and St. Peter speaks of him as "chosen of God and precious." 2 Pet. i. 4. He was elected and chosen to the office of Mediator between God and man, to be the Saviour and Redeemer of the Lord's people; to be the head of the church, the foundation and corner stone of that spiritual building, and to be the Judge of quick and dead; and to be the author and giver of eternal life to as many as were given him: yea, and so precious too, that he is made higher than the kings of the earth, or than the angels in heaven; and a name given him above every name in this world or in that which is to come.

Well, so are the saints the elect of God, as St. Peter says, "elect according to the foreknowledge of God;" elected to grace and glory, and chosen too, in preference to all others, to constitute that church of which Christ is head, and to live with him hereafter in glory: yea, and so precious to him, that he says he will keep them as "the apple of his eye," and "watch over them night and day, lest any hurt them;" that though a woman may forget her sucking child, yet he will not forget them; and he gives to them "a name better than of sons and of daughters," even "an everlasting name that shall not be cut off." Yea, so precious are the saints to God, that he calls them his treasure." "The Lord (says the psalmist) hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure." Psalm cxxxv. He has chosen them as his inheritance, his portion, his peculiar people, and who are to him as a treasure of jewels. They shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." Mal. iii. 18. Well, then, as Christ was elect, chosen, and precious, the saints may say in the apostle's words, " as he is, so are we in this world."

66

Is Christ now in heaven? so are the saints representatively while in this world; for when he rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven, they rose with him, their Head, and he represents them while they sojourn here below in the tabernacle of their flesh, Col. ii. 12. so, even in this sense, as he is, so are they in this world."

And here, let me remind you, on the testimony of a learned commentator, Dr. Gill, that in three different versions of the bible, the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic, the text is, "as he was, so are we in this world." As Christ was in this world a man of sorrows, attended with afflictions, loaded with the reproaches, and followed with the persecutions of men; so are his brethren; and he has forewarned them not to expect better treatment than himself. "If the world hate you, said he, ye know that it hated me before it hated you; ye were of the world, the world would love its own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. The servant is not greater than his Lord; if they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you." John xv. Was Christ tempted of satan, forsaken by his friends, and deserted by his God? Yea, he was tempted by satan in the wilderness ;

if

he was so forsaken of his friends, that when he preached the truth to them, it is said, “from that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him." John vi. 66.—and he was so forsaken of God, that in bitter agony he cried out, "my God! why hast thou forsaken me!" Well, so are the saints tempted of satan to doubt God's promises to them; to doubt their acceptance, or that he will preserve them safe to glory; and as David says, "this is their infirmity." Ps. lxxvii. They are sometimes tempted to do those things which God has forbidden; and the conflict is sometimes very sharp and bitter between the flesh and the spirit. And they are forsaken by their former friends, who separate them from their company, and reproach them, and cast out their names as evil. Luke vi. 22. And they are sometimes deserted of God, are without any comfortable sense of his gracious presence, and walk in darkness and see no light; and thus like Jonah in the belly of the fish, they cry unto the Lord by reason of their affliction, when his billows and his waves pass over them. Well, then, as Christ was tempted of satan, forsaken by friends, and deserted by God, the saints may say, "as he was, so are we in this world."

Did Christ go through a great variety of sufferings, and death itself, to his present state of glory in heaven? So must the saints "through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God," Acts xiv. 22. and though the "parrow way" in which they are travelling to the heavenly Canaan may sometimes seem to them a rough way, as it did to Israel of old, while journeying through the wilderness to the earthly Canaan ; yet it is a right way and as it was fit that Christ the captain of his people, should be made perfect through sufferings, Heb. ii. 10. to bring many sons to glory, it is a needs be that those sons should suffer too. God has appointed afflictions for his people, and has appointed them to afflictions, 1 Thes. iii. 3. that they may be partakers of his holiness, Heb. xii. 10. it is a needs be on account of the decrees of God, for he has said, "I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord." Zech. iii. 12. It is a needs be for the trial and exercise of the several graces of the Spirit, to wean them from the world; to draw their affections to another and a better state; and perhaps to make the joys of heaven sweeter when they come. Well, then, as Christ was subject to sufferings, the saints may say, was, so are we in this world."

66

as he

Was Christ righteous in this world? Yea, verily, "he did no sin, nor was guile found in his mouth," 1 Pet. ii. 22. he performed an unsinning obedience to the law, and perfectly fulfilled the righteousness of the law. The saints are righteous as he was righteous; for St. Paul speaking of his righteousness, says, that it is "unto all and all them that believe." Rom. iii. 22. 66 For," says he, as by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one, shall many be made righteous." Rom. v. 19. As by Adam's sin all his posterity are made sinners, and so are brought under

upon

a sentence of condemnation; in like manner, by the obedience of Christ, the second Adam, all his spiritual seed are made righteous, and are justified in the sight of God, and entitled to eternal life. The church of England holds this doctrine in her 11th article, where she says, 66 we are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deservings." I take it that in the same way the sins of Christ's people became his, his righteousness becomes their's. Now their sins became Christ's by imputation only; the Father laid them on him, imputed them to him, or placed them to his account; and he took them upon him, and looked upon himself as answerable to justice for them; and so in the same way, his righteousness is made over to and put upon his people. "For he who knew no sin, was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him," 2 Cor. v. 21. that is, accounted righteous in him, through his righteousness imputed.

