lieveth that Jesus is the Son of God, hath the witness in himself. Faith is founded, not upon the belief or testimony of those about us; not because the mind can state the historical and rational grounds of its belief, important as are these in their place, but because it sees the excellence and feels the authority and power of truth; because, with and by the truth, there is the witness of the Spirit. If the mind within whose reach this truth is placed, does not discern its true character, if it has not this evidence, the difficulty lies deeper than its understanding. It is responsible for not believing. Hence the gospel enjoins faith upon all who hear its call. If faith were founded upon the testimony of the church, none could be under obligation to believe, to whom that testimony should not be afforded. If it were founded on historical testimony, it could not be required of those who have not the time and ability to examine and appreciate that evidence. But since it rests upon the divine character of the truth, the obligation to believe is universal. If there is not convincing evidence, evidence which forms a sufficient and ample basis. for an unwavering faith, it is because sin blinds the mind, because the heart is wrong.

IV. Finally, we see that all faith which is not moral and practical, is wanting in the essential characteristic of the faith required in the gospel. If faith is of the heart, it must influ ence the life. There are the fountains of life. As a man believeth, in his heart, so is he. Hence we find so often, in the scriptures, obedience, works, made the condition of salvation; while it is affirmed, with unqualified distinctness, that by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. It is faith only which justifies, which is the condition upon which we become one with Christ, in all the benefits and triumphs of his redemption. Yet faith can never exist alone, no more than the sun can climb the azure vault of the sky, and shine in his meridian splendor, and not pour his light upon all that he beholds. Faith brings Christ into the soul; and this light of the knowledge of the glory of God chases away its darkness, and purifies every fountain of feeling, and makes it fruitful as the garden of the Lord.

ARTICLE III.

BOARDMAN'S HIGHER CHRISTIAN LIFE.'

BY REV. JACOB J. ABBOTT, UXBRIDGE, MASS.

We have, here, a work on Christian experience. Though not yet two years old, it has attained a popularity and influence of no ordinary extent. Of its author we know little, except what we have learned from the book before us.

The SUBJECT treated, if it be Christian experience in general, or the higher stages of it, that growth in grace by which the riper fruits of piety are reached, is one both of unspeakable interest and importance. The Christian world will never be tired of reading of this description. To no human benefactors will they make more grateful acknowledgments than to the Baxters, the Doddridges, the Flavels, the Bunyans, the Edwardses, and the Alexanders. Is the author of "The Higher Christian Life" worthy of a place in the church among those greater lights and benefactors? In other words: is "The Higher Christian Life" worthy to take its place by the side of Doddridge's Rise and Progress, Taylor's Holy Living and Dying, Pike's Cases of Conscience, Edwards on Religious Affections, the Alexanders (father and son) on Religious Experience and Consolation addressed to the Suffering People of God, James's Christian Professor and Christian Progress, and other standard works of that class? So much, and inore, has been claimed for this treatise. Having given it a somewhat careful examination, we will proceed to state, as clearly and as fairly as we can, the results of our investigation.

And we remark, at the outset, that the book is a difficult one to analyze satisfactorily, for reasons that will appear as

1 The Higher Christian Life, by Rev. W. E. Boardman. "That ye may be filled with all the fulness of God." Boston: Henry Hoyt; New York; D. Appleton and Co. 1859. pp. 330. 12mo.

we proceed. The treatise is, professedly, and in the printing, divided into three Parts-"The Higher Christian Life: What it is; How attained; Progress and Power." But these three Parts, with some verbal changes, might be bound up in any other order, and the book would read quite as well. Indeed there would be something gained by putting the third Part first; for, in that only, and nearly at the end of it, do you find the definition that entirely relieves your suspense as to the author's theory the one idea under which his mind is laboring.

In a word, the book has no method at all; no development, no progress, no "lucidus ordo." We are not sure it would suffer (with trifling qualifications) by arranging its eighteen chapters in any order different from the present, even if that were by chance.

But to the treatise. What is the subject treated? What does the writer mean by the "higher life?" and by "second conversion?" as its equivalent, or the stepping-stone to it? Precisely what he does mean, we will not attempt to say; because it is not said intelligibly in the book, and cannot be inferred from the book. On the contrary, it can be inferred, most certainly, from the book, that he had no well-defined idea, in his own mind, on the subject (see p. 57).

