no slight evidence of the eminence which its possessors had attained in literature and science. Much, indeed, that has been said upon the subject may be regarded as fabulous, still the belief was too general, and the evidence too systematic, to admit of any doubt regarding the fact of its existence, although its value and extent may both have been over-rated. Its utter disappearance is, indeed, a strange circumstance, but far from sufficient to invalidate the declarations affirmative of its existence, especially if we take into consideration the many changes which befell the monastery, and the many hostile visitations to which it was subjected. For, supposing that some of the relics of its ancient learning had remained until a date posterior to the ruthless ravages of the Danish barbarians, and the relentless enmity of England's first Edward, yet is it most probable that the monks who inhabited Iona at the era of the Reformation, would, on their departure, have left little of value behind them, to abide the just, although perhaps too indiscriminate, indignation of a zealous Reformation,-or to satisfy, at an after period, the curiosity of a tyrant Protector; so that the shelves of the Vatican, or the repositories of Douay and Ratisbon may alone be able to convey information regarding the lost library of Iona. At the death of Columba, indeed, his seminary scems to have emitted a bright radiance, which reached through the length and breadth of Scotland, dispelling the gloom of Pagan superstition, and thawing, by its warmth, the icy hearts and frozen manners of its rude population. The exertions of the monks of Iona were not confined to the cultivation of the mind merely, but by introducing, and themselves practising, the useful arts, they trained the natives to habits of exertion, and rendered them familiar with some of the comforts and conveniences of life; so that under the influence of pure and pious precept, coupled with a righteous and industrious example, the uncultivated manners of the nation began gradually to be softened, and the charac ter of the people to assume a milder aspect. A CONTRAST BETWEEN THE UNRENEWED AND THE RENEWED MAN: A DISCOURSE. BY THE REV. W. NICOLSON, For I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." -ROM. vii. 9. PAUL having, by a process of close and powerful reasoning, proved and illustrated the doctrine of justification by faith, has, with no less zeal and cogency of argument, shown the necessity of sanctification of heart, and holiness of life, in the case of all who are thus justified. This he did, in order to obviate an objection which they who were not under the sanctifying influence of the truth might be disposed to urge against the doctrine in question, namely, that it destroyed the obligation to practical obedience, and also to prevent the licentious use which some might be disposed to make of this doctrine, in supposing themselves to be thereby freed from all obligation to holiness of life. Having thus, upon the one hand, combated and overturned the objections of those whose zeal for the law might induce them to reject the doctrine of justification by faith, and, upon the other hand, shut up the avenue to licentiousness which they who disregarded the law might have conceived this doctrine to have opened to them, he proceeds to illustrate, in strong and powerful language, the different consequences of a right and of a wrong apprehension of the law. In doing this, he declares his own experience upon the subject, showing how he felt, and how he acted, while ignorant of the excellency, the extent and spirituality of the law, in striking contrast with his feelings and his actions, after his mind had been enlightened upon this point. The sum and substance of this experience may be considered as expressed in the words of my text, "For I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." That is, as if the apostle had said, When was without the true knowledge of the divine law, and had it only in the letter, but knew not its power, I was, in my own estimation, alive. I conceived myself to be a holy and righteous man, being altogether without any conviction or consciousness of that state of spiritual death in which I then was; but when the commandment came to me in its power, and reached my conscience; when the law in its true character, and in its spirituality, was revealed to me, it then discovered to me my guilt, and sin was exhibited to me in all its deformity, so that I saw myself to be dead in trespasses and in sins. Here, then, we are led to consider, I. The character here given of a sinner without the law. And let it be observed, that when the apostie speaks of himself as without the law, it is not to be understood that he was ignorant of the existence and literal requirements of the divine law. On the contrary, he was well instructed therein. Paul was brought up in the knowledge of the Jewish religion, educated under Gamaliel a noted doctor of the law in Israel, and, moreover, was very zealous for the law. His own declaration upon this subject was, that he was taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God; and that after the strictest sect he lived a Pharisee. He was not, therefore, without the literal knowledge of the law. This knowledge, however, being unaccompanied by any spiritual illumination, was altogether unproductive