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often when the individual is rejoicing | divided in the same manner. I shall over its dissolution, and surveying devote this paper, therefore, to a conwith pleasure the places where it sideration of the place from which I used to reside, but which are now write, as an epitome of communities 66 empty, swept, and garnished," he, of more importance. unexpectedly and to his great dismay, finds it in some corner of his heart still in vigorous existence. Pride is no respecter of persons nor places; it can live under a plain garment, as well as an elegant one; in the cottage as well as the palace; and can rankle | in the breast of the beggar as well as in that of the sovereign.

Finally, humility is a grand peculiarity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not recognized in the ethics of heathen philosophers; they do not appear to have had a name for it. It is well known that the Latin word humilis signifies low, mean, base, vile. The Redeemer of the world was himself the most illustrious example of this engaging virtue. Whether we consider the ineffable grandeur of his character, or the depth of his humiliation; his utter disregard of worldly wealth and splendour; or his kind condescension to the meanest and most despised of mankind,—we cannot but strongly realize the fact, that, he was indeed "meek and lowly in heart." And yet, in the meekness and humi- | lity of Christ, we discover nothing grovelling, or weak, or mean. On all occasions he manifested the most dignified firmness; the most unyielding, yet the most becoming confidence ; 66 leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps."

THE CAMERA OBSCURA. (Continued from col.137.) No. XVI.-The Town. "It is common to overlook what is near, by keeping the eye fixed upon something remote.' DR. JOHNSON.

THIS world is composed of things great and things small, and it not unfrequently happens that the small are but epitomes of the larger ones. This is seen in the various communities we behold on the earth:-The world itself is a collection of different individuals, who have different interests; and in it we see policy and regulation on a large and extensive scale; but the smallest village in our land contains what I may call the germ of such policy and regulation, and is

We have great men in our town, at least those who assume the authority and state of great men. Such is old gouty Darnside, who has been in the East Indies, and has come home merely to be the torment of all his acquaintance. Such are, 'Squire Bluster, the churchwarden, who gets drunk twice a week for the benefit of church and state; Sir Jacob Lobster, the magistrate, who is feared by every one who has heard his name; and Mr. Surly, the physician, whom all speak against, because he wishes it to be acknowledged that he is superior to all.

There is also a parcel of honest tradesmen, who may be said to compose a local house of commons for us, just as the individuals above-mentioned may figure out a house of lords, with Sir Jacob as king at their head, These are people who know little more about the church than the way into it, and what kind of building it is; which knowledge they have acquired by frequenting it twice on every_Sunday,-who bawl against radicals and oppositionists, because in their imaginations they are classed with toads and vermin; and who have scolding wives, fat daughters, and gaping sons.

As a weight in the other scale, we have also an opposition party in our place. There is a thin tallow-faced mortal, who sticks manuscript handbills in his window about taxes, and poor's rates, and Easter offerings, &c. and who, by such conduct, joined to the fame he has acquired by quarrelling with every one who would quarrel with him, has set three parts out of four of our population at loggerheads. We have also another glibtongued gall-hearted sage, who seems to have the newspapers at his fingerends, and, (for he never could be persuaded to work for his livelihood,) who spends all his time in going from house to house, and person to person, talking about Cobbett, and Canning, (it used to be Castlereagh, but he is dead,) and spreading infidelity and revolutionism together, rejoicing when others are sad, and being sad when others are merry. These

are but agents. They are employed by others higher in rank than themselves people who would not be openly seen in any personal and petty transaction. They write the handbills for the first gentleman, and pay for the printing of the nonsense which is sometimes published in his name, and supply the second with Cobbett's Register and infidel works, and stuff his head full of accounts of America and France.

The commonality are also as much divided in character and opinion as their more conspicuous neighbours. I will class them under four heads, two of them comprising political characters, and two not so:

as they can lay their hands upon; and will sit whole days in an alehouse, listening to foolish and unmeaning tales, which are served up with oaths and curses for the dessert; and relating stale jokes, which (no one knows how) they tenaciously remember. If any thing, they incline rather, in a political light, to the ministerial side of the house; but trouble themselves with nothing, literally nothing. Their wives are slatterns, their homes are pigsties, and their children dirty and unkempt from Monday morning to Saturday night. I wish their numbers were fewer.

