66 Greek barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: for all alike the ransom was paid by the infinite meritoriousness of his sufferings. Well, therefore, does the psalmist, filled with rapturous anticipation of his universal kingdom, thus summon all the world to rejoice before him: "O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands: serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song." Our church instructs us that God the Son "redeemed us and all mankind;" that Jesus Christ did make upon the cross "a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world." In thus declaring the universality of redemption, our apostolic church but reflects the glorious truth which shines forth on the page of inspiration. "The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge that, if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again" (2 Cor. iv. 14, 15). "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself" (ver. 19). "There is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all." "God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved" (John iii. 17). He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world" (1 John ii. 2). "The apostle adds these words, 'the whole world,' that we may not think that Christ is a propitiation for the sins only of his apostles or for any particular persons, but for all mankind, from the beginning to the end of the world, which be therefore calls the whole world, because there never was, nor is, nor will be any man in the world for whom Christ is not a propitiation". "He tasted death for every man; not only for this man, or that, or the other man, but for every man in the world. And the reason is, because he did not take upon him the nature of any one or more particular men only, but the common nature of all mankind." Let us, my brethren, be assured that God willeth not the death of one of us miserable sinners, but rather that we should be converted and live. Let us impress it deeply on our hearts that nothing more could have been done for us than has been done. Our sins are expiated by him who was stricken for our transgression: a way into the holiest, into the very heavens, is opened to us through the blood of Jesus. Upon ourselves it depends whether we will accept or trample on * Beveridge, Sermons, vol. iii. p. 322. this great salvation. To the despisers of the gospel there remains no further sacrifice for sin, only a fearful looking for of judgment to come. But of you I hope better things, and such as accompany salvation. Be diligent then to make your calling and election sure: perform your part of the evangelic covenant; and God's part he will most surely keep and perform. Repent and believe the gospel, and you will infallibly be inheritors of everlasting life. Not one who comes to him will he cast out. Our own fault, our own eternal shame will it be, if we will not come to him and have life, if we are cut off as dead members from his body, if we fail to attain those glories, those everlasting pleasures, which he has purchased for every child of man. MISSIONARY RECORDS. No. XXXVII. "If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost2 COR. iv. 3. CONFESSION OF A CONVERT.-The rev. T. Sandys, a missionary at Calcutta, reports that he had baptized a native convert, named Bhobani Churn Chowdry. This young man had been for about four years a pupil in the Church Missionary Society's "English school" in that God, brought to seek the salvation which is in city, and was at length, through the grace of Christ Jesus. The narrative of God's work of grace upon his soul is thus given by himself: "In the year 1843 I was placed by my friends in the Mirzapore church-mission school, which was then under the superintendence of the rev. J. Long, as a student; not with a view to learn anything about Christianity, but only to get such would enable me to be useful to myself, as well as to sufficient knowledge of the English language as my parents and friends. For some time I had little or no knowledge about Christianity, and was not inclined to know much about it, until I had the bible as my class-book, when I pursued the study of it, like other books, to learn the facts. But, in inquire or believe in the truth of it, yet it had the course of my studying it, although I did not some happy effects upon my mind, because it fully laid open to my mind the fallacy of the Hindoo religion, and estranged my heart from the love of it, which I so long blindly loved, and upon which I vainly built my hopes of salvation. But, notwithstanding this, I had neither the not the truth, and for which I had no regard; courage to throw up that openly which is nor did I feel the necessity of searching after the truth, and of depending upon that. Thus, for a while, I remained without any religion, and consequently without any fixed principles, except what my sinful heart suggested; and I was quite unconcerned about my present dangerous situBut, happily for me, I still