what is to be its issue? Does it threaten the West as well as the East? Is Europe to be rent? Is India to be shaken? Is Asia to be convulsed? Is America to be drawn into the whirlpool? Let the cry of believing men go up to God concerning these things, that, if it be possible, the clouds may pass off, and the storm be averted, or at least delayed. God is calling on us to repent, yet we repent not. He has smitten us keenly, so that there are few families, specially in our upper circles, who have been left unstricken. Yet the heart of the nation is not turned towards Him. He has been warning us, by the changes of Ministry, the vacillation of statesmen, the unpatriotic rivalries of politicians, the self-seeking of parties, the disunion of leaders, to give up our confidence in man; yet still we seek not God as our prop and refuge; yet we have not humbled ourselves because of our sin in refusing to acknowledge His hand, and because of the dishonour which we have been casting upon His holy day. We have been full of pride, self-esteem, self-confidence, vain-glory, man-worship, idolatry of science and intellect-and specially of that wondrous organ of science and intellect, the Press. Nor have we, as a nation, seen our sin, and repented, to give God the glory. How solemnly do these things appeal to the Churches of Christ, and summon Christian men to their closets and their knees,-if so be a day of repentance and reformation may be granted to us, and a "lengthening of our tranquillity." Yet all is not evil nor darkness. Day has broken in the East, where it first arose. God is gathering there a harvest from fields long waste. Europe is in motion, for good as well as for evil. Austria has indeed sold herself into double slavery; Tuscany persecutes; Naples plays the madman; Rome still forges chains for soul and body. But the Word of God is not bound, nor His Spirit straitened. Spain receives the Bible-Spain, the region of inquisition, darkness, and cruelty; Piedmont receives it-Piedmont, the old persecutor of the saints; France gives it liberty; Italy welcomes it, though in silence and by stealth; Sweden revives under the heavenly rain; China, too, still preserves the open door; India gets larger blessing. Many a small and comparatively unknown spot of earth has of late been visited of God; and there are ministers of Christ in these islands who can tell that, in the midst of Satan's craft and the world's overflowing ungodliness, God has not left them to mourn over unblest toil and unanswered prayer. It is a day of faith,-not merely for its trial, but for its exercise. In an unbelieving world, God asks His Church to honour Him by her faith. it is a day, too, for prayer. God waits to be called upon, and he loves to bless. We have much to ask for ; let us not straiten our desires. "Our iniquities have indeed turned away" blessing; and our "sins have withholden good things from us." (Jer. v. 25.) Yet let us all the more earnestly and mightily lift up our voice to God in the name of the beloved Son. Specially is it a day in which we are made to feel our need of the Holy Spirit's power and grace. It is to his almightiness that we can alone look for the healing of our bitter waters,—the eure of our diseases,-and the plucking up those roots of evil that trouble us on every side. For the Church this Spirit is needed, that she may bring forth more abundantly the fruits of holiness, and love, and zeal. For the world this Spirit is needed, that wanderers may be laid hold of, and a people gathered in,a people prepared for the Lord. To meet and overcome the wiles and power of Satan, that Spirit is needed; for by no might of flesh and blood, no wisdom of man's intellect, no amount of human learning and science, can we overcome him who, though the "ruler of the darkness of this world," seems now disguised as an angel of light. For this Almighty Spirit, then, let us unite in pleading, so that the coming year may witness many a triumph of His grace, and many a victory over the Evil One. "We are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." (1 John v. 19.) Let us feel this, and plead the more fervently. The world's cry of distress waxes louder and bitterer. Let the Church hear it, and let her compassions be stirred. Let her zeal for the glory of her Lord be quickened. Let her longings for His coming and kingdom be deepened. Let her united supplication ascend. "Have respect unto thy covenant, for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty." (Ps. lxxiv. 20.) "Arise, O God, judge the earth; for thou shalt in herit all nations." (Ps. lxxxii. 