THE

Spiritual Magazine;

OR,

SAINTS' TREASURY.

"There are Three that bear record in heaven; the FATHER, the WORD, and the HOLY GHOST; and these Three are One."

"Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."

1 John v. 7.

Jude 3.

SUPPLEMENT 1835.

PROVIDENCE AT ANCHOR.

"The Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel." Joel iii. 16.

MAN, not being of himself capable of understanding the things of God, divine wisdom hath left no measure unadopted, or means unturned, whereby he might attain not only a knowledge of God, but also of himself, as he stands connected with salvation; and in order to remove the darkness and natural mist of our understandings, the Almighty by his Spirit hath been pleased to shew us great things by lesser things, even such as come within our knowledge or comprehension. Jehovah thus stooping to the things of man, in order to raise him up to the things of God, and in a measure to enable him to multiply or sum up from the little here and there, the great certainty of the ways and workings of God's providence, and grace, in Christ, that the man may not only come to a knowledge of the security but of the everlasting salvation of his soul; and that the blessings thereof, and the purposes of the great " I AM," who said, "it shall be," who possessed in his own bosom, and in the power of his own hand, before he framed the universe, the salvation of his people.

Having stated thus much to begin, I am led at once to the object I now have in view, and that is, to show experimentally that

The church of God, upon the ocean of time and trouble, are properly to be compared to mariners individually, or taken in the whole to a ship's company, voyagers from time to eternity, and as their safety depends upon the goodness of the ship, and her apparel; so also their safety depends upon the goodness of the anchor and anchorage, and this independent of the skill of the ship's officers, and those who attend to the distribution of the provisions on board. This ship, "Providence" by name, being stored with all the richest VOL. XI.-No. 142.] 3 D

or choicest merchandize, is fitted out for the whole voyage, chartered by heaven, with a counterpart on board for the use of her passengers, and which is often read to them and expounded by her officers, and being wholly sea-worthy, she is not only a merchant's vessel, but at the same time a man of war, trading with all nations and fighting with all enemies, and doing much business in great waters; sails under all winds astonishingly true, has never buried any one at sea, or ever will have one cast away; and although she has had many families on board, not one untimely birth; has encountered numberless gales, but never had any occasion to throw overboard to lighten the ship, or the slightest chance of losing one life, although they have often staggered through the reeling to and fro of the ship, and have sometimes been at their wits' end; and when they have been tossed mountains high, and sunk down low, even to the depths of the earth, when their souls fainted within them, then they were compelled to cry out unto the Lord.

Having given you a short account of the ship, I now will give you, as far as I can, an idea of its size, though not of its particular dimensions; however, it is so large that it took all at once, and allowed for every increase of family on board; and so compact and well put together, that it could never, like Paul's ship, go to pieces, but will hold together to eternity; nor will her mast, rigging, or sails ever be lost, or want strengthening or repairing.

As I mean to be very short, let us speak now on the subject of the people on board, while the ship is riding at anchor, and securely moored with cords and bands.

We will then take them just as they come; some being asleep, through the fatigues of the journey, as if dead, and must needs be awaked with those that may yet go to sleep. And we say, they rest from their labours; and some have taken in so much new wine, that although they are dead asleep, yet are they speaking; but as it is about good things, and things yet to come, they are called by the other shipmates, apostles and prophets. Again, others having not yet got over the sea-sickness, are calling out for apples, and appear very sickly, and often are thinking they ought not to have taken the journey, are continually hunting about for the physician, and entreating him to cure every thing at once, which he never does, but goes through his regular courses of medicines, and encourages them with his sure promises, that under sister patience they will all do well. The physician is also the surgeon, and in the voyage many have got broken bones, which fall under his province to mend; but none have lost limbs; and those that are healthy become servants to the weak and the sickly; and at present all are kept below, until the muster-day, being the given time by the doctor, when he will pronounce all well, and then they will be allowed to go on shore, with those that are now asleep, to inherit the land for ever.

We must now notice something about the anchor, which is called Hope," and which is said to be cast within the vail; and as this

anchor is the fore-runner of the ship's company, and although but few on board have seen this anchor; yet all on board, except some that are asleep, have every reason to believe it is a good one, though at present out of their sight: this they conceive of by the amazing firmness and stedfastness of it, and the cord or cable, with three strands, faith, hope, and love, attached to the anchor, bears great strainings; and although some think, through the pitching and reeling of the vessel, and not being able at times to count the strands in the cable, that it will, one time or other, part or be broken, yet if they were rightly to consider who made it, and the difference there is between that cord and every other, they would encourage themselves in the belief that it is not easily broken, and would have faith upon faith.

Some have found great fault of the small lights they have below, and that one of these dark nights they shall go quite out, and they become blind; others are ever destroying their peace, by doubting their safety, and even go so far as to refuse the doctor's eye-salve which gives them to see things as they are; and would, if it were possible, desert the ship; others, find fault of the food, and these are generally left to go so hungry, that you may see them eating even bitter things sweetly, and which are not amiss, for they strengthen their stomachs after such weakness: and much more might be said, but I at present forbear.

My sheet being full, I conclude, leaving you to fathom the depth of the water, and consider that I have not intended any thing fanciful, but what is scripturally instructive; and I remain, a shipmate in the new birth.

