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or less of all the churches of Christ in a time-state. They must, they have a right to expect and look for temptations from the devil, and persecutions from evil men; it being a declared truth that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. And though, through the rich abounding mercy of God, his church in the present day has no outward persecution, yet the Lord's peo ple are now, as well as in former ages, engaged in a war with Satan, the world, and the flesh; and Satan will be showing his spite and malice against them. But though they are to expect this, and ought to be continually upon their guard, to watch his attacks, and to repel his temptations, by taking unto themselves the shield of faith; yet they ought not to fear, because "greater is he that is in them, than he that is against them." Whatsoever assaults, trials, persecutions, or afflictions Satan may be permitted to raise against the saints of God, the Lord will give them strength according to their day; for he has promised to them a daily as well as an eternal victory over Satan, sin, death, and hell, as far as they are enabled to trust in him. This promise is a munition to the church, in spite of every foe,"Fear thou not for I am with thee, be not dismayed am thy God: I will strengthen thee, yea I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." And the church of Christ is bid not to fear any of those things which she may suffer, because all things are working together for good to them that love God and are the called according to his purpose.

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The eye of the Lord is fixed continually upon his people; his eyes and his heart are perpetually upon his church and therefore, she being the object of Jehovah's love, and the subject of his grace, she shall be kept by the mighty power of God, through faith, unto salvation.

And we may likewise take notice

of Christ to his people manifested in this promise. He calls upon his dear people to be faithful in their profession of him, and in their cleaving unto him; and to encourage them, he gives them this glorious promise which here lies before us, a crown of life to put upon their heads, to denote them everlasting conquerors.

The church of Christ here below is in a militant state; without are fightings, within are fears: and there is no victory to be gained over her spiritual foes, but by faith in the blood of the Lamb. We are not called to fight against the devil, the world, and the flesh, that we may gain heaven thereby! but we are called upon to fight, because our enemies molest us in our way heavenwards; and we fight against them because they are our Lord's enemies likewise. A poor drooping believer is often encouraged to fight on, in hopes and expectation of the glory that is to be revealed. One of Christ's worthies, just upon the conclusion of the battle, cries out, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day and not to me only, but to all them that love his appearing." The crown of life is a crown of righteousness; so called because it is the fruit of Christ's righteousness, which gives the saints a title to heaven's glory. And it is called a crown of life, because the saints in glory partake and enjoy fully everlasting life. Christ may be understood by this crown of life: for he will be the everlasting life, as well as everlasting righteousness of his people: he will be in heaven their crown, their ornament, and eternal glory. And as the top of heaven's bliss will consist in beholding Christ's glory, according to his own prayer (John 17), "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with

me where I am; that they may be hold my glory." So the beholding of Christ's glory, and the enjoyment of Christ in heaven fully, may be called a crown of life, as this will be life indeed.

Perhaps a poor soul may be discouraged from expecting this crown of life, because he finds himself utterly unworthy of so rich a blessing. But let such remember that the crown of life is given, not merited; and that such who long for the appearance of Christ, this crown will be put upon their heads. Art thou longing for Christ's coming to deliver thee from a body of sin and death! to remove thee from a sinful world! to place thee infinitely beyond the reach of Satan! thou hast thy interest in this promise; and it is but a very little while before thou shalt have the fulfilment of it: ere long thou shalt be presented before the presence of thy heavenly Father's glory with exceeding great joy, clothed in the everlasting righteousness of Jesus, cleansed in his most precious blood from every spot and stain of sin, and crowned with immortality and eternal glory. And thou wilt be no sooner crowned, but thou wilt take thy crown, and cast it at the feet of the worthy Lamb, crying, Thou art worthy; blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

This epistle is closed in this remarkable manner, as was likewise the former," He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, He that overcometh, shall not be hurt of the second death." The Spirit of God here calls for our most serious attention. He that hath an ear opened by divine grace, an ear to hear the voice of Christ, and who is desirous to attend upon him for instruction, let him hear with attention, and ponder with diligence, upon what the Spirit saith unto the churches, unto all the members of the visible church of Christ; he that

overcometh the persecutions and trials which are brought upon him for the sake of Christ, and that overcometh the devil, and his snares and stratagems, shall not be hurt of the second death.

