: "RAPIDLY DRAWING TO A CLOSE." To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine. Secondly I would say, that the object of the preaching of the gospel, in the present dispensation, is not to convert the world, but to gather out a bride for Christ; and when all the elect are called, the dead in Christ will be raised, "and the living changed, and caught up to be for ever with the Lord" (1 Thess. iv. 15, 16; 1 Cor. xv. 51, 52); when the marriage of the Lamb will take place; for it must be remembered, that we are not yet married to him, we are betrothed to him; but the marriage, of course, will not take place until the bride is complete, which we pray the Lord shortly to accomplish, and to hasten His kingdom DEAR SIR,-I find that some of your person of the Son of man. The things correspondents are wondering at that which are, I take to be the state of the expression, "that things are rapidly seven churches, which, I believe, is drawing to a close." I desire to say a generally understood to be the seven word, which may be for their edifica-phases of the Church, from the days of tion and others. First: the times of the apostles to the close of the present the Gentiles are drawing to a close. dispensation of the Spirit, closing with the "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of lukewarm, Laodicean state. The things the Gentiles until the times of the which shall be after these, or after the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke xxi. 24), states of the seven churches, I take to and then Israel will be restored again be those events included in the sealsEzekiel's prophecy of the resurrection trumpets and vials, and other propheof the dry bones will be fulfilled- cies, commencing at the 6th chapter. Judah and Israel be joined together Moreover, we find in chapters 4 and 5, again, and have one King over them the Church in heaven witnessing the (Christ), and be no more two nations. opening of the seals, &c.-the Church there being represented by the four-andtwenty elders, or the four living creatures; therefore the Church must have been caught up, which, as every one knows, has not yet taken place. Therefore, I consider all to be future, from the 6th to the 19th chapter of Revelation, save that in the 17th chapter we get a description of the woman, and the beast that carrieth her. The beast is, undoubtedly, Rome, or civil despotism, and the woman on its back the false church. Shortly the beast will be tired of its rider, and throw her off its back; and, in consort with the ten kings, "make her desolate, eat her flesh, and burn her with fire" (Rev. xvii. 16, 17). It is not wise to call both the beast and the woman popery-they are distinct; and we find the beast in existence after the woman is destroyed. Neither do we see here the antichristat least, not in the first six verses. The antichrist will be a person; here we see an empire and a false church. After that "the bride, the Lamb's wife," is complete, and caught up to meet Him, and to be for ever with Him. Amongst the many things which will transpire will be the restoration of the Jews; the rise, reign, and the destruction of antichrist; the opening of the seven seals, the sounding of the seven trumpets, and the pouring out of the seven vials, and their respective judg ments, and the appearance, testimony, martyrdom, and resurrection and ascension of the two witnesses (ch. xi.), which "And to His glory take us in, For there we long to be." Thirdly the seals of the Revelation have yet to be opened, as I believe; the trumpets have yet to sound, and the vials have yet to be poured out. Many suppose them to have passed, and are matters of history. Many scenes, and circumstances, and judgments, bearing a resemblance, may have transpired, and may have been, as it were, a kind of prelude, but their full accomplishment, I have no doubt, is future. I will give my reason. In Rev. i. 19, John was told to write the things which "thou hast seen"-the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter," or after these. Now I take the things which thou hast seen to be the revelation of the glorious the earth, giving unto the beast, or the antichrist, "his power, and seat, and great authority" (Rev. xiii. 2), when men will be given over, in judicial blindness, to "believe a lie" (2 Thess. ii. 8-12). But it is sweet to one's soul to know that, prior to this time of trouble, or the tribulation, the great one, the Church, will have been caught up to be with the Lord. I take to be two or more persons; their | power of the air, and god of this world, locality will undoubtedly be Jerusalem, is tremendous; but it is appalling to think for it is expressly said, in the 8th verse, of the time when he will be cast out into "where our Lord was crucified." This period, which I take to be the last week of Daniel, or a period of time-times and the dividing of time, and the forty and two months, together making seven years-will be the time of trouble mentioned by our Lord in Matthew xxiv., and the tribulation the great one spoken of in Rev. vii. 14. And an awful time it will be, for "the great dragon, that old serpent, called the devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world, will be cast out of heaven into the earth, and his angels with him" (Rev. xii. 7-9). The common notion is, that the devil is in hell; but we find from Scripture that he is in heaven-or the air (see Eph. vi. 12); from thence he will be cast into the earth, as we have seen; from thence into "the bottomless pit (Rev. xx. 2, 3); from whence he will be loosed for a little season (verse 7), and afterwards "cast into the lake of fire and brimstone" (verse 10). The power which Satan now has, as prince of the May we be found watching, waiting, and looking for our Lord, the Bright and Morning Star, who has said, "Surely I come quickly; Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." tr Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Cor. xv. 51, 52). Islington. T. A. IS IT FROM THE