burns, nor shall all the blasts of the wicked one extinguish it. Now, it is to fan up this tremulous fire into a bright aud heavenly flame among all who name the name of Jesus, that all our efforts should be directed. For the consummation of this glorious object our daily prayers should ascend to God, seeing that this is the very thing that will make all the disciples of Jesus one whenever it takes place. Yes, my brethren, we who hold the same grand truths of the gospel must learn to feel and act as brethren, and to love all who hold the same truth, and love the Lord Jesus in spirit and in truth, or we have no scriptural evidence of ourselves being his disciples; without this experience, this frame of mind, we have no safe evidence that we ourselves have "passed from death unto life." (1 John iii. 14.) But, my brethren, we never can thus feel and act towards the ministering servants of the Lord Jesus who belong to nonepiscopal branches of the universal church; we never can enter into this hallowed unity of spirit, into this experimental heavenly bond of peace, so long as we cling to the delusive intoxicating doctrine of apostolic succession and exclusive divine right of episcopacy. Oh, bear with me a little while: I do not ask you to surrender one iota of the clearly revealed truth of God, nor do I ask you to become non-conformists of any name or order; but I do most earnestly implore you, as you value the truths and righteousness of heaven-as you value the gospel of peace and love on earth—as you value the real glory and Christian character of the Established Church-by all these I do implore you to give up this high-minded untenable doctrine; and to esteem every educated ordained evangelical ministering servant of the Lord as a brother in Christ Jesus, a fellow labourer in the great vineyard of the world. I beseech you not only to feel willing that the pleasure of the Lord may prosper in their hands, but that you stand ready to give glory to the God of all grace, whenever and wherever you behold that grace displayed through such instrumentality. Oh, were it possible for redeemed and glorified spirits to weep in heaven, many a tear would ere now have been shed by episcopalians and non-episcopalians on the recollection of those unworthy feelings they once cherished towards each other when dwellers on earth. But in heaven they weep not--they are of one mind; being all absorbed in the love and adoration of their common Lord and Saviour, and in the experience of unutterable and undying affection for each other. In that blessed world there are no partition walls, no artificial distinctions, no jealousies or strife, unless it be the strife of love. And is not that the very heaven we ourselves are looking forward to? and do we not feel assured that all those will meet and hail us as brethren who, on earth, "worshipped God in the spirit, rejoiced in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh ?"-Danger and Duty, by the Rev. Richard Marks. It is almost needless to add, that these writers, by conceding the nullity of apostolical succession, virtually concede that of every thing connected with it: episcopacy, ordinations, ministry, churches, altars, sacraments, &c. &c. The whole fabric, not only falls together, but is overthrown by their own hands. ON TIME. -Vivendi recte qui prorogat horam, He who a virtuous life delays, Thinking to see its current cease, I. See where, along th' extensive meads, II. So Time, from undiminish'd stores, While here, O mortal! to remain, A wanderer on life's destin'd plain, Let this employ thy serious thought: Our moments were not giv'n for nought. Time still continues rolling on, Hor.. Await not Time; but, as it flies, Each valu'd instant learn to prize. R. R. Printed by W. C. POLLARD, North-Street, Exeter ; And published by LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, & LONGMANS, Paternoster Row, London; NETTLETON, Plymouth; and COCKRAM, Torquay. Price 4d. In the first number of this publication, reference has been made to the Diagram with the explanation of it, which was published in 1840. Some have objected to this mode of dealing with the Scriptures, while by others it has been deemed a plan for rendering the meaning of the writer very intelligible. To such as are desirous of mystifying the Scriptures, perhaps it is objectionable; because, by a plan of this kind, it is not so much to deal with certain or particular passages of Scripture, as it is with the various states, dispensations, or constitutions of God, in which he was pleased to deal with and manifest himself to his people under each covenant, I mean the law and the gospel;—and indeed, if the thing be carefully examined, we shall clearly perceive, throughout the order of the divine economy, that all may be formed and explained by diagrams shewing the distinction of the divine constitutions. I will allude to a few of them, which stand prominently revealed in God's word, beginning with the Creation itself. Here we perceive the order of God, in its first formation, by reducing it from its chaotic state to its present form. It is done in six successive days, and the work of each day is perfect and