66 If you should think the little boy's death worthy of notice, there are two or three things that deserve observation. One is the great earnestness he manifested in his inquiries about spiritual things it was not merely asking for talk's sake, but the tender, heartfelt concern shewn in his countenance. About the resurrection he said, Shall I speak when I am raised again?" On the day of his death his sufferings were so great that his mother and her friends could not witness it. The last look at his uncle he appeared quite sensible, though unable to speak; and, though I was not present, yet, from the description given of it, it was such a manifestation of glory upon his soul, it shone so vividly, that it was powerfully reflected back upon the uncle, who, when he came down stairs to tell, seemed like a man who had largely partaken of its influence, which was indicated by the joy of his heart, and the shining of his countenance. I have no doubt if he did not see his soul as and with his bodily eyes, yet that he did by faith. And though he loved the boy with a father's fondness, yet says, his last look I shall never forget; and I cannot fret. When I first communicated to our friend and pastor, Mr. Irish, respecting the little boy, he thought there hardly would be any thing interesting to strangers-he now says, as he entered into it, has altered his mind, and has last week drawn up an account, with his own comment upon it; but as I had then written to you, am not allowed to send it, though I have requested it. I am, Dear Sir, Yours, very truly, Notice of Books. The Duties and Privileges of Church Members. An address delivered to a Gospel Church, and Published at their request. By J. A. JONES. Second Thousand. London: Briscoe, Printer, Banner Street, St. Luke's. Published by Highams, Chiswell Street. 1848. This is the choicest, compactest, and most excellent work of its size, upon the subject treated by our veteran friend and brother, its author, which we have ever seen. MINISTERS, distribute it widely, and recommend it earnestly amongst your people. OFFICERS OF OUR CHURCHES, and members generally, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the counsels and admonitions contained in this invaluable Tract, and endeavour, as far as in you lies, to obey its scriptural injunctions; looking unto Jesus for all needful grace, and giving him all the praise for the energy communicated by his omnipotent and unfailing hand. We perceive that One Penny will buy one, Tenpence a dozen, and Seven Shillings one hundred copies. We have marked the following as specimens of the work now under notice. extracts "It was stated by the apostle, con J. FYSON. cerning the members of the church in Macedonia, that," They first gave their ownselves unto the Lord, and then unto us, by the will of God:" 2 Cor. viii. 5. We have here discovered to us a twofold surrender, and that of themselves. 1. To the Lord. 2. to us. -They belonged to the Lord. They were professedly gracious characters. The Lord had a propriety, in them, before they gave themselves to him. He loved them with an everlasting love, and therefore made choice of them. He chose them in Christ; he accepted them in Him. He blessed them with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: Eph.i.3-6. He, the God and Father of all our mercies, gave the church to Christ, his beloved Son, to be his bride, his peculiar property and treasure. He became their Redeemer. He purchased them with his own blood. They are all saved from wrath through Him. The Holy Ghost looks them up; he hisses for them, and gathers them, because Christ hath redeemed them; and to make good the promise of the "He should see Father to him, that,of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied." Isa, liii. 11. They are dead in trespasses and sins, but the Almighty Spirit of life, quickens, regenerates, and makes them alive. Being made alive by the Lord, they give themselves to the Lord. By believing on Christ, they lay hold of Christ; they rely and depend upon him. Their cry is," O Lord our God, other Lords beside thee have had dominion over us; but by thee only will we now make mention of thy name." Isa. xxvi. 13. "One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel." Isa. xliv. 5. They give themselves to the Lord heartily; being made willing so to do, in the day of the power of his grace in their hearts; even by the working of his mighty power, Eph. i. 19; whereby their minds are enlightened, their wills subdued, and their affections attracted to, and fixed upon, heavenly things. He hath loosed their bonds, Psa. cxvi. 16, and now being liberated, they say,-" Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord, in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten." Jer. 1. 5. Thus they give themselves to the Lord; and the language of their inmost souls is,"That love divine, which made us thine, Shall keep us thine for ever.' A confederated church, united by consent and agreement, will find there are several duties incumbent on its members; which, for their own comfort, credit, and edification, as well as for the glory of God, it will be highly necessary for them constantly to observe and attend unto :1. The first is a principal one :To love one another. This advice is apostolical; and it is indeed good advice. It is, as it were, a general universal debt which man seems to owe to man; much more is it a debt christians especially, and more especially members of churches owe to one another. Christian love is the great law of Christ, who is the churches' king and lawgiver. It is a law which he enjoins on all his subjects. Hear ye him, and receive the law from his mouth.-" A new commandment I give unto you,-that ye love one another ;-as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." Again he repeats it,-" These things I command you, that ye love one another." And, he says,-" If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love." see John xiii. 34, and xv. 10, 12, 17. Oh what is that blessedness which consists in abiding in the love of Christ! Ponder, my brethren, on the relationship subsisting between members of churches; they are brethren. Jesus says to you, "One is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.” Matt. xxiii. 8. Ye have all "one God and Father of all; who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Eph. iv. 6. Mutual love is an evidence of being the disciples of Christ. Indeed it is an universal evidence. "By this shall all know, that ye are my disciples,if ye have love one to another." John xiii. 35. Love and unity make church fellowship most truly delightful. "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Psa. cxxxiii. 