life; and you have drunk of the wellrefined wine of the kingdom; there has been music and dancing; but thy pastor has not been allowed to join therein, till my two choice friends, charity and conscience, have constrained thee to inform me how thou hast fared in the banqueting-house. Well, it is my duty, as one of the stewards of the royal family, to give a portion in due season to each of the household, whether I partake thereof or not. My wretched heart often complains of the want of more food myself; but when in a right mind, I am satisfied "He does all things well;" and am content to be poor, so that I am but an instrument of making many rich. You have abundant cause to admire and adore, to bless and praise the Father of mercies, and God of all comfort, for his rich, and free, almighty, sovereign grace, in converting you out of a state, which the profession of this day makes thousands and tens of thousands of poor deceived mortals contented with. I bless my God, that he doth enable me to separate the vile from the precious, the chaff from the wheat, by my ministry. Others have been sharply reproved as well as you; but where grace is not given, they take offence, turn their back upon the light, go to those who prophesy smooth things, and whose ministry huddles up all together, and gives little or no offence to any. Here their consciences are lulled into a profound sleep; and if grace prevent not, they sleep a perpetual sleep, and never lift up their eyes till they are in torments. The scriptures, by the blessing of God, furnish the man of God for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness;" and where humbling grace accompanies or follows reproof, the reprover finds more favor in such a heart, than he that flatters with his lips. The heart in man is, by fallen nature, exceeding proud, and spurns at reproof; but God is omnipotent to 66 subdue our pride, to cause the reproof to work effectually, and to bring the reproved to love and bless the reprover. Solomon saith, Anger resteth (that is, abideth) in the bosom of fools." He does not mean fools literally, but those who make a profession of religion, and are destitute of the Spirit and grace of God. These have great light, but it is darkness. They are wise in their own conceit. Such rage and are confident. But when God graciously bestows godly sorrow, and repentance unto life; when he gives true light, the light of life, to discover the counsels of our own heart, instead of the faults of others; and causes us to loathe ourselves in our own sight for our iniquities; instead of finding fault with almost every one but ourselves, then we fall under reproof, confession is made, and humble and earnest sighs, groans, tears, and cries go up to his dwelling place, and in due time pardoning-mercy and soul-comforting grace flow down from the mercy-seat into the humbled soul. This made the apostle say, Who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same who is made sorry by me?" And in my little measure I can heartily join therein. Blessed be God, you have tasted the cup of bitterness, and have drunk of the cup of salvation. God hath given you the sure earnest, and the sweet foretaste, of the perfect knowledge and full enjoyment of his everlasting love, He made your heart honest to come to the light, and he has shone upon you as an object of his eternal love, matchless grace, and of his mercy which endureth for ever. The ransom-price having been paid, the prisoner is set free, and he that sat in darkness has shewn himself. The God of truth declares, that such "shall feed in the ways; and their pastures shall be in all high places," Isa. xlix. But you must expect fasts as well as feasts; scrrows, as well as comforts; desertions, as well as shi nings; castings down, as well as liftings up; the plague of the heart, as well as the wine and oil; accusations from Satan, as well as the witness of the Spirit; doubts and fears, as well as triumphant faith; fightings without, and fears within, as well as glorious victories and assured hope. No doubt you have experienced some of these already; but be of good cheer, for he that hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of the Lord Jesus, and will cause all things to work together for your good. You appear to me to be the called according to his purpose; and to love him who hath drawn you to Christ, that you might receive out of his fulness, those things that accompany salvation. By your own account this calling was not according to your own works; for you were wrapped up in your own filthy garments, and no light to see their filthiness: and though, through grace, anger did not rest in your bosom, yet for a time it lodged there. But God had mercy upon you, brought you to the light, and caused you to behold his rightteousness (Micah vii). For this display of rich and distinguishing grace, he is worthy to be praised; and you will remain an eternal debtor to it: ever paying, but never getting out of debt, nor ever wishing it. As, therefore, you were not called according to works, your calling must be according to his purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began," 2 Tim. i. 9. The eternal purpose of God in Christ Jesus, is precious faith's firm anchorhold. This is the sure foundation it builds upon. This foundation hath this seal, "The Lord knoweth them that are his." And," Let every one who nameth the name of Christ, depart from