minds to the spiritual verities of the Christian faith ;— all in the furtherance of a deliberate and deep-rooted conspiracy to bring back the national religion to the corrupt conditions that prevailed in pre-Reformation times. And the real danger that threatens England as a nation to-day, is not the rivalry of foreign powers, or the perplexity of questions that affect her commercial relations at home or abroad, but the existence of this jesuitical conspiracy which, in the heart of her own dominions, is ever striving to advance the claims of the papal apostasy to corrupt the policy of our statesmen and the purity of our press, and subject our people again to the spiritual darkness and the spiritual bondage of the middle ages.

May God awaken us nationally to a fresh view of our position and responsibilities before it be too late. For the sake of the stability of our empire, no less than the happiness of our children, may He vouchsafe us a hearty desire to return to the simple religion of our forefathers, and a renewed thirst for the preaching of the pure gospel of the grace of God, being firmly persuaded with D'Aubigne that

"If the gospel dies in these illustrious isles from the blows which Romanism and Puseyism [and we may now add, and Rationalism] unite to give, then must be written upon their so long triumphant banner- ICHABOD! THE GLORY OF THE LORD IS DEPARTED."

6

PART II.

REVELATION AND FAITH.

"The Gospel of Christ:

the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

"For therein is the Righteousness of God by faith revealed unto faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

"For the Wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold down the Truth in unrighteousness."-ROMANS i. 16-18.

the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in Him."-EPHESIANS iii, 3-12, R.V.

CHAPTER I.

THE HOLY SCRIPTURES-THE INFALLIBLE

WORD OF GOD.

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God."—-2 TIMOTHY iii. 16. "Not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth." -1 CORINTHIANS ii. 13.

WE

E have no revelation concerning the origin and destiny of man, and his relation and responsibilities to God, outside of that book which we call the "Holy Bible." There is no real knowledge of God as the Creator and Saviour of men apart from the records that are written in the Scriptures. On the other hand, the Bible contains every doctrine and every truth the acceptance of which is necessary to the possession of everlasting life. "The faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3, R.V.) is the faith which abides to-day; and it is the possession of this living faith alone, by the favour of God, that can bring any spiritual light, or joy, or blessing to men. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." (Eph. ii. 8.)

"The Scriptures are that complete and infallible record of the revelation of God, from which all our knowledge of the grace and will of the Most High is derived." (Lectures on Hebrews by Dr. A. Saphir.)

"Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence, do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men inexcusable, yet they are not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of His will, which is necessary unto salvation.

"The authority of Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, dependeth not upon the

testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God (who is Truth itself) the author thereof; and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God.

"The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men." (Westminster Confession of Faith, 1647.) Let us consider in the first place

I. The Origin and Inspiration of the Scriptures. They came from God. "Men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter i. 21, R.V.)

The first truth that meets us in reference to the creation of the world is the existence of God. "In the beginning was God." We may trace back all earthly records to primeval times, but we can discover no earlier beginning than this. And inseparably connected with this truth is the declaration that the work of creation was accomplished, not by the operation of the ordinary laws of nature, but by the direct intervention of supernatural power. "In the beginning God created,

and the Spirit of God moved." (Gen. i. 1, 2.) This fundamental fact—so majestic on the one hand that the wisdom of this world cannot grasp it, and so simple on the other hand that the faith of a little child can comprehend it-is the Divine preface to the generation of the universe, as it is the first cause of the regeneration of every creature in Christ Jesus.

In like manner the Holy Scriptures were produced, not by the operation of natural inspiration, but by the direct interposition of supernatural power. The source of the Written Word was, in fact, the same as the source