know Samson's water was good if it did come out o' th' jawbone of a jackass," Judges xv. 18, 19. This was said with a seriousness and gravity which commended the old woman and her saying to my heart. I thought of the description friend Atherton had given of her, for she appeared in deed and in truth" a queer sort of an owd body." She was a woman of deep feeling, while she expressed herself in quaint but not foolish language. What a lesson is to be learned from Old Peggy's comparisonsthe treasure of eternal life and love sent in "owd cracked mugs." Those who do business in deep waters, for the good of the tried and afflicted children of God, know well the force of this quaint simily. Often do they find that among the dry bones is their portion, until the resurrection power of Jesus revives and animates their drooping and parched souls. Ay, and how often have they to proclaim the glorious salvation of a covenant God, when every thought, desire, and feeling has taken flight-the mind a barren heath-the understanding a wilderness waste the heart a stormy depth of iniquity. Do thoughts arise? They but perplex. To open the mouth is only to prove food for maudlin murmurers and merciless critics. Who is sufficient for these things? In weakness, fear, and much trembling, gracious lifts are experienced, and Christ is truly precious to the heart. A joy springs up amid distress A Fountain in the wilderness." Though earthen vessels we find and feel ourselves to be, and seeming impossibilities crowd around our path, yet all things are possible with Him from whom the commission to preach His truth was received; and the heart is cheered with the Spirit's testimony breathed from the depths of apostolic experience, "Our sufficiency is of God," 2 Cor. iii. 5. On another occasion, as we sat chatting on the truths of God's word, the imputed righteousness of Christ became the subject of conversation. She had an old threadbare coat by her side, at which she looked intently for a moment or two, then, referring to the robe of Christ's righteousness, she exclaimed, "I say, there's no takkin' th' nap off that coat." I laughed, and yet my heart was in no laughing mood. The truth, which above all others had been made exceeding precious to my soul, was brought out with a reality, clearness, and fulness I did not anticipate. "That coat!" The robe of Jesus' righteousness, which excels in glory, beauty, purity, and splendour, the shining garments of the seraphic host-the spotless obedience of the Church's Husband and Surety-the God-man's unremitting, unvarying conformity to Jehovah's law imputed to poor bankrupt sinners, Rom. v. 19; 2 Peter i. 1. What a glorious righteousness! "His work is honourable and glorious, and His righteousness endureth for ever," Psalm cxi. 3. Precious beyond expression is Jehovah's own testimony, "My righteousness shall not be abolished," Isaiah li. 6. Proud, conceited hearts may deride this glorious truth-vain man's reason may cast contempt upon this heaven-taught doctrine-pharisaic souls may sneer at this blessed, precious plan, contrived in infinite wisdom and everlasting love for the justification of elect souls; but so long as Jehovah has one upon earth redeemed by the blood of His Son and taught by His Spirit, earth will not lack a witness to the truth which has gone out of His lips, "My righteousners shall be for ever," Isa. li. 8. By the old woman's words, "There's no takkin' th' nap off that coat!" the mind is forcibly led to that sweet verse by the Moravian Count Zinzindorf, "This spotless robe the same appears A year or more elapsed, when one evening Old Peggy was in her usual place at the week-night lecture in friend Atherton's cottage. The word of the Lord was sent from Zech. ii. 5, "For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her." Poor old soul, she seemed to dwell in the land of Beulah that night. On passing away to her home she shook me by the hand and said, "The God of love is a wall of fire round about His people, and if the devil comes too near it he's sure to get burnt." A keen insight into divine mysteries appeared to be given her. How well she understood that Satan, in all his schemes and contrivances, is wholly at God's control. A sight of Jesus, so precious to the child of God, caused the Evil One to cry out, "What have we to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God? art Thou come hither to torment us before the time?" Matt. viii. 29. Satan has wonderful power; but it is all kept in check by Zion's King and Lord, whose name is "Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God." Not many days after I called to see her, and during a short conversation on the Lord being the defence and protection of His people, she quaintly observed, "No, neither death nor devil can ever find a gap in that hedge." How true! Through Job's hedge Satan could not pass to touch his life, which roused all the malignity of his nature against the tried and afflicted patriarch. The devil batters with all his might and main against the munitions of rocks;" but all is vain-his designs, deep laid as they are, cannot prevail against the church of God, Matt. xvi. 18. Covenant mercy covers the head of every saint in the day of battle-underneath are the everlasting arms, keeping the feet from falling into hell—before each blood-bought sheep the gentle Shepherd goes, and His voice, which is all love to the flock, strikes terror to the heart of every foe-behind, a great and terrible God follows, and, according to His covenant faithfulness, guides His weak ones in the way, Psalm cxl. 7; Deut. xxxiii. 