the doctrine of God and of salvation, is proved. In the next place, tne relation between Baptism and the blessings of which it is the seal, is exhibited; the title of every one to the seal, who has title to the blessings, is proved; and the right of the infant seed of believers both to the covenanted blessings and to this seal of them, is demonstrated, in each of eleven successive propositions; and the effects, both of the neglect, and of the exercise of this right are shown. Then it is shown that Baptism may be valid, even when its administration is not perfectly regular; Immersion in water, as a commemoration of the burial of Christ, is proved to be a total perversion of this sacrament: the true scriptural relation between baptism and the death and burial of Christ is disclosed: the various senses in which the Scriptures use the word baptism, are set forth, and the right of Christ to fix the sense in which he uses it asserted: and that he did use it-to mean the sacramental application of water to the person, as a sign and seal of our purification by the Holy Ghost, and our ingrafting into Christ is demonstrated in each of five successive propositions. The examination of the Apostolic practice follows, and the great example of Pentecost is shown in each of three successive propositions, and then the great example of Gentile baptism at Cæsarea is shown in each of three successive propositions, and then more briefly other Apostolic examples of every known class are shown, to accord exactly with what was before shown concerning Christ's sense of this sacrament; and the Apostolic doctrine of baptism is deduced. The Thirtieth Chapter, which is the Fourth of this Book, treats in a particular manner, of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, considered in its Institution, Nature, Use, and End; wherein the relation of this Sacrament to the ancient Sacrament of the Passover is explained; the divine account of its institution by Christ is stated; its general nature and ordinary use are disclosed in detail from the Scriptures: the matter of it and elements of it, are pointed out; and how it is a sign and what it signifies, and how it is a seal and what it seals are set forth. Entering more deeply, what the Saviour meant us to understand by saying the cup was the New Testament in his blood, and by saying the bread was his Body broken for us, is carefully examined; the efficacy of the Body and Blood in our spiritual nourishment is disclosed; the relation of this Sacrament to the Worship, the Word, and the Spirit of God, is explicated; and the relation of the constant and sacramental showing of the Lord's death to his Second Coming is pointed out. And finally it is shown how strict is the relation of Christ's sacramental word and action to the Nature and definition of this sacrament; and that of the sacrament itself to the whole question of the Church. The Thirty-First Chapter, which is the Fifth and last of this Book, treats of the Office Bearers of the Gospel Church, and of Church government in their hands. It is shown that all the Office Bearers of the Church both appertain to it, and in a still higher sense to Christ; that the divine origin of the Church, of its government, and of its office bearers is perfectly indisputable, both according to the universal testimony of Scripture, and to the absolute nature of the case; in proof and illustration of all which, the example of the Apostolic Synod constituted at Jerusalem on the question of Gentile circumcision, is carefully examined, and the fact, the nature, and the perpetuity of the government divinely established in the Gospel Church, are demonstrated; the office bearers who constituted that

synod, are shown to have been in part Apostles, but chiefly Elders-Presbyters, and then the nature of the office held by these Elders-Presbyters, and the na-、 ture of their right to constitute that synod, and every other tribunal in the Gospel Church, is demonstrated. Then the question of the Church, purely as a question of fact, is taken up at the death of Christ and its condition shown: the effects of the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost, and the events which followed, are traced, and the immediate formation of particular congregations with a tribunal in each, and the nature and composition of that tribunal as a congregational Presbytery composed of Presbyters-Elders, are proved: the union of a number of these congregations with their tribunals-is shown to have constituted a larger body with its tribunal over them all, still composed of Presbyters, and called in the Scriptures a Presbytery; and then the union of all these Presbyteries with all their tribunals and all their congregations with their tribunals-gives us the universal Church and brings us back to its synod already demonstrated; for that is the scriptural name of this high tribunal; and thus the nature, organization, and divine authority of tribunals, Parochial, Presbyterial, and Synodical, all composed of Elders--Presbyters-is proved by tracing the divine progress and development of the Church, as before by a specific divine example. After this the nature of all church power delegated by the Mediator, is analyzed, and its relations to his Prophetic, Priestly, and Kingly offices shown; the result being that the whole power of Regimen is from his Kingly office, and is vested in all Presbyters alike; while the ministry of the word is a delegation from his Prophetic office, and the Stewardship of Divine Mysteries is a delegation from his Priestly office --which two functions-as a power of Order-are added, as to certain Elders, to their power of Rule, and thus two classes in the order of Elders are produced; and it is shown that this power of Order is a several power,—while the power of Regimen is a joint power; the result being that all rule is not only by tribunals, but all tribunals are constituted of both classes of the order of Elders. The mode of creating office bearers is shown to be by an inward and personal vocation of the particular person, by God to the particular office; which is ascertained by the vocation of the individual by a particular congregation to be its office bearer, and afterwards by the approbation and ordination of the person by a church court: the vital power and importance of this Parochial and Presbyterial vocation-being specially insisted on. Then the offices of Prophet, Evangelist, and Deacon, who are the only remaining office bearers of the Church, whether ordinary or extraordinary-are explained: and the Chapter and Book close with a summary statement, in four successive propositions, of the absolute nature of the government which God has bestowed upon the visible Church; and a slight appreciation of its marvellous origin, progress, and actual position. The difficulty of treating the whole organic life of the Kingdom of God, under the action of so many and such amazing gifts of God, in a few Chapters, and of determining truly and disposing in a lucid order, in so small a compass, so many and such vast topics-is one of the greatest to which the human mind can address itself. To reduce these Chapters to a short connected argument, which will present the whole matter fairly, clearly, and sufficientlyis also very difficult. And now to deduce from that argument its fundamental

