hath already made the separation. If men do not commend us, we think they are stupid, and understand us not; or envious, and hold their tongues in spite. If we be praised by many, then fame is the voice of God. If we be praised but by few, then we cry, these are wise, and one wise man is worth the whole herd of the people. But if we be praised by none at all, we resolve to be even with all the world, and speak well of nobody, and think well only of ourselves.-Jeremy Taylor.

THE PROFIT OF PATERNAL CARE. LET the father of a growing family remember, pressing as his business may be, that very much depends upon his devoting systematically some portion of his time to that instruction of his family which no money can procure. Let him by no means plead ignorance; if he begins in time, he can at least grow with his children in their attainments. He should remember that in a course of years, a large family brought up on sound and conscientious principles will cost less than one child of expensive and dissipated habits. He should remember also that his children have eternal interests, for which he is bound to consult. And when is the child to meet the parent in this search for goodly pearls, if the one is wholly occupied in school through the day, and the other in business through the evening?

MYSTERY, REASON, AND FAITH. [THE following illustration on this subject occurs in a little essay, written some time since by the Rev. Mr Peabody of Philadelphia :-1

"Night comes down over a ship at sea, and a passenger lingers hour after hour alone on deck. The waters plunge and welter, and glide away beneath the keel. Above, the sails tower up in the darkness, almost to the sky, and their shadow falls as it were a burden on the deck below. In the clouded night, no star is to be seen, and as the ship changes her course

the passenger knows not which way is east or west, or north or south. What islands, what sunken rocks may be on her course-or what that course is, or where they are, he knows not. All around to him is mystery. He bows down in the submission of utter ignorance.

"But men of science have read the laws of the sky. And the next day this passenger beholds the captain looking at a clock and taking note of the place of the sun, and with the aid of a couple of books, composed of rules and mathematical tables, making calculations. And when he has completed them, he is able to point almost within a hand's breadth to the place at which, after unnumbered windings, he has arrived in the midst of the seas. Storms may have beat and currents drifted, but he knows where they are, and the precise point where, a hundred leagues over the water, lies his native shore. Here is reason appreciating and making use of the revelations (if we may so call them) of science.

"Night again shuts down over the waste of waves, and the passenger beholds a single seaman stand at the wheel, and watch hour after hour, as it vibrates beneath a lamp, a little needle which points ever, as if it were a living finger, to the steady pole.

"This man knows nothing of the rules of navigation, nothing of the courses of the sky. But reason and

experience have given him faith in the commandingofficer of the ship-faith in the laws that control her course-faith in the unerring integrity of the little guide before him. And so without a single doubt he steers his ship on, according to a prescribed direction, through night and the waves. And that faith is not disappointed. With the morning sun, he beholds far away the summits of the gray and misty highlands, rising like a cloud on the horizon; and as he nears them, the hills appear; and the lighthouse at the entrance of the harbour, and, sight of joy! the spires of the churches and the shining roofs, among which he strives to detect his own."

THE THOUGHTS.

CHRISTIANS, get your thoughts to be well exercised; be much in thinking; think of the goodness, and kindness, and holiness, and compassion of the Lord; think of Christ, of his love, of his life, of his death, of his bowels, and everlasting kindness; think often what great things the Lord hath done for your souls; think what ye would that he should do for you; much thinking on God and holy things, will leave a holy tincture on your hearts, will by degrees do much to the begetting holy habits and dispositions in you; the Lord uses to convey down much of his holy image and likeness upon the heart by the thoughts.-R. Alleine,

THE WILDERNESS.

