bring comfort. To the sinner, who views the law as just in its penalty, no truth can be proposed, in his view, demanding a higher exertion of faith, than that he should ever be received to heaven; and when, made spiritually acquainted with the character of God, he can recieve his testimony concerning his Son, and lay hold on his promises, he puts forth the highest imaginable efforts of faith. The convicted sinner thus finds it difficult to believe that God will pardon him from mercy; the unconvicted sinner, on the contrary, always finds it perfectly easy to claim the pardon of his sins (which he really considers only as infirmities) from a presumption on the justice of God: and his presumption is his ruin. This presumption, or secret dependence on his own. righteousness, is a most subtle principle, and cannot be banished from the mind till the law reaches the conscience, and shows the sinner, that his condemnation is just.

The sinner, who has been taught by the law the corruption of his heart, and the justice of his condemnation, and has found in Christ mercy to pardon and grace to sanctify, experiences a joy and peace in believing, and feels a love and gratitude towards his Saviour, which no language can express. We cannot but think, that if we were more faithful in pressing the claims of the law, Christians would be more remarkable for their love and gratitude to the Saviour, would more frequently and more warmly celebrate his mercy, and would enter more fully into those magnificent descriptions of the love of Christ which so much abound in the sacred Epistles.

We cannot but think that Mr. Abbot has treated the great subject of repentance in a very superficial manner. To urge on the young man the prospect of usefulness, or on parents the good of children, as motives to repentance, and pass so lightly over the great Scripture topics, must produce erroneous impressions. He says also, "Where the duty of humbly confessing their sins to God (i. e. of repenting) is clearly brought before them, there is often so great a desire to continue in sin, that a very painful struggle continues for some time. Now this struggle is all our own fault." Is it, we would ask, a struggle to do duty, or a struggle not to do it? Is duty so much a matter of inclination with the carnal heart, that it costs it a struggle to neglect it? Or, if duty be not delightful to those in the flesh, is it still so easy to yield spiritual obedience, that it is matter of wonder that it should cost them

a struggle? If such language be not artfully ambiguous, we think it positively heretical. Pelagius could say no more. One would suppose, that it would cost a person something to give up his goods to feed the poor, and his body to be burned; yet the language of the apostle Paul would imply, that a person might be more willing to do this, than to give his heart to God. But it is common to give the impression, and to use language which naturally conveys it, not only that repentance is a duty, which all grant, but that it is the easiest thing imaginable: and the sinner, concluding that he can repent any time, at his leisure, is induced to procrastinate.

Of late, it has been too customary to consider growth in grace, and doing good, as synonymous terms. The great subjects of keeping the heart, and Christian morals, have fallen into neglect. Religion and philanthropy seem to be regarded by many as the same thing. Mr. Abbot has very justly censured this: but still we regret to see, that he has inculcated growth in grace as a means of usefulness. There seems to be something preposterous in this. We think, too, that he has but superficially explained, and weakly enforced, the duty. Perseverance in holiness requires that a person aim to have every action regulated by a sense of duty, and every affection subjected to the Divine precepts; i. e. to have a conscience void of offence towards God and man. Any thing less is downright Antinomianism,-a rejection of the authority of that law which claims to govern every voluntary action and prescribe its motive. To grow in grace implies, that we make it our great employment in life to increase in conformity to the law; and every other business subordinate, and, if possible, subservient to this;—that a man work out his own salvation with fear and trembling.

We think that Mr. Abbot has not given that importance to the subject of the means of grace which we should have expected from a teacher of practical piety. The tendencies of the age are such, that a person might venture to urge this topic with the greatest vehemence, without danger of forming the ascetic or mystic. Where the religion of the heart and life, spiritual religion and Christian morals, have both had their proper importance assigned them, Christians have not been apt to neglect either the duties of the closet, or the duties of life. In our remarks we refer to the private means of grace, the religion of the closet, private prayer, medita

tion, and reading of the Scriptures, upon which the more public means are dependent for their influence. The importance of these, perhaps, is too seldom urged from the pulpit. Certainly the influence of the great reliance which is now felt on the public and extraordinary means of grace, is much to be suspected, while the private duties, on which these others depend for their success, are so generally neglected. How seldom we see the closet Christian, fond of retirement, full of the scruples of a tender conscience, an epistle of Christ, known and read of all men, a living demonstration of the excellency and power of religion, an unanswerable proof that there is a reality in religion, and that neither worldly principles nor human powers can form the true Christian.