of any spiritual fruits; and of so little value did he hold it, after his conversion to the faith, and so utterly worthless did he regard it, that he declares, concerning himself, that he was then without the law. Notwithstanding his liberal education, notwithstanding his zeal, and his Pharisaical and punctilious strictness about the formalities of his religion, now that he is enlightened by the Spirit of God, and brought under the sanctifying influence of the truth, he regards all this education, and all this his former zeal and strictness, as of no account, in so far as a proper and acceptable obedience to the spirit of the law was concerned. All his knowledge had utterly failed to discover to him the true demerit and malignity of sin. It had utterly failed to discover to him his own moral guilt and pollution, It had not filled his mind with just views of the | holy and spiritual nature of the law of God, nor of the spiritual nature of the service which it required. In all these respects he was then without the law. In so far as the power and spirit of the law was concerned, he was as one who knew it not. without the true knowledge of the law, and living in a way utterly opposed to its design, can never imply the possession of a principle of spiritual life. We conceive, then, that when the apostle here says, that, in these circumstances, he was alive, he asserts what he then conceived of himself. In his own view of his case, he was a righteous Now, is the apostle to be considered as here person. Nothing was then farther from his imastating any thing peculiar to his own case? or does gination than to conceive, that he who was so he not assert concerning himself what is true zealous for the law, and so strict in his observance concerning thousands besides? All, as well as the of what he conceived to be its demands, could be apostle, who are strangers to the spirit and power at the same time contending against God, and of the law of God, may be said to be without the wofully sunk in the polluted mire of spiritual law. Nor is it to such as have never had that death. No feeling seemed to be more predomilaw revealed to them, that these words apply. If nant in his mind in those days of his legal religion, it was true of Paul that, notwithstanding all his than that of self-righteousness. Proud and selflearning, and all his knowledge of the letter of justified, he looked with implacable resentment the law, he was, nevertheless, virtually without upon the followers of Jesus; and the deep and law, so long as he remained a stranger to its spirit humbling consciousness of his own guilt and and its power, is it not equally true of every danger, never took possession of his haughty spirit. other whose heart and whose life may not be The language of his heart was, "Stand by, for I under its influence, whatever may be the extent am holier than thou!" With his mind thus filled of his learning, or the degree of his attainments? with the delusive impression of his own righteousThus the words of the apostle, in which he de-ness, he had no other conviction than that he was clares his own experience, will find their applica- indeed alive, in the fullest sense of the term. This tion in the case of every individual among the was his belief, and this he here declares, when he unrenewed and unsanctified, who, although having says, "I was alive without the law!" the Christian name, and externally enjoying the Christian's privileges, are destitute of the saving knowledge of divine truth, and have never felt its transforming efficacy. In the context, and in other parts of this Epistle, the apostle gives a full explanation of the principle upon which the human heart thus deceives the sinner. While blind to the holiness Such, then, being the import of the apostle's and spirituality of the law, sin is not perceived in assertion, that he was without the law, it is ob- its true character. The law is the mirror in which vious that his life, instead of being what that law the sinfulness of sin is perceived, and its conrequired, must have been a habitual contravention demning power recognized and felt; if, then, our of its spirit. And so of all to whom the expres- perceptions of the law be indistinct and erronesion now under review will apply. Even although ous, so must our perceptions of sin. Hence, the you may not, like him, hale men and women to apostle says, in the last clause of the preceding prison, and persecute them unto the death, yet if verse, without the law sin is dead; " that is, your hearts and affections have not been discip- without a right knowledge of the law, we are not lined into a cordial acquiescence in all its pre-conscious of the motions of sin within us. "Nay," cepts, your perceptions opened to a right apprehension of its holiness and universality, and your whole conduct chastened and purified by an abiding impression of its obligation, you cannot be regarded, in the eye of God, as living otherwise than without the law. Your zeal for its forms may be apparent to all, your punctuality in their observance worthy of all imitation, and yet you may be unsanctified in spirit. The divine beauty and glory of the law you may not have seen, its spiritual power you may not have felt, and hence may still be said of you, that you are without the knowledge of the law. it In such circumstances as those we