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of His goodness perish; and, on the whole, it were better for them that they never were born.

'God is love.'

"His love is another thing. 'Greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for his friends.' 'Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for it,' &c. . . . Is Christ, and what He did and suffered, a part of that common creation-goodness, rain and sunshine, which is quite compatible with ultimate tremendous perdition; or is it the gift, the pledge, the assurance of this great love wherewith the Father hath loved us? &c.

"Dr. Wardlaw seems to me to evacuate the doctrine of substitution. Try your hand on this subject. I wish I saw a good volume on it.

"In regard of His obedience unto death, God hath exalted Christ to the throne of the universe. He hath constituted Him the Ruler, Saviour, and Judge of the world; and it is to His Church He is Head over all things. Under Christ's mediatorial sway our race is under a dispensation of forbearance and mercy. God is long suffering in crder to salvation. There is no doubt of His sincerity in all that. And should there be any ground to suspect the sincerity of His command to every man to repent, kiss the Son, believe on Him, and obey Him? Is He not a complete, all-sufficient, and authorised Saviour? Is it not unquestionably true, that whosoever believeth in Him shall be saved? Are not sinners saved every day by obeying this command, in faith of this promise? What, then, are we to think of any guilty worm of the dust, who demands of Christ a sight of the secret instructions, the private understanding between Him and His Father, before he will choose to trust himself to Him? Dr. Wardlaw's book is, I fear, an attempt to gratify this impudent demand. And a wretched account he gives of the secret instructions.

"Wardlaw's doctrine of the Holy Spirit is somewhat orthodox in theory. But it is mere theory; a thing which he speculatively believes, but which he evacuates in practice. I fear he has no idea of a sinner being willing to believe-anxious to do soa terror of dying out of Christ, but unable to lay hold of Him to the effect of knowing that he has committed to Him what He will keep to the great day; in short, a man who, with all his willingness, fear, and strength, is just at the mercy of the Holy Spirit to say to him, Live, or to let him justly perish. Better for him to be bringing sinners to this state, than be bringing them up with fancies that they can walk into salvation right foot foremost. 'What would you have?' says the Doctor. 'Christ has atoned for you as much as for the elect. You can understand, love, choose, believe. Do not tell me you are unable; you are only unwilling. You can, if you will.' And worthy Newton's 'I would, but can't repent; I would, but can't believe,' he brands as false philosophy and unsound theology. Now the Doctor ought to speak as in Christ's stead. I suppose Christ addressing me as Dr. W. does: 'Believe in Me.' 'Oh, alas I can't.' 'Don't tell Me so; you can, if you will; it is all your own fault; I am not obliged to make you willing.' And were I to pray Him to create a new heart in me, and give me His Spirit to make me willing, on W.'s principles He would scout the petition. Thus it is that Wardlaw practically evacuates all prayer for the Spirit to give ability to repent, believe, &c. His nine students have, with fatal consistency, discarded the theoretical incumbrance. Why burden ourselves with a theory which contradicts, if acted on, our principles of human ability? Wardlaw himself supposes, in some of his arguments, the influence of the Spirit being unknown and unrevealed. Here again be betrays himself; that his faith is just a speculative belief in certain dogmas-the divinity of Christ, universal atonement, &c. &c.—and not a trust in Christ and in His Spirit for through bearing. This is not 'walking in the Spirit,' being 'led by the Spirit' of Christ, and through the Spirit mortifying the deeds of the flesh.””

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Discourses by the late Rev. David Duncan, Minister of the United Presbyterian Church, Howgate. With a Memoir of his Life. Edited by his Brothers. Edinburgh: William Oliphant & Co. 1867.

We have read a number of the sermons in this volume with no ordinary

satisfaction, our time not permitting us to read all. Though the sermons have been selected from those preached by Mr. Duncan in the ordinary course of his ministry, such were the preacher's full and careful preparations, both as to strictly logical style and scriptural statement and discussion, that they appear to no disadvantage. The sermon on "Holiness," in three parts, is so comprehensive, so accurate in its theology, and so faithful, as to show that the congregation enjoyed no mean privilege who sat under such a ministry. We give the following complete exposure of the unscriptural use of the word "saints," contracted "St." of Popish original, long practised in the Prelatic Churches, but now also made profuse use of by Presbyterians and Independents, under the influence of fashion versus principle. The extract is as follows:

"Are you possessors of the holiness which has been described? The epithet, a saint or holy person, is a distinctive one; that is, it is employed in Scripture to distinguish believers in Christ from the rest of mankind. It is applied to no others. But while it discriminates Christians from others, it is never used to discriminate among Christians themselves. In the Church of Rome, it is given by way of distinction to the apostles and evangelists, and to others, in subsequent times, who have been worthy of a special respect and honour, on account of peculiar excellences, real or supposed. But such an application of it is wholly unscriptural; and, though sanctioned by the phraseology used by many who might be aware of its tendency, should be carefully avoided as mischievous and hurtful to true religion, seeing it creates and fosters in the minds of many the notion, that the excellences which entitle to the distinction of saintship are attainable only by a few individuals, and that it is not necessary for them to be saints, or holy persons. In Scripture, all Christians are spoken of as saints; and those who are not saints have no right to be recognised as Christians. They are not acknowledged to be such by Christ, and to them He will say at His glorious appearing, 'Depart from me, I never knew you.""