THOUGH a wilderness be not heaven, it shall be sweet and welcome for the sake of heaven, if from thence

I may but have a clearer prospect of heaven, and if, by retiring from the crowd and noise of folly, I may but be better disposed to converse alone, and to use, alas! my too weak and languid faith till it be exchanged for the beatific vision. May there be but more of God, readier access to him, more fervent love, more heart-comforting intimations of his favour, in a wilderness than in a city, in a prison than in a palace, as long as I abide on earth! If in solitude I have my Enoch's walk with God, I shall in due season have such a translation as will bring me to the same felicity which he enjoys; and in the mean time, as well as after, it is no disadvantage if by mortal eyes I am seen no more. If the chariot of

contemplation will in solitude raise me to more believing and affectionate converse with heaven than I could expect in tumult and temptations, it shall reconcile me to solitude, and make it my paradise on earth, till angels, instead of Elijah's chariot, shall convey me to the presence of the glorified Jesus.— Baxter.

66

HOW TO ESCAPE ANNOYANCE. "I AM annoyed beyond measure," said Mr A., a church member, to Mr B., another church member, "by these constant calls for donations to this, that, and the other society." That used to be my case too," replied Mr B. "I was almost worried out of my life by the beggars, until I ascertained it was all my own fault. My trouble all arose from teasing my mind in fabricating excuses why I should not give. Since then I have adopted the plan of giving freely to all that call, and it is wonderful how much better I feel, and how completely the annoyance has ceased. I advise you, Mr A., to try my plan. I will warrant its efficacy."

277

1. Before he came into the world. 2. While in the world. 3. After he went out of it; for, in all these seasons, our Lord was a priest, and managed intercession.

1. Before he came into the world. There could be no exercise of this office till there were sinners. What use could a priest be of till there were sinners, and some elect sinners in the world? We hope in God, the first pair that lived in it were of that number, I mean our first parents. Pray observe this, all the salvation, and pardon of sin, and entrance to heaven, that was given to the fathers before Christ came, was all given in the view and in the virtue of the death of our Lord, who was to die once for sin. Abel, Enoch, Noah, and all the saints of old, had their peace with God, those large measures of the love and favour of God, and salvation in the end dispensed to them, through the virtue of the sacrifice of Christ not yet offered. The Father trusted his Son firmly that in the fulness of time he would pay the debt. The discharge is given before the payment; the discharge is given to the criminal before the payment is made by the surety. The believers before Christ came looked to him as come; and according to the small light that they had in that time, so was their faith. Now, if salvation and all spiritual blessing were given to believers before Christ's coming, before he was in the flesh, we may well conceive that the intercession, which was a part of his office, and which he was to discharge in heaven, was not unminded by him.

2. When he was in the world, when he was in the flesh, we find he was greatly given to prayer. We find him spending several nights alone in prayer to God. Were it lawful to wish, and may be it is not; but surely, if it had been lawful to wish it, and if it had been attained, and if grace had been given to guide it, the most happy opportunity that ever was in the world had been to have heard our Lord Jesus praying a whole night to the Father. The Scripture does not tell us what he prayed for; but we are sure of this, that he prayed for his sheep: "I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are

used to utter, and to pour forth his heart to his Father about. Many prayers he put up for himself; Christ made no sacrifice for himself, but he put up many prayers for himself: "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared."—Heb. v. 7.

3. The third season is, Christ's intercession in heaven, when he went out of the world into his exalted state; and that is the word most commonly used in the Scriptures about his intercession. His intercession is frequently both in the Old and New Testament subjoined to his sacrifice: "He hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."-Isa. liii. 12. "It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." -Rom. viii. 34. "He ever liveth to make intercession."-Heb. vii. 25. Of this intercession of our Lord, as managed in his exalted state, we find several expressions in the Scripture; and I choose rather, and will advise you accordingly, to confine your thoughts to Scripture phrase about these things, wherein we may overdo, and overthink, and think amiss.

1st, His intercession stands in his entering into heaven in our name, and in our room. See how the apostle expresses it, Heb. ix. 12, 24. The most glorious, the most powerful entrance, the stateliest thing that we can imagine next to his return again, was when a slain, quickened, ascended Lord Jesus in man's nature entered into the heavenly places; not the "places made with hands, but into heaven itself," says the apostle. As long as he is there we are there, for all his people's cases will be minded effectually.

