bellows that blow up a man to some fervency in action; but the true fire that contributes a heavenly frame to a service is the love of God." A supreme veneration and affection towards him pervading the mind, infusing life into the soul, and vigour into the spiritual conduct, are fruits of conversion. The understanding becomes enlightened, and the will elevated to the glorious origin of all good. The spiritual eye sees the excellence of the things of God; the ear listens to his voice; and the feet run joyfully in the way of his commandments. "Old things pass away, all things become new"-the mind, the will, the affections, the actions. As the converted man "has received Christ Jesus the Lord, so he walks in him." That which is implanted in the nature is imprinted on the life. Religion in the heart is the result of a translation "from death unto life."9 As whatever came to us from the first Adam is mortal, so whatever comes to us from the second Adam is vital, animating the faculties of the soul as the faculties of the soul quicken the body. Hence the expression of St. Paul, "body, soul, and spirit" becomes intelligible; and the new birth-for, remember, no one can deny the scriptural phrase born again—is found not to be a mere figure, but a real change.

9 John iii, 14.

Let the Scotch reviewer know that its subjects are not "hypocrites." Hypocrisy is the shadow of christianity; conversion is its living, illumined substance; hypocrisy is a form, piety is a power; hypocrisy is a piece of art, regeneration is a new nature, and, according to the word of God, essential to salvation.

But in the article, parts of which I am now endeavouring to controvert, objection is made to the statements of evangelical preachers as to the "agency" by which conversion takes place. "They," says its author, "never cease maintain→ ing that man can do nothing for himself, and that regeneration is altogether and entirely the work of the Spirit." From this he draws the inference "that, if a man can do nothing to save himself, he is damned for not doing what he cannot do ;" and then he asks his old question with an air of triumph, "is this consistent with the divine justice?" Are we not then to acquiesce in those depths of infinite truth, which cannot be fathomed by the short line of human reason! What presumption is it thus to try divine justice by our imperfect judgment, and to reason upon the infinite prerogatives of Deity as upon qualities in man!-an error to which by the bye, much sounder writers than this reviewer have been too prone. All we have to do

is to inquire, whether God has told us that "we, have no power of ourselves to help ourselves?" -and whether he has at the same time commanded us to seek, to strive, to fight, to run, to work out our own salvation? If so let us believe the first proposition to be a truth, and the second a duty. When the man with a withered hand was desired to stretch it out, he was conscious of his inability to do it, but he obeyed the voice of Christ and power was given him in the very act. The sick of the palsy was in the same situation, and we have the same result. Thus the conviction of our spiritual helplessness, is no bar to the exertion which the word of God enjoins; and true christians like St. Paul, will even "glory in their infirmities" that the power of Christ may be the more exalted thereby. Whatever be the differences existing upon doctrinal theories between enlightened christians, ask them separately this question, "should you have chosen God unless he had first given you grace to choose him?" and they will each invariably say "certainly not."

But these mistakes as to evangelical doctrines and their consequences, arise entirely from setting out with a wrong notion of regeneration, which is not merely a reformation of the old nature of man, but his transformation into a

new nature. We may tame the wildest animal and subdue its ferocity, but we cannot change its inherent qualities. So we can by the force of persuasion, or interest, or compulsion, subdue and regulate the evil passions of men, and render them moral in a high degree, but a creative power alone can make the new man "created in Christ Jesus," which is the very "workmanship" of God. That such an effect then should be ascribed to the Holy Spirit is not contrary to reason, but a plain inference therefrom, independent of any "fine-spun distinctions between natural and moral inability."

God has declared that he gives "the new heart."2 Who then can assert that all we have is "divine aid" in our endeavours, in the very face of another scripture which declares that "his divine power hath given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness."3

But our Edinburgh theologian complains of the distinctions drawn "between historical and saving faith”—admitting that the former may be a natural act of the mind, but not the latter. To this he adds, "let them tell us what they mean by a saving faith, and then tell us whether as great a devotion to religious duty in a Christian, as a Hindoo or Mahometan 1 Review, p. 435. 2 Ezek. xxxvi, 26.

3 2 Pet. i, 3.

sometimes exhibits, would not be a saving faith?" I will say nothing of the impropriety of such a comparison, but will endeavour to tell him what is meant by a saving faith at once, that I may, without extending this essay beyond the brevity I design, enter immediately upon the connection between faith and works, which he has so lamentably misunderstood. Faith then is an assent to the revelation of God in Christ, and the reception of the whole truth thereof, simply because God has said it. It is an act of the understanding embracing, and of the will agreeing to the whole word of God, with a fiducial dependence on Christ its sum and substance. Historical faith is only in the understanding, but saving faith engages both the understanding and the will. The one regards Christ as a relative good, the other by love closes with him as an absolute benefit, welcoming him to the heart, and using his salvation for all the ends to which God ordained it. Historical faith acknowledges the veracity of the bible; saving faith receives the unseen Redeemer made known therein upon his own terms, and gives up the whole man to him, to serve him, as well as to be saved by him. The gospel makes known Christ, offers Christ, and

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