asks for the salvation that is in Christ; and Jesus does not say in reply, "You are an old and notorious sinner, a hardened and wicked wretch; and you have not had an opportunity of confessing to a priest, and he has not given you absolution, and therefore you must go to purgatory for forty or fifty years, and then if your relatives can find money enough to pray you out, I may perhaps admit you to heaven." Instead of that He says, "To-day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise." Then if we ask of man, that dieth and wasteth away, "Where is he?" he is with Christ in Paradise or he is with demons in despair. Life, death, and hell, and worlds unknown, Hang on His firm decree ; He sits on no precarious throne, Nor borrows leave TO BE.

Chained to His throne a volume lies,

With all the fates of men ;
With every angel's form and size
Drawn by the eternal pen.

His providence unfolds the book,

And makes His counsels shine;
Each opening leaf, and every stroke
Fulfils some deep design.—WATTS.

Letters by the Household of Faith.

LETTER BY THE LATE MR. G. STEDMAN. Robertsbridge, July 15th, 1880. Dear Friend,-Hope you are favoured to see the difference "between him that serveth God and he who serveth Him not,” as Obadiah had it given him to do. The formalist, is portrayed in Esau and his offspring (Edom), who is called "Jacob's brother” born of the same mother, and begotten by the same father. Even so God giveth gifts to servants still, as well as to sons. Jacob spake of all the Lord did for them in Egypt as to brethren; but lived to prove he was casting pearls before swine, and casting bread to a dog (Numbers xx. 14-21). Wherefore Israel turned away from him, as Paul admonishes Timothy to turn away from those under the gospel who had a form of godliness but denied the power of it. "None are to remain of Esau" (Obadiah 18). “But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance; and there shall be holiness, and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions." Esau is one-twelfth of Jacob's house.

These tribes of Jacob are extant in the regenerated of the Lord at this day. Reuben-"vision of a son:" even Christ revealed in the heart. Simeon-"he that hears, obeys, and is heard." Levi

joined"-joined to the Lord. Judah-"praise:" "This people have I formed for Myself; they shall show forth My praise."

Zebulun-" dwelling:" one in whom God dwells, and he dwells in God. Issachar "reward or recompence:" one who has believed the gospel and is recompensed by the witnessing of the Holy Spirit promised, whereby he is sealed unto eternal redemption. Dan-"he that judges or judgment." The sinner who judges himself by God's rule, and so is not condemned with the world. Yea, judges all things himself, but is judged of none. He bows to no judgment or sentence save that of God: "Let my sentence come forth from Thy presence." Gad-"a band; happy; one armed and prepared." The soul is indeed happy, even when embedded in miseries, when Christ blesses him. Blessed be ye poor,mourners, hungerers, and thirsters after righteousness; meek, persecuted, and falsely accused. These are the happy ones, and these are fully armed with effective weapons too: although to sight and sense they are just the reverse. Yes, they live by faith and not by sight. Asher "blessedness or happiness." happiness." Ah, do not these flourish in abundance in love! 66 'Happy is the man whom God correcteth." Whom He loves He chastens. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation. Oh, these sweet blessings come down to us, shall I say, strained through these dark clouds. Naphtali"my wrestling." Have not you and I something or things of our own which we had to wrestle hard for? Aye, choice things too; though the bringing them forth was sore travail. Joseph“adding,” “increase." He was indeed a Nazarene; a branch in feeling separated from the stock and other branches by the branches themselves for 24 or 25 years. What, a withered branch add and increase? Sense and reason, aided by human nature, says, Nay, impossible; but God, and true faith too, confirm the thing in the soul. One more of the household-little Benjamin—“ the son of my right hand.” His mother called him Benoni-"the son of my sorrow" our sorrows, and the deepest, yield the son of our right hand. The right hand denotes strength or power. Is not the joy of the Lord our strength? Does not this spring to us out of sorrows; and the deeper they are the greater the joy? These constitute the House of Jacob, who are to possess their possessions; while Jacob is to be a fire and Joseph (i.e., the houses of these respectively) a flame, and Esau's house to be as stubble; and they shall kindle in them and devour them, according to Malachi i. 4.

I must confess I have been almost wicked enough at times to let in something like this to my heart respecting this short prophecy: It is no use reading this scripture. But, O what does it contain? A full, solemn and terrible, yet glorious account of professor and profane; of those who fear God and those who fear Him not.

Those who know the power of godliness and they who only know and are content with the form. And I often am inquiring, What am I? Which side am I? And am obliged to rest sometimes when challenged, on this word: "The foundation of God standeth sure; having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are His."

G. STEDMAN.

LETTER BY A TRIED PILGRIM.

My beloved Christian Brother,

Friday, Jan. 3rd, 1857.

