new will and new ability must be given for every good work. As the Lord is pleased to bestow this from time to time, nothing will more delight us than to hear of its sweet fruits and effects in love-epistles to the brethren and sisters in Christ, whether they be what are called Churchmen or Dissenters, Baptists or Independents: all alike are free -all equally welcome-to these pages, whilst Christ and his great salvation are the object and subject; and not mere party and petty strifes and differences. Our motto from the first has been-and our readers know it—“ DIFFER, AND AGREE TO DIFFER," where essentials are not concerned.

We trust our answer has been sufficiently plain; it has been written off hand; for, as previously hinted, we are surrounded with too much sorrow the knock too frequently comes at the door, with its consequent interruption, from some poor three-quarter starved applicant, to permit of a lengthened and well-digested reply.

We have one desire for our readers and ourselves, even that a spirit of prayer may be poured out upon us. Did they know the gratitude with which we read these, and similar remarks, "Your name, and that of your dear family, are not forgotton, but frequently named by me before God; and that from one sighing for years to be brought to a knowledge of her own personal interest in salvation, we had almost said, surely we should oftener bow the knee, and supplicate united blessings from the God and Father of all our mercies.

Ireland, Feb. 6, 1847.

THE EDITOR.

The following are the letters previously referred to.

To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine.

MY DEAR BROTHER IN CHRIST,

Your kind and most interesting letter of the 7th did not reach me till the 13th, and seeing it posted at Bath, and dated Sydenham, I am at a loss where to direct it, so will send in the usual way to Mr. Bennett.

Enclosed, I send you what the Lord taught me. If you think well of it, use it in the Magazine, if not, destroy it-you are at perfect liberty; or alter any expressions that are not exactly English. True, my dear brother, we are all naturally the same characters, that is, sinners; but some run a greater length, as I have done; and, as was the case with me, if left to themselves, disgrace their professions. I know this with you, that if the Lord did everlastingly condemn me, I should be constrained to say it is just. But glory be to God, as a poor sinner I have fled for refuge to my dear Lord, relying upon his

word, "I, even I am He, that blotteth out thy transgressions, for MINE own name's sake."

And now, my dear brother, I cannot but thank you for the very candid and circumstantial manner in which you have described to me the way in which you were led to accept of the advances made to you, to enter into the establishment. I do not wonder at your feelings, above all, about Ireland; but Jehovah reigneth! He hath done all things well! It has been my lot to have been intimate with as many of the dear men of God in the church, as out of it. Whatever I may think of it, I confess that there is an amazing door of usefulness opened in it, and that Ireland above all-poor, neglected Ireland, needs men, devoted men of God. I do not wonder, that at your time of life, you find it difficult to study the Greek, yet the Lord is able to give you the power, and He who endued his apostles with the gift of languages, can also bestow it upon yon, and if it be needful for you, will do it in His own way.

Really, the more I read your letter, the more I see that the work is of the Lord. The opening to you—the removal of obstacles by the word of God; the meeting of these dear men of God. I see the hand of God! The Lord bless thee! The Lord make thee very useful,shine upon thee with his precious smiles; and when it is well with thee, remember the "Old Pilgrim," who will be glad occasionally to hear how you go on, assuring you that I now feel very much interested in all that relates to you. Farewell!

Birmingham, Oct. 18th, 1846.

Yours, in our most glorious Jehovah,

S. B. M.

(AN OLD PILGRIM).

To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine.

MY BELOVED BROTHER IN JESUS,

What a blessed tie unites all the Lord's blood-bought children together, in the bond of love. I have never seen you in the flesh, and now that your future residence seems to be the mountains of Tipperary, it is very unlikely I ever shall see you. Yet I love you-I feel a hearty drawing towards you in our precious Lord. The Lord bless you in your new sphere of trial, and keep you, and cause his blessed countenance to shine upon you. When I read your piece on Ireland, my heart felt a strong desire to go over and help you, but my age, if there were nothing else, forbids me. I admire the Lord's dealings with you, in giving you, though many dangers seem to surround you, that gracious faith, which we are told would remove mountains. And what if the Irish are rough, poor, and uncultivated? are they

worse than the New Zealanders, or the Bushmen in Africa, for whom so much is felt? I wish not to find fault with the philanthrophy to go and civilize, yea, christianize, if it be the Lord's will, but why forget home? why forget Ireland? I well recollect at the establishment of the first home-missionary society, what an amazing opposition there was, and from whom? I almost blush to say it, from the chief friends of the foreign mission. Yet my dear brother, "let none of these things move thee;' "No cross, no crown." Through much tribulation ye must enter in. And how sweet and encouraging is the promise, "As thy day, so thy strength." May you be enabled to rest thereon, day by day believing, in spite of hell, flesh, and the world, that "the Lord will supply all your need," that He never will lay more upon you, than He will enable you to bear. Go forth in the name of Jesus, preaching simply His love-the Father's love. Bold in His cause, what need you fear? Satan can do no more than the Lord will allow him. Oft, under trials and temptations, I love to read the book of Job. Oh, what a precious testimony for the faithfulness of Jehovah, and how sweet to feel. My unbelief, (and alas, I have much of it within me), shall not, cannot make the faithfulness of God without effect. And why not? because Jehovah's love, eternal, unchangeable, depends not upon my frames or feelings, happy or desponding ones, but alone upon that eternal decree, whereby he settled His love upon you and me in Christ Jesus, before worlds were. Fare-thee-well! May the Lord be your one theme-sweet corner-stone,-blessed foundation-your all-in-all. Oh, may he give you health, strength, faith in all things to depend upon him, and enable his children to bear you on their hearts, at the mercy-seat! The Lord bless you and yours, and believe me,

Birmingham, December 1, 1846.

