it is to have Christ strengthening them, comforting, and quickening them; and to have more of the grace and glory that shall shortly be revealed in them. They shall, while here, feed and live upon Christ the hidden manna, be refreshed with the sight and view, and with the sensible experience of pardon and salvation flowing into their souls through the blood of the Lamb. The white stone of adoption, and the new name given unto them through the grace of adoption, shall be unto them a foretaste and an earnest of the glory which shall be revealed: but the full, and perfect, and uninterrupted enjoyment of these blessings is reserved for them, and will be partook of by them in the paradise of God. There the overcomers shall have all these blessings in their utmost perfection, and shall have the everlasting enjoyment of them.

And this brings us to the conclusion of our present subject: "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." What blessed encouragement is here given by the Lord unto all who are fighting in his strength. Here is the sure and blessed portion of all the overcomers: Christ in glory will entertain them with most blessed fellowship with himself; he will be their exceeding great reward. There they shall inherit all things: "He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." May what has been delivered be accompanied with the Holy Spirit's blessing. Amen.

SPIRITUAL OBLIGATIONS.

[Ir may at first be considered rather out of place to insert in one Magazine an answer to an attack appearing in another; but we have felt it our duty to yield to Mr. Tant's request, and do so for these several reasons. We spoke with approbation of his

little book, and therefore cannot object to insert a defence of it. We read the notice to which he alludes, and certainly think that the Reviewer was not actuated by commendable principles, in striving to injure a brother minister by so virulent and rancorous an attack; and we must conclude with Mr.

Tant, that the Editor who would suffer such mit a reply to be inserted likewise. Having a review to appear, is not very likely to perno party to uphold-no selfish feelings to gratify-and no fear of man to restrain us, we willingly open our pages for a slandered brother to vindicate himself and his sentiments from misrepresentation. The Spiri tual Magazine is perhaps the only Magazine that can do this. Whilst of other periodicals one is avowedly the organ of those Baptists who advocate Pre-existerianism and the

law as the believer's rule of life-and another is partially conducted by Seceders, who

being too generally like Reuben, "unstable as

water," seldom excel, unless it be in loud and malevolent attacks on the sect they have abandoned; and partially under the influence of one, a great and a good but not a perfect man, who desiring to be a miniature resemblance of "His Holiness," employs it to drill and keep in subjection his underlings, compelling them, at the penalty of its seve rest flagellation, to blazon its merits in every pulpit-whilst a third is, or rather recently was, (for its altered character is not yet sufficiently developed,) the outgushing of ignorant and most absurd clerical bigotryand the last which we shall allude to, is neither more nor less than a printer's circular: the Spiritual Magazine seeks to be the organ, and the advocate, and the disseminator of truth; truth untrammelled by sect, above the atmosphere of party; truth unmutilated to gain applause, and unsoftened to deprecate censure. We may be thought egotistical, but we cannot avoid sometimes feeling and rejoicing at our editorial position. Knowing as we do know the painful dictation which reigns over a party Magazine, compelling the insertion of this, and the rejection of that; the assailment by a dexterous review of this book, because its author is not one of us," and the undeserved elevation

of the other because "it is by Brother

knowing this to be the case, and nauseating such bondage, we cannot but regard with a feeling of pleasure our own ability to act in every instance as God and conscience may dictate; and being thus free, we pray that we may be found faithfulthat the Spiritual Magazine, which has now for nearly seventeen years been a watch-tower to the church, sustaining amid the rush of error a still unvarying countenance, may yet be enabled to lift up high and unshadowed

the beacon lamp of truth, the light of the glorious gospel, of which Christ is both the substance and the lustre-may it be constantly watched over, and continually fed by the rich oil of the Spirit's influences; and thus favoured with the Lord's approbation, and the Lord's oversight, may it be (as thanks be to God it hath already and not unfrequently been) a warning and a guide to

many a poor tempest-tossed mariner, pointing him to the only Pilot, the only Anchor, and the only Haven which will ensure his eternal safety. EDS.]

Messrs. Editors,

WILL you favour me with a corner in your Magazine, to reply to a misrepresentation and wilful perversion of the meaning of my little book, entitled, "Exhortations; and Duty in its own Place"? I crave this favour on the ground of the truth, being assured that you are equally as anxious as myself, that the truth of God should be set forth in the light of God, untainted on the one hand by the leaven of pharisaism, and unfettered on the other hand by the presumption of man's desperately wicked heart.

The misrepresentation of which I complain, occurs in the review of the Editor of the Gospel Herald" for this month, August, 1840. On the 254 page of that work, the Editor says my drift is "to deny and disprove the existence of all spiritual obligation, on the ground of spiritual relationship;" and on the 256 page, he says, "The dexterity with which Mr. Tant screens himself from all spiritual obligation may be applauded by many of his readers."

