It shall never go out," Lev. vi. 13. : “IT SHALL never go out."-The light of salvation as secured by the harmonizing of every divine attribute shall never go out. There shall be no end to His saving power-“Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation." We read in the preceding verse, "It shall not be put out." The light of salvation shall never be put out; it shall shall shine with one perpetual blaze of unclouded glory-" The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. The Lord shall be thy everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended." Isa. lx. 19, 20. "It shall never go out" some make this perpetual fire an emblem of the love of Christ to His people, which never can be quenched-“Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it:" the " 66 many waters" of afflictions-the many waters" of tribulations-the "many waters" of persecutions-the "many waters" of temptations could not quench His love; neither could "floods" of sin-"floods" of sorrow-"floods" of suffering— "floods" of wrath drown it. The love of Christ to His people can never be quenched by the many waters of their sins and iniquities; nor by the sufferings He underwent to atone for them. Again, they make it an emblem of the Church's love to Christ, which cannot be quenched by afflictions from God, by persecutions from men, by temptations from Satan. Again, they make it an emblem of the Word of God, compared to fire for its light and heat, and which, like the fire on the altar, continues, notwithstanding the attempts of men and devils to get it out of the world; and, though the ministers of it die, that lives and will burn most brightly in the end of the world. But I shall look at this fire as a type of the Spirit of God: two things were necessary to make the sacrifice acceptable the altar and the fire from heaven (1 Kings xviii.)—and two things are necessary to make our spiritual sacrifices acceptable, viz., the work of the Spirit and the work of Christ; our sacrifices must be placed upon the altar (Christ), baptized in fire (in the fiery baptism of the Spirit). The fire upon the altar came down from heaven: and the Spirit of God came down from heaven and rested upon Christ. Matt. iii. 16. The victim touched the fire before it touched the altar: we must know the Spirit's work before we can know and rest upon the work of Christ. The fire carried up the sacrifice; hence the Hebrew for burnt-offering signifies ascension, because the sacrifices ascended from the fire in smoke towards heaven: so all our spiritual sacrifices that are connected with the Spirit and with Christ are ascension sacrifices; they ascend to God acceptably by Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost is compared to fire both in the Old and also in the New Testaments (Isa. iv. 4, Acts ii. 3, Rev. iv. 5, Matt. iii. 11). "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." The victims-the fire offerings were baptized in fire-Jesus baptized "with the Holy Ghost and with fire," and this baptismal fire baptizeth into the knowledge of God-into the love of God-into the mercy of God—into the blood of Christ-into the life of Christ-into the grace of Christ; and those who are thus baptized will baptize their spiritual sacrifices in the fire in the Holy Ghost. Hear them pray, they dip their prayers in spiritual influence; hear them sing, they dip their song into the praises of the Spirit; and as they pray in the Spirit, so they sing in the Spirit. The unquenchable nature of this fire will signify that His graces are undying graces: the light of life in the soul may sometimes be obscured, but the life is there: the fire of faith may burn but dimly, but the faith is there: the spark of hope may almost expire, but the spark is there" The fire shall never go out." The Spirit will never forsake the work of His own hands. When we think the fire is gone out, He rakes out the ashes, blows (with his breath) upon the dying embers and makes the fire blaze again, and how warm and comfortable we feel! Ay, we want Him to fan the sacred fire from day to day. Yes, and He will fan it, and "it shall never go out." Seeing,- Seeking,—Entering. BY E. J. SILVERTON, OF TRINITY BAPTIST CHAPEL, BOROUGH. they are blind from their birth; They have eyes, but they see not; glory of Christ admired; but they ALL Adam's family are born blind; they are all blind, and all alike blind. sin is not beheld by them, nor is the think they see, and fancy they are finding their way to the city gates of eternal rest. We are told by the Head of the Church that the eyes which see are blessed eyes. That young man (who was blind from his birth) to whom Christ gave sight, was not more blind in a natural sense than man is in a spiritual sense. Blind, blind, blind, all are blind. Now the same Person who opened the eyes of the head, opens for poor sinners the eyes of the soul. Christ, by the Holy Spirit, gives sight to the blind in sin, and makes those who sit in darkness to behold a great Light. He gives them to see what they never saw before: they now see that they are as black as the iron gates of hell; they now see that they are as evil as Satan; they now see that they are going the wrong road; they now see that they are offenders against the holy and all-wise God; they now see that they must be born again; they now see that they need washing in the cleansing blood of the Lord Jesus; they now see that they must be for ever lost if mercy is not granted; they now see the only thing to be done is to cry to God: so they see Jesus, whom to see by faith is everlasting life. Thus, the good Lord leads us to see, Blessed are the eyes which see. Those who thus SEE are led to seek, and Christ cheers them at the starting post with the, all who seek shall find, all the seekers are finders. No man ever saw Christ who did not SEEK Christ. All who see Him, seek Him; they seek heaven for Jesus' sake; they seek because they were sought; they seek for mercy-they seek for pardon; they seek to be what God would have them be; they seek hearing the gospel; they seek reading the word of the Lord; they seek in earnest prayer; they seek the Saviour that He may put away their sins from their hearts and from their minds: so we say most who see Christ seek Christ-seeing, seeking, entering. All who see the kingdom of the Lord Jesus seek it, and all who seek it enter it: there's a looking to it, a coming to it, and an entering into it. It is like coming to mercy's door; we walk to it, we knock at it, and we enter by it." He hath never said to the seeking seed of Jacob, seek ye my face" in vain. The seers and seekers all enter the family of Jehovah. They all come and stand before the Lord, every one in Zion appeareth before God. When they have been seeking long enough, Christ comes to them and says, "Come in, ye blessed of the Lord." Some are seeing, some are seeking, and some are entering, even now. The Request of Jesus. "My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways."-Poverbs xxiii. 