I was astonished, melted-it was like a warm stream of life gently flowing through my frozen frame; it was a precious, unexpected Hebrew melody, sung by one I had always heard, before this moment, speaking in the language of Ashdod. I bought the book, and hastened home to compare it with the Elijah I had always read. What was my indignation, when I placed them side by side; Satan had seen this book, like Ezekiel's army, grow up in the lovely valley of Barmen ; he heard the living breathings in every page, and knew to Britain they would soon be on their march. Cunning adversary! He flew with a volume to his cave, and there in the dark recesses, searched out the life-blood, dried up the marrow, tore off the sinews, and in new livery most nicely fitted, stuffed out and wadded to give the shape of life— then marshalled in the English dress, he sends the army forth with flourishing of trumpet, and much ado. But ah! too well he knew how powerless this once most noble army is, to do his kingdom harm. What is it now, with all its pretty music,—but what it was before the spirit raised it up, and breathed its life-breath in its nostrils?- -a mass of bones, all dry, and very, very dry. However, it is rescued from the moles and bats, and stands a living army, in an English dress-plain, homely, blessed. By your permission, beloved Editor, we will place in juxta-position, a few extracts from each translation, that the dear members of our travelling family may see how much, and how cleverly they have been cheated. In many parts, however, whole passages are omitted, and these invariably are such as, to the living in Jerusalem, form the pearls and brilliants, in the otherwise somewhat fanciful chain. If you can find room for a few of the extracts I send you, besides unmasking a deceiver, it will tell another fact, which I trust will not be wholly useless, that the Lord of the vineyard has not left himself without a witness in Germany, whose delight it is to dwell on that truly blessed and wonderful circumstance, "That worms of earth should ever be one with incarnate deity." Beloved Editor! I have lately heard your drum beating to arms; a whisper told me I was slothful; a reply was given, "I am too poor a worm;""A man of unclean lips" unworthy of a warrant from my King; a babe too helpless-a stripling far too weak. But this Goliath, which stalked across my path, roused all my soul; first came the sword—I drew the sturdy blade, and threw the scabbard to the wind; but no, swords will not do-the harp is my favourite weapon; with this, in tune, Saul sinks, and Jesus, our Immanuel, fills every chord. Meantime, the Philistine, by his own sword, shall lose his head. Ever thine, dearest Editor, London, November 16th, 1846. LITTLE DAVID. SPURIOUS TRANSLATION. TRUE TRANSLATION. Page 19. No prayer, no sigh, no looking up to the Lord; and this humbling acknowledgement of mere unmerited grace, which our proud nature is so unwilling to make, how salutary is it, how good, how conducive to our spiritual welfare ! Page 41. The portion of the narrative which we have now to contemplate, is a striking exemplification of that saying of our blessed Lord, "Every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth, that it may bring forth more fruit." Page 32. For No prayer, no sigh, no looking up to the Lord, no, not even so much as a thought on him, not anything; and the only alternative left, is to cast down the eyes, and to kiss the feet of the Lord. And this conviction, "that it is freegrace, and grace alone," which we so seldom wish to acknowledge, is most wholesome to us proud mortals. this reason, the Lord at times purposely takes from His children all they possess, and withdraws from them the spirit of prayer, that they are even lost in dumbness; and then he hears and assists them, as if they had sent up to him the most precious, and the most anointed supplications, in order that they might be effectively humbled, and convinced that it does not depend in all things upon one's aiming or striving, but upon the free mercy of God. Page 72-3. Raising from the dead at Zarephath. Amongst the objects with which the Lord has provided his vineyard here upon earth, is mentioned also a wine-press. If we take that to be the ministry, then is the word of God the fruit of the vine; the Spirit in the letter, the must; and the interpretation, the process of the press. All our preaching is to be the work of the press, and nothing more. They are false prophets who pretend to be the vine themselves, and will not gather and tread the grapes, but produce their own fruit. The grapes of the divine word, have husks of iron and brass for the unhallowed, and no operation of the press of human skill, no ingenuity of the prudent and wise, can reach their juice. Here is but One who works at the press; and, if He do not crush the grapes into thy chalice, their wine will never have the power to refresh thee. Whoever has the Spirit of Christ, has with him the right wine-presser, who leads him to the Scriptures, as into a vineyard; who, out of the smallest grape of the divine word, frequently presses a whole stream of comfort, SPURIOUS TRANSLATION. Page 49: wholly omitted. TRUE TRANLATION. and transports the soul with the running must, in the vineyards of En-gedi. But the wine-press in the vineyard of God might also be taken for the press of the cross, which certainly does not stand still in Israel, whether in the day-time, or at night, and presses hearts instead of grapes. This press is digged to prepare pure wine for us, to crush the husks of self-righteousness, and to make us taste the sour must of our hidden depravity; for nowhere can we better experience, how perverse and desponding is that thing of our heart, and what an adder's nest of rebellious thoughts and desires against the Divine Majesty, is hid in the depths of our being, than under the pressure of this press of affliction. It crushes the pious to poor sinners, and converts rich people into beggars, and produces