pursued the study of ation, and the fearful consequences of it hereafter. the bible, the holy word of God, which reflected in my heart the awful and forsaken state in which I then stood before an offended and holy God, and led me to feel, myself, the necessity of some means which will reconcile me to him. To gain my soul's salvation, I thought the bible to be the book in which the means I required was graciously revealed by God to man; and I pursued the study of it more diligently and heartily than I did before, and found its words, though simple, yet sublime, and full of such proofs of its divine authority, that all my doubts and prejudices against it soon vanished from my mind; and I was fully satisfied it was such a truth as I required, and is worthy to be embraced. But now was the time when I had to overcome all the difficulties which appeared to me so insurmountable, particularly the affections and kind love of dearest parents and friends, from whom I must be separated, and the scoffs and sneers of men, which I must suffer. I delayed to embrace the truth, and I sought for an opportunity when it would be less difficult to me; but, the more I delayed, the more difficult it appeared to me, till I found it would never be less difficult than it is now. This thought excited and encouraged my mind to overcome every difficulty; and I hesitated not any longer, but gave myself up under the protection of that merciful and loving heavenly Father, who is a Father to the fatherless, and ever ready to succour those that truly seek his assistance, and that Saviour who invites all that are weary and heavy-laden to take rest, and to drink from the fountain of life, and live for ever. And now may God, who hath brought me into his gospel light, strengthen my love and faith toward him, by his Son, through the Holy Spirit, that I may continue through all the days of my life in his love, and the true hope of salvation which is in Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, who shed his innocent blood for the redemption of man! Amen." (Signed) BHOBANI CHURN CHOW DRY. APPEAL TO THE LOVERS OF CHRIST.-"The pressure of the times will, it is to be feared, be felt severely by the religious societies; but, if we have faith and love in Christ Jesus, this is just the season in which we shall prove both, by unceasingly denying ourselves, that we may not lessen, if possible, our gifts to God's cause. It is quite according to an unbelieving, worldly man's principles to seek to improve his worldly circumstances by commencing, first of all, a reduction in his gifts to religious societies: such reasoning, however, and such conduct, are utterly opposed to true faith and love in Christ Jesus; for, if I have faith in Christ, I shall believe that what I lay out for him I shall be paid, and more than paid again; and, if I have love to my Saviour, I shall end retrenchment, not begin it, with lessening my gifts to his cause and glory. Nor is this the day for any lukewarmness in support of this, or any other scriptural protestant society. While we sleep, the enemy is busy sowing tares: if we fail to supply an increasing population at home or abroad with our scriptural formularies, certainly there will be no lack of supply of anti-scriptural books. Rome is 事 The Prayer Book and Homily Society; from a sermon in whose behalf, by the rev. R. W. Mitchell, vicar of Shirley, the extract is made. up and active, both here and in every part of the world; so that what we are to ask ourselves, as to a large proportion of immortal souls, is this: Are they to have as their prayer-book our liturgy or the Roman missal? Are they to have as their standard of faith our articles, or the decrees of the council of Trent? Are they to have as their instructors our scriptural homilies, or the traditions of those who make void the commandments of God?' Time forbids my detaining you longer: let me then, dear brethren, recommend to your earnest, prayerful, and liberal support, the Prayer-book and Homily Society,' which God has blessed and is blessing. The report for its thirty-fifth year (that is, the last year) is deeply interesting, and shows most strikingly that it has not laboured in vain. If you have learned the value of our form of sound words,' it is certain one great proof will be, that you will sincerely desire others may be made partakers of your privileges. Show now your faith by your love: show now your love by your open hand, by giving, as God has blessed you, to the spiritual wants of those for whom Christ died."-We earnestly commend for universal distribution a series of five tracts, from the homilies and liturgy of the church, adapted to the present crisis, so perilous to gospel peace and social order. They are published by the excellent society in question, at less than one farthing each! 6 SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE.