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or three modes of expressing one Godhead; and when Arius and his followers, on the other hand, taught that the Son was not of the same substance with the Father, but a mere creature, produced indeed before the world began; the church was then either obliged to profess that Christ was not God, as he is styled in scripture, or else to declare with the Athanasians, that we neither confounded the Persons as the Sabellians did, nor divided the Unity as the Arians taught. Many have been led to suppose that, because a shew of explanation appears to run through the latter part of this Creed, the whole is strictly explanatory, an assumption, in my opinion, most ill-founded; the leading objects of this Creed being, to establish rather than illustrate the sublime and mysterious doctrine of the Trinity. How little reason indeed there is for regarding this Creed as wholly explanatory, will appear from those clauses which affirm the unity of person in Jesus Christ, and end, not in an explanation, but an illustration or similitude only; which refer us, in short, from one mystery to another: "As the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ." In this illustration of the union, by that of the soul and body in the human constitution, which on many accounts is well chosen-Who, as I observed before, is expected to understand it, however from long and familiar use we may have ceased to wonder at it? for who can explain the essence of that spirit that is within him, however much he may be able to reflect upon its operations? and if man is a mystery to man, can we by searching (as Job says) find out God? It is not then for us to say, It cannot be thus; I cannot believe; but rather, Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. At points like these, true religion will always pause, nor seek by the science of words, to conceal from itself the darkness which it cannot dispel. There is, indeed, no vain attempt here to define or to explain that which is incomprehensible, but merely a simple assertion of the truths, as deducible from the scriptures.

POETRY.

A SONG OF PRAISE TO GOD, IN HIS TRINITY OF PERSONS.
I'll sing of JEHOVAH'S unchangeable love,
Which kindles the joys of the seraphs above

Into rapture beyond all compare;

I'll sing how it rescues poor sinners from hell;
Blest Spirit! assist me its wonders to tell,
How Jesus my Saviour performed "all things well,"
When cloth'd with humanity here.

I'll sing of the Father's free, sovereign choice,
Of his church in Immanuel, long 'ere his voice
Had summon'd this world to appear;

How he first set up Christ as her covenant Head,
Who was chosen to stand in her law-place and stead,
That, cloth'd in his righteousness, she might be made
T'appear without guilt at his bar.

I'll sing of the love of Christ Jesus our Lord,
Who came down from heaven, (his name be ador'd!)
And took up the nature which sinn'd;

That he might be in a condition to die,
And with the requirements of law to comply,
That crimson-dy'd sinners, for mercy who cry,
Salvation and mercy might find.

I'll sing how he bore the huge load of our guilt,
How his precious heart's blood was on Calvary spilt,
That sinners might live by his death;

How he rose as a conqueror bursting the tomb;
How he then led captivity captive, that whom
He had chosen, and lov'd and redemed, might come
And live on his merits by faith.

I'll sing how he now sits with majesty crown'd,
Midst loud hallelujahs, which bursting, resound
Through heaven's extensive domain ;-

How he stands and demands, as the price of his blood,
His children, for whom as a surety he stood,
That they might be safely convey'd o'er the flood,
And deliver'd from hell and from pain.

I'll sing of the love of Jehovah the Spirit,
Who leads us to Christ to rely on his merit,
And leave all our cares in his hand;
Who quicken'd our souls by his life-giving voice,
Who enables us sweetly in Christ to rejoice,
And daily makes God and his people our choice,
While we dwell in this wearisome land.

All hail, triune God! Father, Spirit, and Word,
Be thon by thy children supremely ador'd

On earth, as thou art in the highest!
While thou lendest us breath we will sing of thy love,
And praise thy free mercy, which brought us to prove
Those rich consolations, shower'd down from above,

And convey'd through our precious Lord Christ.
And when we're safe landed beyond Jordan's shore,
When death's icy hand shall affright us no more,

Then sweetly we'll sing of thy love;

Where sorrow and sighing no more shall have place,
But where Jesus shall wipe ev'ry tear from each face,
And nothing be heard but salvation by grace,

In one common chorus above.

Nottingham, May, 1825.

