will always find the Lord attentive to your cries. Always remember the church when you go to it, for it is the body of Christ, and you will thereby find your hearts imperceptibly knitted to all who bear his holy image. The prospect which is opening before you is cheering, you will never have to tread the steps again which you have already trodden; and every setting sun announces to you that you are one day nearer to your Father's house above. Christ has gone before you, the Spirit of life has taken up his residence in you, heaven has opened upon you, your mansion in it awaits your occupation, and your Father has pledged his word that you shall enter it when his pleasure is fully accomplished in you. Angels afford you their protection, and good men their prayers; your brethren made perfect love you, and they will gladly welcome you into their society, when the days of your pilgrimage are ended. Let then your days be spent in his service to whom you owe all your felicity, and in death may you utter the memory of his great goodness! (For the Spiritual Magazine.) REPLY TO J. G's. STRICTURES ON A. B's. THOUGHTS ON SUPRALAPSARIAN GRACE. Mr. Editor, Being called on by J. G. to explain some thoughts contained in the Spiritual Magazine on Supralapsarian Grace, I beg leave to make a few remarks. I fear J. G's. head is not quite cured of that complaint he laboured under some years since, as he saith, by reading the opinions of moral philosophers and metaphysical writers. supposing him to be a babe in Christ, for I know nothing to the contrary, will you bear with me while I request him to look again at the thoughts he so indignantly rejects. But My thoughts were, that the word, Trinity; Sublapsarian, or Supralapsarian, was not to be found in the Bible, and I am still of that opinion; but this is no denial of the doctrines. By the doctrine of the Trinity, I mean there are three distinct personalities in the divine essence-God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost. This Trinity of personalities exist not by will or choice, but by nature. I think any one, whose head is not perplexed, would consider A. B. to be a Trinitarian. But why J. G. should plead so much for the Nicene Creed, after stating his determination to disregard all opinions not found in the bible, appears strange? He well knows the Nicene Creed is not to be found there, nor its doctrines either. Pray tell us, where God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God,' is to be found in the bible? It really appears to A. B. to be very nonsense of very nonsense! Do cease, J. G., from recommending such creeds, for it might considerably perplex other persons, as well as J. G.; and let all such creeds, and the discussions of them, dwell in the regions of unexplored metaphysics, not in the magazines of religion. Study the bible, with humble prayer, to know its doctrines and requirements. J. G. thinks it strange, that Father, Son, and Spirit, should be covenant names, eternally taken up to manifest their own perfection to created powers, and that to the glory alone of divine attributes. A. B. is fond of the term taken-up, J. G. saith, and so repeats itgarments and jewels may be worn, but how names can be is not easy to conceive.' Taken-up, seems very strange to J. G. Does J. G. wear the name of christian? then I hope he is one, for it would be shocking to have a false label hung on him. The Nicene Creed he so much admires and recommends, would not help him at all when he comes to meet the monster death, the real thing worn will only do then. Christian indeed! But J. G. has given his opinion of the names taken-up; he saith, they are distinctive names assumed by the Trinity.' Where is the difference between names assumed, and names taken-up ?—for it appears to me synonimous. He is no creature If his man nature A. B. may be very awkward in giving his thoughts as J. G. suggests; but he still thinks, the human nature of Christ never existed apart from the divine person of our Lord, though he totally abominates the idea of Christ being an eternal creature. at all, but God over all blessed for evermore. existed apart from his divine person, for any given period, he would be two persons during that period, which the scriptures know nothing of; but A. B. rejoices in the thought, that a divine person took our nature into personal union with himself; and woe unto us, if that had not been the case! for our fall into transgression was so low, that nothing short of divine personality, by the arm of omnipotence, could reach our case. Glory to the Eternal Three, for devising such a plan, and performing such a work, as the redemption of the church, and revealing the same to sinners like ourselves. As to the covenant being eternal, A. B. thinks every act of the divine mind is necessarily eternal; but every act of God's power is not eternal, or J. G. would be an eternal creature. There must have been a beginning to creation, so a beginning to time. A. B. is inclined to think, time commenced agreeable to Rev. iii. 14. Then our blessed Lord comprehends all time; for he was before all things, and by whom all things consist. Then it follows, there was nothing in creation-existence before the God-man Christ Jesus; but he being one of the three in God, was a party in the eternal covenant, which covenant includes all things that should take place from the commencement of time to the eternity to come. This eternal covenant includes in it, no doubt, the redemption-covenant, or the covenant of the Godman, made after creation's work was begun, and so not eternal as to its commencement; yet its consequences will run an eternity to The God-man took his office-characters when he was Godman, not before! When he was qualified-not before! He was not come. qualified to die, until he had a created nature that could die. But shall decline saying any more at present, and remain, April 8th, 1831. Your's, very respectfully, the unknown, (For the Spiritual Magazine.) THE SAVIOUR'S SIEVE. When an inspired apostle asserts, that the church of Christ is "God's husbandry," every intelligent industrious christian will endeavour to break such a sweet text into many parts, in order to get all the benefit he can to his own soul, and scatter all the fragments he can abroad for the benefit of others. But a more beautiful figure to exhibit the church of God cannot be found. When we look at a large domain, whether as a purchase, a gift, or heir-loom, we are reminded of the given ones of God-the purchase of a Saviour's blood-and the decreed portion of Jesus! Fields, and flocks, and flowers, aloud preach to those who have lost the scales of ignorance, and whose ears discern and love the voice of inspiration-who can look at the ploughman turning up the fallow ground, and breaking the hard clods-the seedsman, with his basket, casting abroad his seed-the reapers, the harvest, and the harvest home. But subjects of much more than common interest will afford matter for reflection to those who have been in the school of wisdom. But to improve the title at the head of this paper.