ye do, do all to the glory of God"? True, it may be difficult, impossible, even, to trace a supreme regard to God-or the motive, whatever it may be-in every specific voluntary act of man. Many of his acts appear, indeed, exceedingly trivial, if not entirely destitute of moral character. Yet such specific voluntary actions may be related to some generic act;-much as many minute and imperceptible ramifications are related to a main artery in the physical system;-and the motive determining the character of this generic act is to be traced through the whole class of minor acts related to it. If then a supreme regard to God be necessary to constitute a holy action, that act which is merely deficient in this respect cannot be a holy action; and, consequently-since we know of no indifferent moral action-it must be sinful.

Our

Now applying this principle. If a supreme regard to God does not determine the actions of the unregenerate man, he is actuated by a supreme regard to some other object. The Scriptures often denominate this object"the world." But since "the world," so called, can be regarded only as the means of good, with the unregenerate man the creature must be the object of supreme regard-whether this be self or a fellow being. argument accordingly is-to suppose that, while supreme regard to God is not the governing purpose, an individual can voluntarily perform a holy act, i. e. an act calculated to defeat his governing purpose-is to suppose him to act voluntarily against his will-at the same time to choose, and not to choose, a given object, which is absurd. We are warranted both by reason and Scripture in the position that, so long as man remains unregenerate he is not and cannot be actuated by supreme regard to God. Hence we infer that, if the unregenerate man be left to the simple operation of the truth-whatever other effect may be produced-its appeals will prove altogether ineffectual, so far as the performance of holy action is concerned.

The understanding, reason and conscience may, indeed, be on the side of the truth, so that the unregenerate man shall not remain altogether unmoved under its appeals. It may be regarded by him with interest, as a source of knowledge, or for the beauty and grandeur of the objects

presented. He may even become the subject of pungent conviction in view of his character and deserts. Yet in all this, if God be not the supreme object of regard, there is no true repentance and faith-no holy action.

But, the inquiry may be made, granting that the unregenerate man cannot perform a holy action, if left wholly without assistance--may not a holy act, viewed as complex, involve certain preliminary action on the part of man, which he can perform? Thus, may not the truth appeal to an innocent love of happiness, and in this way lead to a contemplation and comparison of objects presented, previous to an actual choice?

We admit that there is a love of happiness natural to man, as man-holy as well as sinful-to which appeals of the truth may be made. But we ask, can this love of happiness do any thing more than prompt to a contemplation and comparison of objects presented by the truth? And as to the contemplation and comparison thus awakened, are they not voluntary acts? If so, then they do, or do not have supreme regard to God; and if destitute of this, these preliminary acts are themselves sinful by defect; and if sinful, can constitute no part of a holy action. How then can we avoid the conclusion that, in order to the performance of a holy action, the operation of the Holy Spirit must in some way precede all this preliminary action, as it is termed, on the part of man?

We have also positive argument in favor of a precedence of some kind-of the Holy Spirit's operations in order to holy action. There is such a thing, if we may at all rely on Scripture teaching, as a supernatural perception of the truth-a perception which is not merely intellectual. The Scriptures represent it as a result in some way of the Holy Spirit's influence, imparting a "love of the truth," exerting a moral power which leads to a discernment of the truth, and, at the same time, to a disposition to comply with it. Now if a right perception of the truth must of necessity precede the performance of a holy act, and this perception is dependent on the Holy Spirit's operation, then the agency of the Spirit has, at least, a logical precedence in regeneration; or, in the nature of things, precedes holy action on the part of man.

In either view of the case, then, the result at which we arrive is, that previously to the performance of any holy 44

VOL. XI. NO. XLIV.

action, the unregenerate man is the subject of an immediate moral influence of the Holy Spirit-and so far as this is the case, it may be said that he is passive in regeneration. Yet he is passive in such a sense as does not preclude action on his part; which action, in reference to time, may be simultaneous with the Holy Spirit's operation, while logically, or in the nature of things, it is subsequent to, and dependent on, the Spirit's action.

