́in their true sense and bearing, constitute the only creed to which they appeal, or upon which they set any value. Their profession is to believe as they are told, and to do as they are bid, in those Scriptures, and acknowledge no human authority in the kingdom of God. At their meetings, they teach, exhort, and admonish one another by the Holy Writings, expatiating on the abundant mercy and grace revealed by their Lord and Saviour; urging one another to mutual love and attachment; to kindness and mercy towards all, even to the unthankful and unholy; to purity of behaviour, to sobriety and humility; to the most scrupulous honesty and integrity in all their dealings; and to a conduct irreproachable and free from blame. Does it not appear that these churches are distinguished from the sects of the present day, by the clearest and strongest dissimilarity of institution and of character, and by such a conformity to the Holy Scriptures as entitles them to be esteemed as churches of the living God? And does it not also appear that the things whereby this distinction is made are not trifling things, but things connected with the happiness of men, both here and hereafter, as well as with the honour and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ; if that does appear, as we think it does, then it follows, that all who believe the gospel and fear the Lord of life and glory, should be in the fellowship of such churches. In such fellowship Christians are where the will of the Lord requires them to be; where they can be of real advantage to each other; where it is appointed they should be edified; where their love to each other can be manifested; where they can be really useful to each other; and where they can best glorify their Lord and Saviour, by an obedience to his commandments.'-Preface of the Correspondence alluded to, p. 8.' THE FOUR SENSES OF SCRIPTURE. “THEY devide the Scripture in to foure senses, the literal, tropological, allegoricale, and anagogicale. The literal sense is become nothing at all. For the Pope hath taken it clean away and hath made it his possession. He hath partly locked it up with the false and counterfayted keyes of his traditions, ceremonies and fayned lies; and partly driveth men from it with violence of sword. For no man dare abide by the literal sense of the text but under a protestation, if it shall please the pope...... "Thou shalt understand therefore that the scripture hath but one sense and that is the literal sense. And that literal sense is the roote and ground of all and the ankre that never fayleth whereunto if thou cleave thou canst never erre or go out of the way. And if thou leave the literal sense thou canst not but go out of the way. Never the latter the scripture useth proverbs similitudes redels or allegories as all other speaches do, but that which the proverb similitude redel or allegory signifieth is ever the literal sense which thou must seek out diligently...... "The greatest cause of which captivity and decay of the fayth and this blindness wherein we now are sprang first of allegories. For Origen and the doctors of his time drew all the scripture into allegorie, whose ensample they that came after followed so long till at the last they forgat the order and process of the text, supposing that the scripture served but to fayne allegories upon. Insomuch that twenty doctours expounde one text twenty ways as children make descant upon plain song. Then came our sophisters with their anagogicale and chopological sense and with an antitheme of half an inch out of which some of them draw a thread of nine days long. Yea thou shalt find enough that will preach Christ and prove whatsoever point of the faith that thou wilt as well out of a fable of Ovide or any other poet as out of St. John's gospel or Paul's epistles. Yea they are come unto such blindness that they not only say the literal sense profiteth not, but also that it is hurtful and noisome and killeth the soul...... "God is a Spirit, and all his words are spiritual. His literal sense is spiritual, and all his words are spiritual. When thou readest Mat. i. She shall beare a sonne and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sinnes. This literal sense is spiritual and everlasting life unto as many as believe it.. finally all God's words are spiritual, if thou have eyes of God to see the right meaning of the text and whereunto the scripture perteyneth, and the final end and cause thereof. "There is no story nor gest, seem it never so simple or so vyle unto the world but that thou shalt find therein spirit and life and edifying in the literal sense. For it is God's scripture written for thy learning and comforte. There is no clout or ragge there that hath not precious relick wrapt up therein of fayth, hope patience and long suffering and of the truth of God and also of his righteousness." TYNDALE ON CHRISTIAN LOVE. "Christ is the cause why I love thee, why I am ready to do the uttermost of my power for thee, and why I pray for thee. And as long as the cause abideth, so long lasteth the effect even as it is always day so long as the sun shineth. Do therefore the worst thou canst unto me, take away my goodes, take away my good name; yet as long as Christ remaineth in my harte so long I love thee not a whit the lesse, and so long art thou as deare