A blessed promise this to support and encourage the saints, notwithstanding all opposition from without and from within. A crown of life is held out to excite our diligence, to put us upon pressing on toward the mark, and a promise of not being hurt by the second death. By the second death is designed eternal death. And this the Lord promises the overcomers they shall not be hurt of. Now those unto whom the promise is given, are such as as are called by divine grace, who appear to be truly one with Christ, who have embraced Christ by faith as their prophet, priest, and king, and who are depending upon him as their Head, and are living upon him as members in him their Head. Such prove themselves to be the Lord's by their confession and profession of him, and by walking as having Christ as an example. And as they are here below exposed to conflicts, with their own legal and unbelieving hearts, the temptations of Satan, and the snares of evil men; so this blessed promise is given them as a sheet anchor in a storm, as that which may serve to strengthen their faith and encourage their hope. For the saints of God, through their unbelief, are not without their fears; and Satan is always glad to distress them, by persuading them that they have nothing to expect from God. Now here, in this promise, the Lord Jesus is pleased to assure them that they shall escape the wrath to come, and that they shall obtain eternal glory. And one use of this promise should be, to stir up the people of God in their zeal for his glory, and in their acting as the Lord's redeemed ones. Believers in Christ should meditate upon this promise, and adore the Promiser. What a transcendant

blessing, to be assured of eternal life, and to have Christ's promise that we shall not be hurt of the second death. What a glorious provision has the believer in the covenant of grace! In that well-ordered covenant his salvation is secured, for his "life is hid with Christ in God." He has a free and full pardon of all his sins-a robe of righteousness to justify him from all things-God's love to comfort him -his strength to help him-his Spirit to sanctify him—and his grace to supply him. His enemies are conquered for him by Jesus already, and he is called to follow Christ to partake of his spoils. And while he is fighting, he has the Lord's faithful word of promise that his strength shall be equal to his day, and that he shall one day be a crowned conqueror in heaven. God's command is, "Resist the devil;" and his promise is," and he shall flee from you.' May the Lord keep his people from giving place to the devil, and may he support them under all oppression, and save them from being hurt by all oppressors, and may we be led to view the crown of life which awaits us, and the deliverance wrought out for us in Christ, that we may go on always abounding in the work of the Lord. Amen.

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UNPUBLISHED LETTERS OF THE LATE REV. W. HUNTINGTON TO A FRIEND. No. 8.-To be Continued,

My dearly beloved Brother in Christ,

EXCUSE my answering your's so suddenly, but my heart is full. Your letter had a two-fold effect upon me; thankfulness to God for making your heart honest, and an encouraging power to my faith to persevere in prayer: for as God liveth you have seldom been left out of my poor thread-bare petitions; not that I have much confidence in my own prayers, but I thought God would not bring a people continually to my mind, if he intended no mercy to them. Of August, 1840.].

all yokes, my dear brother, that of priestcraft is the worst. The galling yoke of our sins, when felt, makes us cry for help; the yoke of the law makes us hasten our escape from the wrath to come: but that of priestcraft sets us down something, when we are ten times worse than nothing; it casts us into a deep sleep, and teaches us to hate the power and those that contend for it; it keeps us in the fear of man, and filling up our places to gain applause. This cursed yoke had almost been fixed upon my neck at Kingston, but God brought me forth of them all, and hated by them all, and I saw afterwards what they all came to-just nothing. You will now trade with your God for your own profit, and you will deal in nothing but what he has and will apply to your heart, and be able at the last day to give some account, when he comes to inquire what every one has gained by trading, And go wherever you will in the ways of God, I know you will find that he teaches all his children the same things: one heart and one way. The number of real saints will appear as small in your eyes as they do in mine, for your soul will find no joint, where there is no sense of sin nor of delivering mercy. Your cords, your strait waistcoat, and your leather jacket, were by no means hid from me; but I was fully persuaded that there was something working within which made them sit uneasy: I knew that if that secret spark took fire, all these swaddling bands would fly like tow. I thank my God on thy behalf with all my heart and my soul. As sure as you are born a most dreadful cloud is hanging over the land, the sword of war or pestilence will ride in triumph through our highly favoured island before you are aware. I wrote this prophesy to Jenkins two months ago, but bid him keep it secret, for I know it will come. I have had for months past nothing before my eyes but pestilence, and my dreams by

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night have been on eternal life. So last Sunday morning I preached upon this approaching contagion, and I was under such an impulse, agitation, and impression as I never felt before; and had I not composed myself to sleep in the afternoon, I should not have obtained a frame to suit my evening's subject. The people were all thunderstruck, and when they went out they could not speak, but every soul I believe gave credit to what I declared. And in the evening I was on the better subject quite beyond myself. I have lately travelled 240 miles, and God delivered three poor souls by my labours, and in all that round I never saw one man threshing, until I came within forty miles of home, though there seems the greatest plenty: oppression maketh a wise man mad. Blessed be God my time is short, and he is so good he will prolong it, for of late he hath indulged me not a little. This text often occurs, "Let us fall into the hands of God, for his mercies are great, but by no means into the hands of man." I have long begged of God for submission and resignation to his sovereign will, until the iniquity of the Amorites be full. Pray tender my real love to Mary, to your brother and sister, and His Excellency, and all friends. And may the God of all grace carry on and increase the root of the matter, which is so much better, and productive of better fruit than the root of all evil. So prays, dear brother, your's in the Lord,

