service, which cannot conveniently be declined. Far from being disposed, were that permitted, to do less for him, it keeps the claims of God in Christ, and the nothingness of all the return we can make for his mercies, continually and strongly in view. The reflections it excites are of this kind: "Can I exert myself too much against the sins for which my Lord was crucified? Can I resign too much for him, who resigned his life for me? Can I labour too constantly, or suffer too severely, for his sake by whose labours and sufferings I myself am saved? Can I be too like Christ? Can I honour him more than he deserves, or pay him more than I owe? How small, at least, will be the proportion between his benefits and my returns?" And it is clear that such feelings will tend to animate us in his service. While they are very strong, nothing will seem too much to be done nothing too painful to be endured; nothing unimportant which he has command, ed; nothing great which he calls us to resign. Why is meditation on a suffering Saviour so necessary to the Christian, in a course of active life? Why are we sent so frequently to that object, to prepare for any pressing difficulty, any heavy loss, any severe conflict, any fiery trial which may lie before us in the world? Or why is it that those believers who have stood firmest and suffered least in his cause, have derived their chief support and strength from such contemplations? It is precisely because they excite these sentiments, and inspire these feelings; kindling that zeal which accomplishes every duty, and overcomes every difficulty, and making us diligent and active, will ing to spend and be spent in the service of Christ. ་ and dear for whom our exertions are made, still stronger and warmer feelings are gratified; and we increase our pleasure as we multiply these bonds of love. From the lips of a beloved object the argument " for my sake," has often a charm which cannot be resisted. Now the relation of God and Christ to the believer, and their claims upon him are represented by some of the dearest connections of life, and by every title of obligation known among men. If God is a friend, a benefactor, a parent, Christ is the elder brother, the espoused and husband of his church. "But what relation of men among themselves can express that of God to ransomed sinners, to those objects for whom Christ died, to the rebels whom he has restored to favour and treats as his children, to the souls which he sanctifies by his grace, which he cheers by the visitations of his love, which he is preparing for happiness and glory?" Those, therefore, who have themselves experienced all this, will be capable of a love for him and a delight in him with which no mortal affection can be compared. For what is the fondest hope, the dearest comfort of a Christian? Is it not that his sins are pardoned, and his heart sanctified? Is it not his free access to the Throne of Grace; the peace of God, which passeth understanding; his fellowship with the saints; his blessed hope of heaven? How delightful thus to abide in the love of God, drawing strength and life from the very bosom of consolation! How blest to feel that influence on earth by which the angels are inspired, and from the light of his countenance to kindle fresh zeal and alacrity for his service! If love, then, as a principle of duty, be thus direct, thus comprehensive, thus generous in its nature, and delightful in its operation, we may understand why it is "the first and great commandment," and how it is the fulfilling of the law." But let 1. Love, it has been said, is the true principle of a Christian.-What humiliation should we not feel, to think how little it has been ours! Among 2. What has the belie point of present happines symptoms of spiritual life those who were first called Christians, Spirit? We must wish we see it in full activity, constraining them to live no longer to themselves, but to him who died for them and rose again; we see if animating, supporting, comforting, exalting them; inspiring zeal to confess Christ; constancy to suffer for his sake, and charity like his own to pray for their murderers. Their love was stronger than death. Its effects astonished their enemies, and afford an interest ing lesson to us, whose principles are too weak even for the ordinary calls of our profession. And in our own days we may observe the same love producing similar effects. There are those, even now, who can resign the world-nay, can go forth with their lives in their hand, to make known their Saviour's name among the heathen, and raise living temples to his honour where the seat of Satan has stood. With all in every age whose praise is in the churches of God, the same sentiment has prevailed. They have lived, indeed, looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appear ing of their Saviour: but why? Because then they will see him whom their soul loveth. Their crown of glory itself would not content them, if they might not cast it with adoring gratitude at his feet. The chief joy they expect is the presence of their Saviour. Is it, then, our desire to be like them? Let us trim our lamps