And thus I conclude my extracts, which I consider as beautiful, and fully to confute the erroneous notion of Christ's body being mortal. These men speak like able divines; as men taught of God, and invested by Christ himself in their offices as ministers of the Spirit; made wise to salvation in their own souls, as also in the mysteries of the kingdom of God, to understand his word, and able leaders to the churches whose ministers they were; who could go before their flocks in light, judgment, and experience; could go through the gates, gather out the stones, and lift up a standard to the people; could shew them the right way, and enforce from their own experience the word of God, and what was essential for them to know, in order to their eternal salvation. Of such as these the prophet speaks when he says, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice, with the voice together shall they sing, for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion," Isa. lii. 7, 8. Let us then pray the Lord of the harvest to send some such labourers as these into his harvest, Matthew ix. 38. And then the churches would prosper and flourish, and there would be less

complaining in our streets for want of the bread of eternal life. But truly prosperous times for the church lie at some distance before us, in the next church state, upon the resurrection of the witnesses; then, but not till then, may we expect to see Zion's cords much lengthened, or her stakes greatly multiplied and strengthened. A dark night we are hastening into. The Lord grant he may be our light, keep us and guide us, and then, "though weeping may endure for the night, yet joy shall come in the 'morning," when the members of his late poor suffering church will "be light in the Lord" indeed! But who shall live when God doth this!

The time approaches, however, I have no doubt, considerably within the age of man. Therefore, like Habakkuk, we must stand upon our watch, and set ourselves on our tower: "The vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and not lie; and, though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come," Hab. ii. 1, 2. That bright morning, promised to succeed our dark night, is as sure to shine and break forth upon the church as the word and promise of God can make it. "Glorious things are spoken of the city of God," Psalm lxxxvii. 3; yet to be fulfilled, which shall come to pass in due season; therefore may we be enabled to wait our appointed

time, until our every promised change come, as they shall never be ashamed that wait for God.

I now proceed to my Remarks upon “ The everlasting love of God in Christ being the foundation of his Church,"

An error somewhat similar to the foregoing. I found it recorded in a little tract, entitled "A Christian Directory," &c. written by a minister of some popularity in the present day. The tract was sent me by a friend, for my perusal. In the very first page, speaking of the church, these words struck me with surprise: "Her glorious foundation is the everlasting love of God in Christ!"

What a declension from the truth-what a departure from the faith, is here! It is hard to conceive how any person, more especially a minister, should thus commit himself. Was there ever before such a direction as this given to a Christian, that he should believe the glorious foundation of the church to be the everlasting love of God in Christ? I hope not. The love of God is a quality, a property, an attribute in God; and the communication of it is an emanation from himself. Hence we read that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us.

If this be the case, how can it be the foundation of the church of God? This is indeed darkening counsel by words without knowledge. And how astonishing it is that all the members of a church should approve of it!

A declaration so foreign to truth from a minister fills the heart of every one taught of God with horror, being such a flat contradiction to the plainest scriptures, for in them we read, "Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation; and he that believeth shall not make haste," Isa. xxviii. 16. Here the Lord lays in Zion (which is his church) for a foundation a stone: Can that be the love of God? Is it any where so called? Is it any where called a tried stone? Any where called a precious corner-stone? Any where called a sure foundation? No where in the Bible that I am aware of. Then, if so, the everlasting love of God in Christ is not the foundation laid in Zion; and of course not the glorious foundation of the church of God.

If we examine scripture, we shall soon see the Lord's meaning by the prophet Isaiah: "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and

upon this rock (which thou hast confessed to be Christ, the Son of the living God) I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it," Matt. xvi. 16, 18. Here the foundation of the church is called a rock, and the rock is said to be Christ, the Son of the living God: then it cannot be the love of God, for that is never called a rock. Again. "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offence, and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed," Rom. ix. 33. In this passage the stone and the rock mean a person; "whosoever believeth on him." But the love of God is not a person, therefore not the foundation of Zion, or of the church. Peter is very clear: "To whom (to the Lord, who is gracious) coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." Again, he is spoken of thus, agreeing with Isaiah: "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner-stone, elect, precious; and he that believeth on him (on Christ) shall not be confounded. Unto you, therefore, which believe, he is precious." And then it is added, "The stone which the builders refused, the same is made the head of the corner," 1 Peter, 2d chapter. And, speaking of Israel in the