of God. His wisdom, holiness, and justice, saw nothing contrary to their nature in that state in which man was created; but awful to relate, Adam transgressed his Maker's law, and by this act involved all his posterity, the elect among the rest, in one common ruin ; "by one man's disobedience many were made sinners." Here began the great disagreement. Justice demands satisfaction for the offence, but man cannot give that satisfaction. Holiness requires perfect purity, man is polluted, not a little polluted, but every faculty of his soul is contaminated by sin; and on he goes, pleased with his distance from, and disagreement with God, until God is pleased to bring about a reconciliation. "All things are of God who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ;" now, without an agreement, the sinner cannot be comfortable or happy in the presence of God; and, as God is absolutely unchangeable, there can be no bringing down the perfections of God to connive at the state of a sinner: holiness cannot connive at pollution; justice cannot relax its demands; so the change which must take place, in order to agreement, regards the sinner, and not God. I think we nowhere, in the scripture, read of God's being reconciled to sinners; but frequently of sinners being reconciled to God; Rom. v. 10. 2 Cor. v. 18. Eph. ii. 16. Col. i. 20, 22. which reconciliation appears to be effected by Jehovah himself, without the aid of man, in the state of a sinner, even of all the elect considered as fallen sinners, being changed, or brought up to agree with all the perfections of God, solely by the Lord Jesus Christ, he having paid to justice all its demands, both in suffering and obeying; and having done all this in a pure, spotless, and holy nature, the state of the people, as considered in him, is perfectly agreeable both to the holiness and justice of God; and, this work was the work of Jesus alone; "his own arm brought salvation ;" and, we are reconciled to God, while we are enemies, by his death, " in the body of his flesh, through death," and, in him we see the perfections of God harmonize in reconciling sinners to himself. Jehovah devised, executed, and revealed this reconciliation, or we should never have known it; and he well deserves the praise. Now, in consequence of this reconciliation of the state of a sinner by Christ Jesus alone, another follows wrought by the Holy Ghost alone upon the soul, by first convincing of sin; giving the soul to see its misery and wretchedness; laying open the sin of his nature and actions; sins of thought, word, and deed are before his view; the spirituality of the law of God is laid open, and the justice of that sentence, "cursed is every one that continueth not in all things," &c. is recorded in the soul; the sinner's mouth is stopped from replying against God; and he acknowledges the law to be holy, just, and good; at the same time, the sinner's mouth is open to cry out unclean! undone! God be merciful to me a sinner!" The Holy Ghost then reveals to the soul Christ Jesus, as a suitable, sufficient Saviour. And, the sinner's greatest fears are about the willingness of Christ to save; but, being led by the Holy Spirit, he casts himself at the feet of Jesus with," if I perish, I will perish there." Being cut off from hope elsewhere, he hopes in the Lord Jesus Christ: thus he is led on until he sees that Jesus is as willing to save as he is able; that Christ is made of God unto him wisdom, righteousness, and all he needs. Thus he becomes reconciled to the way of salvation, and by faith walks with God. The soul's desires then are, that his life and conversation may agree with all the precepts of God's word, for the glory of God; that his will may be reconciled to all God's dealings with him in providence in all things. And here, if I am not greatly mistaken, there is sufficient room for the ministers of the gospel to say to such souls," we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God." ZOAR. (For the Spiritual Magazine.) RESIGNATION. How refined and superior is that system of philosophy taught by Jesus Christ, when contrasted with that of the most accomplished sages of antiquity! What they recommended, he practised, yea, and infinitely more. That resignation upon which they dwelt with so much rapture, is far exceeded by those who live under his influence, and enjoy his instruction who alone can teach to profit. Oh! what are the doctrines and fine-spun sophisms of Zeno, Seneca, or Epictetus, when once compared with the "gracious words" which fell from his lips who is designated most emphatically, "the only wise God our Saviour?" Come then, O ye who wish to tread the ways of wisdom, and study that system of which Jesus is the teacher: come, and regulate all your actions by his precepts, and let your lives be conformed to his. Do we speak of christian resignation? and what is this feeling? Not that indifference so strongly advocated by those who in ancient times inscribed and dedicated their altars to "the unknown God;" not that insensibility the followers of Zeno so passionately admired and cherished; but that uncomplaining submission, that ardent love, and that divine faith produced and nourished in the heart of the true believer, by the efficient agency of the Holy Ghost. This leaves every merely human feeling far behind, raises the soul above the influence of worldly sorrows, and enables those who are under its benign influence, to adopt as their own the language of the bereaved and impoverished patriarch, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord!" This resignation to the arrangements of the divine will, is supernatural. It is a plant that grows not in the garden of nature. Worlds cannot purchase it, and devils cannot altogether remove it. Observe yonder suffering individual, once in a situation of great prosperity, he lived" as becometh the gospel of Christ," and caused the widow's heart to sing for joy; but now he is hurled from the summit of great ness, and confined in the chamber of affliction. Here he meditates on days that are past, and groans for anguish of spirit, when he remembers that all his prospects once so fair, are ruined, that his gold and silver are exhausted, and that he must shortly leave his beloved family where it too often appears that friendship's nothing but a name.' Their future interests pass in rapid succession before the eyes of his mind, and forgetful of himself, he is absorbed in thinking of them. In this state of distressing anxiety, death approaches him, his children stand around his couch, his afflicted partner supports his drooping head, and the tears they shed, tell the anguish with which they contemplate his removal. The dying father weeps and prays, but does not complain; the dying saint hears his voice who is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities," and language the most consoling drops from his lips: "Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive, and let thy widow trust in me." Now does his heart leap for joy, and now with his departing breath, he says to those so dear to him, "I die; but God shall surely visit you!" Here it