have now described, the natural conclusion which we would draw concerning the sinner would be, that he was dead in trespasses and sins. How is it, then, that Paul says of himself, that he was alive? I was alive without the law once." He could not here mean to assert, surely, that he was spiritually alive; for such an assertion, in the circumstances referred to, would have been directly opposed to the whole tenor of Scripture. To be says he, in the 7th verse, "I had not known sin, but by the law." However polluted and sinful we may be, if we have not a clear view of the mirror in which we may see ourselves, our pollution and sin will not be perceived. Being thus unconscious of sin, it remaineth as dead within us, and we suppose ourselves to be free from its contamination and condemnation. And again, where no law is, there is no transgression. And hence the obvious conclusion, that when we do not perceive the law, neither do we perceive the transgression. When we are blind to the nature of the law's demands, we are equally blind to our own deficiencies. And in such a case, the feeling is that we are alive, that our state is good and safe, sound and healthful. This, then, is just the very idea which Paul here declares he had of himself previous to his conversion, when he says, "I was alive without the law once." I conceived myself to be whole and sound in my religious state and character. I was conscious of no principle of spiritual death working my destruction. I thought and felt as if all had been going well with me. alive. I was ignorant of the law, and felt as Such, then, being the state and character of the apostle previously to his obtaining a right and spiritual apprehension of the law, and consequently a right apprehension of himself, mark the contrast exhibited in his case after his obtaining this apprehension. His lofty thoughts were humbled. All his self-righteousness fled; and, instead of life, he only saw death-instead of health, he saw himself to be overspread with a deadly disease. This will appear more fully, when we proceed, II. To consider the change which is produced by a right apprehension of the law, and by a proper feeling of its sacred obligation. "When the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." he set. But there was a power which study cannot command, and an influence which learning cannot produce, put forth upon his mental vision, whereby the darkness of his mind was dispelled, and truths which formerly he could not understand were clearly exhibited to his view. Errors and prejudices, which formerly entangled and perverted his perceptions, were wholly dissipated, and the stubbornness of his unsanctified heart was subdued into the compliance and docility of a child. Although, as his subsequent history abundantly proves, his fortitude and holdness did not forsake him, yet his mind was chastened by the mild principles of the Gospel. It is easy to see then, brethren, that in bringing the commandments of our God with power and with saving efficacy to the hearts and consciences of sinful men, there is something far different from mere human agency necessary. Use the holy will and purpose of God, it is nevertheless totally inadequate of itself to the working out of that change in the moral constitution of man, whereby he becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus. And after all the toils and labours of the most faithful and patient research, man may still be virtually without the right knowledge of the law of his God, and may be spiritually dead when he thinks himself alive. And in all the pride of intellect, and in all the consciousness of lofty attainments, and in all the complacency of Pharisaical self-righteousness, and in all the superciliousness of a fancied superiority to others, may the sinner carry his head in the lofty attitude of an implied defiance of all challenge and of all scrutiny, while in the view of God he may be covered over with the leprosy of sin, and there may not be about When you consider the coming of the commandment, as here set in opposition to being without the law, there can be no great difficulty in perceiving its meaning. As, to be without lawful as that agency may be, in subserviency to has been shown to signify, not without a literal knowledge of the law, but without a spiritual knowledge of it; so, the coming of the commandment signifies, not the communication of a knowledge of the commandment in the letter, but the communication of the knowledge of it in its spirit and power. We have already seen, that in the former sense Paul was well acquainted with the law; but now he refers to the period when the heavenly light shone forth upon him, and when the commandment of his God came to him in power, and with divine illumination. This took place with him on the occasion of his memorable journey to Damascus, with intent to apprehend such as called upon the name of Jesus, and to carry them bound to Jerusalem. When prosecuting his journey, filled with the most hostile feelings and designs against the Christians, he was sud-him a single feature of a heavenly character. denly arrested in the way by a heavenly vision, and then it was the commandment came to him. A mighty revolution was effected in the whole condition of his inner man. His persecuting weapons fell from his grasp. His hostile purposes all evanished. The