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Or all questions the most important we can propose to ourselves is, Are we Christians? Let this be answered in the negative, and it matters not that we are rich, or titled, or learned, or powerful: let it be answered in the affirmative, and it matters not though we be poor and unlettered, uninfluential and unknown. He who is a true Christian is heir of all things. He has a portion even now which he would not exchange for the greatest worldly riches and honours, and which is a foretaste and pledge of everlasting bliss. He who is not a Christian, and who dies such, experiences no genuine happiness in the present life, and at death sinks into bottomless perdition. Well, then, are we Christians? The question is one which some of our readers can answer and say, We are not; and others, We are. To those who are conscious that they do not deserve the reppellation, we do not intend at present the articularly to address ourselves. We 2 ish rather to say word to those who Eave named the name of Jesus; and that yor the twofold purpose of enabling such as may be deceiving themselves to discover their mistake, and of stimulating those who are Israelites indeed, to study more than ever to adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things. And how much occasion is there for all this? How great the probability that there are many, very many, professing Christians who are saying to themselves, Peace, peace, when there is no peace?' And why not seek to undeceive them? If not now, they must be undeceived one day; but then the discovery will be too late. And how shall we try to undeceive them? What better plan can we adopt than, in dependence on the Holy Spirit, place before them the portraiture of a true Christian, and call upon them to compare themselves by it? This what we propose to do, in the hope that sinners in Zion may be startled from their dream of security, and that the people of God may be constrained to prosecute with still greater consistency and vigour their Christian course.

In the Acts of the Apostles xi. 26, we have the origin of the name Christian. Who gave the disciples this name we are not told. Some, like Dodderidge, are of opinion that it was given or assumed by divine authority; others, like Campbell, as decidedly maintain that it originated with their enemies, who applied it by way contempt. The pious John Newton remarks, that it does not appear quite certain whether the disciples chose this No. X.-NEW SERIES.

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name for themselves, or the wits of the time fixed it on them as a mark of infamy; or whether it was by the special direction of the Spirit of God, that they assumed it. But I incline,' he adds, 'to the latter supposition, because in these happy times it was the practice and privilege of the disciples to ask and receive direction from on high on almost every occurrence, but chiefly on account of the excellent instructions couched under the emphatic name.' Who then, or what, is a Christian?

A Christian is one who believes in Christ.-The Son of God came into our world for the purpose of being believed in. His grand design was to constitute himself an object of faith. A man who believes in Plato, is called a Platonist; he who believes in Calvin, a Calvinist. Yet Plato and Calvin never held themselves up as objects of faith: they merely taught certain views, the belief of which constituted men their disciples. But it is otherwise with Christ Jesus. He calls upon men to believe in himself. The system he taught has so entire a reference to himself, that it would be no system at all without him. Faith in him, therefore, is not only belief, but confidence. The truth respecting him is, that he is a divine and all-sufficient Saviour, and he who believes this commits his eternal interests into his keeping. Thus viewed as the object of faith, Jesus Christ presents a twofold aspect. He is God as well as man; and he is the Mediator between God and us. No one will deny his humanity. But he claims to be divine as well as human. 'I and my Father are one-He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.' And the man who does not acknowledge him as such, is not entitled to be called by his name. Although he was from eternity in the form of God, he became man, that he might be the Mediator between God and man; and it is under this character, especially, he demands to be recognised. He is the Days-man-the Reconciler-the Redeemer. He hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. In him we have redemption, through his blood. A believer in Christ, then, is one who recognises him as the just God and the Saviour; and every man who thus believes in him is a Christian. Do you thus believe in Christ? We dont ask you whether you approve of the system of morals to be found in the New Testament, and a summary of which we have in the ten commandments. Many imagine that they are good Christians, simply because

VOL. I.

all resemble the Saviour in these respects? As to sin, do we hate and eschew it? Is it our endeavour to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord? There was nothing,' writes President Davies, 'that Christ was so remote from as sin; and, therefore, for those who indulge themselves in it, to wear his name, is just as absurd and ridiculous as for a coward to denominate himself from Alexander the Great, or an illiterate dunce to call himself a Newtonian philosopher. Therefore, if you will not renounce iniquity, renounce the Christian name; for you cannot consistently retain both. Alexander had a fellow in his army that was of his own name, but a mere coward. Either be like me, said Alexander, or renounce my name.' And while cultivating personal holiness and piety towards God, are you imitating the Saviour in his behaviour while in this world towards men? Are you gentle as he was, long-suffering, compassionate, forgiving, condescending, and ever intent on the promotion of the temporal, and especially the spiritual, interests of your fellow-immortals? If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.'

A Christian is one who is feelingly alive to the glory of Christ.—Every disciple is alive to the glory of his master. He delights in proclaiming his excellencies and extending his reputation, and grieves when any thing is done or said to his discredit. So is it emphatically with the followers of Jesus. His honour is dear to them, dearer to them than health, dearer to them than life. Nothing distresses them so much as that his name should be despised, his love scorned, his authority trampled upon; and nothing rejoices them more than the triumphant progress of his cause. Hence they pray and labour that his name may be known in every land, and his praise celebrated by all people. "To them, to live is Christ.' This is recognised by them as the grand end of their existence. Is this a description that will apply to our readers? Have they any such concern for Christ's honour and the extension of his kingdom? When they contemplate abounding godlessness and profligacy, can they enter into the feelings of him who said, 'Rivers of waters run down my eyes, because they keep not thy law; or, contemplating the final triumph of Christianity, can they take up the language of him who exclaimed, 'For Zion's sake I will not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be silent, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as & lamp that burneth?'