The Good. Perhaps this class say as little about politics as the one The Disaffected.-These are they last mentioned. They hear, and are who discourse about they know not not troubled; attempt to do their own what; attend the Socinian meeting-duty, and leave other people to themhouse, when they attend any place of selves, unless they can do them any worship; hate the vicar of the parish, service. They understand more about as they would any other man who the bible than the newspaper, more was vicar; subscribe together for the about their God than political governBlack Dwarf; teach their children ment; live soberly, righteously, and that the king is a fool, and that they godly in this present life; get honestshould be kings themselves if they ly their own livelihood, keep their fahad their rights, and that it is a shame milies in neatness and comfort, and to see so many rich and honourable die respected by their neighbours, and men in the world; that Oliver beloved by their Maker. Cromwell was a saint, and Charles I. a devil; and in short, are lovers of anarchy and confusion, because they prefer darkness to light, and do moreover all the mischief they can.

The Loyal,- -are as ignorant as the others, and are loyal merely from prejudice. Their fathers were so, and they are so likewise. They hate their neighbours, the disloyal, because they never come to church, and always spoil sport, and cast a damp upon their joy. They are for the most part industrious, and work for the support of their families, much to their credit. They bawl for church and state, with as much wisdom and discretion as the gentlemen before-mentioned as a house of commons. They think king George the best, wisest, and most honourable of men; send their children to the church charity-school; bow when they meet any of the members of the upper or lower houses; and in short, are loyal, pudding-loving personages.

The Careless.-These heed scarcely any thing but eating and drinking; never think or speak of either king or parliament, and are idle, worthless beings. They smoke as much tobacco

What a world we live in! What motley groups of individuals we behold in it! In looking over the most confined tract, we find food for laughter, or reproof, pity, contempt, or admiration! All are huddled together, and jostled one against another; die, and are buried; and are heard of no more, till before a Judge they shall all appear to be classed as they really deserve to be.

(To be continued.)

ENGLISH LAW-THREATENING LET-
TERS OR WRITINGS.

MR. EDITOR,
SIR,-Continuing so long to occupy a
place in your valuable miscellany, I
perhaps ought to apologize for intro-
ducing subjects so devoid of amuse-
ment to the greater part of your read-
ers; but as I write merely for the in-
formation of those who peruse these
columns, I have no other plea to offer,
than that of my being most truly anx-
ious to contribute my humble endea-
vours, along with the many of your very
able correspondents, in rendering the
Imperial Magazine such a source of
knowledge, that your subscribers may

from thence be enabled to know how | the perfect work of Christ, in the matto act in certain particular cases, and also cautioned against any infringement upon the laws of our country. The practice, Mr. Editor, of sending threatening letters, has been checked by the following statutes:

9 Geo. I. c. 22, sending letter without name, or with fictitious name, demanding money, venison, or other valuable thing, or rescuing any offender in custody for the same, &c. is felony without benefit of clergy. This statute is extended by statute 27 Geo. II. c. 15, to sending such letter, threatening to kill any persons, or burn their houses, &c. though no valuable thing be demanded.

12 Geo. I. c. 34, and 22 Geo. II. c. 27, writing or sending any letter, or other writing, or message, to masters, by persons employed in the woollen, felt, hat, silk, mohair, fur, hemp, flax, linen, cotton, fustian, iron, or leather manufactures; made felony and transportation.

32 Geo. II. c. 24, Sending or delivering letter, or writing, with or without name, or with fictitious name, threatening to accuse another of offence punishable with death, transportation, or infamous punishment; with intent to extort money, goods, wares, or merchandises, punishable as a misdemeanor, or with transportation.

EDWARD CROMWELL BROWN.

East Retford, Feb. 3, 1825.

