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affuming any confequential airs, he alone seemed infenfible, to what every one elle perceived, that he was the life and foul of the company. While the advanced Chriftian felt himfelf edified by the depth and folidity of his remarks, the young, to whom he paid a particular attention, were charmed by his affectionate addrefs, the fimplicity of his language, and the aptnefs of his illuftrations.

Though he did not pretend to an acquaintance with the original languages, his biblical knowledge was truly respectable. A found judgment, a correct tafte, and extraordinary diligence in reading and studying the word of God, joined with a proper ufe of our beft commentators, enabled him to appear to great advantage as an interpreter of Scripture.

In preaching, he never addreffed the paffions but in fubfervience to reafon and truth. In explaining and defending the doctrines and precepts of Chriftianity, he was calm, perfpicuous, and often very ingenious. He was a firm, but not dogmatizing, advocate for the fentiments ufually ftiled Calviniftical. In the practical and applicatory parts of his difcourfes he was peculiarly ftriking. His numerous hearers will, doubtlefs, long remember with what folemnity of voice and manner, with what pointed energy of expreflion he warned the young, the thoughtlefs, and the diffipated; with how much fkill and tenderness he adminiftered the confolations of the Gofpel to thofe who laboured under fpiritual discouragements: On thefe occafions not only his voice and gesture, but his countenance, and not unfrequently his tears, expreffed the interest he felt in their eternal welfare.

He greatly excelled in prayer. Often was his large congregation vifibly affected by the seriousness and importunity of his addreffes at a throne of grace.

In private life he was truly exemplary. As a husband and a father, his prudence, gentlenefs, and love, the evenness of his temper, and regularity of his conduct, commanded the veneration, and promoted the happiness of his family. Under the preffure of great, not to fay unparalleled, afflictions, he was refigned; when troubles came in upon him as a mighty flood, his heart was ftill fixed, trufting in the Lord. Thofe, who have witneffed his deportment on the moft trying occafions, have confeffed their aftonithment, and felt themfelves conftrained to fay, "Verily this is the Lord's doing, and marvellous in our eyes."

One part of his character we must not omit: He was an eminently peaceable man. To obtain and preferve peace he would facrifice every thing, a good confcience only ex

cepted.

cepted. The happy fruits of this difpofition, and the benc ficial effects of fuch an example, will, we truft, continue to be enjoyed for many years by those who have had opportunities of obferving his great anxiety and unwearied exertions for the fake of peace.

In his laft illness, though his disorder was of a very painful and diftreffing nature, yet neither the extremity of his fufferings on the one hand, nor their long continuance on the other, did ever extort from his lips a fingle expreffion of impatience or diftruft. His understanding was unimpaired, and his faith unfhaken to the last moment; and he expired in the act of repeating that triumphant fong, "O Death! where is thy fting? O grave! where is thy victory?"

THE FUTURE MANIFESTATION OF THE

WE

CHRISTIAN'S LIFE.

E were lately led to reflect upon the fecrecy and fecurity of that principle of fpiritual life which is in the believer *. We faw it hid not from the notice only, but, in fome degree, from the oppofition of the men of this world. Hid with Chrift-the delight, the glory, the richeft treasure of Jehovah. Hid in the hand, the heart, the all-fufficiency, yea, the very eternity of God. The principle, fupport, and end of this life are all of them, at present, as much hid from our view as that fpring of health, and power of action, which glows in the countenance, or ftretches out the hand of a friend, who congratulates me upon my recovery from ficknefs, or upon a return from a long journey. In this cafe I converfe with my friend without a fingle reflection upon the mode or means wherchy life is fupported, or action produced in him. But, was it poffible for him in a moment to become perfectly transparent before me, fo that at a fingle glance I should behold all the bones in their proper connection, tied together with their different ligaments, the mouth receiving food, the ftomach digefting it, the lungs heaving, the heart beating, the blood meandering through all the veins, and the lighter fpirits through the finer tubes; the different fenfes looking out at the eyes, listening at the ears, and inhaling the fragrance of the rofe, while the brain fends forth its volitions to all the

*Magazine for January last, page 25.

members,

members, or articulates its pleasure at the mouth; in fuch a view we might exclaim with the poet,

O what a miracle to man is man!

And how much depends upon the life and conduct of each individual? See this exemplified in the cafe of Jofeph, the fon of Jacob. Born at a season when his mother had given up every hope of embracing a fon; while an infant, he is deprived, by death, of his mother-even this tends to excite greater partiality towards him in the affections of his father; he is hated of his brethren-fold as a flave to the Midianitifh merchants-by them transferred over to Potiphar; he is tempted to uncleannefs, falfely accused, immured in prifon, where he remains long unknown, and unnoticed. During this feafon, of what importance did the life of this child of forrow appear, except to his father and his God? At length the mift is difperfed; and we begin to learn the reason why he was feparated from his brethren, and led through this rough and crooked path. God had fent him there to fave Egypt, to blefs Ifrael, and to bring glory to God. In the day of his manifestation he appeared as the life of the church, and the honoured inftrument in displaying the glory of Jeho-, vah's wifdom, purpose, and grace. But the apostle Paul fpeaks of a still more glorious manifeftation of the fons of God, affuring us, that "when Chrift, who is our life, shall appear, then fhall we alfo appear with him in glory *."

