dislike the supposition that God may again come into as visible communion and intercourse with his people, in these latter times, as he formerly vouchsafed to his ancient servants the patriarchs? Why should there be a greater distance preserved under the gospel, than under the law? Can they assign a reason?

And yet, of old, visible appearances and miraculous interpositions were constantly enjoyed by the church. To Abraham, to Moses, to Joshua, to the Judges, to David and Solomon, the Lord made himself known by visible signs and by word of mouth. And not only was his actual and visible presence often thus vouchsafed, but we find throughout the whole history of his Old Testament church, that until they actually forsook him, and forced him to depart from them by their iniquities,-God dwelt in the midst of his church, was manifested by a visible glory, the Sheckinah, and might at all times be appealed to for counsel, or called upon for aid. Then, for signs and wonders, is not the Old Testament full of them? To divide the Red Sea by a word, and then to bring in its flood again upon the armies of Egypt,-to stay the sun in its orbit, at the word of his captain, Joshua,-to cast great stones out of heaven upon the armies of the enemy, to destroy an hundred and eighty-five thousand men in a night,-these were light things in the sight of the Lord, when Israel was acknowledged as his people, his own inheritance. Now what we want to press upon the attention of doubting readers of prophecy is this,-that if we really believe that these things have happened,-that this peculiar care and protection to Israel was extended, and that God did really dwell thus among his people, with a visible glory, and conferring the most blessed privileges;-if we believe that these things, really occurred, and that only (in comparison with eternity) a few years

since, there ought to be no difficulty in our conceiving of the return of such privileges, whenever God shall see fit so to bless his church. But, if there be nothing so incredible in the facts themselves: if they have happened, and may therefore happen again,-why is there such a disposition, when large and abundant promises are found in Scripture, of a return of these blessed privileges,-to avoid and refuse the plain meaning of the words; and to decide at once, that although these promises speak distinctly of an earthly state, yet that they cannot, and ought not, to be understood of any thing but heaven.

If men would but strive to get their minds loosed from present things, and would endeavour to realize the glorious things described in the Old Testament histories, and foretold by both the Old and New Testament prophets, they would then, we believe, be more united in their views of the coming glory, and would be less inclined to speculate or dispute about minute or unrevealed particulars. Nay, even on the great question itself, of the actual bodily appearing of the Redeemer, as King of Zion, men might be allowed to differ without disunion. In fact, and with this observation we shall conclude,—if the substantial blessing be acknowledged, be expected, and hoped for, of a real reign of holiness and bliss, it does not appear to us to be a matter of much moment, whether the actual human form of the Saviour is seen on Mount Zion, or whether, as of old, a glorious brightness manifests his presence. To constitute a state of holiness and happiness, his presence must in some sense be vouch

safed and enjoyed. That it will be vouchsafed in glory and majesty, we judge to be clearly revealed; but as to the actual manner, we are content to confess our unwillingness to venture upon the expression of a decided opinion.

THE following letter of the late Reverend and excellent Thomas Scott, was addressed to a poor person resident in an almshouse; and will, I doubt not, be read with pleasure by many of your readers. Your's, &c.

THEOGNIS.

Aston Sandford, Dec. 31, 1808. DEAR HANNAH COLLINS.-When I first received and began to read your letter, I could not at all recollect any thing about the name, &c. but the mention of the Chase,* brought all to my remembrance. I am truly thankful that you hold on your way in the manner you describe, and which appears to me highly satisfactory. 1 remember the sermon which you mention on prayer at Weston very well. It is now more than twenty-three years since I preached it, but the recollection of those times among the people in the neighbourhood of Olney, in which their much love and zeal were manifested, excites in my mind a pleasure mingled with regret. I have since been far otherwise situated, and I fear have not wholly escaped the contagion of that lukewarm spirit which prevailed all around. At length, however, I am placed in a small village, to which numbers from every side throng to hear the word of life, and I again witness some measure of a fervent spirit, and hope many are truly converted, though my numerous engagements prevent my going among them in the manner which I did near Olney. Should I live again to see Northampton, I will endeavour to call on you but whether we meet on earth or no, let us pray for each other, that we may meet where sin

* Yardley Chase, Northamptonshire.