unto me as mine own soule, and so long am I ready to doo thee good for thine evill, and so long I pray for thee with all my hart for Christ desireth it of me and hath deserved it of me. Thine unkindness compared unto his kindness is nothing at all, yea it is swallowed up as a little smoke of a mighty wind and is no more seen or thought upon. Moreover that evill, which thou didst to me, I receave not of thy hande, but of the hande of God and as God's scourge to teach me patience and to norture me. And therefore I have no cause to be angry with thee, more than the child hath to be angry with his father's rod, or a sick man with a sour or bitter medicine that healeth him or a prisoner with his fetters, or he that is punished lawfully with the officer that punisheth him. Thus is Christ all and the whole cause why I love thee. And to all can nought be added.” MISCELLANIES ON THE LATTER-DAY GLORY. "That he should be heir of the world." "THE Apostle, who is treating in this passage of eternal salvation, seems to transfer, unseasonably, his readers to the world; but, in general, he comprehends under this expression the renewal which we have cause to expect from Christ. The restoration of the life of believers was the chief object, but the collapsed state of the whole world required reparation. The apostle, therefore (Heb. i. 2), calls Christ the heir of all the divine blessings, because the adoption, which we have procured by his grace, has restored to us the possession of the inheritance from which we fell in Adam. But since under the type of the land of Canaan, not only the hope of heavenly life was offered to Abraham; but the full and solid blessing of God, the apostle teaches us that the dominion of the world was justly promised to the father of the faithful. The pious enjoy a certain taste of this in the present life; for however frequently they may be pinched by the straits of want, yet, because they partake of the creatures formed by God for their use with a calm conscience, and enjoy earthly blessings from the hands of a propitious, willing, and kind Father, as pledges and earnests of eternal life, their poverty does not prevent them from acknowledging heaven, earth, and sea to be their right. The wicked, though they swallow up the riches of the world, can call nothing their own; nay, they rather snatch them by stealth, for they usurp them with the curse of God. The pious feel it a great solace in the midst of their destitution, that while they live sparingly nothing is stolen from others; but they receive their lawful allowance at the hand of their heavenly Father, until they shall discern the full possession of their inheritance, while all creatures will be subservient to their glory. For both earth and heaven will be renewed for this express purpose, that they may enjoy a share, according to their measure, in adoring the splendour of the kingdom of God." HODGE, ON THE SAME TEXT. "The promises in question, may have reference to the actual possession of the world by the spiritual seed of Abraham, and Christ their Head. The declaration, that Abraham should be the father of many nations, and that his seed should be as the stars of heaven for multitude, included far more than that his natural descendants should be very numerous. If they who are of faith" are the seed of Abraham, and the heirs of the promise" (Gal. iii. 9-29), then will the promise as stated by the apostle, have its literal accomplishment, when the kingdoms of this world are given to the saints of the most High God (Dan. vii. 27), and when the uttermost parts of the earth become the possession of Christ. In this sense the promise includes the universal prevalence of the true religion, involving, of course, the advent of Christ, the establishment of His kingdom, and all its consequent blessings." The Baptist churches in London, in the year 1646, published a confession of faith in the form of fifty-two articles, many of them expressing valuable truths in clear language. The 20th article is as follows, "The kingly power of Christ shall be more manifested when he shall come in glory to reign among his saints, when he shall put down all rule and authority under his feet, that the glory of the Father may be perfectly manifested in his Son, and the glory of the Father and the Son in all His members." The references to Scripture for confirmation of this article are, 1 Cor. xv. 24, 28; Heb. ix. 28; 1 Thess. iv. 15-17; 2 Thess. i. 9, 10; John xvii. 21, 26. RICHARD BAXter on the BOOK OF REVELATION. Baxter is the author of a Paraphrase on the New Testament, not much known in these days, but worthy of higher estimation than some other commentaries that might be named. To the end of the Paraphrase he appended an "Advertisement" to explain the difficulties he met with in commenting on the Book of Revelation. .