of faith, to the souls of the true Israel in every age of the church's history. It is true, under the gospel dispensation, clearer and brighter views of the mystery of God, of the Father, and of Christ, are afforded to the saints of God; still, those who lived in the days before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh were blest with a spirit of revelation and knowledge of him, who is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. Hence we hear one saying, who by the brilliant eye of faith could penetrate through all the mists of a shadowy dispensation, and beholding the rising glories of the Redeemer, who was to appear in the end of the world to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself; "He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth; for the Lord hath spo ken it; and it shall be said in that day, Lo this is this our God: we have waited for him, and he will save us ; this is the Lord, we have waited for him, we will rejoice and be glad in his salvation." This dear Saviour is now presented to our minds in the glorious gospel of the blesssd God, in the sweetest and most endearing forms; hence the beloved disciple with admiring feel ings exclaimed, “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we behold his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father: full of grace, and truth." We now need no longer the temple ceremonies-the shedding of blood the offering of sacrifices, which could never take away sin; we require no longer the priesthood of Aaron to wear our names upon his breast plate, and present our persons before Jehovah in the holy of holies, and to wait for his return from communion with the Most High, that the approbation of our God and Father might be enjoyed through him the appointed medium; Oh no, true in- A thousand glories more, "Jesus the king of glory reigns On Sion's heavenly hill; As I am fully aware that my doubting, fearing brother, is now seeking the Lord Jesus with full purpose of heart, I would entreat him never to overlook the fact that one of the brightest rays of the gospel of the blessed God, is its simplicity, which is most blessedly adapted to all the weaknesses and infirmities of the children of God; as well as the amplitude of its provision, to satisfy the hungry with good things, whilst, the rich are sent empty away. Remember, there is in Jesus every blessing suited to all the varied wants of the ruined sons of Adam; to raise them from the depths of misery into which their sins had plunged them, into the full enjoyment of health and cure, with eternal salvation. Cast your eye my brother, over yonder plain, where, during the encampment of the children of Israel, some were for their murmurings and rebellions bitten with fiery serpents; and whilst you are thus gazing upon the suffering, the dying, and the dead, all mingled together as one guilty multitude, think of the remedy infinite wisdom had prepared for their restor ation, and then say, whether it was not to make unto himself an everlasting name, and to shadow forth the glory of that grace, which in after days was to appear in the person the Lord Jesus, that "whosoever believeth in him, might not perish, but have everlasting life." Hence the Lord said unto Moses, 66 make a serpent of brass, and put it upon of a pole; and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, HE LIVED. Now there can be no doubt that this scene refers to the Lord Jesus Christ himself, as God's salvation to the very ends of the earth! seeing that we have the highest authority for its application to him, and to him alone. As Moses," said the Redeemer," lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.' 64 If it is impossible to tell out half the joy of heart which the pained and the dying Israelite experienced, when by a single look to God's appointment, he felt immediate cure ; what tongue of men or of angels can speak out the blessedness that is felt by every ransomed sinner, the moment the love of God is shed abroad upon the heart by the Holy Spirit given unto us. I would observe here, that immediately upon a sinner being arrested in his career of sin, and open rebellion, he feels the hand of justice upon his soul, and fears he is about to be given up to be banished from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; this indeed is a time of Jacob's trouble; deep calling unto deep, at the noise of God's water. spouts; and nothing within or without holding out the least ray of hope of deliverance from the bitter pains of eternal death; he cannot but conclude the destroyer is at hand; but wonder, O heavens, and be astonished, O earth, for the Lord hath done it; a way is opened through the blood-shedding of the Lord Jesus Christ, by which the guilty, the ruined, and despairing sinner, may now venture to hope in the mercy of God, and to wait for his salvation. He feels he is condemned by the law, and as a transgressor deserving its full penalty; but in this extremity the Holy Spirit, the glorifier of Christ, the revealer of the secret love of the Father, meets with the poor sinner in all his guilt, pollution, sin. and unbelief, directs his distressed, but enquiring mind to yonder holy summit, the cross appears to his view, towards which his trembling heart repairs, in humble hope and expectation, that the Lord Jesus, will receive him graciously and love him freely. Do, bear in mind, my brother, that this act of the mind, is nothing less than the work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart, making way, and preparing for the coming of the Lord Jesus, who, in the set time, fixed and determined by covenant mercy, will be formed in his heart the hope of glory. I am free to confess that a sinner,being turned from the error of his way, from dumb