character, and ministry with the word of our God; wherefrom alone can be seen (when so weighed in the balances of the sanctuary) whether or not he be a man of God indeed, and of a truth? "To the law and to the testimony then; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world."

Now here, beloved, permit me to assume a freedom and boldness in topics hitherto untouched; for I desire to be faithful; seeking not to please men but God, whose I am, and whom I serve. And truly can I say, my advantage in this particular is greater than was the Apostle Paul's, who, when standing on Mar's Hill, said, "Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious; for as I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To the unknown God!" While in my own person, standing here on Windmill Hill, Devonport, my heart is warmed while in the midst of numbers, "who know Him whom to know is life eternal."

As touching, then, both the person and character of your minister, Paul speaks it out thus: "When it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood." Neither did my brother when you gave him the call, under God to be your pastor, but immediately came, with a "determination to know nothing amongst you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified!" Thus he came unto you with the face of a "living man" (as Ezekiel expresses it in his vision), to show he was a man of like passions with yourselves; being exercised with a body of death full of sin! Angels would never do tc preach the Gospel, being but disembodied spirits, and consequently totally unacquainted with the "flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh." Moreover, a true sent Gospel minister must have the boldness of the lion, for courage and zeal, when contending for the faith once delivered unto the saints; "For the wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion!" And speak, ye beloved of Mount Zion, hath not our brother been bold in his ministerial course, when proclaiming salvation by the blood of the Lamb? Again, hath he not had given unto him, the eye of the eagle, to discern beneath the mere letter of Scripture, things new and old, which make for your everlasting peace? And once again, how hath the laboriousness of the ox been manifested in his incessant and indefatigable labours while going in and out before you? Truly, then, he is a man of God, taught of the Lord, and qualified by the Holy Ghost for the pastoral office and work! You have well done, therefore, this night, in the presentation of your love and affection, which ye have performed toward the Lord's servant; for "if we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?" I trow not!

But let us not stop here, but rather go on to inquire, what has been the substance of his preaching continually? Not himself (as yourselves know perfectly well) but Jesus Christ, the same "yesterday," before all worlds-" to day," all through the time-state of the church-" and for ever," throughout the countless ages of eternity! Or, in other words, Emmanuel, God with us, God in us, God over all, blessed for ever. Amen. And, oh! how most blessedly hath it been my favoured lot, to have heard him proclaim covenant truth, covenant blood, covenant righteousness, and covenant salvation for the one church of the true and living God! "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved." In a word, I bless our God for the labours of such a man, who has not unfrequently privileged me to stand in his pulpit, and preach the Son of God, "set up," in the eternal councils of heaven, at the sitting of the Holy Three, as Head, Prophet, Priest, and King of Zion. Hear his own words on this sublime subject; "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water; before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth; while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there; when he set a compass upon the face of the depth; when he established the clouds above; when he strengthened the fountains of the deep; when he gave to the sea his

decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment; when he appointed the foundations of the earth. Then I was by him, as one brought up with him; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him, rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men." And not only so, but as "set forth in the fulness of time, a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." And once more, as set down on the right of the throne of God, as an Almighty Advocate in the high court of heaven. "If any man therefore sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

Think then, brethren and sisters in Jesus, who worship God in Spirit and in truth within the walls of "Mount Zion Chapel," how great have been your advantages, in having so long been favoured with the ministry of such a servant of the Most High God; for "Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but unto them, that are without, all these things are done in parables." And now he is to be removed from your midst! Wherefore? Even on account of your sins and transgressions, for ye "have left your first love;" having "forsaken the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is." Wherefore our God (who is a jealous God) will not suffer things to remain so; and with a view to bring you to a sense of such backsliding, he is now pleased to remove the candlestick from your midst― but I trust for a season only. You knw as an old writer hath it, "the candlestick is a moveable part of furniture, and may be taken away at pleasure;" while the church herself being built upon a rock, "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." "You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore I will punish you for your iniquities." Well, but methinks to hear you say, "We have sinned, and regarded not our privileges; still is there no hope for us in our present distress?" Oh, yes! much every way, chiefly because the Almighty Promiser is 29 66 I faithful to fulfil his own word; and the promise itself is sure to all the seed;" will give you pastors according to mine own heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.' May the Lord, then, be pleased to pour out on the church, a spirit of grace and supplication; that you may cry night and day unto Him who hath sweetly said, "Before they call, I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear!" And as for myself, I would pray for you, saying, “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, which may go in and out before them, and which may lead them out, and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd."

