The truth is, that the doctrine of divine sovereignty, which opposes the absurd notion of grace being indiscriminately offered to all men for their acceptance and rejection, militates too deeply against the pride and ignorance of men, to render it generally acceptable.

Our views of that credenda which embodies the notion of " offered grace" are of the most unfavourable character; and, ever since we have been capable of exercising any thing like spiritual perceptions, we have uniformly considered the ideas the partizans of the sentiments entertain, to be a refutation of themselves.

We much approve of the author's dedication of his work to the patronage of the Holy Spirit, whose influence is infinitely more to be desired than that of princes. We unite him in the prayer he utters; and though we have not given an unqualified commendation of every sentence he advances, we admit that his little work is not unworthy the perusal of the believer in Jesus; especially of such who have been perplexed by the subtle reasonings of their opponents, who have bewildered their minds by logical deductions and definitions, with a shew of truth on their side of the question, represented by dark passages dissevered from their context, and garbled statements; and, consequently, considered abstractedly from their contexts, apparently unharmonious with the general doctrines of holy writ. To such, we think this volume may be serviceable in untyeing the gordian knot of their difficulties, and rendering the subject easy of comprehension and solution.

A True Picture of Popery. By Henry Heap, Minister of Bury Street Chapel. Palmer.

Is this the golden age which is to usher in the millenium state of the church? It is a day of awful declension from the truth, as it is in Jesus. Was there ever a more intolerant spirit than that which the spurious professor breathes forth against the few who dare to differ from him by upholding the injured honours of the cross, and vindicating the sublime and imperishable truths of the gospel of their salvation from the gross calumny heaped upon it, and its adherents, vented forth by secret whispers and backbitings; by public declamations; by crude and unsubstantiated epithets; and by anathemas, alike dogmatical, cruel, and opprobrious.

We have been among the few (and we believe our author is one amongst this little number) who have closely watched the movements of these professed zealots for the glory of God; and, from all we have seen, we honestly declare our absolute dissent from the measures they have adopted, not in the principle of them, but in the means they have resorted to, to carry them into effect.

Rest assured, brethren, that the glory of God is not promoted in the tumultuous assembly, where the plaudits of men are received with acclamation, and vainly substituted for the sublime emanations of adoration and praise. His voice of mercy is heard in secret expressions of peace and heavenly tranquillity. We cannot greatly err if we

judge calmly of causes, by the effects they produce; the quality of them being known by their fruit. We enquire, do these public agitators, in the sacred garb of superior sanctity, presumptuously denying, as they do, the blessed tendency of discriminating grace, and electing love; and rejecting from their fashionable creed all that scrupulously investigates the springs of their action, and militates against the pride of man, by hewing down the slight fabric of his groundless hopes-do these suppose that they add to the divine glory by such unsanctified offerings, and by the puny exertion of all the little influence which they can command? And, do they conjecture that a combination of their carnal endeavours to convert the heathen, unsent and unordained as most of them are to the work by the separating power of the Holy Ghost, as is evident from their total disregard and free discountenance of truths, which are ever dear to the believer's heart, crown the Redeemer with glory, and debase the sinner in the dust; will promote the end they design, or profess to execute? They are miserably mistaken if they do.

We augur any thing but blessedness to Britain, abstractedly considered, from their movements; and should be at no loss to furnish documents in proof of their sinister end, and insincerity of purpose, were such evidence necessary for our object. At any rate, it must be clear to every one endowed with ordinary penetration on spiritual subjects, that there is a strange unadaptedness of the means they pursue to the accomplishment of the end they aim at-the amalgamation of every species of faith, however much opposed to truth, that by their unanimity of sentiment, they may the more effectually batter down the strong holds of sin.

We cannot compliment any man, or the profession he maintains, at the expence of sincerity; and, while we consider it imperative on us, in the station we fill, boldly to declare the truth, our observations are not particular, but general allusions. The present is not a period to tamper with men ; this practice has been too long indulged, and its effects are daily witnessed. We affirm that there is a worm, a cankerworm at the root of the offerings we have referred to; and it is the low-bred pride of pharisaism in the essence of its life and vigour ; and for those things God hath assuredly come out of his place with a rod of correction.

To us it is no matter for surprize that the catholic should join in common cause, and find a strong hold in these worthies. Nor can we discover much difference in the rancour of the moderate and half converted catholic, to the refined, modern, and almost christian of the present day. They are an association of kindred spirits; and their actions mutually demonstrate the rock on which they build is pride and error; and that their coalescence is not imaginary, but real. I et it not be understood, by these observations, that we are opposed to the dissemination of truth, and the interests of the heathen. We are not But, our desires are, and ever must be, bounded by the divine decree; and our operations must be limited by the sacred com

