Jazer. Assistance for the Weak in Faith, addressed to Young Christians. By JOSEPH IRONS. Twenty-third Edition. London: Simpkin and Co. Pp. 180. We know of no man, as a writer, who wastes less words than the respected author of "Jazer." His words are few, but to the purpose. Avoiding a roundabout course, he steers at once for his point; and how far he succeeds in attaining that point, we think is best told by the number of editions through which his works have passed. "Jazer" has just come out afresh; and, as it was originally written as a helpmate to young Christians, we cannot but wish that a copy were in the possession of every young Christian in Christendom. The work is written in the form of Letters, and, as the subjects and names are so significant, we are induced to specify them. COMPRISES also Letters on Christian Experience, and is intended as a companion to the above; embracing the following leading subjects :Awakened by the Holy Ghost-Brought to Christ-Captivated with first Love-Warfare-Legal Bondage-Backslidings-Gaining a sense of Pardon-Humbled by Self-knowledge-Introduced to Liberty-Joy and Peace in Believing-Knowledge of the Son of God-Led through Deep Waters-Made Meet for Glory-The Secret. Spiritual Songs, by a Poor Man. London: Simpkin and Marshall. Pp. 108. POOR man! he'll sing better in heaven than he does on earth. ORIGINAL POETRY. WHAT IS HEAVEN? WHAT is heaven a spacious city, Paved with gold, effulgent, pure. What is heaven? a temple glorious, Where our great High Priest hath gone, There, unwearied, praying for us, Beck'ning us to "follow on." What is heaven? a weight of glory Far transcending human thought, Lasting as redemption's story, With the Saviour's sufferings bought. What is heaven? a lovely garden Strew'd with ever-blooming flowers, Lovelier far than Asia's Eden In its amaranthine bowers. What is heaven? a place of gladness, Banished every trace of sadness From a realm so glad as this. Salford. WHAT IS HELL? What is hell? a land of darkness, Where the light as darkness seems; And the flames a horrid blackness, Shed abroad in copious streams. What is hell? a prison dreary, Stronger far than tongue can tell; Where the captives, ever weary, Bound with fetters, groaning dwell. What is hell? a pit of terror, Deep and wide beyond compare, What is hell? a furnace quenchless, Men and demons there defy. Tenanted by mourning souls; Where exhaustless, boundless, deep'ning, Th' tide of sorrow onward rolls. Yes, what is hell? a death whose sting Ever-rankling venom gives; A death where joy and peace take wing, And unmixed suffering lives. R. C. AND THE BLOOD SHALL BE TO YOU FOR A TOKEN. EXODUS, XII. 13. THE blood enjoined, on every door, This blood, the token plainly seen, So, in the case of every son Nor less when driven to despair, The blood thus sprinkled on the door The token for me, Lord, display, D. A. DOUDNEY, CITY PRESS, 1, LONG LANE. "ENDEAVOURING TO KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE BOND OF PEACE." "JESUS CHRIST, THE SAME YESTERDAY, TO-DAY, AND FOR EVER. WHOM TO KNOW IS LIFE ETERNAL." VOL. II.] SEPTEMBER, 1842. [No. 21. READER, WHOM SEEK YE? I WOULD SEE JESUS.-JOHN, XII. 21. WOULD you? Well then, that is a great mercy, for it is a sweet evidence that Jesus has seen you, and has some blessed designs of mercy towards you, or you would never have any wish to see him whom by nature you despise; upon whom you once turned your back; and respecting whom your language was, "I will not have this man to reign over me ;' "Depart from me, for I desire not the knowledge of thy ways." Beloved, with all the want of charity with which those are charged who hold the doctrines of distinguishing grace, eternal electing love, the irresistible power of the Holy Ghost, and the final perseverance of the saints, there is one feature in their creed which they far more readily embrace and firmly believe in than those who venture to oppose these God-honouring doctrines; and that is, that there never was nor will be a soul possessing an ardent desire to see Jesus, and to be saved by him, and in his own way, but that WILL see him, be with him, and eternally enjoy him. That is the extent of our charity, beloved; what think ye of it? Does the sentiment comfort you? Does it warm your heart, poor trembling one? Are you afraid to lay hold? Is it too good news to be true? Must you have a divine warrant for it? No. 21, VOL. II.-New Series. 2 M Come then, come. We like such scrupulous ones; we would far sooner see you trembling, fearing to presume, than forward, over confident, and too ready to take God at his word, as it is termed, and ever disposed to censure those who cannot “act faith upon the promise." You want a divine testimony; turn then to Proverbs, x. 24, and there you have it, "The desire of the righteous shall be granted;" and then, in conjunction with it, take those two sweet lines of the poet "And those who long my face to see, Are sure my love to gain." Oh! How very suitable and exactly expressive of our former feelings were these. "Well, Lord," was the language of the soul, "if I have no other evidence; if every other favourable testimony is out of sightand truly it is-I can say that I do long to see thee; and would this be the case if I did not love thee?" Ah! poor trembling reader, that is a question the Lord himself