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INDEX TO THE SIGNATURES,

A. C., 388, 405. An Inquirer, 99. Anne, 295.

Anonymous, 32, 44, 68, 140, 149, 161, 196, 227, 236, 265, 275, 319, 373, 403.

Arrowsmith, 32.

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Inquirer, An, 99.
Jane Rusk, 29.
J. C., 24.

J. D., 193, 233.
J. H., 30, 166.
J. K.. 338.
J. L., 199.
J. L. C., 258.

J. M., 55.

J. Mc K., 115, 224, 351, 406. J. P., 136.

J. S., 131, 390.

J. W., 167, 230, 299, 313, 419.
Keyt, John, 341.

Luther, Martin, 249, 392.
M. A. E., 203.

McKenzie. John, 115, 224, 351, 406.

Marriner, N. 21, 312.

Newton, John, 158.
O., 193.

Owen, 356, 372, 422.
Ploughman (The), 191.
Polhil, Edward, 197.
R. H. J., 50, 127.
R. M., 89.
R. S., 126.

Rusk, Jane, 29.

Rusk, John, 105, 117, 213, 220,

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POETRY.

Mrs. Boone, 421.

One whose Feet have been in the

Stocks, &c., 355.

R. S., 104, 176.

THE

GOSPEL STANDARD.

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled."—Matt. v. 6.

"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.”—2 Tim. i. 9.

"The election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded."-Rom. xi. 7.

"If thou believest with. all thine heart, thou mayest.-And they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.-In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."-Acts vii. 37, 38; Matt. xxviii. 19.

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GOD, having from all eternity chosen a Church in the Son of his love, has designed and appointed that she should stand an everlasting monument of his distinguishing grace. He has laid, therefore, "in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation," that, being built upon this "Rock of Ages," she may stand firm and unmoved amid the storms of time. This, then, is her foundation-Christ Jesus the Lord.

But the Father of all mercies and the God of all grace has not only laid her foundation, he has also designed her edification; that she should not only be built on, but built up; that there should be a coping-stone as well as a corner-stone; that she might not only be rooted and grounded in Christ, but that the whole building, fitly framed together, might grow up unto a holy temple in the Lord. And as the Son of his love must in all things have the pre-eminence, as he is the Alpha and the Omega, the begin, ning and the end, the first and the last, he has delegated to him this mighty work; for "as the hands of this spiritual Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of the house, his hands also shall finish it;" and in due time "he will bring forth the head-stone thereof, with shoutings, Grace, grace! unto it."

But as the Lord, in grace as well as in nature, in the kingdom of

heaven as well as in the kingdom of providence, usually works by means, so in the work of building up the Church on her most holy faith he employs instruments—weak, indeed, and ineffective in/themselves, but mighty and powerful when wielded by his omnipotent arm. Of these instruments the chief is, his own inspired word applied by a divine power to the heart. From this mighty weapon all others borrow their efficiency. Sermons, hymns, religious books, spiritual conversation, godly letters-whatever man has preached, sung, read, or written-all derive their authority, their value, their profit from the Scriptures of truth. "The flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.

To be instruments, therefore, in building up the people of God, to profit and edify their souls-thus to be workers together with God in this holy and blessed employ, should certainly be the desire and object of every tongue that speaks, of every hand that writes

in the name of the Lord Jesus.

And are we thus honoured? Is this our privilege, to be "labourers together with God?" Admitting all its defects and short comings, is this still the honoured privilege of the Gospel Standard, to minister in any degree, however inconsiderable, to the spiritual profit of any, however few, of the Lord's people? How careful, then, should we be to admit nothing that may tend to mar-how desirous to insert every thing that may promote, the edification of the saints!

This, however we may come short, is our end and aim-the profit and edification of the people of God among whom our periodical may come. More than this we cannot want; less than

this we cannot desire.

On this ground, then, do we desire to meet our readers at the commencement of another year. On this topic shall we chiefly dwell in this, our annual Address; and as we feel desirous at these times to lay before our readers-though we hope they are sufficiently apparent-the motives which chiefly urge, the views which mainly guide, the feelings which principally influence us, in this our labour of love, we shall take this present opportunity of familiar converse, to explain what we mean by spiritual edification, and what means we feel bound to employ to promote it, as well as what we consider necessary to avoid as hindrances to its attainment. "Let all things be done unto edifying." "Not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they might be saved."

What, then, do we understand by the word " edification?" It means literally, a building up. Every thing, then, that builds up the soul-that enables it to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ-that communicates to it strength and power-that nurtures faith, hope, and love-that weans from sin and self, and brings it into closer union and communion with the Lord of life and glory—all that, in the hands of the Spirit, produces these gracious and blessed effects, may well be said to edify the church, to build up the temple of God. This mighty, this blessed and efficacious work, truth only can accomplish. And this not mere truth alone, not simple, naked truth as it stands in the word of God, but truth accompanied by a divine power. Firm is the temper, bright the blade, keen the edge of the sword of the Spirit; but it must be wielded by the Holy Ghost "in order to pierce even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and to be a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

If this be the case, it is evident that, as a general rule, no writings will edify the people of God but those that flow from the pens of gracious men. God, indeed, spoke by Balaam and Caiaphas; and we therefore know not how far he may still use the ministry of ungodly men. This, however, is the exception; the general rule must guide us.

This, then, furnishes us with our first rule-not to admit into our pages any thing but what is commended to our conscience as flowing from a gracious pen. If there be no grace in the heart of the writer, can we expect him to communicate grace to the heart of the reader?

But again: it is not every gracious man who can speak or write to the edification of the people of God. All Israel were not prophets, though Moses in the height of his zeal might wish them such, (Numb. xi. 29;) nor, though there are now abundance of tongues itching to speak, and of fingers itching to write, are all, or indeed many, of the Lord's spiritual Israel qualified, by mouth or pen, to edify the living family. "I sent them not, nor commanded them; therefore they shall not profit this people, saith the Lord." (Jer. xxiii. 32.)

This, then, is the foundation of our second rule-to admit only those pieces which, to the best of our judgment, have some savour and power resting on them.

However difficult their application, or however fallible may be

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