66 side of the river, they were borne 66 "Saith the Lord of hosts." This is no human testimony. It is an unqualified assertion from the tongue of him who is the Lord of lords. Men and angels are, as creatures, if unpreserved and unprevented, capable of mistake and liable to err. But of HIM who knows all from the beginning, from whom nothing is hidden, who has all power in all worlds, who is the centre of unerring wisdom, who is the source of love and holiness, who "cannot lie," and "with whom there is no variableness, neither the shadow of a turning." Nothing can be truly said which alleges the possibility of failure in any of his wondrous plans or precious promises. hearts, in spiritual things, were | having landed safe on the Canaan sometimes brought, as it were, to a dead stand, and made to doubt whether they had ever known or loved their God at all; these, even these! all praise to changeless love and dateless favour, shall be, in the day of account, the especial joy and treasure of the Lord. Nor is contingency allowed to creep in here, sence of assembled worlds, and they SHALL be mine, saith the be crowned, as his," with the Lord." The statement is clear-bright and unfading diadem of ly definite, positive, and uncon- eternal glorification. ditional. We shall not, if divinely instructed, gather a notion from this gracious and glorious assertion, as to the Lord's people becoming his at the last day. They were his in Christ the Mediator, "before the mountains were brought forth," before the foundation of the world; they were his even when they were in desire and in deed "the children of wrath even as others," and were beheld with "great love" even when they were dead in trespasses and sins; they were his when they were called by grace, made new creatures in Christ Jesus, and brought to see and feel the killing power of the law, and the reviving energy of God in "the gospel of his Son;" they were his when waging a daily warfare with foes without and foes within, they struggled, and sometimes seemed to do little better than stumble along in their way through the wilderness of life; they were his when they came at the close of their journey, to the awful and fleshalarming hour of dissolution, when they set their feet in the Jordan of death, and felt an icy thrill through nature's frame, as they experienced the coldness of the stream; they were his when, day of fuller developement; IN THAT DAY." Oh! mar, vellous day. The day of final reckoning; when the accompts of divine justice will be audited and published in the presence of the whole creation of God; the day of amazing disclosure; when the hidden acts and secret thoughts of all hearts and hands will be revealed, and the cloak of false and formal profession, will be stripped off the shoulders of many whom we have regarded as safe for all eternity. The But why are the people of God called his " JEWELS ? when the mysteries of the divine government, in creation, in providence, and in grace, will be 1. Jewels or precious stones seen and confessed in the clearer are sought out and brought from light of the eternal world, to be their natural obscurity. Deep in strict and unswerving accord- in the dark bowels of the earth, ance with the righteousness of or in the far down caverns of the Jehovah; so that, while elect an mighty sea, are pearls and gems gels and blood-bought men, shall of various kinds concealed; they sound forth the glories of the never move from their native grace and goodness of a triune position by will or power of their God, lost and condemned fiends own; a power altogether above and mortals shall groan out, even all which resides in them must in their anguish, a deep-felt and be used both to find them and solemn confession of the righte- bring them forth to the light of ousness and justice of the eternal day. So, of the people of God, it throne. The day of final settle-may be said that they have, naturment; no appeal will be possible ally, neither desire nor strength to from that bar. Then and there move out of the depths of unwill the state of all accountable regeneracy and sin. But the creatures be unalterably fixed. Lord has promised to search and Oh! my soul! where wilt THOU find them out, and by the exercise be then? Oh! my reader, where of his own mighty power, to will be THINE abode? translate them to a state of grace here, and of glory hereafter. 66 66 66 66 "When I make up my jewels." The estimation in which the 2. Jewels are mostly obtained children of God often hold them- from lonely and sterile places. selves, and the esteem with Prized as they are, eventually, which their heavenly Father re- they are found, commonly, in gards them, are widely different. wild, barren, and uncultivated I am a vile rebel," says and spots, so that, whatever value is feels the sensible sinner. Thou put upon them, no part of it art a pleasant child," says the arises from the place or circumLord. "I abhor myself in dust stances in which they are found. and ashes,” cries the self-con- In like manner it is said of the demned believer. "I have loved finding of the church by God. thee with an everlasting love," He found him in a desert land, exclaims the Most High. "I and in the waste howling wilderam all filthiness, all wounds, ness," Deut. xxxii. 