The standard of liberty will be universally erected in this land of sin and slavery, and Zion's happy converts exceed in number the drops of dew from the womb of the morning. But is the dawn of this day fast approaching? Is divine truth thus received, thus proclaimed, and thus maintained, by those who shew the greatest zeal for the spread of the gospel? Alas! the contrary is too evident; for instead of truth thus spreading, is there not reason to fear it is declining? External profession passes for real conversion, and mere morality for the fruits of the Spirit. If the truths of the gospel are mentioned, it is with cold indifference, and their glory so veiled with conditions, offers, and tenders, that it is impossible to tell, by all that is proclaimed, whether salvation is of works, or of grace. The law is preached as the means of obtaining the blessings of salvation, rather than as "the ministration of condemnation, " and the gospel is preached as offering the terms of faith and repentance upon which salvation is to be obtained, rather than as "the ministration of life." While things are confounded together which God has commanded to be kept distinct, discrimination of character is also disregarded; and the regenerate and unregenerate are addressed in the same general terms, though he has said, "If thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth." (Jer. xv. 19.) The self-righteous can sit under it, and not feel his pride offended, nor his false confidence shaken, and the nominal professor remains satisfied with a name to live while in fact he is dead; while the real believer takes up the lamentation, saying, "My leanness! my leanness! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously with me." The doctrines of antichrist are finding their way into many of our churches, and are rapidly spreading, under the specious colouring of truth. The popish doctrine of conditional redemption, man's free will, and human merit, are terms too glaring now: the sentiment is retained in terms of a more evangelical sound. The generally prevailing sentiments are these,-saving faith the duty of all men, universal suffi ciency of the atonement, and the offer of salvation to all mankind indiscriminately. These absurdities are now held by many churches which, but a few years ago, would have spurned them with deserved contempt, and are gaining a general reception in the professing world, But what sort of sufficiency is that which eventually does not suffice? And what gospel is that which makes it the duty of Judas, "who went to his own place," to have believed precisely the same as Paul, who fought the good fight, kept the faith, and received the crown? and which makes it the duty of those who have perished, to have believed when on earth what they know by awful experience they must now for ever disbelieve ? What gospel is that which offers salvation to rebellious man, on condition of faith and repentance? It is not the gospel of Christ; that gives, not offers, gifts to man, even to the rebellious. It must, therefore, be "another gospel;" or, as a worthy divine (now with God) has termed it, "a yea and nay gospel." The holy law of God contains the whole duty of man towards his Creator, and the condemnation of sinners will be in consequence of transgression; not the non-possession of the blessings of the covenant of grace, though without them there can be no salvation. Condemnation is justly merited by crime committed; salvation is freely imparted by the God of all grace. That faith which unites the heart to Christ in holy love is a blessing of the covenant of grace, wrought in the hearts of his chosen by the Holy Ghost, and is no more a duty of man than is election, adoption, or justification. Nor is an offered salvation any salvation at all; but the gospel bringeth salvation, or it would be for ever impossible. Yet these are the sentiments generally received by the great host of professors of the present day, and are spreading in our congregations which heretofore have boldly rejected then). Let ministers of the gospel, and congregations too, take care lest they be found preparing the way for the spread of popery. The external form of popery may be rejected, while sentiments are held quite in unison with the doctrine of Rome; and because they do not pass under the same name, they are not suspected as being pernicious, but considered as harmless. But, let it be remembered, Jehovah is still jealous for the honour of his name, as displayed in the glorious gospel of his grace. He will have his sovereign right maintained, and his certain salvation published, and even in Sardis a few shall be found who shall not fear to do so, even in times of greatest declension from the truth. The general aim of professors (ministers and people) in the present day is, to do away the separation between the church and the world, and deem every thing, useless distinction, that is at all discriminating. If a minister but preach the truth fully, maintain it firmly, and discriminate closely, he will be sure to fall under the censure of modern professors, and perhaps be called an antinomian, notwithstanding his unblameable walk and conversation; which shews that truth has not so many real friends on earth as many zealous people think it has. Let Zion's watchmen, therefore, awake and sound the alarm! let their voices be lift up like a trumpet, and shew to Israel their sin. The signs of the times are such as call upon the friends of truth to stand upon their watch tower, lest the night of arminian or popish darkness steal in upon us, and we be found sleeping. May the Lord Jesus pour upon his church the healthful spirit of his grace! May his truth be more extensively known, more powerfully felt, sincerely loved, and firmly maintained, and all who love the Lord in sincerity be filled with holy zeal for the honour of his great name, GAIUS. Suffolk. (For the Spiritual Magazine.) CHRIST, THE PLANT OF RENOWN. EZEKIEL XXxiv. 29. WHEN the glorious Lord our God is pleased to make known the riches of his grace, in calling those from darkness to light whom he hath loved with an everlasting love, what amazing wonders they behold! They discover this world, on which their affections were set, to be only as an heap of stubble, which must when fully dry, at God's appointed time, be set on fire by the flames of his wrath, and be consumed before his majestic presence! But the new-born child of God is not left to sink in despair at this awful sight presented to his view; for the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, who gives him eyes to see inscribed on the pillars of the universe, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity," gives him also to see Jesus as the "chiefest among ten thousand, and the altogether lovely." He finds him in whom his heaven-born soul delighteth, and enjoys that peace in believing, which can only flow from the rich experience of having "the love of Christ shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost." Rom. v. 5. The ransomed heir of glory, being thus brought out of the wilderness of nature, takes his seat in the school of Jesus; and, although it be on the lowest form, yet he finds sweet delight in turning over the pages of the divine volume, searching for that dear name which is as "ointment poured forth,"―for that dear Friend who "came to seek and to save those that were lost,"-for that "high tower," who is the refuge of all the mourning doves in the clift of the rock,- for that refulgent "Sun of righteousness," who is the glory of heaven, the bliss of angels, and the joy of the heaven-bound fleet which shall assuredly enter the haven of eternal rest by the enlightening beams of the bright and morning Star," and be for ever moored in the harbour of covenant love,-there to be satisfied when they awake up in the likeness of Christ who is "all and in all." Col. iii. 11. May the blessed Spirit, who is the glorifier of Jesus, make our meditation of him sweet, while we contemplate our adored Immanuel under the precious title of the " plant of renown." 