or, in other words, that faith is little more than a name: and I have lived to hear it declared, by a high official authority, before the Senate (proh pudor!) of that university where Knox studied, which Melville governed,"it is gone forth, that a inan is no more answerable for his faith, than for the stature of his person, or the colour of his skin." How, then, must it be on the continent of Europe, where, in the universities, there is nothing but rationalism in religion, and liberalism in politics: in the protestant churches, nothing but formality or persecution;-where there is no spiritual sentiment but to be laughed at, no spiritual man but to be scorned; and hardly any at all either of spiritual sentiment, or spiritual life, intermingled with the great fermenting mass of feeling? Superstition hath driven infidelity to its strong hold, which is, diffusion and ramification. And infidelity hath driven superstition to its strong hold, which is darkness and force. And the friends of the new power exult on all hands in the march of mind, in the development of thought and feeling. But in that developed feeling, there is no faith; in that mighty march of mind, there is no religion. It is the natural man, unrestrained of God, fighting against the restraints of man. It is satan in one form, fighting against satan in another form. The beast from the bottomless pit, without crowns upon his heads or his horns, despising all lordship or mastery, and with blasphemy written all over his body, fighting against the beast from the sea with his horns crowned, and blasphemy written on his heads. devil in his last and worst form, endeavouring to take and hold the earth," We have for many years past deplored the truth of this state

ment:

The

"To my mind, the apostacy of the intellect amongst the protestant nations hath been, for a century, as remarkable and afflictive as the apostacy of sense is amongst the catholic nations. If not persecuting the church by fire and faggot, and other torments of the sense, they have afflicted her with scoffs, ridicule, and arguments, and the other weapons of the intellect. So that it is very painful, yet most necessary for me to say, that since the time that Paul first preached the gospel to the Gentiles, they have, in their national capacity, as rebelliously opposed, as wickedly corrupted, as earnestly persecuted the true faith and the true believers, as the Jews did during their long and merciful probation. The church, which, among the Jews, was as a sorrowful widow weeping for her children which were not, hath been so also amongst the Gentiles. The church, which, among the former, was as a besieged city, hath been so also amongst the latter. And if there hath now and then been amongst us a zeal for righteousness, as there was sometimes among the Jews, it hath been as the early cloud and the morning dew, which soon passeth away. "I know how men who have no knowledge nor understanding in the history of God's church, will stand amazed at this controversy which I maintain with the gentile nations, whom the Lord hath called with his holy calling, and treat the whole of it with levity; calling this a religious age, and the people a religious people, because so many hundreds of thousands are levied yearly for religious uses, from a people, from whom ten times as many millions are levied for political uses; who have got the notion, that, only give them time enough and money enough, they will convert the earth, and bring in the universal dispensation of glory. The men are drunk with vanity. They know the history of the last thirty years of the world, and they are lifted up with novelty."

We also add our testimony to the truth of the following, on “the culture of the intellect :".

"And how much this is the occupation, is the rage, is the idolatry of the present day, let any one observe, in the universities and schools of learning,

in the national institutes, and philosophical societies, in the mechanical institutions, in the periodical magazines, in every indication of the public taste, and demonstration of the public activity. The spiritual sciences, which have their origin in the soul, and proceed by silent meditation of our own being, and stationary contemplation of the outward works of God, are gone down into the very earth, and can nowhere be found. But the physical sciences, which are outward, and proceed by mechanical helps and motions, and mixtures and resolutions, have taken the firmament of knowledge unto themselves, and swept the steadfast and everlasting lights away, and exalted themselves against all that is called spiritual and divine. They have done this, and no man regarded it. The soul is waxed into powerless dotage. The body hath become the end of all science, and philosophy, and policy. It is a poor mechanical age, with expediency for its pole-star, and reason for its divinity, and knowlege for its heaven. Truly, O prophet! according to thy prophecy, many have run to and fro, and knowledge is increased." And faith is waxed cold and faint, whereby also we know the latter day is at hand."

A variety of important passages marked for quotation we are obliged to omit, as, also, the observations we had penned on several remarks not comporting with soundness in the faith; notwithstanding which we recommend the work to the serious consideration of our readers.

