ILLUSTRATIVE ANECDOTE.

WENDING my way one Lord's day morning to a distant village sanctuary, being weary on the road, I sat down by the way-side to partake of a little loaf which an affectionate child, with much forethought and care, had made me the previous day. On breaking the bread, the mind was led to muse upon the material food, when all the enjoyment realised in partaking of it, was derived from the recollection of its being made by the tender hands of my own fond child. The subject then opened itself as follows:-I thought the flour with which the dear girl had made the cake, and all the ingredients were mine; so that in her affectionate presentation, she had only given me what was my own before. But here lay the pleasureable secret: she had served it up in an agreeable form, and presented it to me in love.

Now just so is it with the ransomed body of Christ, presented to the Father, with all the life-blood love of his Son.

But first, Himself, with all the covenant ingredients that make up the "bread of God," and gives our "High Father" delight. His body lied in ruins; broken by a sin-crushing fall into fragments. The work of Christ was to gather up the materials. He presented himself, his Father's own, and that with god-like love. John xv, 13. The sacrifice was no sooner began to be offered than it was accepted; for the "voice from heaven" immediately pronounced the Father's joy, saying, "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased." Now, how is that reconciling pleasure manifested to us but by reaping the benefits? Therefore, mark, the Father, though he neither slumbers or sleeps, yet he rests, and that in his love, which is Christ. And though he eats not or drinks, yet he dwells, and that "in the midst of Israel." And his greatest feast is not upon the vain oblations and wearying incense of material offerings, but

First, Upon the inherent perfection, essential glory, the work and worthiness of his exalted Son, "in whom his soul delighteth." And, Secondly, In the fulness or completeness of that perfection which glorifies

in him, the sons of men, with whom also his delights from eternity were.

Here then is the concentration of the Father's love, the centre and source of his eternal joy.

Then as the mind of deity revolves in time, and exhibits in open but invisible manifestation, the pardon, justification, redemption, sanctification, and salvation there is in Christ; so is seen to proceed from him the accompanying blessings, faith, hope, love, desire, expectation, and prayer, &c.; indeed every good and perfect gift cometh from above, from the Father of Lights. And these we, as children by adoption, inherit by grace, and exercise by privilege and power.

Then as the soul goes forth in indescribable prayer, (Rom. 8, 26.) or inhabitable praise (Psalm 22, 3.) a pleasurable return is made unto God of his own

most precious gifts. Yea, our very dungeon groans and moans, though ugly ingredients they be, become as pleasant bread-fruit unto the Father, when intercessorily presented by the son of his love.

Heavenly favours to earthly forms return not again to God, (Mat. iii, last half 45 v.-Isaiah xxvi, 10) but heavenly gifts to heaven-born souls go back again to him. For what is given of the Father in Christ, and bestowed by the Father through Christ, returns unto the Father by Christ. And the pleasurable secret of the Father's delight in us lies in our being presented unto him in the agreeable form, (or comely person) of our precious Christ, his Son; who, in love, gives back again to God, complete. All this the Father hath in covenant, given unto him, saying, "Here am I and the children which thou hast given me."

I in them, and thou in me;
Mine they are, by gift from thee;
Thine they were, eternally.

Chelmsford, March 18th, 1851.

ROYAL FOOD.

JOSIAH.

MANY were the typical representations of Jesus under the old testament dispensation, and none were more beautiful than "THE MANNA." If the angels of his royal presence count it their meat to do his pleasure, and thus obtain a feast, by

flying in obedience to his holy commands, how distinguished the christian's banquet, who, joined to Jesus, by an indissoluble alliance, so much nearer than angels, is permitted and enabled to feast on him, who is, to hungry souls, an inexhaustible treasury of fat things, as of wines on the lees, well refined. How royal the food! The King of Kings and Lord of Lords; and what is truly wonderful, that all they who partake of him become royal too, that is to say-a royal priesthood-children of the heavenly king. How blessed, beloved, to think we are transformed into the same image by feeding on this spiritual Manna. How happy, then, is the man who is enabled to feed by faith on Jesus, for he shall not come into condemnation he has passed from death unto life, through him who is the life of his dear people; and having sat at the royal table once, he shall sit again, and the blessed spirit shall give him many invitations, and shall bear precious witness with his spirit that he is a royal child, and that God hath prepared for him a royal city.

Hasten, oh! Hasten, King of Glory, and take to thyself thy great power, and reign; and bring thy ROYAL SEED to thy holy and glorious hill, where thy crowned children shall own thee Lord of all. JAMES HILLMAN. Deptford, March 12th, 1851.

THOUGHTS ON MARRIAGE.

(Continued from page 15).

