Simeon give, (as he does in his hymn-book,) the following poetical invitation to his hearers :

"Come needy and guilty, come loathsome and bare,

Though lep'rous and filthy, come just as you are,”*

* As the reader may not often be fortunate enough to meet with such a choice morsel of evangelical minstrelsy, as is exhibited in this hymn, we will favour him with a few more stanzas. The subject of it professes to be, "The fountain opened for sinners;" and the virtues of this fountain are extolled, (whether in poetry or prose it may be difficult to say,) but certainly in terms very similar to those, which compose the newspaper-puffs of patent medicines. It runs in the following strain :—

This fountain from guilt not only makes pure,
And gives soon as felt infallible cure,
But, if guilt removed, return, and remain,
It's power may be proved again and again.

This fountain unseal'd stands open for all
Who long to be heal'd, the great and the small:
Here's strength for the weakly that hither are led,
Here's health for the sickly, and life for the dead.

This fountain, though rich, from charge is quite clear,
The poorer the wretch, the welcomer here;
Come needy and guilty, come loathsome and bare,
Though lep'rous and filthy, come just as you are.

This fountain in vain has never been tried,

It takes out all stain, whenever applied;
The fountain flows sweetly with virtue divine,

To cleanse souls completely, though lep'rous as mine."

(Hymn 118.)

Similar sentiments are elsewhere expressed in the same volume, amidst all the charms of similar versification, and in rather stronger language. Of the Redeemer of mankind, (to whom, by the way, in hymn 134 the following reverent address is offered,

Jesus, how precious is thy name,

The great Jehovah's Darling thou"!)

if, the worse they are, and the worse they remain, the more the grace of God will be magnified in their salvation. Indeed on Mr. Simeon's principles, taking them even in the most favourable point of view, a person might reason with himself most correctly in the following manner :-" if I have faith, good works will necessarily follow: (see note 30:) and, if I have not faith, no good works, I can do, can supply the deficiency;" either part of which alternative will equally lead to the comfortable conclusion that Christians may sit down with their arms folded, and do just nothing for themselves, or, if they please, worse than nothing.—It is true Mr. Simeon says in one place that "a justified person is not at liberty to neglect good works;" (p. 59, 7. 10.) but men will act according to the motives which are set before them; and it is in vain, therefore,

it is said, in hymn 59, that

With power he rules, and wonders performs;
Gives conduct to fools, and courage to worms,
Beset by sore evils without and within,

By legions of devils, and mountains of sin.”

The title of this hymn is "Encouragement for the weak;" may we not add-" and for the wicked."-But the mode of salvation, according to Mr. Simeon's opinion, is described still more minutely as follows:

"This is the way I long have sought,

And mourn'd because I found it not;
My grief, my burden long has been,
Because I could not cease from sin.

The more I strove against its power,
I sinn'd and stumbled but the more;
Till late I heard my Saviour say-
"Come hither, soul, I am the way."

Lo! glad I come, and thou, blest Lamb,
Shalt take me to thee as I am;

My sinful self to thee I give;
Nothing but love shall I receive,"

Hymn 142,

to tell them they are not at liberty to be idle, when at the same time, you studiously destroy every motive proper to excite their diligence.

Thus much then for Mr. Simeon's proof that his doctrine peculiarly secures the performance of good works."

In confirmation however of the truth of the main point insisted on in this sermon, the sufficiency of faith to salvation, Mr. Simeon lays down certain "marks which characterize the Gospel," (p. 72. &c.) and these are-that "it magnifies the grace of God"-that it "cuts off all occasion for boasting"and that it "secures the performance of good works;" and, having laboured to shew that they are all attributable to his ownscheme, he concludes in the following triumphant terms: "these then are clear evidences that the way of salvation is precisely such as we have declared it to be; for there is no other doctrine under heaven that has these marks connected with it, or these effects proceeding from it." (p. 77, l. 9.) This is speaking pretty confidently: but, by way of tempering this exuberance of self-gratulation, we would beg leave to remind him, that the system of his opponents on this question has these marks connected with it, quite as much, (to say the least,) as his own has.