What an idea! Even at prefent Chrift is the life of the whole church. He procured it, poffeffes it, promises, imparts, and supports it; and, finally, will perfect this life of grace in a life of glory. Of this life Chrift is both the author and end, the principle and perfection. The church, with all its various members, is that body, actuated by Chrift as its life. To him, as Mediator, was it given, that he fhould have life in himself, that he might give eternal life to as many as the Father had given to him. He came into this

world, that he might teach, obey, fuffer, and die; but the grand end of all was that we might live through him. So clearly is this truth fet forth in the Scripture, and corroborated by the experience of all the faithful, that to enlarge upon it here would be fuperfluous.

When the Apostle reprefents Christ as our life, he refers not fo properly to the believer as an individual, as to the whole church. All that fulness of grace and glory that he

*Colossians, iii. 3.

has

has to impart to, or put upon, the whole body, is in him. In him there is every thing fuitable--every thing fufficientall that ability, and all that perfection which any, which all of them can need.

What a fuitable fulness! Every thing adapted to the condition of creatures univerfally depraved and spiritually dead. Such, he not only quickens at firft, but lives in, through the whole progrefs of fanctification. Thoufands, perhaps millions, are actuated by him at the fame inftant. He lives in them all. All-fulness is at once his treasure and our triumph; for it hath pleafed the Father that in him fhould all-fulness dwell*. A fulness of grace to quicken, pardon, justify, fupport, and fanctify-of peace, to pacify the confcience, and pervade the heart-of power, to fubdue in the finner, and effect in the faint, all the good pleasure of his will-of truth, to enlighten the mind, and fanctify the heart-of righteousness, to cover all their offences, and render them comely, through his comeliness put upon them-and, a fulness of glory, to delight and fatisfy them for eternal ages. Yes, the fulnefs, all the fulness of the church's falvation is in him. His is the fulness, not of a veffel or of a spring, but of an ocean. Jefus Chrift is the foul of the whole Christian fyftem. He communicates life to all those who are in union with himfelf; and this circulation is kept up conftantly, without any diminution in the fource of their fupply: So that it is not fo properly they that live, but he that liveth in them †.

Nor is the fulness that we have in Chrift lefs to be admired for its fufficiency than suitablenefs. There is not only in him a fufficiency of every thing needed, but for every one who finds his need of it. Chrift's church is a body confifting of many members, which, though fpiritually united to each other, are often widely separated from one another. At prefent, Chrift has a few members in Greenland, many in Britain, and ftill more scattered through Europe, Afia, Africa, and America; yet fo effectually are the channels of communication kept open, that every one, in his feparate place, though in different languages, may unite in this one confeffion, "Our fufficiency is of God; and whatever we are enabled to do acceptably, is by Chrift ftrengthening us." Formerly Abraham, David, and Paul received large fupplies from this treasure of life; but have they either exhaufted or diminished the ftore? No; there are many ftill, to witness that with him there is mercy and plenteous re+ Gal. ii, 20.

*Col. i. 19.

VOL. V.

U

demption;

demption; and not only that all-fulness, but that there is always a fulness in him.

But is Chrift our life? what a fulness of ability muft there be in him! The natural fun, though ever fhining to our view, is frequently fo obfcured by fogs and clouds that we can neither behold its glory, or enjoy its beams: But nothing fhall interrupt thofe communications that Chrift has to im· part to his people. Perceive them, the believer may not; but ftill he polletjes them. And what exceeding greatnefs of power is neceflary to produce faith in the heart at first, to fupport it under all its weakneffes, and to ftrengthen it for the variety of fervices to which it is called; but the weakest member finds fufficiency, yea, all-fufficiency for all things; feeing Christ's ftrength is made perfect in his weakness; and his Spirit works in him both to will and to do all the good pleasure of his will and the work of faith with power. In Chrift there is a fulness of meetnefs for all wants; of fufficiency for all feafons; and of ability for all the faints.

In Chrift our life there is alfo a fulness of perfection. The grand defign is, in the fulness of time to gather all things into him as the head. He will perfect his defign and work in them; cloathing them with his faluation, and presenting them a glorious church, without fpot or blemish, holy and without blame before him in love. Having laid the plan in his everlasting purpose, the foundation in his death, and carried on the ftructure of mercy through the operations of his truth and grace, at length, will he bring forth the topftone with fhouting, Grace, grace unto it!

Nor is Chrift only the life of the church at prefent, but as fuch he fhall at length be manifefted. Though we now fee him not, yet faith fetches in all its fupplies from him. This great mystery fhall finally be explained, and expofed to the view of all, that Jefus Chrift has been, and is, the life of his church.. It shall then appear to be so, both to themselves and others.

To themselves will it then appear, that Chrift is their life. To each believer it fhall then be evident how he has been held up, in this inftance-back, in another-and helped on, under many difcouragements. Every cloud will then be difperfed, and every tear wiped away. The veils of ordinances fhall be completely withdrawn, fo that, beholding the King in his beauty, in his light they fhall fee light, and in his prefence find the fulness of their joy. Every bleffing will then be traced up to its proper fource, and every comfort to its great Author. It shall then appear how God has

been

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