that the fruits of redemption are his own; and higher still he looks, and learns why he was redeemed; that it was according to the purpose of God, who gave him a being in Christ his ever living head. So that while tracing the streams which comfort him, up to their glorious source, he greatly rejoices in what his redeeming Lord has done for him, and triumphs in what his Lord is to him, as the ground of his eternal security. Thus favoured, the happy believer finds a sweet employ in contemplating the person, the names, the offices, the characters, and the finished work of his Lord, and while viewing him in every form of Mediator excellence in which he condescends to present himself to the eye of faith, exclaims with the church of old, in holy rapture, "yea, he is altogether lovely: this is my beloved and this is my friend!" And as the loveliness of his Lord attracts and draws up his warmest affections, so the Almighty sufficiency of his Lord inspires him with unshaken confidence of safety, and a fiducial dependence for supply to all his necessities. In every name which the Lord bears, the believer reads his own security; and feels encouragement, from every endearing character his Lord sustains, to approach him with the familiarity of a friend, and the submission of a child. And now in the rich enjoyment of the blessings which flow into his mind, through the finished work of Christ, the soul feels most deeply and owns most humbly the debt of love he owes to the Lord God of salvation. The praises of Christ are his sweet employ. He delights in the law of the Lord after the inward man. He abhors even the appearance of evil, and desires to glorify God in his body and in his spirit which are God's. Constrained by the love of Christ he looks up for grace, to think, speak, and act, as becometh his high and holy calling; and longing for closer communion with him whom his soul loveth, anticipates the happy moment when he shall enter the heavenly Jerusalem, by the way which his Lord's finished work has consecrated for all his people: that sure outlet from all their troubles, and sure inlet to their eternal triumphs. Ramsgate. E. G. (For the Spiritual Magazine.) ON THE VALUE OF THE SOUL. NOTHING is of such importance as the soul of man; it is the most mysterious production of the divine author: and when its immortality is considered the soul must be acknowledged to be the master piece of all the wonderful works of God. Time will demolish the most elegant throne and crown of an earthly description, and even the universe itself. The earth, the sea, the skies, and the elements will be finally overthrown, but the soul of man is of infinite VOL. III.-No. 29. Q value, and must live when all other created existences expire. This rational divinity, is taught and believed in the confines of eternal misery; and though atheists and infidels scoff at the idea of a future state, yet, when they die they will become converts through necessity to a creed they have in this world treated with indignity and scorn; and unhappily learn from fire, brimstone and darkness, what they previously discredited, though attested by reason, conscience, and the word of God: it were better for them if they had never been born. The invaluable price paid for the redemption of God's elect people loudly proclaims the following things: the inestimable value of the soul; the infinite worth of the person of Christ, as being God and man in one person, blessed for evermore; the awful depths of misery into which sin has plunged the soul; and that the soul is not only fallen and depraved, but that sin has rendered deliverance from deserved punishment, by the sinner's own acts, promises, and exertions, for ever impossible: so that the salvation of the Lord's people is from first to last of sovereign, free, and discriminating grace; and, amidst the many delusions of the present day, the quickened family of heaven unite with Jonah to tell," Salvation is of the Lord." The desires of the soul are capacious, and this world is too circumscribed for their extensive range; and that man alone can be said to be blessed, who by the Spirit's sacred influence is enabled to love and reflect upon the wonders and glories of another world. I speak with all becoming respect of natural love and affection; the greatest ornament of the moral and intellectual world; but admitting the soul is borne on the pinions of earthly love through the extensive range of common and special friendship, and finds in its passage numerous objects strictly worthy of its benevolent regard, and embraces a specific one, as empress of the heart; what a chasm is still left behind! The mind is still found too elastic for the blessings of this life, and the endearing comforts of earthly friendship to fill; so that amidst all terrestrial scenes of affluence and prosperity, the heart has still numerous wishes ungranted, and various pleas unanswered: hence the sentiment deducible from the above statement is, that vanity and vexation of spirit compose the motto of all created good. But aware as I feel of the inadequacy of all created things to make a man of God happy, yet, I need the influences of God the Spirit to enable me to seek after and delight in the unfading realities of the world to come. Give me then, precious Jesus, a view of thy complete character, and let me behold thee as the chiefest among ten thousand. Be thou the centre towards which my affections may move the magnet of excellence by which I may be divinely attracted the sun by whose luminous rays the dark passage of tribulation may be lighted-and the ocean of bliss in which I may plunge by faith, and espy heavenly varieties to satisfy the quenchless ambition I feel. A prisoner on earth I live, in the dungeon of this world I am confined, and I would fain see thy glory with angelic eyes, and tell of the wonders of thy grace with a seraph's tongue! Here I have no home, no action, but what is polluted, and no thought but what is contaminated. Like the dove sent out of the ark, which found its passage useless, so many desires often rove in search of a restingplace; but I find there is none but in thee, the sum of all bliss and pleasure. From the hollow sound of fame I fly to thee; the field of reproach I quit and repair to thy cross; and withdraw from the embraces of flattery, and take up my abode in the fortress of immutable love. I lament the dreadful depravity of my nature; I groan on account of the wickedness of my own heart; I abhor