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of God.—
bitter agony of his heart, he cried
have mercy upon me, Oh, God, according to thy
loving kindness ; according to the multitude of thy
tender mercies blot out my transgressions! These
words may be found in Psalm li. 5, and in the 4th
verse he saw he had sinned against God only, and
he then clearly saw the justice of God in sending
sinners to hell. Yes, my brethren, every heaven
boru child testifies to the same thing; for while
passing from the power of darkness into God’s mar
velous light, which is being born again, they have
their eyes opened by the Holy Spirit, and then
they see their own wicked heart, how great an en
emy it is to God. Yes, they see no way of escape.
They are now exposed to the wrath of God, and
while in this dreadful state of feeling they not only
see, but they feel that God is just in their condem
nation. They find they are without God and with
out hop® in the world, and when they think the
hour of despair is fully come, the Great God reach
es forth his hand and snatches them as brands from
the eternal burning. Then they ars ready to give
God all the praise, for he has saved them, and that
with an everlasting salvation. They then see that
while they were enemies, Christ died for them ;
Col, ii. 14, .blotting Qtat_lhfl hand-wrifow nf.ordi
nances that was against them, and took it out of
the way, nailing it to his cross, which was contra
ry to them. The children saved by grace always
feel themselves w r eak and unworthy to be number
ed with the people who do so many good works.
They feel to trust in the Lord, who is their defence,
and the Holy O.ieof Israel their King, believing in
God’s holy promises which he has made with his
Son before the foundation of the world, as record
ed in the 89th Psalm 3rd verse, I have made a cov
enant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David
my servant; 4th verse, Thy seed will I establish
forever, and build up thy throne to all generations,
19th verse same chapter. Then thou speakest in
vision to thy Holy One, and said, I have laid help
upon one that is mighty, I have exalted one chosen
out of the people. I have found David my servant,
with my holy oil have I anointed him, with whom
my hand shall be established, mine arm also shall
strengthen him. Yea, the Lord works all things
after the counsel of his own will, and his children
rejoice and are glad, and are willing to suffer per
secution for the sake of their Lord, who is their de
fence, and the Holy One of Israel their king. And
many times their minds are carried beyond this
howling wilderness to a world of immortal glory
where they by faith behold their king bringing
their brethren and sisters from all nations of the
earth to sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
there to sing the great song of praises to the All
wise God their Savior, for the love wherewith he
loved and saved them. Dear brethren, have we
wKujTr
Fathers
kingdom. No man
from us, neither can any harm Us in
the Spirit, for our life is not in ourselves, but is hid
with Christ in God. It is both sure and steadfast.
Brethren, God’s dear children do not trust them
selves ; they dare not, for they by nature are as
wicked as all other mon.
Their trust is in God who takes care of them. —
Their prayer is Lord save or I perish, and when
they feel the rays of light of God’s countenance
shining in their heaits they feel to say with the
Psalmist, for the Lord is our defence, and the Holy
One of Israel our king. My dear brethren in the
Lord, fear not the reproach of man though you
may be called all manner of evil, yet if it is for
Christ’s truth, rejoice and be glad that you are
counted worthy to suffer for our blessed Jesus, and
God will give his children strength to walk and
not faint, to run and not be weary. The road
which our Captain and his apostles have gone.—
It is a highway cast up for the ransomed of the
Lord to walk in. We have the arras of the Lord
to hold us up and keep us from falling, yet many
times be leaves us to ourselves,Jo show us our
weakness, and we begin to wander immediately.—
Oh, what could we do were it not for Christ giv
ing us strength to whom belongs all the praise?
and not to puny man who at the best of his carnal
work deserves the wrath of God. Dear brethren,
4etjua lo&k to %od‘ (Or heart, a *fcrok£n
heart, a contrite spirit, to walk worthy of the voca
tion werewith we are called, trusting in the Lord
who ; s our defence, and the Holy One of Israel
our king.
