enough, without anybody to assist them. The venerable father of our church knew a better way of comforting a weary soul than that. The gospel is much clouded at this day,' says Ralph Erskine, by legal terms, conditions, and qualifications; if my doctrine were upon condition that you did so and so,-that you believe, and repent, and mourn, and pray, and obey, and the like,-then you shall have the favour of God,-I dare not for my life say that is the gospel. But the gospel I desire to preach to you is, will you have a Christ to work faith, repentance, love, and all good in you, and to stand between you and the sword of divine wrath? Here there is no room for you to object that you are not qualified, because you are such an hardened, unhumbled, blind, and stupid wretch. For the question is not, will you remove these evils and then come to Christ? but, will you have a Christ to remove them for you ? It is because you are plagued with these diseases, that I call you to come to the Physician, that he may heal them. Are you guilty,I offer him unto you for righteousness. Are you polluted,-I offer him unto you for sanctification. Are you miserable and forlorn,I offer him unto you as made of God to you complete redemption. Are you hard-hearted,-I offer him in that promise, "I will take away the heart of stone." Are you content that he break your hard heart,―come, then, put your hard heart into his hand.' This is a better way of getting hearts softened, and souls won to Christ, than persuading men that their hearts are soft enough already.

Our great objection, however, to such a mode of dealing with sinners is, 2d, That while it most seriously mars and interferes with the gospel, it proceeds on an entire misconception of the relation which the work of the Spirit bears to the work of Christ.

The work of the Spirit in conversion is not something going before, to prepare or qualify for the work of Christ-neither is it something added, to supplement its deficiencies-neither is it something bestowed, to entitle to its blessings. It has nothing to do with the sinner's acceptance-nothing to do with the obtaining of pardon-nothing to do with recommending to God. The Spirit's work is to change the sinner's heart towards God, not to change God's heart toward the sinner-to make the sinner willing to accept of Christ, not to make Christ willing to accept of the sinner. The work of Christ is the only thing God looks at on receiving a sinner into favour. He looks to nothing else he asks, he admits of nothing more, as a ground of acceptance, than what Christ has done. Indeed, there is nothing else to look to. For they are the lost whom he saves the defiled whom he washes-the guilty whom he pardons-the ungodly whom he justifies. All," says the godly Trail, in his most precious sermons on the throne of grace, all that this saving grace falls on, are lost and undone sin

ners-men at the very brink of hell. An elect child of God is worst and most sinful the moment preceding his conversion. Paul was at his worst (Acts ix.) when grace fell upon him. If there be nothing but the power of grace that can subdue the corruption of nature; if that corruption grow in its strength till that subduing power of grace be applied; and if there be no middle state betwixt death and life, (and these have been reckoned gospel truths), how plain is it that a sinner is at his worst when saving grace first comes upon him.' (Sermon first.) True, indeed, some kind of change must take place-some quickening power must be put forth on the dead soul, in order to its laying hold on Christ; but this, to use a distinction of Mr Buchanan's, is rather, as it were, a physical than moral change. It proceeds from the Holy Ghost, as the Spirit of life, rather than as the Spirit of holiness. In the one case he comes from the Father, to draw unto the Son by his quickening power; in the other he comes through vital union with the Son, to conform unto the image of the Father by his sanctifying power. By his enlightening quickening power he reveals and secures acceptance for the truth, thereby producing that living faith, by which the soul, united in vital union with Christ, receives the sanctification of the Spirit, through continued belief of the truth. Thus faith is not the title to covenant blessings; it is merely the link of connection with the covenant head. It is not something wrought by the Spirit in the soul, to give efficacy to the Redeemer's work; it is merely such a view, communicated by the Spirit, of that glorious work's intrinsic efficacy, as leads the soul to rest in it in peace. It is not something wrought by the Spirit, in order that for the sake of it gifts of grace may be bestowed; but the sight that all things are freely given already. We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God;' not that we might deserve, but that we might know the things freely given us of God.'

