Spirit is pleased to take from amongst men the heirs of grace, they are, by heavenly light imparted, rendered holy. In the principle of life they have, there is radically seated every grace and property peculiar to connexion with the Son of God; and by the duties practised by them the whole of them are delineated. The doctrines of the gospel, minister to the nourishment of the new principle of grace; and by them the Holy Ghost is pleased to work upon the powers of the mind to bring the regenerated man near to God in a way of faith and recumbency. As in regeneration the mind is passive in the reception of a spiritual principle of action, so in effectual calling the light of doctrinal truth is shed upon the mind, and there is a discernment with delight of the things of God. Indeed, consciousness of want is a characteristic of spirituality; for however the carnal man may be satisfied that the things of the gospel are true, yet he has no inward zest and relish for them. The aptitude of the spiritual man to discern and desire the things of God, is peculiar alone to that state of being into which the whole election of grace is brought; for the gospel revelation of the person, headship, priesthood, and reign of Christ Jesus can only savingly influence that mind which has a faculty to discern the nature of truth, and to embrace the Saviour by it. There is in the earth a passive fitness to receive the falling rain, and to convey it to the numerous tribes of vegetables which are supported from her nutritious stores; and so there is in the sanctified man a fitness of disposition to receive with pleasure and profit whatever is proclaimed by God to him in his word. The work of the Spirit upon the regenerate man is to open by the word the glorious person of Christ, and to render the knowledge of him efficient to promote true godliness. As Christ is made sanctification to his seed by the will of God, the regenerated man who is acquainted with his personal depravity and criminality, is ever desirous to know him, that he may be able to plead against all the just charges of the law what the Saviour has done for him, and the right which he has by the imputation of his righteousness to reign in life with him for ever. The glory of the person of the Son of God is manifested by his relationship to the church, and his offices are filled with the spiritual worth and dignity of it for the salvation of his seed. No one of his offices is to be preferred before the others, for they are alike of paramount importance in the scheme of eternal wisdom revealed to us in the scriptures. It is true that the priesthood of Jesus is endeared to the humble and contrite soul, because in that office he made an end of sin and redeemed the church to God. But it is equally certain, that the saving worth of the ransom of Christ can never be esteemed by that man on whom the light of his prophetic office has not shone, and his kingly power has not been exerted. These distinct offices of Christ are replete with salvation to his members, although it be in very different senses. By his priestly worth, he has restored the honour of the divine government, and reconciled God and his church; for he has removed

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transgression by which alone enmity existed in the mind of God against a corrupt sinner: but as an enlightening Prophet, he has made known his Father to the church; and by the gift of the Holy Ghost, those who were dead in sin are quickened to feel and taught to know something of the spirituality of the law, the criminality of sin, and the defilement of their nature. And as a King he reigns in the sanctifying virtue of his atonement to reconcile his people to God. The priesthood of Christ sanctifies us in a sovereign way from the charge of sin" Jesus, also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate." His prophetic office is displayed by illuminating them to see the want of his ransom. But by his kingly reign he conveys the blessing, and through the whole his Deity is manifested, for this honour is too great to be conferred upon a mere mortal. The holiness imparted by regeneration is strengthened by the persuasive and convincing influence of truth on the mind; and in proportion as the understanding is enlightened, freedom from native slavery is accomplished, and the person of the incarnate Saviour is endeared to the christian, and he is sincerely loved by him.

A true christian is an active man in the service of God. It is very evident, that the works of righteousness which are done by him are no part of his justification to life eternal; but they are performed by him in faith and love, according to the commands of Christ, and they are expressions of his alliance to the person and allegiance to the government of Jesus his King and Saviour: "that ye put off, concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Again, the apostle expresses the same fact in another form, "seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." By these facts we learn that the devout man is actively employed in denying himself and obeying the Saviour. Spiritual life is the ability of the saint for holy action. It is that principle by which the Holy Ghost works on the mind, and consecrates its powers for the worship of God. As the natural man does by his conduct delineate the nature of the life which is his power of acting, and we see that there is no sanctity or moral rectitude in his actions, we conclude that he does not honour God thereby, for God is not in his thoughts, as the law of creation requires that he should be, in order to render what is done by him an act of natural religion and homage to God. But as the new man which is the production of God, and the good thing which is by the Holy Ghost communicated through Christ, to constitute a man a true saint, it is to him a meetness or disposition of mind by which he is prepared for every good word and work. The former man cannot do any thing which can please God; but the latter can, for he has in the root of life within him

those graces, which by the will of God are considered necessary, to render his actions done by faith in subjection to the law of Christ really spiritual. It is impossible to divide the quality of an action from the agent who performs it. Now vital union to the person of the Son of God, which is effected by the Holy Ghost, brings the men so united to him into connexion with all his fulness. The grace and sanctity which are in Christ provisionally for the heirs of God, and diffused through the whole body of believers in his name, as truly as the sap in the root of the tree is by a fixed law circulated through all the branches to maintain the life which was at first derived from it. This constant influence which is shed from Christ upon all his living members without exception is the influential cause of their spiritual movement in his service. The graces of a christian state are as much the object of divine care as are the persons on whom they are bestowed and in whom they inhere. They are not given to any, but those who by absolute election have an inbeing in Christ, and they are positive expressions of the love of God to them; yea, without these rich favours there is no fitness in the mind to enjoy the love of God in and through Jesus Christ. But they are given to be employed in the worship of God, and by the use of them the old man is put off in his deceitful lusts, and the new man is put on. This is evident in the temper and conduct of every gracious man under heaven. The apostle illustrated this in a remarkable manner: wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God: for when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now ye are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held, that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." Here the apostle Paul asserts, that sin is dead in the damning and reigning power of it, and the things which were hateful in a state of unregeneracy are truly lovely subsequently to a spiritual birth.

