What though just now I'm far from home, What though in sackcloth often clad, My tongue to acknowledge-" All is well! And soon the Bright the Morning Star, And gild this darkened heart of mine: And rapturous answer-" All is well!" Brixton. Feb. 2, 1832. THE HAPPY LAND. THEY tell me of a radiant land, Where all whom Christ hath justified, To dwell while countless ages pass, "Where the wicked cease from troubling, "And the weary are at rest!" Bright realm! with aspirations high And longs to be a citizen Beneath thy righteous King: 1 long to leave this wilderness, And be a welcome guest "Where the wicked cease from troubling, Death! onwards roll thy fleeting stream! And bury in thy border wave I would recline my aching head, And calm my throbbing breast "Where the wicked cease from troubling, S. O. L. REZENEL. 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. APRIL, 1832. (For the Spiritual Magazine.) JEHOVAH'S NAME DECLARED. "I will declare thy name unto my brethren; in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee."-Psalm xxii. 22. LET me entreat thee, fellow traveller, to pause a few minutes and reflect on this very encouraging language used by the Psalmist on the behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a discovery is here made of the love of Christ to his church, while in the proclamation of divine truth, he owns the relation that exists between himself, the glorious Head, and every suffering member of his mystical body! "I will declare thy name unto my brethren." Here is a represen tation of one of the glorious Persons in the adorable Trinity, making, or rather, by the eternal Spirit proclaiming an engagement made with the Father in the councils of eternity, on behalf of those who through matchless grace should hereafter receive an evidence of interest in (and heirship through him to) all the boundless glories of the celestial world. It was Jesus that was appointed to glorify the Father in the accomplishment of the great and important work of human redemption; he was foretold by Isaiah as "bearing the sins of many," making atonement for transgressions," &c.; and these latter times have borne witness to the fulfilment of the prophecy concerning him, for he hath appeared once to "put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, and hath thereby obtained eternal redemption VOL. VIII.-No. 96.] 99 66 2 S for us." He hath magnified the law of God, making that honourable which we by sin and transgression have dishonoured, disobeyed, and despised; and it is only through him that remission of sins is preached unto the church; while the Father, through his sacrifice, is seen divinely just, while he justifies every believer in Jesus. It is through this divine channel (the sacrifice of Christ) that Jehovah can be seen by his people in all the grace characters that he sustains, and by which the church of Christ is refreshed and strengthened in her pilgrimage. And when we see the Son of God giving his life a sacrifice for sin, we cannot fail to view the perfections of the character of Jehovah in the great transaction. In the punishment of sin, how strikingly does the justice of Jehovah appear; while his well-beloved Son is not spared, but bruised of the Father for the transgressions of his people. Could we draw aside the veil that obscures from our view the unutterable anguish of those who are confined in chains and darkness against the judgment of the great day, we should doubtless be astonished at the awful displays of the righteous indignation of Jehovah; but these are all lost in comparison with that glorious yet awful scene that is unfolded in the inexpressible sorrows of the Son of God, when the sword of justice was called to "awake against the Shepherd, against the Man that is Jehovah's equal, to smite the Shepherd and the sheep were scattered." And all this scene of sorrow, suffering, and distress, was but the declaration of Jehovah's perfections in the fulfilment of his ancient covenant and design. Through the blood of the cross, Jesus proclaims to his peculiar people the sovereignty of Jehovah in all the acts of divine grace, and mercy is made to meet the guilty rebel who justly deserves eternal condemnation, and divine justice acquiesces in his salvation. The sinner brought to know himself, and feel his wretched condition through sin, is made to experience the Father's love in the gift of his Son, and declare with the apostle, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief;" and with joy to receive the welcome message, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoso believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life;" which is the effect of the work of our glorious Redeemer in the declaration of his Father's name. Nor does he stop here, but continues to unfold to his soul as he travels through the wilderness, more of the endearing name and character of the Lord our God. When sin beclouds the understanding, and Satan appears for a time to gain an advantage over the soul, Jesus again smiles, and bids the mourner look unto the "Lord our Righteousness,' under the gracious assurance that he will deliver him, and break down Satan under his feet shortly. And although he may be (as I believe all the Lord's family at times are) called to walk through darkness and have no light, he is led by the gracious influence of the Spirit of God to Jesus, whom he views as "Jehovah's salvation," and "a light to lighten the gentiles;" so that "he trusts in the name of the Lord, and stays himself on his God." But, perhaps, there is no part of the believer's experience more blessed than that which is occasioned by a fresh discovery of pardoning mercy, experienced by the returning backslider; and I am sure there is none more humbling. When