CONNEXION BETWEEN THE DOCTRINE

AND PRACTICE OF THE GOSPEL. REV. SIR. Your interesting periodical being intended, (as its title implies,) to act as a beacon to warn the heaven-bound mariner of the shoals of error he is liable to encounter on his voyage, I venture to send you the following remarks on the inseparable connection, formed by the Lord himself, between the gracious doctrines and the holy precepts of the Gospel. And perhaps you may consider them, in some slight degree, calculated to point out the mistake of those, who, in a spirit of self-righteousness, charge God foolishly, by asserting that the doctrines of salvation by grace alone, have a tendency to licentiousness; and also of those, who, in the carnality of their minds, suppose that an apprehension of their being saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation, will privilege them to live carelessly and unmindful of the righteous precepts of the law of liberty, set forth in the everlasting gospel.

The Scriptures of eternal truth fully prove that the communication of divine grace to any soul, confers the most exalted privileges and the greatest blessings that can be enjoyed by man in time, and the firmest security for eternity, that can be relied on; and also that martyrs at the stake. We give a specimen of this translation: -Matthew chap. v.-And Jhesus seynge the peple went up into an hily, and whanne he was sett, his disciples camen to him. And he openyde his mouthe and taughte hem; and saide, Blessid be pore men in spirit; for the kingdom of hevenes is therun. Blessed ben trylde men; for thei schul enweelde the erthe. &c. 1 Cor 13. --If I speke with tungis of men and of aungels, I have not charite, I am maad as bras sownynge, or a cymbal tynklynge. And if I have al faith, so that I move hillis fro her place, and I have not charite I am nought,

it affords the strongest motives to restrain from sin, and the most powerful incentives and helps to walk in the way of God's commandments: and this will be made clearly evident by the following considerations drawn from the word of God.

First, consider some of the innumerable privileges grace confers on the believer; it takes from him the heart of stone, and gives him an heart of flesh: Ezek. xi. 19, and xxxvi. 26; it gives him that godly sorrow for sin, which worketh repentance unto salvation : Zech. xii. 10: Acts v. 31: 2 Cor. vii. 10: it reveals to him the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness : Zech. xiii. 1: 1 John i. 7: it assures him of the pardon of all his sins: Jer. xxxi. 34: Acts xxvi. 18: 1 John ii. 12 of his perfect justification in the sight of God; Acts xiii. 39: Titus iii. 7: of his deliverance from the reigning love and power of sin: Rom. vii. 14, 18 and also from its condemnation: Job xxxiii. 24: John v. 24: Rom. viii. 1: It endues him with faith: Col. ii. 12: 2 Peter i. 1: purifies his heart: Acts xv. 9: Titus ii. 14: gives him the knowledge of salvation : Luke i. 77: peace with God: Rom. v. 1: nearness of access to the throne of grace: Ephes. ii. 18, and iii. 12: Heb. iv. 16: fellowship with the Father, and his Sou Jesus Christ: 1 John i. 3: sheds abroad the love of God in his heart: Rom. v. 5: reveals to him the King in his beauty: Gal. i. 16: John xii. 45: forms Christ in his heart the hope of glory: Gal. iv. 19: Col. i. 27: makes him partaker of the divine nature: 2 Peter i. 4: assures him of eternal security in the Lord: Deut. xxxiii. 27: Isai. xlv. 17: John x. 28: shews him the heavenly land which is afar off: Isai. xxxiii. 17: Rev. vii. 9-17: puts him by faith into present enjoyment

of it: 2 Cor. v. 1: Heb. iv. 3, and xii. 28: 1 Peter i. 8,9: makes him meet to be partaker of its eternal glory: Col. i. 12: crowns him conqueror over death: 1 Cor. xv. 55-57: and finally administers to him an abundant entrance into his Lord's kingdom of blessedness: John xvii. 24: 2 Peter i. 11: Rev. iii. 12: these are among the high privileges of Christians, given by grace unto them, in Christ Jesus, according to the eternal purpose of Jehovah.

