very perplexing. But now grace is imparted to penetrate and discover a new continent, wherein the soul is favoured to behold the reality of an endless life, centering in the unchanging, unfading glories of Christ. And hence, the spiritual mariner is led now to live above frames and feelings, irrespective and independent of all fallen circumstances; but these are things hard to be understood, to get away from self, to leave the streams, and drink at the fountain head. But few now a-days approve; they will talk about the reasonable fitness of things, till they put their own holy qualifications, frames and deeds, into the place of Christ. But weigh each one of them with the balance and standard, and alas! the Christian taught aright, with poor Job will cry out, "put me in a surety :" but in Immanuel "dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." And in this way the body, his church, glorifies the Head in all things, going on and growing up into Christ, while passing through this death-like crucifixion of the flesh, which is always under sentence of condemnation, and will be, till mortality is swallowed up of life. Oh, the weak flesh! oh, the corruption and putrifaction of the old man! but though perplexed with it, by and by, the load will drop, and the new and pure creature of God's creation, will triumph and fly away. Cheer up, then, dear brothers and sisters in Jesus; "Be glad, and rejoice, for the Lord will do great things," who saith, "My people shall never be ashamed."

For the present I take my leave, Mr. Editor.

kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee," Isa. liv. 10. What a cluster of promises, or spiritual grapes, from the vineyard of God's everlasting love, are here freely presented by God, the heavenly husbandman, to the church universally, and to every believer particularly. "The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed." Yes, what in nature seems durable, immoveable, and to finite man impossible, these shall alter, change, and vary their position and continuance; but my kindness, saith God, to every believer, yea, the weakest saint on earth, shall not depart from thee. Oh, how wonderful, how condescending, how superlative is the loving-kindness of our blessed Father. We are often very treacherous and unkind to him, yet he never retaliates, for his kindness towards us is invariably the same. Peter denied his Saviour, but the Saviour did not deny Peter. Paul persecuted and hated Christ, but Christ loved him even when dead in trespasses and sins. And so he loves all his people, in all ages and in all countries; and his kindness, he declares, shall not depart from them, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee."

ested in all the blessings and favours, which this covenant was in eternity designed to effect, bestow, and communicate in time, and to everlasting future.

Believer, meditate much and often upon this eternal and irrevocable covenant of peace; for by it alone, peace, reconciliation and harmony, exist among all the attributes and perfections of Jehovah, and by it alone thy salvation and eternal glorification is secured, and the overthrow of Satan's empire made certain and inevitable.

"And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?" 1 Peter iii. 13. This ques tion the apostle has left unanswered, because he knew that all God's regenerated children, who are the only persons who follow that which is good, would immediately answer it for themselves. In fact his question is tantamount or equivalent to a positive declaration, for it is as if he had said, No one can harm you. It is true, Satan will try, the world will try, and the flesh will try; but they may try, for with all their separate and combined force, they will never be able to accomplish their end. They may at times be permitted to rob you of your quiet and peace, and deprive you of present comfort, but they do not thereby harm you. It is true, they intend your hurt: yea, your destruction: but recollect, they cannot do any thing to you, without your heavenly Father's notice and permission; and whenever he suffers you to be tempted, tried or persecuted, rest assured, it is for your good; and this is the reason why James saith, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience," James i. 2, 3; and it is also one reason why our blessed Saviour exhorts us to rejoice and be glad when we are persecuted, Matt. v. 11, 12; John xvi. 33. No one can harm you, because you are of the family of hea

ven, the redeemed of Christ, and the tabernacles of his Holy Spirit. Like Job, you may be reduced to abject poverty; and like Paul, persecuted even unto death. Yea, you may end your days in a prison, or die a martyr, yet nothing will harm you, for your souls will immediately ascend to your Saviour, and your bodies, though burnt to ashes, and spread as manure upon the ground, yet they shall rise again at the last day, incorruptible and glorious, be re-united to their respected souls, and both for ever happy and perfect with the Lord. Then Christian fear not, nor be dismayed, your days are fixed, your trials are appointed, and the bounds of your habitation are determined by God. Nothing comes by chance; your times are in his hands, and though you may be often cast down, yet you shall never be destroyed; for "who can harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?" So then, neither is he that planteth, anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase," 1 Cor. iii. 7,