8.) HORATIUS BONAR, D.D. BIBLE CHRISTIAN MAGAZINE. MARCH, 1856. DIVINITY. SPIRITUAL ADOPTION. "That we might receive the adoption of sons; and because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." Galatians iv. 5, 6. THE apostle Paul, in the above scripture, teaches the privilege of adoption into the family of God; by which we are made sons of God, and heirs of His eternal glory. Some persons have supposed that this idea was borrowed, or derived from a custom which prevailed among the Romans and Greeks, namely that of persons adopting children, for the purpose of perpetuating their names, and of handing them down with their property and estates to posterity. These parties having no children of their own, selected, or made choice of some belonging to other families, adopted them as their own, and, on being adopted, these children received the names of the parties adopting, and became heirs to all their possessions. This custom, however, does not furnish us with a correct parallel to scriptural adoption through virtue of the redemption of Christ : there are several points of dissimilarity between the two. Those parties among the Romans and Greeks who adopted children, did so, in order to prevent their names from sinking into oblivion, and their property from passing into the hands of one of another name. Now, God was under no necessity to adopt us into his family in order to preserve His name or possessions from passing away: for, if we were all this moment annihilated, His name and glory, His attributes and perfections, His riches and possessions would remain the same :-perfect, infinite, immutable, and eternal. Again, the children adopted by the Romans and Greeks, generally possessed some excellency, which led to their selection, either in personal appearance, disposition, or acquirements: but God could not see any thing in us, to render us attractive, or to recommend us to His notice and favour. We were rebels-vile, daring, wanton VOL. XXI. THIRD SERIES. H rebels, wretched and miserable; full of pollution and defilement. We had nothing amiable, good, or virtuous to attract and win His love; but every thing to render us despicable, loathsome, and repulsive in His sight. Here, then, we see the exuberant riches of the grace and mercy of Jehovah, in making provision for the adoption of rebels and outcasts into his family; and that, not for His own interests, or happiness, or honour; but purely for the interest, happiness, and glory of the persons adopted! "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God !" The apostle in speaking of adoption seems to have had before him simply the view that mankind were sinners, and under the curse of the law; that their sins had deprived them of their sonship, the favour of God, and their right to the heavenly inheritance but that, as Jesus, God's Son, had appeared in human nature, and suffered in that nature as man's substitute, the redemption price had been paid, the necessary equivalent, or valuable consideration had been offered and accepted, and therefore, mankind, through faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice, and mediatorial work, might now become reconciled to God, and that then their forfeited privileges would not only be restored to them, but greatly heightened through the paternal kindness and love of God. We may find a striking illustration of this idea in the jubilee of the Mosaic economy. When any of the Israelites had through poverty, or other causes, sold their family inheritance, or by some other means it had passed out of their hands, they had then to turn out, and beg, or engage themselves with their more wealthy neighbours and brethren; they had either to become outcasts, or to go and serve others: but when the year of jubilee arrived, they were fully restored to their original inheritance, and family possessions. Man, through sin, had lost his original inheritance, the favour, the image, the blessing of God, and also his title to heavenly glory, and had become a vagabond, an outcast, an alien; but thank God! the year of jubilee has come for us, and we may be fully restored to God's favour, image, and blessing here, and obtain a title to endless glory. We may become not merely servants, but sustain and enjoy a nearer and closer relation; we may become sons of God! See Isaiah lxi. 1—3. The apostle shows us, however, that our privilege is not mere adoption, and the adopted left in ignorance of the fact; but that the Spirit is also given to assure us of our adoption, and to afford evidence of our sonship. And this is the only way by which we can know our adoption. God does not send an angel to tell us of our adoption. No angel is worthy to bear such testimony; or if worthy, such testimony would not be for many reasons satisfactory. God therefore sends the Spirit of His Son to come and witness to our spirits that we are the adopted children of the Most High. And this Holy, blessed Spirit, is not sent merely to give us an evidence of adoption, and then leave us; but to take up his residence in our hearts: He abides within us not