While we rejoice in the appearance of these works as a novel and successful attempt to recommend practical religion from the press, still we think them somewhat superficial: far inferiour in evangelical simplicity of doctrine and sentiment to the late works of Philip and Miss Fry, and very far inferiour to the practical writings of Doddridge, Baxter, Flavel, and others. It is chiefly as they tend to take the place of the last-mentioned works, that we have ventured to pass our opinion upon them. The doctrinal defects of these works, which have already given a turn to their popularity in England, must seriously impair their usefulness in this country. In our opinion, Mr. Abbot has succeeded far better in presenting the evidences of natural and revealed religion, and in managing the argument in favour of revelation from analogy, than as a teacher of practical piety and Christian truth.

In concluding our remarks, we shall offer no apology for having pointed out blemishes in these popular works, and make no profession of the motives which have led us to the discharge of this duty. A professed regard to the good of the community is of little advantage to one who presumes, however obliquely, to censure its taste, or correct its opinions.

ART. VII. LIVING ON GOD.

By Rev. LEONARD WITHINGTON.

WHOEVER Surveys the state of the Church, in this day of alternate elevation and depression, must be convinced that there is something wanting to give a more stable character to the faith of Christians-a greater uniformity to their devotion and practice. Religion in the heart is a deep stream, unaffected by the temporary rains, always flowing and always full; rising from its great fountain, God, and partaking, in some degree at least, of his purity and unchangeableness. It is not at one time a torrent, noisy and destructive in its course; and anon, a brook, almost stagnant and dry. It is permanent life.

If we inspect the hearts of men, we shall find there are two sources from which they derive their active impulses. There are some who derive all their motions from within ; they act from the individuality of their own character. Like a steamboat, they carry the impelling power in their own bosoms; and, through oceans and winds, from whatever quarter they blow and roll, they make their way to the point of destination. Others receive all their incitement from external causes. Like ships, which are dependent on the wind, they can advance only when the gale is propitious. Their passive hearts reflect the image of the world around them.

Among the followers of Christ, too, some live directly on God; they seem to have a constant vision of the Holy One. The promise of Christ is verified in them-Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be a well of water springing up unto everlasting life. As the dews and showers descending from the sky support vegetable life; so the Spirit of God, descending from above, supports spiritual life. It is the source of all the practical holiness and secret joys that spring up in the heart of a proficient Christian. Drinking into this Spirit, without depending on social impulses, is what we mean by living on God.

Religion in the Bible is frequently called life! There is appropriateness in the term. For, as natural life is the

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source of all bodily sensation and activity, so religion is a principle in the heart, which is the source of spiritual activity and holiness. It is life, par excellence; without it, morality is but a dead principle, and our best actions but specious sins. It is a quickening power, planted amidst the sensualities of our nature, by the Holy Spirit. It is the Divine nature within us; and makes us one with God and Christ. It gives meaning to certain passages of Scripture not before understood. It is the root of holiness in our inmost souls; and the tree, sprouting from it, will blossom and bear fruit for

ever.

Christians, in this age, are in great danger of substituting other principles for this vital religion, and of living on other objects than on God.

The love of God is the soul of religion. It is the central grace, around which the others cluster. It arises at first from a spiritual discovery of God's real existence and character. No more viewing him afar, the believer realizes that he is, and is the rewarder of all such as diligently seek him. In the heavens, the earth, the sea, the stars, he sees nothing but the slender curtain drawn before his eternal throne. God is every where; in all, supporting all, controlling all, blessing all. A Christian might sooner look on an animated face, and miss the informing soul, than look on this world, and lose sight of God. spirit is in all things" and every wind speaks his power, His "incorruptible and every star twinkles to his praise. Whether the Christian walks abroad in the early dawn, or to watch the last rays of the receding sun, he walks with God. In the thunder he hears his Father's voice; in the flowers he sees his beauty. He is never less alone than when, retired from the world, and buried in the deepest solitude, he feels his Father's presence. As then he muses, the fire burns.

The Christian who thus lives on God, has not only deeper views of his presence, but also more consistent views of his character. He takes him as he proclaims himself, and overlooks no attribute. He rejoices that he is holy; he is willing that he should be just. It is not from nature alone, or from speculation, that a spiritual man derives his conception of the character of God. He reads his Word; he hears him speak in his own inspired pages. He bows before the proclamation of his own authority. But he does not stop at the naked letter of Scripture. To him the words spoken