Saviour's life. The history of his life, and the narrative of his death, is that of matchless love. It was love which made him an inhabitant of this world, which familiarized him to all the scenes of suffering he endured, which nailed him to the cross, and drew from him that dolorous exclamation, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? The Apostle speaks of this in terms which imply that he is utterly at loss to express it. He prays the Divine Being that he would strengthen Christians with might by his Spirit in the inner man; and for what purpose? that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith; that being rooted and grounded in love, they might be able to compre→ hend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and heighth; and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that they might be filled with all the fulness of God.

This part of the character of Christ is also found in all his sincere followers. There is no grace which more becomes genuine Christians than a heart filled with tenderness towards all their fellow-creatures. They are continually struggling against all resentment of heart. The love of Christ constrains them. They love to forgive those who hate them. They pray for them that despitefully use them. They are not overcome of evil, but they overcome evil with good. In all this they are imitators of Jesus Christ. The more we study his example, the more we shall perceive that love drinks deeply into his spirit. Love leads first into the exercise of a most ardent gratitude, first towards the source of all good, and next towards our fellow-creatures. We should particularly observe the preference which the blessed Saviour showed towards all sincere Christians, towards all such as were begotten of his heavenly Father. Those whom he selected from among the men of this world for companions were marked with a spirit of real piety. They were men that feared God. They were plain and unlettered men indeed, but they were men of God. It was with these he mingled his affections; with these he reposed the secrets of his breast; they were the men of his counsel, and all his delight. This is part of the spirit of Christians. If they do not prefer the society of the people of God to the people of the world; if they do not choose them as their select companions and friends, if they do not give them the preference in the selection of their friends, and the bestowment of their confidence, so far do they fail of the spirit of Christ: for by this we know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. Real Christians will show their preference of every individual in whom the Spirit of God is found. They will lose sight of all difference of sect or party. The presence of Christ in any person's mind will make that person invaluable in their esteem. They will be companions of such as fear God, whatever be the difference of their station. They will consider as brothers and sisters all the poorer members of Christ, and heirs of the kingdom.

Hence we may learn, in the first place, how to trace predestination and election; but consider as the criterion of this whether you possess the image of Christ. If you love Christ, it is plain that Christ loves you. If you walk in the steps of the blessed Saviour, it is evident

that it is his grace which supports you, and that faith which works by love. You have the same mind which was in him. This is the very end of predestination, and the whole purpose of God in sanctification. But let us not for a moment flatter ourselves that we are Christians, except there is some prevalence of these divine tempers in our hearts. Are we strangers to habitual devotion? Do we love the world more than heaven and the objects of eternity? Do we live in pride, and in the indulgence of evil passions? Are we conformed to the temper of the present world? Then no predestination can reconcile us to the character of the godly. We cannot be Christians except inasmuch as we are like Christ; and we cannot be like Christ, except as we possess the graces which he possessed. If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his. (Rom. viii. 9.)

And can we conceive of a greater advantage than that of being conformed to the image of Christ? If you possess the character, you will be recognised as such at the last day. You will be recognised as sons of the Most High; God will confess your names among his sons and his daughters, will receive you to his arms, discover in you his own image. Christ will open the gates of eternal life, and say with exultation, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. However obscure your situation now, he will remove that obscurity. He will confess your name in the presence of his Father, and of the holy angels. He will distinguish you with honours which none but himself can bestow. He will put upon you a crown of eternal life, and you will live in everlasting ages of glory, where you will be distinguished as the followers of him who is King of kings, and Lord of lords. He will call on the angels themselves to exult and participate with you in your joy.

If you possess this image of Christ you will enjoy habitual communion with him in the midst of the sorrows of life. He will visit you and come unto you, and make his abode with you, and give you expressive tokens of his love, which none are acquainted with but those who have received them. He will give you to eat of the hidden manna, and will give you a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. And in a dying hour, the conviction that you have the spirit of Christ in you, that it lives in you, and dwells in you, will be more to you than if you possessed all the world. The meanest hope of it will afford the only consolation to a dying person; but this can only dwell in you in consequence of a lively faith.

There are but two images to which we can be conformed,—the image of the world, or the image of Christ. Those who have been living under the former image, have now a glorious opportunity of stripping it from them, and putting on the image of the Son. The blessed Saviour is ready to open the gates of pardon and peace to all who ask him. All things are ready; the Spirit and the Bride say, Come; and let him that heareth say, Come; and let him that is athirst, come; and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Oh! what an awful thing it is to perish

in your sins, under such advantages, under the echoes of the gospel, under the most pressing invitations. Surely, of all men, we shall be most answerable, most covered with everlasting shame and contempt, if we perish after having the gospel published in our ears, and after enjoying, as we do in this country, the glorious tidings of eternity. Oh! let us all then, most earnestly seek conformity to Christ; and the only way to attain this is to come to him by a lively faith, to wash in the fountain of his blood, and to lay hold of the promises of the divine Majesty. Then shall we be complete in his image, when we are pure as Christ is pure, and holy as Christ is holy.

III. A LITERAL TRANSLATION OF PSALM CXXXVII.

1. By the waters of Babylon sat we down;

And wept when we remembered Zion.

2. On the willows that are therein, we hanged up our harps; 3. For there those that carried us away captive, desired of us a song; Those that wasted us, rejoicing-"Sing us the songs of Zion." 4. How shall we sing the Lord's song, in the land of the stranger? 5. When I forget thee, O Jerusalem, my right hand shall forget its skill.

6. My tongue shall cleave to the roof of my mouth, when I shall not remember thee;

When I set not Jerusalem above my chiefest joy.

