own heart," are neither actuated by false zeal, nor influenced by self-interested motives. They preach not themselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; whom they delight to honour and exalt, and to give him, as is due in all things, the glory and pre-eminence. They have "renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully;' but, divesting their hearers of all self-righteous notions, and self-complacency in their own fancied attainments, they display to them their utterly ruined, and miserable condition, without an atoning Saviour, whose cross is the 'power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." They faithfully proclaim a full, free, unmerited redemption through the precious blood, and infinite righteousness of an immaculate Surety; and the necessity of being "born again of incorruptible seed, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever," + to qualify them for the heavenly mansions, into which 'nothing that can defile shall enter." 66 66 (H) We are commanded to bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ; and the sweet Psalmist of Israel has given a most blessed encouragement, to the tried and afflicted children of God, to lean upon the arm of Jehovah Jesus, in whom is everlasting strength. "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he will sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." To say that "we must bear the burden of the Lord," is reversing the order of things; but my only aim is to set up a way-mark for the children of the kingdom. I have no desire to make Mr. Irving an "offender for a word;" there is incontrovertible evidence from his own confessions, that, conjointly with his proselytes, he had been following an ignus fatuus, which every soundminded spiritual believer must desire to see extinguished, *2 Cor. iv. 2. + 1 Cor. i. 18. + 1 Pet. i. 23. 66 lest it should be a means of conducting souls into the miry places and marshes, which are not to be healed by the holy waters.” * Every individual, whom it shall please our glorious Immanuel, in his infinite love, to enlighten by his sovereign grace, and deliver out of this terrible snare, will discover that he had been feeding upon a ministry, which is "as when an hungry man dreameth, and behold he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or, as when a thirsty man dreameth, and behold he drinketh; but he awaketh, and behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite." + Irvingism is not "holy ground," but rather an “abomination that maketh desolate;" the foundations of which have been laid in the abasement of the Creator, and in the exaltation of the creature. It is a departure from the faith once delivered to the saints," an unclean path, very different to the "highway of holiness." Oh! you, who desire, or imagine that you possess miraculous gifts, consider how possible it is really to exercise these, and yet to fall short of salvation; and then say, are they to be coveted by the humble follower of the "Lord our Righteousness?" Balaam and Caiphas present awful examples of prophesying, the one in an eminent manner, for the benefit of Zion, and the other, concerning the atonement of our divine Immanuel, without any participation in the blessings which they predicted. Glorious words were put into Balaam's mouth, for the edification and refreshment of the church in all ages; while his own heart remained unchanged, and devoid of grace. "He heard the words of God, knew the knowledge of the Most High; and saw, in the visions of the Almighty, the tabernacles " of the spiritual "Israel spread forth as gardens by the river's side; as the trees of lign-aloes which the Lord had planted, and as cedar-trees beside the waters; " while he "ran greedily for reward, and Ezek. xlvii. 11. + Isai. xxix. 8. loved the wages of unrighteousness." How terrible is that declaration which he utters concerning himself, as, having neither part nor lot in our glorious Christ! While speaking of the "bright Morning Star," which should "come out of Jacob," he says, "I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh.”* He predicts the conquests and exaltation of Messiah, the triumphs of his kingdom, and the universal outpouring of the waters of salvation; yet his own soul is never refreshed with one drop of this precious liquid; which "whosoever drinks, it shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." + "He" (i. e. the King who shall be higher than Agag) "shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters." While Caiphas was engaged with the chief priests and rulers in promoting the death of our divine Immanuel, whose wisdom, and exquisite purity, excited the enmity of their blind and carnal hearts, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he prophesied concerning the salvation of both Jew and Gentile, through that precious unblemished Lamb, which Jehovah had provided, though he understood not his own prediction! The tragical history of the son of Beor, presents more especially, a solemn warning, both to the writer and reader, of this humble effort in the cause of unperverted truth; it is calculated to lead the former to pray, that she may "hold fast her confidence steadfast unto the end; and it admonishes the latter, to rouse himself to a sense of his danger;—to shake off the dust of error and delusion, and to emancipate himself from his slavery to the Father of lies, by renouncing his impositions, and bold mimicry of the Holy Ghost, and taking refuge in an impeccable Immanuel; who only can give him a right * Jude, 11; 2 Pet. ii. 15; Num. xxiv. 16, 5, 17. † John, iv. 14. to the tree of life. Clothed in the beautiful garments of his essential holiness, Reader! may you enter in through the gates of the true city, Jehovah Shammah, "where prophecies shall fail, tongues cease, and knowledge shall vanish away for there we shall know even as we are known." May you and I stand together with Immanuel's victorious band on the sea of glass, with the harps of God, singing the song of Moses and the Lamb; saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints! Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name, for THOU ONLY ART HOLY !!! *Rev. xxii. 14; 1 Cor. xiii. 8, 12. NOTES. (AA) “Arius of Alexandria, in his beginnings, was a promising character ........ Understanding and capacity will command respect, and these were undoubtedly possessed by Arius in a great degree. He was by nature formed to deceive. In his behaviour and manner of life he was severe and grave: in his person tall and venerable; and in his dress almost monastic. He was agreeable and captivating in conversation, and well skilled in logic and all the improvements of the human mind, then fashionable in the world. Such was the famous Arius, who gave name to one of the most powerful heresies which ever afflicted the church of Christ, and of whom Cicero's words, with little variation, in his masterly character of Cataline, might be delivered :—“ had he not possessed some apparent virtues, he would not have been able to form so great a design, nor to have proved so formidable an adversary." He, who does much mischief in deceiving souls, must at least have a fair appearance of morals.”—Milner, page 212. CENTURY III. (BB) "Tertullian believed that the Holy Ghost had inspired Montanus, and sent him to reform and perfect the discipline of the Church; and he did not attribute this privilege to Montanus only, but also to several of his disciples, and principally to women; and they would have it believed that there were among them, several persons who had revelations, F |