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in heaven; in that he hath by him overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life." The end of Christ's coming in the flesh was to " destroy the works of the devil," to "open the prison for them that are bound," and to "proclaim deliverance to the captives. He was born to bring his people to glory; he lived, that they might be rescued from eternal death; he died upon the cross, that they might live for ever. He overcame death." By his own death "he destroyed him that had the power of death," that is, the devil; and thus "delivered them, who, through fear of death, were subject to bondage." He, by his death on the cross, "swallowed up death in victory," and fulfilled his gracious promise to his people, "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues! O grave, I will be thy destruction!" By his death he vanquished all the enemies of man's salvation. By his cross he subdued all the powers of darkness, triumphed over all the wiles and malice of the devil; and by his glorious resurrection he hath withdrawn the veil that hung over the shadow of death, and opened to us the gate of everlasting life. By his word and example, by his promise and spirit, he hath disarmed the king of terrors of all power over his redeemed people, brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel, and made the way through the wilderness, and even through the "dark valley," clear and plain, till the soul of a believer enter the paradise of God. He hath " overcome death."-To witness the truth and the blessing of this victory of Christ over the terror of the grave, we must visit the dying beds of sincere believers, and there see with what holy confidence they can view the approach of death, and with what composure and peace of

soul they can enter the dark valley, supported by the spirit and presence of Him, who loved them even unto death, and is " gone before to prepare a place for them." Come and witness the dying Christian, who hath " laid hold on the hope set before him in the Gospel;" how calm and serene his state of mind! how ready is his soul to yield up its mortal tenement again to dust, and to go to that " city of habitation" which God hath prepared for them that love and fear him! The soul of every true believer feels, that Christ hath "overcome death,” taken away all its sting and terror, by the happiness and peace that he enjoys in the very prospect of dissolution. "He hath opened the gate of everlasting life."-See the truth and power of this blessed declaration in the experience and anticipations of the dying believer, bidding adieu to the world, to sin, and temptation, and rising on the wings of faith and love to joys unfading and immortal. "Christ is in his soul the hope of glory;" he is fixed on the rock, and full of assurance of endless happiness beyond the grave. He is possessed of Him, who is "the resurrection and the life," in "whom whosoever believeth shall live though he die; and whosoever liveth and believeth in him shall not die eternally." The true Christian knows, that though his "life is hid with Christ in God, when Christ, who is his life, shall appear, he shall also appear with him in glory." See the power of divine faith in the Son of God in this trying hour! When every other prop and found

ation will prove to the careless, the sinner, and the worldly-minded, but as "wood, hay, or stubble," be all consumed with the fire of God's anger, and leave them to perish in despair who trust in such lying vanities; the soul of the humble Christian is "full of joy and peace in believing that death will only put an end to all

his sorrows and sufferings, and introduce him to the kingdom and crown of glory, "which are reserved in heaven" for all who love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.

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"We humbly beseech thee."Humble prayer is the breath of a believing soul; it is ever most pleasing to God; and receives all the blessings of heaven for the soul's present enjoyment and eternal safety. Humble prayer will never be rejected; such praying breath will never be spent in vain. The believer in Christ must be humble. The consciousness of his own numberless defects and infirmities will make and keep him humble; a sense of the daily unmerited mercies that he receives from the hands of God, will "clothe him with humility.' He will find, that every other Christian grace will grow and flourish, as his humility is confirmed and the spirit of prayer is increased. Clear and scriptural views of himself will often bring him his knees in prayer, to cry for pardoning mercy. Humble believing prayer will receive an answer of peace. Humility will lead to prayer, and prayer will keep him humble. Humility will keep him watchful over himself, and against every besetting sin. Humble prayer will receive and secure him "grace to help in time of need," to keep him from falling under the power of temptation, and to keep his soul, by the power of God, through faith unto salvation." "That, as by thy special grace preventing us, thou dost put into our minds good desires."As the "Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters," to give life and effect to his word in the first creation; so the Spirit of divine grace moves on the sinner's heart to give the first motion and feeling of spiritual life to the soul, before" dead in trespasses and sins," that it may, in the second creation, be "born again," and APRIL 1823.

