REPLY TO INQUIRY,

2 Cor. v. 14, 15, 16.

Without any lengthened disputation upon the doctrinal features embodied in the language of the above verses, I think they may be simply explained as follows:

"For the love of Christ constraineth us "-constraineth us in whose hearts that love dwells, to tell it out to the praise and glory of his name. "Because we thus judge (or judge of it in this wise) that if one died for all,' &c.. We view this death of Christ as an act of great love, "for the great love wherewith he loved us (us who are constrained); these are the all for whom the one died, all whom the Father hath (hath already) blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ, according as he hath chosen us (us who believe, and those of us who ever will believe) with all spiritual blessings in Christ. These are the all-all the election of grace;" and therefore we judge " that if Christ died for (this) all, then were all dead." Certainly they were, and were so of necessity; how else could they be made alive, and so display the divine power of God in raising them up? They must be dead in trespasses and sins in order that they may be quickened by divine grace-they must be sinners ere they can be made sinlessmiserable before they can become objects of mercy, and so on.

"And that he died for all (such) that they (of the such who are quickened) which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them and rose again." These are the they, "they which live" or are made alive unto God; these are not to live unto themselves, but unto him who hath called them. Agreeably with this says the apostle Paul, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit," and we might add," for the love of Christ constraineth us."

"Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh." Henceforth or after we are made alive unto God, we are to know nothing among men save Christ; and being led and taught by the Spirit, follow after holiness and cease entirely from man.

"Yea, though we (we quickened Jews living in the days of the Son of man) have known Christ after the flesh, yet now (now that he is risen) we know him (as man) no more." Blessed be God then, we are to be entirely wrapt up in the divine person, and wholly absorbed in the unsullied beauties of our adorable and precious Lord Jesus in his glorious, risen, and exalted character. Though many knew Christ after the flesh, what did it profit them compared to knowing him in the spirit of a new life, and seeing him as he is. It is the "I Am" that we want; not the man Jesus as a sacrifice only, but the Christ of God as our Saviour; not Jesus of Nazareth in the tomb, but Jesus Christ upon the throne.

Chelmer House.

J. C.

D. A, DOUDNEY, CITY STEAM PRESS, 1, LONG Lane,

" ENDEAVOURING TO KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE BOND OF PRACE." "JESUS CHRIST, THE SAME YESTERDAY, TO-DAY, AND FOR EVER. WHOM TO KNOW

VOL. V.]

DECEMBER, 1845.

[No. 60.

TO OUR READERS.

CHRISTMAS-TIME is reckoning-time, and we have been reckoning up our expenses in connection with this Magazine, and find that, month after month, we are-independent of our own labour-losers of some two or three pounds. Now, this we cannot afford. We ask not-we desire not-a sixpence profit; if the Magazine only clear itself, we are content that our time and services should be given as a free-will offering to the church of God.

The above-mentioned fact being stated, the next consideration is a remedy. Upon first thoughts, we had half resolved to discontinue the work with the present number; and the thought of more leisuremore freedom-and more opportunities for personal gratification in reading, seemed promising; but under the reflection of many poor hungry souls to whom our heart is united in indissoluble bonds, being deprived (shall we say deprived ?-we hardly like to use the expression; for, strictly speaking, they never can be deprived, nor disappointed in No. 60, VOL. V.-New Series.

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the receipt, of what the Lord their God intended them to have) of their little monthly provision; the thought of the many happy hours we had spent over the pages of the Magazine-the fears removed, the strength bestowed, the hopes established, and the bright prospects of eternal joy and felicity ofttimes held out to view while thus consciously engaged in the work of our great Lord and Master, caused the mind to recoil at the idea of a surrender.

What, then, was to be done? Should we reduce the quantity and drop the price? How many more should we sell to enable us to bear the expenses? We question if any more would be sold, and for this reason the truths set forth in the GOSPEL MAGAZINE never were, nor can they ever be, congenial to the taste of human nature, or to that profession of religion which consists "in word only." Therefore it is not-it cannot be-a popular Magazine. It suits a few-and but a very few-readers; just those, and those only, who are looking for salvation, not by creature-doings, but in and by Christ alone. Its readers are those who glory, not in what they can do for themselves or for Christ, but in what Christ has done for them. And this glorying is of too humbling a character ever to make a Magazine which advocates it, acceptable to a large class of readers. Such an expectation never possessed our minds.

