xii. 3, from which the Author shews, 1.what progress it is possible to make in the study and use of Scripture, without the special influence of the Holy Spirit; and, 2. as to what points we must look altogether to this sacred influence? It is possible, he remarks, without that special influence, to arrive at a bare belief in the truth of Scripture; possible to become acquainted with the contents of the sacred volume; possible to feel the highest admiration for parts of that volume; possible even clearly and strikingly to display its contents to others.

He may be a man of lively imagination, and conjure up the most attractive images for the illustration of the truth. He may be a master in composition, and therefore able to describe forcibly what he sees distinctly. But, nevertheless, all these powers and faculties may be called into action without the operation of any principle of piety, and, there fore, without the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit on the soul. Strong statements, or glowing descriptions, may be mere instruments which such a man employs for worldly purposes; to move or to con trol the mind of his hearers, to advance his interest, or to establish his reputation. As in the case of Saul, he may be thus associated with "the prophets," without loving the God of the prophets. Or, as in that of the individuals who "preached Christ from contention," he may be influenced by unholy motives, and yet employ the most sacred language. It is thus that an individual endowed with great natural powers, but a stranger to the grace of God, may strikingly exhibit to others the Redeemer whom he himself neglects; and may powerfully enforce on the consciences of others, obligations which he himself utterly disregards in practice, There are few, even of the devout ministers of the word of God, who do not at some moments feel the danger, in a greater or less degree, of this kind of hypocrisy. And there are, it is to be feared, cases in which the life of the individual is little better than one great practical falsehood from its commencement to its close. "This people draweth nigh to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." ›

pp. 44, 45.

Under the second head, the Preacher shews, that it is by the Holy Spirit we are led to make a personal application of the Holy Scripture to our own case; that it is the Spirit of God who endears the promises of Scripture to the heart; and that the same Divine Agent alone brings the word of God effectually to bear upon the temper and conduct. We must make room for the whole of the very striking remarks which occur under the third particular.

It is possible, as we have stated, without any special influence of the Holy Spirit, to admit the truth of Scripture. But, without his aid, we cannot obey the Scripture. It is the language of God himself," I will put my Spirit within thee, and cause thee to obey my statutes." "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh." Man, till brought under this new dominion, is always represented as a captive of

Satan--the world as his prison-and his lusts and appetites as the chains of his terrible bondage. But it is said," where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." As soon as this new influence is felt on the soul, our chains begin to drop from us. Like the Apostle in the dungeon, we find that some powerful hand is at work for our deliverance. Some angry temper is gradually quieted, some; lust is quenched, some passion is bridled. Our powers are gradually enlarged; until, at length, loosened from the bands which held us so long and so disgracefully, we "walk abroad in all the glorious liberty of the children of God." Then, and then only, it is that we arrive at a full perception of the truth of the declaration," If the Son make you free, then are ye free indeed." Compare, my brethren, the obedience of others with that of the individual who thus lives and walks in the power of the Spirit of God. How languid is the compliance of the one class; and how vigorous and decided that of the other! There are many complaints in society as to the dearth of practical religion. And most justly are these complaints in some instances urged, although not always upon right grounds, or in a right spirit, or by the individuals most authorized to urge them. But what is there which ought to inflict deeper anguish on the mind jealous for God, for the Saviour, and for the salvation of mankind, than the low standard of practice which prevails in the world? Suppose, my brethren, one of those happy spirits, acquainted only with the region of love and uninterrupted obedience in which he dwells, to be sent in search of the world appointed for our own habitation, and for which the Son of God lived and died-suppose him to alight amongst us, even on a Sabbath, and to see the multitudes who are profaning that holy day by business, idleness, or dissipation-suppose him to enter the public haunts of vice, and to mingle with the crowd living for this world, and forgetting God and eternity-suppose him to take his place in the family circle of multitudes professing to believe in Christ as the Son of God and the Saviour of the world-what, when he thus contemplated the too general spirit and temper of society-its worldliness, its selfishness, its levity, its indisposition to God and Christ, its feverish pursuit of present things, and its neglect of things to come-and, at the same time, contrasted this world with that which he inhabited, and the manner in which the will of God is "done on earth," with that in which it is " done in heaven,”—what would he think of the region he had visited? Would he not be disposed to conceive himself mistaken as to the globe on which he had rested-to abandon it in quest of some other region, the principles and practice of whose inhabitants might more strictly accord with their obligations, and ́ where the love manifested to them by a dying Saviour be followed by a grateful and affectionate compliance with his will, and devotion to his service?

