objections had occurred to others as to myself; and that, therefore, I was not fastidious or hypercritical in making them. I was afterwards still more encouraged, when, on meeting with Mr. Cunningham's edition of the work, I found that his opinion as to some of the defects to be observed in the work coincided with my own.

As you have noticed in the Review to which I have already alluded, the very favourable opinion entertained by Mr. Cunningham of the general merits and probable utility of the work in question, it occurred to me that it would be rendering a service to the Christian public in general, as well as doing justice to Mr. Cunningham, to insert in your widely circulated journal the following extract from his preface :-" But the most serious defect in the volume is of a kind quite distinct from those to which we have above referred. It is the too limited introduction, in many of the arguments, of the all-important doctrine of Spiritual and Divine Influence. I have said, the introduction of this doctrine; for the author of the following, and other similar passages, cannot be suspected of not holding the doctrine, in its fullest and most scriptural sense.'

Mr. Cunningham proceeds to quote from Mr. Abbott's book a very beautiful passage, which relates to our moral dependence upon God, and then goes on to say: "Notwithstanding, however, occasional passages such as these, this fundamental doctrine of Scripture cannot be considered as possessing the prominence in this volume which it deserves. The author, on a variety of occasions, rather assumes than expresses it; and by so doing gives, as it appears to me, a complexion to his argument which is likely to offend or distress some conscientious minds. In a multitude of the cases touched upon by the author, his readers approach the subject either unduly relying upon their own powers, and thus disparaging the influence of the Holy Spirit; or unduly depreciating their own powers, without a knowledge of that higher influence on which the believer is privileged to rely. In either of these cases, it is surely one of the primary duties of every writer, whether upon doctrinal or practical subjects in theology, to assign to the doctrine of the Divine Influence the lofty place which it occupies in the Volume of Truth. In the one case, he has to humble the proud; in the other, to exalt the desponding: in the one, to strike the self-confident from the poor crumbling pedestal he has raised for himself; in the other, to plant the foot of the trembling offender upon the rock raised by the hand of Omnipotence. Let it be remembered to what an extent the writers of the New Testament, especially, incorporate that doctrine with every practical counsel they deliver to the children of men; how unhesitatingly they proclaim, that if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His;' how they exhort us to think, speak, act, and suffer in the strength of the Spirit; how they teach us, from the lips of Christ himself, that the presence of the Spirit is more than a compensation for the loss of the bodily presence of the Saviour.

"I cannot doubt that the neglect of this great doctrine constitutes one of the capital crimes of the professed followers of Christ in the present age. The child who is from day to day blindly pursuing its own schemes of indulgence, and knows nothing of the tender, but invisible Hand by which it is supplied with food and sheltered from danger, naturally regards itself as the exclusive author of its own enjoyments. And it is thus in the case of those who have formed inadequate conceptions of the work of the Holy Spirit upon the soul. They think, speak, and act in their own strength; they study the Scripture by the flickering lamp of their own understanding; they attempt to draw both the subjects of prayer and its language from the empty fountains of human intelligence and foresight; they resolve to be religious, as though they themselves could be the artificers of their own

salvation; and, thus confiding in an arm of flesh, when they might cast themselves on the strength of Omnipotence, they live and die the miserable exemplars of that moral madness which prompts the soul to trust in its own nothingness and to distrust the all-sufficiency of its God.

"How astonishing was the result of the ministration of the word of God when due honour was done to this truth, and the presence of the Holy Ghost earnestly sought, in that upper chamber' at Jerusalem! Three thousand persons were at once added to the church of the Redeemer. And how lovely is the picture, afterwards drawn, of the persons who were thus transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit! In like manner, at this moment, when the Holy Ghost receives of the things of Christ and shews them to the soul, how splendid is the trophy which He often binds round the cross of the Redeemer! Ask the reclaimed profligate-the penitent smiling through his tears-the man once shuddering at death, but now exulting as its dark portals open before him-what it is which infuses his holiness, or inspires his confidence and joy; and he does not hesitate to say, The Spirit of the living God; the presence of the Comforter.' Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord.' But my anxiety for the maintenance of this great doctrine has, perhaps, withdrawn me too far from the author now before us. It is impossible to question his orthodoxy on this cardinal point; and equally impossible to doubt his intention that the reader should always assume the necessity of this high and holy influence, where any moral change is to be accomplished; but, considering the character of modern divinity, and the spirit of pride and independence which pervades such large classes of the community, destroying our allegiance to the Spirit, and inflating the soul with empty conceptions of its own inherent powers, it is difficult not to be 'jealous,' with what may surely be termed a godly jealousy,' upon this point, and honestly to rebuke the fault wherever it is found."

Having quoted Mr. Cunningham's remarks upon this very important point, I may perhaps be permitted to add a few thoughts which have occurred to me on the perusal of the chapter "On Confession :" and I would offer them in the same spirit in which Mr. Cunningham's remarks appear to me to be given,—not with the intention of finding fault with Mr. Abbott, or depreciating his book, but to warn against the misapplication of some statements which I consider as rather unguarded.

Towards the conclusion of the chapter " On Confession" we find the following sentence: "No, my reader, there is no need of any struggle or of any suffering. If this chapter has led you to be willing to confess your sins, you may confess them now, and from this moment be calm, and peaceful, and happy." Now, surely this is an unguarded statement, and one which may lead to very erroneous views. The author states with great clearness the necessity of coming immediately to Christ, and shews that it is a mistaken notion to suppose that a certain degree of suffering is necessary to be endured before a sinner flees to Him for refuge; but, still, it appears to me that he rests too much upon the mere act of confession. The calm, peaceful, and happy state described by the author, is surely the result of a sense of pardon, a sense of acceptance with God through the blood of the Redeemer, and of that alone.