There are two excellent sermons on the Holy Spirit, the fulness and earnestness of which, on this subject, it is delightful to meet. From an able disquisition on Romans viii. 26, 27, we give the following passage:

"Oh, poor indeed would be the answer to prayer, were it regulated by our apprehensions-by the modes of conception, or the extent of view, which even the most pious and enlightened Christian is capable of attaining. The consciousness of this physical infirmity-this incapacity to form a full or perfectly correct apprehension of the blessings which we, prompted and directed by the Spirit, ask from God-has a tendency to distress and discourage us when we draw near to Him in prayer. But is there any valid cause for the distress and discouragement which it occasions? No; for this is the consolation which we are authorised to appropriate. The prayers in which the mind labours, and to a considerable extent labours in vain, to grasp the full meaning of our own petitions, are not merely our prayers, but the intercession of the Spirit for us; and as it is the Spirit who prays in us, while we adopt the language which He has taught us in the Scriptures to employ, and, as far as we can, the idea which it embodies, so the prayer will be answered, not according to the physical incapacity of our minds, or our weak and imperfect apprehension of the subject, but according to the mind of the Spirit, in the language of inspiration. Do you pray for release from condemnation, and an interest in the divine favour? You know not the power of God's anger, and cannot estimate aright the life which lies in His favour.

But in answer to your prayer, you will be delivered not merely from the evils which* you dread, but from all that the Spirit knows to be involved in the curse of the law; and you will receive not only the good which you anticipate, but all that He meant to express by 'justification of life.' Or do you pray for ultimate admission to heaven? You have a very imperfect idea of the meaning of the figurative language employed in Scripture to describe its glory and blessedness, and necessarily employed by you in your supplications respecting it. But in answer to your prayers, you will hereafter obtain, not the defective felicity which is present to your minds, but all the happiness which was present to the mind of the Spirit when He dictated the words of the Scriptures. Yes, it is the Spirit who maketh intercession for us; and He intercedes for us 'according to God'—that is, not only in harmony with the will of God, but according to the whole extent of God's meaning and intention in every gracious promise which we plead, and in every celestial prospect presented to our hope. And God, who 'knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,' or who perceives and sanctions its whole compass, answers our prayers in accordance with it. It is on this ground that we are encouraged to expect, in answer to prayer, more than we are able to ask or to think— more than we can adequately express in human language, and more than any conceptions of the words of promise that can be formed by our minds. For when we use the language of Scripture to express our desires, it is the Spirit who prays in us, and the answer will be in harmony with His mind."

We give this passage and the thoughts expressed as worthy of

consideration.

Lessons from the Life of the Late James Nisbet, Publisher, London. A Study for Young Men. By the Rev. J. A. Wallace, Author of Pastoral Recollections, Communion Services, &c. &c. &c. Edinburgh: Johnston, Hunter, & Co. London : Hamilton, Adams, & Co.; James Nisbet & Co. 1867.

Ir is meet that a gentleman who so abounded in the performance of varied Christian duty as the late Mr. Nisbet, though dead, should continue to speak in a faithful record of his manner of life. Mr. Wallace had a noble character to pourtray, and has exhibited a bright example in a pleasing statement of well attested facts, which is calculated at once to encourage and stimulate young men in the outset of life to cultivate religious principles, regular habits in everything, and careful abstinence from every form of temptation to deviate from the path of rectitude.

Mr. Nisbet left his father's house, in the neighbourhood of Kelso, at an early age, with resources which barely set him down free in London. He began life there with a salary of some £50. But by being enabled resolutely to resist temptation, and exercise strict economy in the very commencement of his London career, he contributed to sixteen different religious and charitable objects, as well as sent handsome presents to his parents. Beginning business at length on a small scale-his first transaction being the sale of a Shorter Catechism to a child-in connection with diligent attendance on the means of grace, and close attention to business, he rose to occupy a conspicuous position in the commercial world, and a very distinguished place as a member or officebearer in the Christian Church, as well as to that of an eminent philan-"

thropist. Notwithstanding all the demands of business on his time, he is found taking an active part in the management of some fifty institutions of a religious and philanthropic kind; was most punctual in attending committee meetings; and either from his own resources, or as a collector for such objects, it appears from entries in his books that no less than £145,339 16s 4d passed through his hands towards such objects. To how many individuals he acted as a succourer and friend, in various ways, a future day only will reveal their name is legion. His own donations and subscriptions to religious objects were generally on a munificent scale-often some one, two, or three hundred pounds, sometimes a thousand and more. His death was instantaneous, so that he neither saw the approach nor felt the pain thereof. His transit from time into eternity was in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.

