the growth of knowledge in the present day quite puts it out of the power of Popery to debase the minds of men as in former times. This is the language of Popery's twin sister, the harlot infidelity, and quite leaves out of consideration the important truth, that the god of this world blinds the minds of them which believe not, so that they are brought under the power of a strong delusion to believe a lie. Facts are stubborn things, and it is well for the Christian to be in possession of facts, to prove that Popery is still the mystery of iniquity, and the mother of harlots. On this ground we strongly recommend this little work, which brings forward facts to show what Popery is now in the different European countries. The work is chiefly composed of extracts from the writings of different modern travellers; so that we have the description of eye-witnesses. We strongly recommend its perusal to our readers, in order that they may be fully prepared to give an answer to every man that may ask them a reason for their opposition to modern Popery, and its equally deluded whorish daughter, Tractarianism, the advocates for which denominate the church of Rome a sister Church. We call it by its true name, the synagogue of Satan. The Flock and their Shepherds. An Attempt to describe the Members, Pastors, Ordinances, and Mission of the Church of God. London: Partridge and Oakey, Paternoster Row. p.p. 36. An attractive title, but certainly not borne out by the contents, although there are parts that are theoretically and drily true. Had the writer commenced by defining what the Church of God was, he might have seen the rottenness of the foundation he was trying to lay. The church of God is that which Christ purchased with his own blood (Acts xx.): and we know no manifested admission into that church, but the one spoken of in 1 Peter i. 2, "Elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." Before, then, we can receive any person as a member of the Church of God, we must have some presumptive evidence of the obedience of faith, and the heart sprinkled from an evil conscience. Admission into a National Church is one thing, admission into the Church of God is quite a different thing. They are not all Israel, that are of Israel. Whilst, then, in some detached parts we cheerfully go with the Author, yet on the whole we dislike the production, and chiefly for the reason that he makes baptism to constitute membership of the Church of God. Such a position we utterly abominate. P.p. 12. Christ and the Church. THE above are faithful gospel sermons, and we recommend them as the pure unadulterated milk of the gospel. The last we particularly enjoyed. City Press, 1, Long Lane: W. H. Collingridge. GOSPEL THE MAGAZINE. "COMFORT YE, COMFORT YE, MY PEOPLE, SAITH YOUR GOD.". "ENDEAVOURING TO KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE BOND OF PEACE." "JESUS CHRIST, THE SAME YESTERDAY, TO-DAY, AND FOR EVER. WHOM TO KNOW IS LIFE ETERNAL." VOL. VII.] NOVEMBER, 1847. [No. 83. BEHOLD HIM! BEHOLD HIM!! "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth"-Isaiah xli. 1. BELOVED, here is a gracious invitation from God our Father to behold, or look upon, that glorious Christ of his own voluntary providing for the church. There is a fulness and a freeness in the language that is very encouraging to the mind of a poor sinner. Without restraint -or limitation-it bursts forth from the loving heart of our loving Jehovah, as a HEARTY, WELCOME to every soul whom He hath made sensible of sin, and caused to sigh and cry for a remedy. It is as if the Lord would say, "Behold, look here, poor sin-bitten soul, here, here is a remedy for thy disease-a cure for thy malady. Give heed to this skilful Physician; try the efficacy of the blood of this Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, for the washing away of sin; take of his glorious robe for the clothing and covering of thy naked soul. With it I am perfectly satisfied." As the serpent in the wilderness was lifted up, so was this Son of man to be lifted up. As whosoever looked upon the serpent of brass was healed, so with every sensible sinner it is "look and live." Nothing to do—nought to pay, but only to look, and even that look is with the eye of that faith which Jehovah himself bestows. The sinner is neutral from first to last, It is grace in the man, drawn forth-brought into operation-by the God who gave it, adored be His name! 21 Very similar language was used at our Lord's baptism (Matt. iii. 17), where, upon Jesus coming up out of the water, the Spirit descended upon him like a dove, and a voice from heaven was heard, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' Again, at the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. xvii. 5), there was "a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." "Give heed to him-depend upon him-in him and with him I am satisfied, and well pleased. He is come to do my work-to accomplish my purpose; you are deeply interested in that work, therefore commit your cause-yourselves-wholly and solely to him. I can attend to you in no other way; you cannot approach me through any other medium. Here is the one-the only channel; and what you have to say or do with me, must be said and done through this one and only Mediator." But do mark, beloved, a fact to which we lately called your attention, and on which stands forth very prominently in the language of our text; it is the part-the very glorious part-which God our Father took in redemption-work. We do him an injustice—indeed we do— in ascribing ALL to the Son, irrespective of the Father. Now watch us narrowly here, and do not mistake our language. We delight in the fact it is a source of our continual rejoicing-that Christ undertook and completed a work so mighty-so momentous-that angels and archangels shall stand and contemplate it with adoring wonder, whilst the ten thousand times ten thousand-even a number that no man can number of the redeemed shall through eternity sing Immanuel's praise in sweetest melody and rapturous song. Still may we never lose sight of the truth so firmly kept in view by the apostle when he exclaimed (2 Cor. ix. 15), "Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift." Christ was the gift of the Father to the church. He loved his Church, and therefore he gave his Son-his dearly beloved-his onlybegotten Son-to redeem that Church. Christ was the effect- and not the procuring cause-of the Father's love. Beloved, we know-personally we know—what it is to feel bashfulness, and endure suffering-because of doubts of the Father's love; access to the Son we have ofttimes found-freedom with Jesus-a blessedness from the occasional realizing of dear blood-bought, indissoluble union with the Lord Christ; but fear, timidity, doubt about the Father, and his love to us. But here the subject is cleared up, and cheeringly opened, "Behold my servant." Jesus takes office; comes forth from the bosom of his Father, and our Father in him, with a divine commission; sets out upon an errand of mercy. The Church, the dearly-beloved sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty, had by reason of sin and transgression, brought themselves into a sad predicament-were, without the intervention of an omnipotent armlost, ruined, for ever undone, to all intents and purposes. In this dilema, an eternal covenant Jehovah-Jesus offered himself a Surety for the Church; "Here am I-send me," was his language. Wondrous indeed! It will occupy 'eternity to admire and to adore Him for the same. God our Father accepts the proposal, and designs to send the Lord Christ upon this errand of love and mercy. The eternal Spirit seals the covenant, and all wait the fulness of time for its accomplishment, admitting saint after saint into glory prospectively; the self-same Spirit bestowing and causing to operate in the hearts of Old Testament saints, that faith which should behold and depend upon the coming Christ, even as the same faith implanted by the same Spirit in New Testament believers, looks back upon the Lord Jesus as already come. This truth of Christ being the servant, or the sent of the Father, hath additional confirmation in the 19th verse of this same 42nd chapter of Isaiah. There we hear the Father asking a question full of holy comfort, "Who is blind, but my servant (blind, intentionally blind to all that is bad in those unto whom he is sent) or deaf as my messenger that I sent" (deaf to every charge that sin or Satan can bring against them). And again in Zech. iii. 8, we read, "I will bring forth my servant, THE BRANCH." Now in all these passages is clearly set forth the relation in which our adorable Jesus stood with the Father in his Mediatorial-work. And how comforting is the apostle's argument, as based upon the Father's love-act in the gift of Christ, where he says (Rom. viii. 32), "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" How consolatory the thought! how cheering the language! Hath God the Father given us Jesus, then He hath given us all things in and with Him. "All things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas; or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's "(1 Cor iii. 21-23). How comforting, too, is the thought, that having once given Jesus, He will never-no, never-take him away. Oh, no, no; this would be unlike a God. "Not as the world our Father loves, (or gives) He is no fickle Friend; Whom once He loves, He never leaves, But loves unto the end." Do not fear, poor trembling soul, that Christ will be taken away, if ever it hath been made manifest to thee that He was thine. Ah no, that can never, never be. "Did Jesus once upon thee shine, He is thine in a thousand deaths and doubtings; thine in thy dark seasons as well as thy bright and sunny days; thine when thou canst not see nor hear him as well as when He talks with thee, and makes thy heart burn within thee by the way; thine in temptation and fiery trial as much as when thou art sitting at his feet, and listening with gladness to the sweet words which drop from his lips; thine in adversity as well as prosperity-in sickness and in health-in life and iu death-in time and to all eternity. Read that glowing language (Romans viii. 35-39), "What shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." But a word with the doubting ones. We cannot-we dare not-lese sight of them. We said, "if ever it had been made manifest that he was thine?" Yes, we did say so, and this you fear excludes you, because Christ never has been made manifest as yours. Well, then, Jesus-this same adorable much-to-be-loved and ever-loving Lord—is the property of all those who long after him; yes, quite as much so (though not so comfortably) as those who can say, "He is mine, and I am His." Our sympathizing Jesus loves the sighers as well as the songsters-those who groan being burdened, as well as those who sing being joyful. His love is all one and the same. Do you doubt it, ye poor trembling ones? Do you want Scripture for it? Here it is, then. Why, your very earnestness after Scriptural evidence proves your love. You know his value, and therefore you long after him; and mark, you never would have known his worth, had He not opened your naturally blind eyes to the fact, nor would you have felt one spark of love, or desire to love (which is love in essence- -verily and truly so), had he not first loved you, and put His love into your heart. But now for the text-something about the sighers. 9th Ezekiel, 4th verse," And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of those that sigh and that cry, for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof." This you say is national—about literal Israel-do you? Ah! beloved, there is all this, and something more. There is real Gospel preached in this text. It is the very language of the Holy Ghost touching those whom He has made to sigh and to cry for what is done within-in the land of their own wicked, idolatrous, adultress hearts. And concerning them is given forth the Divine injunction (6th verse), "Come not near any man upon whom is the mark." Do you still doubt ?—are you afraid to take it to yourself? Would you like something more conclusive-a text about which there can be no manner of doubt? Well then, here it is; 5th Matt. 6, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." Mark the SHALL, beloved. All the shalls and wills of Jehovah are as so many oaths by which He binds himself to the fulfil |