how? according to the flesh; and was also the Son of GOD, but according to the Spirit. Now the word spirit, in its signification, is opposed to the word flesh; and will then any one dare to invert this creed and say, that JESUS CHRIST was the SON of GOD according to the flesh, and the seed, or Son of David according to the Spirit? Nay, the spirits who say such things are not of God. There are indeed spirits who do say that CHRIST's human nature was sinful. Now what saith the scripture? "Now the birth of JESUS CHRIST was on this wise; when as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the HOLY GHOST." And this is in exact correspondence with what is recorded in Luke, and with what the angel said to Joseph. "For that which is conceived in her, is of the HOLY GHOST," Matt. i. and Luke i. Now the act wrought by and solely from the HOLY GHOST, and the power of the Highest, whose name alone is Holy, must be holy; therefore, as the angel said, "that holy thing which shall be born of thee, Mary, shall be called the Son of GOD," who will then call that sinful which was conceived in her of the HOLY GHOST? They who assert such things, do they not sin against the Holy Ghost? I ask the question, for I presume not to say that it be the unpardonable sin. But there are others who say, that if Christ had not a sinful nature, that his human nature was capable of sinning. This is also unscriptural and untrue, "for whosoever is born of God sinneth not; neither can he sin," 1 John iii. 9. And CHRIST was so perfectly holy and sinless, that in the old testament he is called, "The LORD our righteousness;" and in the new, Holy, undefiled, and separate from sinners." And so CHRist was incapable of sinning, and was undefiled, and not in the least contaminated when all our sins with their guilt and filth were laid on him; for then, even then, his immaculate blood flowing from his human body, washed all our sins with their guilt and filth away. Yet the spirits who assert such untruths say, that their creed is only a difference in words, for they believe in Christ's glorious Person as the Son of God as well as we. Beloved, be not deceived by such subtilty, for ye know the truth, and that no lie is of truth, although they that say such things come as Christ said in his name. Lastly. When JESUS said unto the twelve "will ye also go away?" Then Simon Peter answered him, "LORD, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life; and we believe and are sure that thou art that CHRIST, the SON of the living GOD." It has been correctly observed by some divines, the greek article & prefixed to the word SON, emphatically proclaims his SONSHIP, and denotes that he was the SON of the only true GOD, that living GOD; and for which the article the, and the attribute living, are purposely annexed to the name GOD, to set out the greatness of his SON; and to shew that the great and true God has a SON, who is the SON, his own SON, and the only begotten SON of the living God. That the word begotten is to be strictly confined to a spiritual meaning, I would beg leave to add, that the children of God by adoption are said to be begotten of God, which begetting is unquestionably confined to the spiritual or new birth, and in its signification is opposed to every thing that is flesh or sensual. Now let no man desire to be wiser than what is written, for "secret things belong to God, but those things which are revealed to us and to our children for ever." Not Gabriel asks the reason why, Nor God the reason gives; My brethren, read the verse from whence the text is taken, and the remainder of the chapter; pray over it, and may you be as fully persuaded as the apostle was. Shine, Almighty Lord, upon the scriptures of thy truth; accompany thy word with power; give testimony to the scriptures of thy grace in the hearts of thy people, and be thou exalted, O Lord, in thine own strength, so will we sing and praise thy power. Amen and amen. James Street, August 15, 1829. FRAGMENT. 66 F. S. WHAT reason can be given, but that of God's sovereignty in election, why the most abandoned sinners of mankind are often called to the knowledge of the gospel, and made partakers of precious faith in the Son of God, whilst multitudes of the decent and moral are left to perish in their own deceivings, as dead to all spiritual concerns as the very stones they tread upon ?-Again. What other reason can be given, why of two people in the same pew, and hearing the same sermon, the one shall be savingly wrought upon, and the other perhaps go away contradicting and blaspheming?