new

on them," &c. Where this new creature doth not exist, there can be no spiritual life; "for he that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." So that "Christ in you the hope of glory," is the sum and substance of this " creature" for "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." Christ dwells in our hearts by His Spirit which He hath given us. Thus our spiritual walk is after the Spirit; and none are spiritual, in reality, but those who have the Spirit of Christ; and these are never more sensibly happy in their souls than when they are enabled to walk after the blessed and divine promptings and dictations of the Spirit of Christ-running after His powerful and sweetly-constraining drawings. It is thus that we are enabled to "mind the things of the Spirit." But let it be understood that all this experience is spiritual: and arises from our union to our living Head. To be thus spiritually minded is life and peace, because we apprehend by faith, of His own Spirit's working, that MIGHTY HIM, who is both our Life and Peace, which removes all condemnation, and brings true peace into the soul. The fruits of the Spirit are thereby made known or brought forth; even by the indwelling of Christ's Spirit; such as pardon, peace, justification, faith, hope, love, patience, and humility; not one of which are made known to any man as he stands in Adam the first; for as we stand in Adam our fallen head, we walk alone after the flesh, and mind the things of the flesh; but as we stand living branches in Christ the living Vine, we walk after, and mind the things that are dictated by, the blessed Spirit. And we can generally tell pretty, well when we are under His sweet dictations; for He points our faith to Jesus, melts our souls from views of Jesus, works love in our hearts towards Jesus, and makes us highly prize and esteem Him as the chiefest among ten thousand, and altogether lovely. He also works in our souls a sympathetic feeling with Christ in His dolorous and wonderful sufferings.

Thus, dear reader, I have given you a few thoughts upon being in Christ free from condemnation; and may the blessed Spirit lead you and the writer to know more of HIM, "whom to know is life eternal;" that we may grow up in Him, hear Him, and be taught the truth as it is in Himself. So prays

Yours to serve in the truth as it is in Jesus,

A LEARNER.

All who

THE clouds of affliction overhang the valley of life. pass through that valley must expect to have some showers fall upon them. But even when a heavy storm is raging, if the eye of faith looks upward, the heaven-bound pilgrim shall see the sun of mercy shining in the heavens, and painting the rose of hope upon the cloud of sorrow.-OLD JONATHAN (a penny monthly broadsheet).

ON THE DEATH OF AN INFANT.

Rest, happy babe! now free from every snare
That strews the path of those who tarry here.
In yonder better land now gone to dwell,
To all terrestrial thou hast bid farewell.
Free from all sorrow, sighing, sin, and pain,
Forgive the wish that would thee still detain
On these unfriendly shores; where pain and strife
Make the sum total of what we term life.
But thou, methinks-(thine eye, less dim than ours,
Now lightened by the Sun that glads the shores
Where thou'rt safe landed: where eternal day
Beams in full lustre: where the quickening ray
Of Heaven's fair Sun of Righteousness with glory fills
The happy millions on those heavenly hills:
Happy, thrice happy, having gained that shore;
Could we but reach it, we might sigh no more)-
Look'st upon this world as the land of death.
Thou entered upon life! Thy fleeting breath
Soon stayed on earth; but now a purer air
Inflates thy bosom: death is banished there,
And all disease, all sorrow, pain, and strife :
Heav'n, thy blest country, is the land of life!
Ah! happy babe! who envies not your bliss ?—
A stranger to this howling wilderness.

Thine eye scarce opened on the dreary waste,
Ere closed again; while thou art called in haste
(A gem of mercy in thy Saviour's crown)

To deck His diadem, and bow before His throne.
O could thy spirit whisper in the ear

Of her, who weeps because thou stayed not here,
Would'st thou not tell of joys before unknown;—
Bid her to dry the tear, and eye the crown
Of glory everlasting, bright and fair;-
And wish not thy return, but a meeting
With thee there!

January 26, 1859.

W. D.

GOOD NEWS FROM A FAR COUNTRY.

DEAR SIR,-Having read "Zion's Witness" for November, I feel my mind inclined to write you a few lines, wishing that the blessing of the Lord may rest upon your labour of love.

In reading the article entitled, "Safety in the Lion's Den," my feelings were such as I cannot find words to describe. It is indeed very mysterious to me how it found its way into my hands, sixteen thousand miles distant, not knowing either the person who sent it, or to whom it was sent. It came into my hands through being lent to a neighbour.

Blessed be God, there is a stage in Christian experience wherein the soul can rejoice in such blessed, soul reviving truths as you are enabled to advocate. Christian experience and what the Christian experiences are distinct things.

I am one who left home six years ago. I was turned out of a good situation through being brought to love the truth of the dear Redeemer. I left England under the joys of what is termed the "first love; " but alas! alas! I knew nothing of the "fountain of the great deep"-my own corrupt heart-in the way that it has since been opened up to me. It is in the Colony that I have been. brought under the plummet of God's holy law in its spirituality.

When I landed on these shores, I found no means of grace in the locality I was placed in, with the exception of hearing a poor man, who used to speak a few words once a month in a hut; but this was no joyful sound to me; for I found that all my religion was gone, and fresh sins began to break out.