results, in a few short propositions is no easy task. Possibly the chief results may be summarily stated somewhat as follows: namely, That the Son, the Spirit, and the Word of God, appertain in a peculiar manner to the visible Church of Christ, under the Gospel dispensation, as the supreme Gifts of God to it :-That the Sabbath day, the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, the Instituted Worship of God, the administration of the threatenings of God by Discipline, and the Evangelization of the world, are divine Ordinances obligatory upon the Gospel Church, being gifts of God to it:-That Baptism instituted by Christ must be administered with water by a steward of the mysteries of God, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, to the disciples of Christ, and to their infant seed, once only to each person; wherein our purification by the Holy Ghost, our ingrafting into Christ, and the pardon of our sins, are sacramentally signified, and sealed to those who worthily receive it:-That the Lord's Supper, instituted by Christ, must be often celebrated and partaken of by all believers; wherein the bread broken and the wine poured out are the elements, and the broken body and shed blood of Christ are the matter, and all together are the sacrament: the eating and drinking of the bread and wine, and the spiritual receiving of the body and blood of Christ by faith, through the Spirit, the word, and prayer, is a sacramental showing forth of his death, and a communion therein with him, and with each other; all the benefits of Christ, more particularly our redemption by, and our communion in his death, and our spiritual nourishment and growth in grace by feeding sacramentally upon his body and blood, being herein signified and sealed to all who worthily communicate :-That God has bestowed upon the Gospel Church Office Bearers, both extraordinary and ordinary, of whom the former have ceased, the ordinary and perpetual being Elders and Deacons--to whom must be added in a special sense-and as peculiar, Evangelists; that the whole power of Regimen in the Church is a joint power, and is wholly in the hands of Elders-amongst whom certain, in addition to their power of rule, labour in word and doctrine, and are stewards of the divine mysteries, both of which are several powers, so that there are two classes of the one order of Elders; the power of Regimen being joint, all rule is, not by persons, but by Tribunals composed of some of both classes of Elders, all of each class being equal one with another, and the whole equal as Elders; which Tribunals, one above another, Parochial, Classical, Synodical, and Universal, are neither clerical nor laic, but are Presbyterial Courts of the free, spiritual Commonwealth, which is the Church of the Living God.

CHAPTER XXVII.

SUPREME GIFTS OF GOD TO HIS CHURCH: HIS SON: HIS SPIRIT:

HIS WORD.

I. 1. The special Gifts of God to his Church; Supreme amongst these, his Son-his Spirit-his Word.-2. Our Responsibility, personal and aggregate: corresponding bestowal of these divine Gifts.-3. Special Gift of the Son of God to the Church: immediate mutual Results-4. Nature and Effect of the relation between Christ and the Church thus created.-5. The Condition of the Church, considered as possessing Christ.-6. The Holy Church Catholic-the Communion of Saints-the Forgiveness of Sins.-7. The true God and Eternal Life.-8. The Glory and Blessedness of the Church, in her Witness-bearing, and her Work.—II. 1. Gift of the Holy Ghost: all Authority in Christ-all Efficacy from the Spirit.-2. Difference, in the manner of bestowment; and the manner of operation; and the relation of the Son and the Spirit to:-(a) Human Nature:-(b) The Plan of Salvation:-(c) The Church :-(d) The World.-3. The order of the Mysteries of Grace, with respect to the Gift of the Holy Ghost.-4. Relation of the Spirit to the Work of Christ, and to the Gospel Church.-5. The Saviour, the Church, the Truth, and the Mystery of Godliness, all attested by the Spirit.-6. The Promise of the Father: the day of Pentecost.-7. Difference in the manifestation of the Spirit: extraordinary manifestations: Their relation to the Church.-8. Saving manifestation of the Spirit: Its relation to his extraordinary manifestations.-9. The Doctrine of the Spirit, and his relation to the Church, vital.-III. 1. Gift of God's Word: Its relation to the Church, and the preceding Gifts: Relation of the written Word to the Visible Church.-2. The Word, before and after it was written: the Church, before and after it was organized: General Exposition.-3. The Gospel Church--and the Sacred Scriptures.-4. The Efficacy of God's Word, considered merely as Divine Truth: its further Efficacy when savingly used by the Holy Ghost.-5. Appreciation of the written Word, considered as a Divine Gift to the Church.-6. Appreciation of the Church, considered as possessing these Supreme Gifts of God.

I.—1. I HAVE endeavoured to trace the principles upon which the divine idea of the Church, and its permanent and visible existence are disclosed in the Word of God-and to make, not only its nature and end plain, but the immense truths also which give it vitality, and the infallible Marks which distinguish it. The course of the orderly treatment of the subject, conducts us next to the consideration of those Divine Gifts which God has bestowed upon his Church, thus created, organized, and made