2d, It is called appearing before God for us; not only entering in our name, but staying there on our behalf, for our good. To this purpose seems the Word of our Lord to point: "The Spirit shall convince the world of righte ousness:" why so? “Because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more." This is a dark ex

pression, "I go to my Father, and ye see me no more." The meaning of it is plainly this, that the certainty of our justification by the virtue of the righteousness of Jesus Christ stands in this, that the person whose blood wrought out this righteousness is gone into heaven, and is not returned again. Pray observe, the high priest under the law was to go in, and to accomplish righteousness for the atoning of God's anger against Israel, in the seventh month once; and he was to come out again—the poor man was not to stay there: but our grand High Priest is to stay for ever in heaven until all the virtue of his death is fully applied to them that it was appointed for: when all that is done, then he comes out of his throne, in the clouds, to gather all his people.

66

3d, His intercession is expressed to us by his knowledge and sympathy with the ails, wants, and infirmities of his people. So the apostle argues : Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession."-Heb. iv. 14. But, might the poor believer say, our dear Lord is passed into heaven, and we are here in this miserable world; how shall there be converse betwixt him and us ? "We have not," says he," an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; he was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."-Ver. 15. Pray observe, that of the apostle's argument, the main thing is implied, the other things are but the outside of it. The thing that is the outside is, Christ was once tempted as we are; the apostle's argument from thence is, Therefore we have an high priest that can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but the force and scope of it is, for our consolation, that he is touched with them. What his glorified state does admit of, is what we cannot conceive of, but what our necessities crave, our faith is allowed to expect. Our Lord will not cry and weep at Lazarus' grave now; he will not grieve in himself because of the hardness and unbeief of their hearts, as he did when on earth; he doos not bear our infirmities, nor feel them with that afflicting sense and sorrow that he had in the days of his flesh; but every thing that ails a poor believer is as well felt and as really known by our Lord Jesus as if Christ and the man were in one place and room together.

Lastly, His intercession stands in blessing and wishing well. These wishes and this blessing rise upward to the Father, and come downwards to us; he wishes as it were, he

wishes and wills that all the blessings purchased by his death may be bestowed on all them for whom his blood was shed. See how he expresses it in his intercession on earthhow he prays, "Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am."-John xvii. 24. Is that a word for a man in prayer to say, "Lord, I will?" You see how, in some cases, our Lord with the deepest humility addresses to the Father, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth."-Matt. xi. 25. But here now, when he is giving us a copy of his intercession, and is fore-acting his intercession in heaven, he puts on the authority that in his glorified state he is fully clothed with: "I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me." Christ's blessing of his people is the virtue of his intercession; when his wishes, as it were, and his will, is delivered to his Father, then the blessing wished for comes down upon The last thing our Lord did on earth should be dear to us, to think how Christ and his people parted-he lifted up his hands and blessed them, that they might remember him as long as they lived. Christ came into the world to bless his people, and died to obtain a blessing; and when he went to heaven, he left his blessing upon them; and it was the last thing he did upon earth.

us.

Is Christ a proper priest, a true priest? Then, 1. Be very thankful to God for this provision, that we have an high priest. 2. Be careful to make use of him.

1. Be highly thankful to God for Christ, as a high priest. The provision made is absolutely needful- no dealing with God but by him. It is provision that is made in mere grace and mercy; nothing is in us to move God to it but mere mercy. it is provision that is made very costly. To be a high priest cost our Lord a great deal: "He made himself of no reputation, and took on him the form of a servant, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."-Phil. ii. 7, 8. It is, however, such a provision as brought a great deal of honour to Christ: "He glorified not himself, to be made an high priest," but his Father glorified him; this is a very strange word.-Heb. v. 5. This high priest was to be made a sacrifice. Was there any great glory in being made a sacrifice? To be made sin, to be made a curse, to be made shame, to be made, as it were, the channel of the wrath and displeasure of God, for all the sins of the people of God-where is

the honour of all this? But look through this: there is grand honour-he is to be the reconciler of all things to God, the great umpire of heaven and earth, the great purchaser of eternal salvation for all the saved. The condescension and lowness that our Lord stooped to in undertaking this office had great dignity in it; and so it appears in the issue, and will appear more when all is done.