ESSAYS TO THE JEWS. (Continued from col. 151.) Essay II. Of the Allegorical Nature

of the Abrahamic Covenant. PURSUANT to the design of the foregoing essay, I proceed further to prove and illustrate the allegorical nature of the Abrahamic covenant, from what the apostle Paul has written on the subject in the fourth chapter of his epistle to the Galatians. The evident design of this epistle is, to establish the grand doctrine of a sinner's justification by faith in Christ Jesus, in opposition to the false doctrine of those Jewish Christians, who, from a mistaken attachment to the law of Moses, were for making a compromise between the law and the gospel; for mixing the Levitical law with

ter of justification or salvation; in short, for teaching the Gentiles, that except they were circumcised, and kept the law, they could not be saved. But to bring the matter to an issue, he introduces the manner of the justification of Abraham, the father of the faithful; and shews that he was justified not in circumcision but in uncircumcision. For it is written,"Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore, that they who are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham," Gal. iii. 6, 7. They are his spiritual children, supernaturally and free-born like Isaac, and not like Ishmael, who was born in bondage, because he was the son of the bondwoman.

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"Tell me therefore," says the apostle, " ye that desire to be under the law, do ye hear or understand the law?" Do ye know what is meant by Abraham and his family? "For it is written, that Abraham had two sons; the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free-woman." Gal. iv. 21, 22. Do you understand what this signified, what it figured out?

In the first place, how were these children born? The one by the bondwoman was born after the flesh, or according to the mere laws of nature; the other in a supernatural manner, and according to a promise which God made to Abraham, that Sarah should have a son. Abraham, at an early period, received a promise from God, that in his seed should all the families of the earth be blessed. This promise was renewed to him from time to time. But between the annunciation of the promise and its accomplishment, a long period was allowed to intervene. This delay wearied out the faith and patience of Sarah, who was desirous to have a child. She therefore gives her handmaid, Hagar, to Abraham to be his wife, that she might obtain a child by her. But when Hagar saw that she was with child, she despised her mistress Sarah. This proved the cause of disturbance in the family, and the mistress exercising severity towards the servant, she fled from her presence. But the angel of the Lord met her in the wilderness, and desired her to return, and be subject to her mistress. Having done so, the time came

that the child was born of the hand- | written, Rejoice, thou barren that maid, and they called his name Ish-bearest not; break forth and cry, thou mael. And after the space of about fourteen years, Sarah, according to the promise of God, bare also a son, and they called his name Isaac.

that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she that hath an husband." Galatians iv. 24-27.

These two children, as we have al- Thus we perceive, that not only the ready said, were brought into exist-children, but the mothers also, were ence very differently. The one, by emblematical. As the one was a Hagar the bond-maid, was born after bond-maid, and the other a free-wothe flesh, or by mere natural descent man, so they respectively represented from Abraham; the other, by Sarah bondage and freedom, or the two the free-woman, by a supernatural different dispensations under which power communicated to the parents God intended to place mankind; the when they had arrived at that period one elsewhere declared to be the of life which rendered the birth of a letter, the other the spirit; the one child, according to the ordinary laws the ministration of condemnation, of nature, impossible. the other the ministration of righteousness; the one to be done away or abolished, the other to remain as a permanent system to the end of the world. 2 Cor. iii.

Now, though all this happened in quite a natural manner, and appeared, to one not acquainted with God's transactions with Abraham, to arise from the natural course of things; yet it was by the immediate appointment of God; and there was a grand emblematical design resting at the bottom of the whole transactions. The births of these two children were emblematical of the birth of the twofold seed of Abraham. His natural seed in the line of Isaac and Jacob, was emblematically set forth in the birth of Ishmael, which was after the flesh, and which shewed that it was in the same natural manner that all Abraham's natural seed, in the abovementioned line, should descend. But besides a natural seed, Abraham was to have also a spiritual seed; for God made or constituted him the father of many nations. Hence he is called the father of believers of all nations; and believers of all nations are styled the children of Abraham. The supernatural birth of his son Isaac by Sarah, the free-woman, was therefore emblematical of the supernatural or spiritual birth of believers; for it is said of them, John i. 12, "That they are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

"Which things," says the apostle, 66 are an allegory, for these are the two covenants; the one from mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Hagar. For this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is 75.-VOL. VII.

