which, indeed, is the uniform | abiding in Jesus Christ, and thus doctrine of the New Testament. to abide in him is essential to the In confirmation of which, the attainment of honour at the day reader may, among other pas of judgment, and a residence in sages, refer to one recorded in the palace of God in eternity. the third chapter of the epistle to Reader! if present peace; if sethe Romans, and in the nine-renity in expiring moments; if teenth, and the six following continued blessedness in the next verses; and in the sixth chapter world, be of real value, think on of the epistle to the Hebrews, and the things which have been menin the first and following verse, tioned, and determine, by the the doctrine of repentance, pro- help of God, to attain them. ducing living obedience, the doc- God is able to give these thoughts trine respecting faith in God's and emotions to thy soul, and to testimony, the doctrine of the re- continue them there: ask and surrection, and of the final judg-receive, and, when thou failest ment of all mankind, are to be believed as first principles of Christianity. That is, as sentiments to be received by Christians at the very beginning of their profession, and without practically regarding which there cannot be christian action and happiness.

on earth, thou wilt live eternally in heaven.

To abide in Jesus Christ further includes continuance in hearty and impartial obedience to his authority. No man can doubt this who reads the New Testament with attention, nor neglect it but at the peril of his soul. To abide in Christ is, therefore, The apostle John, in the fifteenth steadily to recollect and believe, chapter, and in the seventh and that the Father, the Son, and the the three following verses of his Holy Spirit, are equally possessed gospel, thus writes: "If ye abide of a divine nature, and are united in me, and my words abide in in saving the chosen people of you, ye shall ask what ye will, God, so as to depend on them and it shall be done unto you. for perfect deliverance from sin, Herein is my Father glorified, that and gratefully to esteem them for ye bear much fruit; so shall ye such glorious grace:-that the be my disciples. As the Father death of Jesus procured our life, hath loved me, so have I loved so as to depend for pardon on you: continue ye in my love. If his sacrifice :-that repentance ye keep my commandments, ye for our sins, which causes us to shall abide in my love; even as leave the works of death, is es- I have kept my Father's comsential to salvation, so as to pray mandments, and abide in his for its existence and exercise:- love." How manifest it is, from that God will accomplish all his. this passage, that, if we would promises to those who believe in continue in the love of our ReJesus, so as to possess peace and deemer, we must persevere in joy and that we shall rise again obedience to his authority! We at the last day, and all be judged must be stedfast in believing his according to our works, so as to words, in the exercise of prayer, strive that we may then be ac- and in holy submission to his cepted of God. This cordial, laws. Without this, it is very practical, and continued believing possible to have all knowledge, of the christian doctrines, is and great confidence, but, it is

his Son is its head, and his elect are its members; actually so when influenced by faith and love, unto obedience. The gracious Lord of the universe sent his Son, has appointed ordinances, given instructions, and communicated the Spirit, in order that believers might exist, and abound in holiness. The life and moral goodness of all believers depend on their connexion with Jesus, from whom they receive gracious in

not possible to possess any religion. Reader! avoid those books, and those preachers, as thou wouldst avoid a pestilential air, that pretend to show the way to heaven, but neglect the earnest, frequent, and full inculcation of obedience to the laws of the heavenly kingdom. The love of God in eternity-the death of Christ in time-the residence of the Spirit in the human heart the existence of the scriptures and the ordinances of religion-fluence, whom they love, and on are all intended to restore and to perpetuate the reign of God over apostate man. And that heaven, to which all these contribute to elevate believers, is the holy monarchy of God, in which his angelic and redeemed children serve him without ceasing, and for ever. Such is the doctrine of the scripture, and to be so employed is the desire of every holy heart.

To abide in Jesus Christ includes continuance in affectionate dependance on him for spiritual life and christian holiness. This we find in the gospel of John, to which allusion has been made above. In the fourth and the following verse he thus writes: "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing." This is a beautiful and instructive metaphor. The vine in this case was individual property, its possessor used means to secure fruitfulness, he valued it for its fertility, and only threatens to destroy it for barrenness. Behold here an image of the whole church of God. It is his possession; for

whom they depend. Professors of religion, who are barren in relation to cordial obedience to the divine will, are disapproved, and eventually destroyed; while the obedient servants of God are esteemed, and continued in christian life and holiness for ever in heaven. The members of the real existing christian church are actually united to Jesus Christ by believing the testimony of God in the scriptures concerning him, which excites a sincere affection toward him, on account of his holy character and his gracious acts. Unceasingly pray for these graces and this union, because, without them you will perish. The most accurate and extensive knowledge, the longest standing in the church of God, the greatest firmness of character, will fail to insure your continuance unto the end. You must depend on Jesus, and pray unto him daily for life. Without such habits you are only professors, resembling a painted fire in a winter's day, without heat and usefulness. But, if you abide in Jesus, you will live unto God, and go on unto eternal glory. "I am, said Christ, the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing."

