GOSPEL

'"

If,HE

MAGAZINEA..1'(D

PROTESTANT BEACON.

"COMFORT YE, COMFORT YE MY PEOPLE, SAITH YOUR GOD."

H ENDEAVOURING TO KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE BOND OF PEACE."

,. n;SUS CIIRIS'f TIll') SAME YESTERDAY, AND TO-DAY, AND FOR EVER." "WHOM '10

I'NOW IS LIFE E'fERNAL."

VOL. XXXIII.-NEW SERIES.

~ LONDON :'1-W. H. AND L. COLLINGRIbGE, CITY PRESS, ALDERSGATE STREET, B.C.

1898.

PH E F ACE.

THE completion or a period or one hundred and thirty-twoyears in the history or a religious magazine affords its Editor aninteresting opportunity or addressing his Headers, unexampledin the annals or English literature.

Established in the earlier years of that great EvangelicalRevival with which the saintly names or' TOPLADY, ROMAI~E,

BElmIDGE, WHITEFrELD, NEWTON, SCOTT, and others will everbe associated, the GOSPEL MAGAZINE has continued to hold rorth1,he lamp or Gou's Truth, His Covenant Truth, whole andundefiled.

The distinctive Doctrines or the rree grace or the Gospel orOUIUST occupy to-day the same prominent place in this monthlyPublication. as they did when, last century, the revered Vicaror Broad Hembury and author0r the immortal hymn, "Rockor Ages," was its raithrul Editor.

Those who have long been numbered among our regularreaders know also that spir£l'ual experience-as the necessary rruitor a living faith in the doctrines or revealed truth-is consis­tently maintained by the Go,EL MAGAZINE. The late belovedEditors-the Rev. Dr. DOUDNEY and Mr. GEORGE COWELL­during upwards or firty years were greatly honoured orGOD in stamping this definite character on the Publication.Sound doctrine, not to be gainsaid, together with sympatheticexposition or the HOLY SPIRIT'S operations in the heart or thebeliever, may not be put asunder, nor should either or thesetwo be disproportionately magnified. The rootsteps of the flockmust be traced and interpreted by. the light or the doctrinalWord; ror, while the experiences or GOD'S people are subject to

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.IV 'pREFACE.

change and fluctuation, the Word of truth remains fixed-a tcstand a standard of unerring accuracy. Spiritual int.rospection,if immoderately practised, certainly induces a depressed and £arfrom salutary condition of soul. Mere formal and intellectualknowledge of Christian doctrine may make an orthodox andeven an irreproachable professor, but he £atally lacks thatexperience which is the fruit of the SPIRI'L', the one thingneedful to make "the man of God." To dwell unduly on thcsubjective aspects of experimental religion tends, no doubt, toproduce an effeminate type of spiritual character. On the othcrhand, to dwell habitually on objective truth, to the exclusionof a feeling and tender experience of its sanctifying effects,and of a sense of the moral obligations which a knowledge ofit involves, too commonly induces a spirit of censoriousness andhard criticism.' Where, however, knowledge and experience arespiritually blended in the soul, there will be found an eveI'­deepening desire to grow in grace and heavenly-mindedness, inthe likeness of Christ and in the love of His name.

For the cultivation of this Scriptural process in the householdan:d family of faith the GOSPEL MAGAZINE was founded, and forthat important purpose it still exists. The Evangelical Fathers ofa hundred ,years ago, when fidelity to the doctrines commonly,though not happily, described as "Calvinistic," contended-astheir writings abundantly prove-for the whole counsel of God,alike in regard to matters of faith, and to the absolute necessity ofthe sovereign operations .of the Spirit of grace in the heart and lifeof the believer. No one can read the scholarly, Scriptural, dogmaticyet tenderly experimental, writings of AUGUSTUS MONTAGUETopLADY, for instance, and fail to be impressed with the accuracyof the statement we have just made. The published works ofTOPLADY'S Evangelical contemporaries, and of his successorsduring the ensuing quarter of a century, further confirm ourpoint. The combination of truth known and experience felt issweetly and wisely admixed, with the result that the literary remainsof the leaders of the God-inspired Evangelical Revival will to theend of time be prized by the living Ohurch of God. It may indeed

PREFACE. Y

be appositely observed, that, in the working out of the Divinepurposes, three distinct and yet sequential eras of Evangelical re­nascence have occurred in our country within the last 400 years­the Reformation, the Puritan, and the Eighteenth Century effusionof the HOLY SPIRIT. A copious literature belongs to each of thesethree hallowed manifestations of the power of the TRIUNE JEHOYAH"Yet, it is interesting and instructive to observe that the harvestof Christian writings which sprang from those three remotely re­lated epochs yields common teaching on the two main branches ofvital religion-doctrine and experience. Such fundamental veritiesas the Everlasting Covenant of Grace, the Predestination andElection of Sinners, the Suretyship of Christ, the total Depravityof man, special and effectual Redemption through the blood ofthe GOD-MAN, the Sovereignty of all the operations of the HOLYSPIRIT in the redeemed, the sinner's absolute need of beingspiritually new-created, his consequent repentance, faith, obedi­ence, sanctification, and preservation unto eternal glory-suchessential truths as these we find uniformly insisted upon in thetheological works identified with those three great historic peri~ds

which we haTe noted. In contrast to that sound Biblical theologystands the system commonly known as Pelagian, or Arminian-ahuman system of conditional salvation, destitute alike of gloryfor the grace ot God and of satisfaction, peace, and rest forthe soul of sinful man. The GOSP~L MAGAZINE-SO long as itpleases our heavenly FATHER to retain our humble services inconnection with its control-will, in all loyalty. to its honouredand God-favoured past, continue to contend for "the faith oncedelivered to the saints," "the faith of GOD'S elect," ., all thecounsel of God," and to bear uncompromising witness against thedeadly evils ot our day-Sacerdotalism, Popery, Arminianism, andVVorldliness.

Our. mission is one of great solemnity and responsibility, andwere it not ,that grace enabled us to rely wholly on theCovenant promises of our Covenant GOD for supplies of wisdom,discernment, knowledge, and strength, we should lay down thepen, and retire from the Editorial Ohair in the hope of some

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vi PREFACE.

other and more efficient instrument being found to feed "theflock of slaughter" and to sound the alarm in Zion. As itis, we desire to record gratitude to Him from whom our fruitis found, that, during the year which opens the fifth ofour. editorship, numerous tokens of Divine blessing on theMAGAZI~E have, within our knowledge, been lovingly granted.To the name of FATHER, SON, and HOIJY SPIRIT be all glorygiven.

Then, to the many dear servants of CHRIST who have strength­ened our hands by their edifying contributions to our pageswe tender warmest thanks. Their helpful offices will, it ishoped, continue, for the MASTER'S sake, to be placed at theservice of the scattered Church of God.

The increased circulation of the GOSPEL MAGAZINE is amatter that lies very near the EDITOR'S heart; and he availshimself of the present favourable opportunity to impress onthe LORD'S beloved people to make a special effort, in prospectof a New Year, to obtain among their friends and neighboursan increase of subscribers.

Indications abound alike in the Visible Church, and in theworld, that "the time is short." "The COJ1!.ing of the Lorddraweth nigh." "The night cometh, when no man can work."One fresh subscriber obtained by each of our readers wouldgo very far to promote developments in the usefulness of ourFA')lILY MAGAZINE, for which we prayerfully look forward.Do we ask of you too much, dear brethren in CHRIST, whenwe lovingly press upon you this spiritual request? Nor maythis Preface be closed without an echo of the Apostle's per­sonal appeal-" Brethren, pray for us."

THE EDITOR.