Such appears to us to be the process of regeneration, so far as man is capable of understanding it. As to the mode of the Holy Spirit's operation in regeneration, this is acknowledged to be a mystery-like all other modes, both of the divine agency and action. In this respect, regeneration must be received as a revealed fact. who made man a free moral agent knows how to influence him as such, without interfering with his freedom and accountability.

He

As to the practical bearing of the view now presented— it does not dispense with the instrumentality of the truth in regeneration. We have, indeed, seen that no activity of mind or heart occasioned by the truth, previously to the operation of the Holy Spirit, can enter into a holy action. Yet the truth itself being brought before the mind,-in whatever way,-may prove the occasion of the Holy Spirit's action; and in this way it is an indispensable antecedent to the moral change effected in regeneration.

Again. Our reasoning leads us to acknowledge the entire dependence of the unregenerate man on the aid of the Holy Spirit, in order to the performance of holy action. He can neither perform such action of himself, nor in any way do any thing that shall entitle him to the Spirit's aid. But is he, consequently, authorized to wait for some supernatural influence that shall move him to holy action? Such a state of inactivity is altogether inconsistent with regeneration. In such a state no man ever has been and no man ever will be regenerated. In proof of this the Scriptures require,-and it is consistent with the present view of regeneration to urge,-the exercise of repentance and faith as an immediate duty;-although this duty is, in fact, never performed without the Holy Spirit's aid. Is then the unregenerate man required to act of himself, unassisted? We have seen that all action in this way will prove unholy-sinful. Of the gospel re

quirement, however, at once to "repent and believe," it may be said, Is then that which is good made death unto the unregenerate man? God forbid. But sin, working death in him by that which is good; that sin by the gospel requirement, as well as by the law, might become exceeding sinful. Thus the unregenerate man, completely helpless and entirely blame-worthy, is shut up to immediate action-the immediate exercise of repentance and faith-action which will not be performed without the aid of the Holy Spirit; and if this aid be afforded, it will be given only as an act of sovereign mercy.

The view of regeneration which we have presented has special reference to the commencement of the moral change which it implies. The Scriptures may appear to warrant a wider sense of the term, regeneration-embracing both the commencement and development of holiness in man;-denoting, in a word, the "new creature in Christ Jesus." Both senses of the term, we think, are fully warranted. The result of the Holy Spirit's influences when bestowed is, a faith which, while it is itself a holy exercise, is represented to be a bond of union with. Christ. By virtue of this mysterious union and his own cooperation, the believer is progressively transformed into the image of Christ, until at last he shall stand complete in him-"having not his own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is of the faith of Christ; the righteousness which is of God by faith."

From first to last, then, it is "God which worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure"—" to the praise of the glory of his grace.'

G. S. G. S.

ARTICLE V.

THE BIBLE IN SPAIN; or, The Journeys, Adventures and Imprisonments of an Englishman in an attempt to circulate the Scriptures in the Peninsula. By GEORGE BORROW. Boston. Redding & Co. 1844.

THE interesting works of Mr. Borrow have been for a considerable time before the public, and many of the Reviews have already invited attention to them. They have lost none of their interest or value in consequence of the mass of other publications which have since accumulated. A good book is not, like an almanac, necessarily deprived of its value at the end of the year. We venture, at the risk of being accused of being out of date, to revive the recollection of the volume quoted at the head of this article.

The author of this work was sent to Spain, as he informs us in his preface, by the Bible Society, (the British and Foreign Bible Society, we presume,) for the purpose of circulating the Scriptures in that country. It is doubtless well known to most of our readers, that in Spain, as in most other countries, in which Popery is the established religion, the free circulation of the word of God is not allowed. It may, therefore, well be supposed that an undertaking of this kind, especially among such a people as the inhabitants of Spain, would give rise to many striking incidents, bring the traveller into contact with a great variety of characters, and exhibit Spanish mind and Spanish manners in many interesting points of view. Nor does the work, in this respect, disappoint the expectations which the announcement of its subject would naturally excite. It is full of interesting and exciting adventures, and of vivid and striking exhibitions of Spanish character. Few persons, perhaps, could have been found better qualified than our author to picture Spain as she is, and fewer still are the situations in which a man could be placed, affording so many opportunities of seeing the in