-Again. For what other reason were the apostles "forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia;" and when they essayed to go to Bithynia," were not suffered by the Spirit to accomplish their purpose; whilst a vision appeared to Paul in the night, saying, come over unto Macedonia and help us?" Were there not souls in Asia and Bithynia, as well as in Macedonia ? Undoubtedly there were. But the ministers of the gospel are sent forth to labour there, and there only, where the Lord of the harvest has work for them to do, in calling in his own people, elected and chosen to everlasting life, before all worlds; and wherever these people are, God will at the exact time take especial care that the means designed for the accomplishment of his sovereign pleasure, shall not be delayed one moment beyond the fixed period. God's eye is upon his people, even while dead in trespasses and sins, and lying in the rubbish of the fall; and although many are oft times near death, yet not a shaft can hurt so as to deprive them of life, until brought to the footstool of mercy with weeping and supplication !" Oh! the depths both of the wisdom and mercy of God! How unsearchable are his ways, and his judgments past finding out !" VOL. VI.-No. 64. Р ORIGINAL ESSAYS. LII. THE AGENCY OF JEHOVAH IN THE PERSECUTIONS OF THE CHURCH, HER HAPPINESS AND GLORY. "He turned their hearts to hate his people, to deal sublilly with his servants.” —Ps. cv, 26. AMONG the exciting causes of trial and persecution, our readers will perceive, we include the conversion of sinners and the preservation of the church. The agency of Jesus secures these; and in so doing promotes the happiness and glory of his afflicted people. At all times, in all circumstances, among all people, and in all places of the world, the conversion of a sinner is a miracle; but its splendour is greater and more visible in the days of tribulation, because they call for mightier displays of the love and power of the Redeemer. To pardon the persecutor, and bid him live; and while the voice of love is speaking, to witness the first efforts of a new and immortal life, struggling in the throbbing and breaking heart of the sinner; to see the torch with which he kindled the murderous fires fall from his hand, and then to behold that hand grasp the word of life, or be lifted up in supplication to heaven; to see him as a brother in the ranks of the faithful band covered with wounds, inflicted by him and his fellows, cheerfully and gratefully sharing their sorrows: fighting under the same banner, with courage more fearless from the recollection of the crimes which preceded it, and the love and pity which gave it being;—to witness all this take place at once; in open day, amidst the taunts and hisses of companions once dearer than life; nay, in the face of scorn, cold, hunger, thirst, chains, tortures, prisons, fires, and death; is to witness a miracle of love and power, equal, if not superior, to that which plucked the dying thief from the cross, and placed him in paradise. Such a sight, while it gives joy in heaven, among the angels of God, thrills the church with rapture and praise; and forms a canopy of radiant glory over her head, while she is contending for the faith on the arena of persecution, in the amphitheatre of the world, before all created and uncreated intelligences. 1 Cor. iv. 9. Yet many such miracles the church has witnessed in her hottest fires. The happiness they created can only be described by herself: -it was "unspeakable, and full of glory." Friendship, the love of home and country, and the pleasures which attend them, are faint and cold, when compared with the love of Christ and his people: its fountain and model are in the Lamb of God. John x. 17. 1 John iii. 16. The family spirit which lives in every child of God, prompts him to welcome the conversion of a sinner with a brother's feeling. Converted sinners are the children of the church-she is their mother, and will receive them to her bosom with a mother's joy. The increase of the numbers of such a family, at any time, must be a pure fountain of happiness to all its members; but in times of peril and death it is peculiarly so. Then such an increase is a living witness of the presence of their elder Brother, and a pledge that the family shall never perish. "But ye see me : because I live, ye shall live also." The same miracle of love and power that created the church preserves her, or the fires of temptation and persecution would consume her; and nothing would remain, but her ashes-the sorrowful memorial, to other times, of her mournful fate, and the triumph of her enemies. From their union, the absolute dominion they exercise over her, and the unlimited exertion of their power and policy, the enemies of the church, in these seasons, are all but omnipotent. These terrible periods are indeed the hour of man, and the powers of darkness. Then the chaff is separated from the wheat, and burned in unquenchable fire. Then the swarms of heretics, and formal professors, fall, like the caterpillars, from the leaves of the living vine; and are carried in the whirlwind and the storm, to find their native home in the common mass of moral putrefaction and death. None can stand, in these days of Jacob's trouble, but his real children-the "Israelites indeed, in whom is no guile." They shall stand; upheld by that hand, that preserved the covenant family amidst the murderers of Egypt, the horrors of the waste howling wilderness; and in after ages, its children, in the lions' den, and the fiery furnace of the king of Babylon. Dan. vi. 22.