Jesus, the vision of Thy face Hath overpow'ring charms; If Christ be in my arms." And, just before he died, repeating the last line several times: "If Christ be in my arms." And thus the servant of the Lord, despite the predictions of some, lived and died a monument of Divine faithfulness. He was cast down, but not destroyed. He was chastened sore, but was not given over unto death. God sovereignly tried his servant in a very mysterious way, but not beyond the promised grace and strength. He was great in the Gospel; he was also great in the sufferings of this mortal life; and he was also great in the victories and triumphs of Almighty grace over sin, death, and hell. He said, while in the river, "Heaven will now triumph over hell." And now he is great with all the redeemed in heaven, in the loud and high Alleluias of praise: "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. the The sustaining grace, establishing divine faithfulness, during forty-two years of unparalleled success in the Gospel, in the Surrey Tabernacle; enduring grace of God during the dark night of temptation, sorrow, and affliction; the triumphant and victorious departure of our Brother to his heavenly home-we have cause to be proud of, and thankful to God, who bestowed such grace. And that grace which was given unto him, was not in vain; it was sufficient, and he was more than a conqueror through Him that loved him. The Lord in great mercy sustains the poor bereaved wife, who will now experience an isolation she has never before known. The ever-loving Husband of His poor widows and fatherless ones will never, no, never forsake in the day of trouble. Weep not, the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it. "Himself hath done it; yes, although severe The wilderness life with our loved ones-who are not lost, but gone before-is now for ever past; they have come out of great tribulation, and have entered into their rest, "where the wicked cease from troubling, and where the weary are at rest." Blessed be God, it will not be long when with us also the thorns, the mountains, the fires, and trials of this mortal life will be over. "Then in full sail my port I'll find, And leave the world and sin behind." The Lord grant unto the dear widow very much of the consolation of His precious love and presence; His own word applied to the sorrowful heart, by the power of God, and the Holy Ghost administering the balm of Christ's love and sympathy, binding up the broken in heart, and healing the wounds that His own hand has made. Thy ever living and loving husband, Jesus, now speaks to thee-"Let not your heart be troubled. I have taken your earthly husband to the Mansion-house above. I will come again, and receive you unto myself: that, where I am, there ye may be also." When will He come? It may not be long, but it will be at the time appointed! "Not now, my child-a little more rough tossing, A few more journeyings in the desert darkness, And then the sunshine of thy Father's home." And while I am quite sure that the Lord will not forsake the bereaved and now sorrowful one, I cannot for one moment think, that the hundreds who have been blessed through the instrumentality of the departed husband will now forget the wife of his joys and sorrows, but will comfort her in her widowed condition the little while she may remain in the wilderness. Praying that great grace from the God of all grace may be given unto us, who are yet in the battle-field; so that we may fight the good fight of faith, and overcome at last, shouting, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 70, Penrose Street, Walworth, April 13th, 1872. JOHN BUNYAN MCCURE. INVITATIONS TO THE UNCONVERTED. To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine. DEAR SIR,-Why has no lover of truth written in confirmation of "An Old Reader's" article on the above subject? There are three letters on one side and only one on the other. I consider, therefore, I have some claim, in the interests of truth, to be heard in this matter; and ask you kindly to insert the following remarks in your valuable Magazine, which is much prized among our people. And have things really come to such a pass, that the soundest men are to be branded as Arminians? I hear that it has been proposed to hold a Conference of sovereign-grace-preachers; but, if such a spirit is to be manifested, I, for one, shall most certainly absent myself. Calvin, Ówen, Leighton, Keach, Toplady, Haldane, all held the same views as "An Old Reader" on this point; and, I doubt not, many other sound preachers. And yet, on that account, they are to be considered as "Arminian preachers," who "seek to catch fish by specious means," and "use a hook, artfully concealed," in their "subtle sport, called angling!" It is really shocking to read the untrue insinuations which have been made. I hold the five points of Calvinism, I trust, as strongly as any man; but must protest against such expressions of pretended infallibility, as anything but "good to the use of edifying." To substantiate what I have said above, let me refer to Dr. Owen. In his "Life and Death, Natural and Spiritual, Compared," he says, "Preachers have sufficient warrant to press upon all men the duties of faith, repentance, and obedience, although they know that in themselves they have not a sufficiency of ability for their due performance; for (1) it is the will and command of God, that so they should do, and that is the rule of all our duties. They are not to consider what man can or will do, but what God requires. To make a judgment of men's ability, and to accommodate the commands of God unto them accordingly, is not committed unto any of the sons of men. (2.) They have a double end in pressing on men the observance of duties, with a supposition of the state of impotency described; (a) to prevent them from such courses of sin as would harden them; (b) to exercise a means appointed of God for their conversion." 