mission of the Holy Ghost. We cannot encompass sea and land to make fleshly proselytes; this can answer no valuable end. We wait the Lord's appointed time; and are under no painful apprehensions that they will perish from any negligence with which we may be falsely chargeable. Fully convinced that none can act independently of the Holy Spirit's agency, and oppose, or further his work by any diminutive efforts they may urge; and, equally certain that it is not for us to choose the means to promote the end, but that both are appointed by the Lord, who will in the destined season, and not till then, openly reveal his purpose, by raising up his own instruments for the work-we say, under this unalterable conviction, we stand on our watch tower: we wait his summons, and would on no account anticipate his will, and run unsent, and uncalled for to the sacred work. Jehovah hath evidently poured out upon the nation a spirit of slumber; and the very general profession of christianity which all classes of men have imbibed from mistaken zeal for the welfare of heathen nations, while the interests at home, naturally and domestically, have been forsaken, is but too fearful a sign that the rays of gospel light are fast removing. There is, moreover, a lamentable spirit of coldness and apathy crept into the churches; and a stupor and indifference to spiritual enjoyments, from which their members must be shaken by an entire separation from the unnatural alliance. And who is there that can at all spiritually discern the times, and the state of Zion, compared with her experience in former ages, that does not concur in the most gloomy forebodings of the evils which must inevitably result from a removal of the ground-work of protestant security, to pave the way to papal ascendancy throughout the land? We repeat, who is there that views this darkened veil before the church, that is not tremblingly alive to the shock which must ensue, to compel the real disciples of Jesus who have wandered from him, to return again with "weeping and supplication?"

We cannot forget that the principles of catholicism are like the laws of the Medes and Persians, unchanged by the rolling movement of ages. They profess, that infallibility in the doctrines and institutes of the pope, and his church, is a leading feature, and a fundamental principle in their system. The spell which begets their enmity to other principles than their own, remains still the same cruel monster chained. Only loose him from his chains, and he will raven for prey like the wolf; give him scope for action, and he will not fail to pursue it to our destruction.

Much is said of the liberality of the catholics, and of the patience they manifest under their alleged privations. It is true they make an external profession of it, but it is only specious. What shall we say of their liberality to their opponents, while they admit that the very gist of their doctrine is a denunciation of heretics, and damnation to all who read their heretical publications?

The church of Rome proceeds in her course with cautious wisdom, step by step, least she should awaken the fears of her protestant friends. She affects amity, and appears to slumber, that her peaceful

attitude may divert her antagonists from their watch; but there is lurking within her confines a restless anxiety for the moment to pounce on her victim, whose every motion she watches with unremitting vigilance, that she may glut her merciless tyranny, ignorance, superstition, and cruelty to the full.

These votaries for emancipation will concede nothing. We must, to appease their thirst for power, relinquish our dearest rights. A very superficial acquaintance with ther recent conduct will produce conviction, that nothing on earth but absolute sovereignty, will satisfy the wishes of these hypocritical pretenders; some of whom, less prudent and discreet than others, have thrown off their mask, and declared their dissent from the measures government have propounded, coupled as they are with an alteration of their elective franchise. And why? The reply is easy. Their object cannot be so speedily attained with that alteration, as the bestowment of the boon without a fetter.

We doubt not that the measures will pass into a law, but we are assured that the remedy will operate with more malignity than the disease; for, instead of its appeasing their discontents, which their 'leading faction have mainly generated, and fomented into frenzy, it will produce a conflagration of evil not to be contemplated without the most painful sensations.

We have to apologize to the Rev. Author for our long digression, previous to our commentary on his dissertation on this subject. We beg to present him our grateful thanks for the valuable treatise he has written. His views are perfectly analogous with our own. He has said much in a little compass." We cheerfully recommend his work to every true lover of Jesus, and hope his noble design may be fully answered in the production of a stimulus of action to uphold, by every fair and constitutional means, the cause of truth, to gain which our ancestors bled and died. It is both our duty and privilege to use every lawful effort for the defence of our liberties: more we cannot do. And, having done this, let us leave our cause with him who overruleth all things for his own glory, and his people's welfare. It is our earnest prayer that the mystic church may be found looking to the strong for strength, to undergo the persecutions which may await her, and our children; and that she may have grace to encounter every evil, and live alone on the fulness that is in Christ.

We conclude our remarks by earnestly exhorting the lovers of sound doctrine to cleave to each other with full purpose of heart; and to be frequent with Jesus in his temple, at the family altar, and above all, in private, secluded from the din of strife and tongues, pleading with him for the fulfilment of his promised aid, in effecting a more evident separation from the world, and its vain enjoyments. Even

so, amen.

LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

WILL be Published, during April, a MEMOIR, with a Selection of the Correspondence of the late Mrs. SUSANNA PEARSON.

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.

MAY, 1829.

(For the Spiritual Magazine.)

THE LORD THE PORTION OF HIS PEOPLE.

"The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, therefore will I hope in him."-Lam. iii. 24.

THE superiority of the believer in Christ over the man of the world appears in a very striking manner in the season of affliction. The man of the world when exercised with affliction, has no true source of comfort; on the contrary, the believer in Christ has a never-failing source of consolation. The eternal Spirit enables him to view his interest in Christ, and to say, "The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink of it?" However numerous or painful may be his afflictions, he is supported with the tokens of the divine lovingkindness, and heir of that world where sorrow and sighing shall for ever flee away. The Lord is his portion, and possessed of him he can say, "I have all things and abound." But what portion is the Lord? the enquiry is most important, and connected with all the happiness of the saints. The Lord inay be said to be a suitable portion. The objects of time and sense are unworthy the pursuit of an immortal soul. They cannot impart consolation in the hour of distress, or yield a ray of hope respecting futurity. But Jehovah is adapted to all the wants of an immortal soul, as the source of all temporal and spiritual blessings; he can satisfy the most enlarged desires of the soul, support under trials, and give the richest consolation in death. Such a por tion the saints have found the Lord in all ages, and in this respect he VOL. V.-No. 61. 2 X