Page images
PDF
EPUB

At his afcenfion the heavens received him out of the view of the men of Galilee, nor has he been feen perfonally on earth fince. Yet there is a fight of him more interesting than any we can enjoy with mortal eyes. In his outward appearance there was nothing extraordinary. Many faw his perfon who knew not his worth, and rejected the whole myftery of godlinefs. But there is a fight which is connec ted with faith, John, vi. 40. As the flung Ifraelites by a view of the ferpent were healed; fo this faving view of Chrift is connected with prefent peace and future felicity. This fight is only to be had by the teaching of the Spirit; for the Spirit fearcheth all things, and reveals them to man. If we are taught by the Spirit, we fhall fee all that fuitablenefs, that there is in Chrift, to the various circumstances of guilt and wretchednefs in which we are. Perhaps our evidences may not be fo clear, nor our comprehension fo great on this fubject as that of fome others; but we shall fee him for ourfelves, and admire what we understand, Bleffed are they who fee not and yet believe.

The most exalted perfonal view of our Lord is yet to come: He fhall appear again in his own glory, in the glory of the Father and of all the holy angels. Then every eye fhall fee him. The great white throne, and he who fits upon it, will he visible to all. The feven eyes which were

upon

him in his crucifixion will now be directed to him in his glory. How happy at this period to have an intereft in his love!

In heaven they behold the King in his beauty. They fee him as he is. The Lamb in the midft of the throne is exhibited in full view to all the celeftial inhabitants. This is what he himself prayed for while yet upon earth. Father, I will that thofe whom thou haft given me be with me where I am, to behold my glory. As they had feen him, some of them perfonally, and all of them by faith; fo they fhall fee him in his kingdom. Now we fee his feet, and adore. In his temple we behold his fpiritual excellency with admiration; but the heavenly vifion will be ecftatical and transforming. If the fight the apoftles had on the mount fo far overcame them as to tranfport them beyond themselves; and if the queen of the fouth had no more fpirit in her when the faw the glory of Solomon; who can defcribe the feelings of the mind at that moment when the happy foul enters heaven, and cafts it eye on the glorified Mediator. "Bleffed are the pure in heart, for they fhall fee God." EUMENES.

THE PLAIN RULE OF HOLINESS.

Whatsoever

WE

ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Coloff. iii. 17.

ERE this admirable rule obferved, what a peaceful world, and what a glorious church, fhould we behold! Great as the prejudices of infidels against the Bible are, this, however, must be allowed: Every man would be glad to have his neighbour's conduct towards him regulated by Scriptural precepts. And what method can profeffors take to recommend religion fo much as by obferving this

concife but excellent direction?

What is it to do every thing in the name of Jefus? Simply this, To do all agreeably to his will-in dependance on his strength; and with a view to his glory.

Let the holy will of Jesus be observed. He is our fovereign Lord. We are under the law to Christ. Bleffed be his name, that he has expreffed his will fo fully in the facred word; and adapted his precepts to every fituation in life. Only let the believer afk, upon entering upon his various affairs, Is this agreeable to the will of Chrift? Nor will he be much at a lofs for an answer.

Let every action be performed in dependance on him. Do we want wifdom? Afk and expect it of him. Nehemiah did fo, and obtained an immediate fupply. Do we need ftrength? Lo, he is strong-He is almighty, and by him we "can do all things." And when all is done, ftill depend upon him for acceptance.

Let the glory of Jefus be the aim of all. Heaven fays he is worthy to receive honour, let earth fay fo too. He has done fo much for us, that we ought to do fomething for him. Here too, let the believer afk, Will Jefus be glorified by this action, or not?

Let religion be universal, not confined to facred places and times; let every deed be done, and every word be fpoken, in his name.

WORDS, Chriftians, mark that! O obferve your words. Remember St. James's account of that untamely member, the tongue. Watch its motions. Reftrain its trefpaffes. Speak little; and let that little be feasoned with grace. What a world of iniquity would be thus prevented! what facrifices

of honour would afcend to the Saviour! what harmony in religious focieties! what comfort in the family!

DEEDS, alfo! Every deed, civil and religious, public and domeftic, in the church, in the clofet, in the fhop. Were this noted, we fhould hear of no lewd, intemperate gofpellers; of few bankruptcies; of no difhonefty. Deeds thus performed would be truly honourable, of however little account in the eye of man. Servants, for instance, filling up their places confcientiously, are elevated characters for they "ferve the Lord Chrift." And the remark is univerfally applicable: For the real honour attached to any station is, a regard to the appointment and approbation of the Lord.

This rule obferved would render the plaineft Christian an able cafuift. An honeft confcience is of more ufe than a thoufand folios. Only afk, Is this word, this work, agreeable to the Lord's will? Can I do it in dependance on him, and will it be for his glory? With thefe inquiries propofed to the enlightened confcience, can the profeffor fit down at the card-table, vifit the play-house, mix in the dance, put on gaudy or indecent apparel, or revel in luxury? It is impoffible. G. B.

