is one distinguishing feature that marks the real child of God, whether he is engaged in prayer, reading, or hearing, it is the truth or substance that he has in view; he has read that grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, and these blessings he hopes and waits for.

To elucidate this doctrine, we will first observe, that the adorable Jesus is the truth of all the old and new testament ordinances. Did not the coats of skin that the Lord clothed our first parents with clearly set forth the righteousness of Jesus? and the same hand that clothed Adam clothes all the children of God. In Noah's sacrifice we have a distant view of Christ the truth. And what a sweet savour Jehovah the Father smells in the offering of his dearly beloved Son, and in the offerings of all the church of God, when they approach him in and through the merits and mediation of Jesus. The father of the faithful saw Christ's day and was glad. The fire, the wood, the knife, the lamb, the voice from heaven, all preached aloud the great gift of heaven, and set before these saints of old this important truth, that without shedding of blood there could be no remission of sin. If we pass on to the patriarch Jacob, what a clear view we have of Christ, the true way to God in the ladder. Every believer is brought more or less to know something of those advances or ascensions of soul in his experience, set forth by the ladder. He knows but very little at first, but he that leadeth Joseph like a flock, leads him on step after step, he is blest with one view of his dear Saviour after another, so that his path is like the shining light shining more and more unto the perfect day. And although he meets with very much opposition from mighty enemies without, and much mightier within, yet he increases his stock of experience thereby, and becomes a good soldier and a wise scribe in the things of God. Ile now seeks after the truth, in all the ordinances of God's house. He formerly trusted too much to means, ministers, friends, and frames, but he found all to fail; now he goes to God in the means. The glorious gospel is full of the Saviour, the church's beloved.

"All human beauties all divine,

In my beloved meet and shine."

In him all the secrets of the covenant are developed; the richest blessing a God could give. And this blessing is held up, and held forth by every minister of the Spirit. They need never want a subject on which to preach, here is one ready prepared from eternity. The best, the greatest of all good; a mercy containing every mercy that miserable man requires; full redemption; a perfect righteousness; a complete salvation; an able surety; a most skilful physician, that can cure soul-sorrows, and all mental maladies, remove distress. ing fears, raise dead sinners to life that have laid long in the grave of sin and guilt, melt the hardest heart, and make sane and sound those who have madly sought death in the error of their ways. We find in Jesus a true friend, the same at all times, who does not change with times and circumstances when most we need his helping hand. This friend is always near, who can and does do that for his people

which none other can in bearing all the weight of their sin, and the curse due to it; becoming their burden-bearer, and burnt-offering. We see this solemn scene in the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's supper. He was baptized in blood, and thereby washed away all his people's stains, atoned for their sin, reconciled them to God, opened a fountain for sin and uncleanness, made peace for them, and in this red sea all their guilt finds a grave.

Secondly. Christ is the substance or truth of all the prophecies in the bible. The seed of the woman, the saints' ark, the true Shiloh, the angel in the bush, the God of Bethel, the paschal lamb, whose precious blood is the saints' safeguard, his sin-consuming sacrifice, his healing brazen serpent, his captain to conduct him through the desert, his bread of heaven, his tree of life that he often casts into the bitter waters of Marah; his covering, cooling cloud in the heat of fiery trials and persecutions, and his cheering, warming fire to comfort him after long and languid winter seasons, his companion through the wilderness, his support in Jordan's waves, his bosom to rest in, and his bliss for ever. Jesus is the captain of the Lord's host, that Joshua saw at or by Jericho in the man with the drawn sword in his hand; the wonderful and wonder-working angel that appeared to Gideon under the oak in Ophrah, and to Manoah and his wife, and received an offering at their hands. He is sweetly set forth in Samson's history in his strength, in his marriage, and in the destruction of his enemies. Hannah had a saving sight of him, the truth, and sweetly sang of his salvation, and his power in raising up the poor, and blessing the beggar, putting them among princes, making them pillars in his house, and keeping their feet from falling. We might have gathered many handfuls of purpose from the fruitful fields of Ruth and Naomi's narrative; the mysteries of providence, the blessing of grace, the remarkable marriage of Boaz and Ruth, all help to lead spiritual minds to higher subjects, even to Jesus the church's near kinsman, who was and is famous in Israel, in the union bond of marriage with his Father's given ones, in dying that his church might for ever live, in enduring the curse that she may be everlastingly blessed, in becoming a man of sorrows that she might have eternal joys. He is a restorer of her life, he speaks kindly to his saints, fills their laps with blessings, commands them to glean in no other field, but to abide fast by his maidens. Ruth ii.

