MAZZAROTH; OR, THE

lenting about Simeon; also Joseph thought his father Jacob would much less feel Simeon's being bound than any other of his sons; therefore Simeon was bound and put into prison. There was an opportunity for him now to reflect upon all his evil deeds-whether it was to the humbling of his spirit is not said; but when the brethren returned with Benjamin, Simeon was released. Simeon sowed cruelty and he reaped accordingly; let this be remembered by us-it is not possible to avoid sustaining injury ourselves when we inflict injury upon others. This is one of the dark consequences of the Fall. I gladly turn from it, and invite my readers' attention to two things. First, to the triumphs of mercy over the evil results of sin; and secondly, to the faithful fulfilment of every part of the Word of God. Read the following from Thornley Smith's "History of Joseph." He says: "Israel's curse did not fall upon the persons of Simeon and Levi, nor yet upon the persons of their children

HEAVENS.

(Continued from page 180.)

Is the few remarks I have made on Simeon's character, I hope I have been under the influence of the best of all teachers; and in going somewhat further, I pray to be instrumental in laying open another page of that deeply-hidden wisdom which lays within the folds of that heavenly register, the WORD OF GOD. I will not this month digress, if I can hold the reins of my thoughts tight enough. I must be brief; for we are in deep waters, and where the "VESSEL" may be driven none on earth can tell.

In Simeon, see, first of all, a picture of the hardness and cruelty of some men's hearts. See, secondly, how true it is, that what a man sows that shall he also reap. Jarchi says that it was Simeon who said to Levi, when little Joseph approached them, "Behold, this dreamer cometh;" and that it was Simeon who cast Joseph into the pit, and would have killed him outright. Such was Simeon's cruelty. He was a man of a fierce and desperate disposition. When, therefore, we read, in Genesis xlii., that Joseph would take one of Jacob's sons and keep him as prisoner, while the others went to carry corn and bring down Benjamin, the historian says, "Joseph took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes." It is thought Joseph saw there was still a hardness and unre

Would no sad consequences, then, follow from their conduct? Hear the old man's words: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.' 'If you mark,' says Bishop Andrewes, in a singular but admirable sermon on this passage, 'the punishment is very proper, and well-proportioned to their fault. Their fault was a bad union; their punishment is a just division. Their fault was “hand in hand," they were too near; their punishment is, they shall be set far enough asunder, for taking any such counsel any more. So whom the devil hath joined, God puts in sunder. And a righteous thing it is it should so be. For punishments should have in them the nature of medicine: they cure ever by contraries; heat by cold, drought by moisture. Even as this doth-an evil joining by a just dispersion.'

"Jacob here speaks as a prophet, and the prophets are often said to do what they predict. This prophecy was literally fulfilled. On the division of the land of Canaan, the tribe of Simeon received an inheritance within the inheritance of the children of Judah (Josh. xix. 1), which, however, became too small, so that it is supposed that they were 'under the necessity of frequently emigrating from their own part of the country, to seek a residence and bread for their families amongst their brethren of the other tribes.' (See 1 Chron. iv. 41-43.) There is a Jewish

the effect that multitudes of Simeon's posterity were scattered among the other tribes in the capacity of teachers, so that the Hebrews were accustomed to say that every poor scribe and schoolmaster was a Simeonite.' Then, as to the tribe of Levi, it had no inheritance in the land; but 'the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the Lord, cities and suburbs,' so that they were indeed scattered throughout the country. (See Josh. xxi. 3.) Their punishment, however, was turned into a blessing; for they were chosen to perform the services of the tabernacle, and Jehovah himself became their inheritance."

"Simeon and Levi are brethren." Of this Old Testament Simeon there really is but little said of a cheering character; but he is joined with Levi, and although Moses says not one word of Simeon, he has a most remarkable prediction respecting Levi. (See Deut. xxxiii. 8-11.) A more glorious prediction of the character and work of the gospel ministry I never have found, nor do I think the Old Testament furnishes anything more brilliant, more comprehensive, or more correct. Here is a sign indeed of the first magnitude-an hieroglyphical star hung up in the biblical heavens, wherein every feature of a true and living ministry is drawn by the Spirit of the true and living God. This Levitical prediction is "a bundle of myrrh" I never saw untied yet. If the Lord would open it to me, and in me, I shall cheerfully give to my readers all that is given to me; but I feel my mental and spiritual destitution so deeply, that I really fear to approach a mystery so sublime. If any of my brethren have clearer light into this Word than I may be favoured with, I truly hope they will be enabled so to throw in their light as to remove all the darkness and difficulty hovering over my mind. I would consider the prediction in the following order: 1. The tribe of Levi as representing the separated and sanctified servants of God, and officers in the maintenance of the worship of his house. The Levites were a kind of outcasts. In the settlement of the land of Canaan, the sons of Levi had no share in the division; they had no inheritance with their brethren. How strong and emphatic is that Scripture" At that time, the Lord separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before

