man necessarily becomes a fool, in proportion as he recedes. Mr. Oxlee is a very learned man; but what child in a well-taught Sunday school would hesitate for a reply to such nonsense as that which asserts that it was impossible for our first parents to possess any correct knowledge of God, or any clear views of religion; because, says this spiritual pastor, (after designating this prevailing belief both of Jew and Christian

'the very summit of absurdity') 'Inexperienced and ignorant as they were of the great volume of the book of nature, as well as destitute of those powers of thought and speech which can only be gradually acquired from length of time, by deep contemplation and social intercourse, the accomplishment of such an attempt would have been a total impossibility.' He then cites the fact of Eve's transgression as an act of childish simplicity and ignorance, and that of their running away to hide among the trees in the garden, as no less babyish. Again we ask, will the Jews, the appointed keepers of what holy men of old wrote by the inspiration of God, allow such a mock to be put on the Law and the Testimony?

That a portion of doctrinal truth should be intermingled with such a mass of error, is not wonderful. That the atonement should be insisted on, while great part of the foundation on which it rests is knocked away, and that the Jew should be invited to believe in a gospel more than half nullified by him who assumes to proclaim it, does not affect the pernicious character of the work, as contradicting, in many points, the direct word of God. We have used very strong language, because we deeply feel the sinful folly of what we have briefly noticed, and which occurs in the earlier part of the pamphlet; while in the views taken by the author

of the relative position of the Jew and Christian, in reference to the New Testament, and which are set forth towards its close, we no more coincide than in his other doctrines. He offers to the Jew one gospel, and to the Gentile another; of which neither is the gospel that Paul preached; the gospel that provides salvation alike for one and for the other for Jew and Greek, male and female, bond and free-by the self-same means, and in the self-same way. We, strenuously as ever, protest against forcing the conscience of the Jew on points where God has seen fit nationally to distinguish him from every other branch of the human family, knowing that the nation will again, and in a manner more marked and wonderful than of old, be gathered from among all people, and serve God upon, the holy mountain, and inhabit the waste places of Judea, conspicuous above the Gentile tribes; we protest against compelling, or even asking him to change his Sabbath, to lay aside the seal of the national covenant, to cease from observing the commemorative or the anticipative ordinances; or in any way to Gentilize him whom God hath been pleased to send into the world a Jew; but the system of theology on which Mr. Oxlee grounds his advocacy of a sustained distinction is very far indeed removed from any thing that we can recognize as scriptural.

Scotland, and Scotland's church were proud, as well they might be, of the talents, the learning, the eloquence and piety of Edward Irving. Yet when that piety received a misdirection, when those great gifts were perverted to the maintenance of dangerous deceits, neither partiality, nor indolence, nor timidity interfered to screen the offender. He was summoned, arraigned, convicted, and expelled from the pale of the faithful MAY, 1845.

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Kirk. Of course, we look for no such vigilance, no such vigour in our own establishment as now conducted. Men may say what they will, and may do whatsoever is right in their own eyes. They may openly profess discipleship, yea, most loyal fealty to Rome; they may restore altars, set up images and bow down to them, and drive to dissent the many thousands who, thank God! they cannot seduce into apostacy; but the voice of authority is silent; (unless, indeed, it be the voice of one or two officials in a great university, pleading their unaccountable right to stifle inquiry ;) * and the arm of discipline is paralyzed. The consequences are obvious.

We hope that some faithful brother will, however, be found, privately, affectionately, and successfully to tell this erring minister his fault, and to shew him that his wild system has no shadow of a foundation, either in "the twelve tribes of Israel," or in "the twelve apostles of the Lamb." The publisher's highly respectable name may induce some to read the work, who are not sufficiently alive (alas! few of us are) to the devices of that powerful adversary whose existence is so boldly denied in its pages. We never laid a work down with a more thankfully solemn recurrence to the divine warning so graciously given by the mouth of the apostle, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist, stedfast in the faith."

This is what Mr. Oxlee denounces as 66 vulgar christianity." May the Lord keep us deeply immersed in it !

*The Proctors of Oxford, and Tract Ninety.

"THE GARDEN OF THE LORD."

THERE are two images of peculiar beauty, in which the Lord speaks of His Church; and to these I desire to call the attention of my young friends. The first image is that of a garden; the other, of the golden candlesticks. In each of these, we have the present intercourse between Christ and His people represented. We will now confine ourselves to considering the former.

When the earthly paradise failed, a spiritual garden was provided, in which every child of God is found, being "trees of righteousness," "the planting of the Lord."

This garden is " enclosed." There is a fence round it, that no enemy may enter to destroy. All are safe who are within: it is kept "night and day” (Isa. xxvii. 3.) and watered every moment. It is also provided with rivers and streams.

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In this garden the Lord Jesus, whose delights are with the children of men, loves to dwell, that He may feed among the lilies (or "changed ones,") gather His pleasant fruits, and see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth." He walks among the trees of his planting, looking with earnest solicitude for the result of his labour and toil. All are not equally established, and all are not equally strong; neither can they all bear the same fruit; but all are expected to bring forth some fruit according to their sort, and in proportion to the

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THE GARDEN OF THE lord.'

pains taken, whether they be lofty pines, or the lowly strawberry.

He sees some that he had planted by water-courses, green and flourishing, and He approaches to look for blossoms and fruit; but perhaps he finds none. The luxuriance of the tree is spent in leaves and branches, and these He must cut off to give light and air to the few weak flowers which they concealed. Or else, he transplants the tree to a dryer soil, deprives it of the waters, and lets it have no other moisture than the dews and rains of heaven.

Next, he examines the fragrant bush whose blossoms perfume the air, and attract the eye by their beauty and profusion. He shakes the branches, and the ground is strewed with the leaves. He destroys the present loveliness to produce future richness, for the fruit cannot grow while the flower remains.

He then visits the climbing plants that require constant guidance and training, examining every branch, and looking under every leaf to see if fruit is there. He goes from the fig-tree to the nut, and tastes their produce. "He feedeth : he has joy and rejoicing when He finds fruit which is pleasant to his taste, for it is all to His glory and praise.

Nor does He fail to send the northwind and the south to blow upon His garden, that the spices thereof may flow out; for perfume is acceptable to Him, when He comes into His garden" to feed."

And now, my dear young friends, do you realize these things? Do you consider that you are planted in a garden which is "before the Lord," and remember, that He walks in it, seeking fruit? Leaves and luxuriance will not deceive or satisfy Him, neither will blossoms, however fair and beautiful; for He must have