The eventful lives of David and Solomon loudly preach Christ the truth, with many of their sentences, sermons, and predictions. This was evidently the bent and bearing of their minds. In the Psalms of the sweet singer of Israel we trace the passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Son of God, with the infinite and invaluable mercies that flow therefrom; such as the covering over and blotting out of all the sins of the saints, and their complete and perfect justification by the righteousness of Christ, and their welcome admission into heaven upon the foundation of free grace. In the Wisdom set up from everlasting, and in the building her house, we may see the

wise hand of Zion's skilful architect. In the Song of Songs the prominent and principal subjects are Christ and his church, his love towards her and her love towards him; she admires his beauty, and praises every part of his all-over glorious person, particularly his mouth as most sweet, that part being employed for her in the council of peace; the many gracious words and sweet promises spoken by himself and by his servants, with his intercessory work in heaven, all make his mouth doubly dear. In addition, we may observe the high titles given his bride, his elect, his jewel, in whom is all his delight. He admires her form, her features, but does not mention her hands, lest she should think she had merited his regard by the work of her hands, but concludes her altogether lovely, all fair, and no spot in her. Are we not then in reviewing this beautiful book, obliged to come to this conclusion, that a much greater than Solomon or Pharoah's daughter is here, even Christ the truth?

And as we pass on through the pages of holy writ we come to the child born, to the Son given; the most profound mystery of all mysteries, and as one expresses it, "a wonderful and mysterious union, altogether unsearchable, the manner whereof is to be believed, not discussed; admired, not pryed into; personal it is, yet not of persons; of nature, yet not natural; as a soul and body are one man, so God and man are one person.' -Thus saith Athanasius. But it is this union that makes the obedience of Christ of such infinite value, that it is of sufficient worth to justify the whole church of God, and they are acquitted of every charge. It puts such an efficacy into the blood of Christ, that it atones for all the sins committed by all the children of God; it cleanses them from every stain of guilt; and by his precious death they are perfectly reconciled to God and shall never come into condemnation.

Thirdly. Christ is the truth of all real christian experience. It is very common with the young christian, at the commencement of his career, to be seeking for signs and marks within himself to ground his hope of heaven upon; and although he meets with continual disappointment, he still predicts that a period will arrive in his pilgrimage when he shall have more mental holiness, that he will perform his religious duties better, that his life will be more useful and fruitful, that he will obtain a complete victory over his mighty and many enemies, and arrive at a state that he now feels himself far from. But as the great Prophet over the house of God continues to instruct him, he most keenly feels that Christ must be his all in all; not only his Saviour and Redeemer, but his righteousness, sanctification, and life; that he needs a present help, a daily Saviour, continual washing, constant communion, and the frequent applications of Jesu's blood to his heart; that he must come at all times, as poor to be enriched from the unsearchable riches of Christ, as naked to be clothed with Immanuel's best robe, and as empty to be supplied from his fountain fulness. After all our fervent prayers, and sincere petitions, we must look alone to the precious and prevalent interces

sion of Jesus, who is constantly lifting up his holy, priestly hands, on the behalf of all those the Father gave him before the foundation of the world.

