as to them? No, there is such a thing as the gospel coming to men in word only. And it is when it comes not thus, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, that it saves the soul. Then, and then only, is it the power of God unto salvation.

We have a very full and blessed passage in the second epistle: "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our Gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess. ii. 13, 14). The faith that saves is here most evidently shewn to be a belief of the truth which is produced in us by the Spirit, and to which God calls us by the gospel.

Writing to Titus, the apostle says, " For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that, being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus iii. 4-7.) This is not a contrast between works and faith as the means of justification, such as we have in Romans and Galatians. No, we have here the source of our salvation, the kindness and love of God toward man. We have our need of it, exhibited in the detail of what we were by nature. We have the divine principle according to which our salvation has been accomplished: according to his mercy,"-"being justified by his grace." We have the object of it unfolded, at least as far as we are concerned, "that we should be made heirs "according to the hope of eternal life." We have the blessed person too through whom all this is effected, "Jesus Christ our Saviour." But we have, besides all this, what bears immediately on our present subject, the process by which we are personally brought

into the enjoyment of it all, as well as the agent in this process: "the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he [God] shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour." Surely the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost" is not the mere assent of the natural mind to propositions of truth placed before it!

The testimony of James is, "Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures" (James i. 17, 18). True, indeed, it is, that faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God; but hearing the Word of God only produces faith, where He, by the word of truth, begets us according to His own will.

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Does Peter speak of the believers to whom he wrote, as having purified their souls in obeying the truth? It is through the Spirit this had been accomplished. Seeing ye have purified your souls, in obeying the truth through the Spirit, unto unfeigned love of the brethren" (1 Pet. i. 22). This second epistle is addressed "to them that have obtained like precious faith with us, through the righteousness of God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (verse 1.) In verse 3 he speaks thus: According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness." Surely faith must be included in the "all things that pertain unto life and godliness."

Nor is the testimony of the beloved disciple wanting: "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 John v. 4). Again, "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true: and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ" (verse 20). Thus are we taught, that the faith which overcomes the world is something which is born of God; and, also, that if we have an understanding to know Him that is true, it is because He Himself has given it.

Thus have we examined the sacred writings of the New Testament, from St. Matthew's Gospel to St. John's epistle; and their unanimous testimony is, that "no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." This is a passage we omitted to quote while 1 Corinthians was passing under review; and it may well find a place here as the summing up of the whole matter. It is, of

course, the saying so, in truth, that the passage speaks of. Hypocrites may say so in pretence; and we know that certain will say, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name; and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? to whom he will profess, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." It is, of course, the saying truly, from the heart, that Jesus is the Lord, that is here spoken of. And most absolute is the declaration, that no man can thus truly own Jesus as the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Blessed assurance for those who are conscious of thus owning from the heart, the Lordship of Jesus. Such will joyfully acknowledge by whom they have been taught to own Him thus. Fearful, alas! is the delusion of any who suppose that His all-quickening power is not needed. The Lord grant to any such who may read these pages, repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. And may brethren everywhere be fortified against this, and every other delusion of the enemy! May our loins be girt about with truth! Yea, may we take to us the whole armour of God, and strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might, may we be enabled to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, stand!

John xiv. 20. The leading thoughts developed in the three epistles to Ephesus, Philippi, and Colosse, seem distinctive and marked. That to the Ephesians gives the moral picture of the shooting of the corn of wheat-God's corn of wheat (which fell into the ground, and died, that it might not abide alone), the church seen in Christ in heaven. That to the Philippians is a specimen of what fellowship with the Father and the Son is, as found displayed in the Apostle while in the wilderness; Christ's Spirit in the believer. The third gives us God and the Father's estimate of Christ. Thus these three letters contain a sort of Divine paraphrase on the promise (John xiv. 20):

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"At that day [that is now] ye shall know that I am in my Father [see for the opening of this, Colossians], and ye in me [see Ephesians], and I in you [see Philippians]."

No. XXX.

THE OFFERINGS VIEWED IN CONNEXION WITH LUKE XV.

THE evil effect of unbelief in the heart of a saint, will often appear in the being satisfied with a small measure where God offers a large one, or rather where He offers a fulness of blessing without any measure at all. Unbelief will even assume the language of humility, and protesting that a very little is "enough," will readily and confidently disavow any longing for more. But the very word enough" is ambiguous. In one sense, any, the least, measure is "enough" for sinners, because if they were rewarded according to their iniquities and demerits, destruction itself would be a sufficient portion. But we are not to confound what is enough according to man's deservings, with what is enough according to the grace of God and the fulness of His promises. This would be to confound the merits, or rather the demerits of man with the merits of Christ. Humility will claim nothing as due to itself: faith will reject nothing that God has promised.

I have been led into this train of thought, from observing how low and unworthy are the views which sometimes even true Christians entertain of the Gospel. Gospel-redemption with them is little better than a mere rescue, the plucking of a brand from the burning, which is then, as it were, tossed aside as of no value, as worthless, and as inapplicable to any work as the branches of the vine (Ezek. xv), of which men would not even "take a pin to hang any vessel thereon." But such are not God's thoughts. "Let my people go" (not because Egypt is an iron furnace, or a house of bondage, place of suffering, but) "that they may serve me." "This people have I formed for myself, that they may show forth my praise." Speaking according to the language of the Book of Leviticus, we might describe Euch persons as I have alluded to thus-they are satisfied

or a

with the sin-offering, knowing, and caring to know, little of the burnt-offering, and scarcely anything at all of the peace-offering.

Let it be distinctly understood, that this is not the same thing as being unduly or prematurely satisfied with the antitype of the sin-offering. That would be impossible. These offerings have only one antitype. And he that hath the Son hath life. "All things are yours." I speak of an unhappy tendency to separate in imagination, and so to lose the comfort of those things which God in reality has for ever joined together. Let us now trace something of the distinction I speak of in the parable of the prodigal son; not that the several offerings are distinctly specified there only; the blessings corresponding to the sin-offering, burnt-offering, and peace-offerings are easily traced. I omit here all reference to the trespass-offering and meat-offering. Of course, if there is reconciliation at all between the father and the son, especially if the father is reconciled to the son, there is the virtue of the sin-offering; i.e. atonement (reconciliation) has been made; not that atonement, in the sense of expiation, is mentioned in Luke xv.; only as the father of the prodigal is clearly designed to represent God, we may assume the reconciliation was not unholy; and the holiness of God requires, that without shedding of blood there should be no remission. Here, then, it would seem many stop. They need forgiveness, the Gospel gives it-what lack they yet? (If they said, they have forgiveness, therefore they will not lack anything, the Lord being the shepherd of all whom He forgives, the case would be widely different.) I would now, then, by the Lord's help, notice three blessings, where many seem to see only one; in other words, specify two remaining ones, so powerfully set forth in this interesting chapter. The prodigal, then, has been pardoned-the brand has been plucked from the burning-the blood has put away sin. But this alone, if we could conceive of the sin-offering apart from the burnt-offering (and we may only disjoin them in thought for the purpose of illustration), would be merely a negative advantage. He would not be condemned. Imagine an accused