will not, cannot, give a negative to. no. A desire to see a friend—a child—a parent, springs from love ; how much more the ardent desire to see Jesus, him to whom our natural tie is broken-from whom our original attachment, as his creatures, is removed. It is a divine work, beloved; it bears the impress of a God; it comes from him, it leads to him. But you stumble at that word, righteous. It does not, you imagine, describe your character. Neither does it, as a natural man or woman; the righteousness of the creature is not worth a groat; far better without it would thousands be who have it; for it is a stench in the nostrils of the Most High, and stands as a stumbling block between unholy men and a holy God, which he alone can remove. But the righteousness of which we speak is that of the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ; a righteousness put upon and imputed to every poor perishing, hell-deserving sinner, in whose heart he puts a cry for mercy, and to whose weak hand he gives strength to lay hold on him as the only hope set before him in the Gospel. This, this is the poor sinner's righteousness; this renders him acceptable before the throne; and, clad in which, as the fruits of the living principle implanted in his heart, it makes him anxious to keep himself unspotted from the world, and to "adorn the doctrine of God his Saviour in all things." And black and uncomely as he is in himself; vile and hell-deserving as he feels himself to be; low and degrading as his views of himself are; and humble as are his acknowledgments in secret before God; yet it is impossible for him so to disguise himself as to prevent the discovery that he "has been with Jesus." Such is the tenour of his conversation, so peculiar his taste, and so abstracted is he from the world, that a living child of God must soon be detected. And, however his opinions may be charged with a tendency to practical Antinomianism, if he be traced in his various intricate recesses, in his engagements with the world, his social and domestic pursuits, it will be seen that he speaks and acts under an abiding conviction that the eye of God is upon him. If he be in a state of legal bondage, a dread of offending will keep him back; if he be in the liberty of the Gospel, and walking in the character of a free-born citizen of Zion, a still greater and more holy child-like dread of bringing discredit upon that precious name and cause he has been brought to espouse, and an ardent desire to show forth the praises of him who hath called him out of darkness into his marvellous light, will restrain him. We are as firm in our conviction that these are the practical effects of vital godliness as it is possible to be; and we defy either men or devils to disprove the assertion. We have said again and again that the believer is composed of two parts, the old man and the new; a nature once pure, as far as natural purity goes, but now earthly, sensual, and devilish; another and distinct nature-coming from God, and aspiring to God; the one contrary to the other-ever at variancealways at war-fighting all the journey across the wilderness; but, blessed be God, grace shall finally overcome. "I would see Jesus," says the awakened soul; "for I am burdened with a sense of sin. I am, at present, miserable beyond description. No rest can I obtain day or night. Sin, and the guilt of sin, hang like a heavy burden upon my poor distracted mind. I tremble to go back into the world; my peace is disturbed there, nor can I find pleasure, as formerly, therein. Oh! the awful nature, the dreadful consequences of sin. I would see Jesus,' if so be there might be hope. If I could but touch the hem of his garment, with the poor woman of old if I could but get one glance of him, and tell him my sad condition. Oh! that he would but hearken to me; oh! that I knew where I might find him; oh! happy souls that taste his love; oh! his blood, his blood, would that it were applied to my conscience; nothing else can cleanse my spotted soul. Oh! that he would condescend to speak to such a poor guilty wretch, that he would say, as he did to one of old, I will, be thou clean.' Then, come what would, persecution, trial, or affliction of any kind, all is well; all would be but as a thing of nought, if but my soul were saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation." Cry on, weep on; groan and sigh still, dear brother. Jesus sees you, though you cannot see him; he hears; and soon you will see him, Dy the eye of faith, as your great atoning Sacrifice. The desires which you have been expressing, arise from the indwelling of the Holy Ghost; and, as surely as he has kindled the desire, so surely will he grant your requests, for he cannot deny himself. All glory to his name, "He that goeth forth, and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." That precious portion as much belongs to poor, heavy-laden sinners as it does to the dear Redeemer going forth in mediatorial acts on behalf of his people, or to his " 'burdened," " weeping" husbandmen going forth with the precious seed of the everlasting Gospel. In soul desertion-when ""Tis midnight with the soul, till he, Bright Morning Star, appears "I would," says the poor soul, "see Jesus. I would come near even to his seat; I would order my cause before him. I would ask him |