I cannot describe my feelings to you as I would wish; but this one thing I say, that when we meet in glory, nothing will interrupt us there, but all will be love and joy, and our faith will be swallowed up in bliss.

May God bless you with his love, and I remain, yours in the bonds of love which cannot be broken,

OMEGA.

EDITORS' REVIEW.

The Things that Remain. A Sermon. By Charles Drawbridge.Bennett.

This sermon was preached from Rev. iii. 2, "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found thy work perfect before God." The design of it appears to be, to stir up those churches which Mr. D. considers to be the true churches of Christ, to put into practice the injunction of the text. He mentions some of the things which remain, such as decision for God and truth, unity of spirit in divine matters, gospel light upon evidence of interest in Christ, zeal for God and truth. He also notices some of the evils of those churches. There are some good and true remarks, and some plain honest dealing in this sermon; but from the description Mr. D. gives of those churches which he considers true churches of Christ, we should rather conclude most of them to be false ones. And as to the mode of the remedy, how the things which remain are to be strengthened, we must say, it is not according to the mystery of God; a natural man might do it all; it is all the actings and doings of the creature; not a word of the Holy Ghost being concerned with it. If Mr. D. had kept in mind, and, from soul experience, dwelt on that solemn truth, "Without me ye can do nothing," we think he would have honoured the Lord the Spirit a little more, in showing that it is he that worketh in his people to will and to do of his good pleasure. Unless the power of God the Holy Ghost move the soul, and work in it with power, all outward doing will be but wooden work.

Seven Spiritual Letters. By the late Henry Fowler.-Bennett.

These letters were written at an early age of the author, the last of them being dated in the year 1805. They clearly show that the same precious truths which the author experienced and preached to the end of his life, were known and experienced by him at an early age. It is somewhat gratifying to see his experience so sound, and his judgment so clear so long time back. They will be found interesting to the people of God, particularly to the author's flock.

The Hand of God in the Conversion of the Rev. William Hague.— Simpkin & Co.

This little pamphlet is a brief and simple statement of the life, conversion, and call to the ministry of Mr. William Hague, Baptist minister, Scarborough, and of the rise and progress of the Baptists in that place. It is a very pleasing, simple, and interesting statement of these facts, and shows very strikingly the Sovereign hand of God in changing Mr. Hague's heart, and calling him to the ministry; and though we believe, from what is stated, Mr. H. must have been a God-fearing man, yet the tone of the pamphlet savours too much of the rotten professors of the day, for instance, styling ministers Rev., &c. We should judge him to have been in connexion with the rotten Baptists, falsely called "Particular Baptists," who, whatever they may have been formerly, are now sunk as deep in a dead profession as any branch of the rotten professors of the land.

THE DESIRE OF A DAUGHTER OF JERUSALEM. "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee."-Sol. Song i. 2, 3.

O come, let him kiss me, and tell me he's mine,
His love is much stronger than En-gedi's wine;
The words of his mouth are much sweeter to me
Than clusters of grapes hanging on the vine tree.

His mouth is most sweet; yea, the sweetest of sweets!
Say all the fair virgins that my lover greets;

His favours are life, and his kisses go free;

Come, let him embrace me; O! "let him kiss me."

Fair Eve, the first virgin that Satan beguiled,

Was given to Adam, before sin defiled;

And my lovely bridegroom has whisper'd to me,

I am his undefiled from eternity.

The fragrance of paradise soon pass'd away,

For sin brought the plague there in less than one day;
But my lovely fair one, who came from above,
Brings life everlasting, and heavenly love.]

Thy name is like ointment of sweetest perfume,
More pleasant than lilies and roses in June;

The words of thy mouth are most sweet words to me,
And Zion's fair daughters all say they love thee.
Come quicker, come faster, come fly o'er the hills;
Thy name and thy ointments shall cure my worst ills;
Thy name can delight me, for that name is love;
It makes my heart leap, and my bowels to move.

I sicken with love, then I redden with shame ;
Again my heart dances at the sound of his name;
The blood from his temples, the tears from his eyes,
Now fill me with wonder, love, grief, and surprise.

O, love everlasting, in infinite rounds;

O, love overflowing, a sea without bounds;
I live in his love, in his ocean I swim,
Though lost in myself, here I am found in him.
This love, when revealed, my spirit regales,
I seek for retirement in some lonely vales;
I pour out my sorrows, I mourn like a dove,
Till Zion's fair daughters all say I'm in love.

