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Divine Assurance, Affliction in the Way, and the Believer's Entrance into Glory.

MY DEAR FATHER: I felt inclined to drop you a few lines from the dark 'Valley of Achor.' Eternal thanks to the God of ALL grace this valley is not without a "door of hope.' What God is about to do with me I know not. I find in all my gourds a destroying worm. I sometimes vainly think I have made my nest, but the eagle-like stirring soon comes, and turns my paradise to thorns and briars. O, what a vale of briny tears-what a world of tribulation-what a scene of conflict-what a state of trial-what a field of bloodwhat a house of bondage-what a prison of death is this polluted state !-And because it is this the child of God flies from this fearful deluge to the ark of rest and repose. Abraham's bosom was sweet to that poor dog-pitied, but man-despised Lazarus. O, for light to see mercy mingled in our tribulated path! I have been down in the deeps of bodily tribulation, and I began to number my days;-I have been down in the deeps of mental tribulation, and I began to try my ways and ponder my path: and in looking back upon the past, it threw dread terror into the future; this is the sure effect of looking in the light of God's Word and Spirit to our ways, which are ways of awful rebellion, transgression and sin. But I was not left here, 'My eyes were turned another way,' even to the way of God's Most gracious and merciful dealings with me in the new and living way, when by his blessed Spirit he brought me up out of that horrible pit. O, that the Great Sealer would be pleased to fasten these words, as‘a nail in a sure place,' in our hearts.

"All my times are in thy hands!" O, that we may be brought down into a clay-like passiveness, - a child-like dependence, and a watchman-like watchfulness.Watch unto prayer,'- Watch and pray, Watch and be sober,'- Watch thou in all things.' I had these two Scriptures in my scul yesterday (Sunday) morning before I awoke-'Our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,' 'ALL THINGS shall work together for good.' I thought in my dream I was speaking from the former with a great deal of life, light and solemn liberty. And in the midst of my speaking, I was directed to the latter, and I struck a person near me, who seemed to be turning from the word, and I said, 'Do you observe this? WORK TOGETHER? Work together!! Why it appears to me to have allusion to the 'leaven' and meal. And here I awoke; and behold it was a dream; and a most solemn dream it appeared and proved to be in the experience of many living souls. He that hath a dream, is told, by the Word of God to tell the dream. I was enabled to tell this dream in the following order :-First, VOL. V.

the profound assurance of glory. Secondly the afflictions in the way to glory. Thirdly, the issue out of tribulation, and the entrance into that exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

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First, assurance. Spiritual assurance must have a base. What ground have I to anticipate a rest? What ground have I to believe I am going to heaven? People may talk about going to heaven, but what of that if the kingdom of heaven is within them. Now my mind was led to look at the context to find a base for this wondrous sensation-this full persuasion of a better country beyond the grave. In doing which I found a four-fold base, or foundation upon which divine assurance stood. The first is mercy received, 'We have received mercy.' Spoke a little about CEIVING mercy. In what state and circumstances mercy finds the man; in general, as miserable as hell, and sin, darkness and infidelity, self and satan can make him-ready to perish, sinking in the mire, drowning in the waterfloods, and going down to the pit, he cries' Let not the waterfloods overflow me;' 'let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.' Now is the time for 'Deliver him from going down to the pit, for I have found a ransom.' Is not this mercy received-deliverance from a pit of devils, a pit of darkness, a pit of death, and a pit of eternal despair. Mercy is no longer a mystery to this poor wretch; but the mystery now is, that he, so black-so bad -so base-should be found in mercy. This is the man that can take up that song and 'sing of mercy and judgment;' none but he can rightly reconcile mercy and equity. This deep mystery that has driven divines mad, now makes the madman sane, and brings him to the feet of the dear, denied, and despised Man of Sorrows, in his right mind. His former residence declared his madness; who but a madman would dwell among tombs? And such madmen are every one of us that have not received mercy. (See for confirmation, Eph. ii. 4, 5.)