myself in dust and ashes, and find my heart to be an epitome of the kingdom of darkness. O wretched man that I am! Guilt bars me from thy throne; unbelief saps my confidence; diffidence holds my sword in its scabbard; holiness causes me to blush, and I lie speechless. O blessed Spirit of truth unlock my fetters, silence my fears, cause my diffidence to expire, break the bars of guilt, and cut asunder the brazen gates of rebellion, sway the sceptre of peace in my bosom, and let me experience the joys of thy salvation. I have felt and tasted the pleasures of heaven, and long to be revisited and re-animated : come, thou south wind, and blow and waft my mind far from the regions of commotion and sorrow! UNKNOWN BUT WELL KNOWN. (For the Spiritual Magazine.) THE DUTY OF PARENTS TO INSTRUCT THEIR CHILDREN TO PRAY. Mr. Editor, As a parent I feel deeply interested in the query, inserted in your last Number, (p. 88.) from your correspondent William: it involves matter of considerable moment in immediate connection with the plain exhortation of scripture, bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. I am aware that on this subject a wide difference of opinion exists between individuals equally sound in the faith, and alike concerned for the glory of God and the welfare of their children; I do not, therefore, intend any observation of mine should be received as the language of decision, but rather to excite farther attention to the subject, from some of your friends better qualified for its discussion. While I deprecate the idea of putting language, which can alone be used sincerely by the regenerate, into the lips of persons destitute of the grace of God; I would ask, is it necessary in order to avoid this, that the children of christian parents should be instructed to live in the neglect of the least acknowledgment of their Creator, Preserver, and Benefactor? I know that no unregenerate person can perform one spiritual act: but are there no natural and moral acts obligatory upon creatures, as creatures? and may not prayer (I allude not to spiritual prayer) be considered as a moral duty, in which it becomes the creature to own his dependence upon the Creator? Ought I not to teach my child to thank God for the mercies of his providence, and to implore their continuance ? and may not this be done without "solemn mockery?" I should hope your correspondent, by the use of the family altar, gives his little one an opportunity of perceiving his own exercise of that privilege. When that little one in time shall ask, What mean ye by this service? what will be the reply of that parent who has never considered his child a proper subject for any act of divine worship? In the course of my own observation I have met with individuals whose scrupulosity has induced a line of conduct, consistent with your correspondent's hints: and certainly they have had woeful cause to rue the course they have pursued. If from plain matter of fact it could be made to appear, that the admission of your correspondent's principles has had no general influence upon the education of those thus trained, there would be more hope of my conversion! but knowing, as I do, that in most instances those who have been tremendously alarmed at the idea of making their children hypocrites, by teaching them to pray, &c. have not been very tenacious of the habits of their children in other respects, and that a deplorable indifference to their general deportment has in many cases ensued; I must be allowed to differ in practice from those who would agree with the hints of your enquirer, until some more cogent reasons can be adduced in its favour. Hoping the question will be treated with due moderation by any who may notice these remarks, Aug. 19, 1826. I remain, Sir, A CONSTANT READER. CHRIST'S TENDER REPROOF:-A SONNET. "What is that to thee? follow thou me."--John xxi. 22. When questions rise to oppose the trembling saint, When toil and sorrow cause the heart to faint, 'Tis pleasant, Oh! 'tis blissful to behold But run the way of thy commands with joy, ORIGINAL ESSAYS. XIX. ON FEAR. THE church of God is frequently informed, in the unerring oracles, that this holy affection of the new man of the heart is a covenant blessing, stored among the spiritual things in Christ, till the day of divine power arrives for communicating it to the objects of covenant love. It is a manifestation of sovereign and eternal favour which cannot be dispensed with in the divine means adopted for the salvation of sinners. One or other of the graces of the Holy Spirit may not appear in prominent characters in the life of the believer in Jesus, or, their exercise may be rarely discernible, even by a brother and companion in the faith; but this grace will not only be in the possession of all, but must necessarily exhibit its distinguishing nature and properties, or no just conclusion can be drawn of the state of any; and the distinction between the regenerate and unregenerate would cease for ever. The subject is pregnant with things of immense moment, which the spiritual mind, active in what concerns its eternal interest, cannot embrace without finding all its powers enchained in sweet contemplation of the grand source and origin. Boundless mercy in the person of the Father, who appointed and chose the church to eternal salvation; which in the person of the Son adopted the church by an ineffable union to himself; and which in the person of the Holy Ghost, by the washing of regeneration, brings the church to the knowledge of her high relationship; is the main spring, the fountain whence this and every other heavenly gift proceeds. And, blessed be the God of Israel, the covenant God of his people, the seeker after knowledge in the mysteries of the kingdom is not left to gather his information in dark sayings and vague inferences from the holy record; but the Sun of righteousness hath inscribed, in lines more brilliant than the unobstructed beams of the orb of day, all that is needful to be known on earth, and enough to excite the sublimest anticipations of his unlimited attainments in that state where we shall know even as we are known. The word is gone forth from the mouth of the Lord: “ I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.' Jer. xxxii. 40. The grace of which we write is denominated, Jehovah's fear. Amazing love! and how fruitful of instruction to every pupil in the school of Christ, from him who occupies the lowest form, to him who has attained the |