idols to serve the living and the true God, appears to me to be one of the mightiest desplays of the power of God, that the mind can conceive. ; No living creature in the whole range of creation, but guilty man possesses feelings of determined enmity against the majesty of heaven and yet this daring rebel is an object of his constant care, as clearly manifested in all the arrangements of his providence; and he likewise shares in all the glories of that love which was from everlasting to everlasting; so that in the enjoyment of this covenant favour, the language of the heart must be, "By the grace of God, I am what I am." Surely my brother is not now, under the influence of unbelief, enquiring for a proof of the truth of this statement; if so, I would at once refer him to the provisions of the everlasting covenant, in which a Saviour, and that a great one, is provided in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, by virtue of whose glorious atonement the sinner is made meet for the enjoyment of the inheritance of the saints in light. This dear Saviour, the expression of the Father's eternal love, was set up in the eternal purpose as Head of the body the church, that by this sacred and divine union with our nature he might lay his hand upon the offender and the offended, close up the breach which the sin of the creature had opened, and so bring the parties into that near, holy, and happy communion, causing the ransomed sinner, under the Spirit's grace and power to say, Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Christ Jesus." Again, do you wish to form higher, and higher conceptions of the value, the power, and the glory of the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, think of the almost countless sacrifices that was offered under the law, which in themselves possessed no merit to take away sin. It is true the victim was slain, the blood was offered upon the altar; but the claims of justice still continued in full against the offender, and at the close of every service the cry was heard," Pay me what thou owest." I admit, the tabernacle, with its priests, and sacrifices, with all the solemn services of that despensation, were of divine appointment, still they were only shadows of good things to come; Christ Jesus, and him crucified was the substance. Hence it is said, "In burnt offerings, and sacrifices for sin, thou hast had no pleasure; then said I, Lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me, to do thy will, O God." Now be it remembered, that as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have not now to do with an imperfect dispensation, nor is our access to the throne of the Most High, through the medium of a frail and sinful creature like ourselves; the priests of old were found standing daily, ministering, and offering the same sacrifices, which could never take away sin: but "this man, the man Christ Jesus, the great High Priest of our profession, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life; this man, after he offered one sacrifice for sin, for ever sat down at the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting, until all his enemies be made his footstool; for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” Pause, my brother, over this part of holy writ; this is the hidden mystery; the glory of the gospel; the sinner's retreat from the flashes of mount Sinai; his refuge from the storms of divine vengeance; his sure and never-failing support under all the conflicts of the wilderness; and the only object of his everlasting portion. It is true there was a glory connected with the delivery of the law, but the glory of the gospel excelleth; for "out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined;" yes, upon every act of the Redeemer's life was stamped perfection, hence all that he said or did, ascended up to the throne of the Most High as incense, of the sweetest perfume; hence the Fa ther's own testimony, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him." Now the object that I have in view in this epistle, is, to endeavour to raise your conceptions of the personal glory and perfection of the Redeemer, who is over all, God blessed for evermore. And oh what a task is this to undertake, it would prove a burden even for an angel's power, much less frail mortality, whose foundation is in the dust. I cannot tell you how great is his power, how infinite is his understanding, how compassionate his heart; but one thing I can tell you, he is the fairest of ten thousand, the altogether lovely; that he found me in a desert land, and in a waste howling wilderness; he has led me about, and instructed me, and in the midst of all my spiritual conflicts, has kept me as the apple of his eye. Yes, I have known him in the gracious characters of Prophet, Priest, and King, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, from which I am assured, "He is able to save unto the uttermost, all that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for us." " Thus, my dear brother, I have laid before you a few things that my eyes have looked upon, and my hands have handled of the word of life; most earnestly desiring that you also may have fellowship with me, and that your judgment may be so enlightened, and confirmed in the great matter of eternal redemption, that it may be truly said of you, "The darkness has passed, and the true light shineth." "The Lord descending from above, Invites his children near; from, each other; and where the Father is, there also is the Son and the Holy Ghost; and where any one is, there are all in all, the attributes and perfections of each. It is indeed. called the Lord's prayer, although it is not a Lord's prayer: we never read that our Lord used it, nor any of his disciples. It suited them