stance of a saving change;—and to do all this so as to imply that the purpose or resolution intended, is one which springs from mere natural affections, and which a person may form in a state of unregeneracy. They labour to bring the sinner to adopt such a resolution, and regard this as the grand object to be accomplished. And if any one says, he thus resolves, they look upon it as evidence of his being born again, and forthwith count him as a convert.

I have already intimated, that this practice is dangerous. I now say, it is wholly unscriptural. To what did the prophets and apostles exhort sinners in order to salvation ? They exhorted them to repent, to believe, to pray, to seek God, to put away sin, to love and follow Christ, &c. But when did they direct sinners to resolve to do these duties? And who would ever think of directing men in any case, to resolve to do that which is strictly of present obligation, and which urgently calls for present performance? If a friend of yours were in a house on fire, and must instantly escape or perish in the flames, would you go about to persuade him to form a purpose or resolution to leave the house? Or if your friend were drowning, would you call upon him to resolve to take hold of the rope which was let down for his rescue? Or if he had unwittingly swallowed poison, would you exhort him to resolve to take the medicine which was the only thing that could save him from sudden death? When the jailor felt himself to be perishing, and inquired what he should do to be saved; did the apostle direct him to form a purpose or resolution to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? And does God, in giving the first and great command, which comprises all the rest, say; "Thou shalt resolve to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart?" and in giving the second command,"Thou shalt resolve to love thy neighbour as thyself?" Love itself is the thing that is due from us. It is a matter of present obligation; and of course is an unqualified, absolute requisition of love itself; and as far as the exercise of love is a present duty, the command cannot be understood to leave any place for a purpose or resolution antecedent to the exercise of love. See how the affec

tionate, urgent exhortation to sinners, contained in Isa. 55, would be enfeebled and paralyzed, if you should put it in the form which we are considering. "Ho every one that thirsteth, resolve to come to the waters: make it your VOL. III.

51

serious purpose to come, and buy, and eat; yea, resolve to come and buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread? Resolve to hearken diligently unto me, and to eat that which is good. Form the solemn purpose to incline your ear and come unto me. Resolve to hear, and your soul shall live. Determine to seek the Lord while he may be found, to call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked purpose to forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him resolve to return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him." The precepts of the New Testament would be affected in the same manner; and those which require repentance and faith of sinners in the first instance, not less than any others. Why, then, adopt a mode of address which is so at variance with the word of God? If God requires repentance and faith and love and obedience, let his ambassadors require the same, taking care to substitute nothing else in their place. Do you say, a purpose to repent and believe and love is essential to the exercise of repentance, faith and love, and must always come before them? My answer is, that this is wholly without proof, and is contrary to the laws of the mind, and the consciousness of enlightened Christians generally. Do you say that by a purpose to repent and love God, you do not mean an act of the will which is distinct from repentance, but one which involves repentance, so that requiring the purpose is requiring repentance? I reply, first, that according to the established sense of words, a purpose to do any thing is distinct from doing it, and may take place without it. Secondly, if you mean to require repentance, why not require it plainly and directly? Why make use of words which would seem to imply that you have something else in view? Thirdly, the example of the Apostles is obligatory upon us, unless it can be shown that the character of man, and the laws of the mind, are so changed, as to call for an alteration in the mode of addressing sinners, Is it said, that sinners, while unrenewed, are not capable of exercising saving repentance and faith and love, and that we ought to require something first, which they can do in their natural state? To this I reply, that most of those, who at the present day, use the mode of address referred to, do not admit that sinners are subject to any incapacity, or want of power, to do what God requires. So that nothing need be said to remove

such a difficulty as this from their minds. And if there are any, who consider the inability of sinners to obey the Divine commands, as a reason for witholding or varying those commands, or as an exemption from present obligation to obey; my answer is, that by such a position they virtually impeach the character of the law and the Lawgiver, and undertake to be more just than God. Do you say, that a resolution to repent and obey is in fact frequently followed by repentance and obedience? I answer, it is still more frequently followed by impenitence and disobedience. Do you say, the purpose you mean to inculcate is a pious purpose, springing from right motives? Then take care to

explain your meaning, and leave no one to suppose that he does any part of the work which God requires, by a resolution which springs from an unholy heart. God requires that all men should be holy. The requisition is just and good. And neither the deep depravity of men, nor their entire dependence on the special agency of the Spirit, interferes in the least with their perfect obligation to comply with the requisition. Why not press this obligation upon them? God requires them to repent, and to repent without any delay. This requisition too is perfectly right. And there are many reasons, and reasons of inconceivable weight and urgency, to induce them now to repent. Why not present these reasons, and labour to persuade them to do this very duty at once? Why put any thing, or seem to put any thing else in the place of it? God says; "Speak my words to them." Here is the sum of what we are to do as

