new or spiritually-born soul, be found strictly true; the leadings or operations of that conviction or concern which is awakened within must, in due time, decide a question so momentous as to whether it is the mere impulse of that conscience which, with its native light, every man possesses, or the first writhings under the wound inflicted by the arrow of conviction, with which the Lord the Spirit hath pierced the heart. We venture, however, to suggest, that the distinction even in this the early stage of grace-the break of day in the soul-will be that which lies between doing and asking. Under the former (the mere influence of conscience), there shall be, as previously intimated, a certain round of duty and endeavour, under the mistaken idea of an inherent power or ability; with the latter (the home-stroke of conviction in the heart by the Holy Ghost), there shall be such a deep-felt consciousness of helplessness, impotency, and need, as shall cause the language of the text to apply to the individual, be he who he may, or wherever or however situated

"Behold he prayeth."

Beloved, here was the turning point with regard to Paul, and so it may be said of every child of God. That Paul had had convictionthat he had been under the influence of a certain measure of light, but altogether misdirected, we have abundant evidence. Hear what he says (Acts xxii. 3), "I was brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous towards God, as ye are all this day;" again (Acts xxvi. 5), "After the most straitest sect of our religion, I lived a pharisee;" and (Phil. iii. 4—6), he says, "If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law a pharisee: concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." But, what was the effect the moment the Lord the Spirit, so to speak, took him in hand? He tells us in the 7th verse of this same chapter, that" what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." In other words, that all stood for nought-that he had set out under false impressions, chosen a wrong road, and now so far from wishing to pursue his former course, by taking, as before intimated (Rom. x. 3), to establish his own righteousness, and thus to recommend himself to God, he gladly suffered the loss of all things, and counted it but dung so that he might win Christ, and be found in him, not having his own righteousness, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.

Here, then, is plainly discoverable the operations of that faith which is of the Holy Ghost. It brings a man to renounce himself, and all his fleshly free-will acts, as they are called; though the only free-will that we know of, is a will to choose the wrong rather than the right; a will to prefer sin, either refined or more openly profane (in the sight

of God it matters not which), rather than that holiness which is the gift of God, and the love of which, and the desire after which, is implanted by the Holy Ghost in every regenerate heart.

"Behold he prayeth."-Hence, as in the case of Paul, or Peter, or the Publican, all genuine, real, heartfelt prayer springs from a sense of need. Paul was struck to the earth, and, not knowing but what the next blow would send him down to the nethermost hell, he cried out (ignorant enough before, notwithstanding all his zealous doings of who and what the Lord was), "Who art thou, Lord ?" and then, when told in one simple, yet all-powerful word of who this Jesus was whom he had been persecuting rather than serving, he, trembling and astonished, ventures to ask, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Peter-poor, forward, always fool-hardy Peter-looks at the waves, and looks at himself, and beginning to sink, cries in bitter agony, "Lord, save, or I perish." And the publican-another poor brother, reader, of yours and ours- -all over sin, defiled from head to foot; not an inch of ground to stand upon, not a good thought, nor pious word or action, to plead, but with himself revealed to himself as a mass of putrefaction, “not able so much as to cast his eyes to heaven," smites upon his breast, and exclaims, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." As much as to say, If it be possible to save such a wretch-if thou hast just one little crumb of mercy for such a culprit-if it would not exceed the utmost bounds of thine astonishing mercy, why then be merciful to me-to me, who hath not the veriest particle of a recommendation-who hath not a single argument to bring forward why thou shouldest not cut me down as a cumberer of the ground, except mercy, sweet mercy, and that for Jesu's sake.

Reader, this is prayer. Paul, and Peter, and the poor broken-hearted publican, all prayed. Have you? They all felt their needy, destitute circumstances. Do you ? It is a mercy to feel one's need; for if deeply realized, it is the sure forerunner of the cry taking possession of the heart; and we would say that, whilst it is impossible to convey a knowledge of destitution to the mind of another, let one's own mind be ever so deeply impressed with it; yea, and equally impossible to impress one's own mind with a sense of need, however great that necessity may be; it argues-and that most conclusively-that every such conviction as drives the soul to the Lord for help, is the fruit and effect of the operation of the Holy Ghost in the heart, and, as such, will not - cannot be denied or passed by unheeded. It will-it must-prevail; for it is the very breath of God in the soul. It is the cry that denotes life, and that a life which can never cease to exist.

How, then, can any with propriety assert that those who preach the doctrines of free and sovereign grace speak in a language less comforting-less encouraging-to the coming sinner. We maintain that the very opposite is the fact ;-that whilst the advocates for at least some relics of good in the creature are accustomed to regard with

suspicion and an entire lack of confidence, those convictions and desires which invariably attend the earlier operations of grace, those who believe in the total alienation of the natural heart from God, by means of the fall, rejoice to discover the very first indication of the prodigal's desire to return to his Father's house. Whilst a coldness and an uncertainty about results attend the former, a sweet warmth and a precious assurance are united with, and prompt, the latter; for whilst they rejoice in the fact that "every good gift and every perfect gift cometh down from the Father of lights," they equally rejoice in the conviction that " He which bath begun a good work will perforin (margin, finish) it until the day of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Brethren, the whole human race is involved in one common and most awfully destructive fall. They lie buried in one vast heap of ruin; they are a very mass of defilement; and, until the Holy Ghost comes forth in His Almighty energy and own inherent power, not the veriest particle of revival, renewal, or restoration, shall be discoverable. Hence the least glimmering of light-the very first evidence of the giving way of those bonds and fetters in which and by which man, in his first-Adamstate, is bound-and the faintest, feeblest cry for help and succour, that bursts from the heart of a poor burdened sinner, is to be hailed with a welcome, and to be encouraged, for here is the finger of God. Ireland, June 1, 1847.