Yonr unworthy brother saved by grace,
WM. J. THORP.
Opelika, Ala., June 25, 1860.
Brethren Editors—ln the 12th No. of the Mes
senger I notice that bro. D. L. Hiden has request
ed that you or myself give a comment on Matt. ii.
2, and as you have in an editorial note referred it
specially to me, I will try as the Lord may give
ability to offer a few thoughts upon the text, which
reads thus, “ For we have seen his star in the east
and are come to worship him.”
The extraordinary and astonishing things which
were developing at that time were nothing more
than what had been long foretold by the Lord’s
holy prophets, and it appears that the people gen
erally were in expectation of the appearance of
some extraordinary person in the world as Kiugof
the Jews, who, as they erroneously considered
should sit upon the literal throne of David, and
reign over national Israel as an earthly or tempo
ral king. It was indeed an astonishing thing that
a ‘’Virgin should conceive and bring forth a son.”
When he was born in Bethlehem of Judea, the very
place predicted by the prophet, there came wise
men from the east saying, “we have seen his star
in the east and are come to worship him.” Wheth
er these “wise men of the east” were of the Jewish
but in this instance they were certainly wise in a
sense entirely different and superior to that of hu
man philosophy, in seeing this star at that par
ticular time, and being led and guided by it until
they come to the humble Babe of Bethlehem there
is a special revelation made to them which human
learning can neter attain unto. ** No man,” says
Jesus, “ can come unto me except the Father which
sent me draw him.” John vi. 44. To my mind
.this extraordinary star represents the special light
and teaching of God’s Holy Spirit in revealing and
making known Jesus Christ to the heirs of prom*
ise. Were it nothing more than human science or
philosophy to discern and understand the sudden
appearance and order of this singular star , these
wise men could have shown it to many others ;
and even Herod, who had diligently inquired of
the wise men what time the star appeared, and who
was so desirous to see him that he might slay
him, could have been taught this principle of phil
osophy by which to distinguish a certain star a
his star from all other stars. But “eye hath not
seen nor ear hath not heard, neither have entered
into the heart the things which God hath prepared
for them that love him, but God (and not man,)
hath revealed them unto us by bis Spirit.” 1 Cor.
ii. 9. Hence, Herod, with all his kingly wisdom,
wealth, honor and power, could not see this star,
nor the wise men of the east, who had seen it,
coutfd not*nake to him so thatkhe could-;
see it and be directed by it. This star is like what
Paul said of the gospel which he preached, “ It is
hid to them that are lost.” 2 Cor. iv. 3. Human
wisdom and human science can never attain to a
knowledge of Jesus Christ in his true characters
a Savior. “No man,” high or low, rich or poor,
wise or unwise, “ can say Jesus is the Lord but by
the Holy Ghost.” 1 Cor. xii. 3. Without this
special revelation all our notions are vague and
wrong like some of old, who said Ht is Elias, some
Jeremias, some said he was one of the prophets ;
but all were wroug, because a one side of the rer
elation or the special teaching of God’s holy Spirit
we never come to a knowledge of the truth, nor
know Jesus whom to know is life eternal. But “as
many as are led by the Lpirit of God they are the
sons of God.” Rom. viii. 14. Like the star which
appeared to the wise men of the eat, and guided
them till it brought them to Jesus, so does the Com
forter, which is the Holy Ghost, guide the saints into
all truth, testifies of Jesus and shows him to them.
See John xiv. 26, and xvii. 14. We might say many
things upon this pleasant subject without exhausting
it. What is here written has not been for vain
glory, nor for mere past time, but as I hope with
a love to the cause of God and an humble desire
for the edification, peace and comfort of all who
know and love Jesus. If any brother has clearer
light upon the text, or entertains a different view
1 hope he will give us thejienefit of it. My heahb
is rather declining, and I write in much pain, and
must close. W. M. MITCHELL.