The new born babes in grace are often building their confidence in the favour of God, upon the happy feelings of their souls, the sweet enlargements experienced when engaged in holy duties, and that contrition of heart felt occasionally when sitting under the preaching of the gospel of the grace of God. But while we are to be thankful for all those devout elevations of soul that we may be endued with, yet we should recollect that neither contrition nor comforts are Christ. In him the Father is well pleased, and is well pleased with all the church in him. Nor have we arrived at any good degree if we are living upon any thing short of him who is the Ancient of Days, the selfexistent I AM, and yet the blessed babe born in Bethlehem, the only Saviour of sinners, the righteousness of saints; whose mighty miracles have excited the admiration of angels and all the redeemed of the Lord, and will furnish heaven with songs of praise for ever and ever. That is a true christian who is living upon Jesus as his bread of life, who hangs all his cares, concerns, trials, and temptations upon him, the nail fastened in a sure place; who has found this precious pearl of great price his peace and peace-maker; who is brought out and off himself to rest entirely upon the God-man, Christ Jesus, for acceptance with God, for righteousness, for a refuge in trouble, for the pardon of all sin, for redemption from the curse, for present and everlasting salvation.

May writer and reader find from day to day in their experience, Christ to be the truth of all the means of grace, of all ancient predictions, and of all future prospects. For us to live may it be Christ, then our walk will be holy, our conversation consistent, our faith steady, our lives useful, and our deaths gain. Many a doubting child of God who has gone halting all through the wilderness, and could not say, 66 my Lord, and my God," has at last found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write, and has sung with Simeon, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation."

Hampstead, May 12.

(For the Spiritual Magazine.)

JAMES.

ON THE PRE-EXISTENCE OF THE HUMAN SOUL OF

CHRIST.

(GAIUS'S SECOND REPLY TO LOVER OF TRUTH.")

Friend Love Truth,

YOUR friendly reply (page 310, vol. IV.) would have been acknowledged sooner, had not my being from home with other engagements prevented me; this it is hoped will account for my VOL. V.-No. 50.

B

seeming inattention. You inform me you are far advanced in life : I am not very young myself, my sun having past the meridian. I shall therefore consider I am corresponding with one whose seniority and long standing in the church of God entitle him to the respect due unto "an old disciple." The scriptures teach us to consider antiquity as being honourable, as it is written," thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God." Lev. xix. 32. "With us are both the grey-headed and very aged men, much older than thy father." Job xv. 10. This being thought honourable amongst men, I am far from withholding it from "the man Christ Jesus," believing the scriptures attribute it to him. The honour of seniority in the highest degree must belong to some one; why not to him whom the scriptures call the first-born among many brethren, the first-born of every creature, and who in his complex person gave being to all creatures of every order, both in the upper and lower worlds? (See Rom. viii. 29. Col. i. 15. Heb. ii. 2.)

I hope my friend Love Truth will bear with me while I make a few observations upon his reply; and, as the paragraphs are short, I shall notice them as they lie before me. And first, you ask me if I believe the scriptures. I answer, yes, I do; and I am taught therein to believe the pre-existence. It is upon scripture testimony I first received the sentiment, particularly Prov. viii. with John xvii. Here the pre-existence of my glorious Lord first opened to my view, and sweetly attracted my mind. Many texts of scripture which before appeared to me inexplicable, soon became plain and easy; I could read the old testament with delight where Christ is set forth as the man, the angel, Jehovah's servant, his elect one, &c. because I beheld him possessing a nature to which all such names properly belong, while yet I viewed him as a divine person in the Godhead, infinitely above all such names and titles. Here I beheld his divine glory beaming through his true humanity in all the works of creation, government, providence, and grace; and who also was the true Shekinah or glory-cloud of the old testament church. I also began to see how he was rich and yet became poor, without parting with any of the riches of his Godhead; and how he could descend from heaven and come forth from the Father, as truly as he could ascend and go to the Father, and still preserve omnipresence, immensity, and invisibility. A being possessing omnipresence must be incapable of local movement; nor can independent majesty be under subjection, only as personally united to a nature that can. These views of the subject have been retained by me from that time until now, with increasing evidence to my mind that it is a bible truth; for there`is not one scripture in all the bible that denies it, but a great many that cannot be explained without it. It is my firm belief that if the preexistence was preached plainly and clearly in connexion with the whole system of truth, many stumbling-blocks would be happily