The Children's Gallery. 66 CHILDREN, BE PROMPT. NEVER say, when told to do any thing, "In a minute," or By-andby." This leads to a bad habit, which, if not overcome, will prevent all confidence in you as you grow up. You will then put off duties you owe to your neighbour in the same way, and lose his confidence. Many men lose the respect of their neighbours not so much because they mean to do wrong, as through mere carelessness. "By-and-by" and 66 to-morrow "have ruined thousands; robbed them of their character, and made them anything but blessings in a neighbourhood. Little confidence can be placed in their word, not because they mean to tell falsehoods, but because of their carelessness. No obligation is fulfilled when it should be. And it is sometimes so in their own affairs; they lose days and weeks because business is not attended to when it ought to be. A tool is lost, because not promptly put back when done with. Fulfil every promise made promptly; put it not off an hour. A little boy borrowed a tool from a neighbour, promising to return it at night. Before evening, he was sent away on an errand, and did not return until late. Before he went, he was told that his brothers should see the tool returned. After he had returned and gone to bed, he inquired, and found the tool was not returned. He was much distressed to think his promise was not fulfilled, and was finally persuaded to go to sleep, and rise early and carry it home. By daylight he was up, and nowhere was the tool to be found. After a long and fruitless search, he set off for his neighbour's in great distress to acknowledge his fault. But how great was his surprise to find the tool at his neighbour's door. And it appeared, from the prints of little bare feet in the mud, that little Henry had got up in his sleep and carried the tool home, and went to bed again, and knew it not. Surely a boy prompt in his sleep, was now. Let EXAMPLE FOR BOYS. A little boy, in destitute circumstances, was put out as an apprentice to a mechanic. For some time he was the youngest apprentice, and of course had to go upon errands for the apprentices, and not unfrequently to procure for them ardent spirits, of which all but himself partook, because, as they said, it did them good. He, however, used none; and, in consequence of it, was often the subject of severe ridicule from the older apprentices, because, as they said, he had not sufficient manhood to drink rum. And as they were revelling over their poison, he, under their insults and cruelty, often retired and vented his grief in tears. But now every one of the older apprentices, we are informed, is a drunkard, or in a drunkard's grave; and this youngest apprentice, at whom they used to scoff, is sober and respectable, and is worth a hundred thousand dollars. In his employment are about one hundred men, who do not use ardent spirits; he is exerting upon many thousands an influence in the highest degree salutary, which may be transmitted by them to future generations, and be the means, through grace, of preparing multitudes not only for usefulness and respectability on earth, but for an exceeding and eternal weight of glory. The Cabinet. THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST BUT ONCE OFFERED. THE Jewish tabernacle, with its “ordinances of Divine service," afforded a representation of Christ, and of that sacrifice by which sinners find acceptance with God. The sacrifices that were offered under the law were of no intrinsic value, or real efficacy for the removal of human guilt, it being "not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins," Heb. x. 4. Such typical sacrifices were "imposed upon the Old Testament church "until the time of reformation," Heb. ix. 10. While these sacrifices were required, "the high-priest alone went into the holiest of all once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people," Heb. ix. 7. All the "gifts and sacrifices," therefore, under the former dispensation, that were thus offered for sin "could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience," Heb. ix. 9. But when the "time of reformation " came, a greater High-Priest was to appear, whose more efficacious sacrifice should actually take away sin, and "purge the conscience from dead works to serve the living God," Heb. IX. 14. Accordingly the Apostle tells us that "Christ being come an high-priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands,... neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us," Heb. ix. 11, 12. In consequence of that perfect sacrifice and real atonement which Christ has made for sin, he is "not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us," Heb. ix. 24. And since he has "put away sin by the sacrifice of himself," it cannot be required that he should" offer himself often," as the Jewish high-priest, who "entered into the holy place every year with blood of others; for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world" for the pardon and salvation of the people of God, Heb. ix. 26. "As," therefore, "it is appointed unto men once to die, ... so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation," Heb. ix. 28. The meaning of this last clause is, I am persuaded, that the Saviour will appear the second time without becoming a sin-offering, as he once did, for our redemption. sane, To suppose, as the Roman Catholics do, that Christ is present in the eucharist, "under the forms of bread and wine," and that in celebrating what they call mass, the elements are changed into the body and blood of Christ by "the most holy and powerful words of consecration," is so contrary to our senses, that no reflecting mind can regard it as fact. It is said that Lady Jane Grey, when she was very young, being on a visit to the Princess Mary at Newhall, in Essex, she took a walk with Lady Anne Wharton, when the following conversation took place. Happening to pass by the chapel, the latter made a low courtesy to the host; at which Lady Jane, taking notice, asked whether the Princess Mary were there. "No," answered Lady Anne, "but I made my courtesy to Him who made us all." To this her companion replied, being prompted by her common sense and Protestant feeling, "How can that which hath been made by the baker be He who made us all?" This speech of hers, being carried to the bigoted daughter of Henry, gave the bloody Mary such a dislike to its accomplished author that report says she could never forgive her.