tate will be public. He disho noured the Lord, in an open manner, in a village, or a town, or a county all the inhabitants of the globe did not witness it— did not hear him say, by his conduct when he deserted the ways of God, Jesus merits not human regard, nor confidence. But the Judge will say, before every intelligent being in the universe, Traitor, depart from me into everlasting fire-I never approved

And, now, it may be well to recollect a few of those weighty considerations which, if they are regarded with serious concern, greatly enforce attention to this abiding in Jesus Christ. It is, for instance, intimated in scripture that those who do not so continue will be ashamed when the Judge of all is on his throne at the last day. The apostle, as has been already mentioned, enforces attention to abiding in Jesus by saying, that all who neg-of you--you never really esteemlect it will "be ashamed before ed me. him at his coming." That is, the And this dishonour to be Saviour will then reject them, as inflicted on those who abide not not being christians indeed, and in Jesus Christ will be unmixwill class them with his ene-ed. The unfaithful can find mies. It is well to begin to believe, and love, and obey; but, to continue until life is termi-lect of the gospel as a return to nated is better: it is indeed es sential to the enjoyment of a place in the eternal Eden, in which the trees of righteousness are to flourish for ever.

those who will applaud their perfidy, and regard their new neg

sanity and comfort. But then, the whole universe will refuse them the character of being wise, When the real disciples of Jesus are arrayed in glory and rise to heaven, there will not be an angel, upright or fallen, nor a human being, good or evil, who will not say, These apostates, who have lost so much glory, are disgraced by their sin and folly.

Nor should we, when desirous of feeling the importance of abiding in Christ, neglect to think on the confident expectation of

The dishonour that will be cast on the false professor at last, will be totally unlike that which he now casts on Jesus. It will be an equitable disgrace. The Judge will sit on a white throne, without a stain upon it; and the dishonour under which the unfaithful will sink will be merited by their sins, before it is inflicted on them. But did Christ merit their rejec-eternal glory which the upright tion of him? Judas, Demas, will possess, and have accomunfaithful professors of all ages! plished, when the Redeemer apdid Jesus ever deceive you? Is pears the second time. The he not able to save those who apostle John, in his first epistle, confide in him, and to accom- in the second chapter, and in the plish every hope which his pro- twenty-eighth verse, exhorts chrismises have excited? Ah! you tians to abide in Christ, that, will be righteous, at length, and when he shall appear, they may say to your companions, as the have confidence. convinced malefactor did to his associate in dishonour, We suffer indeed justly, but the Redeemer has done nothing amiss.

The final disgrace of the apos

Indeed, at the present time, all believers of the gospel have a holy assurance that perfect happiness will be enjoyed by the faithful in heaven. They pray

ON THE

DUTIES of MASTERS to SERVANTS.

To the Editor of the Baptist Magazine,

for it with fervour, expect it with Sermon of Mr. Matthew Henry, joy, and diligently advance toward its possession in obedience to the mandates of their Lord. And, when the Judge appears on his throne, and is about to condemn the ungodly host to the rePRIOR to my leaving Shropgions of ever enduring misery; shire, I was permitted to copy while the impious and unfaithful tremble, those who have conti- in the hand-writing of the truly the following Sermon, said to be nued in Christ will be serene, excellent Matthew Henry; and being assured that now their comas it appears likely to answer the plete salvation will be enjoyed. They know that it is promised to great end of preaching-usefulthem by him who ever abidethness, I send it for insertion, if you faithful: "When the Son of man proper, in the Baptist MaJ. B.

think

gazine.

Aug. 8, 1708.

66

COLOSSIANS IV. 1.

Masters, give unto your scrvants that which is just and equal, knowing that ye also have a Master

in heaven,"

shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on the right It seems, though they were hand, but the goats on the left. generally poor servants that first Then shall the King say embraced the gospel, yet there them on his right hand, Come, were some rich masters that gave God ye blessed of my Father, inherit up their names to Christ. has his remnant among all orders the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." and degrees of men. The apostle Now the state of human hearts here teaches the latter their duty. will be reversed. The confident There was an epistle which Paul apostate, who fancies there will wrote and sent with this to Colosse, which was written to a be no hell, or hopes that a gene-christian master, about his duty ral mercy in God will save him, to a servant. It was addressed.

unto

will be ashamed of his dreams,
and affrighted at his doom. But
the timid believer, who often
feared he should never inherit
eternal life, will now behold the
gate open, and know that he is
to enter in, and abide for ever in
the possession of cloudless light,
and in the enjoyment of perfect
peace. Let us, therefore, all
pray and labour that we may
abide in Jesus;" that, when
he shall appear, we may have
confidence, and not be ashamed
before him at his coming.
London.

66

T. G.

to Philemon, a minister of the church at Colosse. That epistle, which came by Onesimus, furnishes no reason why the apostle should not teach the duty of masters to their servants in this epistle.

There is no reason why this verse should begin a new chapter; yet we may observe from its connexion with verse 2. that masters do not give their servants that which is equal, if they do not continue in prayer for them; and that ministers must not only teach servants their duty, but