iniquity." This is only expressing in other words, the covenant engagement of our gracious God and Father: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do 66 them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me." The Lord protect you from bold, talkative, presumptuous, self-confident professors; who have the doctrines of grace in their heads, and upon their tongues, but their hearts are destitute of the grace which those doctrines reveal. These are dangerous characters: hardened against reproof, and case-hardened, steel against all convictions. Self-confident and full of rage, they hate every faithful reprover. These, for a time, deceive the very elect, who are often ensnared by them. Profligate sinners and selfrighteous pharisees are not half so dangerous. Be cautious what company you keep; and take heed what you hear. That doctrine which humbles the sinner, exalts the Saviour, which strengthens faith, draws forth our love, which causes hope to abound, endears the Almighty, which makes the conscience tender, and produces reverence and godly fear, which quickens the soul, and makes the mind spiritual, causes sin to be hateful, and Christ to be precious, and wisdom's ways to be pleasantness, and all her paths to be peace; I say, such doctrine you need not be afraid of. The Holy Spirit will give testimony to such preaching, and own and bless it to his children's good. I have hope of you, my dear friend, that by the special grace of God, you will not dishonour the glorious truths of the gospel, nor disgrace your father who hath begotten you through the gospel. We are both living witnesses that grace is free indeed: we are miracles of mercy. The Lord delivered me from the destroying power of an unclean spirit, which led me into drunkenness, swearing, and all uncleanness; and he hath rescued you from Satan transformed into an angel of light; and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. May the Lord reign over us for ever and ever. P. S. The love I feel towards you, causes a godly jealousy over you. My dear friend, there is an unhallowed boldness, a daring, presumptuous way of delivering the very truths of God, in the preaching and conversation of many professors, which has the appearance of warmth and zeal; but which ensnares the hearers into a false faith; which meeting with no trials, lifts its possessor up with a vain confidence, the prelude to an awful fall, or destruction. I cannot, at present, account why I am thus led to address you; but I feel a fear lest you should be betrayed into that vain confidence. A most experimental poet, and one that knew mnch of the depravity of human nature, thus expresses my jealousy: the Lord make it the prayer of your heart; "Let no false comfort lift us up, To confidence that's vain; It is a narrow path that leads to everlasting life, and few there be that find it. We cannot distrust ourselves too much, nor can we too frequently nor earnestly entreat the Lord to be our guide and guard. Those who truly know themselves, will ever be suspicious of themselves; and, saith the sweet Psalmist, "They that know thy name, will put their trust in thee." The religion of Christ is of a soulhumbling nature. That profession, therefore, which does not produce that fruit, is a false one, A broken and a contrite heart is a sacrifice expressed his pleasure to see him seeing him come in, again. Robert, in his blunt, honest I could have got food elsewhere, you way, replied, No thanks to me: if would not have seen me here." He was favored with a stable confidence, and a solid peace to the end. Again, God bless you. UNPUBLISHED LETTERS OF THE LATE REV. W. HUNTINGTON TO A FRIEND. No. 2. To be continued. DEAR brother in Christ Jesus, grace, mercy and peace be with thee and thine. I have, sometime ago, letters to Mr. Jenkins, not liking to written to your spouse, directing the write and direct to her unless you approved of it. But as you desired me when in town to answer her last letter, I comply with your request, but shall always direct the epistles to you, as I have no doubt but you are drawing in one yoke, and pursuing one and the same end; and may God bring you both to receive the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Sister Mary, if God deals with thee as he did with me, thou must expect the following things: when a soul is regenerated, it comes forth out of its legal bondage, fear, torment, heaviness, bitterness of soul, and from under a sense of divine wrath, and from the terrors of the law, and the cutting accusations of Satan and conscience. Then a wonderful calm and much tranquillity of soul follows; much love, pity and compassion appears in the Lord Jesus Christ towards us: this draws forth from our hearts a godly sorrow, mixed with faith, hope, and love which produce much self-loathing and selfabhorrence, which is to us a sure and infallible criterion of an interest in the covenant Head, and of our being in the hond of His everlasting covenant," I will be merciful to their unrighteousnesses, and their sins I will remember no more." The law of faith is written on our minds, and the law of love put into our hearts, and from all our idols and filthiness we are cleansed; but then shall you loathe yourselves in your own sight when I am pacified towards you. This is God's covenant made known and applied to us, and this is our passage into the bond of it; and I have no doubt but thou art safe and