The Abominations of Babylon. A Sermon preached in behalf of the Continental Society, in the Church of St. Clement Danes, Strand, on Monday, May 8, 1826, by the Rev. Hugh M'Neile, A.M. Chuplain to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and to his Grace the Archbishop of Dublin. Sherwood and Co.

The honest and fearless manner in which this reverend gentleman treats on the mother of abominations, under which term he includes all the evils and idolatries which have sprung from "the great whore that sitteth upon many waters," even, the whole of the anti-christian systems of the western empire,' is deserving great praise. In the opening of the sermon, which is founded on Rev. xviii. 4. the preacher makes this faithful address, on the weighty and important question, Who are the people of God?

"Who are the people of God? Man has fallen into enmity against God; has taken part with the devil and his angels, to counteract the purposes of Jehovah. The whole race is sunk by nature into a state of enmity against God, and is arrayed on the side of evil, in opposition to his will. But God hath chosen out of mankind a people to himself, in his Son Jesus Christ. He hath everlastingly determined to bring them to salvation by his Son. In pursuance of this determination, these people are "called by his Spirit working in due season: they through grace obey the calling: they are justified freely: are made sons of God by adoption: are made like the image of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ: they walk religiously in good works, and, at length, by God's mercy, they attain to everlasting felicity." These are the people of God. They are not identified with any sect or party; they bear no exclusive mark of God's favour: the line which bounds them is invisible to the eye of man, but, guided by God, it goes through the nations of the earth, selecting from the mass of men, and gathering into its embraces, the predestined family of Jesus Christ. These are the

people of God. To these the cry of the text is addressed; and it is the province of the Continental Society to carry it through the length and breadth of Babylon, that the people, being warned, may fly from the abominations thereof."

And on speaking of the abominations of Babylon, he notices, 1. the power ecclesiastical-2. the power temporal-3. infidelity—4. radicalism.

In proof of the correctness of the estimate we put on this discourse, we intend the author shall speak for himself. Under the first head he says:

"The reformation extended over but a small part of Europe. Switzerland and Germany started, indeed, and some of the stream of the waters of life flowed across France; but the bulk of France, Austria, Spain, and the other continental nations, continued to sleep the sleep of death. Even in England the work was but partially accomplished; and even in London, this " queen of cities," the abominable traditions which have been enumerated, are taught as doctrines of Christ! The spirit of popery is too cougenial to the nature of man to be given up without a desperate struggle; and it is grievous to be obliged to testify, that not only does it prevail where the reformation did not extend, but, like a venomous reptile, has crept into the bosom of the reformed church, concealing its name under many plausible titles, indeed, but still doing its work of death. The spirit of popery has made its way behind enclosures which were raised for the purpose of excluding it."

We should spoil the effect of these quotations, were we to cumber them with our own remarks.

[Our readers who unite in opinion with us on the subject of these two reviews, will be abundantly rewarded for the expense they may be at in purchasing the publications.]

The Antinomian Reclaimed; a Series of Dialogues. By William Giles. Wightman and Crump.

THIS puerile production is evidently got up to subserve some party purposes, and consists of an animated description of the weakness of the writer's judgment in the things of God, and the rancour of his heart against many, whose life of faith and labour of love in the gospel, prove the falsehood of the assertions which adorn nearly every page of his dialogues. The conversations,' the writer professes to have held, appear to have been with a description of persons with which we are not in the habit of associating; and according to his own account of their character, when not "reclaimed," our suspicions are very strong as to the veracity of their statements.

The view Mr. Giles has of the person and the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, is too plainly avowed on pa. 52 to be mistaken; and we quote it as a specimen of the worth of his sentiments:

"Nor is it true, that God doth not see sin in his people. Balaam made this assertion, concerning Israel, when he would fain have brought the curse of God upou them. But he evidently meant by it, only, that God did not see sin in them at that time, as a nation, of a nature that called for national judgments: but when Balaam, by seduction, effected what he could not do by enchantments, God saw sin in them, and most awfully punished it." From intimate acquaintance with the whole of the tracts published by the Gospel Tract Society, we can confidently assert that the statements of Mr. Giles relative to that society, are false in every particular!

THE

Spiritual Magazine;

OR,

SAINTS'

TREASURY.

<< There are Three that bear record in heaven; the FATHER, the WORD, and the HOLY GHOST: and these Three are One."

* Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."

John v. 7.

Jude 3.

JULY, 1826.

(For the Spiritual Magazine.)

THREE PRECIOUS GIFTS OF GOD TO HIS SAINTS. "We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven." Col. i. 3, 4, 5.

THE foregoing words of the apostle Paul are sufficient to prove that the graces of faith, and love, and hope, are gifts of God to his saints, for it is to such the apostle writes this epistle. "To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse :" and as he thanks God for their faith in Christ, for the love they bore to the saints, and for their hope of good things laid up for them in heaven, it is evident that his epistle was not designed generally for all men, for he tells us that "all men have not faith," 2 Thes. iii. 2. and our Lord spoke of some who believed not because they were not of his sheep, John x. 26. Neither do all men love the saints, for our Lord has forewarned them, that "men shall separate them from their company, and reproach them, and cast out their names as evil," Luke vi. 22. and that they shall be "hated of all men for his name's sake." Matt. x. 22. Neither have all men a hope laid up for them in heaven, for the apostle speaks of some who had no hope, Eph. ii. 12.

Well, then, the apostle writes this epistle to the saints, and thanks God for bestowing upon them three precious gifts, even faith, love, and hope.

It has often appeared to me a little inconsistent in ministers to call upon unregenerate men to believe in Christ, and to scold them for not believing, when it is so plainly set forth in the word of God that faith in Christ is his gift, and not bestowed on all men, but only VOL. III.-No. 27.

F

on his saints. It is true indeed it is in every man's power to believe all that is written of Christ; that he is the promised Messiah; is God and man in one person; (and the Socinians are inexcusable for not believing this) that he was born of a virgin; that he lived in this world free from sin, and died to make atonement for the sins of his church. And yet to believe in Christ savingly and spiritually, is more than this, and is not of a man's self, but one of the blessings provided in covenant for the elect, and which God, sooner or later, bestows on those whom he has ordained to eternal life, Acts xiii. 48. Hence St. Paul speaks of faith, as "the faith of God's elect," Titus i. 1. He tells the Ephesians that the faith they had was not of themselves, but the gift of God, Eph. ii. 8. and he tells the Colossians that their faith was of "the operation of God," Col. ii. 12. and it is mentioned in the Acts of some, that they had "believed through grace," that is, their faith was a fruit of, and flowed from electing grace. To come to Christ, or to believe in him, which means the same thing, is owing to the Father's teachings, instructions, and drawings. man can come to me (said Christ) except the Father which hath sent me draw him. Every man that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. No man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father," John vi. 37, 44, 45, 65. True saving faith in Christ, is not of a man's self; and the reason which Christ himself gave, why some did not believe in him was, that they did not belong to him; and no better reason can be given why some at this day do not believe: they do not belong to him; they are not of those given him of the Father, or "chosen in him before the foundation of the world," Eph. i. 4.

No

On all such, God, sooner or later, bestows that grace by which they look to Christ as their Saviour, Isaiah xlv. 22-come unto him, John vi. 37-venture upon him, as Esther ventured into the presence of king Ahasuerus, saying, "if I perish, I perish," Esther iv. 16.-venture upon him, as Benhadad's servants advised him to trust to the king of Israel, saying, " peradventure he will save thy life," 1 Kings xx. 31. venture upon him, as the four leprous men ventured upon the host of the Syrians, saying, "if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die," 2 Kings vii. 4. Yea, God bestows on his saints that precious grace by which they commit themselves to Christ, whose " name is a strong tower into which the righteous run and are safe," Prov. xviii. 10.-lay hold on him, who is "a tree of life to them that lay hold upon him, Prov. iii. 18.-lay hold on him, as the ten men shall lay hold on the skirt of him that is a Jew," Zech. viii. 23.-flee to him, as Joab fled to the tabernacle of the Lord, and caught hold on the horns of the altar, 1 Kings ii. 28.-hold him, as the spouse held him when she found him, and would not let him go, Song iii. 4. or as Jacob wrestled with the Angel of the Covenant, and said, "I will not let thee go except thou bless me," Gen. xxxii. 26. -lean upon him, as the spouse came up out of the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved, Song viii. 5.-stay upon him, as the Holy One

66