claimed child of God to delight in sin? quite otherwise: "Then shall you loathe yourselves in your own sight," &c. I quite agree with the views of the late Mr. Macgowan, that none but a child of God can backslide. I know the grammatical sense of a backslider is understood to be an apostate, but the whole tenour of scripture is in reference to God's people, when speaking of backsliding. Indeed I do not find a character spoken to in this state, but what is one of God's elect. I could bring forth a number of texts, but two shall suffice. I will heal their backslidings, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away from him." Return, O backsliding children, for I am married unto you.", How can these scriptures refer to any but the Israel of God? And as it has been reported that I have changed my sentiments on this point of doctrine, I publicly declare before you all, in the presence of Almighty God, I have not. Blessed be God I am no changling. I have now entered the 59th year of my age, and 29th of my ministry; and since I have been employed in the Lord's vineyard, I have not swerved in point of doctrine from the commencement of that period, and may my God keep me faithful unto the end.

I shall now endeavour, by the help of God, to give you a few evidences of a true born child of God, in opposition to those only so by profession. Of the latter I would observe, mention is made in the antediluvian world of sons of God, but it was by profession only. Balaam claimed God as his God, but he hated the true church, and would if he could have cursed them. "If we love Him that begat, we shall also love them that are begotten."

Now, to begin with the character of a true born child of God, the cause of our being children is from being predestinated thereunto, as in Ephes. i. 11. This is a sealed eviFebruary, 1841.]

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dence. We have not been to heaven to see our names registered in the Lamb's book of life, but, from the open evidences I hope to bring forth, you may judge whether your name is written there. First, we must be born again, as Christ said to Nicodemus and in the first of John it is written, which were born not of blood, not of the will of man, but of God." This true born child will have the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit, as God has said, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them." And from this will be found a spirit of grace and supplication: "With weeping and with supplication will I lead them." How fond this character will be of getting alone to pour out the soul before God, where none but the omnipotent eye of Jehovah can see, as Nathaniel under the fig-tree: "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." This true born child will be in possession of that faith which is the faith of God's elect; the operation of which the old divines speak of as a direct and reflex act: I express it by faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, and appropriat ng faith. The former, as was the case with the poor woman, when she said, If I may but touch the hem of his garment I shall be made whole :" the sinner that is seeking Christ from a feeling sense of need, is in this case. But when the appropriating act of believing in Christ for life and salvation, it will be found as with the man who was let down through the tiling, Thy sins are forgiven thee, go in peace.' Another sweet and blessed evidence is the witness of the Holy Spirit in our adoption: "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father." And again," But ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father." (Gal. iv. 6. Rom. viii. 15.)

Now, to instance a few characters who have backslidden, none of whom

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can be doubted but they were children of God. Abraham in twice denying his wife. We also find Isaac fell as did his father. How Jacob, after the sweet visit he had at Penuel, in getting at ease in Succoth. We find David, after the greatest deliverances, backslide in going into the land of the Philistines, and would, if permitted, have fought against his own people. Naomi also in going into the land of Moab. Look at Gideon; what man so conspicuously called, and what great deliverances did he experience; yet see how awfully he backslid. Look at the great Sampson. See Solomon the greatest of all; look at his prayer at the dedication of the temple, and we should say, Can ever this highly favoured child fall? the history proves, and what did it cost him! I could enumerate many more, but these will suffice.

Now in speaking of what will cause this backslider to return, I would observe, it is easy enough to backslide, but none but God himself can cause us to return. There will first be an acknowledgment of our sin, and godly sorrow: I said, I will confess my iniquity, I will be sorry for my sin." There will also be a departing from it: "Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sin findeth mercy.' Deep humility also, as with the prodigal: "I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies, make me as one of thy hired servants." This poor soul will be overcome with a sense of undeserved mercy when the Father embraces this backsliding child: how tenderly will he now walk. Also will be found a willingness to accept of punishment: "When their uncircumcised heart shall be humbled, and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity," &c.; and, "I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him." Sometimes the work is accomplished by the Lord speaking himself, as it is written, He sent his word and healed them." At other times by

the ministry of his servants: the minister shall be led by the Lord the Spirit to show such a soul the state he is in, which shall be attended with divine power; and then of the recovery therefrom. We find, in the case of the prodigal, the servants were employed. I want to go on farther upon this point, but my time is run out.

You know, my dear friends, I am not favoured with the gift of being concise in my delivering a subject, therefore must beg your forbearance.