. And to what cause may we ascribe this lamentable want of genuine godliness visible among us? To what but to the neglect of the influence of the Holy Spirit? It is the power of the Spirit alone, my brethren, which can produce in us conformity to the will of God and the mind of Christ. "My people," says the Rsalmist," shall be willing in the day of my power. "He will teach us his ways," says Isaiah, "and we

n

shall walk in his paths." Such are the declarations of God, and the state of the world around us will be found to illustrate and confirm them. It is those alone who, from day to day, and hour to hour, cast themselves upon the Divine power thus pledged to "work in them to will and to do of his good pleasure," who present us with the few bright spots, the Oases which meet and refresh us in the wilderness of life; who are at once the ornament and the joy of society, that "salt of the earth" which *serves to keep it from unmixed and irremediable corruption.

pp. 49-53. The text of the following discourse is taken from Eph. v. 9.; the plan is similar. The Author inquires, I. what useful or attractive qualities a man may possess by nature; and II. what are the qualities which the Spirit of God alone can impart. He may be an honest man-may be mild and gentle in his temper-may possess great benevolence-may be an ardent lover of his country-may possess much merely formal religion. But it is shewn under the second head, first, that the very qualities which may exist independently of the sanctifying influence of the Spirit of God, will, without it, be defective in their motive and character:' and secondly, that some qualities can have no existence in the mind except by that saving influence.”

There exists not, in the soul unvisited by the Holy Spirit, any really spiritual and heavenly affections, any desire to turn to God, the God of holiness and purity-to seek after him who is the Father, the Governor, the Saviour, the Sanctifier, the Judge of the world.... In short, my brethren, all those qualities which may be called by one general name, “spiritual"that is, all the qualities which respect God, the Saviour, the soul, and eternity-all these the Holy Spirit introduces into the heart, and perpetuates there. He is their Author and their Preserver: He sows the seed, and waters it with the dew of his blessing: He lights the flame, and supplies it with perpetual fuel: He lays the foundation, and erects upon it the lofty and stable superstructure. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, faith, meekness, and temperance." Even the very qualities to which we have before referred, of meekness, and justice, and benevolence, can exist only in a most imperfect form without Him; but of all the higher, purer qualities and graces-those which link us to heaven, which associate us with the Son of God, which constitute our glory in the eyes of the angels of God, which prepare and qualify us for a blessed immortality-the Spirit, and the Spirit alone, is the Living Fountain, the Beginning and the End. And what, my brethren, after all, is man without these qualities? Take some flattered. and favoured possessor of this world's virtues, who is at the same time. without the love of God in his soul. Is not this single blot in his character sufficient to darken all his other pretensions? Compare his case with that of another individual. Suppose a man with a high reputation for justice and kindness; but he has one fault: he neglects, he resists, he disobeys, he hates and outrages a tender Father. Do you call him virtuous now? Does not this vice, like a thick cloud, shade all the bright

ness of his character in your eyes? Do you not now regard his shew of virtue as a mere mask and mockery as a whited sepulchre, hiding beneath it bones and rottenness? Surely then you are bound to come to the same decision with regard to the man who, however adorned with the shew of moral virtue, has not in his soul the love of God his Father, and of Christ his Saviour. I say nothing of the defects of his justice, or kindness, or benevolence, though all these qualities are inevitably of stunted growth in the heart unvisited and unwarmed by the love of God and a Redeemer. But I speak especially of the want of that very love to his Creator and Redeemer. And, suppose him with all the moral qualities of an angel, yet, if he want this, I must contend that he is, as yet, a rebel against his Father's authority, and therefore unworthy of commendation. Tell us not of his "justice:" is he just to God? Tell us not of his "meekness:" does he acknowledge and feel the long-suf fering and tenderness of the Redeemer? Tell us not of his "love:" does he love the Saviour who loved him, and bought him with his own most precious blood? Does he act, even when his actions are the purest, from a right motive, on a right principle, with a right object? Is he not "living without God" in a world where all is the work of God, all the property of God; where all was lighted up by one touch of his hand, and will be extinguished by another? Is he not paying back the love of Christ with indifference, his graces with neglect, and, by daily acts of sin and worldliness, "crucifying the Son of God afresh?" My Christian brethren, the day is rapidly approaching when the pretensions of all are to be determined. Then we know that all the impenitent and unconverted shall "mourn apart." But, perhaps, amidst that miserable company, there will not be a more miserable creature than he who has been substituting names for things, worldly virtues for spiritual graces, scanty and irregular kindnesses to men for deep devotion, and faith, and love to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and who, buoyed up for a time by his self-conceit, or the flattery of others, sinks at length into the awful gulf prepared for all that "love not the Lord Jesus Christ în sincerity."" pp. 69-71.