The second base is light communicated. We are referred to the first creation to ascertain how light is produced in the new or second creation; and in going back to Gen. i. 2, we are informed the state the earth was in ere light was commanded;first, it was without form; secondly, void; and thirdly, darkness covered it. When a vessel is broken to pieces, it is without form. The vessel was marred in the hands. of the potter. When Adam fell that beautiful form of purity, perfection, and peace fell with him. The communicated image of God in our first federal is gone-but by his own power he makes it again another vessel, and that in the form of the image of his Son. The earth was void of what? 'Fruit.' There was no fruit upon the tree till God said, 'Let the fruit tree yield fruit.' We are, by nature, like the barren

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DIVINE ASSURANCE, AFFLICTIONS IN THE WAY, &c.

fig tree, void of fruit, but this communi- | shouts, 'Thou hast delivered my soul from cated light grafts us vitally into the good death,' &c. And now faith calls upon her Olive Tree, or Living Vine, and IN IT we soul to return. Then the voice of faith is are fruitful branches; as he saith, from that of declaring what God has done for me is thy fruit found.' Poor, foolish wretch our souls. Can you take up the language, I have been, in seeking grapes from a thorn, 'Thou hast delivered my soul from death, (self,) Micah vii. 4; and expecting to gather my eyes from tears, and my feet from figs from a stinging-nettle. A man may falling'? No,' say you, I cannot.' Can look till his eyes are closed in death, for you open your mouth here I found troufruit, (that is good fruit) in flesh, and he ble and sorrow?' Well,' say you, ‘I can.' will enter eternity with this sentiment in Well, then, what does your trouble and his heart, The earth WAS VOID. Again, sorrow do? Paul says our afflictions work. this empty chaos was wrapped up in, or, And where do they work? At the throne covered with darkness. O, the darkness of grace. Mark again the words, I found of death-O, the gross darkness of sin! trouble and sorrows: THEN called I upon One of old was so dark he could not see, the name of the Lord." If you will search I once was blind, but now I see.' How your heart you will find in one of its counblind to God, Father, Son, and Spirit! How sel chambers this deceit, 'you must not go blind to self, sin, and satan! How dark to to God in this state of mind; wait till you darkness! How dead to danger! Can our are a little more calm, composed, and comlight shine here? The darkness did not fortable;' the trouble and sorrow lays so stop the light, but the Spirit MOVED,' heavy upon his conscience, he groans out, and God commanded,' and there was light,' 'God be merciful unto me a sinner, God be and God said it was GOOD; but observe, merciful.' He dares not go to the temple; he does not say the darkness was good! he is such a monster of iniquity. Smitings Now if God has commanded the light to on the breast and thigh is a good sign of shine OUT of darkness, you will adopt from trouble of this kind. Smite away, you will choice and experience the language of your never smite the rock too hard. So you see Creator and say, 'The light is good;' and a Paul's spirit of faith led him to do as the sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the Psalmist did, declare what God had done sin-darkened sinner to see the Sun of for his soul. The best way to get rid of Righteousness. unbelieving believers is to tell them about the 'terror of the Lord,' and the terrible things in righteousness he has brought you through. You will have but little society if you do this, because this is the light that darkness hates.

The third basis is, glory revealed; the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. We looked at the mysterious dealings of God with his servant Moses; what strange places, changes and states he had to pass through before he came to the 'Mount of Secondly, afflictions in the way. Now God,' in which he saw something beyond observe three things-first, their source what tongue could tell of the glory of God, our afflictions; secondly, their nature, and that in the face of Jesus 'The LORD, light afflictions;' and, thirdly, their durathe LORD, God, MERCIFUL, &c. Take awaytion,' but for a moment.' I was led to shew the face of Jesus Christ, and where will you find mercy?

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The last basis was faith possessed, 'We HAVING the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed and therefore have I spoken.' See these three things in this faith-first, it is a spiritual faith; this makes it, secondly, a speaking faith; and, thirdly, this proves it to be a Scriptural faith, as it is written,' Now before it can be said we possess spiritual faith, we must possess a spiritual being That which is born of the Spirit IS SPIRIT.' How may we know the spirit of faith from the multifarious sorts of faith in the great bulk of professed believers? The reference shall teach us. The apostle refers to the 116th Psalm, or rather adopts the Psalmist's expression as therein recorded. Do observe this spirit of faith is known by its voice, 'I believed THERFORE HAVE I SPOKEN, I was greatly afflicted.' Ps. cxvi. 10. And the Psalmist tells us in faith what it was that so greatly afflicted him; the sorrows of death,-the pains of hell, trouble and sorrows. Faith opens her mouth wide in the pains of hell, O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul,' and her voice is heard in heaven. And then she

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that there was no affliction out of ourselves. Look at sorrows arising from temptation. The devil cometh and hath nothing in me, saith the Lord; but it is not so with us; when he cometh he finds a dreadful something indeed to work upon; and our forefathers never attributed their falls to God or the devil, but their eyes are turned within for the cause. And so with the afflictions of the world; if the world was not so much in our hearts, and our hearts so much in the world, we should not be so easily afflicted by it.

