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year of his redeemed" is not far distant: and when the terrible judgments of Jehovah are abroad in the earth, and the world deluged with fire, it will be only the man interested in Christ, and participating in the blessedness of the "first resurrection," that will be able to stand on the "wreck of matter;" and

June 10, 1830.

"The threat'ning universe defy
To quench his immortality;
Or shake his trust in God."

T. W. H.

[The Editors with pleasure insert the following explanatory note: their readers will recollect the paragraph on the wrapper of last month's Number, to which this is a perfect and satisfactory reply; they could with difficulty bring themselves to believe that any one of their correspondents would be guilty of the impropriety which seemed to attach to him, and they are much pleased he is able to furnish so clear an explanation.]

A NOTE TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPIRITUAL MAGAZINE. Mr. Editor,

I HAVE been much surprised by reading the notice made on the cover of your Magazine for this month, respecting the letter sent you for insertion therein, which appears to be the production of another, rather than the person, the initials of whose name are thereto annexed; but the circumstance is as follows:

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The letter written (which appears to be transcribed from the works of our departed and esteemed sister in Christ, Mrs. S. Pearson,) was sent by a christian friend (near Devizes) to a fellow-traveller to Zion," near this place, who admiring the soundness of its doctrines, and the sweet simplicity of its style, thought it might prove profitable to others of the Lord's family, and being mixed with other matter of a private nature, without any intimation of its being the production of another, and never having seen it before, desired me to copy the same, and forward with other communications I was sending for insertion in your Miscellany, which I did without hesitation, and without the knowledge of the writer (or rather transcriber) thereof, (who I find was unacquainted with the circumstance of his communication being made public.) I therefore take this opportunity on behalf of myself, and the person at whose request it was sent to you, of expressing our regret at the circumstance, by which the work of so eminent and faithful a servant of Christ, has thus quite unintentionally stolen its way to the public under this fictitious name, and doubt not but the publisher will, under these circumstances, excuse the unintended fraud, under our positive assurance of its being done without our having the least acquaintance with the real author, and for no other desire than the glory of God in the comfort of his church. I remain, your's in the bonds of the gospel,

Mitchelmersh, July, 6, 1830.

T. E. R.

(For the Spiritual Magazine.)

THE TRIAL.

and

HAVING lately been visited with affliction in my own person, at the same time in that of the dear partner of my life, I lay musing on my bed, on the why and the wherefore,-writing bitter things against myself-almost inclined to fear that all I had experienced of the love of Christ was a strong deluslon-when suddenly methought I found myself in a spacious court of justice.

The Judge, with a countenance majestic and awful beyond description, was seated on a throne immediately opposite the bar at which I stood; and whilst I was regarding with astonishment the various personages around, I thought Reason stood up as my counsel, and thus addressed the court in my behalf-Behold, now, I have ordered my cause, and filled my mouth with arguments; I know that he shall be justified; shew me wherefore he contendest with him.'

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Instantly Conscience rose, and turning a severe countenance towards me, said, Nay, but O man, who art thou that repliest against God? How hast thou dared to put in such a plea? Hast thou not been guilty of idolatry-of unbelief-of pride-of worldly-mindedness of neglect of duties-in short, what hast thou not been guilty of?'

And I just then observed Moses exhibiting the decalogue, under which was written, This do, and thou shalt live ;'-he spake not, but I could perceive, by his stern and forbidding aspect, there was nothing to hope for from him.

At this moment there arose, at my right hand, a huge and terrific monster, of a non-descript form, whom I recognized as the "accuser of the brethren." He gloated on me with an air of savage triumph, and from a long catalogue which he held in his hand, brought forward the following charges against me--' He was born in sin, and shapen in iniquity, he hath gone astray from the womb speaking lies-he hath loved darkness rather than light-he hath resisted the Spirit-he hath broken all the commandments-he is proud, selfwilled, vain-glorious, and uncharitable-he hath left his first lovehe hath sinned against light and knowledge-he is a hypocrite.But why need I enumerate the thousandth part of the charges I have against him? see the catalogue his own conscience has exhibited of his crimes. And now, look at him-observe that gew-gaw, manycoloured tinselled garb of his own righteousness-that thing of shreds and patches in which he has decked himself, in the vain imagination of concealing from view the filthy garments of his natural corruption, but which are, notwithstanding, clearly perceptible, and which evidently mark him as my own-in short, mine he is, and here I claim him.'

And now, I verily thought I must have fallen into the clutches of

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my adversary, for, though I knew him to be the father of lies, I felt convicted that what he had said of me was but too true. Conscience could not assist me- -my advocate Reason, too, was dumb-Moses had abated nothing of his severity I dared not lift my eyes to the Judge, and looked for nothing but to be consigned to the tender mercies of my accuser;-when lo! a voice was heard from one who stood at the right hand of the Judge, saying, in a tone of authority, ، Get thee hence, Satan ; is not this a brand plucked out of the fire ? In an instant, to my inexpressible surprize and relief, the tempter coiled himself up, and vanished through a trap-door in the floor of the court. I turned me, to see from whom the command proceeded, when, from certain nail-prints which I perceived in his hands and his feet, I knew he could be none other than the Angel of the Covenant. Strip him,' he continued to the officers of the court. Take away the filthy garments from him, and I will clothe him with change of raiment.' Immediately the work of demolition began, and my cobweb finery was soon reduced to a thousand atoms, and given to the winds of heaven; but in the attempt to divest me of the filthy garment of corruption, it was found that I had worn it so long, (indeed it has been in the family for many, many ages,) and it stuck so close, that it seemed to be part and parcel of my very self, and though the officers of justice, in the effort, rent away pieces of my flesh, it could not be wholly removed. But behold, our dear Lord himself, with his own arm threw around me a spacious robe of fine linen, clean and white, and in that gracious act displayed to my view his wounded side, and O! what inconceivable rapture did that sight communicate.