I do not dispute the right of the Editor of that Magazine, or any one else, either in his editorial capacity or otherwise, to pass an unfettered opinion upon the books which come under his notice; nor is he to be blamed if he conscientiously pass the sentence of condemnation thereon: consequently I am not at all angry, nor even sorry that the Editor of the Herald should disapprove of mine; his disapprobation is equally as satisfactory to me

as would have been his approbation. But I do dispute his right to misrepresent me, and to give to the contents of my book a meaning I never intended, and which cannot he fairly inferred therefrom. What I deny in my book is, that there is any natural obligation arising from spiritual relationship; and that there is any spiritual obligation arising from natural relationship. Natural obligations arising from natural relationship, and legal obligations arising from legal relationship, I call duties, and so does the word of God; and I defy all the eagled-eyed critics in the world to produce one scripture where duty means spiritual obligation, and vice versa where spiritual obligation means duty.

But are there any spiritual obligations on the ground of spiritual relationship? Most undoubtedly there are; and we will now take a glance at them. The church of God is the sponse of Christ: this is a spiritual relationship, and a very precious one too. Now then what is the spiritual obligation of Christ's spouse on the ground of this her spiritual relationship? I answer, obedience. What sort of obedience? The same sort of obedience as is her relationship: that is to say the obedience of faith," Rom. xvi. 26; "obedience through sanctification of the Spirit," 1 Peter i. 2. As it is the obedience of faith, and faith is the gift of God, so this obedience cannot be duty obedience, any more than the faith from which it springs can be duty faith. As it is an obedience produced by the sanctification of the Spirit, it must be supernatural obedience; and as the apostle declares that "the love of Christ constraineth us," so this obedience must be not legal but gospel obedience. In order to the church yielding this gospel obedience, she must be a partaker of the fulness, love, and mind of her glorious Husband; be in possession of the gifts of her Father; be cherished by her Be

loved; and be taught, kept, and ministered unto by the Holy Ghost. And as she receives " grace for grace," mind, not grace for duties, but "grace for grace; as she receives the grace of life because of her grace union to Christ, and as she receives the grace of faith to apprehend her grace union to Christ, yea as the grace of the Holy Ghost is so abundant that he worketh in her to will and to do of his good pleasure," so the commands of her exalted Lord are freely and fully obeyed by her, and through almighty grace, every thought is brought into captivity unto the obedience of Christ. She is also a redeemed bride, purchased by the price of her Husband's blood; which lays her under eternal obligation to praise his name. She is comely through the comeliness he hath put upon her, which lays her under eternal obligation to make her boast in the Lord. In him she is everlastingly justified from all the claims, conditions, and curses of the law; and by him she is rendered victorious over the world, sin, death, hell, and the grave, which lays her under eternal obligation to cast her crown at his dear feet, and to sing, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God." Neither is it left to her natural free-will, natural pliability, natural ability, natural disposition, and, natural wisdom, but the whole of her obedience, praise, boasting, humiliation, and joy rests upon the sovereign pleasure of her Lord: and his decree has gone forth concerning every member of his mystical bride, "The Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion, even for ever." But if the King of kings wills the church to be in subjection, and cannot fulfil his desire; if he wills her to submit, and yet cannot make her an obedient spouse, how vain must be his title! how vain must be his purpose! and how impotent must be his arm! But, praise, eternal praise to his dear name, he will work and none shall let it;" "his

To extol the beauties of his complex person,-to unfold the suitability, sufficiency, and eternity of his salvation,-to shew how God the Father endears himself to his people by him,

:

how God the Holy Ghost makes him every thing to a poor, lost, halting, naked, sin-sick, and sin-oppressed sinner, and how our precious Christ cast a shade upon every thing which is highly esteemed amongst men, is the only true gospel way by which Zion's children can be ministerially benefited. And as to duty religion, it is a strong delusion of the wicked one, by which thousands are carried headlong to hell in it are found the husks which the swine do eat,-the sparks by which those who will lie down in sorrow compass themselves, -the foolishness by which many of God's people are bewitched,—the dead flies in the ointment of many apothe caries causing a stinking savour, and the wild gourds with which many an ignorant prophet fills his ministerial lap, causing the hungry children of God to go away, exclaiming," Man of God there is death in the pot!" As to our mystical Asshur, he "yields royal dainties," sharpens up the ap petites of his royal family by causing them to dip their morsel in the vinegar of soul trouble, and brings them to the banqueting house,

engagements of the children of the Most High, are spiritual obligations on the ground of spiritual relationship. And to these ends God gives them an obedient heart, a submissive will, praying breath, and grateful feelings. Well might the church of old say, "Thou, Lord, hast wrought all our works in us," Isa. xxvi. 12.

