sacrifice without grudging, and they were honoured to lift up a testimony for the truth of God-the claims of Zion's King, and the heavengifted rights of his subjects, as well as against error and corruption-the breadth and faithfulness of which have few parallels in the history of the Church of God. Nor has it been reared in vain. The handfuls of corn on tops of mountains ere long shook like trees on Lebanon, over the breadth and length of the land.

It was not without self-denial again, when the germs of defection from the covenanted principles of the Church of Scotland sprung up in the Secession, that the Original Burghers and the Constitutional Presbytery refused to abandon the Scriptural position which they had sworn to occupy, and stood alone on that ground, instead of following their brethren and the great majority of the people in their downward course. None can know what is sacrificed in such cases but those who have passed through the ordeal. In a similar spirit of self-denial, the Protestors, against the union between the larger sections of the Secession in 1820 on a platform of which the basis of the present union movement, so far as human sagacity can see, is to be a fac-simile-viz. that of agreeing to differ"-in fidelity to their vows and important parts of the ascertained truths of God, remained in an isolated position when deserted by their brethren.

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Nor was it in the exercise of little self-denial that, at the Disruption, so many of the ministers of the Established Church left their manses and glebes, and surrendering their state-secured stipends, went forth at what they felt to be the call of God, and cast themselves on such support as their adherents might furnish, not knowing what that might be.

Nor was self-denial unnecessary in the stand made by Original Seceders against accession to the communion of the Free Church, by consenting that the principles, which they had sworn to maintain in a very different way, should be held simply as matter of their own private opinion, and have no place in the Standards and administration of the Church to whose government and discipline they would have become subject. Perhaps there never was a separation from former brethren more free from being influenced by personal animosities, of which we know no instance, nor did this arise from party feeling, or any personal aversion to be associated with the ministers cr members of the Free Church. Nothing but conscientious regard to principle induced them to abide by their position; and in as far as worldly considerations could influence, they were on the side of accession.

But the main design of this paper is to show the importance of cherishing a spirit of self-denial in contending for the cause of God, and that without this it is vain to expect fidelity in witnessing for truth,

in the face of manifold temptations to swerve from this, especially so long as the witnesses are called to prophesy in sackcloth. And in particular to show that Original Seceders cannot be expected, without some good measure of this, to hold fast their good profession. It admits of demonstration, that one leading cause of the backsliding of the Church from age to age has been weariness of the cross to be borne, through lack of a spirit of self-denial. Defection from the cause of God has its rise, generally, in small beginnings. If, for instance, we begin, for the sake of a little popularity, or a little personal gratification, a trifle of additional wages, or to please earthly friends, practically to compromise some principle, or give public countenance to what is condemned in our Testimony, the downward course is entered on, the issues of which no one can foretell. We believe this has an illustration in the present position in which a large section of a distinguished witnessing body has come to be placed. Our own safety, as a witnessing remnant in the land, depends in no small degree on the measure in which a spirit of self-denial remains among us, both as ministers and people.

The first generation of the Constitutional Presbytery, and we believe also of the Original Burghers, being embued with this spirit, left the world with clean garments. But not so the second. The first generation also of the Protestors did the same. The last public acts of the last of these fathers, seeing a spirit of impatience under the cross of isolation and connection with a small uninfluential body, consisted in doing what he could to check this spirit, and impress on the minds of those he was soon to leave behind him the duty of continued steadfastness, though few admired and commended the doings of the Free Church at the time more than he did. Of this the pamphlet Day and Duty is a standing memorial.

There are two things which tend to give hope of future steadfastness to the Original Secession Synod. The one is, that a number of the younger ministers, who are now coming to be of the elder class, through the measure of self-denial and love of principle with which they were imbued, stood the ordeal of the Disruption and adhered to the little Synod, instead of following in the wake of the great majority of the ministers and both their Professors, and acceding to such a large and influential body as the Free Church. The second is the small temptations of a worldly kind, or rather the great discouragements of this nature which young men are tested by, in studying for the holy ministry in connection with the Synod. Here is a cross which they have to meet, and bear at almost every step of their progress. They are thus taught to count the cost early, and beginning in a spirit of self-denial, they are the more likely to persevere, and to be influenced

But in connec

by higher considerations than mere worldly prospects. tion with this, there is a question which demands the serious and prayerful consideration of the people generally-viz. Is there not far too large a share of the cross of worldly sacrifice left to be borne by the ministers? The natural abilities, which are one special qualification for the office of the ministry, and the long and expensive as well as arduous course of preparation which they must undergo as an apprenticeship, are such as would fit them for occupying a position in other lines of business so as generally to secure double, yea, triple the income which they have in the ministerial office; in which they are generally, if they have not other sources of supply, put to their wits' end how to sustain themselves and their families in the position which, according to the usages of society, it is deemed necessary for them to occupy. Ought not this sacrifice, in all reason and equity, to be more generally borne by the members collectively? The members, generally, do not sacrifice the one twentieth part of what it is the lot of ministers to do. They may have the cross of travelling some greater distance on the Sabbath, and this is only the burden of some. They may have the drawback of being connected with a small body; but such is the state of society, happily, that if they are consistent, this is no disparagement. And their pecuniary sacrifice, as compared with others, scarcely deserves to be mentioned.