But in analyzing even some of those who professedly advocate the truths which are dear to the supporters of this work, the narrowness of their minds is not a little astonishing. Some there are who profess to love the doctrines of distinguishing grace-who are very loud in their acclamations of affection for those whom the Holy Ghost has commissioned to propagate the truth as it is in Jesus-but propose to touch their pockets, dare enter upon the subject of personal effort, personal interest, personal sacrifice, and you either silence them at once-cut the sinews of their professed friendship-or see them veer round to the enemy's side, taking refuge for their covetousness under the plea that God's work is perfect, and needeth not man's intervention. We abominate such petty subterfuges. It is neither the love of God, nor an admiration of his doings, that brings them to such a conclusion; whilst they condemn—and we admit not without reason—the moneyseeking so-called "religious" enterprises of the day, they do it, not for the glory of God, but as a mere cloak to their covetousness, and rush into the very opposite extreme themselves. What would Paul say of such characters? Read his 9th chapter of the 1st of Corinthians for an epitome of his views upon what is due to a sent servant of God. We feel a pleasure in referring to this, inasmuch as we are not pleading

a

for ourselves. We have coveted no man's silver or gold; and though as we have had hinted to us, the Editor's supposed selfishness became, a matter of discussion between a small party lately assembled not hundred miles from Brighton, on account of his suffering certain trade advertisements to be inserted on the cover, yet we much question whether these self-same objectors would like to pay for an additional copy of the Magazine, in order to contribute to its support, in the absence of those very advertisements which did contribute to its support? Nay, we should not be greatly surprised if such were not among those penurious professors who, even with their four, five, or six hun dred a-year, can only afford to take in the Magazine in company with others: one Magazine, perhaps, divided among three or even four! Whereas the poor servant-the hard-working mechanic-the clerk with his limited income-or the tradesman who is hardly able to "make both ends meet," looks forward with eagerness, and pays with cheerfulness his sixpence per month, and thinks himself abundantly recompensed into the bargain.

It is most refreshing to see how the love of Jesus animates many of the poor of the flock. What a hearty welcome to the cottage-what a firm grasp of the hand by the poor artizan-what a free salutation by the homely tradesman! where coldness-formality-a frigidness of feeling, characterise professors, and too often possessors, in higher life. We love the knitting of heart to heart-that sympathy with, that unearthly entering into, the case, circumstance, and condition of the flock which the love of Jesus richly shed abroad in the soul so sweetly enkindles.

Oh, England! England! the practices of thy professedly religious folk are in our view despicable. We know a Gospel minister, who says, "I can more readily get a sovereign from some poor cook or housemaid, than I can a shilling from some of the rich people in my congregation."

Readers, ought these things so to be, and that in the very face of the lack of pure truth which characterises the present day?

Well, we have so far discharged our consciences; we have drawn the bow at a venture, and we trust the arrow will carry conviction with it.

And now all we have to add is, that as it is our intention (if the Lord will) to carry on the Magazine, we trust the present appeal will stimulate such as really do regard the truths its pages contain, to a little exertion. Let each subscriber try to get another, and then we shall have no reason to complain.

THE EDITOR.

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

BY THOMAS HARE, B.A.,
Curate of Yeovil cum Preston.

No. IV.

ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY.

"I am ALPHA and OMEGA, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.-Rev. xxii. 13.

THOUGH he that wrote this book of the Revelations, was John the beloved disciple of the Lord Christ, yet he who made the revelation to John was Jesus himself. Hence the book opens thus-"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw (Rev. i. 1, 2). And he who is the speaker in the opening, also speaks in the close of the Revelation; in the verse immediately preceding, Jesus speaks not only of his coming, but his quickly coming. To his disciples (before his last sufferings and death) he simply promised "he would come again to them." And in assuring his Old Testament saints of his first coming, he said, "Jehovah, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple" (Mal. iii. 1). But here, though the speaker and the subjects spoken of are the same, yet he promises that in coming again, it shall be quickly. In the 7th verse he says, "Behold I come quickly ;" and in the 12th verse, "Behold, I come quickly:" and again in the end of this book he declares, that all may know, hear, and regard it, "He which testifieth these things, saith, Surely, I come quickly; amen." This being that subject to which Jehovah hath ever directed and raised the attention of his people, they have been by grace brought to desire it, and in answer to his own declaration, "Surely, I come quickly," to respond, "Even so, come Lord Jesus." But as in that portion already cited from Malachi, in speaking of his coming, he declares the greatness of his person, in that he says, "Jehovah, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come;" so here having declared his coming quickly, he adds, as exhibiting the greatness of his person, and this too for the comforting and establishing the hearts of his elect. "I am (the) Alpha and (the) Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." As what is recorded here concerns the Lord Jesus Christ in two particulars :

1st. What he is naturally.

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