If I may speak a word or two of advice to the Trustees, Deacons, and Members of this church, it shall be this; "Take heed therefore to yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." Be careful in your choice of another Minister, avoid the system of receiving itinerants; for, however eminent they may be for usefulness in the church of God, their services cannot but tend to promote discord among the people; "For while one saith, I am of Paul, and another, I of Apollos, are ye not carnal?" Aim likewise, my brethren and sisters in Jesus, to have nothing whatever to do, either with half-way men, or half-way measures, such being but a pest to the professing church militant: but on the contrary, the Lord direct you to seek out an honest man of God, who will (like our brother before you) fearlessly, roundly and boldly declare the whole counsel of God, whether men will hear or forbear. May the Lord be pleased, then, to show you his mind and pleasure on this important subject; when truth is departing fast from this once highly favoured town! Besides, consider for a moment, how much carefulness is required in the present awful day; living as we are in the nineteenth century, under the second woe trumpet, just prior to the slaughter of the two witnesses. Two thousand years the Lord had, in infinite wisdom, appointed to run out, before the old world was destroyed by a flood, for the wickedness of the people thereof; two thousand more had passed away under the prophetical dispensation, when Messiah came, in all the fulness of blessedness, "to be made sin for us, who knew no sin; two thousand years also after this are ordained to be fulfilled for the calling in of the Gentiles, unto our heavenly Shiloh, unto whom the gathering of the people shall be."

66

Wherefore as the Lord's witnesses began to prophesy in sackcloth, in the year of our Lord God 666, and are so to continue for 1260 days, or prophetical years, the thing is plain, that 1842 subtracted from the sum of the above numbers, will leave the number of years yet to pass away under this dispensation to be upwards of four score, before the fulness of the Gentiles is gathered in! "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceit, that blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; and so all Israel shall be saved." "O! the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God; how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out. For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory for ever. Amen!"

Seeing, then, things are thus plainly revealed; that the harvest is great, and the labourers are few; pray ye the Lord of the harvest to send more labourers into his vineyard. Glory therefore be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine.

MY DEAR SIR, AND BROTHER IN OUR LORD,

I am

Grace, and mercy, and peace, be with you. You will oblige me by inserting in the next Number of the GOSPEL MAGAZINE, the accompanying letter, which is a copy of one which I received the other morning from a dear and deeply experienced sister in our all glorious Immanuel. constrained to send it, because in it I can trace the language of Sion; and I have known her when she was deep sunk in the pit of adversity; and therefore am desirous that her deliverance should be known. She has long been deeply tried, and it now appears that she is in the enjoyment of that freedom wherewith Christ makes his people free. May it be blessed to your readers, as well as be the means of making it more and more precious to your soul and mine.

Carnal profession abounds, but how few there are who know experimentally what it is to have "Christ crucified, set up in a broken heart." I am, my dear Sir,

Yours affectionately in the one Family of saved Sinners,
J. J. WEST, Chief of Sinners,
Rector of Winchelsea.

Winchelsea, Oct. 7, 1841.

MY MUCH ESTEEMED FRIEND,

It gave me great pleasure to hear from you, for I had about concluded that you had forgotten me; as usual, your kind epistle was full of consolation, of which I always appear to stand in need. Many thanks for the print, which I shall value much; although I do assure you, I did not stand in need of it to remind me of you and your dear family. You are seldom (if ever) forgotten by me, when I attempt to offer up my breathings at the throne of mercy. You are more particularly in my thoughts on the Sabbath, because I know that, as a minister of God's blessed truth, you require peculiar blessings. I therefore beg that a large portion of spiritual strength may be showered down upon you, that you may be made wise to win souls to Christ; and be helped to dispense such comfort to the poor of his flock, as shall bring glory to God, and be for the edification and consolation of his members. I still go hobbling on (as dear Philpot says), finding my path bestrewed with difficulties, but I would speak it in deep humility, and to the praise of the Lord; for with David of old, I am enabled to testify of

his faithfulness, and exclaim, "He hath brought me out of an horrible pit of miry clay," and I am again looking to the hills, from whence cometh my help. It is impossible to describe the soul suffering I have been the subject of, until within a month or two; suffice it to say, that for weeks-if not months-I was in such consternation, with deep convictions of my lost ruined state, that every morning when I arose from my bed, I fully expected Satan would take me away alive in the face of the world and the church, so that I should be made a public spectacle to saints and sinners; and frequently have I been unable to guide my fork to my mouth at mealtimes. When in this deplorable state (with no soul about me who could understand my circumstances), pleading earnestly for mercy, and wrestling hard, saying, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me;" when waiting for some testimony for good, these words came to my mind, and I think I may conclude from Him who had a purpose of mercy towards me— -"Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." These words struck me with reverence and gave some little comfort. The other day also, when exercised with darkness and misgivings, I begged the Lord would again decide the doubtful point, and set my poor soul at liberty; when this precious Scripture was applied with power, "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions, for mine own sake, and will no more remember thy sins." *

Then why should I not take comfort, my very dear friend? O! that 1 might publish it to the honour of his great name, "whose mercy endureth for ever." How true is it that all things are possible with God! You will, I fear, think me quite selfish in almost filling my letter with what relates to myself alone, but my pen will run on. It is time I thanked you for your kind inquiries relative to my family. With the exception of dear little Jwe have all been pretty well in health. He, however, continues much afflicted, and is unconscious of everything but suffering; nor has he any use of his feet or hands. This is a most humbling affliction; but even this, I am resigned to leave to my heavenly Father's disposal, for I know a state of ease is more to be feared than chastisement; and I can say, I hope from my heart, that even this "shall work together (with every other dispensation) for my good." It has often been the means of driving me to pour out my heart unto the Lord. You will perceive that I am on the mount of enjoyment; yet I trust not unaware of the danger: but may I be watchful and prayerful, that my enemy may not take advantage of it.