of holy love. Let that flame be kept brightly burning. "We love him," says St. John, "because he first loved us." Let us think, then, on his love; let us strive to comprehend more and more of that love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that we may be filled with all the fulness of God; that his love and grace may fill our souls. Then should we abide and walk in we must renew our love the happiness of the beli us go to Calvary, and be who bought us with his b view would excite our lo and our attachment to h as well as a desire for pense, We should be prayer, because it is with him;-in severer his injunctions; and even ings, for his sake. Such we shall find delightful powerful. There will be and success in our exer if by surprise and the w temptation we should fal ject of our love is also cate with the Father, and pitiation for our sins. For his intercession we may always apply with confidence. And then those comforts and that communion of the Spirit, which are always connected with the love of Christ, shall give us joy and peace in believing. May the Lord then direct our hearts into the love of God, and enable us to prove that we love him by fulfilling his laws, and by presenting ourselves a living sacrifice, holy and accepta. ble, through Jesus Christ. Amen. To the Editor of the Christian Observer. In the course of the last summer, you were pleased to insert a paper which I addressed to you, in vindication of Mr. Penn's publication of that year. His work had been controverted by another correspondent of yours upon the subject of the Scythian Genealogy; and, as it struck me, unreasonably. My paper was replied to by that correspondent, but in a mode which it was thought called for no further observations of mine at least-his answer amounting merely to this intimation, That Josephus was not to be believed, when he affirmed the Scythians to have been the decendants of Magog; but that he (the Inquirer) was, when he affirmed the contrary. Will you allow me again to trouble you, very shortly, in justification of Mr. Penn's works on Prophecy? and which I trust you will be the rather disposed to do, as you have admitted, from several correspondents, declarations against that gentleman's expositions of Scripture. The principal variation between Mr. Penn and most other commentators arises from the doctrine of the Millennium for, as to the period of the Christian dispensation, in which we are now living, he will be found not materially to differ from the chief of those learned and most deserving persons who, of late years, have Christ. Observ. No. 162 thrown so much light upon the prophecies. He is particularly reconcileable with Mr. Hatley Frere, in this important point, That the last struggles of the great adversary's power will be limited to the duration of one individual life. Now with respect to that mysterious pas age in the Apocalypse, from which alone the doctrine of a Millennium is derived (after much deliberation, and with every wish for conviction, if I can be proved to be wrong,) I am almost entirely of Mr. Penn's opinion, that the commonly rece ived notion of it is utterly erroneous. However, many wise and excellent persons undoubtedly interpret it thus :-For a period (they say) of a thousand years; or a thousand years, every day passing for a year; or for a very long time indefinitely, pure. Christianity is to prevail throughout all the world: That the world is consequently to enjoy a comparative state of blessedness; to which state are to be applied all (or most) of the magnificent descriptions in Isaiah : That, nevertheless, this life is still to be, in some degree, a course of trial; so much so, that at the expiration of the Millennium, the Church of our Saviour is to be violently opposed, and even menaced with destruction by some confederacy formed through the influence of Satan, and predicted under the names of Gog and Magog. All this notion is rejected by Mr. Penn, without hesitation ; and we may suppose (though he is not diffuse upon the subject,) that writer adducing some such reasons as the following in support of his opinion :-The only passages in Scripture, from whence the idea of a Millennium can arise, are met with in Rev. xx. from verse 1 to 11; in which there is not one syllable about a state of blessedness on earth. Neither can a single verse in Isaiah be so tortured as to make it uphold the mellennian system. Sublime and most exquisite descrip3 B Penn's works on prophe pare men's minds for th terrible day, which, if the times (distinctly for Lord) may be trusted t from us. To my surp heard a sermon preached man of zeal, powers, and objecting to this doctrin ous. How so? wherein ca danger of a Christian's ex coming of his Saviour day? of its occupying all h of its influencing (which tainly do, without deran his whole business, life, sation? Surely he is n become the worse mem ety for it, or to be the le for the event of his own xi., xxxv., xlix., Ix., &c. &c : all of The admirable intent which relate (as I humbly conceive) to the period when "the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ ; and he shall reign for ever and