THIS love is different from, and may justly be opposed to what the world call love; it is of the superlative degree, and preferable to all sublunary enjoyments of what kind soever. Such is the love of Christ to the church. As their interest and happiness are inseparably connected, so their joys are mutual, and centre in the same objects, and arise from the same spring. It does not arise from either personal allurements or the sordid views of wealth and honour; nor is it a love (so called) arising from the warmth of unsanctified affection, which is soon blown into a flame of lust by the animal spirits; for this is brutal: but it is a love arising from a full conviction of the object's

being called into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, and made a happy partaker of like precious faith: One in whom manifestly appears the purity of the Spirit of Christ, and a heart and life wholly devoted to the service and glory of God. This is its primary care, and the ground and basis of all its hopes for happiness and comfort. It also has a secondary cause, and that is, the person and its accomplishments; but it does not build any hopes of happiness thereon, having weighed them both in the balance of truth, and found, by experience, the permanent felicity resulting from the former would greatly preponderate the imaginary happiness arising from the delusive prospect of the latter.

I would not be thought a stoic, nor have others to act as such; for there appears to me a material difference between one being infatuated by the person of another, and one who first hath respect unto the ground of his happiness, and the fountain from whence he must draw the streams of joy and consolation, previous to any determination, otherwise it must be downright madness. But a child of God must have respect unto both; accounting happiness unattainable without a joint union of both; and every thing else that has the appearance or the name of love will be found unworthy the sacred appellation, and prove nothing less than the breathings of lust, or terminate, when most refined, in gross idolatry. It is a love of complacency, and ineffable delight; it is mutual, the "wife is to love the husband, and the husband the wife," Tit. ii. 4. Each take pleasure and delight in the company and conversation of the other. It is natural for us to desire the happiness of those we love and esteem, and so it is with them; a reciprocal and earnest longing are always struggling in their breasts for the accomplishing of it. This is not only expressed in the mutual care and concern for their spiritual welfare, but it also provides all things temporal, especially on the part of the husband; and evidences itself by indubitable facts.

This

is perfectly agreeable to the will of God; for the husband is to nourish and cherish his wife, Eph. v. 29, by providing all things decent and convenient, according

to their situation in life. Also, she being the weaker vessel, he is to protect her from abuse or injuries, even at the risk of his own life, 1 Sam. xxx. 18. Likewise, to exert all his power to please and contribute to her happiness and comfort; for" he that is married is to care how he may please his wife," 1 Cor. vii. 33, carefully avoiding every occasion of offence, either by harsh language and cruel invectives, or the terrifying aspect of a sour countenance, and especially blows, which are churlish and barbarous, unbecoming the man and the christian. She is his own flesh, and "no man ever yet hated his own flesh." She is himself; therefore" ought men to love their wives as their own bodies," Eph. v. 28. (Is this the word of God? Ah! how few, yet some there are, who come up to the purity of his precepts). She is his companion, his support and comfort in prosperity and adversity; shares alike his sorrows and his joys; bound by the indissoluble ties of affection and grace. She esteems it her greatest happiness to participate in all his troubles, ever seeking, under the most burdensome afflictions, to exhilirate his spirits and animate his conduct by the affectionate displays of her tenderest love and concern, and a cheerful resignation to the wise dispensations of unerring Providence. weeps and rejoices with him, and is partaker and partner with him in life, and finally will be made so in eternal glory.

She

The woman is the glory of the man, who is loving and chaste to him, as she is careful to honour him by her assiduity and faithfulness in all relative and social duties, and his heart confidently trusts and relies upon her integrity and virtue. The duty on the part of the wife is, that she submit herself to her own husband as unto the Lord; for the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, Eph. v. 22, 23. This subjection is not a slavish servile one, but as the body and members of it are governed, guided, and directed by its head, to what is for their good and benefit. Her chief care will be to be found faithful in the discharge of all relative duties and domestic business, using all possible discretion in the management of her family, keeping her servants in good

order, and training up her children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. She is obedient unto her husband, Tit. ii. 5. assuming no authority, but "her desire is unto her husband, who is to rule over her," 1 Tim. ii. 14. as is fit in the Lord.

The world are strangely disgusted at this word obedient, as if it conveyed some unnatural meaning. It is true, when constraint clogs the wheels of obedience, we must expect, and look for but little of that love and affection, which are the peculiar characteristics of nuptial felicity. But this is not the case here; the desire of the wife is to her husband, how she may please him, promote his happiness, and render herself in all things worthy of his love and tender affection.

(To be continued.)

W. G***s.

SAVOURY SAYINGS.