Yours, affectionately in Jesus,

S. B. M. (AN OLD PILGRIM).

DEAR SIR,

To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine.

How to commence this letter to you, I know not, for you have, in the last two numbers, made such rapid strides,—strange discoveries and new habitations-leaping as it were from the city of London, to the bogs of Ireland, and from "Street Musings," to really, and truly, "Heart-breathing" scenes, as to have drawn all hearts after you; and this, by-the-bye, is a great acknowledgement from one of the "despised sisterhood," who, in former days, were welcomed as contributors to your Magazine, and shared with the "brethren" in your replies and

courteous observations. As one of them, my spirit was stirred within me not a little, Mr. Editor, by your appeal to the brethren ONLY, in the December number. A whole list of reverends and ministers, of "striplings," and "aged ones," to be aroused from their lethargy, to come forth afresh, and cast their mite of christian experience into the GOSPEL MAGAZINE; but in vain did I look for an invitation to Sarah, to Hannah, to Miriam, or Mary-to those weak in the faith, or strong in the Lord, who have hitherto been permitted, (as of old), to take their part in this little household of faith. Dear Mr. Editor, I freely forgive you, for I doubt not, it was an "Irish blunder," and quite unintentional. But what shall I say to you as "Editor of the GOSPEL MAGAZINE?" Indeed, you are too quick for us. 'Till this last month, an unknown Editor? Who is he? old or young? minister or layman of the Established Church, or dissenting from her? were questions all asked, and none could authoritatively answer,-when all at once, suspense was at an end, and in connexion with "The Starving Irish," in large type, we have Mr. Doudney, Editor of the GOSPEL MAGAZINE; a true Irish introduction to your English readers,—and one, Mr. Doudney, so simple and characteristic-a union so heartwarming and touching, that it has drawn forth feelings of gratitude from many, and the "Cabin-Scenes" have introduced Mr. Doudney and his Irish friends into so many new societies and districts, that doubtless, ere long, a second edition of these Numbers for 1847, will be called for.

But having had the privilege of your private friendship, and in former days, accompanied you to English poor and dying rooms, especially to one at B- who cherished the memory of that visit to her dying hour, let me tell you, I rejoice with exceeding great joy, that the Lord has chosen you as an honoured instrument, to stand "between the living and the dead," and to carry the glad tidings of the finished salvation, for poor, broken-hearted sinners-wrought out for them by our Lord Jesus Christ, to Irish cabins. Long, long have you ardently desired to be so employed, and little thought of the strange land to which you would be sent. The great Head of the Church has placed you in the battle-field, clothed you with the christian armour, and given an evidence that you are ordained from above, "by signs following "the exhortation given. Therefore, dear brother in the Lord, I rejoice again to find, that in due time, you will enter into the Established Church of the Lord, and in faith, and without fear, by the divine testimony of God the Holy Ghost, be enabled heartily to respond to the solemn questions, contained in the ordination service of England's Established Church, which is verily being "purged and tried," by the isms of the day; "for judgment is to begin at the house of God," (not that this means the Established Church, but the family of God on earth).

May the "wolves in sheep's clothing" boldly leave her; may the

hireling shepherds, who, for love of lucre, robe themselves in her vestments, feeding themselves and starving "the flock," be driven from her " as chaff by the wind;" and God grant that a goodly portion of men, "born from above," may remain within her, dispersing the “incorruptible seed of the word,"-and may many of the best servants of the Lord have their hearts inclined like yours, Mr. Editor, to enter her ranks, and fill up the gaps made therein by "Deserters," is the hearty prayer, through grace, of one of the "sisterhood," whose pen must stop, or the reason will be self-evident, why "the sisters were not invited to contribute to your Journal.

May the union of the "starving Irish, and Mr. Doudney, EDITOR," make a lasting impression on the hearts of your readers, and if the Lord will, may funds flow in so fast for your distribution, that you may be constrained to say, "It is enough, hold now thy hand." Yours, in the hope of the Gospel,

Feb. 3, 1847.

W. A. M.

WILL AND CAN.

THERE is a certain class of verbs which, in our language, have a different meaning, according as they are differently used: I refer to such words as will and can, which are either what is called principal or auxiliary verbs. They are auxiliary when joined immediately to another verb, for then they help out the sense of the latter verb. They are principal when they stand alone, or are not immediately connected with another verb. For instance, in the expression I will come,—will is an auxiliary to the verb come-i. e. it is in reality part of the verb to come. But in the expression, I will to come, the verb will is independent of the word come, and is, therefore, a principal verb. Now it must be evident to the reader, that there is a great difference between saying I will come, and I will to come. In the Greek language, in which the New Testament was originally written, this double sense of the word will is avoided, since a completely different word is used, when it answers to the latter use of the word will; but our translators have made rather a confusion in this respect, since they have frequently made will to be auxiliary when it ought to have been a principal verb. Take an example in John vi. 67; it ought to have been, "Will ye also to go away ?" i. e., Have you the desire or wish to go away? For thus the word which stands for will, is sometimes translated in our Bible. John viii. 44, “The lusts of your father ye will to do," i. e., Ye desire to do the lusts of the devil. In John v. 40, "Ye will not to come to me, that ye might have life." The correct view of this passage, there

In