-At the meeting of the society held on the second of May, the secretaries stated that the issue of books, tracts, &c., during the past year, had been as follows: Bibles New Testaments Common Prayers Other bound books, tracts, &c. 3,646,934 Total 4,154,428 The receipts of the society (independently of those for "books sold," which amounted to 57,4047.) were, for the last year, 31,7391. 6s. 2d., of which from subscriptions, 13,8301.; benefactions, 4,5917.; legacies, 1,4547.; and dividends upon stock, 5,5711. The expenditure (exclusive of the cost of publications, which was 70,6337.) amounted to 31,9351.; including cost of publications beyond the amount of sales, 13,2347.; gratuitous grants of bibles and other books, 3,7561.; grants for churches (607.) and schools, at home and in the colonies, 2,5671. votes to bishops in seven colonial dioceses for churches, &c., 9421.; paper, and printing the annual and other reports, 1,0477.; and salaries to the secretaries and other persons, 1,8177. In the expenditure is also included a sum of 5,8267. for the purchase of 5,500l. exchequer bills. IRISH SOCIETY.-The report read at the anniversary meeting on the 3rd May stated that there were now in connexion with the parent society in Dublin 46 gratuitous superintendents of districts; 45 inspectors, who periodically examined the pupils; 767 schoolmasters or teachers; and 17,839 pupils, who had passed examination. The sum of 1,1007. had been remitted to the ladies' auxiliary in Dublin, for the payment of Irishspeaking scripture-readers, 110 of whom were now in full employment; and Irish missions had been commenced on a limited scale. The funds of the society, from all sources, amounted to 8,4287.; of which 1,5007. had been contributed by the committee of "The special fund for the spiritual exigencies of Ireland." With regard to the field of spiritual cultivation which is before the society, the portraiture may be used, given by the rev. H. Stowell, in the annual sermon preached for it on the 3rd of May: "It is true that the mass of the sons of Ireland are spiritual bondmen of the darkest system of error, superstition, and tyranny, that ever cursed our earth, or was ever gradually raised up by the subtlety of Satan working or men. And are not those to be pitied rather than to be abhorred, wept over rather than denounced for their wickedness? Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.' But are there not, on the other hand, in Ireland, specimens among its ministers and its bishops, its manly protestant peasantry, its Irish teachers, its scripture-readers, and hawkers-are there not specimens, in Ireland's cabins, in Ireland's mansions, and in Ireland's sanctuaries, of holy men, of a stature of holiness, simplicity of faith, fervour of devotion, and boldness in witnessing for Christas much of a martyr's spirit, and an apostle's staunchness for truth, as are to be found in Britain, or any other land on which the sun of heaven shines? Do not in an indiscriminating prejudice blend the precious with the vile, and the sons of Zion, which are as precious stones, and like fine gold, with the dross and the clay, and the ashes with which Rome has surrounded them. Be not guilty of such injustice. I deeply fear that some such feeling has caused 1,000l. deficiency in the income of this institution that I so dearly love, and am anxious that you should all love in the Lord. But it is not the conduct of Irishmen that is to blame it is the conduct of the Romish priesthood in Ireland, who are subject to a foreign prince, and who owe to him the allegiance which they ought to yield to their rightful sovereign. ... There is not within the borders of our favoured island a more touching and lovely sight than is sometimes witnessed there, when, upon the bog, or the mountain-side, with no ceiling but the blue heaven, and no seat but the green sward, you may behold a little flock of Irish Roman-catholic peasants, each with his spelling-book, or with a portion or the whole of a bible, with the simple peasant that is his Irish teacher, leading them step by step, from the broken cisterns of human invention, to the fountain of living waters. What a beautiful and touching sight! Not reading the word of God by the dark lantern of the church's interpretation and church's tradition, but in the broad sunshine of the only Sun that can lighten the soul unto salvation. Who shall say that thou sauds have not been added, by this instrumentality, to 'the holy seed,' who are among the safeguards of Ireland, to avert her impending doom? O, would you endeavour to increase the number, instead of fainting in the work, come forward with increased self-denial! Great occasions require great efforts: we should rise to the occasion-raise ourselves to the emergency!" RAGGED SCHOOLS. The bishop of St. David's, on taking the chair at the third annual meeting of the "Lamb and Flag Ragged Schools," on the 10th of May, advocated the claims of the destitute children of our land by the following irresistible argument: "Take a child whom you may find in our streets, in a state of the most squalid