stroyed my peace, and the important the comparative obscuration of it that question, how shall a sinner find pardon casts, in general, such a blight on miand acceptance with a holy God? fixed nisterial efficiency.-That which is the itself upon my thoughts. Amidst the effect of sin, is well known to be the numerous expedients which my proud cause of sin, namely, the consciousness heart suggested, I could find no relief. of disagreement and distance between us If my mind suggested the thought that and God. Now, nothing will effectually God is merciful, that God is good, that do away with sin but that which does God is compassionate, my conscience away with this cause of sin, and brings replied, God is just, and holy, and faithful, into its place the opposite consciousness and if he be just, O what shall become of reconciliation and nearness to God. of me! Amidst the tossings and anguish In other words, our affection towards of my troubled mind, I could find no him must vary with the sense of his rest, no solid foundation on which to affection toward us. And this affection place my hope of pardon and acceptance of God toward us,-his fatherly earnest with God. It was in this state of mind longing to have his strayed children my attention was directed to the cross. back again, this is the one great truth When the charming words reached my proclaimed to us in Christ. It is by ears, God was in Christ reconciling lodging this in the sinner's mind, that the world unto himself, not imputing" the Spirit of Truth" becomes "the their trespasses unto them,'- Christ is Spirit of Life," and new creates the the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth,'-in the cross of the Redeemer I saw a broad, a solid foundation for my hope. In the agonies of his sufferings, and in his ignominious death, I saw the glories of the divine justice, holiness, and faithfulness, displayed in the punishment of sin in the Surety; and an honourable channel opened up for the communication of grace and mercy to the sinner. In the triumphant shout, It is finished!' I heard the Saviour affirming, that every legal impediment in the way of the sinner's salvation was removed; and I felt the love which removed these destroying the enmity of my heart, and reconciling my soul unto God. The influence of this love I wish to cherish; and that the influence of this love may wean me from the love of the world; and that its influence may burn up the lusts and corruptions of my heart, and nourish gracious tempers and holy dispositions in my soul, I have taken my seat at his holy table. I here will put into your hands the symbols of his broken body and shed blood."-Pp. 533, 534. 66 We adopt the expression of an admirable letter given in the Memoir from one, the tidings of whose own departure have sent such a shock of sorrow through the church, and whose "hoary head" was verily a crown of glory," being "found in the way of righteousness." "The highest praise," says Dr Heugh, "of Dr Smart's preaching is, that it was all animated by the life-giving truth respecting the cross of Emanuel."-Yes, it was all bathed in the love of God, and this love is undoubtedly the great vital principle of Evangelism. We fear, it is man. He may probably spurn away from him at first an idea which aggravates his self-reproach, and which he feels to be unnerving his determination to sin. But let the veil which had mantled the benign aspect of God's character be by the Spirit's hand withdrawn, and full disclosure made of the love with its smiles of welcome which beams and beckons there (not the less but the more to be trusted and rejoiced in, that it is a love in harmony with law),-let him look this winning truth directly in the face,and like the Roman soldier under his mother's eye, he feels the secret fascination; he drops his weapon, relents, and turns. He weeps and wonders at his unworthy and injurious thoughts of God. He flings from him his jealousies and cavils and fears. And from that moment, his heart, emancipated and melted by the charm of a believed love, beats gladly and gratefully in responsive love to God, and love for all his services.The glorious gospel is shorn of its most attractive features, if this truth of God's graciousness and "goodwill to men" is cast into the shade, or if it has given to it only a remote and perspective diminution on the back ground of the picture. It must be placed in the nearest and most prominent point of light, as the very life and soul of our commission. Nor do we exceed that commission by a single inch, when we tell every man we meet that God wishes him well, or when we come over him and over him again with the assurance that God is pressing his return with every offer of friendship and every feeling of tenderness.—What minister has not felt, in some favoured hours of clear and vivid perception of this truth, his sensibilities quickened into | kingdom, and who has at heart the strong emotion, and wondered that he efficiency of our presbyterian system. was not always so affected! In order Such will take up Dr M'Kerrow's volume to supply the mind with those impulses with considerable expectations, excited necessary to sustain it at an elevated by the importance of the inquiry, and by pitch, and to be the stimulus of devoted the success which has already crowned activity, in order to raise the ministry the essay in the suffrages of such men in general to the vitality and strength of as Drs Gordon, Heugh, and Struthers. those distinguished few, whose names are associated with the conversion and spiritual prosperity of multitudes,—that grand truth must be brought under much more frequent review, drawing after it the full tide of our sympathies, and dispossessing us of every wish but that of living for it and dying for it. Would we catch the mantles of our ascended Elijahs, and smite and part with them