There are several things said of this righteousness of Christ imputed to believers, which serve to set forth the excellency of it. It is called "the righteousness of God," Rom. iii. 22. being wrought out by Christ, who is God as well as man ; approved and accepted of by God, and freely imputed by him to believers, as their justifying righteousness. It is called "the righteousness of ONE," that is, of Christ, who is the one common head to all his seed; and though his obedience, or righteousness, serves for many, it is "the obedience of ONE," Rom. v. 18, 19. and therefore they are justified, not partly by their own obedience, and partly by Christ's, but by his only. It is called "the righteousness of the law," Rom. viii. 4. being wrought by Christ in conformity to the law; so that this righteousness is a legal righteousness, as performed by Christ, being every way commensurate to the demands of it; though evangelical, as made over to his people, and revealed in the gospel; for it is manifested without the law, though witnessed to by the law and the prophets. It is called "the righteousness of faith," Rom. iv. 13. because it is revealed to faith, and faith lays hold on it, receives it, rejoices in it, and boasts of it. It is called the "gift of righteousness," and "the free gift," and "the gift by grace," Rom. v. 15, 16, 17. because freely wrought out by Christ, and freely imputed by God the Father; and because faith is freely given to receive and embrace it. It is called "a robe of righteousness;" the church says, "he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness," Isaiah lxi. 10. not with her own, for that is a rag and not a robe, and a filthy one too, Isaiah lxiv. 6. but with the righteousness of Christ, which being imputed to his people, covers their persons and their nakedness, and all their sins, so as not to be seen with the eye of avenging justice. It is spoken of as "a garment down to the foot," Rev. i. 13. because it covers the whole mystical body of Christ. It is signified by "gold of Ophir," and "clothing of wrought gold," Psalm xlv. 9, 13. because the finest gold was found at Ophir, and

which adorned queen Esther's dress; and because Christ wrought it out for his church, and it is rich and valuable, substantial and durable. And it is also spoken of as "raiment of needle-work," Psalm xlv. 14. perhaps to shew the pains and trouble it cost Christ to work out this righteousness for his spouse the church. It is said to be change of raiment," Zech. iii. 4. and "the wedding garment," Matt. xxii. 12. for want of which the uninvited guest was turned out from the marriage supper.--Yea, it is called "the best robe," Luke xv. 22. because a better robe than Adam had in Eden, or the angels in heaven; their's, at best, being but the righteousness of a creature, and that loseable, as the event shewed; but Christ's righteousness is the righteousness of God, and an everlasting one. Well, then, as Christ was righteous, his brethren may say, as he was, so are we in this world."

March 1, 1826.

(For the Spiritual Magazine.)

ELAH.

OBITUARY.

MR. EDITOR,

If the following account of divine sovereignty, in the dispensation of grace, should be thought worthy of a place in your excellent Magazine, its insertion will oblige,

Somers' Town.

Your's, &c.

G. C.

After my dear friend had expreesed himself freely on his son's affliction, the irritability of his disposition, his habitual swearing, &c. he says, "My son was the subject of early convictions, and when a child, on hearing a sermon from Cor. v. 2. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, which was never forgotten by him, states, that the affliction which terminated his earthly existence, was attended with serious impressions, which he freely communicated, and expressed a hope that the Lord would not take him away till he made things of an eternal nature more plain to him. I perceived a great deal of patience under his sufferings, which surprised us all, and which I believe to have been God's gift. His disorder wearing, at times, a favourable aspect, he expressed a wish to live, that the reality of his state might be manifested; but turning out the reverse, I observed, on the account the physician gave us of little or no hope, that the balm of Gilead, and the great Physician of souls, was the only remedy. There appeared a great thirst in his soul for divine knowledge. I spoke of the benefits of right prayer, of the spirit of prayer; he said, he had poured out his soul to God, but feared he was not heard; yet he had hope, for he remarked, "He never will say to Jacob's seed, seek ye my face in vain." Expressing his abhorrence of himself, for his gross sins, committed even from his youth up, he

"but

said, he thought at one time they were too vile to be forgiven, I do not now think so." I said, I believed that God could not only pardon, but justify, in a way honourable to the divine character; and "whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely,"-yea, "whosoever calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "Do you think so?" he said; I replied, "Yes, my son, and I trust my God has now answered my prayer for you, the first of my dear children, for whom I have travailed in prayer and supplication for twenty-three or twentyfour years." This seemed to console his mind; and I said further, "I hoped he was seeking salvation through the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, applied to the heart by the Spirit of God:" he replied, with peculiar fervency, "I have no merit-I am so vile; if I am saved, it must be by the merits of Christ alone-I have no other dependence."

I then freely conversed with him on the leading doctrines of the gospel-the fall, the remedy, the righteousness of Christ, the atonement; and particularly on the doctrine of election, knowing the great enmity of his mind in times past against those divine truths; on all of which he was enabled to express his views very freely, — said, it was God's word—his experience joined with it. The scriptures now became very precious to him, particularly many portions as read by his dear mother. But I must now come to his happy moments before death approached him, which was the 24th of February, 1826, aged twentyfour years.

On Wednesday morning I entered his room,-he said he was very happy; on the same day, myself and the rest of my family went in to see him; the solemnity of that occasion I shall never forget. After prayer and praise, I attempted to leave the room, but he said, "Father, do not go-I have something to say to you." I therefore sat down, and introduced the subject of the penitent thief on the cross; in the midst of my discourse with him, he clasped his hand, and fixing his eyes heavenward, addressed the Majesty of heaven in the most solemn manner, on behalf of me, his mother, and four sisters and brothers; but, oh! the most pleasant part of it was on his own account -begged God would give him more grace, more faith, more patience, more submission to his righteous will, and not leave him to himself, no, not for a moment; then, turning to me, said, “Father, you have been speaking of the dying thief, and I should like you to sing the hymn (at the same time repeating the words) —

"The dying thief rejoiced to see

That fountain in his day;

Oh! there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away."

"Was

Afterwards discoursing on the important truth he had been singing, he desired again to sing the praises of God. I asked him, any other hymn he could wish?" he repeated, "Grace 'tis a charming sound," &c.

there