early history of christianity presents scenes fatal in their influence to every theory which fails to recognize as their exponent, a special power from on high. Where is it possible for any man to look for a greater apparent disproportion between means and ends,- a more wondrous and magnificent issue from such feeble causes, than is presented in the preaching, and its effects, of the first promulgators of our faith? Suppose we take our position on some eminence overlooking the scene, where the first disciples of the Redeemer commenced their efforts for the dissemination of the gospel. It was the golden age- the age of all that was commanding and elevating in civilization, all that was vigorous in philosophy, and all that was beautiful in the arts. The human intellect seemed in the zenith of its power. Human pride, too, was at its height, and human sensuality was rampant. Against this mighty combination, christianity arrayed itself. It could advance only by showing the folly of human wisdom,-only by securing the crucifixion of human lust,-only by trampling down human altars, demolishing gods many, and lords many, and planting upon their ruins the standard of the cross. And how was this accomplished? How was the transforming element infused into the mass of ignorance and pride, superstition and sensuality? The only instrumentality which human wisdom would pronounce at all competent to such a result, or to any degree in keeping with an enterprize so magnificent, would be that of men to whom impossibilities are unknown; men of wondrous energies and power of endurance; men perfectly equipped at all points with skill and learning, and prepared to grapple with all the mighty principalities of evil. Now upon the supposition that the gospel was to achieve its results by mere human agency, such reasoning would be perfectly correct. But God, as though he would set at nought all human calculations, and give a decisive demonstration of the reality of the influences of the Holy Spirit, constructed all his arrangements upon a principle directly the opposite. The men who at the first establishment of

christianity, entered the lists to contend with the philosophy and learning, the pride, the superstition and sensuality of the world, were to human appearance, of all men, least calculated to meet the exigencies which had called them forth. To an eye of carnal wisdom, the primitive apostles, deficient in early training and accomplishments, lacking in physical courage and energy, seem as they go out in their insignificance to contend with the wise and the mighty, little better than a band of daring and desperate enthusiasts. But let us mark the issue.

The effect of their instrumentality upon every thing which opposed the kingdom of the Redeemer, was like an effect upon the earth when an earthquake stirs it. Every thing gave way before it. The prejudice of the Jew, which had but just shown its strength in the successful plotting against Jesus of Nazareth, and the time-consecrated superstition of the Gentile, yielded; adherents clustered around the cross, and in a very short time the influence of that wrought an entire revolution, triumphing wherever it went, until eventually it became ascendent in the world.

cross

How are we to explain this wondrous march of christianity? who that values his reputation as a man of wisdom or even common sense, will pretend to solve these mysteries by the operation of the laws of natural causes and effects? This we know has been attempted, but the attempt has only proved how hatred to religion can bring down a mighty mind to the veriest puerilities. We look at the scene, and can in no way comprehend it, except as presenting to us the fulfilment of the promise, that the spirit should descend and convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Nor do we view the scenes of Pentecost, and of the times immediately succeeding, as at all anomalous, or called for only by the exigencies of the establishment of christianity, and the infant state of the church, but as exhibiting the grand principle pervading all God's arrangements for building up his kingdom,-types of similar scenes which are to mark the history of the church, until the coming of the

result of beings constituted as we are: it is an element, a law of our moral nature. Increased light, means, and privileges, doubtless, augment the measure of responsibility, but do not lay the foundation of it. It springs legitimately from our own attributes and relations to the Divinity as creatures. Of ourselves, and without the presence of the Holy Ghost, we are justly held answerable for all the truth that meets the eye, for all the inducements to right action which cross our path. Truth is obligatory without the Spirit. Men are bound to obey the gospel, even if the Spirit be withheld from them; they would have been, if the doctrine of the Spirit had never been revealed, or if this element of mercy had never entered into the economy of the Divine dispensations. Equally evident is it, that it is not the work of this almighty agent to create a conscience. It is not more certain that we have an intellect to investigate and understand the relations of truth, than we have an inherent provision in our nature, or a moral sense, to feel amenability to law, obligation to right action, and compunction for wrong. Early childhood evinces the existence of conscience; its scorpion sting extorts confessions from men steeped in crime; and its province in a future world we discover in the anguish of the worm that never dies. Conscience may be stifled for a time, but cannot be destroyed. It may be misinformed, but so far as it has light and opportunity, its intimations are in behalf of law and duty. Its struggle is for the supremacy of right in the soul. It is the antagonist of sinful passion and propensity. With reason and truth, and the Spirit of God, it forms the antagonist force of all that is wrong in man. It is God's vicegerent in us, for our recovery and restoration to his image and favour.