every stream, however deep, however broad, however terrible that obstructs the coming of Christ's kingdom? Then, we must have no eye but for Christ, no ear but for Christ, no life but for Christ. Our service to him must become identical with our existence. It is said of enthusiasts that they are men of "one idea," and of heroes, that they are men of “one design.” Oh that the existing and the rising ministry may unite in their characters something of both, their one idea and one design being the highest and the best that ever dilated the human heart,-the winning of souls to the Saviour, the widening of the reign of love and holiness, the peopling of the realms of bliss with the spirits of redeemed men, and the swelling of the praises of eternity! The OFFICE of RULING ELDER in the Teith. We venture to say that these hopes will not be disappointed. The essay is marked by the usual characteristics of the author's writings-sober-mindedness, accurate discrimination, a careful examination of facts and opinions, candour in the statement of opposite views, conciseness and firmness in defending his own, a clear style, no superfiuity, and more than even wonted compression. One-half of the volume is taken up with an illustration of the scriptural evidence for the office of ruling elder. This discussion embraces replies to objectors, and consequently, an examination of passages which are alleged to be adverse to the presbyterian views of church order. From this part of the work we give an example, which we believe our readers will consider confirmatory of what we have said of Dr M'Kerrow's style of discussion. The remarks refer to Mat. xviii. 15-17. "But whatever opinion may be formed with regard to the primary application of Christ's words, or with regard to the meaning which the disciples at first attached to them, there can be little doubt that they were chiefly designed by the Saviour to furnish to his followers a rule of discipline to be observed in the Christian church, so soon as it should be fully organised, and to be adhered to in all future ages. On this point commentators seem to be generally agreed. Fully coinciding in this opinion, I consider it Edinburgh: Wm. Oliphant & Sons. a fair interpretation of the word 'exxλnoia' THIS is a prize essay; and it is certainly in this passage, to view it as descriptive no common distinction which Dr M'Ker- of a Christian assembly-an assembly of row has earned for himself, that to his professing Christians. In this sense the justly acquired reputation as the his- term is generally, though not always to torian of the Secession Church, he be understood in the New Testament. should now add successful competi- I am aware that some limit the term iu tion in another walk of usefulness and this place to an assembly of office-bearers, honourable fame. We congratulate Dr and consider it as equivalent to the word M'Kerrow, and our church, on this Session or Presbytery. Others extend new fruit of his learning and industry. the meaning of it to all the members of The subject of the present work is a worshipping society, and consider it as confessedly one of very great import-equivalent to the word Congregation. ance; and while worthy of having had This latter meaning is the one which, fresh attention drawn to it by the eclat after a careful examination of the authoof a prize essay, its own merits must rities on both sides, I am inclined to commend it to every man who is duly con- adopt. But the question occurs,-what cerned to know the mind of Christ with kind of congregation does it denote ?respect to the constitution of his spiritual not certainly a congregation without rulers; but a congregation consisting of In the writings of the Old Testament, a two classes of persons, namely, the pri- variety of instances occur of a similar vate members and the elders. The scrip- kind. Compare Exodus xii. 3 with what tural proof in support of this statement, is stated in the 21st verse of the same I shall afterwards more fully adduce. chapter. In the former of these verses At present, I would merely mention the the congregation, or church, is said to do fact recorded in the Acts (chap. xiv. 23), what is affirmed in the latter to be done that the apostles "ordained them elders by the elders. What is stated of the in every church.”* And I would also congregation in Numbers xxxv. 24, and refer to the exhortation which the apostle Joshua xx. 6, is affirmed of the elders in James gives in his epistle to the twelve Deut xix. 12, and Joshua xx. 4. Other tribes, when he says (chap. v. 14), "Is instances of a similar kind might be adany sick among you: let him call for the duced from the Old Testament. These elders of the church," thereby plainly now quoted bear directly upon the subintimating that there were elders in every ject of the present discussion, as they church, whom the sick might call for. tend to illustrate the phraseology employed by the Saviour under consideration." 66 Chapters vi. viii. and ix. are on the qualifications and responsibility of elders. This portion may be less stimulating than the close and pithy argument which occupies the body of the work; but it is not less valuable. We must give an example here of Dr M'Kerrow's good advices: "The visitation of the sick is mentioned in scripture as another duty to which elders are specially called on to attend. Is any sick among you, let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him.' There is no way in which a pious, prudent, and faithful elder may be more useful than by being regular in his visits at the bed-sides of the afflicted and the dying. When the Saviour, then, directs his disciples to tell the case of an offending brother to the church, or assembly, it does not necessarily follow from this direction, that the members of the church, as a body, were to sit in judgment upon the case, and