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applied, and Ministers and Christians shall be more thoroughly imbued with the spirit of their Master, we may confidently expect not only fifty, but thousands of conversions occurring nearly at the same time.

In "Flemming's Fulfilment of Scripture," a book that may be studied with great profit at the present time,—we have an account of a prayer-meeting at the Kirk of Soots in Scotland, June, 1630, at which, in one night, one hundred and twenty souls were brought to repentance; and the next day, under the preaching of one sermon, by Mr. Livingstone, about five hundred more were, in the judgment of charity, savingly converted to God, and evinced the reality and genuineness of their change by their subsequent lives.

Why may not the preaching of the Gospel be attended by such powerful effects now? Surely there is no obstacle, but the want of faith and zeal, and proper exertion on the part of God's people. One great reason why greater success has not attended their prayers and exertions is, that they have not expected success. They have not acted with a view to an immediate effect, nor believed that immediate and great success was practicable. Ministers have preached, and Christians prayed under a slight impression that at some future time, something good might be the result. Having no expectancy of immediate success, their efforts have been feeble and heartless, and the world has proceeded in its downward course with increasing velocity.

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The time has been when, if the question were asked of the Christian Minister, what is your object in going to the house of God to-day? the answer would be, why, to preach a sermon.' Well, what good do you expect will be accomplished? Why, to prove an important doctrine,-to settle some disputed point, to exhibit a harmonious system of orthodoxy; and perhaps, at some future time, God may make use of it for the good of some of the congregation. Ah, the hungry sheep look up and are not fed. V.D. M.

To the preceding remarks which are worthy of prayerful attention, we would add, that every Minister of Christ ought to desire that every one of his sermons may be the means of spiritual life to his hearers; and that all of them, who are impenitent when he begins, may be truly

converted before he has done. He ought to believe that while he speaks the Holy Ghost can and may say, "they shall hear, understand, believe, and obey." He ought earnestly to pray for, and design, so far as may be possible, to promote the immediate repentance and reformation of all who hear him, He should rather look for present than future success; for his audience will be more likely to believe while they hear and understand, than subsequently when they may, or may not, remember the words of life, which he has uttered. If he is filled with the desire and hope of being the instrumental cause of converversions, without delay, he will be more likely to preach as he ought, than should he merely calculate that good may result from his labours a long time hence. Let all Ministers know, that he who converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall hide a multitude of sins and save a soul from everlasting death. Let them know too, that he who converteth not a sinner by his present preaching, may never have another opportunity of endeavouring to do it.

NOTICE OF BOOKS.

EXTRACTS FROM "THE LIFE AND DIARY OF THE REV. EBENEZER ERSKINE, A.M. OF STIRLING, FATHER of the SECESSION CHURCH."

WHEN We took up the volume, we merely contemplated a brief review of the work. With this intent we read and marked its pages. The perusal we found so pleasing and so edifying, as a specimen of Christian experience and personal religion, that we changed our purpose for our readers' sake: and, instead of review, we present a series of extracts, chiefly from "Mr. Erskine's Diary," by which, better than by description, the true character of the man will be exhibited. Passing over an interesting Memoir of his venerable Father, we come at once to the second, Chapter, in which Mr. Erskine is presented to us, as ordained in the Parish of Portmoak. What happened in the case of Thomas Scott, happened also in that of Ebenezer Erskine

both were ordained to preach the Gospel before they fully understood or felt the power of the Gospel: and yet, by the grace of God, both were brought to know, and feel, and adorn the Gospel of God their Saviour. According to

the Memoirs of Mr. Erskine, it was not till about three years after his ordination, that he understood the pure Gospel of Christ, or was at all savingly acquainted with its influence. He must be numbered, in short, amongst those clergymen, who, though once they preached a Saviour whom they did not know, have at last, through distinguishing mercy, experienced the power of illuminating and converting grace.

This great change of sentiment and feeling occurred in the year 1708. The principal means of producing it, was the pious character of Mrs. Erskine; and a confidential conversation, which he accidentally overheard, betwixt his brother Ralph and her, on the subject of their religious experience, is believed to have signally contributed towards the work of his complete conversion.

Modern scepticism has learned to mock at conversion, and especially at the knowledge of the time of it. Mr. Erskine evidently connected it with a date.

In various passages of the Diary, the 26th of August, 1708, is referred to, as a day on which he was favoured with a memorable manifestation of the glory of a reconciled God.

The following pious reference to the fact, we select from several others in the Diary :

"Jan. 27, 1711.-I was made, with some delight and satisfaction of soul, to call to remembrance the expressions I had of the Lord's love, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 1708, when my soul was made to leap within me, with the sweet views which I got of Christ, and of his covenant, and of nearness to God, and interest in him as my God."

"Feb. 7, 1715.-This morning I wakened out of sleep between 5 and 6, and as I wakened, I found myself with God. The Lord was drawing aside the vail, and giving my soul some awful but sweet discoveries of himself. I saw him to be great and good, and in every way up-making portion to the soul; upon which my soul said, O he is my God, I will prepare him an habitation, my father's God, and I will exalt him. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. He is the God and Father of my elder brother and my blessed husband, Jesus Christ; to whom he made me to give my consent upon Wednesday, August 26, 1708."

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The following extract will exhibit the experience of a converted soul in its humility because of sin, its gratitude because of grace, and its hope because of glory.

