keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them." Of this precious truth we have clear and fresh confirmations in every age. It seldom happens that great and good men, who have been extensively acknowledged as instruments of good to their generation, do not continue to bless the world in some, at least, of their posterity who have inherited their spirit. Out of many examples furnished by the religious history of Scotland, we may notice the subject of the memoir before us, and his family. The name of Brown is familiar to every student of the Bible in the land. John Brown is an appellation associated with the soundest views, the plainest expositions, and the most faithful enforcements of religious truth. How pleasing, then, to find that the spirit of Elijah has fallen upon Elisha, and that the father has been succeeded by a son every way worthy of him! Nor a son only; his family, in numerous branches, has spread itself through the land, and not a few of the most faithful of Scotland's ministers in the present day, if we are correctly informed, have sprung from this stock. This is only a fulfilment of God's promises, and it is a great encouragement to train our children for God. The author of the Letters on Sanctification does not, indeed, rise to the eminence of the author of the Commentary and the History of the Bible. John Brown, of Haddington, considering the disadvantages under which he laboured in his early days, was one of the greatest men of Scotland. And his son, though not his equal in talents or attainments, is nevertheless an example of a truly enlightened, able, faithful, and devoted minister of Christ. He was a modest man, who made little pretensions; yet was he one of the most indefatigable men in seeking out and embracing opportunities of doing good. His own life is fully delineated in a little work which he published under the title, "Means of Doing Good." The Letters before us are a comprehensive and clear statement of a most important subject. They are designed as a sequel to Hervey's Theron and Aspasio, and as a substitute for a volume which it is generally known that excellent author intended to publish, "On the Influence of his Peculiar Views of Gospel Doctrine on Sanctification." Mr. Brown's Letters are no mean supply of the desideratum. The doctrine is sound, the style simple, and the manner concise. We regret we have not room for extracts; but we cannot withhold the following, intended to set forth the distinction between justification and sanctification:

"Many of the most dangerous mistakes respecting sanctification, have originated in ignorance, or inattention to its difference from, and its connection with, justification. An accurate knowledge of these is necessary to prevent us from turning the grace of God into licentiousness on the ore hand, and on the other from substituting our own qualities and works in the place of the Redeemer's righteousness. The want of this has, it is to be feared, made many stumble and fall to their own destruction, and an imperfect degree of it has in many cases prevented the Christian's progress both in holiness and comfort, and subjected him to the spirit of bondage and fear. These two cardinal blessings of the Christian salvation differ in a variety of respects. They differ in their matter;-the matter of justification is the righteousness of Christ imputed; that of sanctification is the fulness of Christ communicated, John i. 16. They differ as to the nature of the change which they effect; justification makes a relative, sanctification a real, change; the first change is a man's state-the second his heart and life. They differ in the manner of their conveyance.

Justification is made ours by the imputation of Christ's righteousness, sanctification by the implantation of Christ's grace. They differ in their properties. Justification is at first complete and perfect-sanctification, imperfect in its beginnings, gradually increases till it be perfected in glory. The righteousness of justification is strictly meritorious, being the righteousness of God-by which the law is not only fulfilled but magnified; but the righteousness of sanctification is not meritorious, being only the imperfect, righteousness of a sinful creature. Justification is equally possessed by all believers, but all saints are not equally sanctified. They differ in their subjects. Christ himself, and not the believer, is the subject of our justifying righteousness; it is inherently in him who wrought it out perfectly for us, but the believer himself is the subject of the righteousness of sanctification. The justifying righteousness is on the believer as a robe. The sanctifying righteousness is in him as a nature. They differ as to their order. They are indeed conferred in the same moment of time; but, in the order of nature, justification precedes sanctification, as the cause precedes the effect-as fire precedes light and heat. They differ in their ingredients. The main ingredient in justification is the grace and love of God to us manifested in pardoning and accepting us through Christ; the chief ingredient in sanctification is our gratitude and love to God, flowing from his love to us, and appearing in our obedience to his holy law. They differ as to their evidence and discernibleJustification is a most secret act of the divine mind; sanctification is a visible change, proving at once itself and justification. They differ in their relation to the law of God. Justification has a reference to the law as a covenant, and frees the soul from its power; Rom. vii. 4. Sanctification respects the law as a rule, and makes the soul earnestly to desire conformity to it, and to delight in it after the inward man; Rom. vii. 22. The one is a judicial sentence, absolving us from all liableness to punishment; the other is a spiritual change, fitting us for the discharge of our duty. They differ in their relation to the offices of our Redeemer. Justification is immediately founded on the sacrificial part of his priesthood; sanctification results from his prophetical instructions, and his kingly powers of conquest, government, and defence. In fine, they differ in their usefulness to us. Justification frees us from obnoxiousness of the punishments of hell, and entitles us to the joys of heaven. Sanctification frees us from the slavery and pollution of sin, and prepares us forthe celestial enjoyments."

