better without it; so that there is mercy in his withholding as well as in his granting our requests. What a privilege it is reckoned amongst men to have the ear of an earthly king; how much greater privilege must it then be to have at all times the ear of Him, who is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Another privilege of those that fear the Lord is, that the Lord is nigh to them. The Lord is nigh to them, very nigh to them; so nigh to them that he is said to be in them, to dwell in them, to walk in them. Well may we say, with wonder and astonishment, with one of old, "will God in very deed dwell with men?" Yes, he dwelleth with all them that fear him, with all them that are of an humble and contrite spirit; for the apostle assures us, that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost. Wondrous mystery, that a Being so infinitely pure can condescend to dwell in such polluted residences! It would be utterly inexplicable did not scripture inform us that God looks upon us as in Christ, and in him account us complete, all fair and without spot. Another of their privileges is, that the Lord delivereth them out of all their sorrows ; not only this sorrow, or that sorrow, but all their sorrows. If they have been delivered out of pust sorrows, it is the Lord that has delivered them out of them; if they are still enduring sorrows, he will deliver them out of them in his own time and way; and he will at last give a complete deliverance when he transplants his children to that world where sin and sorrow can never enter. Another privilege is, that the Lord preserves or keeps them. He keepeth the feet of his saints, he preserves all them that fear him, they are kept by him, and shall be kept by him through faith unto eternal salvation — kept from error-kept from sin-kept from self-kept from the worldkept from satan--kept from their enemies-kept from danger-kept -not delivered from them; but so kept that they shall not be finally overcome by them, but shall at last come off more than conquerors through him that hath loved them. Another privilege of them that fear the Lord, and the last that we shall notice, because it includes every other is, that the Lord supplies all their wants. They that fear the Lord shall not want any good thing. God has promised to withhold no good thing from them that fear him. So that if they that fear the Lord lack what they conceive to be a good thing, they may reasonably conclude that it is not in itself truly good, or it is not good for them at that particular time; for let God be true, though every man be found a liar. Many things appear to us dark and mysterious now we are poor blind creatures at the best; prone to misjudge and to prejudge God's dealings with us; but we shall adoringly acknowledge when we see things in the light of the eternal world, that he has done all things well, and that he never withheld any good thing from those that feared him..

God grant that we may realize by faith these truths now, that we may be comforted and supported through them, till we are brought to that haven where our souls would be, and where faith will be for ever swallowed up in sight.

W. H.

(To the Editor of the Spiritual Magazine.)

Mr. Editor,

YOUR correspondent Gaius having quite mistaken my meaning in the few objecting remarks I made on the pre-existing scheme; or, rather, gathered those things from them which I never intended to convey, or thought to be contained therein; I will, therefore, beg an insertion of the few following things, as my belief in the same.

But, first, I would just make one remark respecting the soul of Christ, or rather, on what he has advanced respecting it. He says, in his reply, that he does not maintain that the body of Christ preexisted, but the soul only; now I really understand by his calling it human nature, that he did mean body and soul; and how the soul, or spirit of Christ, or man, can be called human nature, with propriety, separately existing, I cannot conceive, even granting the same to be, which I still object to. But, in whatever manner it may exist, it cannot be called natural, without it be proved to generate from man to man, as a work of nature; and I read in holy writ, that after God had created man out of the dust of the earth, he breathed into him the breath of life, and man became a living soul: shall I therefore, call that which proceeded immediately from God natural, or human nature? I trow not. And hence Elihu, speaking in the book of Job, says, "there is a spirit in man; and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding;" and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life; and I would ask, is not God in the Trinity of his Persons, the essential life of his people, in every sense? and, is it not declared in holy writ, that "in him we live, and move, and have our being?" and, further, that God gathereth to himself his breath, and man returns to dust from whence he came? Then, how can that, which is called the breath of the Lord, or the spirit in man, be said to be human nature, which is immortal? No; I believe that every offspring born into the world, is first formed in the womb, and as much quickened there by the communication of life from God, as Adam was, after his formation from the dust of the earth: and, that God is essentially the life of every living thing; as he has said, "by me all things exist; and again," in him we live, move, and have our being."