26. IT is more than probable that many who will read these lines can truthfully adopt the above beautiful hymn, as expressive of the deep yearnings of their souls. And it may be with some, that they have a clear and distinct remembrance of the time and spot when first they felt "the love of Christ "in their souls. O what ravishing scenes and wonders presented themselves to view, as they gazed upon IMMANUEL's lovely form, "while hanging on the accursed tree." Their thoughts were completely transported to the upper world, where Jesus reigns in all the splendour of His triumphs, and in the ineffable majesty of His mediatorial glory; and their affections were so entranced by the riches of His grace that they could do but little more than wonder and adore. This was "the day of the gladness of their hearts," and in the exercise of that heaven kindled joy, they vowed unto the Lord, that they would serve Him alone all the days of their life. Their faith and love wrought mightily in them, and nothing short of entire consecration to the Lord and His service could they for a moment tolerate. Their language was, "LORD, Thou wilt ordain peace for us: for Thou also hast wrought all our works in us. O LORD our God, other lords besides Thee have had dominion over us: but by Thee only will we make mention of Thy Name.”—Isaiah xxvi. 12, 13. In their estimation, there remained but one great and constant endeavour, to enjoy Christ, not once dreaming that they were to witness for Him and His Truth. And in their simplicity they thought thus to reach the throne. Oh! dear reader, have you not heard the voice of Jesus speaking thus to YOU?—“ let thine eyes observe MY WAYS." Jesus both loved and OBEYED His Father in all things. And hence it was that Jesus Himself was BAPTISED, "leaving us an example, that we should follow in His steps." An open profession of your faith in the bleeding Lamb of God, by being baptised in His name, is the beginning of those delightful privileges which we enjoy in the public and private "communion of saints." Moreover, until you have submitted yourself to this ordinance of the Lord, you cannot properly and Scripturally observe the Lord's Supper, commemorative of His "broken body" and "bleeding love" for you. For it cannot be that you can consistently set forth your resurrection with Christ until you have been "buried with Him by baptism unto death." The New Testament does not furnish a single example of any unbaptised person joining the Church of Christ, or of partaking of the Lord's Supper; and where the Scriptures are silent it is wicked for us to presume, "For whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Again, “For I (even JESUS) testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall ADD unto these things, God shall ADD unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall TAKE AWAY from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” We will venture to affirm that if you have experienced the joy of pardoning mercy in your soul, and know the mind of the Lord, in the matter of believer's baptism, you cannot refuse submission to this expressive and divinely appointed ordinance, without imperiling your peace of mind and spirituality, and stunting your growth in grace. It cannot be that you enjoy the full light of His countenance so long as you refuse to take up the cross of His appointment. The ground and condition of communion with Jesus is so clearly expressed that he "who runs may read ;"—" If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love: even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love.”—John xv. 10. Read also the whole 14th chapter, and especially observe the 21st and 23rd verses. Dear reader, enter the garden of Gethsemane, and as you there behold that lovely, sacred form prostrate on the ground, covered with bloody sweat, ask yourself solemnly if greater proof can be given of God's estimate of loving obedience. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken that the fat of rams." What think ye? 66 66 Our Appii Forum. "HE THANKED GOD, AND TOOK COURAGE." "Stand up my soul-shake off thy fears, And gird the Gospel armour on; March to the gates of endless joy Where thy great Captain Saviour's gone." AFTER our meeting on behalf of the Tabernacle for Bethnal Green, the words written by Luke respecting Paul at Appii Forum, continued to run in my mind. Luke (in Acts xxviii.) speaking of their journey towards Rome, says-" And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days. And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Rhyuria; and after one day, the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli, where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days and so we went toward Rome. And from thence, when Ꮓ the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum, and the Three Taverns. Whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage." Thus it has been with me. The word of the Lord—the people who believe in Him-and His approving blessing being manifested, I have taken courage: and have a patient persuasion that the glory of God will be revealed in the work we have in hand. According to announcement, three special services on behalf of the Bethnal Green Tabernacle and schools were holden on Monday, Oct. 8th, 1866. For the information of those friends who have helped me on, and who have encouraged the hands of our committee, I will simply and honestly write down a few words respecting those things which helped to strengthen my faith in the hope that the work is of the Lord, "unworthy though I be" of such a favour. On the evening previous to the Lord's-day, Oct. 7th, the day before the meeting, while I was silently seeking instruction from on high, these words did solemnly spring up in my mind: "In the name of our God will we set up our banners;" which was my text on the Sunday morning. I particularly enjoyed the whole verse (Psalm xx. 5), "We will rejoice in thy salvation: and in the name of our God will we set up our banners: the Lord fulfil all thy petitions." I have a note or two of this discourse; and purpose to give it somehow another day. In the evening of that day, I was greatly helped in my soul to preach from those precious words in Isaiah liv. 7, 8. "For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord, thy Redeemer." Oh, how suited did those words to me appear! And how great the promises therein contained. Although continuing in the ministry, and in labours perpetual and arduous, yet how has my soul felt the need of a new baptism of 'the Spirit's holy power! If not exactly in the very words, yet in substance, my soul hath sighed, "Nearer, my God, to Thee! Nearer to Thee! E'en though it be a Cross, Indeed, for several years the darkest clouds have—at times, cast a man tle all over my soul; and inwardly with the Church I have said—“ Oh, that He would kiss me with the kisses of His mouth ;" and let me fearlessly and feelingly say-again, "He hath brought me into the banqueting house; and His banner over me is love!" It has not been so. Still, the bruised reed has not been broken; the smoking flax has not been quenched; the struggling whispers of grace found vent in those other words "Through life a wanderer, The sun gone down, Yet in my dreams I'd be Nearer my God, to Thee! |