To meet the objections of those who say, "But what of us, who feel the strivings of sin, and the filth of sin," we come, thirdly, to notice a promise a promise we seem, as it were, to hug to our bosom every day of our life, Sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace." We are to feel sin-we are to groan under it-we are to have proof upon proof of its efforts to break forth-and the deepest-rooted conviction that it would (if we were left of God) lead us into all guilt, all filth, all abomination; and yet withal there is still left as a soothing cordial to a renewed heart-a guiding light upon the troubled water-this precious-this thrice-blessed assurance, that it shall not prevail; and then again, how sweetly flows in upon its rear, as if to pick up those that have fallen-to cheer the fainting-and animate afresh the disconsolate breast, "And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

We have dwelt somewhat at length upon this subject, because of its vast importance, and in order that our readers may be quite clear as to the sense- and the only sense-in which the subject of sin in the believer has been treated in this Magazine. Ours is a responsible position ; and God forbid that we should ever advance anything that shall appear to contradict, or stand in opposition, to his own truth. The object--and the only object had in view, in treating on the subject of sin in these pages, was, not to make light of sin-not to make it appear less sinful than it really is (for none can in any adequate degree set forth the craftiness and extent of its workings), but to advocate the fulness, the completeness, the all-sufficiency of redemption; in a word, to point to Jesus, and say, "There, sin, vile as are thy workings-vast as is thy dominion-great as is thy power; there, there-in Christ, my Surety, my Daysman, my Friend, my Portion, my All in all,-I have one who has neutralized thy strength-broken the vile spell which held me to thee, and thee to me-and gives me the sweet, the blessed assurance that I shall one day be as free from thy insinuations-thy strugglings-thine indwellings in this poor old clay tabernacle, and constant efforts to break forth-yea, as free as I now am by virtue of union to Him and oneness with Him, from thy curse and condemnation. And, as for thee, Satan, thou who art well styled the father of lies and the accuser of the brethren, if thou hast any charge to bring any fault to find-any demand to make, I charge thee take them to my Surety-for

"In my Surety I am free."

I have nothing to do with thee, nor thy accusations; I am a cypher as to strength, and free from all demands as to debt; for Christ has died -yea, died for me, and rose again-yea, for my justification. He has paid all debts-satisfied all demands-wiped off all old scores, and I now walk and rejoice in that liberty wherewith he makes his people free. So, Satan, if thou hast anything to say, go tell it to my Husband; he will attend to it. I have nothing to do in the matter."

Readers, this is Gospel freedom. Do you know anything of it?

God make you and us better acquainted with it, and then our object will be-not to find fault with each other-not to cavil about words, nor give heed to the tittle tattle of the day-but to talk about a precious Jesus; and salute each other on the way in the language of the Church of old, "Saw ye Him whom my soul loveth?"

We had intended to have commented upon other leading features of the Magazine, but space forbids. We cannot conclude, however, without remarking in reference to this, the closing up of our sixth year, that God has been as good as his word, "He that watereth himself also shall be watered again." Our office may not be altogether an enviable one; it subjects us to much annoyance-considerable vexation-manifold imputations; still our happiest moments-our times of enlargement and soul-comfort-are when addressing the family of God. Our paper is commonly wet with tears of over-flowing gratitude, love, and joy, whilst we are endeavouring to give out to others of that precious Gospel fare which we are feasting upon ourselves. Such moments are indiscribable both in their sweetness and power. It is a bliss that seemingly falls but little short of heaven. "Tis heaven in the soulheaven begun below-heaven in its bliss and fulness in glorious prospect.

How often, during the last six years, have we sat down "burdened to the full" with such weight, anxiety, sorrow, pent up in the breast, that we have thought it impossible to shake off the bonds and tell out the secrets of the heart; but commonly the most perplexing and most deeply-troubled seasons of this kind, have been but the immediate precursors of that fulness of heart-that holy freedom-that blessed pacing to and fro in the Gospel field, which have been most reviving to the spirit-establishing to the soul—as well as cheering to the hearts of others.