He then tries to set aside the everlasting covenant; I mean as to the eternity of it, as I before hinted; (and not the covenant altogether) by saying, the covenant God made with Abraham was called an everlasting one; and their possession of the land an everlasting possession; and yet the seed of Abraham has long since been dispossessed of it, as to the literal seed. I grant it. But I read, that the word of God is spiritual; and that the children of the promise are counted for the seed. Hence Abraham is called the father of the faithful; and his seed shall inherit the land for ever and ever. This, I believe, was given them in covenant from all eternity, and they shall inherit it for ever and ever, in its highest and best sense, when time is no more. VOL. V.-No. 56. 2 E

The same may be said of the everlasting priesthood. What! shall we say it has ceased because the literal sons of Aaron are no more? What! are there no levites left? does not the word of God say, "and hath made us (that is, believing sinners) kings and priests unto God; and they shall live and reign with him for ever and ever?" And, to trace it a little higher, I read, that the Lord Jesus is made a High Priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedec. The same of redemption, &c. That the redemption price was paid in time I admit: but then it was of eternal date; and all issued from the fountain of everlasting love. "I have (in the past tense) loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore (as the effect) with loving-kindness have I drawn thee."

Gaius then goes on to speak of Jehovah as self-existing, three Persons in one God. In this we both agree; and likewise, that, as to divine perfections, they ever were agreed; and, therefore, never made to agree. But then, as three Persons though but one God, it should be remembered that each Person has his distinct work to perform, relating to covenant engagements. The Father gives the Son; the Son engages to redeem the church, by taking their nature, and in the same to work out a righteousness for them, and then to give his life a ransom for many; and the Holy Spirit engages to quicken and apply, and to testify of Christ to the redeemed. Thus here is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, three Persons in one God, agreeing in the work of redemption; but not a begotten Son, nor a Father begetting: no, but as covenant characters. When Mary brought forth her firstborn, it is said, "that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Wherefore because begotten of God, now he appears as the only begotten of the Father, and the first begotten too, full of grace and truth, for his body's sake the church. But, as God, he is the first and the last; the beginning and the end; the Almighty; the Creator of all things.

It is written," in six days the Lord made the heavens, and the earth, and all things that are therein." Our friend Gaius objects to this; and has said, that it only refers to the firmament, which is called heaven; but, I think if words have any meaning, nothing can be plainer than the following, Gen. ii. 1. "Thus the heavens, and the earth, were finished, and all the host of them. Now, I would beg friend Gaius to observe the plurality of those words; not heaven, but heavens, and all the host of them; and then say, what can be taken therefrom, or added thereunto: and, may the Lord enable him to rest, and feed on those truths which are clearly revealed in his word, and not to pry into those things which are not revealed.

I should not have written any more on the subject, had not your correspondent so misconstrued my meaning. I now leave it, hoping to see the promise of my much abler brethren fulfilled, and that for truth's sake, and the welfare of the household of faith.

A CONSTANT READER OF THE SPIRITUAL MAGAZINE. Oct. 14, 1828.

REVIEW.

The Last Days. By the Rev. Edward Irving, A.M.

THE very title of this work, as the trump of an archangel, will operate on the minds of every real lover of God and his country. The Rev. Gentleman has accurately drawn the state of the world, and the professing church in the present day; and in our opinion, he has succeeded in his representations with a justness and effect which must carry conviction of their truth to the breast of every one whose mind is enlightened by the Holy Spirit to discern the times in which we live. We trust these commendatory remarks will suffice to induce our readers to give the volume their candid and unbiassed attention. The works of this Rev. Divine have been fully canvassed, and anatomised, in all their ramifications. We need not, therefore, make further comment on his style and doctrine, only to express the pleasure we have felt from his firm stand for truth, and his faithful promulgation of the unpopular doctrines he advances and illustrates, in the very face of a host of foes arrayed against them. If, on perusal, our readers should be convinced that the work before us is an echo of the truth as it is in Jesus, we trust they will receive the alarm he has sounded in the camp, buckle on the whole armour of light, and be at their post in these last days, enduring hardness as the soldiers of the cross.