Having to work in the fields under a ten-hours' Australian sun, nature gave way to complaining; aye, and my heart to inward cursing. I will leave you, my dear brother, to think what my feelings were, having been several years in this state. I was not always troubled during this time; no, † for sometimes I was troubled because I had no trouble. But I do not call this, nor anything that belongs to the flesh, Christian experience. Christian experience I understand to be this:

After being in that unhappy state so long, seeing nothing before me but an offended, righteous God, it came to pass one night, after I was in bed, that I could not rest any longer in that state, but was compelled to cry unto God. But as there was a man sleeping in the same room, I was afraid to cry there. I therefore got up, and went down stairs into the stable. When I got there, I could not cry to the Lord, but only groan out my feelings to Him, who seeth in secret; so that I came back to bed again much in the same miserable state. But, all in a moment, I felt a voice speaking to me, saying, "I am the Door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved." I at once got up again, and struck a light to find the Bible, that I might see if it was true; and also to know if it read exactly as it came to me; and, to my comfort, I found it did. I laid me down again, and watered my couch with my tears. Blessed be His dear name, I went in the strength of that many days; for, till then, the Word of God for a long time had been nothing to me.

The manner in which the words opened themselves—or, rather, the Spirit opened them to me-was beautiful. I saw myself standing behind Christ, and Satan coming after me; but he could not reach me unless he could first remove Christ. Jesus Christ he could neither touch nor approach, so I felt quite safe and happy under His protection.‡

*Beloved, are you not constrained to say, O highly, highly, highly favoured England! We understand you, brother, perfectly well; but we are inclined to think it amounts

to about the same.

We have no doubt about it, beloved; who would not! Surely He is a most precious Jesus Christ!

Since then I have had many cloudy days; but the blessed Spirit is often with me, in the field of God's Word, instructing me into the mystery of Christ. At this present time I feel the atonement of Christ to be very precious as it is set forth in the type of the two goats (Leviticus xvi). The Lord's lot was to be killed in order to make an atonement for the holy place. Here we see that we have access into heaven itself by the blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ, there being no more wrath in the Father. But what is all that to me if I am not reconciled in the court of my own conscience? I am enabled in His light to see, and, blessed be His dear name, to feel, that in the type of the scape-goat, we not only have the blessedness of Jesus having satisfied the righteous demands of the Father set forth, but the atonement in us, saying, "Your sins are for ever put away from your mind; so that I not only reconcile the Father to you, but you to the Father.” they may be made perfect in one."

"That

Nothing but a spiritual mind can understand these blessed things.

Farewell, dear brother. The Lord willing, I shall make an arrangement to get the whole of "Zion's Witness;" and also to receive a copy monthly. I have a few dear friends in England to whom I shall recommend it. I hope also to be able to get a few of dear Triggs' Sermons

May the Lord the Spirit continue to rain down showers of grace upon you; so that you may send out marrow and fatness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Such is the real desire of one who loves the

truth as it is in Jesus.

Victoria, Australia, Feb. 11, 1860.

GAD.

[The article in the November number of the "Witness," alluded to by our unknown brother, we are happy to say has been made an especial blessing to several of the Lord's tried, tempted, sinburdened, devil-hunted children. To Himself be all the praise, honour, and glory, now and ever. Amen.

Such testimonies as the above are very cheering; more especially coming from a far-off clime.

The Lord go on to bless you, brother, with an increased knowledge of Himself, "whom to know is life eternal." We shall be glad to hear again; and though SIXTEEN THOUSAND miles sepa rate us in the flesh, nothing can separate us as we stand joined to the Lord and one Spirit. Here TIME is lost in ETERNITY; SPACE in IMMENSITY; the EFFECT in the CAUSE; the MOON in the SUN; the MEMBER in the HEAD; the CREATURE in the CREATOR; the SINNER in the SAVIOUR; the REDEEMED in the REDEEMER; and the BRANCHES in the VINE; for CHRIST IS ALL And in all.-Ed.]

A LIVING TESTIMONY..

THE Lord was pleased, in the year 1856, to lay His afflicting hand upon me, which produced some serious thoughts in my mind; so that when I had sufficiently recovered to return to my situation, I began a reformation of life; which hitherto had been one of great profligacy. I now began to leave off swearing and drunkenness, and to attend a Wesleyan chapel; not as yet having light enough to see the errors that that body of professors hold. I had been there but a short time before they wanted me to join their class meetings; but that I would not do.

For a few weeks I lived with very ungodly people, and found it extremely difficult to carry out the reformation I had commenced, But I thought if I could get into a Christian family, it would greatly further my intention, and cause me to be much happier in my mind.

In the unerring order of Providence, I was removed to St. Leonards; and, much to my gratification, lived with a Wesleyan. I then attended their prayer meetings; and found them very desirous of converting me. One Lord's day evening the preacher took this text: "And said to the mountains, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb," &c. This text made a great impression upon my mind. The preacher said that every one, before leaving the chapel that night, might have their sins forgiven, if they would but come to Jesus. Well, thought I, if such is the case, I will try; for I am well persuaded of the desirableness of salvation, being fully aware that if I died without it, hell must be my portion. The preacher went on to say that if there were any there in distress of mind, wishing to be prayed over, he, for one, would stay, though it were all night.

If by this means forgiveness can be obtained, thought I, the chapel shall not be left by me until it is accomplished. But, as the reader may imagine, in vain did they pray, groan, and make a noise;

"For mine was a wound in the soul,
A deep rooted heart malady."

They told me I must believe, and then I should be happy; but I had no more power to believe than to make a world. I could relate many things that these physicians of no value said to me, but I forbear, seeing they are not worth notice.

As I had heard the Wesleyans speak reproachfully of the Calvinists, curiosity led me to converse with one; but his scriptural arguments soon confounded me. He had truth on his side, therefore I could say nothing against it. I accordingly went home to search. my Bible; and opened upon the third chapter of Romans. There