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and sorrow shall be known no more. Your letter opens to me no door for particular admonition or counsel, I can only say whereto you have attained, walk by the same rule--press forward-get all the good you can, do all the good you can, and so wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. I have delayed answering your letter for an opportunity of sending you some books with it, which may be acceptable to you, and if you lend, or give them, they may, by the blessing of God, be useful to others also. Therefore lend them freely to all who will read them, and when they are worn out, or lost, send me word, and if I am spared I will send you some more. I look out for opportunities of attempting to do good in this way, and if you can help me I shall rejoice. I never had good health when I was young, and I have not very ill health now I am old. Blessed be God, I can still go on with my labours almost as well as formerly, though many things remind me of old age, and that my time is short: may it be well spent, and ended. I know you will say Amen. I am greatly blessed in my family, I have two sons ministers, I hope faithful and useful; the other (I have only three) is educating, I trust, with right views for the same blessed work; my daughter (my only one) has I trust chosen the good part; I hope you will help me to bless God for this. If any thing form a difficulty in your mind, or you wish to ask me any question, write without reserve; I shall gladly hear from you, and answer you.

I remain, very sincerely, Your faithful friend and servant, THOMAS SCOTT.

BRETHREN IN JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. The ministry of the gospel was instituted by Jesus Christ himself, when he said to his disciples, at the moment of separating himself from them to return to his glory, All power is given me in heaven and earth; go ye then, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you alway, unto the end of the world.

Nearly two thousand years have elapsed since these words were spoken; and we are living witnesses to their truth, since we owe it to them that we are not now adoring idols, as the inhabitants of these countries did before the light of the gospel had penetrated them; and we owe it to this command of the Lord, that we possess the knowledge of the true God, and hold in our hands this word which can make us wise unto salvation.

The great purpose of the ministry of the gospel perpetuating itself in the Christian church, is to teach, to spread, and to preach this holy word of God. In this word, in the Bible, and in the Bible only, must the minister of Christ acquire his doctrine, his convictions, his light, his directions, and his authority he should receive it himself with simplicity of heart, in a spirit of humility and prayer; he should ask the understanding of it from the Holy Spirit who has dictated it; he should let himself be taught by God, and not be minded to teach Him.

For God himself has spoken ; we have the most irresistible proofs

*Translated from a sermon preached on the occasion of his consecration to the sacred ministry, in the evangelical church of Colmar, November 28, 1830. By J. J. Hosemann. Paris and Geneva, 1831.

of it; we have his word in our hands, that word which has the stamp of divinity throughout; and yet we repulse it, we are indifferent to it, we pretend to estimate it by our feeble conceptions, and think ourselves justified in retrenching whatever does not meet our ideas, imaginations, and prejudices. It does not suffice us that God has spoken most distinctly; his words will not be divine, we say, till we have agreed to their divinity; we set ourselves up as judges of this word, by which we ourselves are to be judged.

Much is said in our days of the progress which the human mind has made; a progress which, as some assert, denounces as superannuated the doctrines contained in Holy Writ and set forth with so faithful adherence to scripture in the articles of protestant churches.*

.

Surely such assertions must offend every reasonable and serious mind; yet they prove how far the pride of human reason can go, when it worships itself, when it despises the light of revelation, when it trusts in its own strength, and seeks not all its illumination from him who hath said that he is the light of the world, and that whosoever doth not follow him walketh in darkness. Let me not be thought to say, that the Christian ministry should despise the aids which man's knowledge can offer;-far rather should they gladly be laid hold of; but then to use them for the truth, and not against it. Besides, experience has proved, and is still proving, that the most avowed enemies of the faith of our fathers, are not to be sought among the truly learned, or among such as

* This opinion has been expressed avowedly, by M. de Potter, the Belgian Revolutionist, in his preface to the life of Ricci. -T.

have the deepest knowledge of men and things.

It is true, that the manner of presenting Christian truths, the ways in which they may be developed, the applications they may receive, and even the form in which to exhibit them, may be changed advantageously with the different degrees of progress which the human mind makes; but to say that the very truth, and that fundamental Christianity must be perfected and altered, is to say that God himself, from whom it emanates, requires to be perfected. Without doubt, the age ought to follow truth, and not truth the age; for truth, such as it is in Christ, is eternal, unchangeable, and infallible; while the world, and all that is of the world, passes away, changes, and is subject to error. It is not for Christianity to drag in the rear of prejudices, (and those the prejudices of men) but for men's prejudices to let themselves be dispersed by the light of Christianity.-Man, in all ages, is the same before God: in all ages he is born in the same state of rebellion and corruption, and in the same darkness as to the things of God, be the amelioration of his social condition, and his progress in human sciences, what they may. that he needs, in all ages, the same pardon, the same mercy, the same light, the same gospel, and the same Saviour.