The opinions of the author are not peculiar to himself, but were held by Sir Isaac Newton, Dr. Gill, and many other celebrated divines. With him, they thought that infidelity and selfishness would be the leading spirit, and the mighty agent in the hand of providence for the subversion of the Catholic and Mahometanism superstition: but, there is one feature of which they all seem ignorant, that the progress of infidel philosophy, and science, and cultivation, and corrupted protestantism, would be productive of a spirit of selfishness that would blast and wither the resources, and very being of the mass of the people. Of the truth of this we appeal to the present state of the church and state.

For the sake of some of our readers, we will refer them, before we proceed further in the work, to the author's own simple and interesting account of the motives and spirit from which he acted in coming to this great city, and laying the volume before the christian public. See "Dedication," p. 3. 8. This is the real spirit of an evangelical and apostolical ministry, and we do not wonder at the opposition that it has encountered, and must encounter from the semi-protestant and infidel ministry of the age. Such is the fate of every minister of Christ, who wears the badge of truth, whatever be his talents, his peculiar views of divine truth, or the station in which he may move.

The following unqualified opinion, as it is a faithful definition of character, will not be very palatable to the heterogeneal taste of those who encompass sea and land to evangelize the world! It is on

"And now to shew how this characteristic applies to the world called religious, few words are necessary: you have only to be present and hear what is the first subject of conversation in all their meetings, and the great theme of their delight: is it not the state of their funds? What the great end of their speeches? the increase of donations and subscriptions. What the great labour of their travellers, and what the proof of their success? the amount of their in-gatherings. What the qualification for honourable office? the amount of your contributions. What the great fear and apprehension? lest the funds should fall off. What, in short, the bulwark of their strength, and the anchor of their hope, and the assurance of their faith? If these things do not betray a covetous spirit in this religious world, I know not where it is to be met with elsewhere. I could never find in my heart to accuse the other world of covetousness, if I must acquit this world. But, dear brethren, I am not here to be afraid to speak the truth of either, nor desire at all to screen either. For, as hath been said, they are to me alike integrant parts of the church of Christ, to whom I am bound to fulfil my office of preaching. And I must say, that the art of raising money hath been carried to a refinement in the religious world, which I have never seen any thing equal to elsewhere. They say, for the end of doing good with it: so would the merchants say. They say, for the spreading of the gospel: I have shewn that it is never contemplated by our Lord in his instructions, as at all a means of spreading the gospel. But if it be as a means to a most excellent end they seek it, why hear we little or nothing comparatively of the glorious end; nothing about the other means, but all, or almost all, about this one paltry means? But, as I have said, it is not my purpose to argue, or justify my argument, but simply to shew out the fact for your preservation against the perilous times."

The following also, being a true description of the pharisaical spirit of the present day, is so apposite, we could not refrain from introducing it.

"And if you were to arise in the great councils of this christian nation, or in the public meetings of benevolent and religious societies, to assert that what is expedient or useful is not always lawful, and is commonly far from being good, the likelihood is, that you would be treated as a fool and suspected for a knave. With such veils doth the spirit of expediency, now at work, conceal the mystery of his iniquity.—“ Not lovers of the good?” of what then lovers? Lovers of the rich, of the great, of the powerful. And for what end? Oh, all for their good! They will pay their court to professed infidels and notorious breakers of God's commandments; they will sit with them, they will bear the reign of such a spirit in the companies which they frequent, all to do good! Nay, they will leave their own duties at home, their own charges in the church, and wander over the city and over the country in quest of good! To such an extent have men become blinded by the hypocrisy of the times, that when to a person of ordinary shrewdness they are manifestly indulging their own taste and humour, or cultivating the good opinion of the class in which they desire the uppermost room, in their own conception they are diligently hunting after what is good. Oh, how weary I am, even to think of what I have witnessed these many years of the abuse of this word good! If people have been pleased with a public report, or a public meeting, they say, what a good is doing! The good is measured by the enthusiasm of the multitude, or the glow of our own feelings at the time, or the numbers of the pounds collected, or the nobleness of the men upon the platform, or the cleverness aud glee of the speakers, or, in a rougher way, the briskness with which it all went off. For this state of things, formality and hypocrisy are not the proper names; it is delusion, downright deception and falsehood! and betokens an ignorance of the truth, an insensibility to the Spirit, which I find no expression equal to, but that of scripture, given up to "believe a lie."