THE BIBLE.-Book of books, book of ages, book of wonders, book of life, book of God! Thy moral wonders, like those of nature, have never yet been told. No man has ever seen them all. The antiquities of nature and the futurity of things, the origin of man, his sublime nature, his marvellous relations, his infinite obligations and glorious destiny, are thy favourite and delightful themes. Immeasurably thou transcendest all the metes and boundaries of human knowledge. Thou coverest the whole area that divides eternity, and penetratest far into an infinity that is past, and an infinity to come. Thy first page has inscribed upon it the generation of heaven and earth, and thy last page forestalls the creation of new heavens and a new earth. The spreading out of these heavens date thy first chapter, and after folding them up, the expansion of new heavens, new worlds, and new creations date thy last. Between these the history of man, in all his incomparable fortunes, good and bad, is faithfully and infallibly written. God himself the source of universal being-the father of eternity-the spring of all life, and the fountain of all bliss, is revealed in thy pages in full and perfect adaptation to the capacity, condition, and circumstances of fallen humanity. Thy first lesson to fallen man intimates a coming of the Lord in human flesh for man's redemption, and thy last assures him of his coming in divine glory, as the final arbiter of the immutable doom of angels and of men. If the universe be the work of an Almighty hand, assuredly thou art the work of an Almighty mind. O Lord, inspire our hearts with admiration and love of thee. A. C. MARRIAGE. Benevolence and prudence may make marriage happy; but what can be expected but disappointment and repentance from a choice made in the immaturity of youth, in the ardour of desire, without judgment, without foresight, without inquiry into conformity of opinions, similarity of manners, rectitude of judgment, or purity of sentiment? Such is the common process of marriage. A youth and maiden meeting by chance, or brought together by artifice, exchange glances, reciprocate civilities, go home, and having little to divert attention or diversify thought, they find themselves uneasy when they are apart, and therefore conclude they shall be happy together. They marry, and discover what nothing but voluntary blindness had before concealed. They wear out life with alterDR. JOHNSON. cations, and charge nature with cruelty. HABIT. Select that course of life which is the most excellent, and custom will render it the most delightful. JUDGMENT.-When judgment dictates, we should not be afraid to disagree with our friends, nor assume to agree with our enemies. ITEMS OF NEWS. Sanquhar, April 15th, 1844. WE have been favoured with a visit from our dear brother Greenwell; he remained with us a fortnight. The church has been greatly refreshed, comforted, and built up by his exertions. Two persons, VOL. VIII. 2 B by the blessing of God and the force of his truth, confessed the Lord and put him on, by a baptism into his name, We now number twenty-four, all living in peace, and not without hopes of still being multiplied. JAMES M'Crone. Hull, April 11, 1844. I REMIT you a post-office order for the amount of our contribution to the Evangelists' Fund. Since the commencement of the present year thirteen have made the good confession by immersion into Christ; and we expect a few more shortly. The brethren are greatly encouraged by the success of their humble endeavours to spread the ancient gospel in its primitive simplicity. J. G. COLLins. Kilmarnock, April 18, 1844. ENCLOSED is a post-office order for the sum contributed by the brethren here in aid of the Evangelists' Fund. We had a young woman added to our number last Lord's day. May the Lord strengthen her with all might by his spirit in the inner man, that she may finish with joy her high and holy calling. H. LANDER. Wrexham, April 16, 1844. SINCE my last, four more have been added to the church herethree by baptism, and one by restoration. D. KEMP. Auchtermuchty, April 11, 1844. I HAD the satisfaction to visit the infant congregation at Leslie last first day, and to introduce to their fellowship an intelligent female who had been immersed by our beloved brother Mills, the night before he left Leslie. There are now twenty-six in the congregation. We had a very comfortable day indeed: there were three brethren there from Kirkaldy. The prospects in Lislie still continue favourable. The anticipations which I noticed in my last letter to brother Reid respecting an opening for the truth in Newburgh has begun to be realized. We have had the pleasure of immersing five men since I wrote, who are added to the congregation here one of whom is David Lawson, who has preached for brother Reid, in his chapel in Dundee, when he was connected with what was called the "Christian Mission" body. Brother Dowie, from Cupar, was in Newburgh on Monday, by invitation, and proclaimed in the Town-hall to a large and attentive auditory, the blessed truths of the gospel. He was taken to task after the discourse by some of the baby sprinklers," and a knot of Socialists; but he was quite able to stand his ground. He is to be at Lislie on Lord's day, the 14th instant, to strengthen and encourage the brethren there, and to proclaim the gospel. J. DRON. Liverpool, April 11, 1844. 