the weakness of human virtue, and which it was necessary to set aside as soon as the first act of transgression against it took place, in order to gratify the benevolence which refused to inflict the penalty that was incurred? If this be not derogatory to the law, and inconsistent with the harmony of God's perfections, it will be difficult to conceive of anything which is so.

"We shall, therefore, conclude, that faith justifies, not because it is substituted for an obedience to the law, but in consequence of its being the divinely-appointed instrument to impart justification; the proper and meritorious cause of which is the righteousness of God to all who believe in the Son of God. Such is the method which brings salvation to man, without money, and without price;' combining in it a demonstration of the immutable holiness of the law, with a display of God's righteous and merciful nature and government, such as will be the object of adoring wonder and love to elect angels,' and to the spirits of just men made perfect,' to interminable ages. As well, indeed, might a man ready to perish from hunger, but who is rescued by a supply of food from some humane benefactor, ascribe his deliverance from death to the merit of stretching out his hand to grasp the gift, as a believer in Christ might ascribe to the merit of his faith the eternal salvation which he receives at the hands of infinite grace, through the mediation of God's only-begotten Son."-(pp. 57-59.)

It is thus that our author deals with those "secret things which belong to God." Chap. ix. 16.

"Truly then, the event is not of him that willeth,' &c.-The Common Version reads, So then it is not of him,' &c.; where the word it,' is supplied to make out the sense. This, however, leaves a very imperfect enunciation, as it is not apparent, to what the term 'it,' is applicable. In the present version, the word, event,' is substituted for it,' meaning by the event,' the being made the true seed of Abraham, and children of the promise, ver. 7, 8. By these words the conclusion which follows from what has just before been said, is expressed, and universally applied. The text, therefore, asserts as an universal truth, that the privilege of becoming the children of God, is, in no degree, the result of human will, or power, but altogether an effect of God's mercy, exercised towards such of the human race, as seem to Divine wisdom to be proper subjects for it. Whom he foreknew, them he also did predestinate, to be partakers of the image of his Son.' Rom. viii. 29.

'As this passage is often misunderstood, and applied to purposes to which it has no proper reference, it may be expedient to use a few more words, in explanation of it. A consequence has been drawn to the effect, that if neither the will nor power of man is to be regarded as the cause of salvation, it is utterly hopeless for any of the human race to seek to become interested in it; and to this another consequence has been added, that men are exonerated from every obligation to obey the gospel, and that the blame of disobedience, if there be any blame, lies not upon man, but upon God. If, then, these consequences be fairly drawn, it follows, that whatever events God determines shall take place, will be accomplished, whether the means requisite for their accomplishment, be, or be not, employed. Now as we know, that the purposes of God embrace all events, from eternity to eternity, we must inevitably conclude, either, that all events take place, without the intervention of means, or that the Divine purposes comprehend the means, as well as the ends in which they terminate. This general reasoning might be illustrated, and made clear, by many signal instances; one of which may be taken from the history of the Apostle, who is the writer of this Epistle. In Acts xxvii. 22, we read this statement, from the lips of Paul, addressed to his fellowpassengers, in a voyage from Judea to Italy: There shall be no loss of any man's life among you,' ver. 25; for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.' Yet, in ver. 31, the same Paul says to the centurion, and to

the soldiers, Except these,' i. e. the shipmen, abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.' Hence it appears, that the purpose of God was to save the lives of all the voyagers: and if the consequence which has been alluded to above, be correct, all would have been saved, whether the shipmen had continued in the ship or not: such, however, was not the reasoning of the Apostle, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.'

"By considerations of this kind, we are taught, that God's purposes comprehend both means and ends; and that if we wish to obtain any end whatever, we must employ the means which God has taught us to be requisite, for the attainment of it. Let then no misconceptions of such portions of the Scriptures, prevent any, who are anxiously desirous of the blessings of salvation, from placing their dependence on the gracious promise, 'Seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.' Nor let them who satisfy themselves that they are secure in habits of irreligious indifference, flatter themselves with the hope, that as all events, present and future, are directed by Divine purposes, they shall escape the displeasure of God, while they disobey the clear rules of duty, and are negligent of the promises of mercy. The decrees and purposes of the Most High, form no rule for human action; they are far above, beyond our feeble vision; and every one, who perverts what he imagines he knows, in relation to them, to support his unbelief, and presumption, will assuredly find to his cost, that he has cast away the substance of piety, while he has been perhaps anxiously attentive to theories and speculations, the effect of which perplexes the understanding, and alienates the heart, from every sentiment of devout and practical religion. It should be seriously considered by all, but especially by the speculative in theology, that the scriptural statements, concerning the immutable and uncontrollable decrees and counsels, of God, are made for the purpose of vindicating his supreme authority; of showing that he is the sole author of all that is good, among his creatures; and of securing to him the glory, to which his matchless perfections, and his entire dominion over the universe, entitle him."-(pp. 177-180.)