1. Let us view him in the purposes of God. There we behold him as Mediator, and the life-giving head of his elect body the church, according to his own declaration by Solomon, "I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was." Prov. viii. 23. There he was set by the hand of his heavenly Father in the paradise of eternal love,—in the plan of his eternal grace,-in the covenant of his eternal mercy, when every elect saint of God was "chosen in him before the foundation of the world." Eph. i. 4. In the eternal ages this glorious "plant of renown" possessed all that spiritual life, which all his mystical members should afterwards receive. He is expressly called, our life," Col. iii. 4. because every living branch in this true vine receiveth their spiritual life from him, he being the grand and original stock, from whence every member of his body receiveth that life which is "hid with Christ in God." Col. iii. 3.— a life which can never be lost nor extinguished, because the tree of life for ever stands in the midst of the paradise of God, to supply from his own fulness all the empty versels of mercy. O believers, lift up your songs of triumph, and spread the fame of this glorious "plant of renown," who was set up in the eternal purposes of God 66 for your salvation, to be the life of your soul and the joy of your hearts to eternity. 2. Let us view this "plant of renown" while he was set in the valley of humiliation. Behold the astonished angels fly from the realms of bliss to make known to rebellious man the mighty wonders of eternal love; they hover round the shepherd's tents of Bethlehem, and with seraphic joy proclaim the gladdening news: "To you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord," Luke ii. 11. These bright courtiers of heaven left their glorious seats in joyful haste, to tell our ruined race that Christ was come to save them from eternal death, and bring them safe to heaven; while man, ungrateful man, would not give that dear Saviour room to lay his infant head: no room for Jesus could be found, but on the rough made hay in the manger where oxen fed! Surely our hearts are made of adamant, or we should sympathize and feel for that tender plant who was thus exposed to "Piercing winds, and cold December snows, O my soul, bow down with adoration, and worship at the feet of him But the Lord's elect and chosen ones are not to be left in a state of blindness for ever: our covenant God will fulfil his firm decrees of sovereign love, and enlighten their understandings so that they shall exclaim with holy fervour, "Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?" And, glory to our compassionate Redeemer, he never disappoints those desires which are kindled in the breast of his Spirit-taught family; for this precious" plant of renown,' "" whose leaves are for the healing of the nations," is not like the sensitive plant that withdraws from the touch of the finger; but Jesus waits to be gracious, and when the awakened sinner touches only the "hem of his garment," by the hand of faith, there is a virtue proceeds from him to heal the broken heart, and to revive the drooping spirits of the contrite mourner in Zion. And those who have been healed of their dreadful wounds which sin has made, desire with heart, lip, and life, to spread his fame abroad in the earth, and are anxious that his renown should go forth among the heathen. Did those who were healed by Jesus, while he was in the valley of humiliation, spread abroad his fame throughout the country? Matt. iv. 24.-then surely if the heirs of glory that have been healed of their spiritual disease were to hold their peace, the stones in the street would immediately cry out, and extol the healing virtues of the "plant of renown." But let us trace him to the garden of Gethsemane, and there view him bending down to the ground, beneath the weight of our crimson crimes; and from thence to Mount Calvary, where he was cut down by the sword of divine justice, when he was richly laden with the full ripe fruits of righteousness, and perfect obedience, while the rich perfumes of "sweet-smelling myrrh" flowed from his wounded side, and ascended to the courts of heaven as a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour well pleasing to God; by which the whole "election of grace' are completely saved from the wrath to come, and are made certain of obtaining that glorious inheritance which is treasured up in heaven for them to enjoy. For all the rich clusters of precious fruit which this "plant of renown" brought forth are imputed to the church, according to the words of Jesus by the prophet, "from ME is thy fruit found." Hosea xiv. 8. And blessed and happy are those who can say with the church of old: " As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons: I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet unto my taste." Sol. Song ii. 3. Therefore the weakest believer in the covenant of grace, who has but one desire after Jesus produced by the Holy Spirit, may rest assured of his eternal safety; for he must at God's appointed time be removed from this wilderness of sin to fill up that seat which is prepared for him in the paradise of God. Our covenant Father will never throw away one "vessel of mercy" in whom this " plant of renown" is set as the hope of eternal glory. Lastly; let us take a glance at the all-glorious" plant of renown," now he is for ever set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. For although he was cut down by the sword of justice, and laid in the tomb, yet at the third day he spread forth the branches of his power, and rose triumphantly over all the powers of darkness. Then his" renown" went forth through all the infernal caverns, for the inhabitants of hell were forced to confess the mighty wonders of the immortal conqueror. Then his "renown" went forth through the earth by the heralds of salvation, who proclaimed a free salvation through his atoning blood and all-sufficient righteousness. Then his "renown" went forth through all the golden streets of "the new Jerusalem:" angels tuned their harps to his immortal praise, while all the blood-bought throng, that were safe brought home to glory, sung their melodious anthems to exalt the glorious person of our adored Immanuel, who now for ever blooms in the paradise above, and sweetly perfumes those celestial mansions, while every heart is filled with joy by receiving from his fulness, and every eye sparkles with unspeakable brightness in beholding him who is the glory of heaven. |