law and commandment of his God exhibited to his astonished mind a new bearing and complexion. The whole purpose of his soul was changed. Now, how was it that all this was accomplished? Was it by means of any revelation to him of a law of which he had never heard before? Had he been till then ignorant of God's revelations? Is it not most obvious, that there was something altogether different from any external revelation of a law before unknown? The whole was brought about by an internal revelation. It was all the effect of divine and spiritual illumination, whereby light was cast upon purposes and plans of mercy long foretold. The apostle was not remitted to the study of the law, in order to find out the perfect will of God, of which he was so ignorant. The whole of his remaining lifetime might have been spent in this study, without his advancing one step in the removal of that vail which overhung his perceptions. To no such fruitless labour was Your knowledge of the law may be extensive and minute, and, like Paul the persecutor, you may be zealous for its forms, and yet the commandment may never have come to you in power; there is a mighty influence necessary to arrest the sinful tendency of your innate corruptions, and to give you the saving and sanctifying knowledge of the truth. The Spirit of God accomplishes this. It is his to renovate the dead soul, and arouse the sleeping energies of the human mind. It is his to remove the scales from the eye-balls of the blind, and to pour celestial light into the dark and dreary chambers of the sinner's breast. Do you ask why Paul designates such a change as this, by saying "I died!" The change in question seems obviously to have been rather a restoration to life-a clearing away of the mists of spiritual ignorance, and an opening of the eyes to a proper view of his most important interests. In trying to estimate the real state of the apostle's mind then, which prompted the expression now before us, we can hardly fail to perceive that his words imply that he died, or became spiritually dead in his own estimation. He then saw himself to be under the influence of spiritual death. He no longer gloried in his fancied conformity to the law of God, for, as that law now appeared to him, he felt that by its sanctions he was held under condemnation. He was just as truly dead in sin before, as he was after the coming of the commandment, but he knew it not. The clearer manifestation of the mirror, brought along with it also the clearer manifestation of the image it reflected. The former obscuration of the glass of the divine Word, caused a dim and indistinct reflection of the face of him who looked into it. The apostle's eyes being beclouded with the dense and defiled atmosphere of spiritual ignorance and legal righteousness, prevented him from obtaining a clear and distinct view of himself. But now this obscuration of the mirror of divine truth, and this bemisting of the apostle's vision, were removed by the cloudless splendour of the Sun of Righteousness, so that the haughty and law-learned disciple of Gamaliel, was exhibited to himself as a poor and guilty outcast from God, and utterly devoid of that righteousness which the law of immutable holiness unyieldingly demanded. One important feature of the change produced then, by a right apprehension of the law, is the totally different opinion which the sinner is led to form of himself. Formerly he gloried in the belief that he was more righteous than others, and for every admitted deficiency he found a ready apology. Now he is ready to hide his face in the confusion and the shame of self-condemnation. "Stand by, for I am holier than thou," was the exclamation of his former self-righteousness; but, "I am vile, what shall I answer?" is now the language of his new-born humility. In the pride of his unsubdued enmity, he formerly demanded, "Who is the Lord, that I should serve him?" but now, in humble submission, he inquires, "Lord, what wouldest thou have me to do?" And it is obvious, that this change in his own view of himself, is what the words of Paul denote when he says, "Sin revived and I died." But, again, when the change here implied takes place with the sinner, he becomes dead to sin. Formerly he was dead in sin, but now he is dead to sin. Sin has lost its attraction. The deceitful allurements which formerly surrounded it have disappeared, and it stands forth to his now refined and renovated vision in all its proper unseemliness. Now, in the process by which that is accomplished, there is no destruction of any one faculty of the mind; there is only the giving of a new direction to his faculties. The human mind is so constituted, that it must have some object on which to occupy its affections and desires. And, consequently, if you wish to remove your affections from any unworthy object, that must be done by substituting some other object. The mind cannot rest in utter vacuity; and, accordingly, if we would attempt to remove the love of the sinner from sinful objects, we must not think of accomplishing this by a mere act of separation, by merely turning away the affection of love from the unworthy object, and then leaving it to find a resting-place where it may. We must bring an other object forward, present it to the affections, and by introducing it, endeavour to displace the other. Hence the sinner