The operations of the Divine Spirit have to do with the reason and the conscience. He comes as a benevolent agent with the armoury of heaven to help the will against the suggestions and motives presented by sin, and all the incentives to wrong action arising from our native depravity. He comes to give ascendancy to truth, reason and right in the will, and induce action in accordance with the requirements of heaven. By going in with the truth of God to the constituent elements and

susceptibilities of the mind, and gaining for Christ the predominant motive in the will, and securing the consequent right action of the will in repentance, or faith, or love, or whatever may be the form of the incipient right affection, volition, and action; he breaks the empire of sin, and begins the demolition of Satan's throne in the heart. Through his mighty power, the will acts right in respect to God and religion, though it never did before. Thus a new and right affection is born of the constituent powers of the mind and will, a new and counter-life to the past begins, which through the medium of Divine agency is sustained and prosecuted with increasing power and triumph against sinful propensity and lusts, until at length their lingering influence and effects are all uprooted from the soul, and the intended, eventual issue of the Spirit is gained in the full and perfect man in Christ Jesus. As soon as the first right exercise of will occurs, it may be affirmed of the man that he is converted, regenerated, born again, and stands to God in the relation of a child; and as soon as the last remains of sinful appetite and propensity are effectually and finally overcome and effaced, and all wrong action ceases in the full and uninterrupted energies of the new life in Christ, thus begotten and thus sustained, it may be said that he is wholly sanctified.

But a little further illustration of the efficiency of the Holy Ghost in influenc ing the will and superintending that voluntary action in man which involves obedience to God is requisite. The Spirit does not repent, believe, or love in our stead. He does not detract from but sustains every way our personal obligation, and the character consequent on moral action. Repentance, faith, and love are truly the personal and conscious emotions of the sinner returning to God; yet, as they never would occur without the Spirit, and as they do occur under his successful agency, they are properly styled the fruit of the Spirit, and the sinner is said to be born of the Spirit. While all the emotion and voluntary conduct of a moral agent, all that in him which is of the nature of obedience or disobedience is personally and responsibly his, he may be influenced to it from without. External influences, whether from good or bad agents, visible or invisible, and all contributing in

harmony or mingling in conflict to form the predominant motive, or ground of choice, do not destroy the personality or responsibility of that movement of the will. We are daily conversant with this principle. So the Spirit contravenes no law of mind, nor subtracts from our personal responsibility in anything which relates to the nature of obedience or disobedience to the Divine requirements. We may further observe, that this great work is in direct harmony with revealed truth. Divine operation is co-ordinate with the principles of the gospel. The aim of the Holy Ghost is to make truth effectual, on the voluntary principle, in men, and to bring them responsibly and cheerfully into obedience to God's demands. We are begotten through the gospel.' The word of God is the sword of the Spirit,' and 'effectually worketh in them that believe.'

Now we appeal at once to the human consciousness and the plain statements of Holy Writ for confirmation of the above account of the moral change which the sinner undergoes through the influence of the eternal Spirit. See John iii. 3-8, v. 24, 25; Rom. vi. 4; 2 Cor. v. 17; Titus iii. 4-7. It is the Holy Ghost that is said to produce the new nature, to create a clean heart, to renew a right spirit, and to put the Divine law in the mind.

The doctrine of the Spirit does not, in the slightest degree, disparage the use of appropriate means for giving effect to objective truth on the minds of men, but stands in intelligent connection and correspondence with them. All the laws of influencing the will are in as full play on the subject of religion, as on any other whatever. The superadded and benevolent economy of the Spirit does not confound and embarrass them, but is a helper to all, co-ordinate and direct. A sound mind and a good heart in the preacher-wide research and accurate theology-fair logic and cogent reasoning-making full use of the truth-acceptable words and happy illustrations -good rhetoric, and a wise regard to time, place, and circumstances-definite aims, and a judicious and skilful use of the appropriate means of conviction -striving after just that in the hearer which God requires, are of essential im. portance.

If, then, our conclusions are just, Mr. Noyes' theory must be radically

wrong. According to him, the reception of the truth is made wholly to depend on the self-determining power of the human will, and no room is left for Divine interposition. Read the eleventh page of his sermon and this fact will at once force itself on the attention. But we must examine his propositions and proofs a little more fully, and investigate their bearings and tendencies.

Mr. Noyes' definition of his theory is by no means carefully expressed. It wants conciseness and point. We feel, therefore, at a loss how to place it before our readers without transcribing a whole page. As, however, this is impracticable, we must be satisfied with a condensed epitome of his views. We premise by observing that his using the terms free will, and self-determining will, as synonymous, is a mere assumption. As to the freedom of the will there can be no question, but does it follow that a free will must necessarily be a self-determining will? This, in fact, is the graud problem which required solving, but which Mr. Noyes has taken for granted. He says, By a free-will we mean, a will which is not necessitated by any order or decree of heavenwhich is not obliged to follow the highest or greatest apparent interest, our tastes, our natural dispositions, and is not under the absolute control of any motive whatever.' Thus, not content with liberating the will from all bondage of necessity, or elevating it to the rank of an independent faculty, having its own laws and sphere of operation, our author exalts it as that to which mental activity exclusively belongs. The will in this sense is the me, or myself. We are greatly mistaken if the above definition is not in itself absolutely fatal to the doctrines which Mr. Noyes seeks to establish. If the will determines the will, or volition, then volition determines volition, choice orders choice, and acts of choice are subject to other acts of choice; therefore, every free act of choice must be determined by a preceding act of choice. But this involves a contradiction, because it clearly sup poses an act of will preceding the first act-unless we acknowledge an act of the will in which the will is not selfdetermined, and consequently not free, according to the system we are examining. But granting that volition determines volition, then it follows that the