where all is purity, activity, and praise. But I am writing to one who understands the secret of "having nothing, yet possessing all things ;" polluted from head to foot, yet clean every whit; naked and destitute, yet with the garment of salvation clothed, and covered with the robe of righteousness, and thus shall be brought to the King, and stand "accepted in the Beloved." Will not such an one sing, "O to grace how great a debtor?" Yes, truly, and so will I. "But we in the tabernacle do groan, being burdened;" and this is literally the case with me, for the Lord hath appointed me to labour under a complaint that has been coming on me for more than four years, and now at times causes me to suffer much acute pain, without the hope of cure, until I am brought to the house appointed for all living. But shall I not say, with Him to whom I trust my soul is united, by sovereign grace, "The cup that my Father has given me, shall not drink it?" Yes, since it is a covenant needsbe prescribed by a gracious Father, given by the hand of love, and who told me, when my sufferings commenced, "My grace is sufficient for thee." Therefore, while grace is given, faith will endure-patience will hold out; so that in due time I shall reap the benefit, and God shall have all the glory. * * You will see I began this letter last week. I have been very unwell since; and writing is trying to me, so that I can sit at it but a little while at a time; and that has been one cause of my reply to yours having been so delayed. Seeing I am so circumstanced, I hope you will not so strictly adhere to the law, as to require an eye for an eve and a tooth for a tooth," but rather act upon the apostle's doctrine, "Remembering those that are bound, as bound with them." As I am so much confined to the house, a letter from a Christian friend is well calculated to cheer. I have been reading this morning a piece in the GOSPEL MAGAZINE, entitled "Relationship to God" in our glorious Emmanuel. It is a very blessed part of divine truth. Oh that I could comprehend it better, and lived under its sacred influence more; but, alas! I often feel as if I was "turned and tossed as a ball," unless I gain a sight of our great, our spiritual Eloikim, as the nail fastened in a sure place, on whom is hung "all the glory of his Father's house," the offspring and the issue, vessels of small quantity, cups as well as flagons. It is a mercy to hang upon the Lord Jesus, but more blessed to rest upon Him ; and those who know most of it can say, "His rest is glorious." I am like the poor German we read of a few months since in the Gospel MagaziNE, I want to live without work; rest on my Father's lap; make known my desires to Him; and leave things in his wise and gracious hand, well knowing he will perform all the things He appointed for me. But I possess such a busy mind--at least, about things which I had better leave alone-that I often take up things which only vex and perplex me, when it would have been more wise in me not to have exercised myself in such matters. What a pleasing change do we witness since a few weeks have passed over our heads; instead of the prophesied famine and starvation men talked of, our land yields an abundance, so that the monopolizing prophets are put to shame. Thus, in the midst of deserved wrath, the Loid hath remembered mercy, causing us to eat in plenty, and be satisfied," praising the name of ga the Lord our God, who hath dea!t wondrously with us. My thoughts having never been trained, are quite ungovernable in writing: so that, if a subject strikes my mind, and I begin to write upon it, I always leave it unfinished, for my thoughts are sure to settle upon something else before i have said what I wished to have said; consequently Iramble from one thing to another, and say much to little purpose-still I hope I am kept from rambling out of the gospel field, and so prevented from gathering wild gourds, which would poison the whole. What a bustle our nation has been in with electioneering! The candidates for a seat It is a in Parliament have worked hard to make their election sure. great mercy the Lord has made his peoples' sure, without the aid of man; and all they need, is grace to work it out, by living a life of faith upon the "Son of God.” So will they carry out their principles maintain their rights-enjoy their privileges-honour their great Elector-be useful to fellow-citizens, and possess a peace which their opponents can neither give nor take away. I feel the privilege of being So hear the sanctuary, where my soul is often blessed and refreshed. The Lord hath dealt well with me, and I would heartily "Praise Him for all that is past, And trust Him for all that's to come." Are we shortly to expect brother David back from Ireland? or does he mean to continue there? May the Lord crown his labours with a blessing, and still preserve his life. With our united Christian love, I remain, yours sincerely in Jesus, From under the Apple Tree. Begun July 30; finished August 6, 1847. REBEKAH. PSALM CXIX. VERSE 1 Testimonies, from a word signifying "watering." 2 Testimonies, from a word signifying "repetition." 3 Ways, from a word signifying "to walk upon." 4 Precepts, from a word signifying "oversight." 5 Statutes, fron a word signifying "an appointed portion." 6 Commandments, from a word signifying "to mark out." 7 Judgments, from a word signifying "to level or equalize." 9 Word, from a word signifying to "draw or lead." 38 Fear, from a word signifying "reverence." 91 Ordinances, the same word as judgments. J. N. D. To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine. MY DEAR FRIEND, I send you the copy of a letter which was written to me the other day. It came with some degree of power, and afforded me encouragement. It seems to me so honest and genuine, that I am induced to forward it to you for insertion (if you see fit) in the "Gospel Magazine." How merciful are the dealings of our wonder-working God with His poor erring creatures! May we know Him more and more as our all, and realize, through grace, our own personal and individual interest in those great words recorded in 1 Cor. i. 30. Pray for me, and let me hear, God willing, how you are, and whether the work of the ministry is prospering in your hands. I am, my dear friend, very faithfully yours, in the truth, Winchelsea, near Rye, Nov. 19, 1847. MY DEAR SIR, J. J. WEST. I am much pleased to think you were gratified on receiving a little present from your unworthy, but sincerely-attached friend. It appears a token for good for me that you should find it in your heart to acknowledge the same, by writing. I can assure you it was sent out of pure love that I bear for both you and Mrs. W- for the best things, and because I feel the love of God dwelleth in you richly, and a desire for a continuance