We had marked several other passages for quotation, which our limits will not admit of our inserting. There is a beautiful sermon, entitled, "Looking unto Jesus" it has the rare merit of adhering to the scope of the passage, which is to furnish an antidote to weariness in religion. The preceding sermon on "Besetting Sins," is of excellent practical tendency, and is an allowable accommodation of the passage, although the inspired Writer had probably reference to a specific sin. Non loquitur autem de externis vel actualibus (ut vocant) peccatis, sed de ipso fonte; hoc est concupiscentia, quæ ita omnes nostri partes occupat, ut undique sentiamus nos teneri ejus laqueis. Such is the comment of Calvin, in which the most judicious expositors have concurred. The Christian a Son," (Ser. 19.) is an admirable sermon, perhaps one of the best; but it will not admit of detached extracts; and we prefer to select

our concluding specimen from the next sermon, on account of the excellent spirit which it breathes. The text is, Heb. xii. 14. "Follow peace with all men." In shewing, in the second place, to what extent we are to pursue it,' the Preacher remarks with great propriety, that, first, we are to "follow peace" with all nations; and he reprobates the unchristian spirit of national hostility, which often disguises itself under the name of patriotism. He then proceeds.

'But, secondly, you must follow peace with men of all opinions. Let me not be thought, my Christian brethren, in thus saying, to have any intention of confounding the everlasting distinctions of right and wrong; of maintaining the latitudinarian notion, that a man's sentiments matter nothing, if only he act fairly and consistently up to them. I know that he who believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and that he who believeth not shall be damned;" and, therefore, that it behooves every man to look well to the course he is steering, and not madly to rush on without the chart and compass of holy Scripture. But, at the same time, is it impossible there should be peace even among those who differ largely in opinion? Is our charity to fall a necessary sacrifice to the theological errors of others? Are we to sin in practice, because they err in judgement? Let the following circumstances also be taken into consideration; that, although the records of eternal truth as far as the grand fundamentals of religion are concerned, for example, the being of a God, the Divinity and Atonement of Christ, the sacred influence of the Holy Spirit, the fall of man by his own misconduct, his justification by faith in Christ, his conversion by the Holy Ghost, the absolute necessity of good works and amiable tempers,-leave no room for rational doubt or disputation; yet that, as to many lesser points, they are less clear and decisive. And if this be true, then may it be added, that in such circumstances, circumstances nevertheless essential to the free agency of man, it is impossible to expect absolute unity of opinion. Men will infallibly reason as to such points, according to their previous habits, prejudices, and partialities; and we can no more hope to bring them all to one opinion, than to reduce them to one complexion, or, with the tyrant of old, to fit them to one couch. But, my brethren, as it has been often said, "if you cannot reconcile all opinions, you may endeavour to unite all hearts." You may discover the errors of your brother without hating him. You may walk with him as far as he walks in the right path, and at that point quit him with kindness and affection. You may, instead of raking up every topic of disagreement, produce to him, after the example of our Redeemer, those common truths on which you are agreed, and try if, from these just premises, you cannot lead him to juster conclusions. You may, instead of frightening him from all religion by the severity which you associate with it, endeavour to win his homage to right principles by surrounding them with the lustre of a kind temper. But, thirdly, you must "follow peace with men" of all classes and

characters.

'I need not commend to the affection of their fellow-Christians, the