THE Spiritual Magazine ; OR, SAINTS' TREASURY. 1 John v. 7. "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."-Jude 3. 66 SUPPLEMENT, 1837. THE CHRISTIAN WARRIOR. (Concluded from page 346.) Secondly. They must have something to eat, to support, nourish, and strengthen them. The believer hungers after food divine, and is brought to this inn to be fed, and here are various things provided, such as milk, bread, meat, herbs, and savory meat; and the Saviour says, eat, O friends." Here is something to suit every palate, so that the hungry shall be filled with good things, while the rich are sent empty away. But there are some of our Lord's family whose situation requires wine and strong drink, (Prov. xxxi. 6.) to raise their spirits, console their minds, and encourage their hearts. Well, here is the very best wine cellar in all the world, which contains the unadulterated wine of the kingdom of God, and our captain deals it out just as we stand in need of it. (Isa. xxv. 6. and Song ii. 4.) He brought me into his banqueting house, or the house of wine, which wine goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those who are asleep to speak, (Song vii. 9.) for this wine is of a cheering nature. (Judges ix. 13.) The soldier being thus refreshed and cheered, his captain making himself known to him, and thus refreshing him, assuring each, he will be with them, to protect, comfort, and deliver them. They next think of taking their rest; so does the christian soldier. I have seen very inferior beds for soldiers, such as must be very uncomfortable, but our king has prepared a most precious and easy bed for his people. (see Song iii. 7, 8.) Here is the soft and easy bed of everlasting love, on the bedstead of an everlasting covenant, with curtains of divine protection, interwoven and ornamented with the unalterable and suitable promises of grace and mercy, surrounded by valiant men, who hold VOL. XIII.-No. 168.] 3 E swords to guard the beloved people from the enemy. These men are the prophets and apostles, with the sword of the Spirit to guard from errors, and the corrupt doctrines which have often prevented the Lord's family from sleeping in the arms of gospel grace and blessedness. Yet we rejoice that Jehovah is our keeper both night and day. (Ps. cxxi. and Isa. xxvii. 3.) But there is one thing which the soldier does, and which the christian is guilty of, i. e. leaving his quarters, and strolling away, forgetting his restingplace, and wandering about as it were, lost, and when the picketmen find him, they put him in the guard-house, which is set forth in Song iii. 35, 7. The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, &c. They found him out from home, and these have often found us straying from our quarters. These watchmen are the prophets and apostles, by whose word we get reproved when we depart from the fountain of living waters; and by their reproofs we get into the guard-house of unbelief, and there Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name." (Ps. clxii. 7. The captain hears our cry, sends a word of comfort, leads us back to the sign of the cross; proves his love, in showing us his hands and his side, revives his work in our hearts, and the powers of the soul are raised in praise, in gratitude, and love; so that we are constrained to say, we cry, 66 Although I have him oft forgot, His loving-kindness changes not. Once more, soldiers receive their pay from the king, to enable them to go on their journey with comfort, having something to support them. Now you must be aware that soldiers are paid, not for working or fighting, though they both fight and work, but simply because they are the king's. So it is with the soldier of the cross; he receives wages, but not for doing, but because they are the Lord's; and being his, (by love, purpose, grace; bought with blood, and made manifestly his, by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost) they must be supported in the wilderness; they enter the service of our Emmanuel, and then they receive pardon, deliverance from sin, from its guilt and its dominion, from the curse of a violated law, the wrath of inflexible justice, and are put in posses. sion of peace with God, through the precious blood of Christ, and such an one begins to live his eternal life, takes Jesus for every thing, and as an empty sinner lives on a full Saviour; as one unholy in himself, he takes Jesus as his sanctification, and is led up into fellowship and communion with God. These soldiers receive the blessings of grace, freely, from the King of kings, not for their works, but because they belong to him, for all things are theirs ; Why? because they are Christ's, (1 Cor. iii. 22, 23.) and the Lord has engaged to maintain his people in the wilderness-no good thing will he withhold. This stimulates them to run with patience the race set before them, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith; (Heb. xii. 2.) and sure I am, if the Lord gives you his presence, makes his grace abound, sheds his love abroad in your hearts, comforts you in your tribulations, applies his promises to you in your distresses, shines on your minds, and whispers peace to your souls; all is well-you are satisfied with such pay as this, and can go on your way with fresh courage, joy unspeakable, and full of glory. O, do you want pay? then, Follow Christ and all his pay, His death thy life secures ; Think on the grave where Jesus lay, Again, victory is peculiar to soldiers; when they meet in the field of battle, the one army or the other gains the victory; but with the Lord's soldiers there is no uncertainty who shall be victorious, for believers do not fight as those who beat the air, in uncertainty, no, no, the Jehovah is a man of war, and he goeth before them to burn up their enemies. He fights the battles of his people, so that with Paul we may say, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us, (Rom. viii. 37.) and shout in triumph over sin, self, Satan, professors, the world, death and hell, "Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ;" (1 Cor. xv. 57.) who is our shield in the wilderness, and our exceeding great reward in eternal glory. (Gen. xv. 1.) Finally. When the soldier's warfare is accomplished, he receives half-pay. In this respect the soldiers of the cross differ; for when they have fought a good fight, they join the triumphant church