I cannot now enlarge. I pray that God who is the glory of his people Israel, and the inheritance of his saints will keep our eyes through every scene of tribulation, upon the Eternal Refuge, the eternal house; our hearts sensibly resting on his eternal power; our minds sweetly stayed in his eternal purpose; by faith appropriating eternal redemption; and falling down before the Author of eternal salvation, triumphantly singing,' Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ.'

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A SINNER SAVED BY GRACE.

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A Sinner Saved by Grace.

My late dear father, Robert Bradley, of Carshalton, Surrey, was a vessel of mercy afore prepared unto glory, and finally, by grace divine, made meet for the ineritance of the saints in light; and the faithfulness, the long-suffering, and the unchanging love of our gracious covenant God towards him was great indeed. I will endeavour briefly for the honour of our God and I trust if it be his will for the encouragement and comfort of the tried children of Zion to relate some of the Lord's kind dealings with him, that his name may be praised for he alone is worthy.

In early life, I think I have heard him say, when about twenty years of age, his father (my grandfather,) was suddenly and solemnly called away from his side early one morning, and in about five minutes was enwrapped in the arms of death, by apoplexy, which was to him a trying dispensation, particularly as he feared no visible change had ever been manifest upon the heart of his parent; but oh, the aboundings of sovereign mercy! in the heart of the young man, my parent, was the fear of the Lord. God set up his throne there, and this silenced, supported and preserved him under the heavy shock, and brought him to this, 'Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? His mother was afflicted with palsy and bedridden eight years, but was a subject of grace, formerly a hearer of Whitfield at the Tabernacle, and the beloved Romaine; and her departure was triumphant and blessed; a few minutes before she died, taking her son after the manner of the ancient patriarchs, and placing her hands on his head, implored the divine blessing to rest upon and abide with him.

As respects the life of my dear parent I need not enter into details, for that would occupy more than your space could allow; and much might not be really acceptable or profitable to the family of the ransomed. Suffice it to say, he was really taught the plague of the heart, and often groaned, being burdened; he was experimentally sensible of the weakness of human nature, and man's utter helplessness; he was not a stranger to the value of a throne of grace; and I remember, when a youth, his earnest petitions there; but his faith, generally speaking, was weak,and his besetment and greatest weakness appeared to be

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a distrust of divine providence, and a dread of poverty and the workhouse; this the Lord mercifully disappointed him in, and amply provided for him till he wanted no more. Ah, truly it is so; he hath not dealt with us after our sins,' &c. Nay, I may say, on the part of God, his life was made up of gracious interpositions, merciful deliverances in trials, constant preservations, heavenly consolations, grace reigning over his rebellion, restoring mercy over his wanderings, light in darkness, joy in sorrow, and holy triumph in death; so that with Kent, I believe his experience really was this

"By slips and falls he made me prove How weak my nature thro' the fall; How firm his everlasting love,

Which sav'd me thro' and over all." About nine years before his death he was brought to the borders of the grave by a fever; and upon my visiting him I shall never forget the calm resignation, the divine consolation and blessed faith with which his soul was filled. The covenant God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is my salvation; (said he) Christ is precious to my soul.' And what was revealed to him, he never could fully express; but it pleased the me in confidence about in the following Lord to raise him up again; and he told words-'I say nothing of this to the worldling, because they would call it enthusiasm or something else; but I knew after a certain day the Lord did not intend to take me home then. I was laying (said he) in a very comfortable frame, and much more awake than asleep, and I had such a view of my Redeemer as I never had before, and cried out, Lord, let me come! Shall I come? But he said, You shall come, but not now. And,' he said, 'I knew from that moment his time had not arrived, and I was to be raised up again.' Ah, my dear brother, how true it is

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AN IMPORTANT INQUIRY.

THERE is, in a densely populated part of England a thirst for a faithful, spiritual, devoted ministry of the pure gospel of Christ; but is there a man (hidden in some dark corner or other,) who is qualified and commissioned by heaven for such a work? If this should meet the eye, and touch the heart of a loving, laborious, preacher, who is waiting for THE LORD to open a door, we hope this inquiry will be owned of God to that end. We would forward to the place referred to, any communication that might seem to answer the description given.-ED.