So that withal it is blessed to be a servant of the Most High God, however at times the natural mind may seem to have the sway-to recoil into its own selfishness-and attempt to nip the little buds of promise which every now and then appear to gladden the eye and cheer the heart animated in the Master's service. For ourselves, we can say that when God thus visits us, we envy no man they are welcome to their worldly advantages-their riches, their honours; and professors may bask in the sunshine of earthly prosperity-receive the gratulations of their fellows-and tread their way (but not the Lord's old beaten path) to heaven; 'tis enough for us to follow where our Master leads through briers and thorns, along a rough and rugged steep, where shoes of iron and brass so suit the tender, trembling foot.

THE EDITOR.

STRICTURES ON LEEDS PUSEYISM, ETC.

DEAR SIR,

To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine.

You are doubtless aware that the town of Leeds occupies a promi. nent place in the so-called religious world. It is there that that wouldbe redoubtable champion of episcopal supremacy, the Rev. W. F. Hook, D.D., is located, who, as is well known, expressed his entire concurrence in the doctrines embodied in Tract 90, which is replete with the errors of Popery.

Many remember with what high encomiums the doctor once spoke of Newman, its author, declaring how proud he was to number him amongst his choicest friends; but things are now changed. Would you believe it? He has positively written a long jesuitical letter in the "Intelligencer," a Leeds newspaper, in condemnation of Newman's conduct in withdrawing from the communion of our Protestant Church, and identifying himself with Rome? For reasons best known to himself, and not entirely hidden from lookers on, the slippery Doctor remains a Minister of a Church, whose doctrines he denies and whose interests he compromises, receiving her pay on the implied understanding that he does her work; while Newman, faithful to his principles, declines to receive the money of a Protestant Church, whose doctrines he cannot propagate. It is not difficult to see that the Doctor is not entirely ignorant of the advice given by that consummate tactician, Dr. Pusey, to his disciples in his recent sermon before the University of Oxford. That oracle recommends the romanizing clergy not to quit our Protestant Church, but to do all they can within her pale to unprotestantise her, giving precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, and there a little, according as circumstances will permit. Acting in accordance with the spirit and principle of the instructions of his master, the wily Doctor clings with the greatest tenacity to the vicarage of Leeds, and disseminates his Popish doctrines with all skill and diligence, taking due care to fill up all vacancies that occur in his large parish with men of his own school. Of the kind of men whom he appoints to his vacant incumbencies, we have sufficient information in the published sermon of one of them-viz., the Rev. J. A. Beaumont, Incumbent of St. Paul's. The following extract from that gentleman's discourse, dedicated to the work people in the employ of Messrs. Hirst, Bramley, and Co., whose works are located within the district assigned to St. Paul's Church, may be regarded as a fair specimen of the doctrines preached in all the churches in Leeds in the Doctor's gift, to which appointments have recently been made, "Salvation is the joint work of God and man: it is his pre

eminently, ours subordinately; it is his by merit, ours, as he hath willed, through co-operation; in other words, salvation being purchased for us by the blood of Christ, is offered to us, and applied by way of Covenant. A covenant is a solemn engagement or exchange of promises; it requires at the least two contracting parties, and must be signed and sealed. The parties of the Christian covenant are God and man. God, for Christ's sake, promises remission of past sins, present grace, and future glory: man promises repentance, faith, and obedience. And his covenant is signed and sealed in Holy Baptism. There, through faith in the promises of God vouchsafed to him in that sacrament, man is made a ineinber of Christ and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven; he is so called to a state of salvation, of present salvation; abiding constantly in this state, and growing in grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ he will ensure his final salvation; he will at length receive the end of his faith, even the salvation of his soul. Have you lived in the diligent and conscientious observance of your baptismal obligations, and so remained in a state of grace? Or have you grossly neglected your covenant duties, and so departed from grace given? If, unhappily, you have fallen away, your last state is indeed worse than the first. It had been better for you not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after you have known it to turn from the holy commandments delivered to you (2 Pet. ii. 21.) Still, wretched and pitiable though your case may be, if ye have not committed the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost, it is not, we trust, without hope. The place of forgiveness is not to be denied to such as truly and sincerely repent. (Art. xvi.) If ye will be converted, ye may yet receive the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls."