“When I had for my own use written the rest of the paraphrase on the New Testament, I proposed to have said nothing more of the Revelations than the three first chapters, professing that I understood it not. But after being loath to omit wholly any part of the New Testament, and thinking that the renewed study of that which speaketh so much of the New Jerusalem, might be suitable to a pained dying man, I thought of it more searchingly than I had done heretofore, but have not now either the strength of wit, or length of time that are necessary to so hard a work, and therefore presume not to oppose others, but refer the reader to them that have more thoroughly studied and expounded it than I can do. Ι "The points which are too hard for me, are these especially. "I. Whether the dragon, beast, or false prophet, or whore, be the special Antichrist? and whether the case of Antichrist be here much or at all meddled with? "II. What is the first beast, chapter xiii.? "III. What is the second beast? "IV. What is the image of the beast? "V. What is his mark received, and what his name, and what is the number of it received? "VI. What is the whore ? "VII. Who are the two witnesses? and where and when killed? "VIII. What is the binding of the dragon, and the thousand years' reign, and resurrection, and where? "IX. What, and when, and where is the army against the holy city, and the wars at Armageddon ? "X. What, and when, and where is the new Jerusalem ?" After this he gives many reasons, and at considerable length, for not following the usual interpretations of "the whore," &c. with reference to Popery; though he seems very anxious to make his readers understand that he neither affirms nor denies anything on the question, and that he wishes to be considered as remaining neutral, not having light enough to come to any decision. The style of his paraphrase may be seen by his explanation of Chap. xx. 4: "And I saw thrones," &c. "The happy following state of the church was further represented to me by the appearance of thrones, where men sat in judgment, shewing the dominion of Christians over their enemies. And I thought I saw the souls of martyrs, whom the Pagans murdered, and not only of them, but of all sound Christians, who had abstained from all participation in the Pagan idolatries, and they lived and reigned as superior to their enemies with Christ, the King of the Church, a thousand years." Note: "Here is no talk of the body's resurrection, but the soul's living and reigning with Christ; and it seemeth to mean that as the souls of the faithful live and reign with Christ in heaven for duration, so the successors of such will partake on earth of such a reign as Christ will exercise in his Church." On the 7th verse "the thousand years," the note is, "Some say that it will be a resurrection of the bodies, some only political. Some say that the thousand years began at Christ's birth, or at the apostles' preaching; others at the destruction of Jerusalem, and ended about Hildebrand's time. Some at Constantine's empire, and ended at Boniface VIII. that killed the Albigenses. Others that it began 1560. Others again, that after the fall of the Papal Antichrist, Christ will visibly return, and set up a holy kingdom whose chief seat shall be at Jerusalem. "He that knoweth which of these is the right, let him tell it, for I do not." And this last sentiment pervades the whole paraphrase; he seems to have considered any fixed interpretation of the Book of Revelation utterly hopeless. THE PRAYER OF A SAINT.-EPн. iii. 14. THE tenor and subjects of our prayers will ever be in accordance with our knowledge and apprehension of God, and of the relation in which we recognise Him as standing toward us and we to Him. Thus, if we regard God as having given us only the hope of the attainment of salvation by Jesus Christ, our constant desire before God will be for the brightening and strengthening of that hope, as that which we feel to be needful for our comfort and peace of mind. But as to any farther revelation which God may have given of his mind and purpose, we can feel but little interest, whilst there remains a doubt as to our being personally concerned and having a portion therein. But if we are enabled, in the undoubting simplicity of faith, to take our stand upon the sure foundation which God hath laid for every sinner, in the incarnation, death, and resurrection of His beloved Son, our desires will naturally go forth after the knowledge of more of what is the purpose of God, in connection with the manifestation of the glory of Him in "whom we have obtained an inheritance.” Now, one great design of God, in the gift of His Son, was the manifestation of His love. His power, His unspotted holiness, must be exhibited; His justice, as the Supreme Governor, must take its course. But in Jesus, all can be displayed and exercised in love. God is love. And in Jesus "dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." What Jesus expressed of God was love, as set forth in that short summary in his own blessed words: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Sou, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John iii. 16). Thus the first step of a sinner's knowledge of God is, that he so loved him. But it is in the farther increasing knowledge and apprehension of the love of Christ, that we are led on to the fulness of God. Now this is the prayer of the Spirit of God, He who maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God; asking, of course, only for that which it is our blessing to receive and know, and God's glory to bestow and communicate. We are too apt, judging of God by the narrowness of our own hearts, to remain satisfied in the attainment of a clearness of hope as to a future and final deliverance, looking upon the glory to be revealed as