Thus, as Dr M'Crie pointedly remarks, we are saved, not on condition of believing, but in the way of believing;' and hence, as every barrier is removed, and all boasting is excluded in the acceptance, so every excuse is taken away for a single hour's rejection of Christ. Every barrier to reconciliation on the side of God has been removed by the work of Christ. The only barrier that remains is in the sinner's own heart, arising from his unwillingness; and that it is the work of the Spirit to remove, by revealing the truth as it is in Jesus.

"So soon as he is made willing," says Mr Buchanan, "there remains no barrier betwixt him and the Saviour. He is at perfect liberty, on God's own warrant and invitation, nay, by God's express command, to embrace Jesus Christ, as he is freely offered to him in the gospel.' Of every man who reads

or hears the gospel, it may be affirmed, that there is nothing betwixt him and salvation but his own unwillingness to be saved. Ye are not willing to come unto me that ye might have life: That is the Saviour's charge and complaint. Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely:' That is the Saviour's call and invitation. The warrant. of every sinner to believe in Christ to the saving of the soul is clear; it is written as with a sunbeam in scripture; it lies wholly in the word, which is the Spirit's message, and not at all in the Spirit's witness in the heart. The warrant of the word is ample; but if any feel, that even with this warrant in his hand, there is something within which keeps him back-a depraved heart, a rebellious will, a reluctant spirit- let him acknowledge his own helplessness, and cast himself with the simplicity of a little child on the grace of the Spirit of God." P. 87.

No man can either understand the Spirit's work, or be honoured as an instrument for conversion in the Spirit's hand, who does not clearly and experimentally understand Christ and him crucified, in all the boundless fulness of his treasured grace-in the unconditional freeness of his pardoning mercy and forgiving love-in the infinite sufficiency of his finished and accepted work. For Jesus is the one central point to which the Spirit directs every eye, by his enlightening grace-Jesus is the one great object to whom he guides every soul, by his quickening power-Jesus is the one great fountain-head, from whom the Spirit comes in his sanctifying influence. And the truth as it is in Jesus is the great instrument by which, from beginning to end, the Spirit carries forward his work within the soul. Never, therefore, does the messenger of God so truly acknowledge and honour the Spirit in his peculiar office, as when, having invoked his presence, he proceeds in felt, cherished, and prayerful dependence on his promised grace, to unfold the truth, by which the Spirit works, and to point to the glorious object, to whom it is the distinctive glory of the Spirit's office, as it is the peculiar delight of the Spirit's heart to testify.

This it is the pre-eminent excellence of Mr Buchanan's work to keep constantly and prominently in view. He never forgets the relation which the work of the Spirit bears to the work of Christ. He never treats of it as if it were something standing by itself, independent and unconnected with what Jesus has done. Above all, he never either contrasts or confounds it with the work of the Saviour in the matter of the sinner's acceptance. From beginning to end-in conviction, in conversion, in edification,-he never forgets, that, to use his own expressions, The Spirit is Christ's witness on earth,' that Christ is the one great subject which the gift of the Spirit is designed to illustrate.' Hence, whilst the Spirit's work is the subject of which he treats, Christ and his accepted work is the object to which he always points, which he keeps prominently before his reader's view. The only apparent exception to this

that we remember, is in pp. 148-162, where, in a

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An Address to Convinced Sinners,' special statement of the duties of con

vinced sinners,' comprehending eight general directions, we find, side by side, among the rest, with nothing to meet its distinctive, supreme, unapproached importance, the seventh direction, to seek a sure personal interest in that remedy, by closing with the free offer of the gospel.' The direction itself is good, and it is extremely well illustrated and enforced; but surely it should not merely form one amongst many in a statement of the duties of convinced sinners.' It is the great gospel commandment—the great gospel warrant. It should be grouped with no inferior directions-it should stand by itself apart-alone and unapproached. The truth is, there seems very considerable danger involved in the entire idea of manifold directions to convinced sinners as such; warning they should receive of their peculiar danger; but the common effect, we are afraid, of such a minute statement of the duties of such persons, is to veil or to turn away the attention from the one great and urgent duty, the spring and source of every other, of instantly accepting Christ. It is apt to make the sinner think that he is not obliged immediately to believe, and to flatter himself he is in a very hopeful way, gradually approximating to conversion, when attending to the directions given, and trying to do the duties enjoined. We confess, therefore, that while we are very fond of such books as worthy Richard Baxter's Fifty Reasons for being Converted,' we are apt to get rather bewildered ourselves, and to fear the bewilderment of others, among the good man's unnumbered Directions for getting converted. We are very apt, in looking too much among our feet, to miss our footing, or to lose our way; at all events, we make it desperately tedious, when we begin to count our steps by the milestones, instead of thinking of the journey's end. The course of safety is not to count every promontory, or mark every headland, but to steer our voyage by the beacon-light-to fix our eye upon the polar star. Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth. I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.'