administer censure. If the assembly were one in which no persons were appointed to bear rule, it might be a legitimate enough conclusion, that the members generally were to judge. But, seeing express mention is made in the New Testament of a class of persons being ordained in every church, for the purpose of administering discipline, and superintending the affairs of the congregation, the fair inference to be deduced from the Saviour's language is, that the case is to be made publicly known to the church, with the view of its being brought under the consideration of those whose "I may here be permitted to observe, official duty it is to judge in these mat- that ministers and elders are sometimes ters. They are to hear the parties, to unjustly blamed by members of the examine witnesses, and to give judg-church, for not having visited them in ment; and, seeing they are the authorized organs by whom the church acts in cases of discipline, so, whatever is done by them in reference to such cases, may with sufficient propriety be said to be done by the church; exactly on the same principle as a nation is said to do what is done by its parliament, or a town is said to do what is done by its corporation. Nothing is more common than to speak of the proceedings of the church,' or 'the decisions of the church,' when, by such phraseology, we understand the proceedings and decisions of the ecclesiastical rulers.' "This is the phraseology employed in the passage which has given occasion to these remarks; and the Saviour in employing it knew that he would not be misunderstood, as the Jews were not unaccustomed to such a mode of speech. * κατ' εκκλησίαν. their affliction, when they have not sent any notice to minister or elder, of their being in distress. The scripture injunction to those who are in affliction is express. It is that they are to call for the elders of the church; and though I do not say that elders, if they know of distress in a family, ought to wait till they are called for, yet it is decidedly wrong in any to blame them for not having visited them, when they did not think it worth while to comply with the scripture injunction, by sending notice of their being in distress. Those who impute blame in these circumstances act a part that is unreasonable and unjust. They ought rather to take blame to themselves for neglecting a duty which scripture enjoins. They ought not to take it for granted that elders must necessarily be acquainted with their situation. When sickness has entered their dwellings, and when they desire a visit, they ought to let the elders know; and not until they have done so, are they warranted in complaining of neglect on the part of their overseers. "Another point in connexion with this subject, which I deem it of importance to notice, is, that the visitation of the sick is specially the work of elders; and that though ministers are not to overlook this work, yet there are other duties connected with their office, to which they are particularly called upon to attend. According to the directions which Paul gives to Timothy, ministers are to give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.' 'Meditate (he says) upon these things; give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all.' (1 Tim. iv. 13, 15.) The teaching elder is to devote himself to the study of the word of God, and to the preaching of the gospel. These are objects that ought chiefly to occupy his time and attention, and that he may have leisure to attend to them, the visitation of the sick appears to be chiefly devolved by the Spirit of God upon the elders: Is any sick among you, let him call for the elders of the church. Yet according to the notions which almost universally prevail, when any are sick, it is not so much the elders as the minister that they call for; and even in many instances, when the elders are punctual in attending upon the sick, and faithful in performing their duty to them, still these labours are not deemed sufficient unless the minister shall superadd his visitations. The necessary consequence of this demand is, that where the flock is anyway numerous, the teaching elder must either neglect that which is his special work, namely, his study and his preaching; or his bodily and mental powers will be tasked beyond their natural endurance. In order, therefore, that the teaching elder may have it in his power efficiently to discharge the duties of the Christian ministry, by giving attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine,' while at the same time, a proper degree of attention is paid to the sick, this latter work should be considered as devolving, if not exclusively, at least chiefly, upon the ruling elders. It is unreasonable in the people to complain of neglect, when visited regularly in affliction by their elders, merely because their minister may not be so frequently in their dwellings as they could wish, on account of important ministerial duties to which he is required to attend, and which are amply sufficient to occupy his time." In a chapter on the office of the deacon, Dr M'Kerrow gives an account of its origin, and of the duties of those invested with it, together with a view of the arguments for its permanency. The discussion is very naturally embodied in a work on the eldership, and materially enhances its value. RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.