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mind may warrantably calculate on making the acquaintance of all that is great, good, and glorious in the creation of God." But we more fully accord with the concluding sentence of the essay, with which the volume closes. "If the mind be localized, from its union with the body, yet Christ in all his divine glories will be so present, and apprehensions of him will be so glorious and adequate, as to fill the soul with unutterable and imperishable joy. The blessings and favours of God will pervade all existence, and all that does exist will exult in him as ALL IN ALL !"

Brethren! "Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; we according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteous

ness."

We entirely disapprove of Mr. Mann's mode of address to the unregenerate. Had he defended the flesh-pleasing scheme of general redemption,' we should have expected an exhibition of universal offers. We stay not to prove, how incompatible are the latter with the doctrine according to godliness, which run through the several quotations from these "Theological Essays."

A Discourse on Justification by Faith: Preached in the Course of Sermons on the Points in Controversy between the Romish and the Protestant Churches, at Tavistock Chapel, Drury Lane, on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 1827. By the Rev. E. Bickersteth, Morning Preacher at Wheler Chapel, Spital Square. (Second Edition.) Seely and Sons.

THIS discourse on the doctrine of justification by faith, is divided into three branches. I. The doctrine of the Romanists on justification. II. The scriptural doctrine of justification by faith. III. The vast importance of the scripture doctrine. The passage of holy writ on which the subject is founded, Romans iii. 28. That no misunderstanding might arise from the statement of the fatal error opposed, the reverend gentleman quotes several of the decrees and canons of the Council of Trent, which is, on doctrine, the highest authority of the Romish church. We take an extract, with Mr. B.'s remarks.

"The 9th Canon is as follows, "If any one shall say that the wicked man is justified by faith alone, by which is meant, that to obtain the grace of justification, there needs no other thing to co-operate with it, and that it is not so much as necessary that he should prepare and dispose himself by the motions of his will, let him be accursed."

"The 11th Canon is, "If any one shall say that men are justified either by the alone imputation of Christ's righteousness, or only by the remission of sins, excluding grace and charity, which is diffused in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, and inheres in them, or that the grace by which we are justified is only the favour of God, let him be accursed."

"The 24th Canon is, "If any one shall say that the righteousness received is neither preserved nor increased by good works, but that those good works are only signs and fruits of justification received, and not a cause that increase it, let him be accursed."

The 32d Canou says, "If any one shall say that the good works of a justified man are so the gifts of God that they are not also the merits of the same justified person; or that he, being justified by the good works which are performed by him through the grace of God and merits of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is, does not truly merit increase of grace and eternal life, and the attainment of that eternal life, if he shall depart in grace and even the increase of glory, let him be accursed."

"I feel persuaded that humble and contrite hearts are shocked and deeply aggrieved; that the intelligent Christian is struck with horror at such tremendous curses, pronounced on him who holds the life-giving doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

"Though it will be observed that the Decrees and Canons are expressed with much subtilty, and leave on the mind an impression that Protestants denied sanctification as consequent to justification, a doctrine which every sound Protestant strenuously holds, yet the doctrine of justification by inherent righteousness is distinctly asserted."

The following important points are ably supported,-that justification cannot be of works: cannot be by our obedience, for it is attributed simply to the obedience of Christ: cannot be by faith as a work, for St. Paul shews that grace and works are in this matter quite opposite and inconsistent: cannot be attained by our own righteousness, for the Jews are condemned for seeking it in this way. "Nor can there be a second justification before God by works, after a justification by faith. The scriptures know nothing of a double justification, and they so connect present justification by faith with eternal life and glory, (Rom. v. 1, 2. viii. 30.) as to leave no room for the dream of a second justification by works."

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The subject is described as the very heart and core of our common christianity,' and as signifying, 'to account and accept as righteous ;' -and the faith which justifies is thus represented :

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"St. James plainly demonstrates that it is not a dead faith, unproductive of obedience, nor a vain profession of our belief. The faith which justifies implies a real acknowledgment of those truths which are connected with the mediation of Christ-such as the holiness, goodness, and justice of the divine law, our guilt and unworthiness, our total ruin, the tremendous evil of sin, the divine equity in our condemnation, the impossibility of help in ourselves, and of salvation by our own goodness; and these things being acknowledged and felt through the operation of the Holy Ghost, it is believing the divine record concerning Christ (John v. 9-12); such a belief as leads us to trust in, and wholly rely upon him as the only and complete Saviour, and to live to his glory. It is in short, a lively faith in Christ Jesus, a faith which is fruitful in love and good works. And this faith is itself the gift of God, and the fruit of the quickening and the regenerating Spirit of Christ Jesus. (John i. 12, 13; vi. 44. Eph. i. 19.) But observe, it does not justify as a virtue, or as the parent of every virtue, but justifies as it forsakes and gives up all hope in our own goodness, and our own virtues, receives the only Saviour, and connects the soul with him who " was made sin for us-that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Cor. v. 21.)" according to that declaration, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."

The expression,- receives the only Saviour and connects the soul with him,' we need not inform our readers we disapprove. And we want words to express how much more we should have admired the

whole, had its basis been the eternal union of the Head and members of the spiritual church. "The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, hath blessed us with ALL spiritual blessings in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world."

We pray that this discourse, in its wide circulation, may be made a great blessing, especially to the members of the apostate church whose errors are exposed.