JOHN STYLE.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE SPIRITUAL MAGAZINE. Dear Sirs, BEING much pleased with your remarks on three publications, that were noticed in the April Number of the above Magazine, (page 127) respecting the prevailing topic of the present day, namely, their violence against the church, I said, I will also shew mine opinion, although (with yourselves) a dissenter, yet a conscientious one, and such I hope to continue. I do also cordially agree with your correspondent, J. M. D. in the June number, (page 172) that as dissenters, we have the full enjoyment of religious privileges, which our forefathers earnestly longed and prayed for. The general complaint among dissenters, is, there are so much remains of popery in the Establishment. It would be well, if those dissenters were more careful to sweep their own door-way, or make the attempt to clean their chapels and meeting-houses from popery first; remembering our Lord's words, Matt. vii. 1, 2, 3, &c. Admitting there may yet remain some fragments of popish superstition in that community, it belongs to themselves; we have no right

to interfere; but, on the other hand, rather to be thankful we are protected in our worship.

While many dissenters in the present day are uniting with the papists to separate, or in other words to destroy the Established Church, I hope ever to raise my feeble voice against such a procedure, for the following reasons. 1. From whence did our highly favoured Isle receive the translation of the scriptures?-from the church. 2. From whence did Popes and Jesuits select their victims for torture, rack, and the fire ?-out of the church; for their attachment to the fundamental truths of the gospel, which are now in a great measure become obsolete. 3. From whence did those holy men proceed, (namely,) Wickliff, Latimer, Hooper, Ridley, Cranmer, &c. with numerous others?-from the church. If we direct those who love the doctrines of the Bible to the thirty-nine articles, homilies, &c. where can we find any thing more scriptural? Then we say, let

the church stand.

It is on this account, Messrs. Editors, I send you the inclosed statement, or predictions, of that highly gifted prelate, Archbishop Usher, taken out of a small book put into my hands a short time since, entitled, "The Protestant Tutor for Youth," which, if you approve of, I will thank you for an early insertion.

Having derived much profit and spiritual instruction from your valuable publication, which I have taken in from its commencement, my earnest prayer is, that many more may receive comfort also, and be encouraged to stand and withstand the abounding errors of the day. Wishing you every new covenant blessing, in the great Head of the church,

I subscribe myself,

T. G.

The Prophecies and Predictions of the late learned and Reverend James Usher, Lord Archbishop of Armagh, and Lord Primate of Ireland, relating to England, Scotland, and Ireland.

66

Though in these latter ages of the church, many learned and pious men, have made it a question, whether God now speaks to any by prophetic spirit; yet surely it were a great boldness and presumption for any peremptorily to determine that he does not; for though it must be acknowledged, that these ways of God's revealing himself are less frequent in these last and worse times, since the great reason assigned for the frequency of miracles and revelation in the first ages of the church, viz. for converting men to, and confirming them in the christian faith, is in great measure ceased; for we have now a more sure word of testimony, as the apostle St. Peter says, to wit, the written word of God; wherein we have the christian doctrine displayed, together with the lives, miracles, and examples of our Saviour and his apostles. But there is nothing has brought the matter of prophecy and revelation into so much question, as the frauds and forgeries of lying popish priests,

who by counterfeit miracles have strove each one to establish their several orders; or for the magnifying their particular saints, patrons, or patronesses, have filled the world with most ridiculous and absurd stories of pretended miracles. But God be thanked; the author we have here proposed, is removed far enough from the exception that may be justly taken against those we were speaking of, being a person of that known learning, piety, and integrity; for all which he is famed through the christian world, that it would be needless as well as impossible for me to recommend him.

"Now to confirm what I have been saying, that the spirit of prophecy has not wholly left the world, even in this age, I have here proposed this great man, Archbishop Usher, for an example, as it is delivered by Dr. Bernard, chaplain to the Archbishop. And certainly let any man lay aside prejudice, and reflect on what has been already accomplished, as to his own particular, as well as in some part to Ireland formerly, and what is now sadly fulfilling in that miserable kingdom, and he will be forced to confess, that this holy man was indeed a prophet. The author of the life of this excellent and worthy Primate and Archbishop, gives an account, that among other extraordinary gifts and graces, which it pleased the Almighty to bestow upon him, he was wonderfully endued with a spirit of prophecy, whereby he gave out several true predictions and prophecies of things a great while before they came to pass, whereof some we have seen fulfilled, and others remain yet to be accomplished. And though he was one that abhorred enthusiastic notions, being too learned, rational, and knowing, to admit of such idle freaks and whimsies, yet he professed, that several times in his life, he had many things impressed upon his mind concerning future events, with so much warmness and importunity, that he was not able to keep them secret, but lay under an unavoidable necessity to make them known. From which spirit he foretold the Irish rebellion forty years before it came to pass, with the very time when it should break forth, in a sermon preached in Dublin, in 1601, where, from Ezek. iv. 6., discoursing concerning the prophets bearing the iniquity of Judah forty days, the Lord therein appointed a day for a year; he made this direct application in relation to the connivance at popery at that time.* From this year (says he) will I reckon the sin of Ireland, that those whom you now embrace shall be your ruin, and you shall bear this iniquity; which prediction proved exactly true; for from this time 1601, to the year 1641, was just forty years, in which it is notoriously known, that the rebellion and destruction of Ireland happened, which was acted by those

* It is worthy of remark, in the year 1835, February 14, the following statement appeared in the Newspapers, (viz.) In the year 1824, Roman Catholic chapels in England and Wales were 358-in 1835 the number is 429, making in ten years an increase of 71 chapels ;-in Scotland in 1829, were 51, in 1835 is 74, making an increase of 114 chapels in ten years. This speaks volumes.