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vout; a sincere follower of his great master; sound in the faith and hope of the Gospel, and truly exemplary in every good word and work: An affectionate husband, steady friend, kind neighbour, and indulgent master: And, to sum all in the words of the worthy clergyman, in his letter before referred to, "If his real character could be held forth, it would well deserve an attentive review and imitation. And though it may be expected that some may think light of it, and others sneer at it, as too precise and primitive, I doubt not he will one day appear great, and be numbered among the worthiest who will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father."

ANECDOTE.

I remember some years ago to have buried à corpse. In the extremity of the audience that surrounded me I discerned a female, wrinkled with age, and bending with weakness; one hand held a motherless grand-child, the other wiped away her tears, with the corner of a woollen apron.-I pressed towards her when the service was closed." Have you lost a friend?"-She heaved a melancholy sigh-" The Lord bless her memory !"-I soon found the deceased had allowed her for several years six-pence per week! O my God! is it possible that the appropriation of a sum so inconsiderable, may cause a widow's heart to sing for joy, and save the child of the needy! Who would waste a six-pence! Who would indulge themselves in extravagance! Who would not deny themselves, to be able to secure the blessing of them that are ready to perish!

Jay's Life of Winter.

FOR THE CHRISTIAN'S MAGAZINE.

1040

THOUGHTS ON HOSEA viii. 10.

I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

THE law of God, to which the prophet refers, is

the whole system of religion, as contained in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, then extant. The first of these were written by Moses, and the rest, by the prophets in succession, for the benefit of the children of Israel. In them was revealed the nature of that worship which is acceptable to the Most High, and the manner in which a sinner might obtain pardon and salvation. Hence to obey God's law is equivalent to the practice of true religion; and to forsake the law, in the language of the inspired writers, is to embrace a false religion.

To this law, thus extensively understood, be longed,

1. The various precepts of Moses; namely, the moral law contained in the ten commandments, and other parts of Scripture, including all the duties which every rational creature owes to God and his neighbour: As also, the ceremonial law, or the rites of external worship, relating to priests, sacrifices, sabbaths, feast-days, washings, and the whole of the temple service: And the political law, which regulates their intercourse with each other, as members of society.

2. The doctrine of Messiah, the promised seed of the woman, in whom all the nations of the earth were

to be blessed. He is the substance of the ceremonial law, and the great subject of whom the prophet spake, to whom the pious Israelites were directed for a better righteousness than their own, and through whose atonement, shadowed forth in their sacrifices, they could only obtain acceptance with God here, and the enjoyment of everlasting blessedness hereafter.

Since the days of the prophet, Messiah has been born of a woman-born under the law. He has put away sin by the sacrifice of himself on the cross, and brought in everlasting righteousness. The ceremonial institutions of the Jewish economy, having received their fulfilment, have been abolished; like shadows they have passed away, when the good thing to come signified by them, had appeared. The Jewish polity has been annihilated in the ruin of their city and nation, for their rejection of Messiah. The law of God, then, as written to us, excludes the Jewish rites of worship, and their peculiar civil ordinances. All the moral duties enjoined on that people, and all the directions relative to Messiah, are still in force. These are revealed in a more perfect and clear manner, in the Scriptures of the New Testa ment, which is an explanation and confirmation of those of the Old.

The whole system of religion, therefore, as contained in these Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testament, save those religious ceremonies and political regulations, which are abolished, constitutes at present the law of God. To it belong,

1. Directions concerning the worship of God in public and private.

2. Exhortations to faith and repentance.

3. Instructions as to the manner of acceptance with God, through Christ.

4. Commandments to live godly in Christ Jesus.

5. Promises to obedience, and threatenings to disobedience.

This law, in every part of it, both as it respected the nation of Israel, and as it regards us Christians, is not of human, but divine, origin. God hath written it-it is his work. Part he is said to have written with his own hand, viz. the ten commandments, on two tables of stone. These commandments he spake audibly unto Israel from Mount Sinai, so that their authority could not be doubted. The rest of the law was written by his servants, according to his direction, and under the guidance of his Holy Spirit. Thus at different times, Moses was commanded to write in a book what the Lord dictated. Thus also, God commanded Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Habakkuk, and John the Evangelist: "All Scriptures is given by inspiration from God; for holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

Thus God hath written to his ancient people and to us, his law, which contains no mean or trifling matters, but great things, matters of the utmost moment, of infinite importance to us. Hath God revealed any thing to his creatures? we may conclude that it must be worthy of himself. He is a Great BeingKing of kings, and Lord of lords; glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, and doing wonders. His law is like himself, the transcript of his perfections, stamped with his image. Every part of it is great; i. e. it is excellent-it is interesting-it is divine. It unfolds to us the eternal council of peace between the Father and the Son, concerning the world of mankind. We learn from it, the origin of all things; who made them, and how he made them. God created the heavens and the earth, by the word of his power, in the space of six days, out of nothing. The works of his hand, we read, he

still upholds and governs, directing them steadily to that end, for which he made them. Here we have recorded the narrative of stupendous miracles, wrought for the promotion of the divine glory among men. Affecting providences are detailed, in which the faithfulness of God to his people, and his wrath towards the ungodly, are strikingly illustrated. Doctrines are revealed, sublime in their nature; perfectly consistent with the principles of right reason, yet exceeding the powers of man to discover, and practical in their effects; changing the heart, and reforming the life. The way of salvation through a crucified Redeemer, and all the benefits which he has purchased for those who believe in him; such as calling, pardon, acceptance, cleansing, adoption, and perseverance, are fully made known to us. Prophecies delivered ages back, are here preserved, for the confirmation of faith, and the conviction of unbelief. Life and immortality is brought to light, and the glorious reward of righteousness, together with the awful punishments of wickedness, are unveiled to view. Are not all these particulars truly great things -important matters ?

Even the positive institutions of religion, those lesser parts of the law, display the same excellence; as "the eagle, wonderful in his soarings, shows in his very stoops, the power of his wing. The establishment of a Gospel ministry; attendance on public and private worship; observance of the Lord's day in a holy manner; administration of the sacraments, and exercise of spiritual discipline; all lead our attention to salvation by the blood of the cross, and teach us to die unto sin, and walk before God in newness of life. They all, by the divine blessing, promote growth in Christian knowledge, and in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not less important in significancy and moral influence, thus are the rites of the Gospel, than those of the law were.

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