66 I could quote from Calvin on Rom. x. 21, and from Leighton on 1 Peter iii. 20; but, to be brief, I will only trouble you with two more quotations, one from B. Keach, the other from R. Haldane. Of the former the late lamented Rev. W. Parks, Openshaw, speaks, as an "eminent Divine," and of the latter as a deeply-taught man of God." And most true is this testimony. Keach says, in his sermon on Matthew xxii. 5, "They that make light of this offer do make light of the most gracious offer and invitation. (3.) It is an oft-repeated invitation. May be some of you have been invited an hundred times to come to Christ, to believe in Christ; yea, a thousand times, and yet refuse. (7.) It is a pressing, and most earnest invitation. Alas! the sinner's life lies at stake, his soul is in danger" (2 Cor. v. 2). R. Haldane, on Romans v. 2, says, "The difficulty of those who feel themselves restrained in exhorting sinners to believe the Gospel, on the ground that the atonement of Christ was not made for all, is the same as that which is experienced by some who, believing the doctrine of election, suppose it inconsistent to exhort all indiscriminately to believe the Gospel. . . . In this they err. All are invited to rely upon it for pardon, as freely and fully as if they knew that God designed it for them from all eternity. . . In the proclamation of the Gospel no restriction is held forth respecting election or reprobation." But now let us turn to Scripture. "Josiah "asks to be shown "one" passage "from Genesis to Revelation where an invitation is given without the character being described or implied (in proof of life already imparted...) &c., &c." There are very many. Take, for example, Psalm ii. 10 to 12, and iv. 2 to 5. Are these exhortations addressed to living souls? Are "Kings," who "take counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed," and those who "love vanity and seek after lies," living souls? Do they not "twist the Scriptures"-I won't uncharitably say to serve their purpose "-who would affirm it. Yet these are exhorted to "Kiss the Son," to "offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put their trust in the Lord." In Prov. i. 20 to 27, I find that Christ by His ministers, "in the chief place of concourse," calls upon "scorners, and those who hate knowledge," whose end is to be destroyed and slain (ver. 32), to turn at His reproof in the "ministration of the Spirit," i.e., the preaching of the Gospel. So, too, in chapter viii. throughout. Some, I know, would interpret the words "O ye children," in verse 32 of the last-named chapter, to mean the children of God. But it is a plain perversion of Scripture to do so. This is too obvious to an impartial truth-seeker to need any proof. In 2 Cor. v. 2, Paul says, "Knowing the terrors of the Lord, we persuade men.” Persuade to what? Why, to what Moses and the prophets exhort to, viz., to flee from the wrath to come, and seek shelter in Christ. See Luke xvi. 31, and compare the context there. Again, in 2 Cor. v. 20, he declares, "We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech men by us: we pray them, in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." It is clear that the word "you" is wrongly supplied; for the Corinthians were already "reconciled," as we find in verse 18, and in chap. i. 1, he calls them "the Church of God." To them he speaks (as to the reality of the work within them) in chap. vi. 1. Some indeed would tell us that the reconciliation spoken of in verse 20, is nothing more than that of Christians to all the will of God. This to my mind is a gross violation of the whole scope of the Apostle's argument. I will not further trespass upon your space by remarking upon other passages, though I long to do so. Suffice it to name one or two more-Psalm xcv. 7, 8; Isaiah lv. 6, 7; Acts xiv. 15, xvii. 30; Rom. i, 5, ii. 4, 5, x. 16 to 21, xvi. 26; 2 Thess. i. 10; Heb. iii. 12 to iv. 12; Rev. iii. 17, 18. In conclusion, I would say, may God give us grace to lay aside all "bitterness and evil speaking," in our searches after truth, and ever to bear in mind the advice in 1 Cor. iv. 6 to 8. Oh! let us remember, as we are taught in verse 4, that though we may "know nothing against ourselves," either in doctrine or practice, yet "He that judgeth us is the Lord." All, even the most clearly taught, have some remnants of "freewill notions." But He "who is able to subdue all things to Himself" will, at death, and not before, "shiver