Holy Ghost; and to the fall of man, and the consequent corruption of his nature. In regard to these subjects the author presents one of the distinguishing peculiarities of his mind,-absolute submission to the authority of Scripture. He was aware that men can know nothing of God as existing in three persons, nothing concerning Christ or the Holy Spirit, except through the medium of revelation. On these questions every oracle in nature is silent. Having ascertained the Scripture to be a revelation made by God himself, the great business of the writer is, to discover its meaning, and then to surrender himself entirely to its guidance. A professed acknowledgment of the Bible, accompanied by a denial of its vital and most prominent doctrines, because they happen to contradict preconceived opinions, he felt to be nothing more than disguised unbelief; and the system defended by the disciples of Socinus, which degrades the Son of God to a mere man, and represents him in his mediatorial character as nothing more than a religious teacher and a martyr, he could regard in no other light than a particular modification of infidelity, equally dishonourable to God, and injurious to the spiritual interests of men. He found that one leading design of revelation is to exterminate idolatry, and to secure to God alone the religious homage of mankind. On this point God has declared himself to be "jealous;" his "glory will he not give to another;" and the acknowledgment of him as the only object of prayer and praise, of supreme confidence and love, is enjoined by the first commandment of his law. Idolatry is so abhorrent to him, that those who practise it shall be for ever excluded from his presence. "Be not deceived: neither fornicators nor idolaters, shall inherit the kingdom of God," 1 Cor. vi, 9, 10. And yet this same revelation of God, authenticated by prophecy, and by signs and wonders and divers miracles, gives to Christ all the titles of God; ascribes to him all the essential and incommunicable attributes of the Divine nature; declares him to be the Creator of the universe, the Governor of the world, the raiser of the dead, and the Judge of all mankind; and it claims for him the highest religious homage both on earth and in heaven. The conclusion is inevitable. Jesus Christ is God, in the full and absolute sense; and as such men are every where bound to acknowledge and adore him.

In this part of his work, Mr. Watson also contends zealously for the Divine and eternal Sonship of Christ, in opposition to the theory that he is only to be regarded as the Son of God in respect of his human nature. About seven or eight years before, in his pamphlet on that subject, he had avowed his conviction that this question had not only a direct bearing upon the doctrine of our Lord's Divinity, but also upon the authority of the Bible; and continued attention to this question had only confirmed him in these views. His former reasonings on this subject are greatly strengthened in the Institutes; and the whole of his discussions on the person of Christ form a triumphant defence of those principles which have been held sacred by the Christian Church in all ages, and in which all orthodox believers are agreed. Independently of the general argument, this department of the work contains many valuable elucidations of particular texts; and a considerable portion of sound and original criticism, especially on the New Testament.

Having established, on a Scriptural basis, the Divinity and personality of the Holy Spirit, Mr. Watson subjoins the following beautiful remarks on the character and office of the Christian Comforter:-" As a Divine person our regards are, therefore, justly due to him as the object of worship and trust, of prayer and blessing; duties to which we are specially called, both by the general consideration of his Divinity, and by that affectingly benevolent and attractive character under which he is presented to us in the whole Scriptures. In creation, we see him moving upon the face of chaos, and reducing it to a beautiful order; in providence, 'renewing the face of the earth,' 'garnishing the heavens,' and giving 'life' to man. In grace, we behold him expanding the prophetic scene to the vision of the seers of the Old Testament, and making a perfect revelation of the doctrine of Christ to the apostles of the New. He 'reproves the world of sin,' and works secret conviction of its evil and danger in the heart. He is the Spirit of grace and supplication: the softened heart, the yielding will, all heavenly desires and tendencies are from him. To the troubled spirits of penitent men who are led by his influence to Christ, and in whose hearts he has wrought faith, the Spirit hastens with the news of pardon, and bears witness of their sonship with their spirit. He aids their 'infirmities;' 'makes intercession for them;' inspires thoughts of consolation, and feelings of peace; plants and perfects in them whatsoever things are pure, and lovely, and honest, and of good report; delights in his own work in the renewed heart; dwells in the soul as in a temple; and, after having rendered the spirit to God, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, sanctified and meet for heaven, finishes his benevolent and glorious work by raising the bodies of saints in immortal life at the last day. So powerfully does the Spirit of glory and of God' claim our love, our praise, and our obedience! In the forms of the Churches of Christ, in all ages, he has therefore been associated with the Father and the Son in equal glory and blessing; and where such forms are not in use, this distinct recognition of the Spirit, so much in danger of being neglected, ought, by ministers, to be most carefully and constantly made, in every gratulatory act of devotion, that so to each person of the eternal trinity glory may equally be given in the Church throughout all ages.' Amen.”