* But it is nothing less than presumptuous and enormously wicked for any person, falsely called a priest, to profess to offer the body and blood of the Saviour as a sacrifice for sin. Yet this is professedly done in all Popish places of worship. It was consequently said to Luther, on entering priest's orders, when the Bishop of Brandenburg put a chalice into his hand, "Receive the power of sacrificing for the living and the dead!" But how did the Reformer afterwards speak of this transaction? He is reported to have said, “ If the earth did not swallow us both up, it could only be ascribed to the great patience and long-suffering of the Lord! "+ In maintaining the doctrine of "the real presence" in the eucharist, and transubstantiation, the Roman Catholics have recourse to miracles, and suppose the greatest miracle in the world, which, according to them, is wrought every day; but Chrysostom teaches a sounder faith, if they would but listen to him. He says, "God has now ceased to work miracles; nor is that any *See Dr. Gibbon's "Memoirs of Picus Women," vol. i., p. 15. See D'Aubigné's "History of the Reformation," vol. i., p. 163. 66 unkindness to us, but God rather does us honour in withdrawing the evidence of miracles. If you believe as you ought to do, if you love Christ as you should, you have no need of miracles; for miracles are for them that believe not." * And yet, in "The Catholic Christian Instructed," Dr. Challoner presumes to say, "We have no other sacrifice but that of Christ, which he once offered upon the cross," adding at the same time, "and daily by the eucharist." Here, however, we may well demand, as in Poole's "Dialogue between a Popish Priest and an English Protestant," "how he proves that Christ offered anything at all to God in his last supper, but only to his disciples." And what he required of them was to "eat and drink in remembrance" of him. It appears that our Reformers call what their opponents contended for "blasphemous and dangerous deceits, by which it seems to be intimated that though Christ died for our sins, as St. Paul affirms, (1 Cor. xv. 3,) this was not sufficient, but something of man's inventing was needful to complete the Divine institution, while Scripture is wholly silent about it. We therefore conceive that the offering of Christ once made is that perfect redemption, propitiation, and satisfaction,' by which God, who is faithful and just, is pleased to 'forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness,' 1 John i. 9.” Those who believe in the sacrifice of the mass seem to have forgotten that our Lord said to his disciples a little before his crucifixion, "Now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee," John xvii. 10; “Now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was," John xvii. 5. Our Lord said, "I leave the world, and go to the Father," John xvi. 28. And as he gave his followers this intimation, and is "at the right hand of God," 1 Pet. iii. 22, so we know, as it was said to the disciples when they were gazing up into the clouds after him, that he whom they saw "taken up into heaven" should " come in like manner as they had seen him go into heaven. But it is also declared that "God hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness" by our exalted Redeemer, "whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead," Acts xvii. 31. God our Saviour, however, “must reign over the church and over * Translated by Dr. Lardner. See "Works," Svo ed., vol. ix., pp. 566, 567. Holdsworth and Ball, 1831. the world "till he hath put all enemies under his feet," 1 Cor. xv. 25. Before the coming of the Judge of all, therefore, we believe that the kingdom of the Saviour remains yet to be greatly enlarged, until "all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God," Isa. lii. 10. The Redeemer is now on his glorious throne, "whom the heavens must receive until the times of the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began," Acts iii. 21. Is it conceivable, then, that after our blessed Saviour " gave himself for us" when he "suffered for our offences," that a masspriest should have his sacred body to sacrifice again for sin after his death and resurrection, ascension into heaven, and intercession at his Father's right hand? Impossible! It is incredible that sinful man can have such power over the glorified humanity of Jesus Christ. Our God is truly astonishing in the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, Rom. ii. 4. The Lord grant that these glorious perfections may be no longer "abused to impudence and sin." There is yet mercy and salvation for those who believe and repent; for "now is the accepted time," and "now is the day of salvation," 2 Cor. vi. 2. Since "God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us," 1 Thess. v. 9, 10, " a door of hope" is opened for us, through which we may enter. May misguided, sacrificing priests, therefore, renounce their blasphemous pretensions, repent of dishonouring the Redeemer and his all-atoning sacrifice, and look by faith to Him who alone can deliver them from the wrath to come! And while spared in the church militant, may 66 grace reign through righteousness to eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord!" Rom. v. 21. Thus being "born again," may we all be enabled to “serve the living God," be " Imore than conquerors through him that hath loved us," and follow the exhortation of the beloved disciple, where he says, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." Under such circumstances, the following assurance is given us: "If ye do these things ye shall never fall; for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," 2 Pet. i. 10, 11. Langrove Cottage. JOHN BULMER. |