THE GOSPEL STANDARD, OR, FEEBLE CHRISTIAN'S SUPPORT. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled."-Matt. v. 6. "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began."-2 Tim. i. 9. "The election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded."-Rom. xi. 7. "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.-And they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.-In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."-Acts viii. 37, 38; Matt. xxviii. 19. No. 25. JANUARY, 1838. VOL. IV. ADDRESS OF THE EDITORS. Most of the religious periodicals commence the year with an address to their readers. Though we should be sorry to follow the Arminianism of some, and the barren Calvinism of others, or imitate the mock spirituality of some Dissenting, and the childish bigotry of some Church of England publications; yet we feel willing to adopt their custom of opening the new-year, by addressing a few words, in our own name, to the readers of our magazine. Amidst, however, the multiplicity of topics on which we might touch, we shall chiefly confine ourselves to two points. 1st, The object we have in view in continuing our publication. 2nd, The mode by which alone we can hope that object to be accomplished. I. We believe, then, we may say that our main object in continuing the Gospel Standard is a desire to promote the glory of God and the interests of vital godliness. And, by this simple and single principle, we desire to abide unswayed, though not untempted, by the low motives of pecuniary advantage, party spirit, dead formality, pharisaical self-righteousness, religious pride, or delusive zeal. But a publication which professes to advocate vital godliness embraces a very wide field. 1st. There is error to be removed; and this not merely error in doctrine, and error in practice, but mainly and chiefly error in experience. Error in doctrine is serious, very serious, for he who is wrong here is wrong elsewhere; but we have some zealous monthly guardians against such obliquity. We have Gospel and Spiritual champions to defend doctrinal truth, Caskets to keep it, Heralds to proclaim it, and Trumpets to sound it. A THE GOSPEL STANDARD, OR, FEEBLE CHRISTIAN'S SUPPORT. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled."-Matt. v. 6. "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began."-2 Tim. i. 9. "The election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded."-Rom, xi. 7. "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.-And they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.-In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."-Acts viii. 37, 38; Matt. xxviii. 19. No. 25. JANUARY, 1838. VOL. IV. ADDRESS OF THE EDITORS. Most of the religious periodicals commence the year with an address to their readers. Though we should be sorry to follow the Arminianism of some, and the barren Calvinism of others, or imitate the mock spirituality of some Dissenting, and the childish bigotry of some Church of England publications; yet we feel willing to adopt their custom of opening the new-year, by addressing a few words, in our own name, to the readers of our magazine. Amidst, however, the multiplicity of topics on which we might touch, we shall chiefly confine ourselves to two points. 1st, The object we have in view in continuing our publication. 2nd, The mode by which alone we can hope that object to be accomplished. I. We believe, then, we may say that our main object in continuing the Gospel Standard is a desire to promote the glory of God and the interests of vital godliness. And, by this simple and single principle, we desire to abide unswayed, though not untempted, by the low motives of pecuniary advantage, party spirit, dead formality, pharisaical self-righteousness, religious pride, or delusive zeal. But a publication which professes to advocate vital godliness embraces a very wide field. 1st. There is error to be removed; and this not merely error in doctrine, and error in practice, but mainly and chiefly error in experience. Error in doctrine is serious, very serious, for he who is wrong here is wrong elsewhere; but we have some zealous monthly guardians against such obliquity. We have Gospel and Spiritual champions to defend doctrinal truth, Caskets to keep it, Heralds to proclaim it, and Trumpets to sound it. |