In like manner, referring to the apostle's treatment of doctrinal subjects, Mr. W. thus piously and judiciously observes—

"Ver. 33.- O! the depth of the riches,' &c.-Having completed his argument, the apostle breaks forth into a rapturous adoration of the infinite perfection, and transcendent glory of God, the first cause, and the last end of the universe of being; to whom he ascribes glory for ever. Amen.

:

"On a merely cursory review of the profound, and even awful subjects of which this first portion of the epistle to the Romans treats, it is almost unavoidable to be struck with the authoritative tone, in which it is generally delivered. The writer urges, indeed, the most cogent reasons, to support the inferences he draws from the facts, which he assumes, as the basis of his reasonings but his style throughout is that, not so much of a logician, as of a prophet; a messenger of God to man, to unfold his will, with unerring and infallible skill; and whose every page breathes a consciousness, that the words he utters are words, not of man, but of God. Nothing short of such consciousness can account for the lofty and imperative manner, in which much of the epistle is conceived. It is not my intention to defend the inspiration of this great apostle; that has a thousand times been done with such consummate ability, as to leave no necessity for any feeble efforts of mine: but I wish to notice the consequences that follow, as it appears to me inevitably, from the manner in which the epistle is written.

"Either Paul had incessant, infallible guidance of the Holy Spirit of God, or he was a vain pretender (fanatic, or enthusiast, as you please), who assumed, without right, the demeanour of a prophet; and whose dogmas, every man is at liberty to reject, or receive, at his pleasure. There is no middle path between these conclusions, admissible. I hold the first of them. I then

employ the ordinary means of interpreting his language, and having ascertained his meaning, have nothing farther to do, than to surrender my understanding to his decisions, and my heart and will, to his counsels and injunctions.

"These remarks originate in witnessing the manner, in which this, and other parts of the volume of inspiration, are often treated. Many men, some of them intelligent and pious, profess to acknowledge the apostolic character of Paul; and then proceed to question his reasoning, and to inveigh against his statements, as harsh, dishonourable to God, and most arbitrary, and despotic, towards men. This is a matter too well known to require confirmation, and too inconsistent to merit refutation. The consequence has been, that the epistle has been interpreted, so as to support theories of directly contrary characters; and that every resource of subtle and astute criticism has been employed, to soften what are deemed to be its harsh points, and present it in a form in unison with the native feelings, and acquired sentiments of human bosoms. I shall implore attention to one concluding observation, which is, that the only state of mind, that fits men to read this book of God, so as to derive from it the inestimable instruction and improvement which it was designed to convey, is that by which the writer of it was manifestly actuated, when he penned the last verses of this chapter: 'O! the depth of the riches, and wisdom, and knowledge of God! how unsearchable his purposes! and inscrutable his ways! for who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? or who hath first given to him, that he should be recompensed? for from him, and by him, and for him, are all things! to him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.'"-(pp. 215—217.)

One more example, to illustrate the practical character of Mr. W's preaching.

"Ver. 6. On this account also, pay you tribute,' &c.-The ends of civil government cannot be obtained without a large expenditure; which must be provided for, by compliance with all fiscal regulations; and these must be uprightly and universally submitted to, even when they may appear to be partial and oppressive; because no government can be sustained, if the governed may contribute or not, at their own pleasure.

"Ver. 8.- Owe no man anything,' &c.-This precept can be obeyed, only by cautiously avoiding to contract debts, beyond the means of discharging them, with punctuality and honour. In this age of unbounded enterprise, and speculation, it is of the most serious concern to all, who profess to live righteously, soberly, and godly,' to place a more than ordinary guard over themselves, less they transgress. A heavy retribution awaits multitudes of persons, of all classes, who, calling themselves the disciples of Christ, are as rapacious, and eager to amass wealth, as others, who serve the world openly, and without religious pretence. Extravagant expenditure, inconsiderate embarkation in hazardous commercial, and trading, not to say gambling undertakings, are the very opprobrium of what is called the Christian world; and it is a complaint too well founded to be questioned, and too disgraceful to be lightly regarded, that even the highest religious pretensions, furnish a very insecure basis for credit, and mutual confidence. God, however, is not mocked: he who thus 'soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption :' neither is there any respect of persons.'-(pp. 231, 232.)

