the prayer meeting-the bible-and the high-day sabbath? Moreover the spiritual mariner finds it sweet, amid the tossings of his little bark upon these miry and troubled waters of sin and death, to retire to that secret fountain of fresh and living waters, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God; here he quenches his thirsty spirit, so that he lives not on bread alone, but on every word or promise that proceedeth from his Father's mouth, treasured up in Christ as the grand store-house of eternal covenant provisions.

The

There is another feature of a genuine spiritual mariner, namely, he is protected by the king from foes without and fears within. blessed shalls and wills' in the charter book of grace, form a sacred convoy, yea an invulnerable bulwark against all the powers of hell for his safety. No weapon that is formed against him shall prosper, since it is written, "the righteous shall hold on his way." Moreover, the king not only protects, but becomes the very protection: "I," saith he," will be a wall of fire round about Jerusalem, and the glory in the midst of her.” And it is treason against the royalty of heaven, to do the king's mariners any harm. How precious to be one of Jehovah's mariners! Go where I will-placed where I may I am under the benign smiles of my master, pilot, and captain. Not a wave can roll without his pleasure, not a gale can blow but at his command; nor winds, nor waves, nor rocks, nor sands, can stay my progress, since the grand charter of grace and the compass of truth, with the guide at the helm of my weather beaten bark, all, all secure my arrival at the port of endless bliss.

Again, Jehovah's mariners are all paid by him, and verily their wages are good and certain; though oft they have to work hard in labours of faith and love against the power of unbelief, and sin, and sense, in all their diabolical forms. They are paid, in the way of gracious manifestation, with the wages of prayer, by a gracious answer to a gracious request,-for an acknowledgment of their folly and ignorance, by an increase in the apprehension of Christ as their wisdom,-in living distant from this world, by blessed communication with the other, in forsaking an arm of flesh with all its weakness, and wickedness, by mercifully being permitted to lean on the arm of their beloved. Yea, every love call from Christ, in the fulfilment of his gracious and precious promises, is an answer to their petitions. Not indeed because the mariner is diligent in these things, but because his captain has appointed them, wherein he must be diligent, since Jehovah is thus glorified. There is one point more in which the mariner is well paid, namely, for the prizes he takes. What are they? The infernal invaders from the mountains and caves of spiritual wickedness in high places, in his own heart. And blessed is the season when in the name of the king, stedfast to his banner, he puts to flight these foreigners from the city of destruction; and in the name of his king he would fain destroy them all in one general ruin.

But, lastly, we must not pass by another characteristic of the spiritual mariner. It is that in which all analogy in natural servitude

loses its application; namely, he is never discharged from the service of his Majesty. No, blessed truth! though maimed, and sometimes severely wounded by parley with the enemy, still not discharged. Sovereign love first sends conviction of guilt, and then the commander himself, in the welcome character of the good and great Physician, goes down with pure balm from Gilead to restore his sin-sick soul. And alas! are there not some of the Lord's mariners who get in an hour of slothfulness intoxicated with their own vile corruptions, so much so, that their former delight in spiritual things becomes exchanged for dreary nights and weary days. They look on the right hand and on the left, but cannot behold the hope set before them; and as to going boldly to talk with the pilot at the helm they cannot so much as glance a look half-way towards him. Still not discharged, but sharply rebuked for their iniquity, and graciously pardoned and recovered to the favour of their prince.

Finally, when as a weather beaten warrior and mariner on earth, his campaign days are just closing, shall he then be discharged? like the literal, too often, to range at large, forgotten and forlorn? O no! the same love that arrested into the King's service, clothed, fed, protected, and paid him, shall never discharge him, but bear him up and through all the storms and treacherous calms of this boisterous sea of life, to that blest haven reserved from before all worlds for them who are kept by the power of God unto life eternal," Where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary be at rest.”

S. O. L.

Sir,

LETTER TO THE EDITOR.

SHOULD the few lines enclosed meet your approbation, they will be followed by similar remarks on the headship of our Lord Jesus Christ. I have separated the subjects, from a conviction that short pieces are best suited to a periodical publication; and I hope you will pardon the liberty, when I add, that the prolixity of some of your best writers has often been regretted by your friends.

I am, Sir, your willing Servant,

M.

THE HEADSHIP OF ADAM.

"The first man is of the earth," earthy."-1 Cor. xv. 47.

In order to apprehend the distinction between a natural and a spiritual state; to perceive clearly the miseries entailed by the former, and the blessings conveyed by the latter; it is of importance to consider wherein the first man 66 was the figure of him that was to come," and carefully to observe those instances in which he differed from the glorious person he represented. Adam was the figure of Christ, as the father of all other men who come into the world of nature, for

asmuch as Jesus is the everlasting Father of the family of grace. He was a type of Christ, as formed by the immediate hand of the Creator, and thus like him who is without father, as man, without mother, as God. Adam was a universal Lord, and though his dominion was short-lived, it prefigured the reign of him," of whose government and peace there shall be no end.”

An apostle, by inspiration, refers to the marriage of Adam as an allegory of Christ and his church;--and we have undoubted proof that he was the covenant head and representative of all his posterity. From this it must follow that his descendants naturally and legally partake of all his qualities; and it becomes important to ascertain what he was, in his state of original purity, and what he became by his disobedience. He was created upright, and in him was shewn what perfect and unimpaired human nature was; yet with all the purity of his nature, and rectitude of his conduct, he was but a natural man, and his condition only earthly, and in no respect spiritual or heavenly. The proof of this is threefold: First, his dominion extended to nothing spiritual, being only over birds, beasts, and fishes. Secondly, the employment of his animal faculties and senses, eating, sleeping, keeping the garden, &c. Thirdly, his fall, affords unequivocal proof of the truth of our position, for had he possessed a spiritual existence, he must have partaken of the divine nature, and possessing that, could never have fallen. The very circumstances of his fall, the bait by which he was lured, being presented to his natural senses, proves his real state; and proves too, that any creature, possessing the same senses, and exposed to the same temptation, must necessarily fall into the same condemnation. Compare Gen. ii. 9. with iii. 6.