in their infant state if they did, but not after the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, because all things prayed for were done. Christ is the While power, and truth and boundless love, grand object of worship as well as Display their glories here. Here in the gospel's wondrous frame, A thousand angels learn thy name, Thy name is writ in fairest lines, Thy wonders here we trace; ON THE LORD'S PRAYER. CHRIST exhorted his disciples to secret prayer, and to let their words be few, not using vain repetitions, as the hypocrites did, who thought they should be heard for their much speak ing and this he did on the ground that his Father knew what things they had need of before they asked him. : Our Lord, in the use of a few simple but comprehensive petitions, and which exceeded any other prayer in brevity and fulness that ever was offered up to the Father, taught his disciples, and so likewise teaches us, after such a manner to pray to him. The subject matter is therefore worthy of our attention and regard. It is an address to God, and comprehends the whole Deity, or Trinity in Unity. It could not mean the Father separately and exclusively from the Son and the Holy Ghost, for the three divine Persons are said to be one, and to dwell in, though distinct February, 1841.] the adorable Father and Spirit. The kingdom of Christ was come, and the will of God was done on earth, when Christ had completed the work of salvation. He himself is the true Bread which came down from heaven. He has blotted out all the sins of his people, and set us an example to forgive others. The glory, kingdom and power, are to be given equally to Christ and the Holy Spirit, whose adorable names are not once men tioned in the prayer. The words were very well adapted for the apostles at that time, because the Pharisees used lofty, dry, tedious prayers, and John's disciples might have done the same. The dear teacher of his people then condescended to shew them the comprehensive way in which they should pray, taking in it at once all that was necessary for themselves and others; and how their minds should embrace Christ as the Head and Brother of his people, and all the family of Christ as having one Father. "Our Father:"-begging all mercies for others as well as ourselves. "Our " and "Us" are used all through; and the doxology, giving glory to each adorable Person in the sacred Trinity, because belonging to each as the covenant God of Israel, to whom be glory throughout all ages, amen. "Our Father:" the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Father of the whole elect family in him. The Father of all G " mercies, and God of all grace, who, by the Holy Spirit, enables us to cry Abba Father," and who has promised this blessing to all his people, Thou shalt call me my Father, and shall not depart from me." And has graciously remonstrated with his poor rebellious children, and said, "Wilt thou not at this time cry unto me, My Father? art thou not the God of my life?" And hast enabled them also to say, Doubtless thou art our Father Which art in heaven:"-in Christ, in covenant, in thy church, in thy word, in thy people, in thine holy dwelling place, the throne of thy glory, the habitation of thy angels, the inheritance of the glorified, the predestinated place for thy people, which thou hast prepared for them in thy purpose, decree, and covenant from eternity. "Hallowed [sanctified, adored] be thy name:"-in all the purposes of thy grace, in the manifestation of thy holy attributes justice and mercy, in thy works, in thy word, in thy people's hearts and lips and lives. Glorify thy name in us and by us in a way of grace and glory. Thy kingdom come:"-set it up in the world spread far and wide, until all thy people in all nations how before thee, honouring, worshipping, loving, and praising, for evermore. Thy kingdom of grace in our hearts, by bringing in the righteousness, atonement, and intercession of Christ, producing fear and joy in the Holy Ghost, the spiritual increase of Zion and her ministers. manna, the hidden comforts of the Spirit, day by day. Whatever days we have, favour us with answerable days of mercy. And forgive us our trespasses:" -by leading us to see they are all blotted out by the decree of grace, by the sufferings of Christ, and by the declarations of eternal truth. May we feel this in the mind and in the conscience, by the testimony of the Spirit in the word. "As we forgive others :"-in obedience to thy command, in imitation of thine example, and as followed by the martyr Stephen who prayed for his murderers, and was answered in the conversion of the young man who held his murderers' clothes, who through grace was made a Paul [a convert], and the greatest preacher ever known. Lead us not into temptation:"as thou wast most blessed Redeemer, and as many of thy people have been by law terrors, Satan's doubts, awful falls, and deep troubles. ་་ But deliver us from evil :"-Sa tan's power, sin's dominion, dreadful feelings, worldly cares, sad snares, wicked opinions, fear of death, and dread of hell. "For thine is the kingdom:"-by creation, by right, by purchase, by conquest, by government. "And the power:"-over all things in heaven, earth, and bell; to support, comfort, bless, subdue, and reign. "And the glory :"-essential as God, relative as God-man, mediatorial as Saviour, divine as Son of God. And, as accomplishing the great work, all the glory is due to the Son of God; as purposing, planning, providing, and accepting, all glory is due to the Father; and as leading, teaching, guiding, and bringing home to heaven body and soul, to God the Holy Spirit be eternal praise, honour, and glory, amen. So be it with every power, amen. "And when at last my body dies, Saviour, receive my parting breath; |