their hearts to the revealing operating power of divine truth, or the Spirit of God within us."

In the foregoing extract had the word MYSTICISM been put in the place of "MYSTERY," the assertion would have stood more correctly. With regard to what is described in the following gracious declarations and promises of the Lord Jesus, shall it be said there is no mystery?

If the assertion, "There is no mystery in true godliness," was intended to apply to the doctrines of the Gospel, it would palpably contradict the declarations of the Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul.

"Without controversy nifest in the flesh, justified great is the mystery of in the Spirit, seen of Angodliness; God was ma- gels, preached unto the

66

Gentiles, believed on in trumpet shall sound, and the world, received up the dead shall be raised into glory." 1 Tim. iii. 16. | incorruptible, and we shall Behold, I shew you a be changed. For this mystery; We shall not all corruptible must put on sleep, but we shall all be incorruption, and this changed, in a moment, in mortal must put on imthe twinkling of an eye, mortality." 1 Cor. XV. at the last trump; for the 51-53.

EXTRACT IV.

On human agency in the work of Salvation.

"WE are not to look to man to know the will of God, and if we are not to look to man, then certainly not to that which is less than man, the writings of man. We must turn in, to the witness for God in our own hearts. For it is a great truth, that what is to be known of God is manifested only in man. There is the place that he manifests himself. He dont speak to us carnal, animal, outward creatures. He does not speak to our outward senses.''He is only known and found in the still small voice, like that which said to Elijah, What doest thou here, Elijah.'" pp. 90, 91.

THE inefficacy of all human means, without divine aid, is admitted by all true Christians; but that human means are employed and made effectual, through divine aid, in bringing men to the knowledge of God, and of eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord, is written as with a sunbeam in the inspired pages of the Gospel revelation. It is plainly the way, which HE who is infinite in wisdom, has CHOSEN, for the

communication of this knowledge to mankind.

Did

God make known his will to all the children of Israel, as he made it known to Moses ? No; he revealed it immediately to Moses, and they were to receive it through him. Did he in succeeding times reveal his will to the Jewish people, as he did to the prophets? No; they had the revelation immediately from God, and the people were to have it mediately through them. Did our Lord Jesus Christ make known his whole will to all the Jews, as he did to the Apostles? Did he say to the people, as he said to those "witnesses chosen before of God," "Whatsoever I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you ?" Did he say to all the people, as he said to the Apostles, "These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you; but the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you ?” Did the Holy Spirit reveal (i. e. immediately) the way of life and salvation to all men, as he did to the Apostles Nothing can be plainer than that he did

not.

How were the three thousand pricked to the heart, and converted on the day of Pentecost? By the instrumentality of the sword of the Spirit, which HE used through the preaching of Peter. How were the Corinthians converted? By the same weapon, through the preaching of Panl.-"I have," says he, "begotten you through the Gospel." How were the Thessalonians converted? By the same weapon, used in the same way." When ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us; ye received it not as the word of men, but AS IT IS IN TRUTH THE WORD OF

GOD, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God, which in Judea are in Christ Jesus." How were the Ephesians converted ? By the same means." In whom [Christ] ye also trusted, AFTER that he heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in whom also AFTER that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance." How were the churches in Galatia, at Samaria, Philippi, Colosse, Antioch, &c. gathered? Through the preaching of the word, by the Apostles and their fellow helpers.

And nothing can be more evident, than that the Prophets, Evangelists, and Apostles, were THE APPOINTED MEDIUM, through whom God was pleased to give a standing revelation of the way of eternal life to mankind. How derogatory, then, to the Holy Spirit, to call his attested revelation "the writings of man,”"an outward law made by man," &c.!

The work of conversion is indeed an inward work, effected by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT in the heart: but what is the amount of evidence, that this is ever done wholly without the instrumentality of the outward word, either immediately or indirectly applied? But through the instrumentality of man, both in preaching the Gospel and spreading HIS written revelation, the HOLY SPIRIT is still pleased to work, for the conversion of kingdoms, and nations, and tongues, and people: so that, to this day we have, on a large scale, a practical comment on the words of our Lord, "Go ye and teach all nations ;" and on the words of the Apostle, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

And if to this general rule, viz., that it is THE

DIVINE APPOINTMENT, that men shall be brought to the knowledge of life and salvation by the instrumentality of man, no well attested exceptions can be brought forward, from the day of Pentecost to the present day, (the case of the Apostle Paul can hardly be considered an exception) would it not be, presumptuously to fly in the face of Divine Wisdom, for us to say, that men are converted without the knowledge of the Gospel by outward means?

Let it be borne in mind, that the question is not what God could have done, nor what it was befitting, according to our apprehension, that he should have done; but it is simply, What is the way which God hath chosen for communicating the knowledge of life and salvation?

"The priests' lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts." Mal. ii. 7.

"I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were accounted as a strange thing." Hosea, viii. 12.

It may be said, this was under the law. True, but under the Gospel is human agency superseded?

What saith the Scripture?

"I send thee to open their | ye might believe that Jesus eyes, and turn them from is the Christ, the Son of darkness to light, and from God; and that believing the power of Satan unto ye might have life through God." Acts, xxvi. 18. his name." Jno. xx. 31.

"Preach the word." 2 Tim. iv. 2.

"By revelation he made known unto me the mys-which in other

"These are written, that tery;

L