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A Visit to Lebanon-its Spiritual Signification, and Typical Character.

No. II.

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that we might be whiter than the driven snow, and thus look like a cedar planted in the mountain of his holiness, clothed with all his spotless purity, and thus presented to the father without a spot or blemish or any such thing, that we might be before him without blame, in love; these are they who have come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Rev. vii. 14. So that Christ says, thou art all pure my love, there is no spot in thee. The other word Incense, is truly applicable to Christ as our great intercessor at the right hand of the Father, so that he is the angel who stood at the golden altar having a golden censer with much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints which ascended before God; and as Bunyan observed, "thy prayers offered upon this golden altar, become golden prayers, thy tears golden tears, thy sighs golden sighs," and God the Father looks upon his dear Son as having loved us and given himself an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour, or a savour of rest where God rests, and where the church of God rests, for this precious Jesus fills heaven with his divine sweetness and rich perfume. "All thy garments smell of myrrh and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces whereby they have made thee glad." Psalm xlv. 8. 0 what a divine fragrance is also emitted from him whose name is truly as ointment poured forth, when felt in the soul of a poor broken-hearted sinner who has bled under a sense of the weight and burden of sin and the curse, with what unspeakable pleasure and holy delight does he hail the perfume of the person, sufferings, death, ascension and intercession of his enthroned Lord, while he exclaims with the Prophet, that his beauty is as the Olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. Hos. xiv. 6.

MY DEAR BROTHER IN THE FAITH AND HOPE OF THE GOSPEL: According to promise, I here send you a few thoughts on Lebanon. May the Spirit of truth lead us from the history into the holy mystery of the same. The former is known by many, but the latter only to those who are led and taught of God. For to you it is given to know the holy mysteries of the kingdom, and to them it is not who are still in the flesh. Surely the man of God, Moses did, when in the wilderness, see a little of the greatness, and the mighty hand of Israel's God, so as to say, What God is there in heaven or in the earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might?" So that he earnestly prayed that he might go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain and Lebanon. Now in order to visit this goodly mountain, we must be effectually called out of our Egyptian state of bondage, ignorance, death, and idolatry, then led forth by the glorious pillar of the truth of God which is a cloud of witness by day, and a pillar of fire by night, this conducts us through the red sea, a type of the wrath of God, divided by Christ, so that a way is made for his ransomed to pass through; then led to see a little of the majesty, greatness, grandeur, and holiness of God, in passing Sinai's awful mount. This causes us to fear and quake exceedingly. Here it is, all our comeliness is turned into corruption, rottenness enters into our bones, and all hope of being saved is lost as to ourselves or by the works of the law: then we begin to cry from the very bottom of our hearts, let me pass over this Jordan, (that is judgment) to see that goodly mountain Lebanon; which I take to be a type of Christ and the church standing in him, which we will consider as follows: I. The name Lebanon, signifies white from Laban, otherwise incense from Libnah, this will furnish us with two ideas, Lebanon appeared as if clothed with white, on account of the snow falling upon the cedars there; so Christ appeared to his spouse, when she exclaimed, my Beloved is white. Cant. v. 10. And this is the language of every one taught of God, as they are all led to see the matchless beauty and the spotless purity of the Son of God. "For such an high priest became us who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners." Heb. vii. 26. Hence, it was that when John had a glimpse of his person, his head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow. Rev. i. 14. And again, in his transfiguration, his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller on earth can white them. Mark ix. 3. Thus we behold a little of the purity of the head of his body, the church, so that he was well qualified to purge and cleanse us in his own blood,

II. Lebanon was noted for its fertility. Here was some choice pasturage for flocks, and where can the church of God, which is the flock of Christ, the purchase of his most precious blood, feed and lie down but in the truth of the gospel, as that is opened up to them in Christ by the Spirit; and then we are led to join with the Psalmist, and say, the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want, the love of God, the mercy of God, the peace of God, the pardon of God, the defence of God, the tender care of God, and the help of God, for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, and his promise is, that they shall feed in the ways, and their pasture shall be in all high places. Isa. xlix. 9. I will feed them in a good pasture and upon the high mountains of Israel shall they fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed, upon the mountains of Israel. Ezek. xxxiv. 14.

