the word" can be of any avail. Certainly we should rejoice to see any one reading the Bible, but one may "wrest it to his own destruction; yet no humble, honest heart can do it. The four parties, then, in this work are-Jesus, the Spirit, the word of truth, and the saved sinner. The Spirit takes of the things of Jesus and shows them to us, and thus Jesus himself washes, cleansing us. We must ourselves come to this word; and thus the word is a necessary agent in our washing. Oh, what a great concern is this! What a precious thing must the soul be to require all this elaborate machinerythese grand agencies! 66 What more could I do that I have not done?" says God. Truly nothing. God has given us all He has; and yet men revile Him! Do not devils tremble as they hear the awful blasphemy of some daring rebels? They "believe and tremble." "We would see Jesus." Happy condition of soul is this! therefore let us "consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession." 1. In His ability. He Himself to the full avows this when He says, "All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth." The proof which is now thought so much of we have not the mind or the power to give; but then there is also the fallest conviction that, after all that has been urged in favour of this proof, it is but a broken reed, upon which if a man lean it shall enter into his soul, tipped with deadly poison. This proof is the process of reason. That which is the least capable of demonstration is usually that which least needs it. We need no proof that the whole is greater than its part, nor does it admit of the usual process of reasoning. Why does a man demand proof of the existence of a God? Because he says in his heart, "No God." Why does one demand proof of the atonement? Because his proud heart revolts against a doctrine which presupposes his own guilt. So again, why will any one doubt the power of Christ to save? Because, more or less, he demands the proof rational; he is "disquieted in vain." Our business is not with those who require an argument of the schools, but who are satisfied to know that such is the testimony of the Spirit of truth, believing that what we call "the word of God" is such. We do not despise the requisition of reason, but we despair of it. The demand is made not by a needy soul, but by a disputer of this world; " not by an inquiring mind, but by a sneering caviller. For one who does not wish to be convinced we have no resource; for one who will not, we have no hope. Now, perhaps, more than ever, gross dark. ness covereth our land; for it is the darkness caused by an excess of light. Oh, that men would hear the word of the prophet! "Give glory to the LORD your God, before He cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and while ye look for light, He turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness." (Jer. xiii. 16.) This was not heeded by that people to whom it was written; hence we read, "This people's heart is waxed gross." (Matt. xiii. 15; Isa. vi. 10.) Unbelief has a hardening effect, from which no class of men can be free. In its unrelieved form it hardens the heart to stone. But it may be moderated by a hazy view of the general truths of Scripture: this is neither light nor darkness. "Jesus is able to save unto the uttermost those who come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." (Heb. vii. 25.) The ability of Christ, we might say, is of Himself; but He says that it is given to Him. So writes the Spirit to the Ephesians: The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, . . . . hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the Church." (i. 17, 22.) The gift is valid, for it is made by "the Author and Giver of every good and perfect gift." Is this sufficient? Ay, for the longing soul. What seed will germinate and bring forth fruit on the barren rock? what on the arid sandy \ desert? Such is the unreclaimed heart of man: but give me a heart which the Lord hath opened, and into that I can pour the streams of consolation; then shall the wilderness blossom as a rose, and "there shal 64 not be from thence any more death or ner's ruin. Not his natural sinful- 2. His willingness. If we confide in the love of a friend, we doubt not his willingness. If we know he has power likewise, our confidence is entire; "if Thou wilt, thou canst," said one. This dubious compliment was not rebuked by the gracious One, Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am." (Ver. 24.) Here is willingness; and it is not without significance, as bearing on this very question, that He adds, "I have known thee." He knew His Father's willingness too. With all these provisions can this grace fail? Not in its ultimate object; because that is independent of the will of the creature: but make that creature a party to the accomplishment of any good thing, and failure sets in at once. Thus in the creation of the first Adam, his own act perverted the right ways of the Lord, and so has been every act of man's partnership since. Let us consider this unfaithful steward, or those who have need of washing. 