1. On the contrary, nothing is more uncomfortable and dishonourable, and surely nothing is more pernicious and ruinous to the prosperity of a church-state, than want of love. "If ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another." Gal. v. 15. Love is the grace that lives and sings, When faith and hope shall cease; 'Tis love shall strike our joyful strings In the sweet realms of bliss. 4. There is the law of communication; temporally as well as spiritually. "Whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" 1 John iii. 17. The inference is-he gives no evidence of the indwelling residence of that precious love! There is a communication of spiritual things also, which will tend to mutual comfort and edification. Speak to one another about divine things; impart, as opportunity offers, your mutual experiences to others, of what God has done for your souls. If you have any valuable spiritual knowledge in divine truth, minister it one to another; and thus be found" building up yourselves on your most holy faith." Jude 20. 5. The important duty of watchfulness. Personal watchfulness. "Let him that thinketh he standeth, take | horts the members of the church at heed lest he fall." 1 Cor. x. 2. Mutual Philippi,— -" In every thing by prayer watchfulness, also. O beware of and supplication with thanksgiving, bringing a reproach on the good ways of our God. Here I feel deeply. Suffer not sin to be upon a brother. Admonish him, according to the gospel rule; but, let all your admonitions and rebukes be in love; faithfully, but tenderly. Aim at your brother's spiritual restoration, and that in the spirit of meekness on your part; "considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." Gal. vi. 1. How precious are the words of the Psalmist "Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness; and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities," that is-I shall then pray for them, Psa. cxli. 5. 6. Mutual forbearance. Bear with one another. Do not bear hard one upon another. Are any strong among you, let them bear the infirmities of the weak. The Lord exercises patience and forbearance, and He is a longsuffering God. "Put on, therefore, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, and love, which is the bond of perfectness," Col. iii. 12, 14. Let forgiveness be never wanting, when repentance is declared, and symptoms of its genuineness discovered. Remember our Lord's directions, yea, his commands; and extend forgiveness not merely unto seven times, but unto seventy times seven, Matt. xviii. 22. Our Master's revealed will, as contained in the 18th chapter of Matthew, is of the last, the greatest importance, to the practical consideration of churchmembers. O read that chapter frequently, on the knee of prayer. But let us not merely learn our Lord's will; let us arise and Do it. "If you know these things, happy are ye if ye Do them," John xiii. 17. let your requests be made known unto God," Phil. iv. 6. And as the apostle requested of the church at Ephesus, so do I request of you. He says, "Pray for me, that utterance may be given to me; that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel," Eph. vi. 19. The Lord has surrounded me, from time to time, with some truly valuable praying souls. And some I have known, by painful experience, that have lost their prayer-books. No profit under the ministry of the word, when that is the case. Again-" Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” Psa. cxxii. 6. Peace-breakers are always prayerrestrainers. O the blessedness, the preciousness, the all-prevailing efficacy of prayer! Prayer was appointed to convey-the blessings God designs to give: long as they live should christians pray,-for only while they pray they live.' 66 Let us now pause, and ponder on the importance of these things. Many are too ready to think that their work lies only in the church; and very little, if any, out of it. This is a sad mistake. The pleasure of religion lies in the practice of it; not only in the church, but at home, and also abroad in the world. There are social and relative、 duties; be found in them. Be the christian at home. What said the Lord concerning Abraham ?—“ I know him, that he will command his children, and his household after him; and they shall keep the way of the Lord," Gen. xviii. 19. Make a point of inviting strangers, and those who dwell around you, with whom you may have influence, to come and hear the word. Again, when you see persons that attend, and appear to be interested in the services, notice them, and speak with them, in order to encourage them; especially young persons. 7. Mutual prayer. Dr. Owen says " It is daily prayer that conquers daily prejudice! It is truly I would hint at one or two more astonishing how full the apostle is, most valuable christian graces; such when upon the subject of prayer. as kindness, gentleness, courteousness, "Praying always for you;" and, sterling honesty, and inflexible truth"always in every prayer of mine for fulness, at all times, and under all you all." And writing to Timothy, circumstances. O aim to cultivate all he tells him, "I have remembrance of these! thee, without ceasing, in my prayers In conclusion. Let us strive tonight and day,” 2 Tim. i. 3. He ex-gether, who shall love God most; who shall serve him best. That we "walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise; redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Revere the sacred word.-Live near to God.-Love the habitation of his house, Psa. xxvi. 8.-Let your loins be girt about with truth; and your lights constantly burning.