savingly in it, because faith, love, hope, joy, peace, and humility were all sensibly felt, experienced, and enjoyed by thee: and all these graces are the fruits of God's Spirit, and the blessings of God's covenant, for they are born of God, and whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. For THAT which is born of the Spirit is spirit, and THAT which is born of the flesh is flesh. And these two principles are still within, sister Mary, and therefore thou must expect that these graces must be tried, that they may appear more bright, and be seen more plain, and that thou mayest be able to distinguish between flesh and spirit-sin and grace. And when this furnace work comes on, thou wilt think some strange thing (as Peter saith) hath happened unto thee, but this is accomplished in all thy brethren that are in the world. But we read faith thus tried is more precious than gold, it honours God and ornaments us; and therefore expect it, and be constant in prayer, and when it is over, the work will appear as bright as the sun, aud thou wilt come forth as the golden wedge of Ophir. God bless thee. MARRIAGE is an ordinance of God's own appointment; it is as such holy and honourable. His blessing rests upon it. It was in its original institution a type of the union betwixt Christ and his church, which is immutable, most perfect, and truly spiritual and divine. Adam in paradise, before the fall, was a type, figure, or shadow of the God-Man, God manifest in the flesh." Eve was a type of the church: she was formed out of the man's rib, was framed and made to be his social partner and companion; she wore her husband's name, even from the Lord himself. We read expressly, that "He blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day they were created," Gen. v. 3. The apostle, when exhorting husbands to love their wives, strengthens it by saying, Even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it, with the washing of water by the word; that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies: he that loveth his wife loveth himself, for no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they twain shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband," Ephes: v. 25-33. 66 I think I have set forth Adam as a type of Christ, and spoken of Eve as typical of the church; or, in other words, it appears to me I have illustrated the mystery of the union of Christ and his church, by Adam and his wife in Eden, in the first chapter of my "Growth in Grace," page 33, 34, to which I beg leave to refer you. As you were pleased to call on me to sanctify the anniversary of your wedding with these words of the prophet Hosea (ii. 19, 20), “ And I will betroth thee unto me for ever: yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness, and thou shalt know the Lord," and requested me to write out the same, I therefore present you with these outlines, as containing to the best of my recollection the substance thereof. I thought it would be best to cast it into the following order, rather than present it sermon-like, as I begin to feel it becomes difficult for me so to do. You will therefore be pleased to accept it thus, and take the will for the deed. The church of the elect, whose names are written in heaven, is the bride and spouse of Christ. He loved her before the foundation of the world. The Father presented her to him in all that beauty, glory, majesty and perfection, with which she will be adorned, and shine forth in heaven for ever. He loved her with an ever lasting love. Out of the infinite love wherewith he loved her, he bestowed her on Christ God-Man, as a vast expression of his love to Him, as Head over all things to his church. Christ and the church were set up in heaven, in divine predestination, before the world began. She was in his sight a perfection of beauty. She was to be the social companion and partaker of all his communicable names, titles, graces, riches and blessings. She was to be his glory and joy, his delight, and the unceasing object of his love; who was to be set apart for Him to express his delight and complacency in for evermore. Now a shadow of this immutable and eternal reality of the marriage of Christ and his church, was expressed and exhibited in the marriage of Adam and his wife in paradise, which appears from what the Apostle says concerning it, in his epistle to the Ephesians. Adam was first formed, then Eve. She was made out of him, and for him, and was his glory, The elect were chosen in Christ, they receive their being and well-being in Christ, they were for him to express his love to them and his delight in them; the church is Christ's glory. He loved her before the world began as the choice gift of his Father's love to him. He loved her as his social partner in all his relative grace and glory; and he secretly espoused her in eternity before the Father and the Spirit; and as one with her, united by an eternal union, He, fore-viewing her in her lost and fallen state, was pleased to engage as her surety to his divine Father, to become her surety, to be manifest in the flesh, to pay her debts, wash out her stains, adorn her with the robe of everlasting righteousness, and address her, saying, “Thou art all fair, my love, there is no spot in thee." As he was in his incarnation, and by his obedience and sufferings to express the love of the Eternal Trinity towards her, so it hath pleased him to open and set |