of God above to receive full pay: they only know a part, and enjoy a part while here, but above they are put in possession of the riches of Christ's kingdom; their joy is perfect and uninterrupted, flowing from the spring of everlasting love and boundless grace. There is an eternal weight of glory for them; and O how sweet the thought, their sun shall no more go down, nor shall they go any more out. Their souls in peace to living springs are led, In the presence of God they dwell, in his love delight, before his throne bow, of his salvation sing. No more shall they contend with sin, the world, or Satan; they rest in the embrace of their beloved Lord. My dear friend, art thou engaged in the conflict below? take courage here to go on, leaning on the arm of the Lord. Soon thou shalt overcome through blood divine, Thus, my dear friends, I have briefly given you an account of the christian soldier. May the Spirit of glory rest upon you, and open the subject more fully to your minds, whilst I observe, in the next place, that the scripture on which I have made these remarks declare that these persons were chosen to be soldiers. How many fight against this truth, and kick themselves to death against this mountain of brass, but their opposition cannot alter the truth, for the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his, (2 Tim. ii. 19.) and here the subject is simplified; that as soldiers literally, are fixed upon in secret, and then made to serve openly; so the soldiers of the cross were, in eternity, set apart in the everlasting covenant of grace, to serve the Lord Christ, at which period their names were enrolled in the book of life, and they given to Christ, their elect Head and Captain of their salvation. O how sweet the thought! he says, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you," &c. John xv. 16. And this choice was not because the Lord saw any good in us, no, far from it, for we (the church) were chosen in him before the foundation of the world. (Eph. i. 4.) O! what a grand display of infinite wisdom, boundless mercy, and amazing grace is here, which is progressively manifested in the effectual calling of sinners from darkness to light. This indeed lays man in the dust, and he is constrained to say, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us; yea, according to his own purpose and grace, given us in Christ Jesus before the world began? (Tit. iii. 5. with 2 Tim. i. 9.) So that every thing done for sinners in time, is the effect of electing love and sovereign choice; and all that grace, wisdom, power, and faithfulness can do for them shall be done, for The work that wisdom undertakes, But again, these chosen and predestinated people must be brought to know their election of God, and be made willing to join the regiment over which Jesus is captain; and for this purpose the Holy Spirit is given, and faith communicated to evidence their union to Jesus, and to bring them into his service, as you may see beautifully illustrated, (Rom. viii. 30.) "Whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified." Their names being written with an eternal pen, (Isa. xlix. 16.) each must be called over, and brought into the bond of the covenant. (Ezek. xx. 37.) The Lord causeth the great trumpet of the gospel to be blown, and they come and gather to him as head and captain. (Isa. xxvii. 13.) They volunteer in his service, and have him to reign over them. (Isa. xxvi. 13.) They are made willing in the day of God's power, by the spirit and word of truth; they then give themselves up to the Lord and to his church, by the will of God; (2 Cor. viii. 5.) and these shall soon enter into life, and dwell with Jesus, for they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful; (Rev. xvii. 14.) before time chosen to salvation, and in time sanctified by the Spirit, to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, while every token for good, every answer to prayer, every sweet promise applied, and every fresh manifestation of mercy, is a proof that God hath not appointed you to wrath, but to obtain salvation, by our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess. v. 9.) But I must conclude with a brief observation on what the good soldier is called to endure, hardness. The believer's path through the desert is a trying one; many an hard trial, many an hard combat with sin, Satan, and the world; many afflictions, (Ps. xxxiv. 19.) many fiery trials; (1 Pet. iv. 12.) much tribulation, opposition, and persecution. (John xvi. 33. with Acts xiv. 22.) Hard work within, to leave sinful self and righteous self; hard work without, to forsake the world with its vanities, and to choose rather to suffer affliction with God's people, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. The reproaches of men, the trials of mortality, crosses, perplexities, and what is worse, an evil heart of unbelief, all combine to make our path rough; but this is the very way Jesus and his salvation becomes more precious, because under these trials so suited to our cases, flesh and blood desires a plain and easy path, but this is not the will of God, nor have many (if any) gone this road to heaven, for it is said of those round the throne, they came out of great tribulation. (Rev. vii. 14.) Most of this army who are washed white through the blood of the Lamb, found this a barren land, a wilderness, an enemy's country, and were killed all the day long for Jesus' sake. Shall we expect to reach the skies, Beloved, think not your cases strange, or your trials uncommon, but quit you like men, be strong, for you are lawful captives, and shall soon be delivered; and the Lord's promise to you is, no weapon formed against you shall prosper. (Isa. liv. 17.) O my dear friend, art thou enlisted under this precious Jesus? Art thou drest in his robe? Hast thou this armour, and art thou engaged in this war? Then attend to this exhortation, Please him who hath chosen thee to be a soldier; and this is to be done, First, in attending to the word of command, (see 2 Chron. xx. 15-17.) Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude, for the battle is not your's, but God's, &c. The believer sometimes cannot tell which way to go, his way is hedged up; but this is the time to wait for the Lord's direction, as the poet saith, Whene'er I make some sudden stop, For many such I make, And cannot see the cloud clear'd up, |