Hagar, the bond-maid, allegorically represented mount Sinai in Arabia, whence the children of Israel received the law, which answered to the earthly Jerusalem in the land of Palestine, which was in bondage with her children; for so long as that dispensation continued, there remained a yoke of bondage on the necks of her children, which neither they nor their fathers could endure, or see properly to the end thereof.

But Sarah, the free-woman, allegorically represented the Jerusalem which is above, or the spiritual Jerusalem, or new testament Church, consisting of believers of all nations, which is free, with her children; they all having received the adoption of sons, and being made free from the tutorage of the law, and put in possession of all the glorious privileges of the gospel.

The prophet Isaiah, rapt in future times, understanding this allegory of Sarah and her children, says, chap. liv. 1, "Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not; for the desolate hath many more children than she that hath an husband." "We therefore, brethren," says the apostle, Gal. iv. 28, "after the manner of Isaac, are the children of the promise," begotten by a divine or supernatural power as he was. Whereas that state into which the false teachers are for bringing you, is only like that of Ishmael, who was born of a bond-woman, and the offspring, whom

he represented were kept in bondage | his weaning. No doubt, he pretended to the law, as to a tutor or school- that, by right of primogeniture, he was master, till the time appointed of the his father's heir, and therefore he riFather, when they should be no longer diculed the feast made in honour of under bondage, but receive the adop- Isaac as the heir, similar to what the tion of sons. Jews did in the parable of the prodigal, (Luke xv.) together with Sarah's laying claim to the whole of the inheritance for her son. This action, I say, was typical of the contempt with which the Jews, Abraham's natural posterity, would treat his spiritual seed, and their hope of salvation through faith; typical also of the claim which the natural seed would set up, of being the only heirs of God, because they were first his people.

This blessed period of release had accordingly in the apostle's days arrived. "For when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.' Gal. iv. 4, 5. When the law had served its purpose, as a schoolmaster or pedagogue till Christ, it was then time that the children, who hitherto differed nothing from a bond-servant, should be no longer under such discipline, but made free according to the determination of the Father, and receive all the rights and privileges of the family.

Thus does it appear that there was a period fixed when the old Sinaic covenant or dispensation was to terminate; which if the Jews had understood aright, they would have rejoiced, and looked upon it as a period of release, a blessed jubilee, when every one, fettered as they were, should break off his chains, and leap at the sound of the trumpet from mount Zion, which proclaimed his liberty. But the Judaizers understood it not; therefore they thought it was depriving themselves of a blessing to give up all connexion with the old covenant; and they endeavoured with all their might zealously to affect the minds of the poor simple Galatians, to enter into the same views with themselves respecting these things.

But these very Judaizers, by thus so rigidly retaining their errors, and insisting so strenuously on the believers at Galatia to submit to their scheme of doctrine, or they could not be saved, inadvertently verified another remarkable part of the allegory; that is, the persecution of him who was born after the Spirit, by him who was born after the flesh. This circumstance was prefigured by Ishmael's mocking at the weaning of Isaac. "But as then, he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now." Gal. iv. 29.

Ishmael's persecution of Isaac consisted in his mocking at the feast of

But the utter futility of any such conclusion might have been clearly seen, had they only known their own scriptures aright, and understood what was intended by this allegory. "For what saith the scripture?" Gal. iv. 30. "Cast out the bond-woman and her son; for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman." See Gen. xxi. 10, &c. In this transaction was prefigured the rejection of the Jews, the natural seed of Abraham, from being the church and people of God, both for killing the Lord Jesus, and for persecuting the apostles and Christians, his spiritual seed. The Judaizers might also in this transaction have seen the determination of God to abolish and abrogate the old covenant; and of course the exceedingly heinous nature of their guilt, in their attempts to frustrate God's purpose and design.

66

From all that has been said, the apostle's conclusion, in the last verse, is undeniable. Well, then, brethren, we are not the children of the bond-maid, but of the free-woman;" and as her children, we are heirs of the promises, although not in bondage to the law.

Now, this is the blessed situation of all the people of God, whether they be Jews or Gentiles. They are now the sons of God. They are all equally the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. And if they are Christ's, then are they Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Gal. iii. 26-29.

This is the glorious "mystery or dispensation of the grace of God which, in other ages, was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and pro

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