no portion of our present knowledge. But this is surely wrong, it is all the portion of faith now. "We have the mind of Christ," and the Holy Ghost abiding with us and in us; and although "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him," yet “God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit, for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God" (1 Cor. ii.). It is true, that in present circumstances, as being yet in the body, and in the region of sin, that we (6 see through a glass darkly," but yet it is "all things," and thus our power and capacity of understanding are now, in kind, though not in degree, the same as they will ever be. But we are not sufficiently careful to distinguish between the perceptions of the natural mind, and the perceptions of the spiritual mind by faith. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John iii. 3). "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned; but he that is spiritual judgeth [discerneth, marg.] all things" (1 Cor. ii. 14, 15). Being born again, and having spiritual life and perception, we are capable of receiving the things of the Spirit of God; and it is in the exercise of our spiritual powers, in the diligent study and meditation of what God has revealed, that we grow up "unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph. iv. 13). To be satisfied with any measure of attainment in divine things, is fleshly, natural; or, to be satisfied with less than God has seen fit and necessary to give-"the fulness"-"all things." But the true secret of our willing ignorance is, that every step of attainment in the knowledge of God, involves painful self-denial and crucifixion of the flesh. It is the prevalence of the "carnal mind," which is "enmity against God," over the "spiritual mind," which receives and delights in the things of God, as being of Him. Thus there is so much of death in our life, for the "carnal mind is death"-" the spiritual mind is life and peace." 66 Oh, how much of present joy and peace in believing should we experience, if, at once discarding from our hearts all fellowship with the "weak and beggarly elements of the world," we took our stand practically and constantly on the sure foundation" of Jesus Christ and him crucified, yea, risen and ascended to God; growing up into him in all things, which is the Head." Hence, indeed, would the deep vistas of eternity open to our view. stretching out in peaceful calm and light-the King in His beauty-with all around subject in the holy and blissful harmony of love. The fellowship of all this would give joy and repose to the soul, in the trying scenes around us, and the conflict within us. "And The testimony of the Spirit in the scriptures, is characterised as being to Christ"the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow" (1 Pet. i. 11). beginning at Moses, and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in ALL the scriptures, the things concerning himself" (Luke xxiv. 27). Christ is the mystery of God. God "created all things by Jesus Christ" (Eph. iii. 9). "All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made" (John i. 3). "All things were created by him and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things consist" (Col. i. 16). "I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last" (Rev. xxii. 13). The mystery of Christ is "the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all" (Eph. i. 23); the man and the woman, in the great purpose of God-"This is a (the) great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church" (Eph. v. 32). "And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead" (Col. i. 18). In Genesis we read, that "God created the heavens and the earth," and man "in his own image;" and He looked upon all that He had made, and pronounced them very good." But we find that both the heavens and the earth became defiled by 66 sin. 66 66 "The angels kept not their first estate" (Jude 6.); and man, listening to the temptation of Satan, likewise fell and sinned, in disobeying God. Thus did the design of God seem to be frustrated, and the course of this world, dead in trespasses and sins, has ever since been running on in sin unto death, under the power of him who has the power of death. But God's purpose was not defeated, for it was in Himself He purposed, “ according to the good purpose of His will,' according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord," "before the foundation of the world,”—not as depending at all upon the obedience and rectitude of His creature, but upon Himself. And herein we learn the needful lesson-that, separate from God, there is no endurance for the creature, and that it is only by the grace of His own imparted power that the creature can live. All God's dealings have tended to shew us what we are, yea, more, what all creatures put on their responsibility of obedience must be; and what he is-God-the sustainer of all things. Thus man continued to stand, apparently upon his own responsibility, but as a sinner, and incapable, for ages, but with obscure intimations, known to faith, of grace. "The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John i. 17). And the incarnation of the Son of God contains the whole of the mystery of God (developed to faith by the Spirit), as to creation, redemption, and |