From these considerations it must follow, that while I deny that natural obligation arises from spiritual relationship; and while I deny that spiritual obligation arises from natural relationship; I maintain that there are spiritual obligations arising from spiritual relationship. I have named three distinct relations-natural, legal, and spiritual; and no attentive reader of the Bible can have clear entrance into its contents, but as he keeps his eye upon these three distinct relations, which, however much I may have failed in fully explaining in my little book, is nevertheless what I endeavoured to explain: and I think every unsophisticated reader will, if his eyes are open at least, allow they are pointed at.

From natural and legal relationship, arise natural and legal obligations, which the scriptures call duties. And from spiritual relationship arises spiritual obligations, which the scriptures call "good and perfect gifts from the Father of Lights,"-" good fruit,""the fruits of the Spirit,". "welldoing." And as they flow from God's Sovereign goodness, apart from all consideration of worthiness in the creature, are the immediate production of the Holy Ghost, arising from the grace union of the elect to Christ, and are altogether a separate thing from the outward man. I call them, and scripture calls them new creation privileges." Let not the Editor of the Herald, nor any other man professing godliness, find fault with me for not giving a "designation" to designation" to spiritual obligations, which the word of God does not allow of. Thus saith he Lord" is my rule in this

matter, and if by this rule any man can overturn what I have said upon the subject, I welcome him then to the engagement.

In conclusion, my prayer to the great Head of the church is, that he would impart unto every one of his people (more especially those who stand in a public capacity) more gospel simplicity, real spiritual honesty, and love without dissimulation: then our pulpits, our churches, and our periodicals, will be stamped with less ardour for "the outside of the cup and platter;" and instead of the acrimony of party spirit, we shall witness zeal according to knowledge, " contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints."

I am, Messrs. Editors, your sincere well-wisher,

natural conscience (John iii. 19; Rom. i. 28); and also by the preaching, outwardly, of the revealed word (Mark xvi. 15).

Thirdly. But these methods of calling are "refused" by every individual naturally engendered of the offspring of Adam, capable of acting and thinking, of whom apostacy from a heavenly call is predicated: "They are ALL gone aside," Rom. iii; sad apostacy being the immediate effect of original sin (Matt. xv. 19). This apostacy, moreover, was exemplified in Adam's hiding himself from the divine presence (Gen. iii).

There is also a third kind of call, namely the effectual one of regeneration (Rom. viii. 30). This call, however is certainly not contemplated in the passage in question.

I remain, Sir,
Your obedient servant,

Rectory, Feniton, Devon.

H. E. HEAD.

ELECTION COMPATIBLE WITH HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY,

Or an Answer to Query 4,-Prov. 1. 24.

To me it seems perfectly clear, that as on the one hand there is no ground of our present or future security, except in our everlasting election of God in Christ Jesus; so, on the other hand, the ground of divine judgment is that of the creature's responsibility. We can explain the expostulation here made, and the judgment here denounced, upon no other principles.

The fact is, Jehovah cannot give up his claim upon his creatures. The relation subsisting between the Creator and the created, makes this claim co-extensive with their being; else were there no sin amongst the reprobate in their own place of darkness and despair. For, sin is the transgression of the law, and if God has not, and never had an infinite claim upon their understandings, affections, and services, then they have not trans

gressed, and are consequently without sin, which is obviously fallacious. Brevity is required: I therefore subscribe myself, with all respects,

A COUNTRY CLERGYMAN.

ANSWER TO THE FOURTH QUERY.
Prov. i. 24.

In perusing this chapter the reader will discover two descriptions of persons mentioned, and a line of distinc tion accurately drawn by the pencil of truth.

The character I shall first

notice is-Son (ver. 8, 10, 15). This title belongs exclusively to the family of heaven, even in their unregeneracy, "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father." As sons they are loved everlastingly,

and therefore hath God the Father drawn them with an effectual calling. They may by nature be deaf to the Lord's general calls in providence and by the gospel, and regard not his ministers or the voice of conscience; but when the Lord takes them in hand, and expostulates with them (ver. 22, 23), the all-mighty" I will" conveys a power unknown before, and they cannot longer withstand. Jesus called Lazarus, and he came forth.

But the characters to whom the text is addressed, are called " fools,” and "scorners." These sin against the convictions of their minds, the light of natural religion; and disregarding contemptuously the calls of God in his word and ordinances, and the out-stretched hands of providence; they stifle the voice of conscience with the clamour of free-will notions. And therefore God says, Because I have called [by my word and ministers] and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand [in temporal blessings and afflictions] and no man regarded; I will laugh at your calamity," &c.