The Mercy of the Lord from Everlasting to Everlasting: being the Substance of a Sermon preached at Providence Chapel, Chichester, on Thursday Evening, May 25, 1827, occasioned by the Death of the late Mr. John Baxter. By John Hobbs, Minister of the Gospel at Haberdasher's Hall Chapel, Staining Lane, London. Palmer. FROM Psalm ciii. 17. Mr. H. discourses, I. On the mercy of the Lord "from everlasting to everlasting." II. On the characters described, "them that fear him." III. On the righteousness of the Lord "unto children's children." The great theme, everlasting mercy, is treated on elaborately; the preacher enters deeply into the experience of tried and troubled believers, and seems to have partaken of the rich provisions with which the gospel table is supplied. The spiritual knowledge and character of the deceased appear to justify the observation, that he died full of faith and good works.

Had we been near when the sermon was prepared for the press, we should have intimated the propriety of a considerable reduction in the number of scripture quotations. When gathered together in so great an abundance, and thrown in with such rapidity, it is scarcely possible they can effectually answer the designed purpose. There are some instances in this discourse where the argument is entirely sacrificed for want of a discreet selection.

LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

During the month of February will be published, price, in extra boards, 10s. 6d. The First Volume of "The Works of English and Scottish Reformers." Edited by the Rev. Thomas Russel, A. M. Fifty Copies will be printed on a royal paper, price 17. 1s.

A Second Edition of "Sermons on various Subjects," by the late Rev. John Hyatt. Edited by his Son, Charles Hyatt. With a memoir of the Author, by the Rev. JOHN MORISON, Minister of Trevor Chapel, Brompton. This Second Edition will also contain a Portrait of the Author. 10s. 6d.

Price

The Second Part of Hephzibah, or Jehovah's Infinite Delight in his Church, &c. by the Rev. HENRY HEAP, will be published early in February.

Part the Second, of the Rev. JOHN MORISON's Exposition of the Book of Psalms, will be published on the first of March.

A Second Edition of the First Part is in the Press, and will be ready for delivery in a few days.

In the Press, a Free Enquiry into the Subject of Offered Grace, by W. PALMER.

POETRY.

OUR GOD.

OUR God! how deep the condescension;
And how high the pillar of our hopes!
What angel's strain, or seraph's, that can reach
This blest appropriation ?

There's none, throughout th' illimitable range
Of beings, that can stand on equal footing
With the creature man; or rise so high
Towards the eternal throne, and claim
Affinity with God---nor he unfall'n.
My Spirit fails within me whilst I view
Th' amazing deed; how God could take a form
Less than divine, angelic, and uplift

A nature sunk through sin beneath the race
Of insect, beast, or bird. Mysterious grace!
Angels attempt the lay, but ah! 'tis silence all!
Heaven's choir is bound in pensive revery,
Till loosed on earth the mystery of God---
There burst in strains of loudest acclamation,

And chaunt o'er Bethlehem's streets th' incarnation.
There sits the glorious Deity; and there

My nature; one of kindred substance--

Of flesh and blood the same---"Tis God with us.
By nature God; and by conception Man:
And in his complex person---Son of God,
By birth mysterious. He, the mercy seat;
And he the only way of man's ascent to God;
Of God's descent to man!

O strong endearment this; my spirit pants
Her last farewell to take of faith and hope,
The twin companions of my earthly course,
Whose smiles have oft beguiled the weary way ;-
To gaze upon thee, O Immanuel!

Thy pierced hands and feet; thy visage marr'd;
Thy furrow'd body, and thy riven side

Spake loud thy dying love from Calvary.

But oh thy person!-there a glory dwells

That bears away my heart, o'erpower'd and faint
A captive to thy charms.

Thy brightness and thy glorious majesty
Affirms thee God, O Jesus!

And thy head encrown'd with hallelujahs,

Plac'd thereon in days of thy espousals;

And thy right hand session at the throne of God---
Thy Mediator glory.--

This is "our God," whom prophets waited for ;

And trac'd by faith's all-piercing eye,

Up from his birth---through life---at death:
Nor pausing, here, beheld in majesty ascend

Back to his native heaven.

Conveyed with hymns of praise, and shoutings loud, "God is gone up on high!"---all hail "our God!"

(Luke i.)

G.

THE

Spiritual Magazine ;

OR,

SAINTS? TREASURY.

"There are Three that bear record in heaven, the FATHER, the WORD, and the HOLY GHOST: and these Three are One."

"Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."

1 John v. 7.

Jude 3.

MARCH, 1828.

(For the Spiritual Magazine.)

THE EARNEST EXPECTATION OF THE CREATURE IN ITS SUBJECTION TO VANITY.

"The earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope."- Rom. viii. 19, 20.

THE apostle in the 18th verse is speaking of a glory that should be revealed in us; he contrasts that glory with the sufferings of this present life, and says they are not worthy of comparison; in perfect accordance with what he observes elsewhere,-our sufferings and afflictions are light and momentary when compared with the glory which awaits all who love our Lord Jesus Christ: it is a far more exceeding eternal weight of glory. Then, for the manifestation of that glory which awaits all the sons of God, we have an earnest expectation of, and a waiting for the creature. What creature?

That which the apostle describes as being waited for and earnestly expected, is spiritual, consequently not a natural, an earthly, a fleshly principle, that thus longeth and waiteth. It must be a heavenly, a spiritual nature, that desires, expects, and wishes for spiritual things. It is not possible for the carnal, the earthly, the creature flesh, earnestly to expect and patiently to hope, upon scripture foundation, for the salvation of God; neither is it the will or wish of the fleshly part of even the regenerate. "With my mind I serve the law of God, but with my flesh the law of sin." The apostle in 2 Cor. v. 1, 2. is very striking: "For we know that if our earthly house of this our VOL. IV.-No. 47.

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