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."

John v. 7.

Jude 3.

DECEMBER, 1830.

(For the Spiritual Magazine.)

ON WALKING WITH GOD.

HOW lamentable the fact, that so few are to be found who are engaged in this high christian privilege. We read that Enoch and Noah walked with God. It must be allowed that many do walk with God professionally; some from conviction that it is right and reasonable; they believe there is a God, that his word should be obeyed, but they know him not in Christ; they are not united to him-they have no access to him-have no desire to have fellowship with him. Some from education and parental persuasion walk with God in his ordinances, appear outwardly amiable in temper and deportment, but are not created anew in Christ. Many out of form, and from a self-righteous spirit, hope to obtain heaven and happiness after death, by their diligent observance of religious duties.

But the children of God do walk with God in reality. And upon this truly interesting subject the attention of the reader will now be called. We connect the idea of walking with life; and we cannot walk with God unless we have life, spiritual life from him, a union to him and but few pages of the sacred scriptures can be turned over, but some form or figure is to be met with, that sets forth the connexion between Christ and his church. He a fulness-they empty vessels to receive him; he a great High Priest-his children always in circumstances that need his sympathy and help; he the Lord our righteousness-and they are naked; he the great and good Physician VOL. VII.-No. 80. 2 C

-they the wounded; he the faithful Friend -- they the friendless; he the supplying Head of life-and they the dependent members; he the fountain of light-they dark chaos; he the all-sufficient God— and they the poor and needy.

2. To walk with God, there must be a knowledge of Christ in covenant. Mankind are sunk into the very dregs of darkness and ignorance, and all the lore of learning helps them not to the knowledge of God in a saving way; a power all divine is required to rend the veil that covers the minds of men; and this is the great work of God to do, which is commenced at regeneration, and carried on by him that began it. Such are brought blessedly to know that God is their God; that he hath loved, chosen, and given them to Christ; that he is a God that pardoneth iniquity, transgression, and sin. They are favoured with the knowledge of Christ as God over all, for ever blessed, as their alone Saviour-as their only salvation—as their advocate on high-as their law-fulfilling righteousness--and as their fountain open for sin and uncleanness; and they walk with him by faith, and he makes known himself to them, as he does not to the world. God the Holy Spirit is revealed unto them as the Quickener and Comforter. Saints feel much deadness, darkness, and distress ; and he kindly revives, and invigorates, by dropping as the dew upon their parched souls. He glorifies Jesus in his wonderful person and work. He mercifully assists the soul to seek an interest in the dear Saviour; to run to Jesus for refuge; to take shelter under his atoning sacrifice; to plead his precious blood for pardon; and carries on the ordained begun work of grace in the believer; and lodges him at last in glory, long ago prepared, among those he loved, and worshipped with here below, and now no more to part.

3. They who walk with God, will meet with much opposition; for they will oppose the course of this world in its fashions and friendship. They will have to maintain a war perpetually against all the sinful solicitations of the flesh; they will be decidedly hostile to the prince of the power of the air, their former master; and this opposition will bring a sea of sorrow upon them; and they will have to bear a continual testimony against the formality of nominal christians. And all who walk with God, dare not say a confederacy with those who deny the divinity of Christ; who set up man's righteousness for justification before God; who contend that every creature has a power to save himself; who deny the fundamental truths of God; who can indulge in sin, bend the knee to Baal, or question the necessity of the Holy Spirit's grace in effectual calling.

4. All who walk with God, must be reconciled to him; the enmity of their hearts subdued; and in mercy it is done. Every gospel sermon is a proclamation of peace. The great apostle of the gentiles, Paul, had a most extensive view of the doctrine of human depravity, and painfully felt the cause and consequences of it, but was brought through grace to believe in him who had removed both, whereby peace was made.

In his sublime epistles to the Ephesians and

Colossians, he writes elaborately upon the law enmity on the part of God, and the heart enmity on the part of man; and sweetly sets forth the great Day's-man who laid his hand upon both, and brought about an everlasting reconciliation for the elect of God; and none can be at peace with heaven, but those who live by faith upon the gracious peace-maker, the Lord Jesus Christ, who has levelled the high partition wall, and blotted out the hand-writing that was against it.

5. Walking with God, is a distinguishing mark of sonship-a seal of adoption-a proof of Jehovah's favour; for none but those Christ shed his blood for will be indulged with this privilege. Such was Abraham and Hezekiah; they walked before the Lord, and with him here, and are now with him, and will be for ever." Children walk and dwell with their parents, have special claims upon them, and friend with friend; so with all related to God. There are special privileges enjoyed, peculiar honours conferred, distinguishing blessings bestowed, and they have food to eat the world knows not of: they wear robes and ornaments far more costly than gold can purchase, and have a merit in them, that they admit the wearer into the court of heaven above, to sit with the King upon his throne, and join in all the pure worship of that better world."

6. None but those who love God supremely, can walk with him, and because they are first loved by him as the cause, they love him as the effect. We love the company of those who esteem us, but saints love God for his rich mercy, his infinite wisdom, his boundless power, faithfulness, his goodness prepared for the poor; for the invaluable blessings of the ancient covenant, secured by oath and promise; for a ransom price for the liberation of captives; for a meetness to enjoy all given grace; for the ministration of angels; for electing undeserved love; for the many unexpected visits of mercy paid; for the faithful footsteps of providence in leading to hear the glorious gospel, opening the heart to receive it, while many are left to oppose, to revile, and to reject it; to persecute its heralds, to slander those who love it, and to vent their enmity against the author and object of it.