does not become dead to sin, merely hy ceasing to love it, but he does so, by having his love directed to some other and more worthy object. The love of God takes place and precedence of love to sin; and when the true character of God is perceived, when his glorious perfections and his marvellous grace are revealed in the soul, then does the love of sin give way before this nobler and more satisfying direction and exercise of the affection; thus the renewed soul being filled with the love of God, there is no room left for the love of its former idols. The exercise of desire is still maintained, but it is now maintained in reference to more befitting objects. Sin has vacated the throne of the human heart, because God has claimed and taken possession of it. The world with its vanities has been displaced, not to leave empty the place which they had occupied, but to let that place be filled by other occupants. The affections of the new man are fully as much occupied as before, but they are occupied with better objects, the introduction of which rendered necessary the ejection of the former. How beautifully do we perceive these remarks verified and illustrated in the history of Paul! Before his conversion, how active and how zealous! Did this activity and this zeal, then, disappear after the heavenly vision by which his persecuting mission was so suddenly arrested? No; we find the same activity characterising him during all his future life; but it was called forth in a far nobler direction, and for a far nobler purpose. If he was ardent in his attachment before, he was no less ardent after his conversion. But his ardour had now another aim, and was under the impulse of purer principles. In turning totally away from the objects of his former pursuit, it was not that his powerful energies might settle down into aimless fatuity, but that they should burst forth with new splendour, and in another field make nobler efforts, and achieve a prouder victory. So is it with every sinner who becomes a soldier of the cross. Emancipated from the bondage of iniquity, he acquires new vigour with his freedom. The purer atmosphere which he breathes, and the nobler objects which he pursues, give an animation and a vigour which he felt not before, and with his new occupation there is a new character exhibited. Whereas he formerly satisfied himself with an easy profession, now he assumes the attitude of a wrestler. He strives to enter in at the strait gate, he fights the good fight of faith, he earnestly contends for the faith,-he reaches forth to the things that are before, that he may attain to the stature of perfection in Christ. Amen. A SABBATH IN NEW ZEALAND. AFTER a sail of about twelve miles, the boat was made fast in a small creek, and left there, while we proceeded on foot to the end of the journey, about three miles off, the walk lying through a natural garden of wild flowers, | among which a lofty variety of scented myrtle in full blossom, and the beautiful flower of the wild turnip, which grows upwards of six feet from the ground, were most conspicuous. About midway from the landingplace to the village where Mr Williams had to preach, we came to a village densely peopied, but the inhabitants of which continue in the darkness of ignorance, not withstanding the changes taking place in every direction around them. Here a couple of Englishmen have a saw-pit and reside; these are beginning, it may be hoped, to seek their own salvation; and that beginning displays itself in civility to the missionaries, of whom they now inquire why, in their visits to the villages beyond them, they never stop at the house of those of their own country. spread out their mats and sat cross-legged upon them; the inferior persons of the tribe, with the women and children ranging themselves in front and on his left hand, at the same time that a few individuals sat apart within the large porch of an adjoining house, and a very few were engaged at a little distance from the assembly, but within hearing, in cooking the eve-tide meal. They listened with mute attention to Mr Williams's discourse, for upwards of three quarters of an hour, when he was at length interrupted by several voices, some relating what they had been told by the followers of the false prophet; others making mention of the Scriptures which contradict his prophecies. One a chief, and, better still,-a Christian, stated that part of their unbelief consists in denying the possibility of ascending up into heaven, and proceeded to exemWe arrived, in a short time, at the hut of a poor plify a part of the doctrine taught by them in this way: fellow who is in the last stage of consumption, "wait--taking two pieces of dried grass, one piece he set ing," to use his own words," to fall asleep in Jesus, upright, and disposed the other in lesser pieces around in the hope of being raised again from the dead by him." it, so as to give to each of these the appearance of an As Mr Williams meant to have this day received him inclined plane, and to all of them different degrees of into the visible Church by the sacrament of baptism, inclination. Such being said to resemble the different an examination of this invalid took place, in the course ways men take to get to heaven; some walking along of which he gave satisfactory reason for the hope that level ground go very fast, till they