10. Buried bruises, and putrifying sores," deep amidst the dirt and rubgroans the self-detesting saint.bish of the fall, undistinguished, "Thou art all fair, without spot until dug out from the dust and or wrinkle, or any such thing," declares the Saviour Bridegroom of his beloved bride, the church. But this apparent contradiction arises from the believer looking at himself as he is in himself, while his God looks at him as he is in his ever-blessed and allworthy Lord. mould by which they are surrounded, they lie until the Holy Spirit, who may be called the heavenly treasure seeker, comes with resistless energy, and by various instrumentalities discovers the jewels of grace, brings them up from the mine of carnal nature, and prepares them for the honour and use of their divine and rightful proprietor. 3. Jewels are purchased at a great cost. Some of them cost immense sums of money. Imitations of precious stones are plentiful and cheap, but not real brilliants. May we not apply this particular to the living in Jerusalem; they are less numerous than mere imitators, and were bought at a high and wonderful price. May we not say, with reverence, that they were purchased at as great a price as God in Christ could pay, for they are expressly exhibited in the scriptures as "jewels "who were "bought with a price," and that price "the precious blood of Christ." their future and final position. Thus it may be said of the rough rubs of a trying providence, of bodily and mental affliction, of permitted temptation and soul trouble in every form that these are but the polishing processes through which the jewels of grace must pass, preparatory to their glittering, with eternal lustre, in the crown of the "King of saints." 6. Jewels (especially if royal property) are recorded in an inventory. A correct account is kept, by proper officers, of all the jewels of the monarch. The jewels of "the great King" are all set down, by the hand of sovereign love, in the "Lamb's book of life,' " and the book and all the names inscribed therein, 4. Jewels have only an im are in the keeping of almighty puted value. They are not, like faithfulness, nor can the book be food, and the materials of appa-lost, or a single name be erased, rel or habitation, so to speak, until the power of Jehovah shall inherently valuable, but men, be overcome, and his faithfulness from the esteem in which they be made to fail. hold jewels, have fixed a high value upon them. Even so, to some extent, we may speak of the church; naturally and in herently she is without value; but Jehovah, for the great love with which he has ever loved her, has placed the righteousness and death of his dear Son to her account, and for his sake imputes worth and worthiness to her. 5. Jewels have to be diligently polished. After they are found and brought from their natural oblivion, the lapidary has to work actively and patiently in shaping and polishing them to sparkle on the robe of nobility, or in the crown of royalty. The "jewels of God" have to undergo many disciplinary processes ere they are "made meet" for HIMSELF: 7. Jewels are strongly and safely secured. They are, if properly guarded, placed in the safest place which can possibly be found. This is emphatically true with regard to "the jewels of God." He has deposited the spiritual interests and eternal safety of his people in his Son, and through him IN thus we read, "Your life is hid with Christ, IN GOD." Glorious security, blessed situation. The saints of Christ are safe in Christ, and the heart of deity must be rifled, and the Christ of God destroyed ere one of these "jewels of God" shall be stolen or lost. Reader! is it your mercy to hope, with a good hope through grace, that you are one of these favoured ones? Do you long To be of faith is also to possess that faith which is of the operation of the divine Spirit, which is a blessing of the covenant of grace. This holy life, derived from Jesus the holy Head T. SMEETON. of the church, is the vital root and principle of all the spiritual, appropriative acts of the mind, EXPOSITION OF Gal. iii. 7. receiving Jesus as our ransomer and righteousness; "For with BY W. REYNOLDS. EYNSFORD. the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the therefore, that mouth confession is made unto salvation," Rom. x. 10. 