T. A.

LINES OCCASIONED BY A VISIT TO BRIGHTON.

What pleasure can this world afford
To sinners made alive to God?
Its glories are but gaudy toys,
To please and charm deluded eyes.
A moment's intercourse with God,
By faith in the Redeemer's blood,
Exceeds in solid joy and bliss,
All this vain world can e'er possess.
In Christ to live, iu him to rest,
And tell to him my soul's distress,
While he with sympathetic heart,
Hears my complaint and heals my

smart:-

And tells me with a smiling face,
He is my shield and hiding-place,
And that I shall for ever dwell
With him in bliss ineffable :-

Makes worldly grandeur fade away,
Like glow worms in the blaze of day;
Nor can its joys elate my mind,
For all I need in Christ I find.
Then, lovely Jesus, let me be
At all times in thy company;
Nor for a moment from thee start,
But ever feel thee in my heart.
By faith behold thy lovely face,
And all thy sovereigu will embrace:
O! fix my heart on things above,
And fill me with thy precious love.
Then let the world of baubles boast,
My portion is the Lord of Hosts:
I must be rich, secure, and free,
While God is all in all to me.

LOVE-TRUTH.

THE

Spiritual Magazine ;

OR,

SAINT'S TREASURY.

"There are Three that bear record in heaven; the FATHER, the WORD, and the HOLY GHOST; and these Three are ONE." John v. 7. "Contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints." Jude 3.

(To the Editor of the Spiritual Magazine.)

DEAR SIR, YOUR pages for some months past having been sweetly enriched by recording the choice dying sayings and triumphant deaths of some of the precious sons and daughters of Zion, I have taken the liberty to send a mite of the same description, to be thrown into the treasury, if it meet your approbation, with the outlines of a sermon delivered on the occasion of the death of a young woman, a member of the church of Christ, under the pastoral care of the Rev. S. E. Pierce. Your's respectfully,

JAMES.

Hampstead. SUBSTANCE OF A DISCOURSE IN MEMORY OF THE DEATH OF A SAINT.

"The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”—1 John i. 7.

These words are selected in consequence of the dying request of our dear departed sister, who saw the beauty, tasted the sweetness, and felt the efficacy of them in her soul, both in life and in death: and there can be no doubt but she is now singing that delightful song, with all the redeemed in glory, unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, amen. In speaking from the words, we will,

First, notice the dignity, majesty, and sovereign efficacy of this blood; for it is declared by an infallible apostle to be the blood of Jesus Christ his Son.

Secondly, the peculiar properties of this blood, it cleanseth from all sin. Thirdly, give some account of the deceased, and of the Lord's goodness to her on a sick bed, and in her dying moments. 1. The dignity, &c. of this blood. The blood of Jesus Christ his (i. e. God's) Son. It is clear from the scriptures, and they should always be our guide, that there was a council held in heaven before time began, among the divine Persons in Jehovah; not like man to ask

VOL. II.-No. 21.

2 G

advice, for no one would be the Lord's counsellor, for wisdom in perfection dwells in Deity; but to show to the church of God how the whole Trinity were in union, and all engaged in the great work of devising the God-glorifying, Christ-exalting scheme of man's redemption. And it also sets forth the amazing greatness of the work of salvation, for the great God in his Persons and perfections all to be engaged in it. And the amazing love of God is strikingly exhibited in condescending to hold a council, and enter into a covenant of grace, whereby the goodness and mercy of God should be displayed to the very uttermost, in the compleat salvation of all the elect vessels of mercy. Among a numerous number of blessings decreed to be bestowed upon millions, are these-union to the Lord Jesus Christ; all their names enrolled in the Lamb's book of life; to be the objects of God's love for ever; to be the bride, the Lamb's wife; justified from all things by the imputation of the spotless righteousness of Immanuel to them; predestinated to the adoption of children; bound up in the bundle of life; mansions prepared for them to occupy when time ends; to drink of the river of Jehovah's pleasure; their bodies to be the temples of the Holy Ghost, and blessed with all spiritual blessings. But viewed as fallen creatures, sinful, diseased, in debt, in a state of wretchedness, poverty, and enmity. This council was held, and this covenant entered into, and the plan agreed upon how the church should rise up out of her ruined state, have all her sin put away and for ever pardoned; how her dreadful diseases should be cured; how all her debts should be paid; translated out of her wretched state of baseness and beggary; made noble, rich, and happy, and have her enmity subdued, and become the friend of God.