7. To walk with God in amity, we shall need the continual influences of the Holy Spirit to quicken, incline, and strengthen us in the way. We are like a garden, often want watering; and like little children, we shall require food continually. We are often shut up, and shall need enlargement. We are prone to wander like sheep, to wither like grass, and none but the Divine Comforter can restore and invigorate. He must unseal the book of God, and explain the heavenly mysteries; give an open ear to hear the Shepherd's voice, and an open heart to receive him and his love. The abandoned and backslider he only can reclaim, and lead to the cleansing blood of him who prays for murdering men," Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." He converts the incorrigible sinner, and alarms those who long thought themselves safe, while dreaming in danger. He never quits the heart where he once takes up his

abode, nor lets go the brand that he has snatched from the burning, but will place it before the throne of God to burn and blaze in bliss for ever. But it will be found impossible to travel in heaven's high way without this constant companion; and we are exhorted not to grieve this Sealer up to the day of redemption.

8. Those who walk with God, cannot be satisfied without fellowship with God. We read in the history of Abraham, Gen. xvii. 3., that God talked with him. And it is one of the high and happy privileges of the saints to hear the voice of God. "He will speak peace to his people," says David. Sometimes he speaks terror by his law, and the blood of sprinkling speaks pardon and purity. Jacob could not be content until a blessing was spoke to his heart,— "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." And Christ's sheep hear Christ's voice. He passes by, and says, "live!" and millions once dead in sin have heard him say, "Arise, and follow me!" And drowsy sleepy saints he addresses with, "Awake, thou sleeper, arise, and call upon thy God." National judgments have a voice to warn man to seek a city more solid than earth can afford, and friendship more firm than can be found below. Death is continually sounding an alarm," Depart, this is not your rest."-Worldly prosperity, how uncertain, and how loud the voice, happiness is not in me!' But the gospel gives a certain sound, and invites to a banquet of substantial food-wine that cheers the heart of God and menjoys unmingled, and proposes pleasures without pain. Here the spiritual senses are sweetly regaled; beggars drest in the robes of God, and forget the trials of this lower land; they soar and sing of him who ever loved them, and made choice of them, for jewels to set in his diadem. He sunk down from heaven, to raise them to a throne in this wicked vale. He calls them, walks with them, and talks to them, and is gathering them home in succession to be where he is, to behold his glory for evermore. "To him that hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his blood, and made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen."

Hampstead.

6

JAMES.

(For the Spiritual Magazine.)

THE FREE AGENCY OF MAN.

As our ears are continually dinged with the sound of man's free agency, permit me, Mr. Editor, through the medium of your valuable publication, to offer to the church of God a few remarks on this important subject, which, if rightly considered, does display, in a striking manner, the glorious attributes of Jehovah in his dealings with

his creatures.

And 1st. of the free agency of the guilty sinner, who is living under the influence of a depraved heart that Jehovah hath created

:

all things for himself, (i. e. the display of his glory) is a truth which can never be overturned by all the sophistry and stratagems of men or devils; and that his glory is and ever will be displayed in all his works, is positively asserted by the word of infallible truth, (Psalm cxlv. 10. Exod. xiv. 4.) and will therefore be as much displayed in the destruction of the wicked, " whom he hath created for the day of his power," as in the displays of his mercy to the people of his love. Now the inquiry that arises from this truth is, how Jehovah's glory can or will be displayed in their (the sinner's) destruction? To which I reply, in the execution of his just and righteous judgment, which will be poured forth on the wicked, as the reward of their transgressions; for "the wages of sin is death." Thus man in his natural state is a free agent, although wrought upon "by the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience;" that is to say, he acts in the freedom of his own will, in the commission of sin; "for let no man say, (whether in a regenerate or unregenerate state) when he is tempted, that he is tempted of God; for God cannot tempt any man, but he is tempted when he is drawn aside of his own lust and enticed;" when by the natural principle of his mind and the sinful inclinations of his carnal heart, he freely and willingly runs into the commission of evil, for man does not commit transgression by any impulse from Jehovah, but because he does not (and he is a sovereign who acts as he will) restrain the natural will (by his grace) from those acts of transgression which are the delight of his carnal and depraved mind. Thus "the thoughts of man's heart are evil, and that continually." "They de- light in lies," and therefore unrestrained, (by Jehovah) they freely and greedily work abomination. And here I would observe, that man in his unregenerate state is a slave to Satan; but he is a "willing slave," not forced by his adversary against his will, but moved by him to the performance of his own inclination; thus the apostle asserts, concerning the Gentiles, (the unregenerate). "They have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness," (Eph. iv. 19.) Thus (while Jehovah in the sovereignty of his divine will, has given them up to the hardness of their hearts), it is a fact that I think cannot be disputed, that they have voluntarily given themselves up to the inclinations of their own evil practices; which appears the more evident from the greediness with which they thus work, evidently shewing the willingness, yea, the determination of the mind in all their pursuits; and herein is much of Jehovah's sovereignty seen; for having purposed to display his glory in all his divine attributes, he does leave men under the influences of their natural and sinful freedom, that his divine justice may be made manifest, in paying them the wages of their doings, which is eternal death.

But I would notice, secondly, the free agency of the believer. And lest some should think I am about to assert any ability in the creature to do or will any thing in his salvation, let me just observe, that no