66 Know ye, they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." To be of faith is also to live a life of faith upon Jesus, constantly receiving out of his fulness, fresh supplies, resting on his faithfulness and power, and proving the promise true, "My grace is sufficient for thee." To be of faith is, furthermore, to yield the obedience of faith, in the practical and willing observance of all the instituted ordinances of the gospel. In baptism, an open profession of faith is made; in the supper, Jesus is the food upon which, by faith, believers live, and in the holy obedience enjoined by Jesus as King in Zion, the fruits of faith appear. Such, then, are of faith, and stand in an honourable relation; for of whatsoever tribe or nation they may be, "the same are the children of Abraham." But in what respect? In this epistle, the doctrine of justification is the theme of the apostle, and his aim is to convince the church of having fallen from their stedfastness in this, and in other doctrines of grace, by supposing that circumcision was essential to justification and salvation. He clearly shews that Abraham was justified by faith in the imputed righteous ness of Christ, the promised seed, before the rite of circumcision was instituted. In the appeal he makes to them in this verse, he affirms, that there are some of Adam's race which are of faith, and that those, whether Jews or Gentiles, are the children of Abraham. In whatever sense we understand the words, 66 'know ye,' ," whether in the interrogative, do ye know? or in the affirmative, ye do know, or in the imperative, learn to know, the important truths that follow are the same. To be of faith, as here ex-in number, those of believing pressed, is to be graciously ap- Jews, Isaiah liv. 1. Natural depointed of our sovereign Lord, scent gives no interest in gospel to receive the grace of faith, grace or gospel ordinances, Matt. which is his gift in Christ Jesus, iii. 9. in whom the church is blessed with all spiritual blessings. 1. Not naturally. There are multitudes of true believers not of Abraham's line; and believing Gentiles will, ultimately, exceed 2. Not federally, or representatively, or in any sense that in volves headship. That cove ham in the person of his virgin nant which Jehovah made with mother, he made it manifest that Abraham, was conditional, and he had previously taken hold of on the conditions required, pro- all his own spiritual seed, in mised a long possession of Ca- everlasting love and covenant naan's land to his posterity, with mercy. Thus he became our all temporal blessings and privi- Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit leges therein; but it never pro- through him becomes our sancmised grace here, nor glory tifier; yet it is declared, that hereafter, to Jew or Gentile; nor "the same are the children of has any spiritual blessing or Abraham." How so? I answer, privilege ever been denied from By IMITATION, and by that And if not, in those respects, it. then, only. The words, child, children, or sons, are often used in this sense, especially when characters are described, or placed in contrast. Children of Belial, are wicked one. Children of the prophets, are those taught by the prophets, whom they imitate in teaching others. Children of light, are believers who are said to be "followers of God as dear children, and walk in love." Those also who are of faith, are, in this sense, children of Abraham. In the following texts, and many others, the same sentiment is expressed, and should so be understood:-Matt. v. 44, 45; John viii. 39, with 46; Rom. ii. 29, and iv. 11, 12, 16; Gal. iii. 26, 29; James ii. 22, 24. Those children, blessed with faithful Abraham, as in verse 9, had the same interest with him in the covenant of grace, and possessed the same faith in common with all believers, Heb. xi. 2. All such are imitatively the children of Abraham, in FAITH, and OBEDI 3. Not spiritually. The church was chosen, and blessed with all spiritual blessings, not in Abraham, but in Christ; he only is the head of the covenant of re- followers or imitators of the deeming grace; and, although the Lord informed Abraham, that in his line, from Adam the promised seed should be formed, yet this was also promised to David, who is, thereby, equally honoured with Abraham; nor must we deny this honour to our father, Adam, from whom Christ's genealogy is traced by Luke down to his virgin mother; but there is nothing spiritual flows from Abraham in this line. The everlasting covenant of grace was made known to Abraham, but not made with him, nor confirmed to him, otherwise than it is made known and confirmed to all believers, who with him are saved by it, Psalm xxv. 14. In receiving the blessings of covenant mercy, we have no more to do with Abraham than with David, or any other named in the line; nor can it be known that all who are there named ENCE. Here let the history of were even ofthe election of grace; his life be traced out, especially it is enough for us to know, that that comprehensive sketch of it Messiah thus became incarnate, in Heb. xi. 8 to 19. May all and in him is no sin. In thus who profess to be of faith, thus taking hold of the seed of Abra-prove they are the children of |