27; John x. 27-29; Isa. xxx. 21. Jehovah in His Trinity of persons has for ever settled the eternal security of the whole election of grace. The Father will never leave nor forsake them, Heb. xiii. 5. The Spirit abides with them for ever, John xiv. 16. A few days before Old Peggy left these lower scenes of night for the land which sin can never defile, I went to see her. She lay in bed unable to rise, and upon my entering her room said with surprise, "And have you come all this way to see me? Eh dear! Why, what am I? Nowt but a heap o' rubbish; and yet God is so good, He not only comes His self, but He sends you, with a word or two of comfort for a poor body." "He has sent me, no doubt; but it is more than I can do to speak words of comfort to your poor sinking soul." 66 'Nay-you mus'n't say that-I don't think my soul is sinking; the body is, and if it wasn't for grace, free grace, both body and soul would sink into hell. These folk about me want to bring some of those shouting Arminians to pray for me, but I'll not have 'em-they'd only torment me with their rant. You know, salvation reet and square at both ends 'll only do for me. Eh, I cannot tell you how glad I am to see you!" I read the latter part of Rom. viii., and when I had finished, she said, "That'll do. Paul's salvation was like David's, in a 'covensnt ordered in all things and sure.' You see, we're all o' one mind. It begins, first, by God the Father electing whom He will, then God the Son redeems 'em, then God the Holy Spirit quickens 'em, and keeps 'em alive, till they're aw safe i' heaven. That's my hope. I've no other." I prayed by her bedside, and felt my heart drawn within the veil as she fervently responded to the petitions poured out on her behalf. No more, after this, did I see this pilgrim and stranger upon earth. She was indeed and in truth "a queer sort of an owd body;" the world knew her not, and very few were privileged to know her in the Lord. My dear departed friend Atherton was often refreshed by her godly conversation, and spoke to me many times of the deep work of grace in her heart, which appeared from the confessions of her mouth. God's people are queer, odd,* strange, peculiar. This is their character. The gracious Covenantee says concerning Himself, and all those in eternal, vital union with Him, "Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given Me, are for signs and for wonders in Israel; from the Lord of hosts which dwelleth in Zion," Isa. viii. 19. The Spirit's testimony respecting them is, "They are men wondered at," Zech. iii. 8. The breathings forth of a soul in spiritual oneness with a despised and suffering Saviour is, "I am as a wonder unto many, but Thou art my strong refuge," Psa. lxxi. 7. Well might Paul call them, as he made use of Old Testament language, a peculiar people," Titus ii. 14. They are not what they seem to be-they possess unsearchable riches, and yet remain beggars until the close of their earthly pilgrimage-they are in the world, yet not of it, their life, their citizenship, is in heaven. The worldling hugs his fading treasures, and eagerly pursues his transitory joys; but the quickened, confiding soul looks to a precious Christ, in whom alone it * God's people are doubtless a paradox to the world; the writer unquestionably is referring to this, and not to the singularities and eccentricities in which some seem to pride themselves. realizes its portion, with pleasures and joys and glories unspeakable. Faith's eye, guided by unerring love, takes a clean sweep through time and space, pierces the gloom of death, and in resurrection power and glory claims a place in the throne of God, and a share in the unutterable bliss of Emmanuel's fair dominion. In this cold region of the faded leaf, Christ's poor despised brethren and sisters are now and then blessed with the enjoyment of His company, while in spirit He leads them to the bright land of love, where the fields are for ever green, and the Tree of Life yields perpetual fruit. In the desert, the banquet of love is provided, Psalm xxiii. 