the believer, after holding intercourse with Jesus, has been bewitched by the snares of Satan, and the deceitfulness and treachery of his own heart, and by them led away into the paths of sin and folly, to the dishonour of God and the sorrow of his soul; with what feelings of shame and confusion does he return unto the Lord, when he is led by the Holy Spirit to feel his departure from God; but what holy joy fills his soul when Jesus again unfolds to his experience the name of the Lord, "the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin," (Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7.) by speaking to his soul's experience, "I am he that blotteth out as a cloud thine iniquities, and will not remember thy sins;" this makes the trembling soul rejoice. While amidst all the backslidings the church is the subject of, it is enabled to receive in all the blessedness thereof such a comforting declaration from God, and exults in the fact that "where sin abounds, grace doth much more abound." Nor does our divine Immanuel ever fail to make fresh disclosures of the Father's name unto his family under every situation in which they are placed in this world of sin and sorrow; thus "he leads them about in the wilderness that he may instruct them," giving them more extended discoveries of the perpetuity of that love wherewith Jehovah hath loved his church; and every fresh trial that the believer is called to endure, is but another occasion for the manifestation of his name and perfections; and we know that he will never leave his people destitute, for his promise is, "Fear not, I am with thee; be not dismayed, I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousAnd when Jesus gives the believer a sensible enjoyment of the promise, through a manifestation of covenant relationship existing between him (the believer) and the Father, through himself, (Christ) his faith is strengthened, and he exclaims, "the eternal God is my refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms;" or with David, "the Lord is my refuge, therefore will I not fear what man can do unto me." It is an enviable situation for the believer to be placed in, to have a fixed and steady faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; and I feel persuaded the church of Christ would enjoy more of it generally if she had greater intercourse with Jesus in his word, which is the only basis of christian faith; and in proportion as this holy principle operates in the heart, will the believer enjoy the blessedness of the promises of God, which he thereby feels "are not yea and nay, but in Christ are yea and amen." And it is through this heavenly grace (for it is the grace of the Holy Spirit) that we must ness." enter into the spiritual enjoyment of this gracious promise, "I will declare thy name unto my brethren." What a display of divine grace is made in this acknowledgment of the believer's adoption into and oneness with the family whose elder brother is Christ! Yes, it is to those who are eternally united to Christ by the gift of Jehovah the Father, and the welcome reception of Jehovah the Son, that he vouchsafes to declare this precious name. And this union is discovered in him by the sending forth of the Holy Spirit in his quickening power, raising them up from a death of sin to a spiritual life in Christ. Surely nothing is more calculated to inspire the mind of a believer. with holy joy and divine fortitude, than the recollection of his privileges in being eternally united to Christ, and that in consequence of a principle of love dwelling in the mind of Jehovah from eternity, and discovered through the astonishing act of Christ's incarnation, who "was made like unto his brethren" (yet free from sin), in order that through his sufferings many sons might be brought unto glory. Yes; in the person and perfections of Christ, the church was chosen to salvation, long ere time commenced its short but momentous career; and therefore, being secured in him, sin had no power to destroy, but only serves as an occasion for the brightest discoveries of that love which had embraced its own objects before the deadly monster was conceived; and now through the effects of the fall, an extensive discovery is made of that grace-life which the church possesses in Christ her head; not that the believer can love sin, no! he would "be holy as God is holy," and is looking forward to the period with divine satisfaction and delight, when he shall be perfect in the presence of his Lord; but in the wilderness, he admires the grace that could deliver him from this low estate. And while the church rejoices in the discoveries of divine, love already made, she looks forward to the period when "the last stone of the heavenly building shall be brought forth with shoutings of "grace, grace unto it," under the full assurance that not a hoof shall be left behind: because the Father hath promised that the Redeemer "shall see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied;" while Christ himself declares, “Other sheep I have that are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." In the days of his flesh he declared his Father's name with lifegiving power to those whom he gave him out of the world, nor has he ceased to do so since his ascension to glory, nor will he until grace work is complete, and all the ransomed church is gathered in to himself to behold his glory, and then shall he praise the Father in the midst of the whole congregation, (in the which he now praises him but in part), when he shall deliver up all rule and authority into his hands, and present himself unto Jehovah, with the children that he hath given him, of which none shall be lost. But, perhaps, some persons may be more ready to regard the |