-1. A sieve, is an instrument of often use in husbandry; and its object is, to separate the corn from the chaff, the good from the bad. Persons are employed to sift; and there are certain sifting days; and all arranged by the master. The people of God are mixed with the world, and must be separated from them; they are, by the decree of election, and by efficacious grace. And the sieve of bodily afflictions, of violent persecution, and deep conviction of soul-saints are shook in, to wean them from all worldly wickedness, all airy chaffy sentiments; such as, free-will, human power, creature righteousness, and unscriptural views of God in his Trinity of Persons, and from all dependance upon the merit of man. And, in effectual calling, a barrier is built between them and the world. You may read how Job was sifted in the Lord's sieve of trying providences. But the church of God want separating from that monster, self, as much as from the wicked world. Righteous and legal self cleaves close to them, as well as sin; and on this account, the saints are often in trouble. The bread of affliction is their portion; the chastisements of God are sent; or, as Jesus said to Peter, "Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat." In the wise arrangements of infinite wisdom, we see, that saints are often separated from each other, spread abroad over the wide world. The primitive preachers went every where "preaching the word," Mark xvi. 20; and the elect will be gathered from the four winds. As corn would be useless in the chaff, or in large heaps, it must be separated for the benefit of man; so must saints be sifted and be separated, to benefit mankind. Which will lead us to notice, 2. That as the husbandman employs labourers, so God employs men and angels in the great work of saving and separating sinners; and where the banner of mercy is unfurled, and the seed of the pure gospel sown, and fails upon good ground to receive it-where it takes root downward, and brings forth fruit upward-a separation will soon be visible: indeed, it is the very office of the minister of Christ to separate "the precious from the vile." And whatever improper connections may have been formed, erroneous principles imbibed, or sinful practices indulged-all will be given up, when Christ and salvation are received. It is the solemn command of God, be ye separate from every unholy sentiment and practice. And although, every minister of Christ is a minister of peace, "he preaches peace by Jesus Christ;" yet he carries war with him, and it uniformly follows the proclamation of peace that he makes-war in the village, where he takes his station in the family, where he may enter in the soul, that receives his message-war with the world, the flesh, and the devil is commenced, and carried on with great hostility, and will not be concluded till death. 3. We will speak of some of the sifting or separating seasons in which our Lord works; sometimes alone, and sometimes by ministers, or other means. By severe judgments, he often shakes terribly the earth. Many sceptres, thrones, and kingdoms, and crowns, are now tottering; and cabinets and councils are now convulsed: but for the comfort of all, who now tremble at the present aspect of affairs, they may recollect that it is recorded, "that the government is upon the Lord's shoulders ;" and "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right ?" The church of God have often been sifted by persecution; the good corn has been preserved, while the chaff has been blown away; the real partaker of grace, full of fears and weakness, has stood fast, while many, with a fine and fair appearance of gifts and profession, and of long standing, have given way, and have gone over and joined the ranks of the Lord's enemies. Days of affliction, such as, the loss of property, of health, or of friends, to those whose cups have run over, and whose barns the returning harvest has regularly filled, or whose supplies all through a long life have never been cut off; but now, in the evening of their pilgrimage, to lose their all, and be dependant upon those, who had long depended upon them, and to have the pittance doled out with a sparing hand and more grudging heart-this has tried the faith of many who fear and love the Lord, and whose days of mourning will soon end. When workmen in the vineyard of the Lord, and the most useful members in the church, have been silenced by disease or death, it has staggered and shook the minds of many. Who now will lead our public devotions, bring forward food to feed our souls, visit us in sickness, counsel us in difficulties, relieve our poor, warn our youth, and succeed to fill the pulpit, contend for the ancient faith and the good old way, open and explain the mysteries of the kingdom, and preach redemption alone by the cross? When a covenant and reconciled God shuts the door of access to himself, and gives no answer to prayers put up, covers the face of his throne, gives no success apparently to the word preached, permits error to spread, hypocrites to increase, and the wicked to triumph, and the faithful to fall-this very much tries the confidence of those who wish Zion's prosperity. Which will bring us, Lastly. To speak of him— "Who overrules all mortal things, And manages our mean affairs; The prophet Amos, ix. 9, was commissioned from on high to publish this grand and glorious truth, "For lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth." Here we have the sovereignty of God set forth. "For lo, I will, and I will." 2. His electing love, "The house of Israel." 3. The great sifter, "I will sift," or separate, or scatter abroad. 4. How safely preserved" not one of the least shall fall," nor a grain of grace be lost. The I wills of our God, are good security; they increase the safety of the saints. Not a trial or temptation permitted, but for the church's benefit. It was Satan's desire to sift Peter, and the Saviour suffered it; but this made way for his Lord to pray for him. Paul was buffeted by the same enemy, but with no better success on Satan's part; for the apostle's God gave him that never-to-be-forgotten promise, "My grace is sufficient for thee !" Thus "all things work together for good." We lose our chaff by the sieve; our graces are made to shine brighter: and the hand and heart of our God are visibly to be seen. JAMES. FRAGMENT. Grace and nature both act in a regenerate man; and both at once. Nature only acts in an unregenerate man. So that, though sin be directly contrary to the christian's walk, and as regenerate he hates it, and cannot commit it; yet the old nature in a believer can never love holiness, but is at perpetual enmity with it, and can only be reconciled to sin. Hence that continual, never-ceasing war, in a child of God, between flesh and spirit-sin and grace-the law in the members, and the law in the mind. |