only to bear witness to our sonship, but to hallow our motives, purify our affections, sanctify our spirits, subdue and direct our wills; and thus bring and keep all our powers in harmony with the Divine mind, so that by His influence we have produced within us all the affections, dispositions, feelings, and tempers of children. The Spirit assures us of God's favour and love towards us, and begets, and matures within us love towards God. A consciousness that God loves us, tends to beget love in us for God. "We love him because he first loved us." Thus christians are embold. ened, by the indwelling Spirit to look up, and with child-like, filial, loving, grateful emotions, and confidence, cry, “Abba, Father!" God the Father is mine; I am in His family, His favour, His smiles; His arms of mercy surround and encompass me; the shield of His Providential care is thrown over me to avert from me all evil; His grace sustains and comforts me; and out of His boundless fulness my wants are fully, freely, and seasonably supplied! God the Son is mine, my Redeemer, my Kinsman, my Ransom, my Saviour, my Brother, my Friend! God the Spirit is mine;-my Sanctifier, my Comforter, my Light, my Guide! The christian thus has the whole Triune Jehovah as his portion. "The whole trinity descends into our faithful hearts," so that with joy unspeakable we can cry, "Abba, Father!" "Thou art my Lord, and my God!" 66 'God himself our Father is, G. THE WORK OF THE CHURCH.* "I know thy works.”—Rev. ii. 2. pre The addresses to the seven churches of Asia seem, at the sent time, to possess a peculiar solemnity. They come from the throne of heaven. Our glorified Redeemer is speaking to his people on earth. And is there not need that His voice should be heard by us, though its tones be those of warning and reproof? Are not we, as well as they, worthy of rebuke? Have we not forsaken our first love, and tolerated that which is evil? Are our works perfect before God? have we not become too like the Laodicean church-lukewarm in the service of Jesus? In the first ages of Christianity, notwithstanding the perseFrom Drummond's Stirling Tracts. cution of kings and magistrates, the depravity of a world lying in wickedness, and the weakness of her followers, the church of God advanced, with a giant's step, to the accomplishment of her great object-the conversion of the world to the faith of Christ. Why has she paused in her glorious career? Eighteen hundred years have passed away, yet that object is unaccomplished. While much has been done-and the Word of God has won many victories-there is not what might then have been expected. Conversion has become a comparatively rare work, and it may well be doubted if the increase of the churches of our land keeps pace with the increasing population. The masses are still comparatively untouched; the great majority is still on the side of the god of this world: even in our congregations how few are the real, earnest, and devoted servants of Jesus! Now the cause of all this must be found in the churches; for the Lord's arm is not shortened, neither is His ear heavy; and it becomes us, as in the sight of our great Master, to examine ourselves, to repent, and turn again to His service with all our hearts, lest the judgment which fell on the churches of Asia fall also on us. "I know thy works." Here Jesus asserts His omniscience; it is He "which searcheth the reins and hearts, and will give to every one according to his works." Two things will occupy our notice-The work of the church, and, The watchfulness of her Lord. I. THE WORK OF THE CHURCH. Our Lord has a special purpose in preserving the church in the world; and, however unfaithful, she is the light of the world, a city set upon a hill, that cannot be hid; and still she is charged with the glorious commission, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." We are How responsible and affecting is the position of the church in the world. Saints in a world of sinners! "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." by profession SAINTS, accepted in Jesus, regenerated by the Holy Ghost, partakers of a new and heavenly nature, "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that we should show forth the praises of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvellous light." What mean we by the Christian name, but that we have passed from death unto life; from the dominion of Satan to the glorious liberty of the children of God; that our hopes, our hearts, and our treasures are above; that, pilgrims on earth, we pass through the world, intent only on doing our Master's will, and animated in all our actions by His constraining love. But the world around us knows not God. While we are His servants, they cast off His yoke, saying, Who is the Lord that we should obey Him?—while we seek conformity to His image, |