poverty and wretchedness; take him in his filth and rags, and what would you say if any one were to suggest the thought that that filthiness and those rags should preclude him from enjoying the benefit of a religious education? Why, you would immediately ask, ' Has not this child a mind, capable of receiving, retaining, and embodying thoughts and ideas-a mind possessed of intellectual faculties, equal to those of any of those more favoured individuals now present? Has this child less heart, capable of all humane, tender, noble, and generous affections? Is this countenance less stamped with the lineaments of the divine image? Has he not a soul, capable of either suffering or enjoying every thing that is threatened or promised in the word of God? Ay, more than eye hath seen, or ear hath heard, or hath entered into the heart of man to conceive. How, then, could we bear for a moment the thought that this child was to be excluded from the benefit of the cultivation of all these faculties and capacities, because he has had the misfortune of being very scantily clothed, and very imperfectly protected from the inclemency of the weather? We see at once that this leads us to a more comprehensive proposition-and that is a form in which I have always been in the habit of stating the case, and laying it down as a simple universal rule and maxim-that there exists not in this world the child who is not entitled to the benefit of a Christian education." JERUSALEM.--"During the course of the year 1847-1848 five adult Jews have been received by baptism into the church of Christ in this place, of whom one, a youth of seventeen years, had previously witnessed a good confession, during two months' imprisonment for Christ's sake, and has since departed this life. Since the year 1839, thirty-one adult Jews have been baptized at Jerusalem, and twenty-six children of the same people. It is a very small number indeed, compared with the multitude of Jews who perish in their unbelief and superstition. But, on the other hand, considered that one immortal soul' is of greater value than the whole world (Matt. xvi. 26), who dares to say, on the supposition that even a few of these proselytes are sincere believers in Christ, that success has been below the efforts and expenditure of the society and its missionaries? I confess (continues the bishop) that most of these converts are still weak, and have need of much care, watchfulness, and prayer on our part; but, on the other hand, I am bound to say, to the praise of the grace of God, that several of them walk worthy of their calling. Some have been called to labour as missionaries, or missionary agents, among their brethren in other countries (Egypt and Persia); and the blessing of God seems to accompany them. Of those who remain here, I must say that they work hard, and earn their livelihood by the sweat of their brows; and that, although deficient in many respects with regard to spiritual life, they endeavour to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (the bishop of Jerusalem to the Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews). H. S. MAY not some estimate be formed of the value or interest of any one's character by the love or aversion to that abstract self-communion which delights in retirement? there to summon thought from all the littleness, the turmoil, and vexation attendant on long intercourse with the world. It is most true that the great, the wise and the good-the philosopher, the poet, and the sage have hailed and courted the lonely hour; to turn inward from the cares, and distractions and contentions, abounding on the worn pathway of time. The inspired Shepherd-king, from the midst of malignant foes, passionately longed for the "wings of a dove," wherewith to "flee away, and be afar off, and at rest;" and the melancholy Prophet, who poured his lamentations over lost Israel, sighed for "a lodge of wayfaring men," and that "in the wilderness.' And-in all reverence be it said a greater far than these the divine Saviour himself-frequently retired apart from his disciples, and "hid himself," or became invisible to the multitude. The heart loves to commune in its hermit-cell; to quietly survey the world from its lone citadel; to scan its own doings; to "nurse the tender thought to reason, and on reason build resolve;" sternly taxing its own progress towards weal or woe. It there weighs, in a just balance, the corroding cares, the earth-bound anxieties and schemes, which have retarded the soul in its upward way; the din of the crowd has gone by, and "the still small voice" is heard. It is surely pitiable to dread solitude, as a spectre, and fly to restless projects and vain ambition as a refuge from the silence which calls "thought home." The love of solitude dwells ever with the sensitive, the feeling, and the reflective; not the solitude of the misanthrope, or deluded visionary, wearing out life in self-imposed austerities, but the sustaining power, which "to itself