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a delightful frame. I went to her bedside and gently repeated, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil : for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.' She knew my voice, and taking my hand in both of hers, grasped it with the tenacity of death. Never, never, shall I forget the perfect coldness of that icy pressure: it penetrated my very soul: her affectionate heart clung to me even in the arms of death. I said, whilst she still retained my hand in hers, 'if you can, let me know the state of your mind.' She made a great effort, and at last said, 'Christ-per-fect peace.' In this happy state, without a struggle or a groan, she breathed her soul into the hands of her Redeemer.

E. B.

THE DOUBLE.

"It is written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true."-JOHN VIII. 17.

WHETHER it is in the nature of things, or only in the nature of man, a doubting, distrustful, timid, self-deceiving creature, it is a fact of everyday experience, that we seldom feel confidence in any single testimony. The possibility of deception, the probability of mistake, the imperfection even of our senses, and still more questionable nature of our sensations, are sufficient to account for such distrust among ourselves, till it has grown even to a proverb that men should" believe nothing of what they hear, and only the half of what they see." How naturally, even in unreflecting infancy, the doubting eye puts forth the feeling hand, or the startled ear fixes the penetrating eye, for confirmation of its first impressions; to make sure if it sees what it sees, and hears what it hears and only when several of our senses witness the same thing, do we become entirely satisfied with their testimony. Human legislation has almost universally, I believe, recognized the principle of the inadequacy of a single testimony, by requiring two or more witnesses in all covenants, deeds, prosecutions and other processes of law. By the divine legislator the same principle is benignly recognized in the law of Moses-One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses shall the matter be established:" thus concurring with ourselves to fix the stamp of fallibility for ever upon the creature.

But the thing that may well engage our attention, is the abundant condescension and consideration of Almighty God, in the adaptation of his own dealings, especially in the Gospel, to this infirmity or necessity, as it may be, of our nature. God, the infallible, the sure, the truewho is himself alone and essentially "The truth," should have no need of witnesses if He speaks, it is sure; if He intimates, it is done; if He manifests, it is even so. But instead of adapting His communications to His own nature, to His own dignity as it might be supposed,

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He has most graciously condescended to our weakness; our foolishness, our uncertainty and instability, seeming to give the tone to all His converse with us. It might be well thought strange, it is strange, that the moment God speaks, man does not believe; the moment God promises, man does not trust; the moment God decrees, man does not submit: nevertheless, He has both condescended to and provided for, our unreasonable hesitation; doubling and re-doubling the evidences of his truth, to enlist even our senses and our reason on his side, as if we might not be expected to believe him on His mere word: as if He were a man that He should lie, or the Son of Man that he should repent and change his mind. Let us consider some of the most remarkable of these redoublings of evidence in the gospel.

I think one of the most remarkable and beneficient, is the duplication, as it were, of the plan of redemption, in the temporal history of the Jewish people, wherein is exhibited, not the broad fact merely, but every step, and every feature to the minutest particular of the method of salvation of the Church in Christ: as if the Redeemer had said at first, as he did say at last, ye will not believe my words, believe my deeds-believe me for the very work's sake, that have been done before your eyes from the beginning. Not only is the condition of the Jews a standing evidence, that the Bible is indeed the word of God; but every portion of their story is an abiding witness, or we may rather say, a host of witnesses, that he will keep his word, and do all that he has said for good or evil; lest peradventure when we have recognized his word, we should still have misgivings about his power and faithfulness to fulfil it. Unnecessary witnesses again they might be thought,— God and not true! God and not able! Alas! every believer in the Holy Book knows and feels himself a Gideon every day: "Let the fleece be dry;-let the fleece be wet,”- -or we might read once for all and be at rest.