Still we would say, let the ministers of the Original Secession rather glory in this part of the cross which they are called to bear than weary of it. Having food and raiment, though even this should be sometimes bare enough, let them be therewith content. It is a light cross compared with what God's witnesses have been called to bear. In relation to this the prophet's words apply in all their emphasis, "If thou hast run with the footmen and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, in which thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swellings of the Jordan?" And if the excellent of the earth in the past, instead of wearying of unspeakably greater tribulations, have been made to glory in them, should we not count it an honour to suffer lesser trials for the sake of Christ and His truth; and, instead of murmuring, bear them cheerfully. There is no cause to think that any will see cause to regret at last any of the sacrifices which they made for the kingdom of heaven's sake, but rather account all they did in this way as nothing. This, however, will not stand in the judgment as an excuse for the Christian people if they neglect their duty.

It may not be unnecessary to add to this disquisition, that faith is essential to true self-denial; faith in its being the truth and cause of God for which we suffer; faith in the unseen and the eternal; and faith

in the faithfulness of Him who hath given the assurance, that "there is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and the Gospel's, but he shall receive an hundred-fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life." But can this be so ? Yes it can, in a very high sense. For faithful is He who hath promised. He will assuredly perform.

THE UNION MOVEMENT.

THE agitation for the union of the Presbyterian Churches in Britain is now the absorbing question in Scottish ecclesiastical society, and though the discussion of this question in the Presbyteries of the respective Churches has been characterised by a remarkable sameness, this subject seems to demand some notice. We should know better than many the difficulties and dangers of negotiations for union, having taken active and earnest part in two successful and two unsuccessful movements for union. If we have not seen cause to rejoice in the efforts which have been and are being made on an extensive scale for this end at present, it has not been from party spirit or want of desire to see the mournful divisions of the Church truly healed. As Original Seceders, we would belie our principles did we not honestly and earnestly desire this delightful consummation, holding as we do, in addition to other considerations, that we are under the strongest obligation, that of oath and covenant, to seek this by the Solemn League and Covenant entered into nationally and ecclesiastically in 1643. Nor would anything cheer us more than to witness and take part in a movement for union animated by the spirit of that deed, as expressed in these words:

"We all subscribe, and each one of us for himself, with our hands lifted up to the most high God, do swear

"1. That we shall sincerely, really, and constantly, through the grace of God, endeavour, in our several places and callings, the preservation of the reformed religion in the Church of Scotland, in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, against our common enemies; the reformation of religion in the kingdoms of England and Ireland, in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, according to the Word of God and the example of the best reformed churches (at the head of which the Church of Scotland confessedly was)."

The object of this League was not to bring down the Church of Scotland from her Scriptural attainments to some middle platform of union, to meet on this ground the partially reformed Churches of England and Ireland, but to preserve all the Scriptural attainments of the

one and remove the deformities of the other negotiating Churches. And the catholicity of the movement is shown by the concluding words of the Covenant :

"Most humbly beseeching the Lord to strengthen us by His Holy Spirit for this end, and to bless our desires and proceedings with such success as may be deliverance and safety to His people, and encouragement to other Christian Churches groaning ander, or in danger of, the yoke of Antichristian tyranny, to join in the same or like association and covenant, to the glory of God, the enlargement of the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and the peace and tranquillity of Christian kingdoms and commonwealths."

But while we would feel bound to hail a movement for union characterised by this spirit, our principles embodied in our sworn-to testimony teach us to dread and eschew union movements animated by the latitudinarian principle of "agreeing to differ" as to any part of ascertained Scriptural truth and duty. And from the commencement we could see no rational prospect of union being effected between the leading parties concerned, except on the terms on which so many Original Seceders acceded to the Free Church in 1852-viz. liberty to hold their peculiar principles as their own individual opinions— or a basis corresponding to that on which the United Presbyterian Church now stands, that of allowing parties to hold and advocate different sentiments as to the establishment principle. This is a kind of platform which admits of indefinite expansion. Nor could we doubt, from the known sagacity of the leaders of the Free Church, that in the opening of negotiations they contemplated giving their consent to such terms of union. Indeed, they had actively given countenance to such terms of union in the colonies. In the earlier debates in the United Presbyterian Synod, as well as in the first draft of the results of conferences in committee, there were some indications that the United Presbyterians would make some concession to the Free Church, when such men as Dr. Cairns and Dr. Marshall made vigorous efforts to smooth down Voluntaryism. But the subsequent speeches of the Davidsons, the Edmonds, and the Huttons, in a contrary direction, and the applause with which these were received by the audiences, as well as the necessity which the Synod felt of yielding to a demand for a public discussion of the question after agreeing that it should be in private, almost all ground for the hopes of any such concession to the Free Church were dissipated. And it has now become manifest that United Presbyterians are so far from yielding to or adopting the position of the Free Church in regard to national religion, that there has been a more open avowal of the Voluntary principle as that of United Presbyterians than ever had been previously made. Formerly it was rather the tolerated

Since this was in type, Dr. Marshall, at a meeting of the Perth Presbytery of United Presbyterians, avowed his Voluntaryism as strongly as ever, and his determination to abide by it.