5, and sweet rest is experienced amid the waves and billows of this troublesome world. Queer bodies Jehovah's elect and redeemed ones are. They cannot enjoy themselves as others do. Why should they? Their joy is Christ their life is hid with Him in God. Reader! art thou a fellow-pilgrim in the beaten track of tribulation? If so, remember "the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not." "The treasure I've found in His love Has made me a pilgrim below." Barrow Hill, Staveley, T.B. THE GLORY OF GOD'S GRACE. "In Christ When God, in his rich grace, takes a poor sinner manifestively in hand, His first act is to give life and light. Some good men have endeavoured to prove that spiritual light comes before spiritual life; but as they mostly act in the soul together, it is likely that the Lord communicates them both at the one and the same time. was life, and the life was the light of men," John i. 4. When this divine life and light are communicated, the dead soul is quickened, and the dark soul is enlightened. We begin to see sin in the light of God's countenance, and our secret sins are laid open to the conscience, and we both see and feel that it is an evil and bitter thing to sin against God. The pure life and light of God placed in the conscience against our vile deadness and darkness, horrify the soul; and though we may not be able to account for our feelings and sight, yet we find that we have such as we never had before, and such as we cannot get rid of. We now become in soul-feeling real sinners before a heartsearching God, and really tremble at His word. We both see and feel that God is pure, and we are impure-that God is just, and we are unjust-and that there is an awful disparity between God and us; and we feelingly cry-"What poor vile sinner like me can stand before such a holy God, whose law I have broken in so many ways, and whose majesty I have so often insulted?" By this light and life the soul feels its own inability to help itself, or take one step in self or of self towards obtaining either real holiness or happiness. By this life and light the living soul both sees and feels that there is no way of access to God, or acceptance with him, but in the person, blood, and obedi ence of the Lord Jesus Christ; but how to get at that the poor soul cannot tell, till the dear Lord makes manifest in the heart, by the divine power of the Holy Ghost, the truth couched in the following branches of God's Word-"For He hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him;" "And ye are complete in Him who is the head of all principality and power.' When the glorious substance of these blessed truths is brought home to the conscience by the power of the Holy Ghost, the soul can then solemnly sing, "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?" And this is to the praise of the glory of God's grace. In some of God's people this glorious light shines brighter than the sun, and its rays appear to pierce through the whole soul, and with the light the Lord speaks in divine power, “Behold Me;" or, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world;" or, "Look unto Me and be ye saved;" and with this makes manifest such a glorious display of the person, beauty, love, and loveliness of Christ crucified, as fills the soul with holy amazement, wonder, love, and praise. Sin and guilt appear to have taken their flight never to return, and the soul is swallowed up in praise and adoration. The glory of God appears in all His works and ways, the soul seems as if it was translated into another world, and never expects to be in darkness again; but in very deed believes that blessed truth, "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son." Though the Lord acts as a sovereign, and does not always shine in the same conspicuous way into the hearts of all His children, yet He brings them all in a certain degree to see light in His light, and feel life in His life, and know and feel that they have no salvation but in the Lord alone. Do I hear some poor sinner say, I have never been able to sing that glorious song, and I fear I never shall, yet I thirst and pant for it, and glad should I be to know the Lord had indeed quickened and enlightened my soul? Hear the word of the Lord to His quickened, spiritually-taught family-"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." This portion of God's word, say you, cuts me up root and branch, for I am all vile, and have no good works to boast of. No; if you thought you had, that would be no proof that you were interested in that salvation which excludes creature boasting. One of the first branches of good works, which the Holy Spirit produces in the quickened soul, is to give the sinner a tender conscience, and make him honest before God. Then he does not conceal his sin, but, like an honest man, confesses feelingly that he is a vile, ungodly, ruined sinner, and deserves the righteous wrath and indignation of the Lord, and his wonder is that he is not already in hell. Whoever may tell him that he is not so base and vile, he both sees and feels that he is, and with shame of heart confesses it before God; and thus it is, to the glory of grace, that he is made honest at the feet of the Lord. And is this a proof of life? say you. Yes, in very deed, if it is felt and acknowledged. W. G. |