Now to effect this great and mighty work, the second Person in the divine essence assumes the nature of man; the word is made flesh, God manifest in the flesh, God and man united; as some great divines express it, God now puts on his working dress; he comes now to wage war with hell, to take the prey from the mighty, to restore that he took not away. The King of kings now becomes a mean subject; the great Creator a creature; the mighty God a child born, a son given. How great his love is manifested by his willingness to engage in the work of redemption and reconciliation; for at the appointed time he was ready, and he came to seek the lost sheep, to save sinners, to work out a righteousness, to cover the naked, to reconcile rebels to God by his death, to make an atonement for sin by shedding his blood, to repair all the injury his bride had done.

But we have more particularly to do with his precious sin-atoning, peace-making blood, in our text called cleansing blood. Jesus being God stamps an eternal majesty and dignity upon all he did; as the great and good Hart says

Saints raise your expectations high,

Hope all that heaven has good;

Think what the blood of Christ can buy,
Invaluable blood!

Man, guilty, filthy man, must have been in a deplorable situation to have required a remedy of such dignity, value, and efficacy as the blood of Christ; but nothing less could atone for his sin, or take out his stains, and wash away his guilt. In consequence of the introduction of sin into the world, through the fall of our first parents, all mankind are completely and totally ruined. The womb of the fall has brought forth sins of every sort, diseases of every description, miseries in every form are entailed upon mankind; and the direful consequences are, banishment from God to lay under the weight of Jehovah's righteous curse and wrath for ever and ever, unless reconciliation is made by the Lord Jesus, the church's surety, and we washed in the fountain of his blood. The glorious gospel of the ever blessed God reveals this work as done, and ministers are raised up by God the Holy Ghost to publish peace, through the precious blood of Jesus.

Secondly, the peculiar properties of this blood, it cleanseth from all sin. There is nothing more common than for an awakened sinner to conclude that the guilt of his sin is so great, there can be no atonement for it, and that the filth of it is of such a nature that nothing can wash it away; such conclude their case to be peculiarly bad, that none of the saved of the Lord ever committed such crimes as they have, that having been such law-breakers, under the curse of that holy law they must lie for ever, that their doom is inevitable, their damnation certain. Their situation is truly distressing, they see no way of escape, know nothing of the covenant of grace; how God himself has devised a way that sin can be atoned for, the sinner justified, all transgressions blotted out, so as never to appear against them, and yet maintain his justice. But he hears the gospel, his soul is sometimes raised to hope, then again he is deluged in despair; and it is in vain to say, why don't you believe? why don't you lay hold of Christ? Oh! says he, that is what I want; I am now led to see there is a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, revealed in the word, and I want him as my Saviour to save me; I want him as my righteousness to clothe, beautify, and justify me; I want a Redeemer to liberate my captive soul, which none but a divine Person could do; but Jesus is a divine Person, possessing all the fulness of Deity; and this it is that makes his sufferings and death of such infinite efficacy.

The prayer of such a one is, "Lord, save me, or I perish"-" God be merciful to me a sinner!" The Lord hears his cry, opens his eyes to behold wondrous things out of his law; he has some faint perceptions of the freeness of Jehovah's grace, of the suitableness of Christ's salvation, that he came from heaven to save sinners, and that he cannot save himself; that Christ must save him, if he is saved, and his precious blood cleanseth from all sin. Oh! then he says, it is sufficient to cleanse me; faith is given him to lay hold of this great sacrifice, and peace flows into his conscience, and pardon into his heart; his chains fall off, the prison doors fly open, the spirit of adoption is given, and he now calls God, my Father, Christ my righteousness, and ransom, my surety, my advocate before the throne, my all. He

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