THE EDITOR.

A GOLDEN TREASURY OF THE FAMOUS NAMES AND TITLES OF EMMANUEL.

BY THOMAS HARE, M.A.,

Curate of Yeovil-cum-Preston, Somerset.

(Continued from Dec., 1815).

No. V.

ARRANGED

ALPHABETICALLY.

"We have an ALTAR, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle."-HEB, xiii. 10.

BOTH in the tabernacle in the wilderness, and temple at Jerusalem, there were two altars-the one for incense, and other for burnt-offerings. For an account of these, the reader is referred to Exodus xxx. 1-10, concerning that of the incense; and xxvii. 1-8, respecting the altar of burnt-offerings. This was overlaid with brass, and that with plates of gold. As all other things, so the altars were anointed with the holy oil (Exodus xxx. 29). The persons who waited at the altars were

the ordinary priests, whose duties were to prepare the victims, offer the sacrifices, and bring in to the sanctuary a smoking censer, kindled with fire taken off the brazen, or burnt altar, setting it upon the golden, or altar of incense, every morning and evening. By the Holy Ghost we are assured, that "these things were shadows of good things to come" (Heb. x. 1). What they had in shadow, all the elect, who have lived since the word was made flesh, have possessed in substance! And this is what Jehovah Jesus, the wisdom Mediator, promised his believing people" that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, and I will fill their treasures" (Prov. viii. 21). In truth, he fulfils this gracious promise, in making himself known to them as all their salvation and desire. As the cardinal truth in the text is Christ, since in all things he has the pre-eminence, to him we must first call your attention, as the New Testament altar. We have already noticed, under the law there were two altars. The duties performed at each were peculiar. What was performed at the altar of incense could not be done at the altar of burnt-offerings, and vice versa. As one altar could not exhibit all of Christ, Emmanuel-Jehovah ordained two altars as figures of him, who is indeed in his one person, not only the altar of incense, but that of burnt-offering. The Israelites had then two altars; but New Testament believers only one, and this altar is Christ. So says our apostle, "We have an altar "—not altars, either two or many-but rather an altar. Notwithstanding he says, an altar, hereby is not meant, as of any altar, as of an indefinite one-but an altar, even Christ. The Greek word properly signifies here an altar (Thusiasterion), where the slain sacrifices were offered. It has another meaning sometimes, relating to the altar of incense. It is derived from Thusia, which signifies a sacrifice or offering. Here it metaphorically denotes the whole mystery of Emmanuel, and is put by a Synecdoche for the oblation or sacrifice of Christ, as said Paul, “Behold Israel after the flesh; are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?" (1 Cor. x. 18). As one among the many names of Jesus is Wonderful, so he is wonderful, in that in him met, not only altars, but high priest and sacrifice. Nor is he otherwise now he is in glory. And besides him, his elect know, and have, no other altar.

It is too true, the superstition of ages has erected other altars, but they are vain, since neither exparte, nor in toto, are they the Lord Christ. The altar of burnt-offerings (as that of incense or perfume) was made of shittim wood, overlaid of brass. This altar had four horns at its corners. Jehovah designed hereby, not only to exhibit the Lord Jesus in his character as the altar, but also, in the glory of his Person, as Emmanuel, or God with us; as said the prophet, Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (Is. vii. 14). The shittim wood prefiguring his humanity, or seed of Abraham, which he took into personal with himself, as it is written, "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham" (Heb. ii. 16). And the brass covering (because of its indestructibility) signifying his divinity; in that he

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is, in his one person, God and man; both truly and necessarily in one person, as the Mediator between God and men— -the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. ii. 5). This was his peculiar glory; and hence is derived the infinite and everlasting diguity of the New Testament altar. Were it not for what he is in his person, wherein would he be better and greater than others? In him, therefore, personal dignity, yea, "excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power," carries the day (Gen. xlix. 3), As his glorious person dignified the altar, so too, the one great sacrifice for sin offered on that altar. In allusion to himself (the great substance) Jesus asked, Whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift" (Matt. xxiii. 19). What sanctified the offering of Christ's soul and body, as a sacrifice to God, was his divine person. And hence was derived its whole virtue, and stamped it with such inestimable value, that as our Apostle declares, " By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified" (Heb. x. 14). From the evangelist Isaiah we learn the character of this great sacrifice, since he says, "When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand" (Is. liii, 10). The same invaluable truth was preached by Jesus when he declared, as one decided proof of the difference between himself and an hireling, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep" (John x. 11), Soul is put for person, as for instance," Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die (Ezek. xviii. 4)—i. e., the sinner that sins shall die. The substitution of the Lord Jesus, as the blessed Surety for his people, was complete ; in that, in general, he died in the whole man for them offering his soul instead of their souls, and his body for their bodies. In respect of the latter, Peter says, "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed" (1 Peter, ii. 24). And that this act of his wondrous love was not apart from his soul, and divine person, is also evident, since his language is, Who "his own self," &c. not affirmed simply in contradistinction to sacrifices under the law, but, as signifying that, in his whole person, he bare his sheep's sin; that, in his whole person, he was the sacrifice for their sins, and consequently as such he is their spiritual food. It is true, Emmanuel did not, because he could not die in his divine person; and it is equally true, were it not for the hypostatical union of the seed of Abraham, with the person of the Son of God, that his suffering and dying had been eternally insufficient. Though therefore the Son of God could alone pour out his soul unto death, and bare his elect's sins, yet it was as his soul and body were in everlasting union with his glorious person, Wherefore, though the pouring out be ascribed to the soul, and bearing sin be attributed to the body, yet, because whatever may be affirmed of either nature is true of his person, and in his one person he is both God and man-Emmanuel, both these were the acts of his person.

This