"Lord, remember David and all his afflictions: how he sware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the Mighty GOD of Jacob; surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes or slumber to mine eyelids, until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the Mighty GOD of Jacob." Remember, gracious Lord, His vows and oaths did seal: To Jacob's mighty God, His earnest vows were made: Nor shall my house afford Its shelter to my head. Nor will I to my couch ascend, No peaceful sleep shall seal My moments by surprise, Until I find a resting-place An habitation meet For his Divine abode;- For Jacob's mighty God. In famed Ephrata's fields of wood, We'll enter now with joy His tabernacle fair; And at his footstool bow With lowest reverence there. N. * Bishop Patrick's Paraphrase of this passage, Psalm cxxxii. 6, throws great light upon the general sense and meaning. "And now, behold, the Lord himself, to our great joy, hath told us the very place where He will fix His habitation, 1 Chron. xxi. 18-26; in the territory of Bethlehem Ephratah, Gen. xxxv. 13, 19; in the fields of that forest, where the angel stood and directed David to build an altar to the LORD."-1 Chron. xxi. 18; xxii. 1. THE SPIRITUALIZING SYSTEM. "If the obvious sense of a great portion of the Bible be erroneous, what becomes of the great Protestant doctrine, that the Bible is a safe rule of faith, and of the great Protestant principle of the duty to circulate the Bible without note or comment ? "—M'CAUL'S PLAIN SERMONS, page 151. DEAR MADAM, IT is gratifying to be enabled to acquaint you, that the “ EXTRACTS,” (which you so kindly inserted in the SEPTEMBER NUMBER OF THE CHRISTIAN LADY'S MAGAZINE,) have been the means of getting several copies of Dr. M'Caul's work into circulation. Now, as it is a matter of no small importance in these "PERILOUS TIMES," that a work so sound and convincing, should have the widest possible circulation, I do hope and trust that the purchasers will strive, as far as practicable, to induce others to follow their example. God be praised, there seems to be a stir on this momentous point. I trust that multitudes in this. land will yet be found to abandon the pernicious system, and "to ask for the OLD PATHS,' where is the good way," &c. Few, and very few comparatively, have at present set to work in earnest, to examine the system with which they have been inoculated (a system, doubtless, which took its origin from the spirit of Antichrist) and being opposed to the doctrine of our BLESSED LORD and all HIS HOLY APOSTLES: all who endeavour to carry it out, not only aim at "being wise above what is written;" but positively fly in the face of some of the clearest precepts and commands in the word of God, who says, (in language which cannot be gainsayed by any ingenuity) " Ye shall not ADD to, nor DIMINISH aught from it." Deut. iv. 2. What plea can be offered for persisting in such error, I know not; perhaps there is no one in the land, (I mean among biblical readers of course) who has not been WARNED against it: still they persevere, and not only so, but seduce others into the same acts of disobedience. The wise-heartedness of the BEREANS, in our researches for truth, should ever be borne in mind, for "they searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Acts xvii. 11. With a view to draw further attention to this point, and that our elder brother, the Jew, may appear in his proper station, which the spiritualizing system' entirely forbids, and envelopes, as it were, in midnight darkness, I beg to transmit some "EXTRACTS" from another work, bearing especially on this point, from "LECTURES ON THE PROPHECIES;" the author of which is mighty in the Scriptures, “ whose praise is in all the Churches," and I believe, a faithful and uncompromising ambassador for Christ, the REV. HUGH M'NEILE, M.A. Would to God that every pulpit in the united kingdom were manned with the like! I for one, should care but little what were the colour of his habiliments; or, whether he kept his head due North or South ;* for I am persuaded that his course * The attention of CHURCH-WARDENS is invited to the hundred and tenth Canon, wherein they will find that they are commanded to detect and prevent defenders of Popish and erroneous doctrine. would be in FULL ACCORDANCE Wwith that solemn and awful declaration which he made, that he was 66 INWARDLY MOVED BY THE HOLY GHOST, ΤΟ TAKE UPON HIM THAT OFFICE" which gave him a passport by the door into the Sheepfold. John x. 1. May the blessing of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, rest upon him, and enable him "to fight a good fight, to finish his course, and keep the faith.” 66 * * * I had rather avow my inability to answer the question, "How can that be?" in a thousand instances, than put an evasive interpretation upon a single verse of the word of God. When our brethren shall cease to beat the air in refutation of what we never advanced; when they shall see the absurdity of prejudging the question, by good-natured lamentations over our sad, sad delusion; and when they shall gird up their loins to the work in good earnest, betake themselves to study the subject patiently in detail, and produce grave and solid arguments, not negatively alone in opposition to an erroneous system of interpretation; but positively also, in support and confirmation of a genuine system; I repeat, I am open to conviction, and shall in all sincerity, rejoice to be instructed. I protest, with all my soul, against the idea of any man supposing that he knows enough, and thereupon refusing to inquire into the depths of revealed truth, on the plea of dangerous novelty, or non-essential speculation. Additional instruction in the meaning of the Scriptures, is growth in the knowledge of God; and in that knowledge it is my desire and hope that I shall increase, not only during this life present, but throughout eternity." (preface, p. vi.) |