Thus, had the human race descended from their progenitor, in his innocent state, they could not from him have inherited one spiritual or supernatural good; no stream can rise above its source. But in this state man continued not; "sin entered into the world, and death by sin." Adam begat a son in his own likeness, and thus the effects of his transgression in all its black pollution, legal condemnation, and death, descended to all his posterity. "Death passed upon all men, because all have sinned." As soon as the principles of nature have opportunity for their development, so soon do the sons of men practically confirm and evidence their alliance to their apostate father.

Viewing the nature of man in his state of sinless and created purity, we are constrained to admire the structure as the workmanship of God; though we dare not ascribe to it a glory it never possessed; but in its fallen state what a fearful mass of ruins we behold!-the temple razed by sin, and all that was beautiful defaced and demolished. Let us talk no more of the dignity and rectitude of fallen man, for "the whole head is sick, the whole heart is faint." Sin and death maintain their awful reign over the whole human race, nor can any claim exemption from their power. Happy they, who prove the second Adam to be a quickening Spirit; who by his all-creating power are enabled to say, "old things are passed away, behold all things are

become new." The workmanship of God created in Christ Jesus unto good works, they know no man after the flesh; and while they acknowledge the loss of all natural excellency in Adam, rejoice that their best treasures are secured in Christ: and this becomes their constant theme, 66 we are dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God."

(For the Spiritual Magazine.)

CHRIST THE LIFE OF HIS CHURCH.

(THE SUBSTANCE OF A FUNERAL DISCOURSE.)

M.

"When Christ our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”—

Col. iii. 4.

THIS epistle is a very important one; the grand subject of it is, the person of Christ, and what his glories are as the Head of his church. The design of the apostle in it is, that by presenting Christ in his glorious attire, the minds of the church might be captivated, so that all other objects and subjects might be eclipsed in their esteem; for his glories constitute heaven itself. We think we honour Christ greatly, by acknowledging that salvation is wholly from him; but it is no small diminution of his glory, that our minds are so set upon salvation, as not to get above this: for surely he who hath redeemed his church from all evil, must be far above the redemption which himself hath wrought out. The glory of his salvation consists in the dignity of his person. We must be brought into another state to see him face to face, in his presence and glory; and must have minds suited hereunto. Our blessedness then will not consist in being set free from all trouble and sorrow, though this will be the case-we must have the stamp of Christ's glory, so as to be like him, and take in his glory; or else where will be the advantage of being admitted into his immediate presence?

There

If we want to know Christ, it can only be by the gospel. are some particular parts of the word in which his glory is more particularly set forth; such as the 8th of Proverbs, where we have him in his royal ancient glories, and in his ancient love to his people; and his church as glorious as she ever will be in heaven: not as saved in himself, but in her ancient primordial state before all worlds. Next to this, is the first of this epistle, where we have Christ in his primordial state, the glory of whose person was the first thought in God. "Who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence." The study of his person is a great perfection; it is part of the church's glory. Having thus set forth Christ, the apostle proceeds in this 3rd chapter to exhort them thus, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God; for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."

Our deceased friend requested to have the words of our text spoken upon after his death. We cannot enjoy the blessedness of dying in

the Lord till we go out of the body. Our Lord Jesus Christ proves again and again, that he will not forsake his dying saints; his love is strong as death, as it respects. the exercise of it towards his saints. And we have foundation to expect from the same Almighty Conqueror, who is taking his people one after another to himself, every blessing we can need in the article of death; so that we shall triumph, saying, "thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ." We have nothing to fear in life or death. Christ Jesus is our Saviour, he is our life; he is the life of all his saints, for he says, "I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me, though he were dead yet shall he live."- Cast off your grave clothes then; life immortal is yours; it is the same life that I myself live, and ye shall live with me. I am your life in death, yea, I am your

life eternal.'

We have no more reason to fear death, than the saints in heaven. The life which we have received from Christ is wholly spiritual; it consists in knowing Christ; so that we triumph in him here, having received the atonement, and are as free from imputed sin as though there were no sin in us.- "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." The blood of Christ is our purity. Whether we are happy or miserable, our state is the same. The glorified saints in heaven have not a better God and Christ to rejoice in. We shall all die in peace under the shine of Christ, and shall be safely guided by him from this world of darkness and death, to a world of light and glory, where we shall behold the person of Christ in the full vision of him for ever. These things are all realities; they are cordials to us, to support, feed, comfort, and nourish up our souls unto life everlasting. It is well for us to understand what awaits us. Christ is yet to appear, to take all his saints to himself; for we read that the heavens must receive him, till the time of the restitution of all things, when he shall come with the clouds of heaven, and every eye shall see him." Then let us lift up our heads, for our full redemption draweth nigh. "It doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."

We shall outshine all the angels in heaven; for Christ, the perfection of beauty, will shine upon us, even he who is the life of his church, and the salvation, glory, and perfection of his people. We may everlastingly rejoice in this, that our names are written in heaven; and who wrote them there? God, even our Father, who is the fountain of all our joy, and who hath given us all things in Christ: he is the book of life. All our holiness and righteousness is in him, and the whole of our title to endless bliss. He is for all his people entered into the holiest of all by his own blood, and he is now before the throne representing his whole church. An apprehension of these things will carry us above all fear of death. Christ our life is now in heaven; and the second time he will appear in godlike form and majesty, to our everlasting consolation. We shall appear with him-not