to pieces" all erroneous ideas, and, blessed be God, we shall all hereafter see eye to eye. "Now we see through a glass darkly, but then," through Him in whom we believe, even Jesus, our 66 All in all," our Alpha and Omega," "face to face." St. Saviour's Parsonage, Bacup. TO WEARERS OF THE CROSS. W. JOHNSON. MY DEAR FRIEND,-Allow me to ask you a few questions; are you a Protestant? You say you are, then why wear the MARK OF THE BEAST? THAT CROSS you have on is a BADGE OF POPERY, and is introduced into this Protestant country by the JESUITS, to ROMANIZE the rising generation, and you are helping them by your example, to accomplish the conversion of our children to POPERY!!! You say that you have no sympathy with Popery in any form; you only wear the cross as an emblem of Christ. Are you not aware that, instead of this CROSS being an emblem of Christ, it is a representation of the instrument of Christ's sufferings? That CROSS represents the TREE on which the Saviour was hanged; to be consistent, you ought to have the emblem of the KNOTTED SCOURGE, the NAILS, SPEAR, and CROWN of THORNS, and then reiterate the cry of those who hated Him—" Away with Him! CRUCIFY HIM! CRUCIFY HIM!" It is not the crucifixion, but it is Christ, the once crucified One, who is the glory and hope of all who believe in Jesus, whose prayer with Paul is, God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." (That is, the sufferings of Christ for the redemption of His people.) The minds of our children are susceptible to both good and evil, and more frequently will they rather follow an evil example than a good one. I entreat you, my dear friend, set a PROTESTANT example by NO WEARING THE CROSS. I have received an immense number of crosses (given to me) as the result of this argument as TROPHIES of CONVINCED ERROR. Dear reader, do thou likewise, that the weak and undecided of you to hold fast the profession of your Protestant faith without wavering. Your willing servant for Christ's sake, may learn 70, Penrose Street, Walworth. JOHN BUNYAN MCCURE. A LINE FROM AFAR! To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine. Gowhatty, Assam, India, March 16, 1872. DEAR SIR,-The February number of the Magazine reached this outof-the-way station on the 9th March. I received it myself from the post, office, and on my way home opened it, and the first thing I read in it was your reply, on page 113, to some who suggested some alterations and additions to be made so as to render the Magazine more popular with the reading public, and more congenial to the general tastes. Our little church was close by, and, as I had the key in my pocket, I immediately went in, and there alone, where prayer and praise were wont to be made and offered, I praised and blessed the Lord for His grace in you, enabling you to resist these suggestions, and I prayed for you that you may be perseveringly kept from doing anything of the kind. The truth as it is in Jesus the Gospel of God's free grace-has never been popular in the world since the fall, nor can it be while the "carnal mind is enmity against God." The Lord's own people don't care much for popular preachers, popular meetings, or popular magazines; nor do weary and heavy-laden sinners find therein that which alone can give freedom and liberty to their souls. There is so much smoothing down, so much holding back, so much covering up and altering of the truth, lest offence may be given; so much of creature exaltation, that souls are famished instead of being fed, and kept in bondage instead of being led out into the glorious liberty wherewith Christ makes His people free. My prayer for you is that you may be upheld and sustained in your important work, and that when it pleases the Lord to take you to Himself, He will be pleased graciously to set over the Magazine a man who (the Spirit aiding and helping him) may carry it on as it has hitherto been, not only as a Protestant Beacon, but, as I have always found it, a means of grace for refreshing and building up the elect Church of God. I am, my dear sir, Yours in Christ Jesus, GEORGE LOVELY, Senior Chaplain H.M.'s Indian Service. Re [We thank our unknown, yet well-known, brother for his affectionate and refreshing words. What a marvellous-we had nearly said species of spiritual freemasonry runs through the election of grace! deemed by the same blood, how those taught by the same Spirit-enlisted under the same banner-brought into the same school-engaged in the same warfare-prompted by the same love-journeying through the same wilderness-looking to the same Lord-and longing for the same home, realize a fellowship of feeling and a oneness of heart, wherever they may be, however they may be, and under whatsoever denominational name they may pass. And, if this be the case on earth, amid all its travail and turmoil, and in spite of their ten thousand sins, frailties, and infirmities, oh! dear brother, what will it be when they are delivered from the burden of the flesh, and are in joy and felicity ?-seeing the Beloved "no more as through a glass darkly, but face to face?" Well, indeed, may the blessed and glorified TOPLADY sing: "If such the sweetness of the streams, What must the Fountain be, |