ness.

The life of Mr. Brown, prefixed to the Letters, is, upon the whole, interesting and instructive. It is well arranged and simply narrated. And it is well worth the perusal of every minister of Christ who desires to have his mind directed and excited in doing good.

ANECDOTES illustrative of a SELECT PASSAGE in EACH CHAPTER of the OLD TESTAMENT. By J. WHITE CROSS. W. OLIPHANT and SON, Edinburgh. P. p. 452. 1834.

MR. WHITECROss is already favourably known to the public as the author of "Anecdotes illustrative of the Shorter Catechism." But in our judgment, interesting and excellent as the former volume confessedly is,

the present is to be preferred. The anecdotes are generally of a more serious character, and this, we consider, is their advantage. To illustrate a serious and scriptural truth by an amusing story, is what we cannot sanction by our approbation. Nor do we think it can be pleasing to the pure and holy Spirit of God, so as to be acknowledged by him. We do not mean, by this observation, to find fault with Mr. Whitecross' volumes, as though he had fallen into the evil which we condemn. Considering their character, we think he has been specially preserved from it, and, in particular, in his last volume. We almost regret that he has styled his book, "Anecdotes," inasmuch as the term is somehow supposed to mean only an amusing story. It would have been as well had he entitled it"Historical Illustrations," for this is in reality what it is. The doctrines of the Scriptures are explained by the relation of appropriate cases which have occurred in real life. Truth is exhibited to us in a living form. Sentiments are set forth, breathing in actions. The work is therefore at once an illustration and confirmation of the Sacred Volume; and it is, at the same time, composed in such a style as is calculated to arrest and fix the attention. Sunday-school teachers will find it to be particularly adapted and helpful to them.

REMAINS of JAMES S. CARMICHAEL, Late Teacher in Circus-place School, Edinburgh; with a Memoir of his Life. By the Rev. DAVID KING, Glasgow. W. OLIPHANT & SON, Edinburgh. P. p. 215. 1834.

Tais little volume consists of three parts-a memoir of Mr. Carmichael by a friend, some original pieces of his own composition, and a brief notice of the last sickness and death of a sister, like-minded with himself, in an extract from a sermon by the Rev. J. Carlile of Dublin. The memoir is sensibly, accurately, and judiciously written. Besides being an instructive sketch of the life of an interesting young man, it is a piece of good composition, very creditable to the writer. The essays by Mr. Carmichael discover talents and attainments of no ordinary rate. They contain the most important truths in both literature and religion, accommodated to the capacity of young persons. They are distinguished by two features the subordination of literature to religion, and the presentation of both to the mind in such a style as to render them plain and interesting. Had it pleased God to spare Mr. Carmichael, he was well fitted to have effected much improvement in the art of teaching, particularly in so directing it as to make it tributary to the only legitimate object of all education-training the mind for the faithful and successful discharge of the duties of this life, with reference to the favour and enjoyment of God in the next. The notice of Mr. Carmichael's sister is touching and edifying. They were lovely in their lives, and in their death they were not long divided. They are entitled to the monument which a friend has raised, in this little volume, to perpetuate their name; and by it, though dead, we trust they shall speak profitably to the present and future generations.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

ORDINATION.-On the 3d inst., the Rev. S. M'Cutcheon was ordained to the pastoral charge of the congregation of Longford. The services were conducted by the Rev. P. White, Rev. Mr. King, and Rev. Joseph Denham.