One thing, however, is inade clear. By the phrase "higher life," to denote that higher experience which he thinks it the privilege and duty of all Christians to reach, he has no reference whatever to the comparatively matured results of a progressive sanctification. Growth in grace, as that is commonly understood by Christians, is entirely aside from his. theory. Accordingly, "second conversion" is not an epoch in a Christian's experience, at which there is a return, by bitter repentance, from backsliding; or at which, by a more powerful baptism of the Holy Ghost and a clearer faith, there is a sudden rising up to a higher terrace upon the holy mount (p. 48).

Some critic has objected to the phraseology "second conversion," when the number of epochs, more or less marked, in the process of sanctification, is indefinite; and one might

just as well speak of the third, or fourth, or twentieth, or fiftieth. No, not with Mr. Boardman's theory: there can only be the second after the first.

The theory relates to the MEANS of Christian sanctification. And the theory, as to the means, is that by a simple and single act of faith1 we obtain sanctification, just as we, at first, obtained justification. It is the work of an instant, so far as the use of means for that end is concerned, precisely as justification is. We first receive Christ, by faith, for justification. That is our first conversion. The thing secured by it-justification is complete, eternal: there is no more condemnation. But this is only a half salvation. By and by we begin to feel our need of holiness. And there are two ways pursued, he says, to obtain this. Most, in their blindness, seek it painfully, and slowly, and very unsuccessfully, by works, by strivings. Here and there one learns the true way, and takes Christ, at once and forever, for sanctification. This is the second conversion. Here is his own explanation: "practically always perhaps, and theologically often, we separate between the two, in our views and efforts, to secure them to ourselves, until we are experimentally taught better. We have one process for acceptance with God, that is faith; and another for progress in holiness, that is works. After having found acceptance in Jesus by faith, we think to go on to perfection by strugglings and resolves, by fastings and prayers, not knowing the better way of taking Christ for our sanctification, just as we have already taken him for our justification." Again: "There is a second experience, distinct from the first-sometimes years after the first and as distinctly marked, both as to time and circumstances and character, as the first a second conversion, as it is often called." Again: "Surely salvation is no more free, in the first draught of the waters of life, than in the second and deeper. Christ is no more freely offered in the faith of his atonement, than in the assurance of his personal presence and sanctifying power. . . If we are content to

1 A peculiar kind of faith, to which we shall by and by call attention.

take him as a half-way Saviour- a deliverer from condemnation, merely; but refuse to look to him as a present Saviour from sin, it is our own fault. He is a free Saviour. And, to all who trust him, he gives free salvation. To all and to each" (pp. 52, 47, 76).

"But," it will be asked, "does he not, after all, hold the common view on this subject? Christians all believe that sanctification is the work of faith: that the victory which overcomes the world is our faith. They all hold that the renewal and purification of our sinful nature is, from first to last, the work of God; and that faith connects us with the source of life and power in God; that the life which we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God. So that it may be as truly affirmed of sanctification, as of justification, that it is all of faith-by grace and glorying is excluded. Does not Mr. Boardman, in these quotations, hold up, in substance, the same view? And if so, what serious objections can be offered to his teachings on the subject ?"

So we hoped when we had read no further, though his forms of expression, on almost every page, were peculiar and suspicious; and though the air and tone told us all along, unmistakably, that the author was almost beside himself under the inspiration of a new and extraordinary discovery, which he was endeavoring to make known. We hoped he was only combating the self-righteousness, of which there is, everywhere, in the church, so much, and which is such a foe to grace.

At this point we will state what, to our surprise and grief, we finally found to be the real theory of the book. It is this: that sanctification is by faith alone, without the INSTRUMENTALITY of God's truth. This is the one idea of the work; the rare discovery that is to be so fruitful of good to the church in these latter days. There is nowhere in the volume a recognition of the fact that the truth, as revealed in the holy scriptures, is the means of sanctification. He wholly ignores the Bible on this subject. More than this: he puts faith in opposition to the use of means. "As the sum of all, let it be settled as a truth never to be doubted, that for