1st. Their defilement is obstructive of communion with God. God would effect the good of His creatures, and He showers blessings upon them. We do not know that this ever brought an unregenerate being nearer to God. The probability is that an uninterrupted course of prosperity would lead to utter forgetfulness of God. God, as a holy Being, can have communion with holy beings alone; hence the necessity of removing this defilement. Not only does God require this cleansing, but the defiled ones themselves, if they could get into the presence of God, would find their position intolerable, and therefore they must be washed in order to accomplish this communion with their Creator. There is no difficulty in this mutual demand; it exists throughout nature, it prevades all society. Animals of opposing natures do not herd together. Men of different grades do not associate. The habits of some are intolerable to others. Not only is the gross jesting and ribald language of the vicious rough, distasteful to the refined moralist, but even the polished villain is disgusted with the shameless exposure of unvarnished filth. There must be an assimilation of something to produce similarity; mere outside conformity suffices not. Hence the necessity of cleansing. Where the external alone is filthy, an outside cleansing is enough. But when the heart is "desperately a wicked," nothing short of an utter change will satisfy the conditions of communion. Now God Himself proposes to remove this obstacle, and He states plainly enough His plan. He speaks too of the desperateness of any other, "by the deeds of the law shall no flesh living be justified," (Rom. iii. 20.) If then God and His creature cannot come together unless this defilement is taken out of the way, and if it is the will of God that this union should be effected, the necessity is laid upon one, or the other, or both to effect this. "The depth saith, it is not in me, and the sea saith, It is not in me." (Job. xxvii. 14.) It is a singular, unique case. Was it ever heard that an enemy devised reconciliation? No; he must first put aside his enmity. God is no enemy of man. He needs not to be reconciled man does; and he is the mightiest instance in proof of the principle embodied in those words, "The lying tongue hateth those who are afflicted by it." (Prov. xxvi. 28.) So man hates God, and he could never even desire to be reconciled; or if he does, the quickening of the new birth has already begun. The desire Godward proves the work of the Spirit already begun. This necessity then is with God alone, for man could not, of his own will, lay aside his emnity. So we read, “Ö Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in Me is thy help found." (Hosea xiii. 9). 2nd. Their ignorance is a bar to their communion with God. Man is more ignorant of God than the irrational creatures around him. This the prophet declares, "The stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle, and the crane, and the swallow, observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord." (Jer. viii. 2.) The ignorance of man-man in his unnature-is more brutish; "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, My people doth not consider." (Isa. i. 3.) Why is all this? How shall we account for it, that the chief of the ways of God, whom He set over all His works, whom He made in His own image 66 how came this exalted being, man, to be what he is now, like the beasts that perish, yea, yet more debased? They did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind." (Rom. i. 25.) This is the secret of all departure from God. His known will about any thing we may have set our heart upon is disregarded; we do not like to retain Him as a spy upon our actions, our words, our thoughts, our feelings; and, if we cannot do more, like the silly ostrich, we hide our heads and think we are all hid; or we muffle our hearts, clothing them with indifference, and soon the head follows suit, and virtually we say God hath forgotten; he hideth his face, He will never see it." (Ps. x. 11.) Be assured it will be found after many days. Man knoweth not God: and it is a sure thing to acknowledge, that the more a man knows apart from God, the less he knows God, and the more is he hedged in with the conceit that he is competent to judge of God. What is the remedy? The world by wisdom knew not God." (1 Cor. i. 21.) Still "the Greeks seek after wisdom." It has been the object of pursuit in all ages. Hence in one stage of this pursuit they call themselves "Sophists," or wise men; further on, one more modest than others called himself a 46 philosopher," or, a lover of wisdom. All this wisdom brought them no nearer to God, for in the hour of his departure the most enlightened of them (Socrates) left his commands to sacrifice a cock to Esculapius, the god of medicine. They knew not God, nor can any but those to whom the Son revealeth Him. (Luke x. 22.) Here then we have the problem solved-the first problem in the great and engrossing question of education. Educate the masses, doubtless; but it will not better them whatever amount of knowledge may be imparted-yea, the more the worse-unless their teachers remember that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." (Prov. i. 7.) This knowledge-this cure for man's gross ignorance, is found in the school of Christ. "Learn of Me," says Jesus. Yes, He means. The apparent modesty, lowliness, or whatever it may be called, of those who say, "I can do nothing, God must do everything," is neither modesty nor lowliness: it is ignorance, gross ignorance; perhaps not always, but sometimes a covert excuse for indolence or something worse. Why there was one who declared, "I can do all things." Well, he did say a little more; this little more explains away all creature merit, all presumption. Every one, who stands on the same ground as Paul, can, and ought to make the same boast. He stood on the Rock, Christ Jesus; on this elevated stand-point we can accomplish the boast of Archimedes, "Give me a place to stand on and I can move the world." We can do more than this-we can move the heart of God. But he must observe the conditions; If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you," (John xv. 7.) If any say, "I have asked and do not get;" then rather believe you are not abiding in Christ, as He here means it, than judge God or Christ to be faithless to His word. We know that Elijah was a man of like passions-that is, of the same human liabilities as ourselves-yet He shut up the heavens by His word, and opened them again. Some may cavil at this and say that God did it; true, but He hearkened to the voice of a man like ourselves, for" he prayed earnestly." It It Communion with God is of all things the most to be desired. is