employment of that limited and ordinary assistance and inspiration granted to those who are employed in the work of the ministry. This does not ever appear to have been the case, except on very rare occasions, with the inspired prophets. The individuality as well as the diversified style of the sacred writers clearly show, that though the sentiments, facts, and revelations of these eminent servants of God were communicated by his direct suggestion, yet the mind of the individual prophet gave the particular form to the communication. The diligent student of the writings of St. Paul would, without any superscription to his epistles, from internal evidence alone, know that he was reading the productions of that eminent man. This can only be imagined as possible on the supposition, that though the inspiration was from God, and must of course suggest words agreeing with the inspired sentiment, yet the collocation of the words, constituting what is denominated "style," would be peculiar to the apostle himself.

Then, even in this case, we owe much of the peculiarity of St. Paul's writings to the qualities of his mind, as well as to the nature of his previous studies and attainments. If this be true respecting a directly-inspired apostle, how much more so respecting those who can lay no claim to such a degree of Divine influence? Experience and observation attest the fact, that, whether a knowledge of Divine truth is attained by a direct exertion of the Spirit on the faculties, or by the study of the Scriptures and theological writings in general, when it emanates from the minister in the form of instruction to others, it is crude or welldigested, confused or perspicuous, rambling or condensed, minified or sublime, just in proportion to the qualities of his mind, and of his previous culture and preparation for the sacred office.

The supposition, that the call of the apostles (being illiterate men) to the office of the ministry forms a reason against the instruction of persons, being themselves converted and called of God, has been most ably met by Bishop Horsley. He remarks:-"It pleased God to commit the first preaching of the Gospel to men whose former occupations and conditions may be supposed to have excluded them from the pursuits and attainments of learning, and from the advantages of education, 'that the excellency of the power might be of God, and not of them.' But it is evident, that these gifts, with which he was pleased to adorn the two first offices in the Christian church, were to those first preachers instead of education: For the qualities of a pene

trating judgment in abstruse questions, and a ready recollection. of written knowledge, which the first preachers enjoyed by the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit, are, in kind, the very same which men to whom this supernatural assistance is denied, may, with God's blessing, acquire in a less degree by long and diligent study. These talents existed unquestionably in the minds. of the first inspired preachers, in a degree in which by mere industry of study they cannot be attained. The apostles were by infinite degrees the best-informed of all philosophers; and the prophets of the primitive church were the soundest of all divines. But yet the light of inspiration, and the light of learning, however different in degree, (as the difference, indeed, is inexpressible,) are, nevertheless, the same in kind; for reason is reason, and knowledge is knowledge, in whatever manner they may be produced, the degree of more and less being the only difference of which the things are capable. As the word of wisdom, therefore, and the word of knowledge, were to the first preachers instead of learning, so in these later ages, when the Spirit no longer imparts his extraordinary gifts, learning is instead of them. "The importance and the necessity of it to a Christian preacher evidently appears from God's miraculous interposition, in the first ages, to infuse learning into the minds of those who, by want of education, were unlearned; for, if the attainments of learning were of no importance to the true and effectual preaching of the Gospel, to what purpose did that God who commanded light to spring out of darkness, by an exertion of the same almighty power, light up the lamp of knowledge in the minds of uneducated men? The reason of this extraordinary interposition in the early ages was, that, for the first promulgation of the Gospel no abilities to be acquired by education were sufficient for the teacher's office: And the reason that this extraordinary interposition hath long since ceased is, that Christianity, having once taken root in the world, those inferior abilities which may be attained by a diligent improvement of our natural talents, are now sufficient for its support. But in all ages, if the objections of infidels are to be confuted; if the scruples of believers themselves are to be satisfied; if Moses and the prophets are to be brought to bear witness to Jesus of Nazareth; if the calumnies of the blaspheming Jews are to be repelled, and their misrepresentations of their own books confuted; if we are to be 'ready,' that is, if we are to be qualified

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and prepared, to give an answer to every man that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us; a penetration in abstruse questions, a quickness in philosophical discussion, a critical knowledge of the ancient languages, a familiar acquaintance with the Jewish history and with all parts of the Sacred Writings, a sound judgment, a faithful memory, and a prompt elocution, are rare talents, without which, the work of an evangelist will be but ill performed. When they are not infused by inspiration, they must be acquired by diligence in study and fervency in prayer. And if any in the present age imagine, that, wanting the advantages, they may be qualified for preachers of the Gospel, they are to be considered as enthusiasts; unless, like the apostles, they can appeal to a confirmation of their word by "signs and wonders following. Inspiration is the only means by which they may be qualified for the business in which they presume to meddle; and of a real inspiration the power of miracles is the proper sign and inseparable concomitant."