complete in itself. The operation of one day does not interfere with that of another; but all are kept separate and distinct from each other. When the six days work was done and the Creation finished, it was followed by the sabbath or rest and the sabbath or rest of the creation was a time of cessation from the work in its formation; which rest was only a typical rest, the antitype being a rest in the Lord Jesus Christ, which was to remain for the people of God. Here is at once a diagram presented to our view, the order of God in the natural creation occupying seven days, or distinct divisions. Again, we find, in reference to God's dealing with the people of Israel under the Mosaic economy, when the people of Israel were carried into Egypt, and when Moses was sent to deliver them from Egyptian bondage and Aaron accompanied him as his Prophet, the seed of Abraham had been promised an inheritance in the land of Canaan: here again we are presented with a diagram, containing the order of God in accomplishing his purpose with regard to the nation and people of Israel. 1st. The redemption from Egypt. 2d. The journey through the wilderness. 3d. The possession of the land in inheritance. This was typical, and we have the same order in the gospel covenant. 1st. The redemption from spiritual Egypt, or the bondage of the law. The journey through the trials of the gospel dispensation, or apostolic state. 2d. 3d. The land or inheritance obtained and manifested at the second advent of Christ. Then we have a second lot of types in reference to the kingdom state. 1st. The kingdom or the house of Saul. 2d. The kingdom or the house of David. 3d. The temple of Solomon, for the record of God's name, to move no more. So, in the antitypical or new covenant state, there is 1st. 2d. The opposing house of Saul (or the Jews,) under Christ's ministry. 3d. The opening of the temple, at the sounding of the last trumpet, Then again we have Diagrams framed to our hands of the order of God, at the time the people of Israel were about to encompass the city Jericho. The men of war were to encompass the city six days; seven priests, with seven trumpets of ram's horns, were to blow with the trumpets; and go round once on each day. This was to be done six successive days. On the seventh day, they were to encompass the city seven times, blowing each time with the trumpets: but when the seventh or last trumpet sounded on the seventh day, the people were commanded to SHOUT; and so it was, that, at the last trumpet, the people shouted, and the walls of the city fell; and the people of Israel went up, and took the city. See Joshua, chap. vi In the Revelation of St. John, we have seven seals to be opened; and the antitype of the trumpets at the fall of the walls of Jericho, in the seven trumpets and the seven vials. The first six trumpets sound in succession, and the events under each distinct trumpet are fulfilled. But, between the sixth and seventh trumpets, we have the seven vials; so that all the vials containing the seven last plagues are poured out between the sixth and seventh trumpet, which answers to the type of encompassing the city Jericho seven times on the last day. When the seventh phial is poured out, the great voice (of Christ) proclaims from the temple IT IS DONE; the seventh seal is then opened, and the silence or pause in the heavenly administration takes place, which is expressed by the silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. After this short pause, the seventh and last trumpet sounds; (1 Cor. xv. 52,-Rev. xi. 15,—1 Thess. iv. 16, 17,) the glorious victory is proclaimed; the temple state is opened, and the mystery of God finished, as he had declared to his servants the prophets. Rev. x. 7. Diagrams then shewing the order of God, may, I think be very profitably resorted to; because it is a mode which presents itself to two senses instead of one. In all public lectures, without any plan to catch the eye, it only addresses itself to the ear; but, in this mode of dealing, it addresses itself to the eye as well as to the ear; and, seeing that the Bible so abounds in diagrams shewing the order of God's dealing, it certainly cannot be unprofitable or improper to make the best use we can of them, by way of conveying to others what we understand ourselves. It is also a mode for objectors to deal with, by shewing what they may consider as erroneous. Having then briefly stated my views on this subject, I think it may not be amiss for me to commence in the Biblical Inquirer with the Diagram which I published in 1840; as it will give to the readers of this new periodical some idea of the mode which may be usefully adopted in the elucidation of many subjects; and also shew that it is absolutely necessary, in studying scripture testimony, to preserve that order, or proper division in the word of truth, which has been so particularly adhered to by its divine author. I shall not now more fully enlarge; but present the readers of the Biblical Inquirer with the Diagram alluded to, commencing from Adam and extending to the final advent of Christ, at the time of the fall of Jerusalem. This will appear in two letters: the first |
