THE APOSTLE'S RESOLVE. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.'-AcTs vi, 4. (Continued from page 151.) hope of the WE return to this interesting sub- Christ is the real The minister is to manifest the truth. (2 Cor. iv, 5.) He is to feed with knowledge and understanding. (Jer. iii. 15.) The office of the minister is to teach, to illumine, and enlighten in the mysteries of God, of which he is made a steward. (1 Cor. iv, 1, 2.) An unfaithful steward no one would esteem; and the faithful one would not cease to tell out the whole truth-the whole Word of Godso far as he is made acquainted with it; though, in doing so, he may be disesteemed my many. His delight is to declare the life-giving energies of the Gospel of Christ; his constant pleasure is to dwell not upon the rigours of the law, which killeth, but upon the riches of the redemption, which is by Jesus Christ alone. His delight is to dilate upon a risen Christ; to witness to all around that God hath raised up Jesus Christ (Acts ii, 32); to testify that a risen ост. He is (ministerially) to perfect the saints, and to edify the body of Christ. (Eph. iv, 11, 12.) He is to admonish. (1 Thess. ii. 12, 13.) To enter minutely into all these positions, would far exceed the space allotted for us, but we may briefly advert to them; and which we are constrained to do, as we feel the minister of God should be found in all these things, or rather, that his ministry should embrace or comprehend all of them. He is to speak of all things which become sound doctrine (Titus ii. 1); and, at the same time, he is to hold fast the form of sound words in faith, and live in Christ Jesus. (2 Tim. i, 13.) There is to be a happy blending of sound doctrine and sound words; the most estimable and important of subjects requires the most, yea, demands the most forcible, the fullest, the most felicitous modes of expression. Language 10 is poor in such a theme-the subject | human hand may bear it forth. wholly passes all knowledge and It is a light which none can put understanding; consequently it de-out, though manifested through mands the most apt, the most human agency. The tendency of chaste, the most comprehensive ex- the gospel ministry is to eject the pression words that cannot be darkness-to dissipate the gloom gainsayed, that cannot be con- which pervades over every sindemned. A subject so holy, so bound mind; it manumits the heavenly, demands the most chaste, sin-enslaved soul. Christianity is circumspect, and commanding utter- the development of true liberty, beances; and though Paul stated that cause it unshackles the thought, he came not with excellency of it unfetters the mind, it frees the speech,' he meant to convey that spirit, and gives liberty to think. his preaching was not a wordy It emancipates the soul; it is the preaching merely for no one only system proclaiming true liberty reading the Epistles of the great without libertinism-true freedom apostle, can fail to be convinced without licentiousness. It illumines that he not only preached the the understanding; it irradiates great salvation with excellency, the intelligence; it warms the but also with elegancy of diction and expression; he seemed to step over the grammatical line of demarcation, scorning its limits; coining expressions; soaring to the third heavens; speaking as with a seraph's tongue; soaring as on the wings of the wind; proclaiming the glorious salvation of his God, and demonstrating that there was a soul in the subject too big for language. With such a theme, need a minister be without a subject to study. heart, and sanctifies the soul; it imparts solid hope, sure expectation, and a certain inheritance with the saints in light, through Him who lighteth every man that cometh into the world; for he is the light, the truth, and the way of salvation. The office of the minister is to manifest the truth—to make visible, clear, and plain to the inquiring and seeking soul. To manifest, is to make so plain, that the subject may be grasped as with the hand. Hence, Paul says, 'God hath in due times manifested the word The through preaching.' (Titus i, 3.) gospel is a torch which no human And, again: he requests an inpower can extinguish, though a terest in the prayers of the church, The office of the ministry is to enlighten it will illuminate wherever it is set up. 6 THE APOSTLE'S RESOLVE. that a door of utterance might be given him to speak the mystery of Christ, that (he says) I might make it manifest as I ought to speak.' (Col. iv, 4.) Again: it is declared that God was manifest in the flesh;' and John says, 'In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.' (1 John iv, 9.) This, then, is the glorious work of God's ministers, so to proclaim God as the God of all salvation, that the people may taste and handle. The hand of faith lays hold, as it were, upon the Deity through Jesus Christ, he being the manifesting medium. The preacher preaches the word, and the Christian, mixing faith with his hearing, lays hold, grasps, and apprehends the truth, and the word thus becomes manifest. To manifest, is to draw near. The telescope brings near-manifests to the vision : the gospel is the spiritual telescope, in which, by faith, we behold the glories of Immanuel and his salvation. We are made nigh, or near, by the blood of the Lamb: 'But now in Christ Jesus ye, who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ.' (Eph. ii. 13.) 