pride, and shod with steel, in full opposition to the spirituality of the gospel! Where storms of pride and passion fill the natural elements of this dead sea and sink of sin within the circumference of the human heart. Such hirelings are like fish-catching cats, sitting on warm dry stones in the midst of shallow streams on a warm summer's day, waiting for trout; but I never saw them there in storm and flood, or wintry weather. How unlike Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Paul or Peter, whom God commissioned to go and preach to the gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. These conferred not with flesh and blood, but went at His bidding to preach His preaching, and do business in deep waters, where God's wonders lay, in their own mud and mire, as secure as mud and mire could make them. And may it not be said, "of such were some of you?" But the Lord said by one of his prophets, "I will send fishers, and they shall fish them." And what a mercy some of us (by grace) became a prey to the gospel net, made good for the gospel market, while the bad were left so, and cast away by Him Who said,— Cannot I do what I will with My own? 66 Carnal security lies selfish and snug, and, like dormice, we sleep in dead leaves, down in our own natural holes, until a voice is heard from the lips of Him that spake as never man spake, Awake, thou that sleepest, and rise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light,"—and there was light. God must do all in us, as well as do all for us. Yes, in His mercy, "He thinketh upon the poor and the needy," and worketh within them to will and to do of His Own good pleasure. And the result will be, "The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand." We poor mopish mortals would have lain long enough in our own native regions of darkness, and worshipped our own molten calves at Dan, rather than have taken a pilgrimage the length of my two arms towards Jerusalem. Man can make no progress in pilgrimages with his feet one way and face another. Beside, everything about him is so crooked; and if the Lord do not "make the crooked thing straight," they remain as they are: all our tinkering only makes bad worse, which is needless, as every one knows if he knows himself: and that he will if taught of God. The hue and cry of " peace, peace," when there is no peace, is at a premium on the Exchange of easy barter; while the genuine scrip of God-fearing Zion, with these muddling brokers, is below par. I mean, "Beauty for ashes, and the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." However, God be praised for a few who are inquiring their way to Zion with their feet and faces thitherwards. I am sure there is nothing gives a minister of the everlasting gospel greater pleasure than to hear of poor world-harassed and deviltempted exiles hastening to the city of refuge, lest they should go down to the pit, with a cry in their hearts, "Lord, save! or I perish,' God, be merciful to me a sinner," 'What must I do to be saved ?" "Lord, remember me." These are sure tokens for good; these are current coins, enabling us to pay and pray our way to Gethsemane and Calvary, where we by faith read " peace through the blood of the cross," and hear a sentence from the lips of Jesus, worth more worlds than there are sands on the shores or stars in the skies, viz., "It is finished!" The great battle between the Prince of Life and the prince of darkness ended in the most glorious and victorious conquest that was ever fought. 66 Here the Chiefest among ten thousand warriors got Himself a name and a fame that rang through the universal empire of Zion's blood-bought realms, as He drave before Him, at the point of the sword, the infernal legions, into the black gulph of eternal woe, the keys of whose gates now hang on the Conqueror's girdle, "Who swallowed up death in victory." What a difference there is between the doings of the creature and the Creator; between what we have done for Jesus Christ and what Jesus Christ has done for us. The former puts death in the post; but the latter puts life in the soul. The former is like taking a dose of warm salt and water, while the latter is the compound essence of "Eternal Salvation." If you wish to see the beauties and taste the blessings of the water of life, clear as crystal, keep out the creature, or he will be sure to foul them with his feet, and make both as undrinkable as they are unprofitable. Now, dear Editor, I will just close with a thing I never did before. The thought struck me, that as both the "Gospel Advocate" and "Zion's Witness" had done good service on land, they might do the same on the seas; as neither of them were ashamed of their colours, they probably would have no objection of being nailed to the mast. Therefore I took the liberty of giving three years of each in numbers to a steady sailor, who entered on board a man-of-war of 16 twelve-ton guns of 1000 hands, thinking there might be no objections of adding two more, viz., "The Gospel Advocate" and "Zion's Witness," which were received most thankfully. And who can tell, by the blessing of God, but they may contribute to the taking of spoils won in battle, when skilfully generalled? as I have no doubt they will be when the Lord is at the head of them. And my prayer is, that He may; and give each sailor a portion of spiritual meat in due season. I may add, the messenger of these magazines was once a Sunday school scholar, and I trust a lover of the truths they contain; who, when in port, always gets leave to attend his old place of worship, for his punctuality and good conduct. So much for a painstaking Sunday school. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good." Yours truly, pride, and shod with steel, in full opposition to the spirituality of the gospel! Where storms of pride and passion fill the natural elements of this dead sea and sink of sin within the circumference of the human heart. Such hirelings are like fish-catching cats, sitting on warm dry stones in the midst of shallow streams on a warm summer's day, waiting for trout; but I never saw them there in storm and flood, or wintry weather. How unlike Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Paul or Peter, whom God commissioned to go and preach to the gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. These conferred not with flesh and blood, but went at His bidding to preach His preaching, and do business in deep waters, where God's wonders lay, in their own mud and mire, as secure as mud and mire could make them. And may it not be said, of such were some of you?" But the Lord said by one of his prophets, "I will send fishers, and they shall fish them." And what a mercy some of us (by grace) became a prey to the gospel net, made good for