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And now, how greatly was the scene changed; Conscsence had rolled up his scroll of accusations, and, in distinct characters, on a fair white tablet, displayed," peace by the blood of the covenant;" even Moses looked less austere. But O the indescribable grace, and love, and condescension, that shone forth in the countenance of the compassionate Redeemer, it would, methought, have melted a heart of stone.

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The Judge, then, himself, in the most benign accents thus addressed me: My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If my children forsake my law, and keep not my commandments, then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless, my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. There is, therefore, now, no con− demnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

Whilst the Judge was proceeding in this gracious strain, and I was lost in astonishment, gratitude, and praise, my attendant entered the room, and dispelled the reverie.

Westminster.

P.

ORIGINAL ESSAYS.

LXII.

THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER DELINEATED UPON EVANGELICAL PRINCIPLES.

THE THIRD ESSAY,

THERE is no employment that is so sweet and profitable as those exercises are in which the christian is engaged, beneath the protection of the cross, and in the light of the Redeemer's countenance. Then we enter more into the spirit of the dispensation under which we live, and we bear an external conformity to the Head of the church. The favour of God is exceedingly great to us, by which we who are so far from him by nature, are exalted, in the person of his Son Jesus Christ, above the condemnation of the law; and we are also blessed in him with a legal title to eternal life. The greater attention we pay to the gospel dispensation, under the ministration of the Spirit, we shall be better prepared to discharge the numerous duties which are imperatively binding upon us, both to Christ and his church.

It is naturally impossible that there should be any spiritual religion apart from the person of Christ, the Son of God; and it is equally certain, that he is constituted, by the will of God, the root of the spiritual family which is to live for ever in the heavenly world. Whenever we look at the saints as members of the same mystical body, we do well to keep in view the centre where they are all united and for ever perfected. In every political body there is a centre of union, and in the church of the living God the Lord Jesus Christ is that uniting Head, in whom the whole household of faith is comprehended and preserved. We are called christians, because we have received a supernatural unction from our divine and honored Lord; therefore, that state of being in which the true christian stands, was radically in the person of Christ for him, before he partook of it by the creating energy of the Holy Ghost. There is this distinction between an earthly corporation and the mystical body of the Son of God; he who is the founder of the first may be an excellent man, and so long as he lives to superintend the concerns of it, the purpose for which his establishment was formed may be effected; but after his demise, the persons into whose hands the government of it may fall, may supercede and bring to nothing the design of the founder: but in the establishment of grace, Christ is not only the centre of union in it, but he ever lives, and all the glory of it is derived from his divine person. The worth of Christ is not derived from his appointment to be the Head of the church and the Saviour of the body, although the saving work of his services and his sacrifice is the result of the will VOL. VII.-No. 76.

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of God; but by reason of his native divinity, in which his personality is founded, his humanity being united to his unbegotten person, he, as the Son of God, Immanuel, was by the Father appointed to this office. Moreover, we may say that no one but he who is truly divine and human in one person, is a proper person to be the centre of union to the election of grace. There is no reason to fear that the church will be divided, so long as she stands in and is divinely supported by her holy Lord. That church which is in danger from the convulsions of time, can never belong to Christ, although there may be in such a church some of the members of his mystical body. It does not appear a possible thing to bring together a host of sinners so as to make their interest vitally one, but upon this highly important principle, "Ye are all one in Christ Jesus." The apostle Paul informs us, that we are the body of Christ, and members in particular." In the assemblies of the saints we discern this principle, for the holy rites of the house of God are spiritually connected with the Lord Jesus, who is the fountain of life to his seed, and when they wait in his earthly courts they partake of his heavenly fulness. Hundreds of men and women meet together in one place; some of them are favoured to commune with God in his ordinances, while the remainder are unconscious of the worth of such a privilege; those who are spiritually benefited feel an increasing attachment to their brethren, while the rest hug the chain of their captivity, and they fancy that they never were in bondage to sin and Satan. That which knits the heart in attachment to the Saviour, will through him bind the affections to his brethren. This sacred principle is greatly neglected by many persons who are travelling from earth to heaven. I heartily wish that every one who professes attachment to the person and interest of Messiah would look into the bible, and examine whether this statement is true; if it is true, it demands the attention of all those who are ordained to live in the presence of God for ever.

The whole family of God is named in Christ, and every individual member thereof is related to each other in him. It is true, that all the holy brethren have not attained to the same stature, nor have they alike grown up into Christ in all things. The babe in grace is as truly related to him as the venerable christian is, who has borne the heat of the day for a long time. It is good and seemly in the sight of God when the ties of grace bind the saints together, so that his children are openly distinguished from the rest of mankind. Great benefit will result from such conduct. The tender babes in the household of faith will be encouraged to declare what they know of the gospel of salvation; and those who have been privileged to travel many years in the road to Zion, will know how to speak "a word in season to those who are weary." Wherever we discern the unfolding of grace in the day of spiritual sensibility, it will ever afford the real christian true delight; and it is his duty and his interest to take such persons by the hand, and encourage them to proceed in the use of those means that God has wisely chosen to nurture the hope of his

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