Great Dunmow.

I really believe it, still love's such a grief,
To sigh on his bosom is certain relief;
To pour out my anguish, is ease from my pain,
When absent, I sigh till I see him again."

ENJOYMENT.

Sweet is the hour, my dearest Lord,
When sacred love o'erflows my heart,
What solid pleasure through thy word,
Thy Holy Spirit doth impart.
When I can see his lovely face
To wear a smile, and look on me;
How great the pleasure, large the grace
Unmerited, 'tis purely free.
The world sinks low, appears but nought,
When Christ to me is all in all;
'Tis then my soul is sweetly taught
With love and joy to prostrate fall.
I feel a heat within my breast,
Easily felt but not explained;
I taste his love, my choice bequest;
My soul to him is sweetly chaín'd.
I hear the words of peace and love,

A WATCHMAN.

Though to lose sight is nothing new;
Yet he still guards me with his eye.
I leave him oft for other things;
For other things he ne'er leaves me;
I fly away on fancy's wings;
His mind is fix'd eternally.
Why did he love a wretch like me?
Because he would, bless his dear name;
That he did love a proof I see,
In life, in death, 'tis all the same.
When did his love begin to burn?
It ne'er begun, 'twill never end;
It knows no shadow of a turn;
To all his saints it doth extend.
His love to souls was so intense,
Though in full glorious state he shone;
He came, though at a vast expense,

His mouth most sweetpronounce withpow'rHis bride to save; the work is done.

He tells my soul to look above,
And see the rose, a lovely flower.
The Rose of Sharon, sweet the smell;
Touch it, a scent it leaves behind,
Which suits my drooping spirits well,
And cheers the faintness of the mind.
Without my Lord what should I do?
May I be never left to try;

What was the vast expense he paid?
His precious blood; yea, his own life:
His Father's wrath was on him laid,
Due to his church, his mystic wife.
He died! but lo, he lives again!
And sends us tokens of his love,
Though now on earth but mortal men,
We soon shall see his face above.

AN ACROSTIC-GOSPEL STANDARD.
God, who his sovereign power displays,
O ft leads by various means and ways;
Some feel convictions, sore and strong,
Perplexed with guilt for pardon long;
Each who is brought to feel his case,
Longs for the Saviour's saving grace.
Some in a mother's path are brought
To know the Lord, but yet are taught
All they can do they helpless are,
No creature shall God's glory share:
Deep are his counsels, who shall make
A rule for God which way to take?
Regardless of man's wisdom still,
Divinely works his sovereign will.

T. F.

Go, sound aloud the Saviour's name,
O'er all the world his love proclaim;
Sound loud the trump of gospel grace
P reach Christ alone, and man debase;
E quipp'd with love and holy zeal,
Let sinking souls sweet influence feel,
Saints' feet revive, and sinners brace
The depth of God's almighty grace.
A lmighty God, whose sovereign hand
No power created can withstand,
Descend, and let thy power be felt,
A nd let our hearts in wonder melt;
Rebuke the tempter's hellish spleen,
Dear Lord, and let thy hand be seen.
VERMIS.

It is very useful for sincere and gracious persons to know and meditate on Paul's doctrine concerning the contests between the flesh and the spirit. When I was a monk, if at any time I happened to feel the motion of any bad passion, I used to think my hope of salvation was over. I struggled in a variety of ways, both to overcome my bad passion and to quiet my conscience, all in vain; the lust of the flesh returned, and I was harassed with thoughts of this kind; Thou hast committed this, or that sin, thou art impatient, thou art envious, in vain hast thou entered holy orders. Now, if I had rightly understood Paul's doctrine of the flesh lusting against the spirit, I should not so long and so miserably have afflicted myself; I should have reflected, and said, as I do at this day, in similar situations, "Martin, as long as thou remainest in the flesh, thou wilt never be entirely without sin; thou art now in the flesh, and therefore thou must experience a contest with it;" and this agreeable to what Paul says; "The flesh resisteth the spirit.”—Luther.

THE

GOS PEL STANDARD,

OR,

FEEBLE CHRISTIAN'S SUPPORT.

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled."-Matt. v. 6.

"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began."- 2 Tim. i. 9.

"The election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded."-Rom. xi, 7.

"If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.-And they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.-In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."-Acts viii. 37, 38; Matt. xxviii. 19.

No. 42.

JUNE, 1839.

EVIL DOERS.

VOL. V.