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There are still many points to which we would fain have turned our readers' attention-many eloquent passages we had marked out for quotation. But our limits forbid. We would, however, particularly solicit attention to an interesting chapter-the best of the first division of the work-on the Regeneration of Infants." It contains many important hints on the nature and efficacy of baptism, a subject which we suspect has caused very great perplexity at one time or another to most of those who are accustomed seriously to ponder whatever they do in the name of Christ; while by others we fear it is very dimly and hazily understood. For in avoiding the heresy of baptismal regeneration, many run, we are afraid, into the extreme of making baptism just nothing at all as a

sacrament-nothing more than a mere sign. View it as a sacrament-what is the exact exercise of mind in which the parent is to come with his child-what is the exact thing he is to believe? What is he entitled to count upon for his child, on a believing approach by himself. We do not say that Mr Buchanan has solved all the difficulties that may be felt, but the chapter is well worthy of a serious study.

We have been much gratified by the clear and interesting statements of gospel truth in the second part of Mr Buchanan's work, under the head of Illustrative Cases. In these he is naturally led into the inquiry as to the previous state of those by whom the truth, on being presented to them, was embraced. Correct views on this subject are of great importance for determining the necessity of a knowledge of the truth in order to salvation, and the consequent duty of diffusing it through the world. The case of Cornelius, as every one knows, has long been a stronghold of those who hold low and latitudinarian views on this subject, as well as of those who think that good works, such as prayers or alms, done before conversion, will be accepted with God, and be of avail to recommend to his favour. We think Mr Buchanan has very clearly stated the correct view to be taken of Cornelius, and all who like him were sincere proselytes to the Jewish faith.

"The centurion, we believe, was at that time in a state of transition from the Jewish to the Christian faith; and the change which now occurred in his views ought to be regarded as his advancement from an imperfect to a more perfect state, rather than as his first conversion to God. He underwent precisely the same change which was wrought on all the devout Jews who 'looked for redemption in Jerusalem,' and waited for the consolation of Israel,' when, having expected the promised Messiah, they were led to believe that Jesus was he. That God would send a deliverer, was the subject of their faith as Jews-that Jesus was the Christ' became the subject of their faith as Christians. Before he knew Christ, and while as yet under the influence of prejudice, he was saying, Can any good thing come out of Galilee? Nathaniel was an Israelite indeed in whom there was no guile;' but when Jesus spoke to him and convinced him of his omniscient knowledge, by a few simple words, he believed, and exclaimed, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God-thou art the King of Israel.' Just such was the change which was wrought on Cornelius, the devout gentile believer; and it was needful that such a change should be effected, for two reasons; the one of which was personal to himself, the other was of a more public nature. It was necessary for himself that he should now believe the truth as it is in Jesus; it was no longer true that God would send a deliverer. The deliverer had already come; and from the time of his advent it became necessary to believe and acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ.' Had he died before Christ's advent, or even after his advent, but before he had any sufficient information on the subject, he might have been saved as Abraham was, and all the faithful children of Abraham were, by the faith of what God had promised to the fathers; but had he rejected Christ, or refused to believe on him, when he had been fully informed of all that he did and taught, his unbelief would have been fatal, not only because it rejected the Saviour, but also because it indicated the absence of that spirit of faith in the