the panacea for all ills. brings happiness to the poor afflicted one, whether sickness, or poverty, or any other of the "ills that flesh is heir to" be the ailment. God makes his bed in his sickness;" He 66 fills the hungry with bread from heaven;" "He gives songs in the night;" He gives "the merry heart which doeth good like a medicine;" He giveth the wine of the kingdom "that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to to speak." (Cant. vii. 9.) He filleth the hungry with good things" (Luke i. 53); "He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might He increaseth strength." (Isa. xl. 29.) Yea, "hear the conclusion of the whole matter:" "If a man love Me, he will heep My words; and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and take up Our abode with him." (John xiv. 23.) Such may be the issue of this "washing of regeneration." Sad is the thought that with many such is not the issue. "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly!" Clifton. W. HOWELL. SCRIPTURE EMENDATIONS. ROM. xiii. 3: For I say, through the grace of God to me, to every one that is among you, not to think highly beyond what it becomes him to think, but to think to sobriety, according as God has dealt to every one the measure of faith. Ver. 6: And having gifts according to the grace of God that has been given to us, differing, whether prophecy, according to the proportion of faith; Ver. 7 "Or ministry, in the ministry; or he that teacheth, differing in the teaching; Ver. 8: Or he that exhorteth, in the exhortation; he that imparteth, in simplicity; he that ruleth, in diligence; he that sheweth mercy, in cheerfulness." Not to think too highly of one's self is certainly Scripture doctrine; it seems, however, not to be the teaching here, but rather concerning the exercise of gifts which may have been conferred. One cannot but notice the endless diversity in God's creation, the dissimilarity of similar things; children of the same family may all bear the impress of their parents, and present striking points of resemblance, yet all differing so that there is no fusion of identity. So on the same forest tree no two leaves can be found, it is said so much alike as to have no difference. So in the Church of God; even the same gift differs in different men: and this seems the fact set before us in the verses now presented. It is not easy to give the precise meaning of the third verse. We have the verb opover occurring twice in a simple form, and twice in a compound. The simple verb is to think. The compounds are to think highly, and to think soberly, or to be sober-minded. This verse is perhaps well expounded by Psalm cxxxi. In the 6th verse is, we think, the key-word, (ápopa) differing. In listening to two or more who may prophesy, or teach, or evangelise, or exhort, &c, we find no two alike. There is infinite wisdom in this disposition of agencies. Not only do speakers differ, but hearers likewise. God meets the differing need by differing supplies. The shaft that pierces one heart may fall pointless at the feet of another who may be close by. The still small voice may melt one; the wind that rends the rocks in pieces may drive the other to the cross. Ac All differ in faith; not in kind, but in degree and object in service. cording to the proportion of this faith will be the gifts (xapiopara), not only differing one from another, but the same gift will differ in different possessors, whether prophecy, or ministry, or teaching, &c. These being duly considered there will be no "puffing up for one against another." We learn from this Scripture that there is a difference not only in the gifts and their exercise, but also in the exhibition of grace. One may impart, but with a grave, and perhaps even a clouded countenance, another may be bright with the thought of the greater blessedness of giving than of receiving. One may show mercy with the appearance of reluctance; another may call to mind " that great debt which has been cancelled for Ver. 16: Minding the same thing among one another. Minding not high things, but being occupied with lowly matters. "Be of the same mind," or "of one mind," would perhaps be something, as in 1 Pet. iii. 8, "be ye all of one mind" (Távτes óμóppoves). Now this same thing" is Christ. A slight knowledge of Greek is sufficient to verify the meaning here given to Tò avrò, the same thing. Συναπαγόμενοι is in the A.V. condescend; this has no sanction whatever, it is only the translator's resource, having first settled probably that its regimen is in the masculine gender. The insertion of "men" is not indicated by the usual italics. The gender is surely the same in the two clauses; and there is a marked appositeness in the "high things' and "lowly matters." The word "condescend" does not occur again in our English Bible, and it would be well banished from our vocabulary too. Condescension in God to His poor ruined creatures is His grace, but from one creature to another has usually something in it offensive to God and man. The Pharisee will condescend from his greater holiness; but do not others stoop to notice their poor Christian brethren whom it should be their privilege to know? Should men of some standing in the world have our regard rather than the spiritual man because he is poor? In this emendation the supplied words "let us prophesy," "let us wait," &c., are excluded. They do not impart unscriptural instruction, but they do hide the real teaching of the word here. Instead of depreciating the ministry of one because he is not, as we think, equally gifted with another, we should thank God that He thus meets a need which, although we cannot appreciate, others may. What there is of the flesh in ministry is not so palpable and irksome in the highly gifted as in the more homely; the polish hides the flaw. The less honourable members of the body are as necessary to the perfectness of the frame as the more obviously impor |