Another remarkable duplication of God's witnesses to himself, is the testimony of the Old Testament to the actions and character of our blessed Saviour. Our Lord's own words, such as no other man spake ; his works, such as no other man could do; the ocular and oracular testimony borne to him of the Father in the waters of Jordan, and on the Mount, were abundantly sufficient to certify his pretensions to divine authority, and authenticate whatever he might teach. But this evidence is fortified by predictions, not of great events, and general purposes only; such as characterized the oracular predictions of the heathen world. They related mostly to things that might be aptly guessed at, events not unlikely to happen, and were given in such large outline, that whatever did happen might be skilfully moulded so as to fill it out. We may contrast with them the obscure transactions, the seemingly useless occurrences, in all their minute and unimportant details, which took place only that the scriptures might be fulfilled, and were foretold only that when they took place, it might be known that God had done it; and evidence upon evidence might be accumulated; first, of the divine inspiration of the books in which these details are found mingled with things of deep eternal moment; and secondly, of the divine pretensions of him by whom they were as exactly fulfilled as if the fate of nations had depended on them; as if the procession upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass, had been indeed, the triumphant

entry of Zion's everlasting King. "Wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" If they had studied thoughtfully Isaiah's prediction of this royal cavalcade, they need not have asked that question: but they would have seen in its very littleness, meanness, and contemptibility, as sure a testimony to the Messiah's character then, as will be seen hereafter in his glorious appearance, when he comes with angels and archangels and all the hosts of heaven. It is but one of many similar events, that seem to have transpired only that the scriptures might be fulfilled, and to have been written only that unbelief might be without excuse; every sense, and faculty, and perception of the rational creature being called to witness and confirm the truth of the most High God, and of Jesus Christ whom He hath sent. Well might it be said, "if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead?" they would not have had so much reason to believe: for that would have been the testimony but of one,-whereas in the fulfilment of those scriptures they had the double witness :-"I am one that beareth witness of myself, and the Father that sent me, He beareth witness of me."

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In the last book of the Holy Volume, the mysterious and scarcely yet unsealed Book of Revelations, a double witness is mentioned, of which I cannot say much, because I understand but little: I mean the two witnesses clothed with sackcloth: two olive trees: two candlesticks: two prophets; as they are variously called in the same chapter: so potent, that they should smite, torment, and kill throughout the earth, as often as they will:" so impotent that men should overcome and slay them, and leave their dead bodies unburied on the earth. These metaphors are very difficult of application to any thing yet appearing to be the meaning of the passage. Most interpreters of prophecy understand it, I believe, to signify by the two witnesses, the Old and New Testament. I confess myself not satisfied with this interpretation; but I can propose no better, and therefore admit that it may The Old Testament bears abundant testimony to the authenticity of the New-while the latter recognizes, establishes and explains the writings of Moses and the Prophets in every part. And worthy of remark it is, that though we, who have both these witnesses, find as much of Christ, as much of the Gospel, and as sure a hope of salvation in the Old Testament as in the New: so that it may be doubted to which the enlightened believer turns with most delight: they who accept the testimony of but one, the Old Testament only, never come to any knowledge of the truth at all, in respect of the redemption of mankind.

be so.

However this be, God has now two known witnesses set upon the earth, to whom is committed the whole care of man's salvation in the knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: by whose testimony we must stand or fall, and be individually justified or condemned.

Many years ago, I accompanied a friend on a visit of charity to the sick room of a very poor and suffering Christian: an object she seemed indeed of pity for this world, but enjoying a remarkable degree of spiritual elevation, and confidence of her own state and prospects in the world to come. To all our inquiries about the ground of her strong confidence and full assurance of salvation, she gave one simple answer"I know that it is true-for God gives it me all double." I cannot tell why her artless words have remained on my mind so long, and

recur to me so often when reading the Word of God, except it be their fitness to express the real condition of the assured believer in Christ Jesus who knows that he has passed from death unto life, and cannot die, because he believeth in Him. But so it was, that the confiding sufferer's simple speech came to my mind in hearing the above text this morning and determined my reflections to the present subject.

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Yes this is the double that we all must have, before we can have peace-before we can be sure that we are safe: the witness of God's Holy Word without the witness of God's Holy Spirit within: always sufficient together-always insufficient when they seem to separate, even for a moment, in their testimony to our own personal condition and interest in the Gospel. True, the written word remains always the same: God is the same- -Christ is the same-the plan of salvation is the same-the promises, the assurances remain, whether we believe or whether we believe not—whether we consent or refuse, confide or doubt: but they are not the same to us. The immutable text seems