66 CAN I obtain the favour of a notice in the Christian Messenger that a church has been formed here, with Jesus as its only recognised head, and his children those who have been buried with him by baptism, risen again to walk in newness of life, and are ready to hold Christian fellowship on the broad principles of the gospel with all who hold one Lord, one faith, one immersion, and whose spirit and beha viour are known to correspond therewith? The place of meeting is in Gregson's Academy, Great Cross-hall-street, and meet on the first day of the week, at eleven o'clock in the morning, and six in the evening. P. WOODNOrth. CONTRIBUTIONS have been received for the Evangelists' Fund from a sister at Leamington; the brethren at Stockport; Carlisle ; St. Andrews; Hull; Ellesmere; Hill Top; Auchtermuchty; Sanquhar; Chester; Coxlane; Mollington; Kilmarnock; &c. THE freewill offerings of the disciples of Jesus are most acceptable to God, and will, through his blessing prove to be of eternal advantage to many who otherwise would have lived and died in ignorance of the great salvation. "To do good and to communicate, forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." "He who soweth sparingly shall also reap sparingly:" those who water others shall themselves also be watered most abundantly in return. "The Lord loveth a cheerful giver." The thirteen parties who have this month sent their united assistance to support the spread of the simple gospel will not lose their reward; but money alone cannot accomplish what they so much desire, namely-the conversion of sinners to the true gospel. Men-faithful, self-denying, men-as well as money are wanted to accomplish this noble and benevolent design, Brethren, Pray ye to the Lord of the harvest to raise up more labourers to work in His vineyard.-ED. New Mills, March 22, 1844. QUERY.-When a disciple of Jesus violates the laws of his King by an act of drunkenness, and makes confession, and repents of the same, how ought the elders of the reformation to act towards the offender? ANSWER.-To do as the Spirit commands them, namelyrebuke, forgive, and restore the offender to the love and confidence of the church.-ED. THE WORLD FOR SALE. THE world for sale! hang out the sign, I'll sell it, whatsoe'r it bring; The world at auction here to-day! It is a glorious thing to see; But ah! it me has cheated sore: It is not what it seems to be! For sale! it shall be mine no more. Who bids? who'll buy the splendid tear? Here's WEALTH in glitt'ring heaps of gold: Who'll buy the heavy heaps of care? 'Tis going! Love and I must part! And FRIENDSHIP, rarest gem of earth, FAME! hold the brilliant meteor high; Ye millions, now's the time to buy. How much for Fame? how much for Fame? Sweet star of HOPE! with ray to shine Save this desponding one of mine, Who bids for man's last friend and best? Ah, were not mine a bankrupt life, This treasure should my soul sustain; But Hope and I are not at strife, AMBITION, FASHION, SHOW, and PRIDE, Has taught my haughty heart to bow: Cincinnati Chronicle, March, 1844. Laws of Evidence for the ascertaining of the Christian Organization. ASSUMING it as proved that the writers of the New Testament never designed to lay down in detail a complete platform of church government, and that the few scattered incidental notices of that platform with which we actually meet, amount to no more than the mere germs of the necessary Christian organization, the next step which it is the purpose of this article to take is, to inquire whether it is possible correctly to ascertain the subsequent development of those germs, and, in part, what they are. Preliminary to such an inquiry, it is self-evident that the opinions of the uninspired writers who were the immediate successors of the apostles, are not entitled to the least possible value. They were mere erring, fallible men, and many of them very narrow-minded and superstitious, however self-sacrificing and sincere; and their opinions are of just the same value with those of men similarly situated in our own times; if sound and scriptural, they are worthy of reverence; if corrupt and visionary, they are to be deposited along with other useless antiquated lumber. It is equally self-evident that the authority of these writers is of no pos VOL. VIII. 2 c |