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They [the apostles] were, perhaps, not knowing in the details of natural philosophy; for, the arguments for the being and the providence of God, from the visible order and harmony of the universe, is the same, by whatever laws its motions may be carried on. They were not physicians or anatomists; because they had the power of curing diseases and healing wounds without medicines or art. But they were profound metaphysicians, the best of moralists, well-informed historians, accurate logicians, and excellent in that strain of eloquence which is calculated for the conveyance of instruction, the enforcement of duty, the dissuasion from vice, the conviction of error, and the defence of truth. And whoever pretends to teach without any of these qualifications, hath no countenance from the example of the apostles, who possessed them all in an eminent degree, not from education, but from a higher source."

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"To allege the apostles as instances of illiterate preachers, is of all fallacies the grossest. Originally, perhaps, they were men of little learning,-fishermen, tent-makers, excisemen: But when they began to preach, they no longer were illiterate, they were rendered learned in an instant, without previous study of their own, by miracle. The gifts which we find placed by an apostle himself at the head of their qualifications, were evidently

analogous to the advantages of education.

Whatever their

previous character had been, the apostles, when they became preachers, became learned: They were of all preachers the most learned. It is, therefore, by proficiency in learning, accompanied with an unreserved submission of the understanding to the revealed Word,-but it is by learning, not by the want or neglect of it, that any modern teacher may attain to some distant resemblance of those inspired messengers of God."

This long digression originated in a feeling of regret, that a mind naturally so rich, and capable of the highest culture, as that of Mr. M'Nicoll, should have been left destitute of early theological and literary training. In some measure, he made up for the loss, by illustrating the principle of Bishop Horsley's reasoning. For, though he did not, in the beginning, possess the qualifications mentioned, yet he diligently sought them, and only by their attainment secured that rank and standing in the ministry which were universally accorded to him.

Brighter days now open on the Connexion. Means have been adopted for the theological education of part of the candidates for the ministry amongst us; and, no doubt, the advantages will be so obvious, in a short time, that provision will be required and provided for the entire number. Till then, the resources of Methodism, and the legitimate moral influence of its ministry, cannot be developed. With as large an amount of sense, reason, strength, imagination, and all the elementary qualities of mind, as usually fall to the lot of any class of men either in the church, or in civil life, these powers, to an amazing extent, have been paralyzed and rendered comparatively useless, through the want of early training. This evil must, in part, remain till sufficient room is provided, either in the present Institution, or by the establishment of similar ones, in sufficient number, for the reception of every youth who shall be admitted. to the ministry.

The first two years of the itinerant life of Mr. M'Nicoll were spent in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Some circumstances connected with these appointments had a very decided connexion with his subsequent eminence. His friend, Mr. Stephens, was his superintendent, and remarks:-"Our society in Edinburgh was then small, but it was very select; and our congregations were good. Among our friends and communicants we numbered the Hon. Miss Napier, sister of the then Lord High Commis

sioner; the Right Hon. Lady Helen Dalrymple; Lady Maxwell; and many others, who, though not titled, were highly respectable. The superintendent, his wife, and colleagues, and several other persons, had the happiness of meeting in band with Lady Maxwell, once a week, at her own house. We then had the honour to dine with her ladyship, in company with such other ministers and people of various denominations, and from different parts of the world, as her ladyship chose to invite from week to week. After dinner we spent an hour or two in religious conversation, led chiefly by her ladyship, whose deep piety, dignified manners, benignity of temper, and extraordinary conversational powers, I have never seen equalled from that day to this; nor do I expect it, till I meet her among the spirits of the just made perfect in heaven.

"Such connexions, while they tended greatly to the edification of all the parties, were also the means of promoting the usefulness of the preachers in the city and its vicinity; and though I would not undervalue the direct influence of Methodism in Scotland, either in present or former times, yet I cannot avoid thinking, that, at least, in olden times, its indirect influence was great and salutary. Such, too, I remember, was the opinion of one of the greatest and best of the Presbyterian clergymen of those days.

"The year Mr. M'Nicoll spent in Edinburgh had a decided influence on his future life and character, in another respect : God had given him a taste and capacity for searching out and intermeddling with all knowledge; and here his natural curiosity was admirably suited, excited, and gratified. An ancient and royal city, the capital of the kingdom, abounding in historical records, and natural and artificial wonders, in colleges and schools, in learning and learned men, in pious and benevolent institutions, and the most talented and celebrated ministers of the age, could not fail to rouse and draw forth all his dormant

but gigantic powers. He assiduously ransacked all accessible sources of information, and vastly enlarged the stock of his previous knowledge; and, at the same time, stretched far wider his capacity for future accumulations. He received, also, in that happy year, a deeper baptism of the Holy Ghost, and his ministry was attended by a Divine unction."

In the next year, which was spent in Glasgow, Mr. Stephens informs us, "He was valued by his superintendent, beloved by