Next, consider, in a few particulars, the operation of the grace of God, in restraining from sin and inciting to holiness of life. It acts to these ends, by love: 2 Cor. v. 14: Ephes. v. 1, 2: by precept: Matt. v. 48: James i. 22: by example: 1 Peter îì. 21: Hebr. xii. 1: by indwelling of the Holy Spirit: 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20: Gal. v. 22, 23: by the fearful nature of sin : Col. iii. 6: Hebr. x. 26, 27: James i. 15: by the beauties of holiness: Phil. iv. 8: by the sure operation of cause on effect: Rom. vi. 2: by a consideration of our high calling: Ephes. iv. 1: by the certainty of victory over sin through our Lord's strength: 1 Cor. ix. 26: Phil. iv. 13: and by the sure and glorious reward of grace, that awaits all the faithful followers of the Lamb: 2 Cor. iv. 17: Galat. vi. 9: 2 Tim. iv. 8: Rev. iii. 21. The mighty helps it affords are the divine act of God the Father: Phil. ii. 13: 1 Peter i. 5: Jude 1: the sufficient grace and powerful blood of Christ Jesus: 2 Cor. xii. 9: Phil. iv. 13: 2 Thess. ii. 17: Titus ii. 14: Hebr. ix. 14: and the effectual working of the eternal Spirit: Rom. viii. 14, and xiv. 17, and xv. 13, 16: Ephes. ii. 10: 1 Thess. ii. 13: Hebr. xiii. 21.

Let us now notice how fully the blessed Scriptures

prove the indissoluble union the Lord has formed of these high privileges of the believer with his Christian duties. The children of God are chosen and ordained to salvation and eternal life: Acts xiii. 48: 2 Thess. ii. 13 so they are to sanctification, to holiness, and to good works: 1 Cor. i. 2: Ephes. i. 4: 1 Thess. iv. 7: 1 Peter i. 2. They are saved from wrath: Rom. v. 9: 1 Thess. i. 10: so are they from sin: Matt. i. 21: Rom. xi. 27: Galat. i. 4: Hebr. i. 3. They are called to the obtaining of the glory of Christ: 1 Peter v. 10: so are they called to holiness: 1 Peter ii. 9: 2 Peter i. 3. They are pardoned by the Lord: Col. ii. 13: Acts xxvi. 18: so are they cleansed by him: Jer. xxxiii. 8. They are delivered from the fear of their enemies, that they may walk before God in holiness and righteousness: Luke i. 74, 75. They are exhorted to an entire dependence on the grace and strength of their Lord: 1 Cor. i. 31: Phil. iii. 3: 2 Tim. ii. 1: so are they to an holy walk and conversation: Rom. 1-21: Phil. i. 27: Colos. iii. 1-17. They are assured that they are saved only by faith, which is God's gracious gift: Ephes. ii. 8, 9: so are they that faith without works is dead: James ii. 26: and that without holiness no man shall see the Lord: Hebr. xii. 14.

Thus may we clearly discern, from the unanswerable testimony of God's holy word, that the doctrines of grace, which ungodly persons are so apt to term licentious doctrines,' are, according to the Apostle Jude, the doctrines of "our most holy faith;" inasmuch as the author of faith is the most holy God; the object of faith is Christ, God's Holy One; and the tendencies of faith in the believer are to holiness of life and conduct; so that he is indeed called with an holy calling,

though not according to, or on account of, his good works, but according to the purpose and grace of God. 2 Tim. i. 9.

Finally, let it be remembered that the foundation of God's spiritual building, the Church, was laid by grace, when Jehovah fixed the sure corner stone in the holy mountains, and that the topstone thereof shall be brought forth with shoutings, crying, "grace, grace unto it:" and also that each stone in the heavenly structure is made "a lively stone," and that the whole spiritual building is the holy temple of the holy God, each member of which is a royal priest, a peculiar and holy person, chosen to shew forth the praises of him "who hath called them out of darkness into

marvellous light."

J. M. L.

CHRIST'S WILL.

Continued from page 14.

BUT hark! let me read again in the will. "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth."

Whatever Christ prays for is as good as done, for we know that the Father heareth him always. Oh my fellow disciple, what a seasonable and comprehensive clause is this. If he had reckoned up all the kingdoms of this world, and said to any of us by name, "all this I bequeath to thee," it would have been a poor despicable legacy in comparison with this promise of the Spirit to comfort us, to direct us, and to abide with us for ever. Never, never, could consolation come more opportunely than now. Deep was