Believe me to be, with sincere regards,

Your very thankful and much-attached Friend,

MR. EDITOR, BELOVED OF AND IN THE LORD,

M. W.

It is written, truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven. This we see accomplished by the Lord Jesus, God manifest in the flesh; but there is a continuance of the mercy, inasmuch as there are earthen vessels, who have the treasure in them-that is, Christ in them, the hope of glory-in whose hearts Christ dwells by faith; from whence the truths of God spring forth, having been demonstrated therein by the power of the Holy Ghost. Therefore, believing the following letter sprang forth from that source, I send it for insertion in your GOSPEL MAGAZINE, if you think it right so to do; for to me it sets forth the difference between a dry belief and naked judgment of the truth, as stated in the Bible; and the divine properties of the same, experienced in the heart by the operations of the Spirit.

Yours in our precious Lord Jesus,

A. TRIGGS.

*Reader, in a high-toned feeling, do you stumble at a divinely-applied promise, and despise the mention of it? Beware!-Reader, conscious of your need, are you seeking a promise from the King's own mouth? Seek on, and in his time, you shall assuredly have!-ED.

VERY DEAR FATHER,

A poor nothing creature, without fruit to present to you or ability to write to you, feeling that self is all emptiness, barrenness, and poverty, I sit down, rejoicing that our Root is full of sap, our Apple-tree of fruit, our Christ of fulness; and if he is pleased to bless and break, the provision will increase and multiply till our souls are abundantly refreshed, his power manifested, and we made again to rejoice that our provision is not deposited in our own leaky vessels, but in that golden pot whose stores remain undiminished when all the thousands of his hungry ones have received supply. Oh! sir, as under the Spirit's power, we swim out into the shoreless, futhomless fulness of our wonderful Emmanuel, our souls are ravished, and, in adoring amazement, want nothing but larger capacities-expanded powers-to apprehend and receive more of Infinity, made ours by free and sovereign gift; and gladly would we drop the husk of mortality, and close the eyes of sense, to enter on the uninterrupted vision of our glorious, glorified Christ. Truly, my soul is touched with future prospects-present glimpses-and gladly would I see the things of earth no more, that I may not lose the sight of his glories, the feeling of his love, and the beholding his ever-unfolding wonders. Bless the Lord! O, our souls! for union to Jesus, oneness with Jesus, life in Jesus, and for the certainty thus insured, that" where he is we shall be also; 99 and that in HIS glory we shall sparkle, and that to the praise of the great Three-One to vast eternity. What, then, is this inch of time, with all its crosses and sorrows? Light and momentary, indeed, when viewed under such influence, and borne under the pressure of such love; and though, at times, our souls flutter to be away to full fruition-at other times we are made willing to burn in any fire, wade through any water, endure any suffering, that our Jesus may in us be honoured and truly, when in suffering, his pity is so tender, his love so soothing, his mercies so abundant, that we are overwhelmed; and we find that every new affliction is but a fresh opening of his heart and a leading us into depths of endearment and sympathy unknown before. I speak what I taste and handle even to my own astonishment; and you, dear sir, will respond to the truth, as is evident from your sweet and welcome letter, which did my heart good-inasmuch as therein was manifested the tenderness of natural affection and the triumph of faith-your love as a father, and the stronger love of Jesus superabounding over it. I was delighted to hear you say, "it was all love and no wrath," for this is just as I find it; and by this I saw we were walking in the same path, though you as a father, and I the LEAST of the little ones-but yet a FREE little one; for the Lord hath burst my bands, taken off my fetters, and given me to "look into that perfect law of liberty" where all is love and peace: and he hath done it himself-blessed be his holy name! for I can TRULY say of my liberty, joy, and privilege, as Paul said of his Gospel, "I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." So it came, and so it is continued. He is the Alpha of it, and he the Omega, though I continually find that all around me and all within me (that is my own), are seeking to beguile me from the simplicity that is in him; but stronger is He that is for me than all that can be against me. The crown is still on his head, and there it shall ever remain; and the honour of all I am and have in him surrounds his brow, and most solemnly do I again, with my whole heart and whole soul, crown him Lord of all. To him be all the praise and glory, evermore. Amen. How can I sufficiently praise and adore my covenant God who, in the majesty of his mercy and condescension of his love, hath brought me into a path so much hidden and unknown in the present day? It often breaketh me down before him, and I say, "Why me? why poor little me?" and can only answer, "Even so, Father; for so it seemeth good in thy sight." Surely we may magnify the Lord together, and make a joyful noise before him; for he hath done for us and to us great things, and farther developments of what he hath done still await us. May the Lord increase the desires of love and enlarge the expectations of faith; for he is a liberal giver, and our straitening and shutting up are in ourselves, and our enlarging and opening in him: and thus does he secure to himself the glory and to us the abasement; and we, being one spirit with the Lord and of one mind in the Lord, are well content that thus it should be; desiring that every mouth may be stopped, every creature laid low, and He alone exalted, according as the FATHER hath given him a name that is above every name-that, "at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things