-iii. 25, 27. The support which Jesus gives to his people is both adequate and seasonable; and because it is so, demonstrate his glory and secures their happiness and triumph. It is not given as the fruit of their fidelity and perseverance, but as their cause; and the effect of that love which nailed the Saviour to the cross, and fixed his heart upon them from the foundation of the world. It must, therefore, be certain and efficient. Jer. xxxii. 40. Zech. xii. 8. It is true, these poor and afflicted people often distrust, and mourn over the desolation they cannot remove. Often do they fear, the Lord hath forsaken them, and their God hath forgotten them. Often are they about to give up all for lost. Often are they tempted to curse God and die. Often is the knife lifted to destroy their last comfort. Often are their groans, and sighs, and tears mingled with bitter lamentations, and ungrateful libels of God and his truth. To experience, to promises, to providences, to examples, to ministers, to people, they reply—“ Miserable comforters are ye all !" All these things are against us: we shall fall by their hand, and go with sorrow to the tomb. No! doubting and miserable men! You are mistaken. The Lord has not forgotten to be gracious-his mercy is not clean gone for evermore. His promises will not fail for evermore.-He will not cast off for ever. He hath not in anger shut up his tender mercies.-He will be favourable again. Hab. ii. 3. Matt. ii. 20. Did the vision speak? Did these children of little faith hear its voice? Yes; all. "Not one thing hath failed, of all the Lord your God hath spoken," is the answer of experience and history; while they point to innumerable Ebenezers—the stones of help, raised by the Samuel of past and present times. No. The exertions of these illustrious men in tortures and sufferings unexampled in the page of history, evince the sufficiency of their support, and the folly of their iron-hearted oppressors. Heb. ii. 35— 39. This was the work of persecution:-and what was her reward? The destruction of Israel, and the faith which he professed? The more the holy tribes were afflicted, the more they multiplied and grew. What has been her success with the spiritual seed in every part of the world? Have they fallen before her? or has the work of their God ceased through her labours? No. Sooner could she pluck the sun from his orbit, gather the winds in her fist, quench the fires of nature, and subvert the throne of the invisible Jehovah; than she could suspend the work of his hands, or entomb in eternal oblivion the cross, with its followers and its trophies. What, then, has persecution accomplished? She has elicited countless sparks, each of which were inextinguishable flames, fed with oil from the olive lamp in the heavenly temple, and the live coals from off its altars. Again and again has she levelled with the earth the christian altars, but vain were her efforts to quench the sacred fire, or consume the lively oracles, and give their ashes to the winds of heaven. Again and again has she banished the ministers of the cross and their beloved flocks; and has again been compelled to stand the mortified spectator of other flocks and shepherds succeeding them, equally numerous and intrepid. She has silenced the loud song of love and praise, but she could not kill its spirit, or steal its harp, or suspend its melody in the heart. In her presence, in opposition to her will, the spirit of martyrdom has consecrated the loathsome dungeon, the deep cavern, the dark thicket of the wood, and found them Bethels—the house of God, and the very gate of heaven. Heb. xi. 33. The spirit with which the afflicted christians treated their enemies, was worthy the cause in which they suffered, and the omnipotent agency that gave it being. Superstition has her martyrs, who have suffered nobly and worthy a better cause. But it was reserved for the church and her blessed Head, to exhibit the pure spirit of martyrdom, unsullied with the littleness and malignity of our common nature. Without ambition, or treason, or malice-in the meekness, the patience, the silence of a sheep before her shearers; while their hearts burned with love to the Redeemer and his people-these invincible men, on racks and in fires, expired, invoking benedictions on the heads of their unfeeling and ferocious persecutors. Luke xxiii, 34. Acts vii. 60. A spirit so novel and so unlike every thing in the world, does not owe its birth to blood, or to the will of the flesh, or to the will of man, but to God. It is the fruit of the gracious agency of our motto; nourished with "the sincere milk of the word," cloathed in the armour of light, and moves under the impenetrable shield of omnipotence. It is the living emanation from the spirit of redemption, of |