conflicts of the year may you be found coming up leaning upon the arm, and venting all your sorrows into the bosom of Him in whose hands are times."

our

London.

A STRIPLING.

THE LAW OF MOSES AND THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord.-2 Cor. iii. 18.

Он for grace from the Lord to have right conception of his words! The Lord keep the writer of this, and all his people, from attempting to darken counsel by words without knowledge, and fill our minds with increasing anxiety to sit at Jesus' feet, and hear what the Lord will be pleased to say to us. Surely he alone can teach us to profit and keep us from erring. To him may we ever look, and on him ever depend, and live to prove the blessedness of the Father's gracious promise," All thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children."

One of the greatest mercies the Lord confers on his dear people in the wilderness, is a wise and understanding heart, or, as the Apostle speaks, It is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, that we may not be driven, and tossed to and fro in our minds, either in reading the Scriptures, or attending the preaching of the word. We shall certainly meet, even in the gracious book of God, many things which in the letter of them will perplex and confound us, unless it please the Lord to place in our minds certain great points of truth, which called fixed principles, and which will bend to nothing; while on the contrary, all other things must bend to them. It would take me far beyond my present design, were I to attempt to define any of these various things. Each of them would form a subject for separate consideration, and distinct discourse. What I have to bring before the

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reader at this time, is the difference of a state under the law of Moses, and one under the spiritual reign of the Gospel of Christ.

The Apostle in the context of the blessed passage that I have placed over these remarks, is drawing the contrast between those who have Moses' veil on their head, and those who with open face behold the glory of the Lord. The one cannot see to "the end of that which is abolished," the other sees Christ the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. The one is at the mount, which made Moses, the servant of the Lord, " exceedingly fear and quake," the other is come to Mount Zion and the city of the living God. The one hath all the fear about him that hath torment, the other dwells in perfect love that casteth out such fear. The one forms his judgment of God and of his state by the old and broken covenant, the other rejoices that God hath made with him, and deals with him in his new covenant relations, as a Father full of mercy and compassion in Christ Jesus. I can safely assure the reader that the opposite poles are not more distinct and separate, than the Lord's people's feelings differ under these varied circumstances. May the Lord direct me to write what he will own and bless to his children's comfort; and if one precious soul of his bloodredeemed family, be brought from bondage to liberty thereby, his dear and holy Majesty shall have all the praise.

If the reader will look again at the words I have brought before him, he will see that in attempting to explain this Scripture, I shall have to speak of these five things.

1st. What is intended by our beholding with open face?

2nd. What glass it is we see in?

3rd. What object is beheld?

4th. The effect of the glorious vision.

5th. And lastly, by whose power such a blessed effect is produced? First. I have to treat a little of our beholding with an open face. This is clearly opposed to seeing through a darkened medium. Much reference is made in this chapter to the veil of Moses; now a person with a veil, and especially if it be a thick one, cannot see an object as those can who have none. And the Apostle speaks of this veil as not "taken away in the reading of the Old Testament," i. e. Moses' law; this veil being upon the heart, there is no perception of the gloriousness of the gospel. Salvation to such an one appears to be as it were by the works of the law. It is true there may be an indistinct vision of the gospel, as a person with a thick veil on his face may obscurely discover certain objects around him he may see men as trees walking, but this is all the discovery he makes, and what is the consequence, but from erring in vision, he stumbles in judgment. Such an one reads the law, and concludes thus, "Here are commands to be obeyed and precepts to be fulfilled, now if I do these things the Lord will love me, and my righteousness shall answer for me at his throne:" should there be deficiency, he hopes the Saviour will make it up. This is what the Apostle calls going about to establish our own righteousness, and is nothing less than the exercise of the deep rebellion of the will, against the salvation of the Lord Jesus, which is wholly by grace, without the works

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