'God is near to them who call upon him, and his salvation is near to them who fear him. (Psal. lxxxv, 219 9; cxlv, 10.) The noble work of the minister is to bring these matters near ministerially. His office is to feed the church with knowledge and understanding. This should be his constant aim, prayer, and effort: In the lips of him that hath understanding, wisdom is found.' (Prov. x, 13.) He is ministerially to lead the flock unto all truth; but this he will not be able to do, if he neglect the ministry that is in him. He must give attendance to reading, exhortation, and doctrine. (1 Tim. iv, 13.) He is to meditate wholly on these things; to give himself wholly to them, that his profiting may appear to all. For the people to grow, they must be fed; and that they may be fed, the pastor must study and pray-he must give himself wholly to prayer, and the ministry of the word, that the people may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus. Christ. This knowledge passes all other knowledge, because it is the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. iv, 6); and the savour of this knowledge is very great. (2 Cor. ii, 14.) May every minister of the gospel say, and say so with truth and fervour, savour of his knowledge by us in every place!' Thus it is evident that the apostles always took the savour of Jesus with them. May every minister do so likewise. 6 The minister's office is to perfect the saints, and edify the body of Christ. To perfect,' with mortals, is but a relative term; there is but One perfect-there is none perfect in essence, being, and action, but Jehovah. We have, however, the exhortation, Be ye perfect, even as your Father is perfect ' (Matt. v, 48); the meaning being, to do thoroughly, as perfectly, as completely as can be. But God's workmanship is perfect in its beauty, doings, and design-complete in all its parts— right in every feature. The minister cannot perfect essentially, that is God's work; but he does so ministerially, making known in his ministrations the perfection of Christ. Ye are perfect in Jesus, for in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily;' Ye are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.' (Col. ii, 9, 10.) The office of the minister is to carry out, instrumentally, the prayer of Christ, uttered so feelingly, so forcibly, and so encouragingly in John xvii. He addresses his Father: impartation of the glory of Christ that they may be one, even as we are. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me,'-the end being, that they may behold the glory of Christ. This, then, is the glorious work of the chosen servant of Christ, to manifest the completeness of Christ; the perfection of his salvation; the great love of the Father in him to his people; and the grand exaltation with the great Saviour, who was made perfect through suffering. The office is one of high honour. To be commissioned to make known the great salvation is no mean dignity. The office is to make known that Christ is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, sanctification and redemption (1 Cor. i, 30); so that none should glory in God's sight. The ministry makes nothing perfect, but proclaims that perfection which is through our glorious Head alone. Our perfection is derived from the perfect work and propitiation of Christ. Our sanctification is alone through Him who was set apart for that great work, by the will of the Triune God of Salvation: By the which will we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.' Sanctification flows through propitiation: For by | ministerially exhibit the riches of one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified' (Heb. x, 10); and there now remains no more, neither is there any other, remission for sin. Christ suffered that He might sanctify; He offered himself up, that He might perfect for ever His people. He was made perfect through suffering; and being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation. (Heb. v, 8, 9.) The office of the minister is to make known this glorious, suffering, perfecting Head of Salvation; to VI. the glory of the mystery of Godliness, hid for ages, which is Christ formed in the heart, the hope of glory; whom, says the apostle, 'we preach, warning every man, teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.' (1 Col. xxviii, 29.) The next paper upon this subject will be the concluding article, and we hope its length has not wearied the reader; and the subject being one of so many aspects, must be our apology. EDOUARD. Letters on the Atonement. BY THE LATE MR. JOB HUPTON, CLAXTON, NORFOLK. THE SUFFICIENCY OF THE ATONEMENT-continued. WE have here the Divine design | the hand of Divine Justice, and led in this great affair, clearly exemplified before our eyes, by the pen of Divine inspiration, with the sufficiency of the means employed to fulfil it. But the crowning evidence of the ample sufficiency of the work of our most gracious and adorable Lord, consisting of his obedience and sufferings, appears most conspicuously in his resurrection, ascension, and glorification. Standing steadily upon that serene delectable eminence, the plenary inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, with mind intent upon the Scriptures so inspired, I behold my Lord Immanuel, as the devoted surety or substitute of all-all whom his Father chose in him, and chose for him, and gave unto him to be his body, and his fulness, with solemn charge, that of all which he gave unto him, he should lose nothing, but raise it up at the last day; I see him arrested, and bound with the strong cords of the violated and dishonoured law, by like a lamb to the slaughter; and, by that mighty, vengeful, and unsparing hand, stricken, smitten, and finally cut off out of the land of the living. For the transgression of my people, saith the Lord,' was the stroke upon him. I see him fall a victim to the crimes of his people, and, as he falls, I hear him cry: It is finished.' Justice too hears; puts off the direful frown, assumes a placid and permanent smile; and from his hand, lets fall his deathful sword, well pleased, never to resume it to take vengeance more on Him who died; or one for whom he died. The work is done; the work of mighty vengeance, and of eternal love is done. Heaven is well pleased, and peace for eternity is made by the blood of the cross, for every soul for whom that blood was shed. And now, with grateful pleasure, I behold the hand which raised the sword, and smote, with nerve omnipotent, the man God's fellow; the |