7. Remember, O Lord, to the sons of Edom, the day of Jerusalem; Those who said, "Raze it, raze it, to its foundations."

8. O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed,

Happy who shall render to thee as thou hast done to us;

9. Happy that shall take and dash in pieces what thou hast reared, against the stony rock.

The combination of letters here rendered, "that which thou hast reared," literally, "thy rearings," when it signifies children is joined with the epithet, sucking; words from the same root are buildings, and works of other kinds, as in Psalm cv. 1,"deeds," and in many other places.

If understood of the buildings reared by the Babylonians, the prophecy was literally fulfilled by Cyrus, when he caused one third in height of the walls of Babylon to be thrown down; and as the Babylonians had thrown down the walls of Jerusalem thus, they were literally rewarded as they had done to the Jews.*

F.R.

*This interpretation has received the sanction of one of the first Hebrew scholars of the day.

IV. THE ECCLESIASTICAL POLITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.* DR. DAVIDSON states his object in this course of lectures in the following words :

"It is necessary that the reader should distinctly remember the nature of the work undertaken,-which is not to explain or defend the opinions and practices of any one denomination on the subject of ecclesiastical polity, nor to identify the polity of the New Testament with modern Congregationalism; but to investigate the volume of inspiration with the view of unfolding its teachings, and to point out their agreement or discordance with the principles and usages of modern sects."-Preface, p. vii.

The expectation which these words justify is in no one important particular fulfilled by the author. In its principal parts, this volume must be deemed a defence of "Modern Congregationalism," against the opposite claims of modern Episcopacy, Presbyterian polity, and the centralizing expedient of American Congregationalists; but the unfolding of New Testament "teachings" on church polity, which it promises, is very imperfect: and "the agreement or discordance" of these "teachings" with the principles and usages of modern sects, is still less satisfactorily explained. The modern sects, especially those which claim public regard because of their peculiarities in church polity-such as the Plymouth Brethren,-are scarcely if at all noticed in any one of these Lectures; and though the Methodist, Episcopalian, and Presbyterian polities receive some attention, they are not brought into the full light of divine teachings in the New Testament, because these "teachings" themselves are so inadequately "unfolded." It was hoped that, by placing the divine law, with its demands on the followers of Christ, in a clear and unmistakable form before the religious public, some confidence would be obtained by conscientious but perplexed inquirers in dealing with those practical questions, which occupy so much of time and labour, and yet leave so much uncertainty and dissatisfaction in the community of professing Christians. With this hope we opened the volume; but, though clearly written, and pleasant to read, its perusal has produced little besides disappointment.

Much that justifies this complaint would seem to result from the position in which Dr. Davidson was placed in preparing and delivering his lectures. He comes forward "not as the advocate of Congregationalism in particular," and is "alone accountable for the sentiments advanced," but since his course forms the "thirteenth series" of "the Congregational Lecture," he must take that part in the whole "series" of "series" which comes within his department, without interfering with that of any other lecturer. This course, therefore, is only a part of a whole, which includes the thirteen "series" of lectures and all that are to follow. Whether this whole is to be a defence of modern Congregationalism, or a body of Congregational divinity, is not to be

*The Ecclesiastical Polity of the New Testament unfolded.' By the Rev. Samuel Davidson, LL.D.-The Congregational Lecture. Thirteenth Series.

investigated here. It is for every reader to bear in mind, that this course of lectures is not complete in itself, and does not embrace the whole subject of ecclesiastical polity. Some things stated by other lecturers, relating to the constitution and government of the community which Christ formed upon earth, are in this course assumed; and therefore the assumptions must come, with this course, under every fair investigation for judgment.

The title of the ninth lecture is, "The Congregational System Reviewed and Defended." In the commencement of this, and in reviewing the whole course, Dr. Davidson says:

"The principles we have attempted to establish are these:

"First. That those who profess to believe the gospel should associate, in obedience to Christ's commands, for the promotion of their mutual edification, by the use of the means pointed out in the New Testament.

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Secondly. That a company of such persons-or, in other words, a Church,--consists of those only who give credible evidence of piety, and may conveniently assemble in one place.

“Thirdly.—That every church should have officebearers, for the right and orderly management of its affairs: viz.-elders, or bishops, and deacons; the former to teach and govern the flock, the latter to manage the temporalities of it.

"Fourthly.-That every Christian church is subject to Christ alone: no external power whatever, whether civil or sacred, having ecclesiastical jurisdiction over it.

Fifthly. That it is fully competent to transact its own affairs, being complete within itself.

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Sixthly. That it is the duty of every such society to maintain and propagate the truth.

Such are the principles developed, with more or less fulness, in the preceding discussion; and they are none other than the leading features of modern congregationalism."--Lect. ix. p. 380, 381.

On the first of these propositions it is obvious to remark that it is not true. The "teachings of the New Testament on the duty of uniting are not adduced, nor considered; nor those relating to the persons whose duty it is to unite; nor those which define the end of their association; nor those which require their "obedience to Christ's commands" in their association. The obligation to associate is (pp. 55 -58) argued on an appeal to nature, and reference is made to some commands of revelation, but they are not adduced, and therefore their "teachings" cannot be considered.

Moreover, if all the passages of Scripture relating to those points had been adduced, it may well be questioned whether they afford any proof, that all "those who profess to believe the gospel should associate in obedience to Christ's commands," &c. It is known that some who did not profess to believe the gospel were, by the Lord himself, exhorted to follow him because their faith in him was real, but they would not avow it (John xii. 44); but that all who receive a certain theory as true were bound to unite in this association, or that they are bound to do so now, has not been proved by any Scripture adduced by Dr, Davidson. It is easy to see that personal confidence in our Lord is