Holy Spirit is "the Spirit of truth," (John, xvi. 13 ;) "the Spirit of grace," (Heb. x. 29,) who glorifies the Saviour; for "he shall take of mine," said Jesus, "and show it unto you" (John, xvi. 14). The love of God for his people-a sense of that everlasting love wherewith he hath loved them, and therefore with loving-kindness hath drawn them to himself, (Jer. xxxi. 3;) that love which he has commended to them, in that he gave his Son to die for them-is shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto them. Hence, as the sum of all benedictions, the apostle's prayer for the Corinthians is, that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost (the communication of those blessings of grace and love, by means of his presence and sacred influences in their souls), might be with them all.

Redemption, then, the chief of the works of God, is begun, carried on, and completed, by grace. Every part of it, from its commencement, in the counsels of eternity, to its ultimate consummation in the everlasting blessedness and glory of the redeemed, when the top stone shall be brought forth with shoutings, crying, "Grace, grace unto it," originates in grace, and is applied by grace, the free unmerited favour of God.* The believer is elected by grace, Rom. xi. 5. He is predestinated to his adoption, to the praise of grace, Eph. i. 5, 6. He is called by grace, Gal. i. 15. He

* Grace may either be viewed in its source, in "the God of all Grace," 1 Peter, v. 10; or in its manifestation, Titus, ii. 11, in “ the Gospel of the grace of God," Acts, xx. 24; or in its operation in the hearts of men, by "the Spirit of Grace," Heb. x. 24. tles, grace is uniformly placed before mercy or peace. grace and peace, or grace, mercy, and peace.

In the Epis

The order is

He is

He is,

believes through grace, Acts, xviii. 27. He has redemption and forgiveness by grace, Eph. i. 7. justified by grace, Rom. iii. 24; Titus, iii. 7. in all respects, under grace, Rom. vi. 14. He is what he is by grace, 1 Cor. xv. 10. He serves God by grace, Heb. xii. 28. He labours in the service of God by grace, Heb. xiii. 9. He has his conversation in the world by grace, 2 Cor. i. 12. His heart is established by grace, Heb. xiii. 19. He is upheld by grace, 2 Cor. xii. 9. He is an heir of grace, 1 Pet. iii. 7. He has good hope through grace, 2 Thess. ii. 16. His reward is by grace, Rom. iv. 4. Grace shall be brought to him at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. i. 13. The grace of God bringeth salvation to him, and teacheth him, Tit. ii. 11. In one word, he is saved by grace, Eph. ii. 5, 8. Such is the operation of grace, in respect to those who are the subjects of it, for whom it was from eternity deposited in their glorious Head. He "hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (2 Tim. i. 9). And by him we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Thus, as sin hath reigned unto death, even so grace hath reigned through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. And he who does not know that the righteousness of God is to them that believe a "gift," a "free gift," a " gift by grace," (Rom. v. 15, 16, 17,) and who has not received that righteousness, has neither part nor lot in the great salvation. He is a debtor to do the whole law, and is under its curse. He is opposed to the solemn declaration of the Spirit of God, "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God

is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom vi. 23.

THE following instance of the conversion of an opposer of the Gospel, is so remarkable, that for the glory of divine grace it ought to be recorded. I know nothing in church history, since the days of the apostles, more illustrative of the power of that grace, and of its visibly instantaneous operations, while its reality has been proved by its effects to the present time.

The pastor of a French Protestant church, near Marseilles, visited Montauban, in the south of France, in the year 1818, when I resided there. On his arrival I was introduced to him, and we immediately entered on the subject of the Gospel. I found him strongly fortified in his opposition to the grace of God; and learned, that, on his journey to Montauban, having heard of the discussions that were agitated there respecting justification, and the way of acceptance with God, he had, in various meetings, entered keenly and even violently into the subject, thinking it his duty to oppose, with all the energy he possessed, such a doctrine as that of justification by faith without works. This question, among many, we fully discussed at our first and subsequent interviews. I had not encountered one who appeared more decidedly hostile to the truth as it is in Jesus, although he was not an Arian or Socinian, but professed to believe in the divinity of Christ. Having met him one evening, I proposed that we should take a walk in the country. We immediately, as usual, commenced a discussion respecting the Gospel, each of us maintaining his own views on the subject. At length, I began to speak on the all-impor

tant declaration of the Lord on the cross, "It is finished," and endeavoured to show from that expression, that every thing necessary for a sinner's acceptance with God was already accomplished, and that Christ is the end of the law, for righteousness to every one that believeth. I had only spoken a few minutes, when it pleased God to shine in his heart, giving him the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. He suddenly stopped, and with extended arms vehemently exclaimed, "C'EST TROP GRAND POUR ÊTRE VRAI." "It is too great to be true!" From that moment there was no more difference of opinion-no farther opposition on his part-no more objections. In Christ he was a new creature; old things had passed away; behold, all things had become new. It was now all his desire to hear more of the great salvation. Our conversation, in returning to town, was most interesting and edifying. He remarked, with earnestness, how differently he would preach when he should go back to his flock. He confessed, at the same time, that he had often preached on texts in which there was something that he had not fathomed, "approfondi," and that now he knew what that was. This is worthy of notice, as it discovers the unsatisfactory state of mind of many, who professing to preach the Gospel, understand neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. He said, he wondered that his people should have had patience to listen to such a system as he had been endeavouring for seven years to inculcate-so totally different from what he now saw was the doctrine of the grace of God. When we parted, he, who an hour before hated and opposed the doctrine of salvation, was filled with peace and joy in believing.

This happened on Friday. Next morning, he called on me in the same state of mind in which I had left him the evening before, rejoicing in the grace of God; but he said, that being engaged to preach on the Lord's day, he read, after we parted, the sermon he had prepared, and found, that not one sentence of it could he make use of, for it was altogether opposed to what he was now convinced was the truth of the Gospel. He added, that he was utterly at a loss what to do, for he was not accustomed to speak extempore; and that the sermon he had with him, and which he had greatly admired, as so well composed, he would not on any account make use of. I replied, that I never knew a case so similar to his as that of the jailer at Philippi, and therefore advised him to preach on his question to the apostle, and the answer he received"What must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." After pausing a few moments, he said he would do so. The place where he preached was at some distance in the country; I therefore was not present, but was informed that his hearers who had known him before, listened with astonishment, wondering that he now preached the faith which so lately he destroyed. He spoke with great feeling and power, and what he said made a deep impression on those who were present. During the short time he remained at Montauban I had several most agreeable conversations with him, and shall never forget his prayer when we parted. I never heard one more affecting. It was evidently the warm effusion of his heart-entirely different from those studied and written prayers used by many of the French pastors. He referred, in a very striking manner to his conversion, and to his former and present

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