The question of original sin Mr. Watson has treated with great judgment and moderation. According to him, the doctrine of Holy Scripture on this subject is equally removed from the bold speculations of those who contend for the imputation of Adam's personal guilt to his posterity, in the strict and proper sense of the expression; and of those who maintain that mankind are either not at all affected by the fall of their first parent, or are merely subjected by it to affliction and mortality. Mr. Watson shows that the sin of Adam is imputed to mankind in its results and consequences; that he was a federal head and representative of his race; and that, as the effect of his fall, they derive from him a corrupt and sinful nature, and are made liable to death, and to innumerable other calamities. On these grounds he accounts for the death and sufferings of infants, who have not been guilty of any actual sin; and for that depravity and wickedness which have characterized mankind in all ages and nations.

This is a doctrine of immense importance, and affects the entire

system of Christian theology. It was the universal sinfulness of men that rendered necessary a universal atonement; and because man in his fallen state is "without strength," and totally depraved both in mind and heart, the influence of the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary, in order to his renewal in righteousness and true holiness. Defective views of original sin lead to defective and erroneous conclusions respecting the extent of redemption, and the nature of the Christian` salvation. When Mr. Wesley, therefore, was engaged in defence of this doctrine against the Semi-Pelagian refinements of Dr. Taylor, he declared that the question at issue between him and his antagonist was, in point of fact, whether deism or Christianity were to be preferred. For if man were not fallen, he needed neither a Redeemer nor a Sanctifier; and the Christian scheme must, of necessity, fall to the ground, as being inapplicable to the state of the world. Of this Mr. Watson was fully aware. He has therefore exhibited this momentous truth in a striking and impressive light, and with great force of evidence, derived from Scripture testimony, and the history and experience of mankind.

CHAPTER XIX.

State of the Mission Fund at the End of the Year 1825-Appeals for farther Exertions-Missionary Report for 1825—Mr. Watson publishes a Tract against Popery-Anniversary of the Missionary Society in 1826-Loss of the Maria Mail Boat, and of five Missionaries, &c-Panic of 1825-6-Mr. Watson assists in opening a new Chapel in Manchester-Letter to Dr. Ellis-Death of Joseph Butterworth, Esq.-Mr. Watson preaches and publishes his funeral Sermon— The British Senate-Abolition of Slavery-Mr. Watson is elected President of the Conference-Letters to Mrs. Watson-Mr. Watson's Conduct as PresidentLetter to a young Preacher-Mr. Watson attends a Missionary Meeting at Leeds Letter to Mrs. Watson-Letter to Dr. Ellis-Mr. Watson publishes the fourth Part of his Theological Institutes.

As Mr. Watson proceeded in the composition of his Theological Institutes, the subscribers became increasingly sensible of the importance and value of the work; but he did not suffer it to engage his exclusive attention. The missions lay near his heart, and daily engaged his anxieties and prayers. At the end of the year it was found, that, in various parts of the kingdom, the zeal of the friends of this cause had been unusually on the alert; and that more extended efforts than had been witnessed at any former period were made to augment the pecu niary supplies. In the missionary notices, therefore, for January, 1826, Mr. Watson inserted the following appropriate address:- "Among the circumstances of the year, which has just closed upon the efforts of our friends in behalf of missions throughout the connection, we feel bound specially to notice the extension of branch societies into the villages of the different circuits. In many instances this has been done from the beginning; but, of late, owing to the honourable and enlightened zeal of many of our official friends, in different circuits, supported by the kind co-operation of the preachers, several circuits have adopted it as a principle, that both Christian duty and Christian privilege require that every Methodist society and congregation, in every village of a circuit, ought to have a regularly-organized branch

society, with its anniversary meeting, its committee, officers, and regular collectors. With this view, in the Nottingham, Newark, Doncaster, and some other circuits, branch societies have been formed by the visitation of the preachers, travelling and local, and other friends, who have devoted now and then an evening for this purpose; and thus, with very little expense for travelling, the public of those retired places have been called together to learn the state of the heathen world, to praise God for the successes and progress of his Gospel, and to offer the aid of their Christian liberality in behalf of interests so important to the world, and so dear to the hearts of all who love our Lord Jesus in sincerity.