A Christian is one who looks and longs for the appearing of Christ.-The second advent of our Lord is the grandest pros

pect that can engage the thoughts of men; and that not merely because of the extraordinary splendours that will attend it. These will probably be the most brilliant and dazzling that the universe ever saw. And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.' It is this that leads wicked men to banish from their minds the thought of the resurrection morn. But it is not so with the Christian. 'To them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.' Then the believer will be raised glorious and immortal-will be solemnly acquitted, gloriously rewarded; and then, too, his Redeemer will see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied. Hence the Christian looks and longs for his appearing. He not only firmly believes in his comingis as firmly persuaded of it as that the sun which sets to-night will rise to-morrow

He

but he looks forward to it with delighted anticipation, and prepares for it. counts all things but loss that he may win Christ and be found in him, that by any means he may attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

R.

BELIEVERS PRECIOUS TO CHRIST, BECAUSE REFLECTORS OF HIS IMAGE.*

BELIEVERS, as the true Israel of God, are also precious in Christ's sight,' because they are changed into his own 'precious image.' Being, as we originally were, created in the divine image, which consists in every thing that is truly excellent of an intellectual, spiritual, and moral nature, we could not but be precious in the sight of Him who can neither be mistaken nor deceived. Precious, however, as we then were, sin completely effaced that holy image, or stript us of all our preciousness, and left us in a state of fallen grandeur. Hence we are repre sented in Scripture as having 'destroyed ourselves; and also as being wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked-destitute of every thing that is truly good, and in a state of utter worthlessness. In like manner, while the crown' is said to have fallen from our head,' it is at the same time added, 'how

*From 'Believers Precious to Christ,' By the Rev. A. CURRIE, Abercorn. Edinburgh: John Greig & Son.

is the gold become dim, and the most fine gold changed?' Figurative as part of this language is, how forcible is it; and how strikingly is it illustrated in the darkness of our understandings as to divine things; in the depravity of our hearts; and in the ungodliness, more or less, of our lives! Worthless and wretched, however, as we now are by nature and practice, and infinitely more so as we might become hereafter, as in God our help was found,' through the ransom graciously provided in Christ, not only may believers be redeemed from destruction, and brought into a state of salvation, but also completely transformed into Christ's image, and fitted to serve him on earth as well as in heaven. Accordingly, through the Word and by the Holy Spirit, they are progressively enlightened in their understandings as to every thing of a divine nature; and 'in God's light are made to see light so clearly,' that their path is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Thus God, who in nature commanded the light to shine out of darkness,' in grace shines into their understandings, to give to them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,'-even as that glory is manifested in Christ's person, character, and work. Through the Word and by the Spirit they are also renewed in their hearts, so that the hard and stony heart is taken away, and a heart of flesh,' or a new heart, is imparted. As part also of this renovation, the perverse will is subdued; the dead or dormant conscience quickened; the earthly affections spiritualized; and every holy disposition implanted. In like manner, through the Word and by the Spirit they are reformed in their lives, so that they put off the old man with his deeds, which are corrupt, and put on the new man,' with all the fruits of the Spirit, which are the fruits of holiness. In other words, they not only 'deny themselves to all ungodliness and worldly lusts,' and to every thing that has the appearance of evil, but live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present evil world; they not only think upon whatsoever things are just and true, honest and pure, lovely and of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy, but they do them.' In short, they not only possess all the gifts and graces of the divine life, but exemplify all its virtues, by abounding in every good word and work. In this way, beholding in the Word as in a glass the glory of the Lord, they are changed from glory to glory into the same image by the Spirit of the Lord;' and in this way, as by nature they 'bore the image of the first Adam, who is of the earth earthy,' so by grace they come to 'bear the image of Jesus Christ, the

Second Adam, the Lord from heaven;' and all'old things pass away,' within and without, and all things become new.' Thus, as all true believers are created anew after the image of Christ, who is the image of the invisible God,' and as his image is the most perfect image of everything that is intellectually, spiritually, and morally excellent, must they not be precious in his sight?' For in them, when they at all are what they ought to be, and what they must be, before they can be his, does he not, even now, behold more or less the impress of Himself? And, just in proportion as they are internally changed into his image, and externally reflect that image, so must they be correspondingly precious in his estimation. Must not this be the case, whatever be their rank in life or condition in the world,

whether the highest or the lowest, the richest or the poorest, the mightiest or the meanest? On this account, ought they not daily to pray that they may be moulded more and more into his image in their understandings and hearts, and also daily to strive to manifest that image in their conversation and conduct; and thus not merely profess to possess it, but prove that they possess it? Is it not for this twofold end that his image is wrought within them; and it is not incumbent upon all who profess to believe in Christ to examine them. selves if it is so with them; or to ask—

'What image does my spirit bear?
Is Jesus formed and living there?
Say, do his lineaments divine,

In thought, and word, and action shine?

MEEKNESS WITH RESPECT TO OUR BRETHREN.

THIS teacheth us prudently to govern our own anger, whenever any thing occurs that is provoking. Anger in the soul is like metal in a horse, good if it be well managed. Now meekness is the bridle as wisdom is the hand that gives law to it, puts it into the right way, and keeps it of an even, regular, and steady pace in that way, reducing it when it turns aside, preserving it in due decorum, and restraining and giving it check when at any time it grows headstrong and outrageous, and threatens mischief to ourselves. The office of meekness is to keep reason upon the throne in the soul as it ought to be; to preserve the understanding clear and unclouded, the judgment untainted and unbiased, in the midst of the greatest provocations, so as to be able to set every thing in its true light, and to see it in its true colour, and to determine accordingly; as also, to keep silence in the court, that the small still voice in which the Lord is,