to change as we read it even from day to day: now fraught with terror -now with timid hope-and now with joy: not because it is more or less true, more or less sure, at one time than another: nor necessarily, because it is more or less applicable to ourselves. Blessed be God, our actual condition does not change, neither do his purposes of mercy towards us, every time our perception of it changes. But in order that the truth be established to our heart's content and consolation, we require a second witness, the testimony of the indwelling Spirit to confirm the word. Neither on our clear perception of this double evidence does our actual state depend: it is not the nature of evidence to create a fact, but only to disclose it. Salvation is independent of our assurance of it and our safety does not vary as this may rise and fall, for if it did we should be unsafe indeed. But before we can be assured of our own salvation, and in order to preserve the sense of safety, we require, not once only, but continually from day to day, an evidence of the Spirit in our hearts, correspondent to the testimony of God's Holy Word. We are like him who seeing his face in the glass, goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he is, unless for our comfort or conviction, as the case may be, the Spirit presents us to ourselves anew. Without the Bible, there is no glass in which to see the image of ourselves: without the Spirit, we see no image of ourselves reflected from it; take either away, and whatever we be in the sight of God, the knowledge of ourselves is gone.

Two walked together to the house of God, communing more with themselves than each other by the way. The one was very sad at heart that morning, and every step seemed of a leaden weight. By the Spirit's testimony, that heart's dark secrecy lay all disclosed before itself, and whichever way the mortal vision turned, nothing was visible but forms of sin. Deep shadows of regret came crowding over the past, as if memory kept no record but of evil. He thought as he walked of all the years gone by,-all they had taken with them,-all they had left behind them and still it was the same, -a form of sin, as if every thing he ever did, or thought or said, was wrong. He looked into his heart, and nothing there seemed better: every evidence of grace was overclouded by the dark shadows of besetting sin, unconquered passions, unsanctified desires, vacillation, earthliness and insub

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mission :— 66

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a cage of unclean birds," '—a loathsome sepulchre of dead men's bones," a leper white as snow.' These were the only scriptures present to his mind;-and when he tried to pray, it was only Peter's prayer, "Lord, save me, or I perish." The whole head was sick, the whole heart was faint. Without a thought of extenuation, an effort, scarce a wish to justify himself in anything, he wrote "unclean" on every thought and word and deed; the Holy Spirit signed the testimony, and thus set his witnessing seal; "a humble, broken, and contrite heart."

The other no matter what he thought of as he went: they heard together and they heard the same," the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." It was enough for one. All that is comprehended in his Maker's favour, his nearness, his choice, his preferential love, all that is comprehended in the promise of salvation, pardon, and peace, and victory over sin, were pledged to the humble and the broken-hearted, by the immutable word of God. The poor woman's "Double" was given him : he had brought one witness with him and found the other there, and went on his way rejoicing.

His companion, he too thought as they retraced their steps, of all the meaning of those most gracious words, and all the blessed promises they contain, and wished that he could take them to himself. But he was well and prosperous, and happy,-light-minded and lighthearted, and contented with himself. He tried to think if it was ever otherwise; perhaps it had been, he scarcely could remember the sensation, he was not sure, at least it was gone now. God's word was true, the promises were sure; but the witnessing Spirit would not sign his claim. He had no "Double," and he had no joy.

Now if two had listened to some other texts, in such different states of mind; if it had been a promise to faith, to love, to confidence, to submission, conformity or prayer, or any other gift or requirement of the gospel; the result would have been the same. The evidence of God's purpose is in his word, an abundantly sufficient witness on his part, that so it is, and shall be, and inevitably must be, according as it is written. But to prove our own interest in it, we need a second witness, "the Spirit witnessing with our spirit," that we are the persons described, and may lay claim to the things promised.

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Nay, it is not things promised only, in times of desire and expectation only, that we need this double witness. There are times of possession when the broken heart is bound up, and the contrite spirit healed: those blessed Sabbaths of a laborious world, wherein every joy of heaven is foretasted times of realized enjoyment, fulfilled desire, satisfied delight in God, so amazing to the earth-born soul, as to beget a doubt of their own verity. It is the Spirit's witness then, that needs the confirmation of the word. Ought I to be so happy, so confident as I am? Am I indeed so blessed as I believe? Every Christian, I suppose, knows more or less of these sensations, in moments of peace, if not of exultation: on rising from prayer perhaps, with a strong feeling of acceptance; or returning from the Lord's table, with a full consciousness of having fed and been replenished. It may be when, approaching the dreaded gates of death, the soul looks through and sees no terror in it: it may be any time when the soul

1844.

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