The first place where the word "evil-doers" occurs in the word of God, as far as I am aware, is in Job viii. 20: “Behold God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil-doers." Thus a "perfect man" and an "evil-doer" are shown to be diametrically opposite the one to the other; as much so as the antipodes. Of these the head of the one is directed one way, and the head of the other another way; and their feet are set against each other; and though the earth should revolve to all eternity, they never could come together so that the north and south pole should be one and the same. But, nevertheless, an inhabitant of the north may come or be brought to the south, if the will and the means be present. Even in this wise, God has made an eternal difference in the standing and position of his elect and the devil's reprobate children. The kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan are the two antipodes in the spiritual world, and never will meet; though God's elect, who, by nature, are born in sin, in the devil's kingdom, shall, by God the Spirit, be every one brought out of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son, being made a willing people in the day of his power.

Christ is the only perfect man (in himself) that ever was; for he is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, made higher than the heavens. He is "the man that is the fellow (or compeer) of the Lord of Hosts;" being God himself, and, consequently, equal with God the Father and with God the Holy Ghost in the divine essence or nature, which is but one, as shown in 1 John v. 7. And his becoming man and the servant of God, detracts not from his personal glory, nor divides the essence; for it is impossible that the Godhead should suffer diminution, or detraction of glory, or of any essential attribute. It must be remembered also, that Christ is not inferior to the Father and

F

the Holy Ghost, though he humbled himself. Not "was humbled." No, he did it himself, by his own will, according to his previous covenant engagement with the Father, for an especial purpose, viz., that by becoming a perfect man in his divine person, or taking a perfect manhood into union with his divine essence, he might, as God-man, perfectly fulfil the law which man had broken, and perfectly satisfy divine justice by his divine offering of himself in the manhood, and so might make his fallen elect sheep perfect men in himself, by this his perfect work, undertaken and carried through to completion by him, acting as the responsible Head, and God-chosen and accepted Representative and Surety of the members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. His perfect work, therefore, as God manifest in the flesh, hath already rendered and made the elect perfect as regards their judicial state before God in the concern of their final salvation. But no man can take this honour (lawfully and without presumption) to himself, and say, "I am perfect in Christ," unless he has been made the recipient of divine grace by the operation of the eternal Spirit in his soul. There is a perfect internal work to be performed in the heart in those who are externally (i. e. as regarded by God in Christ) complete in him who is the head of all principality and power. And this internal work of the Spirit alone can make manifest to an elect soul that he is not a goat, a vessel of wrath, or a natural brute beast, made to be taken and destroyed. The vessel must be marred by conviction of sin, and of having destroyed itself, before it can be made over again another vessel, as seemeth good to the heavenly potter. Fleshly perfection, which is the devil's hammer-cloth on which he rides the asses to hell which are not redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, (Exod. xiii. 13,) must be rent in sunder, and sensibly rotted by the filth of the flesh which wove it, and the filthy garments must be taken away. The stink of sin must come into the nostrils which once were regaled with it as with a sweet odour. The hand-writing must be seen against it, and the soul taught to feel that it is already, in God's decree, eternally damned or eternally saved. Christ, as a perfect Redeemer whose blood cleanseth from all sin, must be savingly revealed in the heart; Christ, as Jehovah our Righteousness, must be apprehended by the hand of faith, and put on thereby by the operation of God in the soul; sin must be felt to be blotted out, and an everlasting, divine, and God-glorifying righteousness to be imputed freely, without money and without price; repentance unto life must be felt and experienced, and not notionally held or prated about; God's love must be shed abroad, and his fear put, by the Holy Ghost, in the new heart given unto us, before any man dare, or can say, from a heart made honest and faithful before God, "I am a perfect man," such as God says Job was. (Job i. 1.) And even after a soul has enjoyed the full assurance of faith, he will say this more often with trembling than with unshaken confidence; yea, he will rejoice with trembling, knowing the hypocrisy and deceit of his desperately wicked heart. Nevertheless, God will not cast away a perfect man, that is so in the sense I have given.

But now for his antipode, an evil-doer.-O how little are these characters known and understood in the nominal church of Christ! It is usual for people to think those only are evil-doers whose actions are outwardly profane, licentious, and immoral; or, at the furthest, who hold false doctrines, and propagate them deceitfully to the hurt of souls. But, alas! Satan is too cunning a deceiver, too piercing and crooked a serpent not to know that such tools will not do half so much work as a correct-doctrined, correctly-behaved, outwardly-mo