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when we were in the loins of our
father, and when we were far off from
God by wicked works. Yea, by this
act of sovereign mercy, God made
himself in Christ the eternal portion
of "a number which no man can
number;" and they, by the same ir-
reversible act, became his portion:
"The Lord's portion is his people,
Jacob is the lot of his inheritance;"
and to Israel he says, "I am their
inheritance, I am their possession."
Now as we are all born like the
wild ass's colt," and we
66 turn every
one to his own way," we of course
choose sin, slavery, the world and
death for our portion: but God's
counsel cannot be overthrown, we are
to" dwell on high;" the Holy Ghost
therefore undertakes the business of
shewing us our misery, nakedness,
and sinfulness, and makes us so dis-
satisfied with the infernal fetters of
error, chains of iniquity, deluding
pleasures of the word, and the path-
way of death, that we are glad to
learn that help is laid upon one that
is mighty-that we are joint-heirs
with one that is mighty-that we are
redeemed by one that is mighty-and
that our life is hid in one that is
mighty.

All glory to the dear name of the Lamb that was slain. He has banished the curse of the law, buried the sins of the people, removed the terrors of death, conquered the hosts of hell, bruised the serpent's head, shut up the gates of death, opened the gates of heaven, and cast up the highway of justification for the redeemed to pass over. Happy is the people who are in such a case; yea, DOCTRINE OF happy is that people whose God is

W. H. S. S.

ELECTION is "the old gate (Neh. iii. 6) in the wall of salvation which encompasseth the Jerusalem that John saw come down from God out of heaven." This precious act of election gave us a good standing-place, so that neither sin, death, nor the devil could drive us into hell, even

the Lord."
Suffolk.

W. T.

SERIES OF LETTERS FROM REV. E. PAR-
SONS, OF CHICHESTER, TO A FRIEND.
Letter 1.-To be Continued.

DEAR sister in the best and sweet. est of bonds, eternal and unalterable

love, may grace, and mercy, and truth rest upon you, and all that love Jesus in heart and soul. Amen.

I received your kind letter, and thank you for it; but know not whether I shall be able to answer it, as I am so very ill in body, and have been these five days, so that my hand, which must soon moulder to dust, trembles; but blessed be God, my heart neither trembles at death, judgment, nor an angry God; all is peace, rest, and reconciliation through the precious blood of Jesus, so that I wonder not at your longing to have done with this world, knowing your interest in the everlasting love of your God, the precious salvation of Jesus, and the sweet and heavenly witness of the ever-blessed Spirit in the enjoyment of it: love to cast out all fear and torment, precious blood to wash away all guilt from the conscience, and the ever-blessed Spirit to remove every scruple from our minds, of our sonship, by bearing his powerful witness in our hearts, and sweetly enabling us to cry Abba Father, and thereby sealing us up to the day of eternal redemption. Come then, my dear sister, arise with me, and let us go hence by precious faith, for although the hand of God is heavy upon me, his tender heart of love is towards me, as you may see in Ephraim, when God chastised him with his hand, his bowels were troubled for him because he was his dear son; therefore rather than give him up to himself and his pride, he will in love lay the rod upon him, to bring him down humble at his blessed feet, and the place of his feet he makes glorious to us poor lost sinners; and having been at his blessed feet, I long to be kept there, and to receive from his sweet and heavenly lips pardon, peace, and love, together with the earnest, foretaste and joys of an eternal world above. For you must know, my dear sister, that being so much afflicted in so many ways, I die daily, longing for that rest which remains for the people of God; and

having the earnest, the inheritance is sure. Come then, my dear companion in the path of tribulation, let us for a few moments leave the shop and all our burdened cares and concerns at the foot of the mount, and ascend by like precious faith with Abraham, to the top of mount Moriah, where he was sweetly indulged to look forward to the day of Jesus Christ; and this made him rejoice and be exceeding glad : "Abraham rejoice to see my day; he saw it, and was glad." Let us then, my dear sister, intreat the ever-blessed Spirit to lead our minds back to mount Calvary; for truly sensible am I, with you, that we cannot act one act of faith without his almighty power. But oh, my fellow traveller to the heavenly Canaan above, how sweet and humbling the view, by faith to see our precious Jesus pouring out every drop of his loving heart's blood to atone for our awful crimes; and to hear his allpowerful voice reaching our hearts, saying, "It is finished;" the law is fulfilled, justice is satisfied, and God is turned away from all his wrath; and love, even love without a change, has flowed, does flow, and shall for ever flow unto the hearts of my dear children, whom my father hath given me in love and, says Christ, I in love have laid down my life for them, that they may reign in eternal life with me: and, saith Jesus, my Spirit and word shall lead them through all the dark and trying paths that they are called to walk in, and guide them into all truth; and when they are mourning, he shall comfort them; when they are weak, he shall strengthen them; when they are sorrowful, he shall turn it unto joy; when they are dark, he shall enlighten them; when they are sick, he shall heal them; when they are wounded, he shall bind them up; when they are bereft of friends, he shall lead them to me as a friend that loveth at all times; and when they are earnestly longing for communion with me, he shall work faith in their hearts, which shall bring

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