THE followers of THE LAMB, may be known from the followers of THE BEAST by this:-They are more for power than form, for heart than art, for matter than method, for substance than shew.-Dyer.

As we are not born by ourselves, so we are not born for ourselves.-Dyer.

Believers share with Christ in his glorious titles. He is called a son, so are they; a king, so are they; a priest, so are they; an heir, so are they; Rom. viii, 17, Rev. v, 10, &c.—Dyer.

Grace is the silver link that draws the golden link of glory after it.—Dyer.

Those sins shall never make a hell for us that be a hell to us.-Dyer.

Mahomet is the turk's love, Moses is the jew's love, the Pope is the papist's love, but Christ is the believer's love.Dyer.

Christians can never want a praying time, if they do not want a praying frame.-Ibid.

When our heavenly oculist opens our eyes, what do we see? We see our

state;

we see our sin; we see our danger; and then it is that we also see the

purity and the spirituality of the law of God; and we cast ourselves upon his clemency, his mercy, and his grace.Smithers.

Do all things as in God's sight, and you will do every thing to God's glory.Burkitt.

Until a man feels self-condemneduntil he has been driven to desperation on account of his sins, he will not and cannot understand the truth, or feel what the grace of God means.-West.

It is God alone that can call men effectually. Ministers cannot call you. Outward calls are only means for effectually calling the scattered sheep into the fold.-West.

Hurt not thy conscience with any known sin. Rutherford.

Profession cannot save a man. Thousands have the form of godliness, but not the power. This is a day of profession; but, as Toplady says, 66 profession is not possession." This is, however, the great mistake of the day.-West. Wherever there is conviction of sin by the Holy Ghost, there will be contrition and sorrow of heart for it.-West.

There is a spiritual freemasonry (if I may so speak) between God's poor people; and there is communion of soul amongst the members of the one church. -West,

Endeavour in all things to please God, and you will be sure to please all whom you ought to please.-Richmond.

The Holy Ghost continues to shew us something new in the Saviour; something attracting in his love; something efficacious in his blood; something delightful in his doctrines; something attractive in his invitations.-Moody.

Sin is a burden to the child of God, and when it is felt, it drives him to the sinner's Saviour.-West.

My business is not to please myself; not to please men-but to serve God, and to do good in my generation.-Vaughan.

It is certain, He that came to seek and to save lost sinners, will never reject lost sinners when they come to Him. He that entreateth the weary and heavyladen to come, will not slight them when they do come.-D. Simpson.

POETS' CORNER.

GRACE AND SIN.

WHEN first my soul, with grace bedew'd,
Pour'd forth the new-born prayer;
The conflict in my breast ensued,
And still continues there.

Dawnings of light within reveal'd
The ills that now I hate,
Indulg'd and lov'd and long conceal'd,
In nature's darken'd state.

No longer lov'd, nor cherish'd now,
They yet, alas! remain ;

And oft, too oft, with flattering show,
My weaker passions gain.
Oft tempted by some sensual good,
I do the thing I hate;

I throw myself on low-born food,
And leanness marks my state.

I fall, I rise, I pray for power,

The power that grace bestows; 'Tis given, tho' still from hour to hour, The warfare onward goes.

Thanks be to God, thro' Christ my Lord,
The warfare proves the grace;
And grace
shall gain the rich reward,
That crowns the conflict race.
Like air confined that must rebound,
So grace must overcome;

And sweeter shall the rest be found,
The conqueror meets at home.

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1

ABT

1851.

FULNESS OF THE MEDIATOR.

A Sermon by Dr. GILL, preached June 15, 1736.

ABRIDGED.

COLOSSIANS I. 19. THE apostle, after his usual salutation to the church at Colosse, with a great deal of pleasure, takes notice of their faith in Christ and love to all the saints, puts up several petitions, on their account, for an increase of spiritual knowledge, holiness, fruitfulness, patience, and strength; gives thanks for some special blessings of grace he and they were partakers of; such as meetness for heaven, deliverance from the power of darkness, a translation into the kingdom of Christ, redemption through His blood, and the forgiveness of sins; and then takes an

[ONE PENNY. occasion to set forth the glories and excellencies of the person of Christ; who, he says, (ver. 15.) is the image of the invisible God. Next, the apostle proceeds to consider Christ in His office-relation and mediatorial capacity; and He is the head of the body, the church, even of the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven; all the elect of God, over whom He is an head of dominion and power, and to whom He is an head of influence and supply; he adds, who is the beginning, both of the old and new creation, the first-born from the dead, who first rose from the dead by His own power to an immortal life, is set down at the right hand of God, has all judgment committed to Him, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence; for which He is abundantly qualified, since it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell. The method I