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Christ is the door, and if we enter by | water of life, which imparts life to the dead him, we shall be saved and go in and out in sin, and revives those who are ready and find pasture. to die with thirst in the wilderness, with those cooling streams which flow so freely all our wilderness journey, in order to refresh and sanctify those trees of righteousness, the plants of God's right hand planting, that he might be glorified, which he is when we are brought to feel and acknowledge that all our springs are in him; and he has said, he that shall drink of the water which I shall give him, shall never thirst, and again, he that believeth on me as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters, but this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive. John vii. 32, 39. How necessary then is it to know whether I have the Spirit, and how shall I know this? It shall spring up in the soul in prayer, desire, longings, sighs, groans which cannot be uttered in words, and afterward it shall flow forth when those prayers are answered in praising, blessing, thanking, adoring and glorifying the fountain of Israel for those streams of holy joy, love, peace and pleasure which cause us to sing again and again, 'spring up oh well, sing ye unto it.'

Then there was not only pasture in Lebanon for flocks, but all kind of grain, various trees with a great variety of fruits. Setting forth Christ with all his benefits, favours and blessings, as it hath pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell, all fulness of redemption, all fulness of pardon, all fulness of peace, all fulness of mercy, all fulness of righteousness, all fulness of rest, all fulness of glory. In thy presence is fulness of joy, and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm xvi. 11. Christ is also that tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruits every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Rev. xxii. 2. And when the Lord fulfils his promises, the fruit shall shake like Lebanon, that is Christ, shall come down in all his benefits as fruits from off the trees in Lebanon, and they of the city, (true citizens) shall flourish like the grass, having gathered up these precious fruits. Here it was also, that the vine grew in a most luxuriant manner, producing its beautiful clusters of the richest grape, from which was obtained a most excellent kind of wine, Christ himself opened up this holy mystery when he said, I am the vine, and (oh the sweet thought,) ye are the branches. May we be led to draw all our life and vigour from him, and thus make it truly manifest that we are united to him, quickened by him, and then shall we know that the blood he shed, and that was pressed from every pore of his sacred body, is the most delicious wine that is-it cheers the heart of God and man. How truly exhilirating is a faith's view of his sufferings or manifestation of his glory, and to feel his love shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, it will make the lame to leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb to sing aloud for joy, the poor to forget his poverty in the riches of Christ, and to remember his misery no more, when brought into the house of wine, there to see the banner of eternal love displayed and all the perfections of Deity shine forth in the face of Jesus Christ; then it is we can say, my beloved is mine and I am his. O bless his dear name, there is no condemnation in him, and there can be no separation from him, and the time is fast approaching when Christ will drink this wine new with us in his Father's kingdom. Matt. xxvi 20. III. Lebanon was also noted for its springs, which flow in streams from that mountain. Hence we read of a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon. Cant. iv. 15. Some tell us that there were four rivers took their rise out of this mountain. Of this, I am sure that election, redemption, justification, and santification all take their rise from and spring out of God's holy mountain Christ, he is the fountain of the

IV. The wood of the trees of Lebanon was of singular use. The house of God was built with cedar, which is called Lebanon. Cant. i. 17; iv. 8. And is not Christ the house of God, where God dwells? God was in Christ, who is our true temple, far surpassing Solomon in all his glory. Christ is our true light, bread of life, hidden manna, budding rod, altar of incense, ark of the covenant, mercy seat, yea all and in all, he is a sun over it, and the glory of it. "For He shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house, and they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue of all vessels of small quantity from the vessels of cups even to all the vessels of flagons." Isaiah xxii. 23, 24. Then again, we find King Solomon built a CHARIOT of the wood of Lebanon, which did set forth Christ as the chariot of salvation, built for his beloved spouse, as his delight is in her, the pillows of this are of the choicest silver, the bottom of the purest gold, the covering of the richest purple, and in the midst, (where his people dwell), paved with his matchless, his everlasting and inseparable love: this chariot, thus prepared, will continue to go forth until every one of the daughters of Jerusalem are taken up out of the world of sin and sorrow into that world of light and glory above.

V. There was a tower in Lebanon; and this tower is said to look towards Damascus, which word signifies a sack full of blood or deceit, this tower stood between that and the promised land; so Christ who is a tower of salvation to his people, stands between this world of blood, iniquity and deceit, and effectually separates his people, who dwell in the land of promise, from all their enemies; the church's nose is compared

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