bless in his name. Wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren: the Lord is his inheritance, according as the Lord thy God promised him." In a worldly and temporal point of view, I have said, they were a sort of outcasts; they had no share in the land. And how true this is of the greater portion of the Lord's ministers to this day. I know many of them, poor fellows! they have no palaces, nor 6000l. per annum pensions; they have neither houses nor lands; they have neither farms nor fruitful fields. The rising or falling of the funds is not a matter noticed by them. Their inheritance, generally speaking, is the Bible, the throne of grace, the gospel of Christ, and the hearts and the prayers of a few poor people, among whom they live and labour, and from whose hard earnings is derived the small pittance whereby the "earthly house" of the poor Levite is kept together. Could you look into his cottage-(beg pardon, I mean his parsonage)-on many days in the week, you might have full proof that he is both a teetotaller and a vegetarian; for a small piece of bread, a few nice potatoes, and a glass of clear cold water makes up his healthy and his economical meal; and for the most part he is therewith content. It is quite possible that when the poor provincial Levite hears his noble and valiant metropolitan brother exclaim in the pulpit at PR———, “I have 1800 congregation and 700 members, and they keep me well!"-I say, it is just possible that a little sprig of old Adam's weed, called "carnally coveting," might then spring up, and he might almost wish some such portion had fallen to him; but he may wish long enough in such days as these, when churches and chapels are nearly as thick as the streets, and when popular parsons are every day coming into such amazing notoriety that no places can hardly be found large enough for the crowds who flock to feed upon the dainties there provided. Nay, indeed, from all that I have seen for many years, if a man be sent to work in the Lord's vineyard (unless he have some extraordinary natural gift; unless he marry some very rich wife; unless he be called to stand in the well-prepared shoes of another, as the Manchester Standard-bearer stands in the shoes of his venerable predecessor; or, unless he be left executor to a property for which no owner can be found unless some of these "accidentals," as they are called,

LETTER XXVII.

MY GOOD THEOPHILUS,-You know that it is written that the law entered that the offence might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Now you will at once see that this abounding of grace does not mean everywhere where sin hath abounded; sin hath abounded in the Fall, to the final condemnation of thousands, where neither grace nor mercy has ever come. What, then, is the conclusion? it is this, that where conviction, by the power of the Holy Ghost, enters the conscience, there it is, that the sin of the heart is brought to light (Rom. vii. 1), the conscience becomes burdened, and the spirit of such an one is broken down. He tastes the wormwood and the gall, and here, and here only, it is that grace abounds and reigns with unerring and infallible certainty unto eternal life. Do not, my good Theophilus, lose sight of that new covenant to which you belong, nor for one moment be moved by the jargon of those whose "arrogant humility" leads them to boast of yielding themselves up to the letter of Scripture; that is, they are so arrogantly humble, that they content themselves with the sound of the Scriptures, but trouble not themselves about the sense and meaning of the Scriptures. Pity the poor simple Apostle Paul should, in his Epistles, especially those to the Romans, the Galatians, and the Hebrews-pity he took so much trouble to give the sense and meaning of the Scriptures. If he had been but versed in the modern science of uniting free will and free grace, or rather of one time serving one master, namely, free grace, and another time serving another master, namely, free will. O Paul, you simpleton! if you had but known how to serve two masters, you would have had no occasion to say, wherefore serveth the law? You would have had no occasion to say, if by grace it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace. Oh no, the Simeons, or rather Simons of modern times, would teach us to be good Catholics, and be content with the letter. There it is, and we must ask no questions for conscience' sake, nor must we even ask our God and Saviour to open unto us the Scriptures. It is true the opening up of the Scriptures did make the hearts of the disciples burn within them; but I suppose we must not think much of that, because the poor simple disciples had no religion, except what they had from above, which perhaps may, in a measure, account for their being so anxious for many things to be explained to them; and indeed the great Teacher was, and is still, kind to us, even in our weaknesses; and so it was, that for this weakness, this incapacity in not being able to content themselves with the sound without the sense, he indulged them, encouraged this weakness in them, rather than not; for when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples (Mark iv. 34). Well, my good

* See last month's VESSEL, p. 195.

are the subject of this same incapacity, this same weakness. You may well glory in this infirmity, that the power of Christ may rest

upon you.

Well, these Simon-anythings happily do not practise all they profess, or not a man of them would have a right eye, a right hand, or a right foot, left; for if they took the letter just as it is, they must, if they practise what they profess, part with at least some of their precious members. Yea, I know not how they could continue to live at all; for it is written, "Put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite" (Prov. xxiii. 2); and I suppose they have such a feeling sometimes as that of appetite. I am sure even for their health's sake I hope they sometimes have this feeling, and I hope they always do their duty, and with heartfelt gratitude at all times thank the Lord for what they have.

But, my good Theophilus, as you belong to the incapacitated, and are so weak-minded that you like to know the sense of things, I must, for your profit as well as my own, just notice a few Scriptures.

"God said, Let there be light, and there was light;" and just so it is where God commands repentance,-He commandeth all men everywhere to repent (Acts xvii. 30). Now look at the explanation of this (Luke xxiv. 47), that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations; and He is exalted a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance unto Israel, and remission of sins; and this Israel are a people out of all nations, for those that be Jews inwardly are the Israelites indeed. Unto these, one by one,-for ye shall be gathered one by one, Oye children of Israel,-unto one by one of these God commands repentance into the heart, as He did into the heart of Saul of Tarsus; and all such, and none but such, will stand well at the judg ment day: and so all Israel shall be saved.

"All men everywhere,"-that is, wherever his people are: He knows where they are, and will search out his sheep. This command is like, "Lazarus, come forth!" It is not a mere letter command, but a living command; that is what the Lord is pleased to make it-a living command: no room for duty-repentance here.

Peter's exhortation to Simon Magus I have, as you know, disposed of in a former letter, and that in a manner that no one can gainsay.

Again: "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Well, and "except a man be born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven;" but is it the duty of the creature to regenerate his own soul? And so a declaration of the necessity of repentance no more implies it was their duty than it was their duty to regenerate their own souls. Its being their duty to repent with a repentance which is unto life and salvation, is an inference that men unwarrantably and unscripturally draw from such scriptures as these. The necessity of repentance, and fruits meet for repentance, is to be preached unto all men. It is a testimony which God will own and bless only let that testimony rest upon right grounds. But these