A REMARKABLE INSTANCE OF WEAK FAITH. In a truly regenerated Christian in the last Moments of Life.

[Communicated by the fame Clergyman, who tranfmitted the account of the Converfion of the Poor Proftitute, inferted in our Magazine for January laft.]

Rev. AND DEAR SIR,

THE very ftriking inftance of the fovereignty of divine grace, as difplayed in the recovery of the poor Prosti. tute, which I did myfelf the honour of communicating to you, and which you conveyed to the Public through the channel of the Evangelical Magazine, I fincerely hope may be productive of the defired effect, in bringing glory to God, and affording encouragement to mankind. As I am perfectly perfuaded, that no truly awakened Chriftian can attend to the affecting narrative of her converfion, without feeling the most lively emotions of gratitude to the gracious Author of falvation; fo am I prompted to believe that, under the

influence of his Spirit, the perufal of it may tend to encou rage the timid mind to a greater dependance and faith in the fame redeeming mercy. If thefe purposes shall be anfwered by the publication of it, though in the smallest degree, I fhall have caufe to rejoice before God.

From the fame motives which led me to addrefs you upon that occafion, I have again affumed the pen, to tranfmit the particulars of another fingular cafe, which hath occurred to my obfervation in the courfe of my miniftry: highly different indeed in its circumftances; yet, if I miftake not, equally illuftrative of the fame unqueftionable doctrine; namely, that the regenerating power which alone produces converfion, as well as the comforts flowing from it, are all of grace.

You are fenfible, that it is our duty as well as our privilege, to obferve as clofely as poffible the defigns of God in all the ordinations of his providence and grace; for from both, fubjects are continually arifing, which not only very highly edify and comfort the Lord's people, but tend to awaken all the correfponding affections of gratitude, and love, and adoration, and praife to the great Author of all bleffings. Nothing can accomplish thefe ends better, nor more admirably difplay the depths of divine wisdom in the falvation of men, than when we trace the infinite variety of methods in the feveral fchemes of grace by which the Lord is guiding his chofen to glory. For whether we behold the day of small things; or the worm Jacob threshing the mountains: in either, or in both, we review divine strength made perfect in human weakness. God is the first great cause, from whom cometh every good and every perfect gift. All these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit dividing to eve ry man severally as he will.

Indeed, I am the more prompted to fend you the particulars of the cafe I am going to relate, because it should seem (if I may prefume to think fo) to have been intended by the providence of God, that the remembrance of both fhould be connected together, in all thofe minds where he is pleafed the knowledge of them fhould come. For both cafes occurred nearly at the fame time. They happened together; and it was my province in the daily circuit of duty, while vifiting the fick, juft to have finished my attendance on the poor woman, whofe cafe I have related in my former letter, when I was called upon to be a witnefs of the peculiar fituation of the perfon whofe interesting memoir is to be the subject of my prefent writing. So great a disparity in the two Inftances (as you will immediately perceive from the relaVOL. I.

N n

tion) could not but have ftruck a lefs attentive obferver than myfelf. And I cannot but fuppofe was intended to produce an effect in the mind, both to admire and adore the depths of his wisdom, whose judgments are unsearchable, and whose ways are past finding out.

The perfon whofe concluding history I have in view, died in the beginning of the last year 1794, and in the seventieth year of his age. His character, as it ftood in the general eftimation of mankind, was very highly and very defervedly refpected. In the feveral relative fituations of life as a husband, father, or friend, in fhort, as a man in all his intercourfe with fociety, he was perhaps as irreproachable as any. Indeed, there was a certain conftitutional happiness of mind about him, in a mildness and gentleness of difpofition, which endeared him to all that knew him. In the early part of life he had been unfuccefsful in trade; and, willing to retreat from it, rather than involve himself in greater difficulties, or continue a fruitlefs purfuit, when there appeared but little probability of fuccefs, he gladly entered into a com-promife with his creditors, by giving up his all to fatisfy their just demands.

Do not think me too minute in the relation of this man's history, until I fhall have explained my motives for it. I have mentioned this trait in his character, in order to introduce another intimately connected with it; and because it ferves in a great measure to give an idea of the tenor of his life. It will tend also in no small degree to illuftrate more ftrikingly the great object I have in view from the publication of this memoir.

When through the goodness of God's providence, a bleffing followed his honeft endeavours in another line of bufinefs, to which he directed his attention after the failure of the former; the first object which engaged his regard, and which he immediately accomplished, was to make up the deficiency of the balance which had been due to his creditors, by the payment of the full fum of the original debt. Though, according to the ftrict letter of the law, his creditors had no further demand upon him, and therefore, in the apprehenfion of the bulk of mankind, fuch a conduct is confidered inexpedient and unneceffary; yet fo truly confcientious was the perfon of whom I am writing, that he gratefully paid every farthing, and even to the executors of fome of his creditors, which in the interim had deceafed, he obferved the fame conduct.

But in all this, you will fay, there is nothing of religion! True, Sir! Neither do I relate it under the idea. I only

« PreviousContinue »