ever!" when" the fashion of this earth shall pass away, and every thing he made anew." Then, as to Gog and Magog, it is expressly said in Rev. xv., that St. John saw seven angels κι ἔχοντας πληγὰς ἑπτὰ τὰς ἐσχάτας. Now if the evils of the vials are the last, there can be no more plagues upon the earth when they are accomplished, after either the lapse of a thousand years or any other length of time. It is, therefore, probable, that the Gog of St. John must be the same with the Gog of Ezekiel; and that his commotions either have taken place already, or will do so during the pouring out of the sixth or seventh vials; the only two, according to all the commentators, which remain to be exhausted. Mr. Penn says, that the prophecy was fulfilled in Napoleon's Russian expedition. Now, though I admire extremely his work upon Ezekiel, and think it has been decried without justice, or even consideration, one may still doubt the accuracy of his interpretation, for this reason :-In the application of the name of "Gog" to Bonaparte, Mr. Penn has shewn ingenuity; but (in my judgment) has, as yet, apparently failed. Moreover, according to the prophet, Gog himself ought to have been involved in the destruction of his army. Perhaps it may hereafter be discovered that the Russian armament was but a type of a more portentous confederacy, directed expressly against the visible designs of God, and conducted by the same leader, to whom at that period the prophetical appellation shall be confessedly applicable, and who will be I cannot, however, conclude without ack the merit of a short pape your late Numbers, upo subject; and which, ther for thinking, has made a ble impression. I allude servations upon Luke x: as it strikes me, the word arn" may surely be rend same generation." The is simple, but momentous much better explain that tested passage, than Bis ley's notion of, " till all be meaning "till all are in of fulfillment," or "begin filled." Upon the whole, sir, positor of the present d to agree that we live in times; that we are eithe what is called the Millen to such a change as it entered into the heart to conceive. The former is generally preferred; be day of judgment, like cannot be looked at stead there are also reasons for the latter, which many Christians will not, be disposed to pass over. Let us "watch and pray always, that we may be ac counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." M. J. A. MISCELLANEOUS. To the Editor of the Christian Observer. HAVING read the letters of "T," "A Friend to the Old Society," and "X," on the safeguards of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, it appeared to me that the readiest way of determining the question would be to examine the publications of the Society, in order to see whether they have fallen into any of the errors T. and X. consider them liable to. If they have not, it seems fair to conclude, that T.'s objection ought not to deter him any longer from becoming one of its members. If they have, T. will, of course, continue to withhold his support. I leave it to those who have leisure for the task, to examine all the publications of the Society, to discover whether or not they have run into any errors. In the mean time, I enclose you an extract from the Encyclopædia Britannica. (under the article "Clarke, Dr. Samuel,") which seems very much to strengthen the remark made by T. on the liability of the Society to error. "In 1718, Dr. Clarke made an alteration in the forms of Doxology in the singing Psalms, which produced no small noise and disturbance, and occasioned some pamphlets to be written. The alteration was this: "To God through Christ, his only Son, "Immortal glory be, &c.” And, "To God, through Christ, his Son, our Lord, "All glory be therefore, &c." "A considerable number of these select Psalms and Hymns having been dispersed by the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, before the alteration of the doxologies was taken notice of, he was charged with the design of imposing on the Society; whereas, in truth, the edition of them had been prepared by him for the use of his own parish only, before the Society had thoughts of purchasing any of the copies; and as the usual forms of doxology are not established by any legal authori ty, ecclesiastical or civil, in this he had not offended."-Encyc. Brit. Fourth Edit. Vol. VI. p. 180. I am, Sir, &c. Q. To the Editor of the Christian Observer. WHEN I first solicited the insertion of a letter into your publication, my only aim was that of endeavouring to satisfy the scruples of your corres pondent T. on a question which appeared to me capable of a very easy solution: and I shall be truly glad, if any of my remarks have served to remove from T.'s mind, the only doubt which seemed to remain with him, with respect to rendering his subscription and cooperation to the designs of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge. Since the appearance of my letter in your pages, however, a correspondent who signs himself X. has made some remarks in your Number for February, on my state. ments; and therefore I have to request of you to insert the follow |