What a pretty extract this is! Surely it is the ne plus ultra of Arminianism, which cannot go farther than this-"that salvation is the joint work of God and man," unless it takes the whole matter entirely out of God's hands without further ceremony. There is, however, nothing strange or novel in his doctrine. It prevailed in the days of Paul, as we learn from his epistle to the Churches of Galatia. Certain false teachers disturbed the peace of those churches, which Paul planted, by teaching that salvation is of works, or partly by grace and partly by works, which was in direct antagonism to the Gospel preached by that Apostle (Gal. i. 6; ii. 16, 17; iii. 1-4 &c.) The solemn anathema pronounced by Paul upon him-be he angel or man, who presumes to preach any other doctrine than what he preached, challenges the most serious consideration of Mr. Beaumont, and all who sympathize with him in doctrine. Let them consider well, whether it be not levelled immediately against them. Poor deluded creatures! the veil is on their hearts, and they cannot see that salvation is entirely of God from beginning to the end; and that man is but a recipient thereof, whose privilege it is to enjoy it, and to exemplify its fruits, in his intercourse with his fellow-men, according as it is given him of God. In the darkness of their minds they speak of faith, repentance, and obedience as conditions of salvation, whereas the Scriptures of truth uniformly represent them as its consequences and fruits, Men believe because they are saved; repent

because they believe, love because they were first loved, and obey the precepts of their Lord and Saviour from love. If Mr. Beaumont were acquainted with Paul's epistles, he would know that that Apostle invariably acknowledges faith to be the gift of God. Whenever he heard

of any of his bearers being endued with it, he always gave thanks to God for them, which he would hardly have done, had faith been of man's self (Eph. i. 15, 16; Col. i. 3, 4; Thess. i. 2, 3.) Paul in his epistle to the Church of Christ at Philippi, declares that faith is a gift, saying, unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake (Phil. i. 29. ;) and in his epistle to the saints and faithful brethren at Colosse, he says that faith is the effect of divine agency, the birth of the divine operation (Col. ii. 12.) Love is the immediate effect and fruit of faith, and the only source of all acceptable obedience. So says Paul. (Gal. v. 6; Rom. xiii. 10.)

*

The believer has nothing spiritual except what he has received. "By the grace of God," exclaims Paul, "I am what I am," and though, in writing to the saints at Philippi, he exhorts them to work out their salvation with fear and trembling, he tells them at the same time, that it is God which worketh in them both to will and to do of his good pleasure (Phil. ii. 12, 13.) The heart to know, fear, and love the Lord, and the power to walk in love as Christ hath loved us, to mortify our members which are upon the earth, and to manifest the graces and virtues of the Holy Spirit, are of God. They are not only marks but also parts of salvation, and they who professed to have them were exhorted by the Apostles to manifest them in their daily walk. This is called working out their own salvation-i.e., showing that they were in a saved state. I am persuaded that all the exhortations to exhibit the graces of faith, love and repentance, which are interspersed throughout the Apostolic Epistles, are addressed to believers alone. Indeed this is quite evident from the fact, that these epistles were written to none other than the faithful in Christ (Eph. i. 1, 2, 15, 16; Rom. i. 8; 1 Cor. i. 2, 4, 5, 6, 7; Col. i. 2, 3, 4 &c.) I wish Mr. Beaumont and his brethren would commit the epistles to memory. They would probably disabuse their minds of such trashy notions as these that salvation is the joint work of God and man-that faith is communicated to men in the ordinance of baptism—and that men dead in trespasses and sins can perform the unctions of spiritual men. I do not quarrel with Mr. B's definition of the covenant. It is, as he says, an exchange of promises between two or more persons. He has, however, completely mistaken the covenanters for they are not, as he supposes, God and man, but the three Persons of the ever-adorable Godhead: otherwise it could not be ordered in all things and sure as David says it is (2 Sam. xxiii. 5.) The covenant of grace, to which believers owe their salvation, bears the date of eternity. Yes, it was made by the Father, Son, and Spirit before the worlds were created. The Father appointed the Son to be the Surety, Representative, and Saviour of the elect, the Son cheerfully undertook the work, and the Spirit solemnly engaged to apply its fruits (Isa. xlii. 1, 2, 6, 7; xlix. 1, 2, 3, &c; Heb. x. 5, 6, 7; John x., 36; vi. 38, 39, 40; xvi. 13,

* Reader, we beseech you mark this.-ED.