-And, may we all be as those who are waiting for the bridegroom. May grace, mercy, and peace, be with you; and with all that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity! So prays your devoted servant, and pastor. Once more before we part, We'll bless the Saviour's name; SUNSHINE. Varieties. There is something in sunshine that is agreeable to all: hence it is frequently made use of as a figure, to represent happiness and prosperity. The christian compares his happiest, and most spiritual moments, those moments in which earth becomes a heaven to his soul, to the sunshine of the divine favour. The comparison is a beautiful one, and admits of application in a thousand instances; God is our sun, as well as our shield, and, as in the course of nature, it is not always sunshine, so in the order of grace there are nights of affliction in which the glorious Sun of Righteousness is hidden from our view. Winter succeeds to summer, but summer is not for ever gone. Heaviness may endure for a night, but joy' cometh in the morning. When the sun shines brightly the face of nature wears a cheerful aspect, all looks bright, the grass appears of a livelier green, the sky of a deeper blue; not that they are in themselves brighter, or deeper; but the sun produces the appearance; so comforts seem more comfortable to the believer, and privileges become more precious when his sun shines; true, his comforts are not in themselves more excellent, nor do his privileges increase in intrinsic value, but their value to him is increased. A man may have food without the appetite necessary to enjoy it. The pillars of the promises stand for ever firm and sure; but it is only by faith that we can appropriate them to our individual use; it is only as we are enabled to grasp them, that they can support us. Sometimes the sun is not visible. to us; this may proceed from two causes. First, at night when we are on one side of the earth, and the sun is on the other; in other words, the earth is between us and the sun. Secondly, when a cloud passes before the face of the sun, and hides his beams from us; but in both cases, the evil is not in the sun, but our selves; and truly when the earth comes between our hearts and our God we cannot expect to see his face. The sun is still shining as brightly as before, but the earth prevents us from enjoying his radiance. Our God is still the same to day as he was yesterday, and will be for ever; his mercy changes not, his compassions never, never fail, but our sins have separated between us and God, that is to say between us and the gracious manifestations of his presence : cannot be separated from his everlasting love, or our sins would have done this too. we And when the cloud rises and envelopes us in its gloomy shade, whence comes it? not from the sun, but from the earth. These clouds which rise from self, and the carnal nature, often deprive us of communion with our Father who is in heaven, and seem every way injurious; but our God brings good out of evil. He who maketh the wrath of kings to praise him, makes these clouds to prove the instruments of blessings to his children, as the clouds which overshadow the natural earth, and cover it with gloom for a season, eventually descend in gentle and refreshing showers to water and fertilize it; so the dark clouds which sometimes hang over the chris questions proposed by correspondents, have often tended to instruct the learner, as well as to correct abuses which will creep in, even in the best regulated societies. With a hope that this may be the case again, will you kindly permit the following queries to appear in your columns. Ought not the number of deacons in a church to be regulated by the num ber of its members, or at all events, by the wishes of a majority of the church? Is not the office of deacon really and truly that of a servant of the church? When deacons from servants become masters, would the church be acting tian's path, lead to happy results, for seeing that they arise from self; he learns from them to distrust, despise, and fear self, as his great enemy. But the Lord makes them beneficial in another way, for there are some graces which thrive best in shade. There is a sweet flower called the lily of the valley; which can scarcely live, in the open border; but flourishes in a shady situation; and there is a sweet grace, the grace of humility which is spiritually a lily of the valley; and it is frequently the case, that when we are in the shade this grace is being exercised, and strengthened, then it flourishes; and often when the chris-improperly in coming to such a retian sees how faith, love, and humility have been increased by trials, is he constrained to own that it was indeed a sweet affliction. Times of sorrow wean us from earth, if earth were a heaven below we should not look forward with such longing desire to the heaven above: thus, as the cloud succeeds the sunshine, here we long for the sacred, high, eternal noon above, for the rest that remaineth for the people of God. One remark more: how graciously our father suits his favours to our necessities. Christian brother or sister, when it was the winter of affliction with you, (and what Christian has not experienced this), do you not remember a glimmer of hope, a ray of consolation, a beam of sunshine being poured into your mind? Ah yes, you do; say, was not that winter's sunbeam, which was so suitable, and came so opportunely, more precious, and did it not communicate more pleasure to you than whole days of unclouded summer's sunshine? it did. If the dark cloud now hovers over any of the Lord's people, oh! that they may remember that the Lord is still there, though hidden by the cloud; and may he shortly break through the clouds, and pour a ray of refulgent brightness into each mourn ing heart. Amen. W. M. THOMPSON. solution as the following :-" The deacons of this church having over-stepped the limits of their office, and become masters instead of servants: we call upon them either to retrace their steps, or resign that office to those who will well and truly perform their duties as servants of the church of Christ should do?" The adored Head of the church said “He that will be greatest among you, let him be your servant." By so doing, dear sir, you will greatly oblige yours in him, the Head, MEMBRUM SOCIUS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE Dear Sir, little work would feel much obliged A constant reader of your valuable of Mr. Milner, of Rehoboth Chapel, London, would, through the medium of the Gospel Herald, give his views on the following subject. I have very recently heard it advocated, that it is the duty of every person in the world, both regenerate and unregenerate, and also devils in hell, to love God. Now this looks very strange to me; and, being myself a poor ignorant creature, I thought I would refer the matter to Mr. Milner, who is a minister that very much respect, and one whom I have heard preach both in Town and Country with pleasure, and I hope with some degree of profit. Should he not think the subject worth devoting any part of his time to, I humbly ask pardon. |