a kingdom is." This faculty is consistent with the most active fulfilment of life's important duties and claims; for "the mind is its own place," and in the din of "dusky lane, or wrangling mart," the "melodies of the everlasting chime" may still remain as a blessed and distinct part of that being, who by hard circumstances may be a burdened and continual denizen in the most work-day existence. But solitude must, in its own nature, invite and carry thought to the contemplation of our real life, apart from material objects; to inquire the true end of being; to cultivate that better part which will survive the "wreck of matter, and the crush of worlds;" the indestructible eternal spark, so often dimmed and ruffled in its clear deeps by the storms and shadows of time. A voice wanders through the quiet shades, which finds an answering chord in our own unfathomed souls, arresting our onward course with memories of the past, and forebodings of the future. The wind among "melancholy boughs" seems ever to com plain over the fleeting dreams and shadows which have all in turn absorbed us. Nature, the gentle mother, welcomes the traveller all a-weary of the cares, the heavy frame-work of life, to her calm breast, and "drops from brooding wings the dews reviving all," soothing the vexed spirit and the jarred ear with her own sweet music. Scanning the world from this retreat, the heart melts in love and sympathy with our common humanity. Calmly viewing the sources of error, the sting seems taken from all sense of individual injury: we have looked up to nature's God, and the divine principle of love and universal charity is thereby enlarged and elevated. We view our fellowpilgrims as a vast multitude, warring, each in a different sphere, with the storms and varied trials of the world; and thus, apart from the beaten highway, we can only pity, and love, and forgive. The sound of "leaves and fuming rills" acts as a soporific on the passions of envy, hate, and contention: we have turned from the soiled and torn page of this life's hard doings, to be soothed by the fair hues and blessed influences of the earth, as it was ere sin blighted its loveliness. glorious arch of tenderest blue, these floating clouds, these airs of balm, wafting the unregarded odours of wild flowers, the heaven-taught choristers on every bough-all, all conspire to deepen the conviction that we live, move, and have our mysterious being in one Almighty, ever-present, all-sustaining power; and the spirit, in humblest praise and adoration, finds the rest promised to the weary, in trust and hope, unbounded and unspeakable. "God made the country;" and there the divine Architect has for ever left a witness in the soul-elevating influences above, about, and around us calling the mind from all other themes, as empty and vain, to the grateful contemplation of his all-pervading goodness and mercy. THE KEEPING OF THE HEART*. 66 This How are we to keep this heart of ours? With all diligence: there are volumes in the expression. Alas! how few do so! how very few really make the keeping of the heart a matter of first-rate moment, a duty of constant carefulness! "Watch and pray," says the Saviour, lest ye enter into temptation: " knowing how easily our hearts are deceived and corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ, how soon they fall into snares, and are captivated by the wiles of the devil, we should view temptation as dangerous, and watch and pray that God would not lead us into temptation. Here are the two great safeguards of the Christian's heart; a spirit of watchfulness, a spirit of prayer. We should watch the first rising of evil in our hearts, the first swelling wave of passion, envy, uncharitableness, unbelief. We should check the first tendency to idolatrous attachment to earthly objects. We should fasten our affections on things above, not on things on the earth. We should guard against the deceitfulness of our heart by never trusting it. We * From "Heart Religion, a short Exposition of Proverbs iv. 23. By the rev. Edward Dalton, rector of Tramore. London: Dalton, 1848. should watch against a spirit of self-righteousness | -keep our hearts humbled at the foot of the cross. We should watch with a vigilant eye each inlet to the heart, each avenue through which corruption may pass to the citadel of the soul. Guard against error in doctrine, for that will corrupt the heart, and lead to error in practice: guard against evil society and corrupt literature. Take heed what we hear, and what we read, and what we permit our heart to dwell upon, feed upon, and digest. The lust of the eye and the ear may bewitch and pollute the heart, and these must be vigilantly watched and guarded against with unslumbering care. We should guard against the least coldness towards our Saviour, seek to be ever warm in love and ardent in zeal towards him; keep our heart close to the heart of Christ; seek to dwell in the very bosom of our God; pray ever that his love may be