O that it were with me as in months past. If he do return and receive me graciously, I am sure there will not be a greater monument of free grace, either in heaven or earth, than I am. I think there is not one in heaven that will, or can, sing such high hallelujahs to the

Lamb as I shall do, when I come to heaven, through him who is the way, the truth, and the life.'”

Amid all his self-abasement and contrition, he was blessed with spiritual apprehensions and reviving discoveries of the Saviour. His evangelical views of Christ's person and work, are manifest from a variety of entries. With regard to his divinity, he says

"This morning," July 2, 1714, "I awakened between 4 and 5, with that sweet word, John xvii. 4, 'Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was;' in which word, I got a view of the divine nature of the Lord Jesus, which made my soul to acquiesce in him as a complete Saviour and Redeemer." With regard to his coming in the flesh, be says "Looking forth again this night at my window, Dec. 17, 1714, and seeing the glory of God in the heavens and the stars, I admired the greatness and glory of the eternal Lord, and I wondered at his condescension in assuming the human nature. The greatness of that condescension is such, that it confounds the soul with admiration, and is almost ready to stagger faith, and cause the believer to say, 'Can such a thing be?' But, O it is true, it is true: His ways are not as our ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts; but as the heavens are high above the earth, so are his ways above ours, and his thoughts above ours. I rejoiced to think of the truth of it, that the great God is become man, bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh, my friend, my elder brother, my husband."- -With respect to his vicarious obedience, sufferings, and death, he observes,-"July 18, 1716. About 5 at night, I went to God in prayer alone, and was helped to exercise faith on the blood and merits of Christ. I saw evidently, the dignity and excellence of his person, which gave value and worth to the whole of his undertaking in the room of lost sinners. I saw the whole preceptive part of the law fulfilled by his perfect obedience; and the penalty of it endured by him in his death upon the cross. And thereupon my soul cried out, O Lord, I see myself a debtor to the whole law, and in myself I am undone for ever, if thou preceed against me according to the tenor of the covenant of works: but, O Lord, I flee unto the righteousness of God. Here is my Surety's active obedience, whereby the whole covenant of works is fulfilled, yea, magnified and made honourable. Here is his passive obedience, by which the justice of God is for ever satisfied in my room, so that now I cannot come into condemnation, my Surety having been condemned for me. The view of this made a Sabbath of rest in my soul, which I hope shall never have an end. My soul freely disclaimed all pretensions to any righteousness in itself, and acquiesced entirely in the righteousness of God, crying, This is my rest, here will I dwell, for I have desired it. As for my sins, I see them all swallowed up in the ocean of Christ's merit. And as for my own personal obedience to the law, I see that there is nothing left to me, but to serve the Lord, without fear, in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life; in regard that weakness on my part cannot make void the covenant of grace, which is sealed with the blood of Christ. I was made to pray for the Spirit of Christ to be poured out upon me; and believe that, in some measure, I have the Spirit, and shall have it yet in a more liberal measure, to kill all my sins and corruptions, and to make me meet to be a partaker of the inheritance. I find that nothing but such a view of Christ as this can give ease or quiet to a poor soul under the

charges of the law, and the accusations of conscience. But when I get this view of the Lord Jesus, I see I may boldly say, 'Who can lay any thing to my charge? It is God that justifieth: Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died My soul was made to rest in the way of salvation through Christ, because I saw it to be a way to glory, which for ever empties and debases man, and which contributes for ever to exalt and magnify the glory of free, free grace. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.'

Mr. Erskine clearly discerned the sanctifying as well as the consoling power of the cross. Of this, the following lively passage affords still further proof. Having adverted to a discovory of the grace of God in Christ, by which his fears were dispelled, he thus continues :

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And, O my soul wondered, at the height, the depth, the breadth, and the length, of his love in him. I saw his righteousness to be a broad everlasting righteousness, sufficient to justify ten thousand millions of worlds, being the righteousness of God. On this blessed foundation do I build all my hope. O shall ever such a mass of iniquity as I am, be admitted to behold the glory of the Lamb, and sing hallelujahs unto him, with the rest of the redeemed company. If I were sure to be with him where he is, and to be eternally rid of sin, I would be glad, glad that my soul this moment should break prison, and fly out of the clay taber nacle in which it is coopt up. Words cannot tell the longing that I find in my soul after the immediate enjoyment of the blessed Jesus. I hope that time shall come, because he gives, I think, some of the earnests of it, and because he will satisfy the longing soul, and fill the hungry with good things. Christ is the cope-stone of my happiness."

His attention was directed to his Redeemer, not only as crucified, but as risen and exalted. The luminous and cheering views he entertained of his resurrection, ascension, intercession, and glorious appearing, are expressed in the following entries :

"P. Dec, 3, 1708. My heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth, that I have a great High Priest, who is passed into the heavens, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Glory to the Lord, I may now ask any thing that I need, and may ask it with boldness, and may now believe that I shall have whatsoever I need; justification, sanctification, adoption; victory over corruption, atheism, hardness, and all the plagues of my heart. Since Christ is risen, I will set my affections on things that are above, where Christ is at the right hand of God."

His faith in Christ, and devout affections towards Him corresponded with the views he entertained of the Saviour's character and mediation. His faith was decidedly selfrenouncing; as appears from the following passage :—

"God was pleased in prayer to give me a sweet view of the way of justification by Christ. I saw that it is in the Lord Jesus Christ only, that we have righteousness and strength. My soul did renounce the law as a covenant of works, ånd betook itself unto the better Husband, even to

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