ORTHODOX PRESBYTERIAN.

No. LVIII.

JULY, 1834.

VOL. V.

THE GENERAL SYNOD OF ULSTER.

We have been accustomed in past years to give some short detail of the proceedings of the Synod of Ulster at its annual convention. Accordingly we propose to devote a few pages to a review of some of the principal measures adopted at its late meeting. It is impossible, within moderate limits, to advert at satisfactory length to all the subjects discussed on this interesting occasion. Our purpose will be obtained by referring to those of prominent importance.

One of the first acts of the Synod was to establish the new arrangement of Presbyteries which has been so long contemplated. The two hundred and thirty congregations, now under the care of the Synod, have been divided into twentyfour Presbyteries. This measure had become absolutely necessary, inasmuch as some of the Presbyteries were spread over so wide a district as to be totally incapable of any concentrated vigorous exertion. We trust that, in consequence of this new arrangement, our presbyterial meetings will henceforward be more numerously attended; that excuses for absence by persons in health will be rarely made, and still more rarely sustained; that the business will not be hurried over with such unbecoming haste as has been too frequently deemed necessary hitherto, in order to permit members conveniently to return to their homes; that ministers and elders will come together with the anxiety and expectation of inen who have important work to do, and who are determined to do it; and that such energy of mind will be exhibited, and such plans of operation devised and followed up, as will convince our people that a meeting of Presbytery is a highly important and interesting event. We need not now refer more particularly to the mode in which this essential element of strength in our church-the meeting of Presbytery-has been sadly neglected, or perverted from its purpose; we shall rather thank God that we are on the eve of better times, and take courage.

In connexion with this subject, we may state what more properly belongs to a subsequent part of our detail,- that the Synod has adopted a resolution which, under the divine blessing, will give a new aspect to our meetings of Presbytery. The resolution to which we refer amounts to this,' that every Presbytery is by its constitution, and shall hereafter be expected to act as a missionary society; and that every Session is a sub-committee of this society, for the support and advancement of the missionary cause in its own congregation.' If this resolution be carried out into operation (and that it will soon be practically recognised by all our Presbyteries, we entertain not a doubt), it will circulate life and vigour indescribable throughout the whole church. Hitherto our people have taken little interest in missionary effort; they have had some vague and indefinite ideas, indeed, of the necessity and importance of missions; but they never have been roused to a sense of the magnitude of this great cause; they have not felt its claims upon individual exertion, nor do they understand how exertion is to be employed. Of our Home Missionary Society they have heard, no doubt; but then they do not clearly comprehend its nature or its object, nor have they ever identified themselves with its operations. They view it as a thing afar off, with which they have no immediate nor necessary connexion, as the meagreness of their contributions to its support most abundantly declares. But so soon as the resolution above-mentioned begins to come into operation, another spirit will be evinced. If every Presbytery would become a missionary society, and every Session a sub-committee of the same character; if our elders should be taught to account it as one of the essential duties of their office to explain to the people residing in their several districts the nature of the missionary operations conducted or contemplated by the Synodto communicate intelligence-to enforce the duty of co-operation to answer objections-and by all possible means to recommend the cause wherever and whenever they have influence: if each Session were to present its quarterly, half-yearly, or yearly report of its exertions to the Presbytery; if the Presbytery again devoted time and attention to the reading of these reports--to the discussion of them-to the suggestion of new plans for the promotion and extension of the missionary spirit throughout the several congregations under its care; if the meetings of Presbytery were duly and emphatically announced from the neighbouring pulpits, and the people specially invited to attend for the purpose of hearing these reports