shed abroad plentifully in our heart, and that we may enlarge our heart daily to drink in the copious streams of his grace. We should preserve our heart soft and tender by a daily and constant application to the blood of the atoning Lamb; maintain a holy abhorrence of sin by a perpetual remembrance of the sacrificial agonies of our incarnate God. We should pray that God himself may be a wall of fire round the citadel of our soul, the stronger than the strong man armed, keeping his own palace and throne from the polluting touch of the usurper. We should pray that we may always triumph through redeeming love, and find the joy of our Lord to be indeed our strength. We should pray for great fixedness of heart, that it may kept unruffled, unmoved, quietly stayed upon him. We should pray that he himself may guard the avenues of the heart, and that his peace, which passeth all understanding, may keep it ever as a garrison of omnipotent strength. We should pray that Satan may never enter into our heart, as he did the heart of Judas, never fill our heart as he did the hearts of Ananias and Sapphira, but that the Holy Ghost may take up his abode in it, and fill it with all the fulness of his grace. We should seek to bind our heart to the Rock of Ages by all its fibres, and, while we distrust it, and mourn over its deceitfulness and unfaithfulness, say Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love, To have our heart in heaven is heaven begun; to have the heart filled with the love of Christ is to have no room for the love of the world; to have the heart dwelling in the ocean of divine love is the only way to prevent the tinder of its corrupt lusts taking fire from the fiery darts of Satan; to keep the heart lodged in the bosom of the great Physician of souls is effectually to secure it from the contagion and pestilence of sin; to keep it feasting by faith on God's exceeding great and precious promises is the scripture mode of escaping from the corruption that is in the world through lust*; to keep the heart constantly close to the warm beams of the Sun of Righteousness is the only way to prevent its * 2 Pet. i. 4. petrifying and freezing; to keep it in the perpetual enjoyment of the full assurance of faith unto the end is to keep it in perfect safety. "Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me." Such was the direction of our gracious Saviour. "He shall not be afraid of evil tidings, his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord," is the description of the happy saint.* But "an evil heart of unbelief" is of all things to be dreaded. It produces backsliding; and the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways." "The Lord knoweth the secrets of the heart," and "the Lord is nigh them that are of a broken heart," while "every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;" "a proud heart is sin." "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." THE FIRST MISSION TO THE JEWS IN MODERN TIMES+. (From a Correspondent.) ESDRAS Edzardi, a student in divinity, who was born at Hamburgh in the year 1629, continued to reside in his native town after he had completed his studies. He declined to accept any public employment, being desirous to live an unfettered life, and devote himself to the training of the rising generation. He was well versed in Hebrew and rabbinical literature, and acquired so much repute by his scholarship, that many visited him for the purpose of profiting by his instructions. His extensive acquaintance with all that concerned the sons of Abraham occasioned him to have much intercourse with the large community of Jews who were settled in Hamburgh; and he sought to spread the knowledge of Christian verities among them. He did not remain without a blessing on his labour of love, but was the instrument of converting some of them to the faith of the Messiah. Thus encouraged, he resolved to institute a fund for the purpose of "promoting the conversion of the Jews." The first contribution towards it was two hundred dollars out of his own purse, on the 9th October, 1667. To this he was enabled to add liberal benefactions from his relatives, patrons, and friends; and they gradually rose to so considerable an amount, as to place him in a situation not only to provide sustenance for the Jews who were under instruction, but to render valuable assistance to such of them as were afterwards baptized into the church of Christ. Edzardi, in conjunction with a beloved friend, Anckelmann, the professor of eastern languages in the Hamburgh Gymnasium, continued to devote himself zealously to this work to the day of his death, which happened in the year 1702. Many who were "far off" had been brought "near" to Jesus through his faithfulness. Upon his decease the management of the fund, as well as the work of the mission, was undertaken by his two sons, both of whom were professors at the Hamburgh * Psa. cxii. 7. + Brauer's "Missions of the Church of Christ." Hamburgh. 1848. |