of your love and friendship, having found it to be good. to be with you and under your ministry. I believe I may say I bave been favoured to find the word, and eat it, and that it has been as bread cast upon the waters found after many days, to the joy and rejoicing of my heart, and to the strengthening and establishing of my soul, that I cannot but love the dear instrument through whom it has been blessed, and believe I ever shall and must, for "whatsoever maketh manifest is light and life." Some of the Scriptures that I heard you preach from at Midsummer are, still very sweet on my spirit:-"A people near unto Him. Praise ye the Lord." "As we have received mercy, we faint not "—which gives me a longing and desiring to hear you again; for what is all preaching or talking without feeling. This Scripture was brought to my mind a few days back with some degree of sweetness, "Ye shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of my mouth," and I felt, "Truth, dear Lord, there is nothing but thy word applied by power that the poor soul can feed on, and nothing else that it desires for." You ask me, dear Sir, how I am getting on in the narrow way? More helpless and hopeless than ever in and of myself; I find it is too narrow for flesh and blood; that nothing but the Spirit will enter there. 1 find still the company of two armies contending "the law in the members"-warring against the law of the mind, so that "I cannot do the things that I would." That, was not Christ (as I hope He is) formed in my heart the hope of glory, I should be of all creatures the most miserable. But, blessed be His dear name, He does favour me sometimes with such nearness of access to Him, that He lets me pour out my heart before Him-make all my wishes known-that "I can do all things, through Christ's enabling me." Well might dear Paul say so, "for all things are possible to him that believeth." This is when He is pleased to take away my stony, unbelieving heart, and give me a heart of flesh; then I can give Him all the glory and the honour, and " crown Him Lord of all," and I can sing with the poetMy wi ling soul would stay, In such a frame as this, But I must come from the mount, as I am not often favoured enjoy this happiness for any length of time, but for the most part feel my barren and bewildered state, groaning on the account of sin that lives and dwells in me; but, through mercy, I feel sometimes the preciousness of that sweet Scripture, "Sin shall not have dominion, but grace shall reign through righteousness unto salvation ;" and that is ny hope and my refuge. I must beg you to excuse this scribble, and with my best love to dear Mrs. W, with many thanks for her kind letter and tract, which I like much, believe me to remain, Your attached friend, R-H- House, Hastings, Nov. 17, 1847. E. C. The Protestant Beacon. From the tyranny ofthe Bishop of Rome, and all his detestable enormities, good Lord, deliver us."-Old Prayer-book Version. MR. EDITOR, 66 THE PURGATORIAL BOX." To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine. I feel obliged by your inserting my last communication in the "Gospel Magazine," concerning a young man who killed himself by dissipation, and the priests by their acts declaring his sins venial, inasmuch as purgatorial fires could cleanse and wash them away. I am thus emboldened to write further on the subject, being fully persuaded the workings of Popery have only to be known to be disapproved of by all those who profess and call themselves Christians. The priests have consummate tact in defending their doctrines, and they adduce many plausible arguments in their support, but facts are stubborn things; these they cannht so easily contravene. We had lately "the month's mind," or month's memory, for the soul of this same young man. It is performed one mouth after the person dies. On the occasion, eighteen priests with eighteen candles, celebrated masses, and now, we should think (after all the prayers, chaunting, and money- —no small sum, I understand, being expended) that his soul was free from the pains of purgatory; but Rome does not so easily part with the cash; she will have more masses said for him. It is the custom (certainly one more honoured in the breach than in the observance) to have two masses said yearly for the family, both dead and alive, in this parish, for bere we have Popery in perfection; and I believe in most of the parishes of Ireland there is what is called "the box," to which the farmers subscribe quarterly, and thus ensure a certain number of masses to be said for their souls when dead. I know not the exact amount of the sums they contribute to it, but we may form some idea, when a poor woman told a lady in this neighbourhood, last week, that she paid eight shillings yearly for herself and husband "to the Box." The poor creature was selling part of the turf she had saved during the summer, in order to have the money made up by quarter day. Even the pittance of the poor cannot escape that seeming charitable church, in theory; how different in practice! "the Thanks be to the great Head of the Church, the Irish Society is doing much good here; they give the Bible to the farmer and cotter in his native language. Many of the people, I rejoice to say, are reading that blessed word which makes wise unto salvation, and before which that money-making fable, purgatory, must vanish away, because "the entrance of God's word giveth light, it giveth understanding to the simple." Rome knows this, and uses every effort to suppress word," but let the Irish Society be cherished-let the converts she has made (and they are many) be protected; let our scriptural schools be supported, and, with God's blessing, the hitherto benighted peasant will read in his native tongue, that through the Lord Jesus Christ (and not through purgatory, penances, or pilgrimages), and through Him alone, is preached unto them the forgiveness of sins, and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses (Acts xiii. 38, 39). S. Reviews. Kelso Tracts. We have often been asked to recommend sound Gospel Tracts, and therefore we deem it not to be unimportant to warn our readers against those which are unsound. The nearer the counterfeit comes in appearance to the true coin, the more likely are persons to be deceived by the base metal. The above tracts contain many parts that would be reckoned quite sound, but the enlightened reader will judge of their tremendous unsoundness by the following extracts from Tract No. 5, on "Believe and Live" :-" Do not say I cannot believe; Christ says Ye will not.' It is your unwillingness that keeps you from believing. Do not say, I am seeking Christ, but cannot find Him. This is not true. It is Christ who is seeking you, and not you who are seeking Christ. Cease to flee from Him. Allow Him to |