LORD? To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine. went before and fulfilled my desires. REV. AND DEAR SIR,-Having felt | to the Lord's will as to the event. He much interested in the correspondence in the Gospel Magazine, on "Is it from the Lord?" and feeling my mind at times much impressed to write to you on the subject, I have at length resolved to try, if God shall see fit to bless, and enable me so to do. Some twelve years since, I felt constrained to seek the Lord, and feelingly to ask His guidance in taking a most momentous step, considering that much happiness or misery in this life hung upon it. After much exercise of mind, and pouring out of the heart to God, I was led to read the 24th of Genesis, which seemed so exactly suitable to my path, that I felt assured it was from the Lord. I was constrained to move forward, and leave the issue in God's hand, feeling that there were means to be used to obtain the desired object; first, a seeking unto God, then a moving forward in humbleness of mind and submission As I was one day walking under a certain hedge, and thinking on the subject, these words were most powerfully and sweetly applied, "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." (It struck me, when reading the Magazine, that we might certainly know what was from the Lord by the effects produced, the fruits of the Spirit.) My feelings were sweetly wrought upon, Jesus precious, a drawing out of the heart to God, humbleness of mind, contrition of spirit, joy and peace in believing that the Word would have its fulfilment in my experience; and during years of trial and waiting for the desired object, those words were a sweet stay to my mind, and have since been fulfilled beyond what I desired. In another instance, when thinking upon my trials, and wondering when God would appear and work deliverance, these | amidst all my impatience. There is one words were applied most forcibly, almost point I think we should feel very cauas if some one was speaking to me tious upon, it is this we may desire with an audible voice, "Ye shall something most congenial to our nature. not go out with haste, nor go by seek it much at the Lord's hand, and flight, but the Lord shall go before endeavour to apply every text of Scripyou, and the God of Israel shall be ture that may cross our mind, and bear. your rereward," immediately followed at all upon the subject, until at length with this passage, "Your time is always we think we have the thing desired in ready, my time is not yet come." And, faith, and believe its accomplishment, to the Lord's praise I desire to speak it, but after a time prove, to our sorrow, it He has gone before, restrained me from was a delusion of Satan to entrap our evil, constrained me to wait, and made feet. I feel it behoves us, especially in a way for me even in temporal matters things temporal, to ask with the deepest where there appeared to be none. submission to God's will, not knowing what would be for our good and the Lord's glory. Yours in Christian union, I could name other texts of Scripture that have been applied, producing the same effects, and have always been fulfilled, so that at times I have wondered at the Lord's goodness and mercy to me IS IT WELL WITH THEE? his creature holiness, and all that he once thought acceptable and worthy. The lightnings of Sinai discover his sins, but the love of a bleeding Jesus sweeps away all his fancied righteousness, and drops him at the foot of the cross a naked, helpless sinner, with the cry, "Lord, save, or I perish;" and from that out, it is stripping work all the way through. A lady once complained to a minister, who preached a free-grace gospel, that she could not receive his high doctrines. "No, Madam," was his reply; "you have not been brought low enough, when you are, you will be glad to seek your refuge in high doctrines, and stay there." MY DEAR FRIEND IN JESUS, It seems a long time since I heard from you. I hope it is well with you as to soul matters; but to realize soul-health and soul-prosperity is so opposed to sense and reason, that faith alone can say, in answer to all it feels and often fears, it is well. How hard to recognize soul-health and Divine love when the cross lies heavy, and the way is hedged up. Cries, and no answers; prayers for patience when rebellion reigns; longings for light, and the darkness gathers all the deeper; till at last the dregs of evil seem squeezed out of the heart to the last drop, and everything that is vile, and sinful, and rebellious, is shown up and turned out into the daylight of Now does not this explain much of God's countenance. Oh, says the poor the cause why truth is rejected. Sinsoul, who can live when God doeth this?ners are not brought low enough to value But you see, my friend, there is a two- the doctrines of the gospel, which are fold stripping. When the soul is for the feelingly poor, the sensibly brought to Sinai there is solemn, stripping work. Clothed in filthy garments of sin and pollution, the sentence is pronounced, "Take off his filthy garments;" and the soul must submit or die. But the sinner is taken from Sinai to Calvary, and then there is a second stripping process. There he loses, as it were, his righteousness, his fair pretensions, ruined, the consciously depraved. Such are made willing, in the day of God's power, to receive Jesus as their all in all; as God's elect Head, in which He views all His elect people, and as their Surety, who undertook to save and deliver them from the wrath of God, the demands of a broken law, the power of sin, and the grasp of the devil. It is "broken hearts and wounded spirits "is pronounced and pardon is sealed, the that value the doctrines of the gospel. The ruined, who despair of saving themselves by their own doings, are thankful for the refuge God's free choice in eternal election affords; the emptied and naked, welcome the robe of imputed righteousness; and the captive to sin and Satan, with hell before them, gladly embrace a personal and