the gospel market, while the bad were left so, and cast away by Him Who said,Cannot I do what I will with My own? 66 Carnal security lies selfish and snug, and, like dormice, we sleep in dead leaves, down in our own natural holes, until a voice is heard from the lips of Him that spake as never man spake, “Awake, thou that sleepest, and rise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light,”—and there was light. God must do all in us, as well as do all for us. Yes, in His mercy, "He thinketh upon the poor and the needy," and worketh within them to will and to do of His Own good pleasure. And the result will be, "The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand." We poor mopish mortals would have lain long enough in our own native regions of darkness, and worshipped our own molten calves at Dan, rather than have taken a pilgrimage the length of my two arms towards Jerusalem. Man can make no progress in pilgrimages with his feet one way and face another. Beside, everything about him is so crooked; and if the Lord do not "make the crooked thing straight," they remain as they are: all our tinkering only makes bad worse, which is needless, as every one knows if he knows himself: and that he will if taught of God. The hue and cry of "peace, peace," when there is no peace, is at a premium on the Exchange of easy barter; while the genuine scrip of God-fearing Zion, with these muddling brokers, is below par. I mean, "Beauty for ashes, and the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." However, God be praised for a few who are inquiring their way to Zion with their feet and faces thitherwards. I am sure there is nothing gives a minister of the everlasting gospel greater pleasure than to hear of poor world-harassed and deviltempted exiles hastening to the city of refuge, lest they should go down to the pit, with a cry in their hearts, "Lord, save! or I perish,' God, be merciful to me a sinner," "What must I do to be saved ?" 66 Lord, remember me." These are sure tokens for good; these are current coins, enabling us to pay and pray our way to Gethsemane and Calvary, where we by faith read " peace through the blood of the cross," and hear a sentence from the lips of Jesus, worth more worlds than there are sands on the shores or stars in the skies, viz., "It is finished!" The great battle between the Prince of Life and the prince of darkness ended in the most glorious and victorious conquest that was ever fought. 99 66 Here the Chiefest among ten thousand warriors got Himself a name and a fame that rang through the universal empire of Zion's blood-bought realms, as He drave before Him, at the point of the sword, the infernal legions, into the black gulph of eternal woe, the keys of whose gates now hang on the Conqueror's girdle, "Who swallowed up death in victory." What a difference there is between the doings of the creature and the Creator; between what we have done for Jesus Christ and what Jesus Christ has done for us. The former puts death in the post; but the latter puts life in the soul. The former is like taking a dose of warm salt and water, while the latter is the compound essence of "Eternal Salvation." If you wish to see the beauties and taste the blessings of the water of life, clear as crystal, keep out the creature, or he will be sure to foul them with his feet, and make both as undrinkable as they are unprofitable. Now, dear Editor, I will just close with a thing I never did before. The thought struck me, that as both the "Gospel Advocate" and "Zion's Witness" had done good service on land, they might do the same on the seas; as neither of them were ashamed of their colours, they probably would have no objection of being nailed to the mast. Therefore I took the liberty of giving three years of each in numbers to a steady sailor, who entered on board a man-of-war of 16 twelve-ton guns of 1000 hands, thinking there might be no objections of adding two more, viz., "The Gospel Advocate" and "Zion's Witness," which were received most thankfully. And who can tell, by the blessing of God, but they may contribute to the taking of spoils won in battle, when skilfully generalled? as I have no doubt they will be when the Lord is at the head of them. And my prayer is, that He may; and give each sailor a portion of spiritual meat in due season. I may add, the messenger of these magazines was once a Sunday school scholar, and I trust a lover of the truths they contain; who, when in port, always gets leave to attend his old place of worship, for his punctuality and good conduct. So much for a painstaking Sunday school. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good." Yours truly, But spotless, innocent, and pure, The great Redeemer stood, While Satan's FIERY DARTS He bore, And did resist to blood." The quotation in this (November) month's "Advocate," page 344, reads thus:: "But perfect, innocent and mild Who gave His life a sacrifice, And did resist to blood." May not your remarks on the cover of the November number, headed "Correct Quotation of Scripture," apply with equal force to hymn quotations? As may be seen, it is not the sacrifice, but the sympathy which ever flows from the Head to every member of the mystical body, the hymn treats of. Hence the doctor proceeds : "He in the days of feeble flesh Poured out His cries and tears, How sweetly this corresponds with the Word, "In all their affliction. He was afflicted, and the Angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them, and He bare them, and carried them all the days of old." Again, "Nevertheless (notwithstanding all) He regarded their affliction, when He heard their cry and He remembered for them His covenant, and repented, according to the multitude of His mercies. “He saw their flesh was weak and frail ; He saw temptations still prevail; The God of Abr'am loved them still, And led them to His holy hill." (Watts.) The manifested sympathy, pity, compassion, and "loving-kindnesses of the Lord" to His people, will ofttimes not only humble and dissolve them in this time-state, but will tend to augment and swell His eternal praise "when this mortal shall put on immortality," and "Death is swallowed up in victory." I trust your esteemed correspondent, Mr. J. Taylor, will forgive me in pointing out that which probably he was not aware of when he wrote the article, which I have read with interest. London. THOS. GRIMMETT. THE PRIEST AND THE PARSON. (Communicated.) In 1798 the Vicar of a parish in Shrewsbury committed what some in modern times would call sacrilege. In the church was a picture of the Crucifixion, which he imagined would become to the ignorant an object of worship; so he had it removed. Upon which, the priest caused the following lampoon to be circulated through the town : |