"We cordially thank those who have thus formally adopted so noble a principle, and have so effectually acted upon it; and we most earnestly recommend its general adoption throughout the kingdom, as a most effectual means of raising the annual amount of the general fund, so as to prevent those embarrassments which must otherwise arise from the late great extension of our missions, and to provide means for new efforts to which we are obviously called by the openings of Divine Providence. Nor are considerations of weight wanting to enforce this upon the attention of our friends every where. If the affording of aid to this blessed work were a burden, it would be but just that it should be shared among all our societies and congregations, and the influence they can command, that in all, as the apostle speaks, there may be an equality.' But this is not the view taken of this great and lofty and all-inspiring charity. The high vocation of the whole Church is to shine as the light of the world; nor ought any individual to be prevented, for want of the opportunity which is afforded by the organization of such missionary societies, from taking his share in thus enlightening the world by the diffusion of the Gospel. The knowledge, too, which is thus communicated on the condition of heathen nations to the body of pious people, living in retired parts of the country, is of great importance, to impress them both with deeper convictions of the value of the Gospel, in the light of which they walk, and with sentiments of gratitude to God for this inestimable benefit. That sympathy for perishing millions is thus spread, which surely ought to pervade the whole Church; and an increasing number of powerful and effectual prayers for the coming of the kingdom of Christ are thus called forth, and must bring down from heaven richer effusions of Divine influence upon the universal cause of truth and righteousness, and upon the labours of those who are engaged in promoting it, both at home and abroad. It is thus, too, that the natural spirit of selfishness, which is so contrary to the spirit of true Christianity, is most effectually subdued, and the sanctifying habit of living, not to ourselves, but to Him that died for us and rose again, is encouraged and matured. How important is it, also, to train up the young of all our congregations to this zeal for Christ, this universal benevolence, this public spirit; and to give them a share in the grace and benefit of the work of evangelizing the world! Nor are those high interests and hopes to be overlooked which are excited in the bosom of the pious, by the intelligence of new conquests obtained by the Saviour whom they love, and the new honours which are thus accumulated around his adored name; sentiments the most pure, elevating, and rich, which even grace awakens

in the spirit of a believer, and which, more than any other, connect him, while on earth, with the Church above.

"To lay it down, then, as an explicit rule, that, wherever there is a society of Christians, great or small, in town, village, or hamlet, this company of lovers and friends of Christ shall be united into a branch missionary society, associated to spread the savour of his name, as they may have opportunity, to the ends of the world, is what we recommend to the preachers of every circuit, and the officers of every auxiliary society. It is easily carried into effect, by holding a series of evening meetings in the way practised in the circuits above alluded to; and not only will the means of supporting and extending our missions be thus greatly increased, but the most happy and important effects, by God's blessing, will follow upon the intelligence, the feelings, the character, and the joys of thousands of the friends of Christ, who now are but very partially acquainted with the operations and successes of missions."

The same subject was resumed the following month. Having mentioned the amount of contributions which had been raised in the course of the year, and which had greatly exceeded every former instance of liberality, Mr. Watson says: "For this increase in the fund, through the benevolence and zeal of the friends of missions, at home and abroad, the committee offer their thanks to almighty God, by whose good and 'free Spirit' it has been put into the hearts of the people, to offer 'so willingly' for the extension of his kingdom of truth and mercy upon earth. The increased expenditure, arising out of the enlargement of the work in several important quarters, the commencement of new missions, and many incidental expenses of sickness, return of missionaries, &c, has been met, and a pledge has been afforded of the continued and unabated interest of the Churches of Christ in this great department of usefulness. The satisfaction with which all our friends will reflect upon what has been done by their exertions, and the blessed effects produced by them in moral influence at home, and the diffusion of the savour of the knowledge of Christ' abroad, will incite them to perseverance and renewed activity; for neither the state of the fund, nor the magnitude of the society's missions, will allow them to think that the same exertion is no longer necessary. What has been effected hitherto in many important stations is chiefly the work of preparation; encouraging, it is true; fresh, and fraught with promise, as the first ripe sheaf of corn in the fields of Israel, presented as a 'wave offering before the Lord' in the temple, at once an offering of gratitude, homage, and faith; but still to be followed by the wider sweeps of the sickle in the hands of the unwearied and joyful labourer.

"We mentioned in our last the establishment of missionary associations in every village of every circuit throughout the connection, as an object to be steadily kept in view; and instanced some circuits in which this had been carried into full operation. This has led to a determination in some places, where the plan has been but imperfectly acted upon, to attempt to accomplish it fully without delay; and on all such endeavours we doubt not but the special blessing of God, who never forgets what is done for his 'name's sake,' will rest. Other circuits which we did not mention by name, have stated that they, as well as those mentioned by us last month, have largely cultivated their