NOTE 32.-to p. 81, l. 23.-"other points"-There is however a sentence in Mr. Simeon's sermons, which savours so strongly of this doctrine, that we cannot refrain from pointing it out to the notice of the reader." Being justified, (he says) by faith in him, (Christ,) you shall have peace with God: you shall be kept also from falling" whilst in this ensnaring world, and in due time you shall be "presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy." (p. 82, l. 26.) Here then salvation is made a necessary consequence of primary justification.-One farther observation may be made on this passage. We have no objection to the method, sometimes pursued, of occasionally introducing into sermons texts of Scripture in the way of accommodation, and without paying a rigid regard to the meaning they originally bear, provided it be

done in sincerity, and in a way which can give rise to no deception. But we have seen Mr. Simeon's opinion of sincerity, (note 29,) and, if we can only imagine him to have been in sober earnest when he gave it, we ought to be the less surprized that in this quotation he has made St. Jude join in asserting a doctrine, which in all probability he never heard of—that of Final Perseverance. The Apostle's words in the doxology of his epistle are merely these: now unto him that is able to. keep you from falling, and to present you faultless." (v. 24.)

66

NOTE 33.-to p. 92. l. 20.-"words of man.”—The description, given in this paragraph, of certain characteristics of Mr. Simeon's sermons, is, it must be confessed, not very flattering; but really, on examining those theological documents with considerable attention, we still think that it was neither unmerited nor misapplied. We have already seen, (in notes 13, 14, 15, and 21,) the unceremonious manner in which Mr. Simeon has handled one of the most sacred ordinances of our Church, and the tacit, but not on that account the less real attack, which he has made upon all its ministers except those who coincide with himself in opinion. For the purpose of substantiating another charge, which we believe to be the only one, of those we have made, not yet sufficiently verified, we shall present the reader with a few specimens of the "candour,” towards those who differ from him, which Mr. Simeon has manifested in his "Appeal to men of wisdom and candour;": and there will be found moreover, in these instances of his liberality to others, a tolerable degree of self-complacency on his own part. For the more ready elucidation of these panegyrical effusions, we shall also, (in the form of occasional notes,) subjoin a glossary of some of the terms and phrases which occur in them; and, as to the accuracy of the interpre tation we have put upon these passages, we have no hesitation in saying that, however ingeniously they may be twisted and tortured, they can, in the end, admit of no other.

In one place, then, Mr. Simeon joins with Socinians and such sort of people, those who deny "the necessity of a renewed

heart,”* and of all these persons he asserts that they are "blinded by prejudice or passion." (p. 14, l. 19.)—But similar declarations crowd upon us so fast that we cannot prefix a preface to each of them, and the reader must therefore be content to take them, (according to a technical term in Mr. Simeon's theology,) "just as they are."

"We regret that we have not time to make any observations on this passage, but whoever will read it attentively will find that every word we have uttered is confirmed by it beyond the power of sophistry+ to set aside." (p. 70, l. 22.)

"Verily, if we make no better use of the explanations given us in the New Testament, than to refine and cavil, and obscure the truth, we had better go at once and learn of a poor ignorant Jew; for there was no Jew so ignorant but, when he saw that rite performed, could tell you in what way his iniquities were to be forgiven. And, if only we will bear in mind that ordinance, we may defy all the sophists upon earth." (p. 64, l. 13.)

"You, who will dispute against salvation by faith only§, and who wish to have something of your own to found your hopes upon, do this, &c." (p. 79, l. 2.)

That a learned and ingenious man may involve the plainest subjects in obscurity, and may maintain even the most palpable absurdities with somewhat like a plausible course of argument, is well known to this audience, who are habituated to investigate theories of every kind. But the Scriptures are written for the

* That is, according to his notions of it.

+"Sophistry" any train of arguments opposed to Mr. Simeon's tenets. "Sophists"-any persons who use such arguments.

"Sophists"-see "Sophistry."

This is an elliptical sentence, and, when properly filled up, will stand thus: You who will (have the hardihood, in opposition to Mr. Simeon, to) dispute against" &c.

"Absurdity"-in Mr. Simeon's vocabulary it is equivalent to "delusion," which see in the next quotation.