effectual redemption, that secures to the heart all it speaks to the ear: and when liberty soul, in willing affection, ascribes all the glory to rich, free, sovereign grace, and crowns Christ Lord of all. And this is heaven begun, sweet earnest of eternal joys, and a never-ending song. May the Lord tune our hearts to begin it here below, and so revive His work in our souls while travelling through the wilderness. Yours in lasting bonds, S. N. R. THE LATE REV. W. HUNTINGTON. To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine. The Editor of the Gospel Standard for August, 1856, in reviewing a work of the Rev. W. Huntington, quotes the following character of him from the Quarterly Review, vol. 24, page 407. MY DEAR SIR,-I do not know if the land, as well as Dissenters, quote him remarks I am about to make, relative to from their pulpits? I heard, a few the character of that highly honoured Sabbaths since, the Rev. J. Hawker, servant of the living God, Mr. Hunt- when addressing probably an audience ington, come within the precincts of of a thousand hearers, in the Circus, for being noticed in your valuable publica- the purpose of invigorating their faith, tion. In the Daily Telegraph of the quote a portion of his "Bank of Faith." 13th inst., there was rather a lengthy Surely, if he had been a rogue and account in favour of Mr. Spurgeon; hypocrite, his name and his writings and after eulogizing him, the writer says, would have sunk into oblivion long ere "He does not possess the wit or scholar- this. ship of old Rowland Hill. He is not a rogue, or a hypocrite, like Huntington." Now I should like to ask this calumniator, if Mr. Huntington was what he has described him to have been, how was it that for thirty years he was honoured with a congregation of from 500 to 1000 hearers ?* How was it, that when he paid his annual visits to the different parts of the kingdom, multitudes always flocked to hear him? How was it that many of his publications went through several editions during his life, and numberless editions since his death? How is it that his memory is still cherished and venerated by the principal Cstic w ers of the day, and often quoted in the Gospel Magazine, Gospel Standard, Earthen Vessel, Zion's Trumpet? How is it that his likeness adorns the walls of so many eminent Christians' sitting-rooms in this day? How is it that some of the most eloquent extemporary preachers of the Church of Eng &c. * We believe our correspondent would have been more correct, had he said from 2000 to 3000 hearers.-ED. "His manner in the pulpit was peculiar, and his preaching without the slightest appearance of enthusiasm. While singing was going on, he sat perfectly still, with his eyes directed downward, apparently, as probably, musing upon what he was going to say. He made use of no action, except that he had a habit or trick of passing a white handkerchief from one hand to the other while he preached. He never raved and ranted, nor even exerted his voice, which was clear and agreeable; but, if it had ever been powerful, it became softened, in his latter years, through a well-lined throat; for the Doctor, as he called himself, bore all the outward and visible signs of good living. Anything that he meant to be emphatic was marked by a complaisant nod of the head, and not a syllable was lost by his auditors, who were open-eared and open-mouthed in profound attention. His sermons were inordinately long-seldom less than an hour and a half, sometimes exceeding two hours. This must be admitted as a proof that he was in earnest, for certainly, if he had spared himself half the exertion, the greater part of his congregation would have been better pleased. He had texts so completely at command, that even an excellent memory could hardly explain his facility in adducing them, unless he had some artificial aid; and the probability is, that he made use of "Cruden's Concordance." His prayers were little more than centos of scriptural phrases." The editor of the Gospel Standard has also the following anecdote of Mr. Huntington: "About twenty-five years ago, we were travelling to London, and, inside the coach, casually fell into conversation with a well-dressed old gentleman, when soon the subject of religion came up. He was evidently a stranger himself to personal godliness, but seeing, perhaps, how the land lay with his fellow-traveller, said, rather abruptly, 'Did you know the celebrated Mr. Huntington -the walking Bible, as he was called?' The answer was, 'No; I am too young for that.' 'Well, then, I did; for I was T. H. B. Review. The Broad Road and the Narrow Way:1 Christ. Such would seem to spring into " manhood or womanhood all at once; such would become the full corn in the ear without the gradual process of seedsowing, and then springing up as the blade and the ear. However, that is not God's order; and mercifully has He left on record the fact, that there is not only the bruised reed and the smoking flax, in the wise and beautiful economy of grace, but that He (the tender, sympathizing Husbandman) neither breaks the one, nor quenches the other. Moreover, we admire the Lord's extreme tenderness of His little ones, and cannot IN His striking parable of the sower, our Lord said, There is first the blade, then the ear, and after that the full corn in the ear;" and the apostle Paul, in writing to his son Timothy, speaks of babes, young men, and fathers." But it would seem that whilst there are, on the one hand, those who are personally ignorant of the work of the Holy Ghost in the hearts of His people, and, as a consequence, deny the doctrine altoge-overlook the emphatic way in which He ther; so there are, on the other hand, those who so overlook what is written, and so forget their own former condition, as virtually to ignore the idea of babes and young men in the family of declares, that "whoso offendeth one of those little ones that believe in Him, it were better that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were cast into the sea.” |