A few words for the last clause of my text: "Behold we come unto Thee, for Thou art the Lord our God." This I call a practical answer. It is done with the whole heart, and with a mixture of feeling better enjoyed than expressed, at such undeserved mercy, mixed with shame, and loathing of ourselves. I believe such a soul seldom is permitted to backslide to so great an extent again. I have some before me that have been in that state, who, since their recovery, have been in general favoured with much earnestness of spirit in the appointed means of grace, and the ordinances of God's house. Having known the wickedness of the human heart, there will be a walking in great fear, and the cry will be, "Hold thou me up and I shall be safe." I want to go on, but have already over-run my time. May the Lord bless these broken hints, and I add no more. Lewes.

EXTRACT FROM A SERMON

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Preached at Pitcombe Church, Somersetshire, June 14, 1840,

BY THE LATE REV. JOHN DAMPIER.
Incumbent.

"And God said, Let us make man, in our own image, after our own likeness." Gen. i. 26.

THIS is one of the glorious characters of Jehovah. Remark, God said let us (denoting the Trinity) make man. Who is this God? He is Je

hovah, Elohim, or Trinity of Persons in covenant. Jehovah is here set forth as the Elohim of his people in his glorious Trinity of Persons; there is no salvation without this revelation. Nothing can be clearer than that the covenant is the work of the Eternal Three. They were engaged in the council chambers of peace before all time for the redemption of the church. 66 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was," Prov. viii. 23: this is Christ. "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love," Eph. i. 4, 5. When we have

made any progress in the divine life, there is this testimony accompanying it,—an enlargement of soul, a grow ing up into Christ.

Let me call your attention to the word us, plainly denoting the plurality of persons in the Godhead.

In an

cient Bibles I have seen the word Creator, in Eccles. xii. 1, rendered in the plural, Creators. God in his love gave his Son to the church, and the church to his Son, in the manifestation of the Trinity. The Son loved the church, his bride, from everlasting. When, in the exercise of faith, we are enabled to look at this gracious Saviour, we then see something of the greatness of his undertaking. When we hear of evil livers professing the gospel, we know how to judge of them, for God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 1 Thess. iv. 7.

Beloved in the Lord, remember, to your endless joy, that the blessed Trinity have undertaken for us what we could never have done ourselves : we need not that any man teach us, for we have the unction of the Spirit and know all things. Here is the undertaking -"In his days, Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is the name whereby he shall be called, the Lord our Righ

teousness," Jer. xxiii. 6. In Jer. iii. 16, we have, And this is the name whereby she shall be called, the Lord our Righteousness." How blessed is this, the church can apply this to herself. By virtue of her union and oneness with Christ, she is as holy as he is holy, for she was betrothed to him from all eternity, and he is now gathering her to himself in his own appointed time. What love then must exist between Christ and his members. Do not run away with absurd notions about election, you exercise your own choice as it regards dress, &c., and yet wish to rob God of that prerogative.

Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature, for " by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are on earth," Col. i. 15, 16. This proves the power of Christ in the work of creation in a very sweet manner. As it regards the Holy Ghost, he is the great Revealer. No one can say that Christ is the Lord, his Saviour, experimentally, but by the Holy Ghost. It is of no use to talk about religion, unless it be settled in the heart, fundamentally, by the blessed Comforter. He is sent from on high, and comes down into the souls of his chosen ones to testify of Jesus. He is hourly accomplishing his gracious designs in calling his sheep to a knowledge of himself:-they are all "made willing in the day of his power."

Is the Holy Ghost your teacher, or your own corrupt hearts? I am not come to tell you that it is in your power to repent and be saved just when you please. The man who says the Lord's prayer, in which he prays, "Thy will be done," and at the same time tells you that you can repent, and so on, just at your own time, that man is a denier of the Lord's prayer, to all intents and purposes. It will not do to talk about human reason, that must give way to the Spirit's teaching. Good old Beza

prayed that he and his flock might be preserved from the stinking puddles of human reason.

But, beloved in the Lord, we know something of the love of God the Father in choosing us, of God the Son in redeeming us by his precious blood and justifying us by his righteousness, and of the love of the Holy Spirit in taking all these things and revealing them to our souls; he sets forth and opens up the great mystery of redemption.

To the blessed Three in One be ascribed all the praise.

ANCHORING WITHIN THE VEIL.