Bearing in mind that these are the principles and habits which go to form the man and the Christian, the servant of God and the heir of heaven, we hail any attempt to disseminate them, and very heartily bid the Cure Romana "God speed!"

EXPOSITORY LECTURES ON ST. PAUL'S EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. BY DANIEL, Bishop of Calcutta, Metropolitan of India. London: Hatchards. 1816.

IN these days, in which the truth of scriptural and reformation doctrine is being frittered away under the more than usually copious use of a set of theological terms, which seem to carry along with them and express that truth, it is most gratifying to meet with a work from an episcopal pen, in which the terms used and the ideas intended to be conveyed are perfectly and honestly in accordance, and are equally in agreement with the great marking features of the message of inspiration. The language of scripture, as to the atonement and the gift of spiritual influence, and the freeness of divine compassion and grace, has become the common speech of theologians; and it might be perhaps hastily inferred that the spread of truth had ran parallel with the use of its verbal formula;-that the prejudices of men had yielded to the power of the message of mercy;-that to a very wide extent had "the offence of the cross ceased;" and that a warmer and more scriptural tone of feeling had superseded that state of cold indifference of some forty or fifty years ago, when such scriptural language seldom varied the dull and wearisome routine of dry argument and merely moral sentiment. We greatly fear that such an opinion would not be confirmed by close investigation; but that it would be found, to a very great extent, that the use of scripture language on such subjects is rather an unavoidable concession to the tastes or prejudices of the people-that the chief characteristic of modern theology is an attempt to modify and to qualify that language that schemes of mediate theology are assiduously got up to speak peace to the "evangelical" feelings of the crowd, while they present an astute and safe alternative to the clergy who use them, and afford them an escape from the humiliation and the seriousness of habit and of heart which the true doctrine of the cross imperiously and absolutely demands. The adoption of the language, is not the cordial reception of the doctrine, of the cross.

At such a crisis, it was with deep thankfulness we listened to the loved and well-known voice of bygone days, while the revered Bishop of Calcutta, fresh from all the melancholy and unequivocal evidence, which heathen lands present, of that radical depravity of heart which our Articles affirm, placed before his brethren once more the divinely-appointed and only means of victory" the blood of the Lamb; not the mere formula or the mere semblance

of the doctrine of salvation by that blood; but the cordial announcement of a free and full justification of the guilty soul by the shed blood of the incarnate Word. Few who had the happiness to be there will readily forget the solemn tone of seriousness with which the aged bishop once more brought the essential features of the message of mercy before his brethren; and, rich in the experience of its comfort to his own soul, and in his confirmation of its unspeakable importance, by its efficacy upon even the heathen mind, lifted up his voice to stay the waverer in his vacillating course towards fatal error,-to comfort his former companions in the gospel in the days of their decline towards the valley, and to warn and counsel the lukewarm church to "buy gold that they may be rich, and white raiment that they may be clothed, and to anoint their eyes with eyesalve that they may sce,"―ere days of darkness and ruin come upon them. Long may the hallowing influence of that hour remain on the pastors of our Church! May they ever remember that it is not by moral suasion, nor moral energy-that it is not by decent exterior, or by forms however unobjectionable--that it is not by hierarchical pretension, architectural effect, or the assumption of mystic solemnity in worship, that they shall overcome; but simply and solely " by the blood of the Lamb;" or, as it was once powerfully and emphatically said, by a Scottish prelate, that "it is not by the merit of works, nor by the merit of faith, nor by the merit of faith and works taken together, but simply and solely by the merits of the Redeemer." Or, as the Bishop has very powerfully said—

"Faith justifies, not as a work, nor as an act of merit on our part; but as the grace which alone forms the union between the soul and the promise, to the individual penitent. And therefore we are justified, not by love, not by hope, not by penitence, not by deeds of charity, not by mortification of sin (though all these things are found in the man who is justified), but by a living penitent faith, which trusts the naked promise of God for forgiveness, on the footing of the blood of Christ, and answers the accusations of the law, the terrors of conscience, and the fear of death, by referring to its divine Surety dying on the cross.”—(p. 57.)

We would cordially recommend, in illustration of this statement of truth on the subject of acceptance with God, the very able and learned refutations of Tractarian error, by Dr. O'Brien, the Bishop of Ossory, and by Dr. M'Ilvaine, Bishop of Ohio, both in their way master-pieces.

We regard the republication of Bishop Wilson's Lectures on the Epistle to the Colossians, at the juncture of his intended return to India, as most opportune. There are many yet in life, to whom

The Right Rev. Bishop Walker, of Edinburgh.