live to the glory of God. As in the first creation all was "without form and void," till the Spirit of God called into being what had no existence before; so in the second creation, the soul is dark and without life, till the Spirit of grace "breathe on the dry bones," and impart a new and spiritual life where none existed before. It is grace that " quickens the dead" soul, enlightens the dark understanding, and awakens the sleepy conscience. It is grace that enables the blind to see their natural state of guilt and danger, and that bestows both the desire and the ability to turn from sin and serve the living God. It is the mighty energy of divine grace, that conquers the pride and reluctance of our nature to yield the whole soul to God, to cleave steadfastly to Christ, to "deny all ungodliness," and to become " holy in all manner of holy conversation." It is the spirit of grace only, that keeps the soul from all evil, that preserves it through all dangers, and prepares it for glory. This grace is " special." It is sovereign and unmerited; it is distinguishing and free; it is all grace, mere favour, and boundless mercy. It is given according to the "good pleasure" of God, as he will and how he will, where he will and when he will. If one or two are called out of a family, and others left; if, out of the same seat in this house of prayer, one is chosen and another left;" it is the blessed effect of "special" grace and distinguishing mercy. As "the wind bloweth where it listeth, so is every one that is born of the Spirit." It is "God that worketh in us, both to will and to do, of his good pleasure." It is from God, as the

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fountain of all goodness," that "all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed." Every redeemed sinner will readily and thankfully confess,

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that it is "special grace," whereby he is delivered from the bondage of corruption, and made to live to the glory of God" in newness of life." Every saved sinner will acknowledge, both in earth and in heaven, that it was distinguishing mercy that carried him through all his pilgrimage, and that brought him safe to glory. This grace is also preventing, not hindering, but going before, to awaken the sleepy conscience, to arouse the careless soul to a feeling and serious consideration of its state and danger, and to purify and prepare it as a holy temple of the living God. Every expression seems here purposely chosen to humble the pride of man, and to give all the glory of the soul's happiness and salvation to the sovereign grace of God. It is grace, special grace, preventing grace, by which the sinner is saved. Grace, special and preventing grace, stops the sinner in his course of sin, and gives to the once thoughtless heart the first desire to ask, "What must I do to be saved?" Preventing grace restrains the believer from a thousand sins, and wards off unnumbered dangers of which perhaps he had no idea. It keeps the soul from falling under the power of temptation, and preserves it from yielding to the commanding influence of besetting sin. It operates as a shield to the humble believer to guard him "by night and by day." We owe to preventing grace more than we can well express. This subject, so important and so deeply interesting, would profitably occupy more of our time, as it is not sufficiently perhaps considered by even believers in Christ Jesus: but we must proceed. "Thou dost put into our minds good desires." -These good desires are the first breathing of the holy Spirit of God on the soul of man, graciously calling and inviting him to be happy. Who is there among us, that hath not, at some particu

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lar season, felt these "good desires" arise in his own heart? Who hath not felt a desire to be happy in God, to be pardoned through Christ Jesus, and to be saved through the precious blood of the cross? These "good desires" are from God. He is "the giver of all goodness." They are the operation of divine grace on the soul. If you wish or endeavour to stifle or suppress them, you are "fighting against God." If you disregard them, you "resist the Holy Ghost," and "do despite to the Spirit of grace." These " good desires" are the voice of the Spirit of God within you, speaking to your souls in accents of mercy and of love to win you to happiness, and to drive you from misery. If you stop your ears against the voice of the charmer," and "harden your hearts" against the salutary admonition of the Spirit of God, you oppose your own happiness, if not seal your own destruction. But "good desires" alone are not sufficient. Many have had good desires and yet have perished. Good desires and good wishes, if not reduced to practice, and followed by holy obedience, amendment, and newness of life, are all unprofitable; therefore, be convinced that you will need " continual help to bring the same to good effect."-We need daily help from God to cherish and cultivate these good desires, that they may be fruitful in all good works, and produce the "fruit of the Spirit" in a holy life and godly conversation. The newly awakened sinner, that is just beginning to see his real condition before God, and to feel his misery from sin, needs daily help to escape from his wretched bondage, to yield a ready and cheerful obedience to the call of God, to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for pardon and life, to resist and conquer the opposition of his sinful nature, and to do the will of God from the heart. The

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own it to be the sole effect of distinguishing mercy. We must give God all the glory of our happiness and of our salvation. We must "count all things, all we do, and all our attainments, but dung and dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord;" and give to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, one God, equal and everlasting praises for his mercy and for our salvation, now and for ever. Amen.