That testimonies to his character and his deeds of kindness should be showered in on surviving friends after his death is no more than was to be expected. Brief extracts from twenty-six of these, from individuals, are given in the volume. The amount of work performed by him would seem incredible, were it not borne witness to by so much documentary evidence. The volume is handsomely got up; and, as might have been expected from his known character, the biographer of Mr. Nisbet has well executed his delightful task. We would pray that the exhibition of an example so remarkable may be blessed to many.

Whose are the Fathers? Or the Teaching of certain Anglo-Catholics on the Church and its Ministry, contrary alike to the Holy Scriptures, to the Fathers of the First Six Centuries, and to those of the Reformed Church of England. With a Catena Patrum of the First Six Centuries, and of the English Church of the latter half of the Sixteenth Century. By John Harrison, Curate of Pittsmoor, Sheffield. London: Longmans, Green, & Co. 1867.

(Second Notice.)

THERE is one important fact placed prominently before the eye of the intelligent and attentive reader of this volume by a large induction of evidence. The fact to which we refer is the clear and distinct, and we might also say, the broad line of demarcation which is drawn between the inspired writings and those of the early fathers of the Christian Church. There is a gap between the two kinds of writing in respect of time. While the writings of the inspired penmen have been all in the orderings of Divine Providence infallibly preserved, scarcely any uninspired writings of such as had held personal intercourse with the Apostles, if they ever existed, have escaped destruction. It has also been wisely ordered, that almost all the writings, except the inspired, which lay claim to be of that ancient date, are such as assume no authority, as are confessedly mere human expositions, are manifestly so spurious, or have been so corrupted or interpolated, as to

be utterly valueless as authorities on any subject. In the striking words of Dr. Hawes-in passing beyond the boundary line of the inspired record "We step from the blaze of day into the regions of doubt and twilight. The moment we quit the oracles of truth we are left to grope our way through the feeble glimmerings of works which have been handed down through a succession of ages; whose authenticity have been disputed by some, and which by more have been charged with interpolations."

There is also another very marked line of distinction between the inspired writings and those of the best of the ancients-viz. The marked difference between the spirit, the style, and the sentiments by which they are pervaded. Of this there is the most palpable evidence in the numerous quotations given in this work, of which the following are specimens :

"As therefore the Lord did nothing without the Father, 'For,' says he, 'I can of myself do nothing; so neither do ye anything without the bishop, whether he be presbyter, or deacon, or layman;' neither endeavour to let anything appear rational contrary to his judgment, for such a thing is wicked and inimical to God."-Ignatius. "It is a good thing to have regard to God and the bishop; he that honoureth the bishop shall be honoured of God. But he that does anything without his knowledge ministers to the devil. Nor is there any one more honourable in the Church than the bishop, being consecrated to God for the salvation of the world."-Ibid.

Ignatius was one of the best of the fathers, and a martyr. These things may be interpolations in the writings of this father, which shows the untrustworthiness of such guides; or, if genuine, they show how early the spirit of Popery developed itself in the primitive Church.

The following is a specimen of extravagant and senseless writing :"Forasmuch as the Presbyters make mention who saw John, the disciple of the Lord, that they heard from him after what manner the Lord spoke of those times, and he said—' The days shall come in which vines shall be produced, each having ten thousand boughs, and on one bough ten thousand branches, and on one branch ten thousand switches, and on every switch ten thousand bunches, and in every bunch ten thousand grapes, and every grape, when pressed, shall yield twenty-five measures of wine.' After the same manner, also, a grain of wheat shall produce ten thousand ears.... Nor am I ignorant that every ear shall have ten thousand grains, and every grain ten pounds of fine pure flour."

The following passage in our author's introduction to his work will indicate to our readers the spirit by which he has been animated in his undertaking :

"The doctrine held by certain Anglicans, that an uninterrupted stream of grace has come down to the English Church from Christ, through the Apostles, exclusively by the episcopal office, and that without such grace, so communicated, there cannot be a valid Church and valid sacraments, is either a dangerous delusion, or, to use the words of a recent writer, 'is one of the most fundamental of all Church principles.' It is a doctrine to which no well instructed Christian can be indifferent. Were it an innocent fiction, the case would be materially altered; for although we might pity the man who believed so much on insufficient evidence, yet, if his general faith were not

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