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When the Almighty Saviour spoke to Matthew, who was sitting at the receipt of custom, and commanded him to follow him, Matthew immediately did so. Hence we learn that holy activity can never precede spiritual consciousness. In the case of Zaccheus we see the certain consequence of a change of state most strikingly exhibited. This man was the chief of the publicans; and no doubt that as a farmer of the taxes he had often gratified his cupidity. But when Jesus called him from the sycamore tree, and announced to him that he would tarry that day at his house, Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, this day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham; the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

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Grace does indeed display the sovereign goodness of God to sinners as well in saving them in this life from unrighteousness as in the next from everlasting ruin.

But we are reminded that we are dependent on the mercy of God for supplies of strength to do his will. The favour of God to his children is manifested in them by making them acquainted with their real state and condition. The man who thinks that he can do without the things of God betrays an awful state of enmity against God; but from such a state of enmity against, and aversion to the doings of God, every truly spiritual man is saved by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Thus, planted by the Lord in a heavenly state of being, he relies on the person and work of Christ for acceptance with God and communion with him. Imperfection and infirmity will attend him, so long as he remains in the Alesh; his prayers will often remind him of this, and he will be under the necessity to study his own heart by the light of the gospel, in order that he may learn where lies his strength to do the will of God. Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered; and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

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We have the bible in our hands; but we are as much dependent on the person of the Holy Spirit for a correct and saving understanding of it, as were the men who wrote it for his plenary inspiration to teach them what to write. No man who has stood long in the church of Christ will conclude, that all the knowledge of God which is diffused amongst real christians has been derived from the scriptures by the renewing of the Holy Ghost. If it had been so obtained, it is beyond question certain, that the holy influence by which the eternal Spirit enlightens and cheers the mind would have saved them in a potent way from the workings of corrupt nature and from indulging its evil passions; but it is not so; for many there are whom we can but think are of the household of faith, who yet are not so set apart from evil motives and from the policy of the world, which has of late so corrupted the churches, as it is desirable they should be; yet they can speak well of the person of the Son of God, and of his interest in the world. All the saints are alike dependent on God for grace to succour and support them while they wait in hope for their dismissal from the toils of the wilderness into the kingdom of Christ our Lord. Prayer is an appointed means by which God is graciously pleased to sanctify his children in the name of Christ from the power of in-born sin. The church of old when she was in a suffering state, and mourned over the calamities she endured, turned to God in the midst of them, and prayed, "let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the Son of Man whom thou madest strong for thyself: so will not we go back from

thee; quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts; cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved." We are no losers by our dependence on God; for his perfection and attributes are displayed in the person and work of his Son for our everlasting salvation. This fact I conceive is adverted to by the Psalmist, when he said, " Let mount Zion rejoice; let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments. Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even unto death."

By every event that transpires we are learning that lesson which Christ taught his disciples, " for without me ye can do nothing.' What has been said above with respect to knowledge we may here repeat in reference to strength. It is a truth to acknowledge our insufficiency to do any spiritual good, but to feel it and act in conformity with the conviction and consciousness of the mind that is wholly supernatural; yet, amidst the repeated proofs that we are insufficient of ourselves for any duty, service, or suffering, we cannot forget our connexion with Christ. The ties are such that they can never be severed-love, blood, and power. Each of them influencing and cheering the emasculated worm who looks up to the Rock of Ages for help in the hour of need. The interest that the Son of God has in his family, he is maintaining and perpetuating, by renewed supplies of grace, by which he is preserving their confidence in him, and causing their faith and patience to outlive all enemies and storms.

(For the Spiritual Magazine.)

ON THE MERCY OF GOD; A REPLY TO J. M. D. J. M. D. says, 'I trust I am perfectly safe in declaring, that no attribute is essential to the nature of God; since an attribute is not an inherent but an adherent quality. The word is derived from the latin attribuo, which signifies to assign, to impart, to convey, to give; and it must be allowed, that donations, conveyances, imputations, and assignments, are not essentials, but adjuncts.'

Notwithstanding this, the word attribute appears to me to import -those glorious and natural perfections of the Divine Being, which men in general, knowing from the light of reason and revelation that he is essentially possessed of them, have with one consent attributed to him. Their attributing them to him did not cause him to possess them, neither did he first assume them when they first ascribed them to him; but rather, they attributed them to him because they esteemed them to have been his eternally, essentially, and incommunicably.

I may, perhaps, expose my own ignorance; but I must say, that I am not acquainted with any philosopher, or divine, or indeed with

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