gospel ministers. We should labour to come up fully to this requirement, by declaring all the counsel of God. We should take care not to go beyond this requirement by adding to God's words. We should declare the truth to sinners with the feelings which the truth itself prompts, and inculcate their duty with that spirit of love which appeared in him, whose servants we are. And all this we should do with cordial reliance on Divine grace, remembering that, whoever may plant or water, it is God that gives the increase.

Finally; it is our duty at the present day to take special pains to show how hazardous it is to depend on any purpose which originates in an impenitent, unrenewed, selfish heart. Many persons speak peace to themselves, because they have resolved to repent and to be Christians. They engraft a hope of heaven upon an unsanctified resolution.

And when they once hide themselves in this refuge of lies, it is extremely difficult to dislodge them. A deceived heart hath turned them aside. They think they are something, when they are nothing.

ART. V. REVIEW OF HODGE ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

BY GILBERT MCMASTER, D. D. Duanesburgh, N. Y.

A Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, designed for students of the English Bible. By Charles Hodge, Professor of Biblical Literature in the Theological Seminary at Princeton. Philadelphia. Published by Grigg and Elliot, No. 9 North Fourth street. 1835, pp. 588.

BETWEEN the works and the word of God, ingenious men have often remarked a striking analogy. In the details as well as in the outlines of this analogy, we are able to trace those impressions of the divine hand, and those features of the divine character, which, to our minds, identify the Creator of nature and the author of the Bible.

In the field and in the forest, upon the mountain and in the valley, the Botanist will find all the materials of the botanic garden; but then he will not find his classes, orders, genera, and species, collated and distinctly arranged in their respective plots. To find them, in order that he may thus arrange them, he must traverse the fields and the forest; examine the valley, and ascend the mountains; observe with discrimination, and gather with care the objects of his pursuit. For these toils the lover of nature will find a compensation in the great variety of relations presented to his view, and in the profusion of beauties and riches scattered around his path, which are sought for in vain in the artificial arrangements of the gardener's beds. Neither the views of a vigorous vitality, nor the enjoyments of the numerous and varied connexions of the products of nature, found in her own unmeasured plains and on her elevated hills, are furnished in the order and system of the garden, how beautiful soever, otherwise, that inclosure may be. It is thus in the Book of God's revealed will. In its pages of light we have no technical system. The materi

The first

als of a system are, indeed, very abundant. The illuminating Spirit of inspiration has spread out the pages of the sacred volume, and as a mean of sanctifying the souls of men, has made it their duty and privilege to examine with diligence, earnestness, and solemnity of mind, the contents of those pages. The several parts of the revelation which they embrace are in perfect accordance with one another; and much of their beauty and efficiency lies in the enlightened perception of this harmony, and in the application of the several truths in their appropriate relations. principles of Christianity though comparatively few, are, nevertheless, like the letters of the alphabet, capable of indefinite combinations with each other and with the objects to which they are related; and in every form of combination they present so much that is peculiar and deeply interesting, as almost to justify in each presentation the appellation of a new principle. To discover these principles, whether in reference to the articles of faith or the duties of religion and morality, we must neither confine ourselves to abstract propositions, nor limit ourselves to express commands. Beyond these we must go to the features of character delineated in the Book of God; to facts in life and events of providence there recorded. These exhibited in a thousand forms, and modified by innumerable circumstances and relations, infold principles and instructions of deepest interest to man. These principles stand in appropriate relationships to each other, and to ascertain their connexions and relative bearings, is the business of the theological student.

This we can by no means view in the light of an useless or unimportant labour. Whilst guarding against the danger of forming a system in anticipation of supernatural revelation, and then having recourse to that revelation to compel its testimony in favor of our theory, it would be no trivial error should we disregard the harmony of the principles of revealed truth, and satisfy ourselves with a view of them as insulated facts. There is a proportion -avaλoya-of the Faith of the Gospel, which involves the idea of system; a disregard of which will raise very great obstacles in the way of a sound and satisfactory exegesis of the sacred Scriptures, and will greatly retard the Christian's progress in his advances toward that acquisition of Bible knowledge, which is demanded for efficient christian action. Let, however, care be taken, that this proportion