I feel disposed to write you a few words this morning, having time on my hands. My mind has been impressed with the account of the Lord's dealings toward you, which you gave me on Tuesday night last; and I cannot but feel impressed with the impending fulfilment of the purpose of the Eternal God made known, unto you his servant concerning your appointed position as an ambassador of Christ. My poor, feeble, ignorant mind, alas, is often so much perplexed with itself and its lack of revelation in the "knowledge of Jesus," that these wonderful displays of the Lord's covenant designs seem too high for me, and I cannot attain unto them, yet I desire to rejoice in the wondrous grace and favour shown towards you, and hail with unfeigned joy the word of the Lord going forth with power, savour and eternal success from your mouth, as His Spirit shall give you utterance. O may you feel much of His presence, and be anointed with all that grace and unction of the Lord the Spirit which you stand in need of, and may He grant you sweet evidence that He is your strength and shield, and all your salvation.

I feel much interested as to your grandfather's state,-whether he has left the body or no, and should like to know if that has taken place, according to the intimation given to him. What an unspeakable mercy to have a desire to depart and be with Christ, to be prepared to appear in the presence of God, saved from sin, and fear, and guilt, and shame-accepted in the Beloved! When shall

I attain to this? I often ask myself: but the Lord is a God of judgment, and I desire to wait for Him to do all things for me according to His sovereign will.

Another year having commenced, I am reminded how short the time has been since I sent you a few words of salutation upon the opening of the last, and while reviewing what has been my course and the Lord's dealings, I must endeavour, like Paul in olden time,

to "thank God and take courage," with the strong conviction of

our dear poet:

"Weak in myself-in Him I'm strong,"

His Spirit's voice I hear;

The way I walk cannot be wrong,

If Jesus be but there."

On New Year's morn I was musing upon Hart's words

"No trifling gift or small,

Should friends of Christ desire:

Rich Lord, bestow on all

Pure gold well tried by fire:

Faith that stands fast when devils roar,

And love that lasts for evermore."

To this I could add my hearty Amen-and pray that this year may be fraught with blessings from above and great grace and mercy to us through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Whenever you can make an opportunity, do favour me with a visit; or if that is not practicable, may I crave a few lines,-however few, does not matter, though I highly prize every sentence I receive just to let me know how you are-and concerning your experience in preaching Christ. I must conclude my feeble note praying the Lord to be with you and bless you, and your dear mother and relatives in the kingdom of grace. My partner joins me in kindest regards, Your affectionate Christian brother,

Mr. A. J. Baxter.

AMS.

T. A. WILLIAMS.

[The above was written to us just after the Lord had brought us out into the ministry, and when the dear aged relative referred to (who for twenty years sat under Mr. Huntigton) was passing away to his eternal rest --THE EDITOR.]

PURE GOLD FROM PURITAN AND OTHER MINES.

SCRIPTURE INTERPRETATION." As God is the author of His law and word, so He is the best interpreter of it. The Scripture having an impress of Divine wisdom, holiness, and goodness, must be regarded according to that impress with a submission and meekness of spirit and reverence of God in it. But when, in our enquiries into the word, we enquire not of God but consult flesh and blood, the temper of the times wherein we live, or the satisfaction of a party we side withal, and impose gloss upon it according to our own fancies, it is to put laws upon God, and make self the rule of Him. He that interprets the law to bol

ster up some eager appetite against the will of the law-giver, ascribes to himself as great an authority as He that enacted it."

CHARNOCK.

Perhaps many that sit under my poor ministry will recollect some of the observations here brought together which they have heard by word of mouth in my evening lectures. I write as I speak without much attention to style or manner, and if God, the Holy Ghost, Whose blessed office it is to glorify Christ, should graciously condescend to bless this little work when I am no more; and if any of those among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God should, as they read these lines after my decease, call to mind what they have heard in my personal ministry and say:-"We remember those words as they came warm from his heart, which we now read, while his ashes are mouldering in the grave," the very thought comforts my soul in the moment of writing.

HAWKER.

;

PRAYER.- "When God saith unto thee, Ask what thou wilt, what wilt thou ask? It is not anyone, but Almighty God that said, Ask what thou wilt (Matt. vii. 7). If of possessions thou art a lover, thou wilt desire the whole earth, that all who are born may be thy husbandmen, or thy slaves. And what when thou hast possessed the whole earth? Thou wilt ask the sea, in which yet thou can'st not live. In this greediness the fishes will have the better of thee. But perhaps thou wilt possess the islands. Pass over these also; ask the air, although thou can'st not fly; stretch thy desires even unto the heavens, call thine own the sun, the moon, and the stars, because He who made all said, Ask what thou wilt: yet nothing wilt thou find more precious, nothing wilt thou find better, than Himself Who made all things. Him seek, Who made all things, and in Him and from Him shalt thou have all things that He made. All things are precious, because all things are beautiful; but what more beautiful than He? Strong are they; but what more strong than He? And nothing would He give thee rather than Himself. If ought better thou hast found, ask it. If thou ask ought else thou wilt do wrong to Him and harm to thyself by preferring to Him that which He made, when He would give to thee Himself Who made." AUGUSTINE on the Psalms.

THE BETTER INHERITANCE.-As for bodily health or strength, worldly peace or prosperity, gains or projects, riches or honours, favour or affection, kindness or civil treatment from this world, let it not be once expected nor once mentioned among you as becometh saints;