arrive at the perwas in him. He believed himself to be a sinner, he pendicular ascent, but no sooner attempt to climb it, said, and that the whole of his past life must have been than they lose their footing and fall into a pit below, abominable in the sight of God; but nevertheless, he analogous to hell; others are a greater or less time in trusted in Christ that he was freely and fully forgiven reaching the turning point, but none are able to get all his sins, and would not be cast into the outer dark- beyond, except a few whom nothing can separate from ness," because of what the Bible told him about the Christ; but even these get not to heaven, and only death of Christ." If he lived, he hoped to spend all sleep an eternal sleep; while those who believe the the rest of his days in the service of God; and if he impostor's lies are introduced to an Elysium, the dedied, he expected to have part in the first resurrection. lights of which are altogether carnal, sensual, and But, at the same time that he expressed his desire for devilish. Mr Williams having answered the several baptism to be strong, he thought it would be proper to questions put to him, and apparently satisfied the inde lay it yet longer, lest he should recover strength, and quirers, resumed his discourse, and was listened to with with the recovery be drawn aside to forget God, and so quietness till the end. bring reproach upon the cause of the Redeemer. His fear of backsliding had been excited by the consideration of some cases of apostasy among his neighbours, many of whom have been turned aside by a false prophet that has risen up in the neighbourhood of Ranghiua; a native, who sets himself up as a teacher sent from God, and is suffered to deceive multitudes. His followers observe the last day of the week as holy, and desecrate the first. They profess, also, to approve of the sacred books, while they boldly avow their entire rejection of the Missionaries' interpretations. He declares himself to have been formerly one with Christ, but at the same time confesses to have been among the number of those by whom Christ was crucified. He promises peculiar privileges, both in time and for eternity, to those whom he succeeds in deceiving; yet admits his power to be limited, and that there are those who believe in the Saviour through the preaching of the Missionaries, over whom he will not be able to exercise any power, but who will die as they are living, in the faith and hope of the Gospel. His sayings and doings have staggered many, and, being a ventriloquist, he has deceived some and terrified others into the belief and confession of a lie by practising that art, and speaking to them in two voices, one of which he tells them is the voice of Atua, taking especial care at those times to make its oracular saying confirm his own previous declaration. We soon entered a populous village, remarkably clean and very neatly built, swarms of the inhabitants being in waiting to welcome us. These came forward with the outstretched hand: and Ekero! Ekero! from a hundred voices at once, plainly declared that we were looked upon in the light of "Friends!" A congregation was speedily gathered in a small square space, formed by three neighbouring huts, a large block of wood serving the Missionary to sit upon, while to the right of him, some old, white-haired chiefs, Taking our leave of these interesting villagers, we walked to another and more numerous cluster of huts, at some distance off, several of the natives going along with us. Part of the way led along the bank of the river, the tranquil repose of whose waters was undisturbed by any passing breath of wind; while on its surface, smooth as the silvered glass, earth and sky met together, as it were to confront one another with looks of peculiar loveliness. A few light and graceful canoes lay floating in readiness for their owners in the clear stream, but lay so lightly there that they seemed rather to grow out of the chrystal beneath them, than to be altogether foreign and distinct bodies. The sky was almost cloudless, the air serene and calm, every part of the picture in perfect keeping, and the whole scene as though inanimate nature both heard and obeyed the command which saith, "Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy." As we struck off from the side of the river, the tolling of a distant bell came tinkling across the valley, and announced the assembling of a body of natives to evening prayers at the village to which we were hastening. We had not much farther to go; but every turn of the path pleased the eye with a change of prospect, while it enabled us to perceive how dense the population is compared with that of the Bay of Islands. Having at last reached the expectant congregation, I was gratified to find it a large one. Upwards of three hundred persons were there, not, indeed, in a house made with hands, but in a large open space, in the centre of a wide-spread village, with the everlasting hills behind them, and the clear blue sky above, the green sward for their seat, and the homes of their fathers before and on either side of them, to remind of days gone by; and perhaps to tell of obscene rites and unclean superstitions, soon, it may be hoped, to be forgotten for ever, in the universal substitution of a ressonable faith,-a true and spiritual worship. The most i |