So

And it is only when the minister of Christ continues faithfully to preach nothing but the great and eternal truths of Christianity, not letting himself be carried away with every wind of doctrine, as the apostle says, that he can expect to see his ministry blest, and to bear abundant fruit to the glory of God. It is not enough to shew the beauty of Christian morality; the means by which this sublime morality may be practised must be pointed out. One must hold up Jesus Christ, as Him who of God is made unto us

If

wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. The soul of all preaching, of all exhortation, and of the whole life of the Christian pastor, must be Jesus Christ.* we may use the expression, Christ must be the soul of his soul; nor must he know any thing (like Paul) but Jesus Christ, and him crucified. It is this preaching, of God becoming man through love for his guilty creatures,† that shakes the consciences of men, produces repentance, gives birth to love, seizes and changes the whole man, breaks the hearts of men, and raises the dead.

O, pray for me, my dear brethren, pray that this may be my preaching; pray that the ministry which has been entrusted to me may not be, for me and for those to whom I shall be sent, a ministry of death producing death, but a ministry of life communicating life.

Oh! pray that I may be, by divine grace, an instrument blest unto many; pray that the Holy Spirit may prepare, from henceforth, the hearts of those to whom I shall have to announce the mercies of God; pray that more than one soul, that would perish far from God, and without hope or Saviour, may grasp the promises of grace which I shall offer in the name of my King, so that instead of dying, it may live; live in this life to happiness, peace, faith, and holiness, and hereafter with Jesus in his glory for ever.

Pray, that every spirit of contention, of condemnation, of pharisaism, and bitter zeal, may be removed from my heart, and replaced with an ardent and genuine charity. May that charity remind me, that by love the Son of God triumphed over death and hell, by love he

*The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Rev. xix. 10.-T.

As one of the Spanish poets in Bowring's specimens beautifully says,

I saw a God become a man:
I saw a man become a God.-T...

redeemed his church, by love will he recognise his disciples, and that love is the life of heaven. Pray, lastly, but pray with faith, pray in the name of Jesus Christ, that I may be a faithful dispenser of the mysteries of God, a servant fully approved, and a pastor after God's own heart.

The privileges of the gospel ministry are great, without doubt; but if the embassy of Christ, and the bearing of glad tidings, be a glorious office, it is also a most perilous one.

In fact, how heavy is the responsibility which I am taking on myself! Oh my God! I tremble at the thought, that thou wilt require at my hand the blood of all those who shall have perished through my fault, whose souls thou hast confided to me, and whom I have neglected to warn, through fear of man or through cowardice, of the dreadful lot which awaits them if they live and die without Christ.

Oh how perilous is this charge of the ministry of Jesus Christ! A poor sinner has to tell other such sinners, that if they believe not on the Son of God, and are not born again, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, they shall not behold the face of God, or see eternal life.

A poor sinner has to tell unbelieving mortals, (wise perhaps after this world, yet too enlightened in their own eyes to admit Christian truths) that as long as they repulse Christianity, they know nothing as they ought; that which they call light is mere darkness, and that out of Christ there is neither truth, light, knowledge, or wisdom, unto salvation.

A poor sinner has to tell men who pride themselves on their own goodness, that all their boasted virtues are nothing but filthy garments, as scripture expresses it, in the flaming eyes of Him who is called the Holy of Holy Ones; and that there is no true good but that which comes of love for God, and that they can live only by mercy.

But the minister of Christ has yet more to do: he must preach the Gospel by his life, and imitate his glorious master, in his humility, his charity, his gentleness, his selfdenial, and his holiness. Like him, he should visit and comfort the afflicted, instruct the ignorant, support the weak, reprove the dissolute, be patient towards all, and, for his master's sake, become all things to all men, and give himself up wholly to all.

How can I but exclaim, as I feel my own incapacity and misery, Lord! I am not sufficient for things so great. Oh, if Moses and Jeremiah were frightened at the idea that they were to speak in the name of the living God, how can I, who am so utterly weak, but fear such a mission, and shudder on the eve of the battle!

But the history of these sainted men, and of so many others, comes to my support, gives me courage, and animates me for the encounter.

It was not by trusting in them. selves that they served Jehovah ; nor do I rise this day to enrol myself in the army of Christ, by leaning on my own strength, or on that of any arm of flesh. My stay is in the faithfulness of my God; in the promises of Him who is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever; of Him who has said, Ask, and ye shall have; of Him who has said to his disciples, I am with you alway, unto the end of the world; Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give

it you.

Who then could fear, after all these glorious promises made by the eternal and almighty Head of the church, to stretch forth his arm for promoting his cause!

No, I fear no longer; for the God of the patriarchs, the God of the prophets, the God of the apostles, the God of the confessors and martyrs, the God of our great reformers, is my God, even the living and true God, who guides the universe