is that faith and resignation triumph. Here is displayed a principle derived from a divine agency, nourished by heavenly truth, and guided by scriptural rules.' That affliction is the common lot of man, all will concede: God,' it has been observed, never had but one Son without sin, and none without sorrow.' Afflictions are common, but resignation is not common. A stoic can bear affliction, but it is the true christian that triumphs over it. A stoic can endure calamity in sullen silence, but it is the privilege of a saint to say with Paul," We glory in tribulation also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience. It is reasonable, Praise is comely for the upright. Are we afflicted? Are we ready to say, "all thy waves and thy billows go over us!" Well, this is all we have to endure, our race will soon be run, the laurels of victory will soon adorn our brows, and we shall soon enter into that place where pain and death shall be done away, and where our perfection and bliss shall be commensurate with the existence of our adored Lord. We are so prone to cleave to earthly things, that were it not for trouble, we should often forget those undying and refined pleasures we are predestined to enjoy at the right hand of God. The Lord sends afflictions after us, to act as mementos of the solemn fact that we have here no continuing city." "Our hearts are fastened to the world by strong and various ties, The holy oracles furnish us with sufficient reasons for encouraging a spirit of uncomplaining acquiescence in the arrangements of our heavenly Father. Is he wise? Then he knows what is best for us. Good? Then he will assuredly give what is most beneficial. Mighty? Then he is able to supply all our necessities. Faithful ? Then he hath said, "Be not dismayed, for I am thy God." grace to welcome all our Father's will without murmuring! Oh! for Surely we should not complain of his dispensations if we knew why he sent them; then where we cannot understand, let us adore in silence, and patiently wait for the full accomplishment of the promise, “What ye know not now, ye shall know hereafter." Resignation is honourable to God, and beneficial to us. Thus the saints of the Most High have experienced it in every age of time. When the judgments of God were denounced against Eli and his family, the good old man submissively answered," It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good." Aaron "held his peace" on the awful destruction of his sons when Jehovah said, "I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people will I be glorified." Abraham " staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God." The bereaved Shunamite mother left the chamber in which she had placed her child, and answered the interrogation of the man of God, with "It is well." And David, in the midst of great affliction, was enabled to say, "I was dumb, and opened not my mouth, because thou didst it." When the amiable Fenelon was introduced into the chamber in which laid the corpse of his honoured patron, he exclaimed, "there lies my beloved prince, and with him all my earthly hopes; but if the turning of a straw would bring him back to life, I would not for worlds be the turner of that straw, in opposition to the will of God!" Here then is the patience of the saints, here is that submission that should characterize those who are "bought with a price," and are therefore bound to glorify God in their bodies and spirits which are his. Seneca thus addressed God. "I only want to know your will; as soon as I know what that is, I am always of the same mind. I do not say you have bereaved me, that might look as though I were unwilling, but that you have accepted from me, what I am ready to offer!" If one who knows nothing of Jesus, or the glories which are at his right hand, could say so much, oh! what ought we to feel and express who know that when the "earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens ?" C. G. C. A FRAGMENT. THE good man's best, and the bad man's worst, is to come. Isaiah iii. 9. "I will say to the righteous it shall be well with them, they shall eat the fruit of their doings; but to the wicked, woe! it shall be ill with them, for the reward of their hand shall be given them." Oh when this shall be, how sweet will it be to the godly, and how bitter to the ungodly! Men that like sin's work will not like sin's wages; they that are content to sin on earth will not find content in hell! ORIGINAL ESSAYS. XLIV. CHARACTER OF CHRIST, REPRESENTED BY A TREE. THAT must be a memorable circumstance, which for ages before its accomplisment called forth the language of prophecy from holy men, all concurring with each other in the subject of their record, as well as the period of its fulfilment. What the wisdom of our ancestors, inspired by a spirit of prophetic zeal for the divine glory, foretold; Peter, in his day, declared to be finished and complete. In his discourse to Cornelius and his company on this subject, he affirmed that Christ had been preached in and through typical representation, up to the period of his coming; for, says he, "to him all the prophets gave witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." Not only did they thus blessedly point to future events, in a subsequent era of the militant church, but their supreme delight was to exalt the Lamb of God, as the one grand object to which the whole law, moral and ceremonial, types and shadows, prophetical allusions, and revelations, points as the adored substance of the whole. These metaphorical figures exhibit, with great effect, the majesty, glory, and grace of the person of Christ; and the united benefits which are derived from him, as the head of influence; but, how much greater was the privilege which dawned on the church at his rising from the tomb, in the character of a conqueror; when the genial rays of light and knowledge became more diffusive and apparent; when he had actually made an end of sin, and became as truly the Lamb slain, as he had virtually been in former periods of her history, when exhibited in figure by the bleeding victim. And here we are reminded that it is no small mercy that the Holy Ghost should give so many precious names to advance our knowledge of him, and to furnish means for our free enjoyment of his sovereign grace and favour. But, if the difficulties of the mind, in expatiating on a given human thesis be correspondent with its limited views of its subject; in how much more extended a degree, must these difficulties be augmented, in treating a subject like the present, involving as it does within its space, matter of eternal and immeasurable import, which the eye cannot possibly penetrate, and which infinitely surpasses the powers of the brightest intellect to investigate beyond its surface. We approach the vast threshold, obtain a transient glimpse of the spacious scene which opens on us, and gaze with admiration at the marvellous combination of beauties which we discover; we attempt to contemplate the wonders of redeeming love, and to define the glorious concentration of beauties which characterizes the illustrious Redeemer, but are lost |