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Beloved, Can you, with thankful and rejoicing hearts, celebrate the wonders of this glorious day? Be thankful, and adore that grace which hath brought salvation to your souls. Are you "risen with Christ" from the death of sin, and are you now walking in newness of life?" Bless God for his distinguishing mercy. Do you wish to die happy? You must die to sin. Do you desire the victory over death and the grave? You must look simply to Christ, who is "the resurrection and the life" of the soul. Are sensible of your you need of daily help from God to "keep you from falling?" You must ask it in faith of God, who is

new convert to Christ needs " continual help" to keep him in the way of life, to overcome temptation, and to proceed safely and happily in the path of duty. The believer in Christ needs" continual help" to guard against "besetting sin," to subdue inbred corruption, to overcome the world, to adorn the Gospel, to preserve his peace, to fight manfully and successfully "the good fight of faith," and to gain "the prize of his high calling of God in Christ Jesus." We all need it, and shall need it till we die. We need "continual help" from the Spirit of that gracious God, who "hath put into our mind good desires," that we bring the same to good effect."-If good desires are not followed by good effects, they are all as the wind, and empty as the shadow. We must give proof of a good state of heart by a good life. We must manifest our peace and purity within, by our holiness and obedience to God in our daily walk and conduct. This crowns the whole; without this, all our "good desires" are fruitless, and without any "good effect." Every proof without this is mere delusion."the Fountain of all goodness, Every other evidence without this is false, and will be deceitful. We must not only wish well and desire well, but we must also do well, live well, and labour well, if we would glorify God, and prepare for his presence in heaven. This, and this only, proves the sincerity of our good desires. Practical obedience to the Gospel of Christ is the sure fruit of saving faith in his name. If our faith be not thus fruitful, and if our "good desires" are not followed by "good effects," our faith is a dead faith, and we are yet "dead in sins." But, if our faith be fruitful in good works, and if our "good desires be brought to good effect," we must humbly and thankfully ascribe all to the "special, preventing, and eontinual grace of God." We must

and the Giver of all grace." Have you obeyed the voice of the Spirit of God? If not, you are living without hope. Have your "good desires" in the heart been followed by "good effects" in the life? If not, you are living without Christ, and unprepared for heaven. Pray for grace to "know Christ and the power of his resurrection." Pray to be consistent, and to live as you profess. Pray to be churchmen, not only in name and in form, but in reality and in truth. O pray, that the Spirit of Christ may quicken your souls, renew your hearts, and preserve you unto his heavenly kingdom; that" when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, you may also appear with him in glory." Amen.

C. D.

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE REV. EDWARD TOWNSHEND, LATE VICAR OF BRAY, BERKS; AND RECTOR OF HENLEY, Oxon. THIS eminent servant of God divine law: he was unacquainted was the only son of the Hon. and with the peculiar blessings of the Rev. Edward Townshend, Dean Gospel, and, to use his own expresof Norwich, who married Mary, sion respecting himself, he was "a daughter of General Price. Being blind leader of the blind." He deprived of his father when young, had long indeed confessed vaguely, he was received into the family of that he was a sinner; but he saw his uncle the Hon. and Most Rev. little or nothing of the sinfulness of Dr. Cornwallis, Archbishop of sin, or of its deserts in the sight of Canterbury, with whom he resided God, or consequently of the need till he went to college. He receiv- of a Saviour; and therefore he ed his education at the Charter was in want of a complete renewal House, whence he removed to of heart, as certainly though not Christ's College, Cambridge, and perhaps as obviously as if he had gained a Tancred scholarship. The been of a less amiable and engagelegance of his person and man- ing character. ners, the brilliant vivacity of his conversation, and his amiable and engaging character, induced numbers to court his society, and secured him not only a large general acquaintance, but many firm friends who continued deeply attached to him to the end of his life.

In the midst, however, of worldly distinctions and amusements, it pleased God to bring him to a deep sense of his own sinfulness and corruption, to lead him to relinquish the applause and favour of the world, and consecrate all his talents to the service and glory of Him to whom they were due. This, however, was not accomplished without much inward conflict and outward opposition: but the power of divine grace at length triumphed, and those Christian friends who had hitherto regarded him with affection and admiration for his many attractive qualities, had now the delight of seeing all that was amiable brought under the dominion of Christian principle, by the pervading influence of which he was now enabled so to let his light shine, that God was glorified.

This important change began to take place in his religious character in the year 1798: till this period he was ignorant of the holy and spiritual requirements of the

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From this time Mr. Townshend walked closely with God, growing in grace, and in the knowledge of his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The change which had taken place in his religious views, displayed itself in his conduct, and produced in him the distinguishing and appropriate fruits which accompany true repentance and faith. He speedily renounced many worldly pursuits in which he had formerly indulged. He was no longer to be seen in those resorts of fashionable amusement in which he had previously mingled, but an attendance which he now perceived to be not only incompatible with the nobler objects of his vocation as a Christian, but irksome to his renewed taste. He therefore felt himself called upon to declare publicly his altered sentiments, and preached in consequence a sermon at Henley church, candidly and boldly recanting his former views, both as to doctrine and practice, and warning his people with simplicity and godly sincerity, not to shelter themselves in worldly conformity from his former example. At Bray meanwhile his altered tone of preaching, and his newly-acquired zeal in the exercise of his ministerial office, were striking to all, and variously received, according

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