-OUR help is in the name of the Lord God of Israel; here may the blessed Spirit favour us to cast anchor, and I know we cannot be deceived or lost. Waves may rise high, winds may blow, tempestuous hurricanes may make us fear; but, safely hid in the ark of the covenant, and our hopes lodged in the heart of him who hath said " Fear not, I am with thee," we shall stand every shock with firmness, smile at the rage of our enemies, and triumph over a thousand trials. Clouds will often gather thick, winds will often blow roughly, the sayings of men may make us afraid, yea unbelief may give us a stab, and Satan may throw his fiery darts; but we are founded upon a rock, and are as safe as the rock upon which we are founded. Our Father will never cease to love us our Jesus will never cease to intercede for us our Comforter will never cease to dwell in us.

Blessed for ever be the dear name of our glorious Refuge! We may well challenge heaven, earth, and hell to do- us any harm, and like Paul, after he had ransacked worlds, visible and invisible, exclaim amid ten thoùsand times ten thousand troubles, Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him

LANDMARKS IN THE WAY TO THE CITY.

My beloved Friend,

YOUR's came safe to hand,and I trust I felt truly thankful for the acknowledgement that my former epistle had the means of imparting, in some degree, spiritual comfort and instruction to your doubting, yet enquiring mind. This is no small honour to confer upon such a weak, ignorant, and worthless creature as I am; and the more so, when I consider the many years I lived without hope, and without God in the world a dar ing rebel against the government of Jehovah, who set at nought his coun sel, despised his grace, and, had it not have been for the sovereign mercy of my heavenly Father, in Christ Jesus, should have remained to the present hour an enemy to God by wicked works, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, even as others.

In taking up my pen again, with a view of continuing my remarks on the glorious gospel of the blessed God, still desiring that your path may be that of the just, which shines brighter and brighter until the perfect day; allow me to say, that although man is now an helpless and ruined sinner, his soul stained with guilt, and all the powers of his immortal mind so depraved, as to render him only a fit object for the society of him who goeth about like a roaring lion seek

ing whom he may devour; yet, was once an holy and upright being, capable of holding communion with the Most High, and presenting ascriptions of praise and thanksgivings with every fleeting breath; and every desire and feeling of his mind was to glorify him as his gracious Benefactor, and Almighty Creator.

I think it is impossible, in the present imperfect state, to conceive the blessdness our first parents enjoyed in the garden of Eden, arising out of that near and holy intimacy that existed between, the God of creation, and man his dependent creature. And here I would enquire, what tongue can tell, or what heart can imagine, the awful effects that followed upon man's rebellion against, the majesty of heaven? Indeed such is the nature and degree of guilt in curred by the violation of the first injunction, that immediate and eternal condemnation, was only arrested by the sovereign power and mercy of him who said, "Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it; Think for a moment of the penalty connected with man's disobedience, and me. thinks you will at once perceive the gracious character and merciful designs of him, who in after days proclaimed his name, "The Lord God, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy and in truth." Be it remembered there was only one restraint laid upon man in the garden of Eden :" In the day, said Jehovah, thou eatest thereof, thou shall surely die;" and had it not have been for the carrying out of the scheme of eternal redemption by the blood-shedding of the Lord Jesus Christ, immediately would have fell upon the offenders, the weight and full measure of God's eternal wrath, which would have consigned then to the regions of blackness and darkness for ever. This was man's awful condition, the moment he listened and yielded to the suggestion of Satan; and be it remembered, the

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influence and the effect of his transgression, extends to the whole of his posterity to the very end of time.

I would endeavour to impress your mind with the fact, that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; but O how truly blessed it is to consider, that in the midst of deserved wrath, God in Christ remembered mercy, and can, by virtue of the atoning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, be just, and yet the justifier of the ungodly sinner that believeth in Jesus. O, how great, glorious, and invaluable must the doing and the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ be, as to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. This precious atonement, which was made for the recovery of the sinner from the ruins of the fall, was appointed, and Christ set up before the foundation of the world, who in the fulness of time was to appear in the likeness of sinful flesh, in which nature he was to magnify the law, render to divine justice its utmost due, and by transferring his righteousness, and the merit of his sacrifice to the condemned criminal, he might raise him at last to the full enjoyment of all the glories which are at God's right hand for evermore. Never forget, my doubting brother, that Christ Jesus is the one glorious and only author of eternal salvation; that he was represented to the faith of old testament believers in types and ceremonies, and the effusion of blood of hundreds and thousands of slaughter. ed victims. Doubtless, Abel the righ teous had a very sweet and blessed view of the Lord Jesus, the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world, as all his salvation and desire; hence says the apostle," By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous (in Christ), God testifying of his gifts, and by it he being dead yet speaketh." Doubtless Christ Jesus, and the glories of his redemption was made manifest through the medium