A minister may be fluent, eloquent and popular : his appearance may be solemn, his voice pleasing, and his manner attracting; and he may be unwearied in his attention to his duties, both private and public in short, he may preach daily, pray hourly, study frequently, and watch continually, yet after all, his labour will be unsuccessful, and all his efforts in vain, unless God, whose instrument he is, gives the increase. So also a hearer may possess a quick understanding, be constant in his attendance on the means of grace,and be consistent in his deportment, both private and public, yet after all, his reading, hearing and meditating, will be of no avail, unless God give the increase ; nevertheless, the minister must preach, and we must hear, otherwise we cannot expect the increase; as well may the husbandman expect a crop when he sows no seed. God has connected and ordained the means with the end;

for his promises are invariably made to those who through grace believe in and obey the word; therefore it is the reciprocal duty of minister and hearer to pray for each other, and we find that it was the uniform practice of the apostles and believers in the infancy of Christianity so to do. Let us, then, follow their example, and then, however weak the instrument, and ignorant the hearer, God will give the increase; the word will be applied with power, sinners will be convicted and converted, believers edified, comforted and strengthened, God glorified, Christ exalted, flesh abased, the devil mortified, and the world disappointed. And if at any time, ourselves or others are benefitted under the preaching of the gospel, let us be careful not to attribute any praise to the creature, but ascribe all glory to the Creator, to whom alone it is due.

ON Thursday October 26, 1843, the Rev. RICHARD BEVILL ISAAC, was ordained to the pastoral office over the Church of Christ at Crown Street Chapel, Soho.

The service was commenced by Mr. Hunt, who gave out a hymn composed for the occasion; the Rev. Mr. Tyler read the scripture, and of fered up the first prayer; Rev. John Eames Isaac, late of the Independent Chapel, Peterborough, but now of, Stoke in Essex, in an animated and lucid manner stated the nature of a gospel church. Rev. Mr. Tyler of Mile End, received the confession of faith, and asked the usual question. Rev. Mr. Morren offered the ordination prayer, with the laying on of hands. Rev. B. Isaac, of Hackney, gave the Charge, from the ivth chapter of the first epistle to Timothy 16th verse: "Take heed to thyself, and to thy doctrine." Rev. Mr. Morren preached to the people, from the

The

Ye hear it not, because ye are not of God;" that is, ye have no lust in the word of God, for ye understand it not, and that because his Spirit is not in you.

Forasmuch then as the Scripture is nothing else but that which the Spirit of God hath spoken by the prophets and apostles, and cannot be understood but of the same Spirit, let every man pray to God to send him his Spirit to loose him from his natural blindness and ignorance, and to give him understanding, and feeling of the things of God, and of the speaking of the Spirit of God. Mark this process; we are damned of nature, so conceived and born, as a serpent is a serpent, a toad a toad, and a snake is so by nature. As thou seest a child which hath pleasure in things wherein is death, if it were not kept from them would slay itself, even so we could delight in nothing but that wherein is the death of the soul.

Then confident, thou, in the wilderness still,

Now chastening fears alarm,

And danger draweth near: Oh, may his eye be on us still, To guard our souls from every ill.

The Lord make bare his arm,

When doubts and fears arise, And Satan tries to charm

Our hearts with gilded lies; To lead our souls from God astray, To walk in sin's forbidden way.

The Lord make bare his arm,
And set each captive free,
From sin's benumbing charm,
However fair it be ;

From creature works and creature good,
Which rob their souls and rob their God.

The Lord make bare his arm,

For oh! thy worms are weak; When they address thy throne,

They know not how to speak: Corruptions like a cloud hath spread A vail 'twixt them and Christ their Head.

The Lord make bare his arm,

For oh! our foes are strong,
And with resistless power

Would carry us along ;
But outward foes, the world and sin,
Are nought compared with those within.

The Lord make bare his arm,

Or else we cannot fight,
Against these traitors base,

Who all as one unite

To seek our hurt, to make us fall, To rob our souls of Christ their all.

The Lord make bare his arm,

For nothing else can save Our souls from taking harm, And being still a slave : From sinful lusts and Satan's snare,

on the hill;

Attuning thy harp in the vallies below,
To the same noble anthem the glorified

know;

And beginning on earth the hosannas of love,

Which the justified sing in the mansions above.

REZENEB.

THE LORD MAKE BARE HIS ARM.

THE Lord make bare his arm, And let his hand appear,