beings thirsting for grace, and sending their anxious sighs up to the cross. It is a wholesome wine-press. We shall see it to-day in operation at Zarephath. Page 89. Our natural being, the flesh, born of the flesh, is under the sentence of perdition and death. All pains bestowed upon the improvement and botching of the old man, are lost. However much he may decorate himself, however pious and godly he may appear, he still remains an outcast in the sight of the Lord, and there is neither lenity nor mercy for him, in the heart of God. The words, " Adam, where art thou?" is the only salutation left him, from the mouth that speaketh in thunders. Let this Achan be stoned! Let him suffer on the cross, and under the axe! Be a Jacob begotten with this vile Edom, that the children struggle together within thee, and Jacob's hand take hold on the false brother's heel. Whatever there is saved from death, is neither refinement nor improvement of the old man. God regards not the mould, but the clay; and inquires not after the workmanship, how skilful it be, but after the materials and substance. Nothing has any value in his sight, but a new creature in Christ Jesus. The vilest wretch, with but a spark of His baptismal fire in his heart, may repose on his bosom, whilst prodigies of holiness of TRUE TRANSLATION. their own making, must hear, to their consternation, that he has never yet acknowledged them. His The wise builder, whom the Gospel recommends to us, "who digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock," is no other than He who once spread his wings over the void and waste of the earth, and moved, creating upon the waters. He also begins, and completes the spiritual buildings in the hearts of the elect. spade is sharp, and penetrates to the bottom of our being, in order to lay it bare, and to root up both heart and reins; there is not a sin so hidden, but he brings it to light. He delves into our best virtues, to throw out from there the black kernel of death, the seed of the serpent. And when nothing is left us in which we could find some solace when every thing is removed, he lays the foundation -stone into the friendless pit-a rock that shaketh not, even Christ, the crucified, upon which He erects the fabric of our hopes and prospects the solemn halls of peace, and the rest of the everlasting sabbath. Oh, ye who have commenced building yourselves, may the builder of God break in upon you also, as he did upon the heart of our good widow at Zarephath. May he convert your self-erected palaces into heaps of stone, and begin building Himself. May he dig deep, and lay the foundation of your life upon a Rock, which is Christ Jesus. To Him be praise and glory, now, and for ever. Amer Page 94. "Are we not then, to increase in sanctification?" Yes, grow thou like a palm tree; but in thy own estimation and consciousness, thou must remain as a hyssop on the wall, and must daily become less, and daily weaker, and more in want of a staff from without to support thee, or thy way is not the right way. Children of God must increase in Him who is their Head. Now, if thou growest daily more and more to nothing, and Christ to thy all in all--if thou feelest thyself daily more destitute, and embracest with increasing desire, the riches of thy High Priest-if thou findest thyself continually SPURIOUS TRANSLATION. marks will be found in the portion of Elijah's history which we now proceed to consider. Page 62. Are we become spiritually proud, thinking of the high advances we have made in holiness? we are soon made to learn the truth of the case. All our boasting now is at an end, and nothing remains for us but to ery, like every other child of God, “God be merciful to me a simmer!" "If I wash myself with snow-water," saith Job, and make my hands never so clean, yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me." And why does this happen to us, but that we may decrease, and Christ increase? The discipline, indeed, is painful to our fallen mature, but the consequences are most Salutary. TRUE TRANSLATION. more stripped of real virtues, and the righteousness of the Surety becomes to thee more precious with every moment -if thou perceivest more and more clearly, thy entire impotency, and becomest more and more a beggar at the rich man's door-" Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table," yes, then is this decrease a real increase; and this impoverishment and weakness in thyself, abundancy and strength in God. When a man enjoys perfect spiritual health, he decreases, but Christ increases; and, by his personal decrease, Christ becomes to him daily more excellent, more precious, and more indispensable. "I must decrease," says John the Baptist, and thereby expresses a necessity. Yes, it cannot be otherwise. Those whom the Lord loves, He leads from one downfall to another. The part of history we are about to consider, presents to us a case of this spiritual decrease, and the increase of Christ, in the person of Obadiah. Page 114. If we dream of the many steps we have already climbed up the ladder of holiness, he unhesitatingly causes the wind of temptation to blow, leaving us but for a moment to ourselves, and we lie once more in the depth below. All beast is at an end, and nothing remains for us, as well as for any other child of God, than to cry out. “God be merciful to me a poor sinner*** "If I wash myself with snowwster, says Job, and make my hands never so clean, yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me." And wherefore? In order that man may decrease, and Christ may increase. Though such divine treatment be bitter to the taste, yet the consequences are sweet and pleasant. As impoverished and bleeding sinners, to be permitted to cling to the buson of Jesus, and to lean upon him as our friend, is something so Misstil, that were we even holy, we could entreat the Lord that he might plunge us down into the Etch, in order, that after the tears of Simon Peter, we mght reep the area, wars of Misglaien |