In the preceding page it is said " they ought to have fled to the Refuge, without thus suffering." The suffering, by whatever name it is called, is surely the means mercifully appointed by God to bring sinners back to him it is the striving of his Spirit within us, by which he calls upon us to cease to do evil" and " learn to do well." We must all know by experience, that, when we have committed sin, it is only by this warning voice within us that we are made sensible of our transgression. As soon as we

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are "convinced of sin" we must necessarily be unhappy. The amount and duration of this unhappiness is, no doubt, very different in different individuals; but in every case the feeling must be more or less painful. This unhappiness leads to the inquiry, What must I do to be saved? And then the blessed message of the Gospel brings peace to our souls: it says to us, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved:" it leads us to exclaim, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." If this be a correct statement, I infer that it is not the mere act of confession that has brought us peace, but the exercise of faith in a crucified Redeemer : the conviction of sin having destroyed our self-confidence, we are brought, humbled and penitent, to the foot of the Cross.

C.

ON THE APPLICATION OF PROVERBS VIII.
TO THE MESSIAH.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

I SEND the following passages of Scripture in answer to the inquiries of THEOGNIS, respecting the ground on which the eighth chapter of the Book of Proverbs, where Wisdom is described, is considered to be applicable to Jesus Christ; and in so doing would divest my mind of all that the Christian Fathers, whether ancients or moderns, have said or written upon the subject. It is not upon the faith of their opinions, however highly prized, that the import of the passage in question should rest-and, blessed be God, it stands upon a surer base: the Bible is its own best interpreter.

It may be well just to observe, that, in order to see the following illustrations in their true force, it is important to have a distinct idea of the Son of God in his Divine nature; and that, as such, He is "such as the Father is," God. "The Son uncreate The Son incomprehensible ""The Son Eternal"-"The Son Almighty"-"Begotten before the worlds."

Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am Understanding; I have strength. Prov. viii. 14.

Job xii. 13: "With Him is wisdom and strength. He hath counsel and understanding."

Isai. ix. 6: “His name shall be called .... Counsellor.”

Coloss. ii. 3: "In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

1 Cor. i. 30: "Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom." By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. Vers. 15, 16.

Rom. xiii. 1, 2: "For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God."

1 Pet. ii. 13, 14: "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors."

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I love them that love me; and those that seek me early, shall find me. Ver. 17.

1 John iv. 9: "We love him, because he first loved us."

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Luke xi. 9: Seek, and ye shall find."

Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. Vers. 18, 19.

Matt. vi. 19, 20: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through, nor steal."

Rev. iii. 18: “ I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich."

I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the path of judgment. Ver. 20.

Isai. lv. 4: “Behold, I have given Him for a Witness to the people, a Leader and Commander to the people."

Psa. lxxxv. 13: "Righteousness shall go before Him, and shall set us in the way of His steps."

That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures. Ver. 21.

1 Pet. i. 3, 4: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you."

Isai. Iv. 2. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness."

The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. Ver. 22.

Rev. iii. xiv. "These things saith.... the Beginning of the creation

of God."

John i. 1, 2:
with God,
1 John i. 1

Isai. xliii. 13:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was and the Word was God."

I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.

Ver. 23.

John viii. 58: "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Before Abraham was, I am."

1 Pet. i. 20: "Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of
the world."

When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When He prepared the heavens, I was there: when He set a compass upon the face of the depth; when He established the clouds above; when He strengthened the fountains of the deep; when He gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not pass His commandment ; when He appointed the foundations of the earth. Vers. 24-29. Psa. xc. 1, 2: "Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling-place * in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God."

Can the wonderful and mysterious idea conveyed by these words be correctly conceived otherwise than by taking them in connexion with Coloss. iii. 3 and John vi. 56, spiritually understood? Admitting that it cannot, there will be no difficulty in seeing the application of the above passage to the Lord Christ.

Then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him. Ver. 30.

Colos. i. 15-17: "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. For by Him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him; and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist."

And I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him. Ibid.

Isai. xlii. 1 " Behold my servant, whom I uphold: mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth."

John xvii. 24: "Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." Matt. iii. 17" And, lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth. Ver. 31.

Psa. civ. 31: "The Lord shall rejoice in His works."

And my delights were with the sons of men." Ibid.

2 Tim. i. 9, 10: "Who 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; but now is made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ."

Ephes. i. 4: "According as he hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love."

Acts xv. 18: "Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world."

Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Ver. 32.

Rev. xxii. 14: "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."

Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not. Ver. 33.

John x. 27: " My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."

Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. Ver. 34.

Matt. xxiv. 42, 46: ""

Watch, therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come..... Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing."

For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord. Ver. 35. Psa. xxxvi. 9: For with Thee is the fountain of life."

John xiv. 6: " Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Psa. xxx. 5: "In His favour is life."

Ephes. i. 6: "He hath made us accepted in the Beloved."

But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate

me love death. Ver. 36.

John v. 40: " And ye will not come to me that ye might have life.”
Luke xix. 27: "But those mine enemies, which would not that I

should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me." In conclusion, I venture to say, the more this portion of the Book of Proverbs is studied in the simplicity of a teachable spirit, and with prayerful dependence upon the Holy Spirit for instruction and spiritual illumination, the more clearly (it is believed) it will be approved to the intellect, and the more beneficially to the heart, as a revelation of the Eternal Son of God. A. Z. CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 384. 4 Y