2. Be careful to use Christ as an high priest. Woe to them that do not know Christ; but a great deal more woe to them that know any thing of him, and do not make use of him. Every believer hath need of every thing that Christ has to give. Christ's fulness was never so laid open before the eyes of a believer, but the more he sees Christ hath, the more the man is convinced of his need of every thing he sees. In this using of Christ as an high priest, only take notice of these two particulars:

(1.) Never deal with God without him in any thing. It is only the pride, and ignorance, and folly of the children of men, that they dare venture into God's presence without Christ Jesus. An understanding believer cannot do

So.

He dares not come into God's presence but in the hand of this great high priest, and with him upon his heart. Do not offer, I say, in any concern, to deal with God without this high priest. Judge ye what would have been done in the state of the church of the Jews, if any man had brought his sacrifice to the altar, and laid his own hands upon it, and said, This sacrifice is mine, and I will be priest myself. That soul had been cut off from amongst his people. This was but typical of the severe charge we lie under. In all things that pertain to God, we must still bring Christ along with us. I will name some of those things that we must not deal with God in without him, and that we must deal with God by him, and with

him.

1st, When we draw nigh to God for the acceptance of our persons, and obtaining peace with God, this must be by our great High Priest, for it is in the Beloved only that we are accepted.-Eph. i. 6. It is in his Son only that he is well pleased. If ever you think to bring that to God that may make him love you, or that will render you lovely in his sight without Christ Jesus, you will find yourselves dreadfully

mistaken when it comes to the issue.

2d, In all the offerings of service to him, let them be all by the hand of this High Priest. If you pray, pray in his name, and not in your own; if you offer the sacrifice of praise, do it

279

by him: "By him let us offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving." Whatever you do, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. This great high priest must receive all our services and sacrifices, and he only must present them if ever they be accepted.-Heb. xiii. 15.

3d, In all your expectations of good from God, let all those expectations be through Christ, if there be any looking and working of heart, as there will be if you be believers, in begging something, and looking for somewhat There is no Christian that is exercised in begging much, but that poor creature will find some expectation and hope rising, that there shall be an answer of peace, there will come some good, some blessing will be returned. Now, take heed of this in all these expectations- let the answer of them all be through Christ.

In sum, The eyes of a believer are to be fixed on Christ, in all his dealings with God (if I may divide them so, and this dividing is but uniting the eyes of faith that are fixed on Christ). The one eye is to be set on his oblation, and the other on his intercession; and when your eyes are fixed, serve God as painfully, and expect as highly as you please; ask as largely, and expect as confidently according to his word. Then your eyes are singly upon this high priest set over the house of God when your hearts bear you witness, and you are persuaded in yourselves, that there is nothing in you, nothing done by you, that can ever turn to a good account in God's sight, unless this great high priest put incense thereto, and obtain acceptance from God for you.

THE OLD PLOUGHMAN.*

In the year 1840, at a church meeting, along with several young persons, and some in the middle of life, I received into fellowship three old men, whose conversion to the faith of Christ had taken place in the preceding part of the year, and who lived to adorn that faith by the purity of their lives, and who are now, I doubt not, amongst the spirits of the just made perfect. Of the history and death of the eldest I will now present a brief sketch.

George Medway, who was a native of Shropshire, was born in the year 1766, in a small cottage near the village of This village, with its suburbs, contained a population of about 150 souls, and like most in England, it consisted of two classes, the

upper, including the rector and the squire, and a few respectable farmers, and the lower, including the

We are indebted for this remarkable narrative, to our valued contemporary the Scottish Congregational Magazine It appeared in the numbers for July and August, under the head of Ministerial Reminiscences.