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closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret.'*

By the door in the motto we are to understand that Jesus is the medium of salvation to a lost world. Much the same is meant here as in the titles, 'the Way, the Truth, and the Life.' We are to enter by him, or through his doctrine, into the enjoyment of the spiritual blessings promised by the gospel. Hence he says, 'I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture.' If we attempt to enter through any other door than Christ Jesus, we shall find no pasture, and if we climb up some other way, we are thieves and robbers.' A solemn thought is here presented to the ministers of Christ. All who enter the sacred ministry must come in through him as the door, otherwise they will be unfaithful to the sacred cause. A very few we believe have entered the right door. The most part have come in from other motives than to serve the cause of truth. Some have entered through the door of ambition, some through that of popularity, others from a love of ease, and many from a desire for wealth. Some, who pretend to have entered, find no pasture for themselves, or if they do, they find none for others. Such persons have entered the wrong door, or been climbing up some other way.' They have put on the appearance of 'the true shepherd,' and they have 'made the flocks desolate.' They have not 'fed the flock of God.' But 'the Chief Shepherd will appear.' The door is open, and ultimately Gentile and Jew will enter, to the praise and glory of God.

*Matt. vi. 6.

In conclusion, to show the views some people have of the door,' we subjoin a lively sketch of a conversation held between Rev. John Murray and a Mr. Tennant, whose conduct sufficiently shows that he had entered any other door than that of Christ Jesus. While Mr. Murray was visiting some of his friends, he was thus accosted:-'I want to know, sir, by what authority you presume to preach in this place?' 'Pray, sir, by what authority do you thus presume to question me?' 'I am, sir, placed here by Almighty God, to look after the affairs of his church and people; and I have a right to insist on knowing who and what you are.' 'Well, sir, if you be placed here as the vicegerent of heaven, you should take care how you conduct; you have a great charge, and your responsibility is proportioned to its magnitude. But, sir, I am not assuming; I have no design upon your people; I am like a person in the time of harvest, who steps into the field, and binds up some sheaves, making no demand upon the proprietor of the grounds. I have never attempted to scatter your sheep; I have not even plucked a lock of their wool. I do not wish to govern-I only aim at being a help.' 'I do not like you a bit the better for all this stuff. I insist on knowing whether you came in at the door?' 'I wish to know, sir, what door you mean?' 'I mean the door of the church; all who come not in at that door are thieves and robbers.' 'But, sir, I would know what church you The pope declares there is no true church save the one of which he is the head. The Episcopal bishop affirms there is no true church but that of which the king is the head. Do you, sir, mean

mean.

either of these?' Did you come in at that door?' 'If, sir, you do not tell me what you mean by the true church, how can I answer you respecting the door?' 'Sir, I will have no evasions. Did you, or did you not, come in at the door?' 'Jesus Christ says, "I am the door; by me if any man enter, he shall be saved." Do you mean this door, sir?' 'No, sir, I mean the door of the church.' 'Is not Jesus Christ the door of the church, sir?' 'No, sir.' 'Well, sir, although there be many preachers who have not entered at this door, you will not, I trust, esteem a preacher the less, for having the privilege to go in and out at this door. 'Sir, I have nothing to do with this; I wish to know whether you have church authority for preaching? that is, whether you came properly in at the door?' 'Sir, I have the same authority for preaching, which the apostle Paul had; he received his mission by the will of God-so have I.' 'Ay, sir, give us the same miracles Paul wrought, and we will believe you.' 'If the power of working miracles were necessary to prove a right to preach the gospel, perhaps you, sir, would be also at a loss to prove your own right, either to preach, or thus to question a fellow-creature.' 'Sir, you are a deceitful, hypocritical man. If you had come properly in at the door, I should have received you; but you are an impostor-I pronounce you an impostor.' 'That is more than you know, sir, and, I add, more than I know myself; but, if we cannot agree about the church, and the door, blessed be God! we can agree in one fundamental point: while we were yet sinners Christ Jesus died for us, and while we were enemies, we were reconciled to

'No, sir, I mean the true church.

God by the death of his Son.' The old gentleman started from his seat, and, running round the apartment, exclaimed, in a loud and thundering voice, to those who were without, 'Come in and hear gibberish, gibberish, gibberish.' I was astonished, and when he had so far spent his rage, as to remain for one moment silent, I looked full in his face and asked, 'Pray, sir, what language do you make use of? Is it possible that you, a clergyman highly distinguished, the head of the Presbytery, and now in the evening of life, should be so little acquainted with the Scriptures, as to call the language of revelation gibberish ?'* *

*

*

The conversation closed with bringing Mr. Tennant to make some few concessions; and Mr. Murray showed him that he had as much evidence that he had come in at the door as he had.

* See Life of Rev. John Murray, p. 206, Boston, 1827.

XXV. ELECT.

'Behold my servant, whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.'

Isa. xlii. 1.

We do not intend to enter largely into the meaning of the word elect, for we are aware that it would lead us to a great length; for no word has occasioned more controversy in the christian church. A general view only will be taken, and the propriety of applying the word to Christ will be shown.

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The term occurs in twenty-two instances, but is applied to Christ only in the motto and in 1 Pet. ii. 6.

St. Paul applies the word to that portion of the House of Israel who embraced the gospel in the primitive age. In the former dispensation, the whole Jewish nation were considered as the elect of God.†

In other instances the word is used in reference to the whole body of the early christians, whether Jews or Gentiles.‡

Our subject seems to present three considerations: I. The Elector.

II. The Elected.

III. The object of the election.

I. The Elector. This all will admit was God himself. This is evident from the motto and from a host

*Rom. xi. 7. et seq.

† Deut. vii. 8. Isa. xlv. 4.

Col. iii. 12. 1 Pet. i. 2, Matt. xxiv. 21, 22.

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