-FOREIGN. GREECE. sionary has always as many pupils in THE missions established, and for a course his schools as the premises can well of years maintained with much energy, contain; the daily attendance averaging by various societies, within the kingdom from 500 to 600. He has several faithof Greece, have been either withdrawn, ful and laborious young teachers, who or reduced to one or two labourers. have been prepared for their duties under The American board has still one mis- the immediate direction of the missionsionary in Athens, and the American aries. The spiritual instruction which Episcopal Missionary Society one; while most of these teachers have treasured the Church of England Missionary So- up, is now bringing forth the most inciety continue, with one missionary and estimable benefit to others. In Syra several teachers, their educational exer- the mission schools have now been for tions in the island of Syra. The oppo- fifteen years in uninterrupted operation; sition and persecution of the Greek during which period the advantages of ecclesiastics, somewhat countenanced by scriptural education have been conferred the civil authorities, has been the chief upon 4220 children; of whom 2443 cause of discouragement to the societies are girls. During the last year, divine which had so largely occupied this field, service has been regularly held in both constraining them to transfer their the German and English language, for agents to more hopeful scenes of exer- the benefit of the numerous visitors to tion. At Athens, the Episcopal mis- the island; and the attendance, though not large, has been more regular than in | should be administered among them former years. Tracts and books to a equally. These assurances, coming diconsiderable amount have been disposed rectly for the first time from a sultan, of. Several priests have gladly received along with acts of condescension and copies of the scriptures, for themselves, kindness with which they were accomand their relatives and scholars, both in panied, are innovations of an extraordiSyra and in other islands. On a review nary nature in the usages of this country; of the result of missionary labour since and the surprise they produced was the time of his arrival in Greece, the most striking, as well as the joy which missionary stationed in this island, sees, they created in all, the Turks excepted, in the decay of gross superstition, in the who naturally felt themselves humbled, diminution of prejudice against the at being placed on a par with those translation of the Bible into the vernacular whom they consider as infidels. language, in the fuller acknowledgment of its being the duty of every Christian to read the word of God, in the more We observe from the Montreal Witness general acquaintance with its blessed of June 8, that the deputation from the truths, and in the more enlightened views of Christianity which now prevail, abundant cause for thankfulness and encouragement. TURKEY. CANADA. United Synod, consisting of the Rev. Robert Paterson, the Rev. James Robertson, and David Anderson, Esq., had arrived in that city, and made arrangements for holding a public meeting for the purpose of giving some account of the principles and present state of the Secession church. able and christian counsel. In the meanwhile, Mr Jennings of Toronto has published a letter on the subject, the substance of which we give, pointing out what he apprehends to be difficulties in the way of the proposed union. Some of the matters referred to are local, of which we are incompetent to judge; but there are difficulties noticed by Mr Jennings of a constitutional character, which, it is clear, there is no way of removing, but by the Free church agreeing to make the points of difference matters of forbearance. SOME recent events in the political state of this empire, are noticed by more than one missionary, as indications in provi- A proposal, it would seem, is in agitadence of a more favourable state of tion in some parts of the country, for things for the best interests, present and effecting a union of the Free church and future, of its blinded population. The the Secession there. It is a peculiarly bondage of mind under which the mil- favourable circumstance, that the memlions are held who sit in darkness and bers of our deputation are on the spot, the shadow of death, is the most melan- to give the brethren the benefit of their choly aspect of their condition. Setting free the mind, the introduction of liberty civil and religious, is the first step towards their deliverance. And in a nation so fettered as Turkey has been, the day of small things is not to be despised. In that empire, there is to be instituted a Representative Assembly, composed of a Turk and a Christian from each province: the sultan in one of his public edicts, notices that all the attempts at reform hitherto made in his empire were but failures; and that deeming it necessary that his people should now be educated, he orders schools to be established through- Toronto, May 27, 1846.-The subject out his dominions, and other public insti- of union between the United Secession tutions, for their benefit. These proceed- church and Free church in Canada, has ings of the grand seignor, which the mis- several times been brought before the sionaries justly characterise as unprece- public by you. Committees of the respecdented, encourage in them the hope, that tive Synods have also conferred for that the Turks are really to be prepared to wit- purpose. The Missionary Record' has ness among them, some day or other, alluded to these conferences. liberty of conscience. The sultan as- individual, I find that the time has come sembled all the governors, primates, and when both churches require publicly and heads of the different religious denomi- decidedly to understand each other. It nations in the provinces of his empire, is for this purpose I write. I am not and in a most gracious speech, stated opposed to union with the Free church, that he felt anxious for the welfare or any other, if it can be accomplished of all his subjects; that he considered on a solid scriptural basis. When, howall in the same light, whether Turks, ever, there is a public proposal made, it Christians, or Jews; and that justice is right that the parties making the pro 66 As an |