he was so highly esteemed as to be recommended to the Professorship of Divinity in that University. On his election to this important station, he was induced by the persuasion of Archbishop Leighton, though contrary to both his own wish and that of his parishioners at Saltoun, to remove to Glasgow, where he arrived in the year 1669, ' and continued,' says his biographer, four years and a half, to the no small exercise of his patience. The Presbyterian zealots hated him, as apprehending that his schemes of moderation would in the end prove the sure way of establishing episcopacy amongst them; the episcopal party, on the other hand, could never endure a man who was for exempting the dissenters from their prosecutions."

As during the whole of his continuance at Saltoun he had most industriously discharged the duties of a parochial minister, so on his removal to Glasgow he became equally conspicuous for his zeal and diligence as a Professor. On Mondays he made each of the students in his turn explain a Head of Divinity in Latin, and propound such Theses from it as he was to defend against the rest of the scholars; and this exercise concluded with a decision of the point in debate by the Professor in a Latin speech. On Tuesdays he addressed the students in the same language in set discourses, embracing in a given period the whole system of Divinity. On Wednesdays he entered critically for above an hour on St. Matthew's Gospel. On Thursdays he either expounded a Hebrew Psalm, comparing it with the different versions, or considered some portion of the Ritual and Constitution of the Primitive Church. On Fridays he made each of the students deliver a short sermon, on which he made such remarks as circumstances required, and then closed the week with suitable enquiry, advice, and scriptural exhortations, and prayer.

To this system he adhered, notwithstanding its excessive labour, during the whole period of his continuance at Glasgow.

During the vacation Dr. Burnet spent a considerable part of his time at Hamilton, and at the request of the Duchess undertook to compile the memoirs of the Dukes of Hamilton. While engaged in this work he visited London, in order to confer with the Earl of Lauderdale, on some points connected with these memoirs, and succeeded in effecting a reconciliation between that nobleman and the Duke of Hamilton. At this period four bishoprics in Scotland were vacant, and Dr. Burnet was offered his choice of them, but he declined accepting a station, for which he thought his years unfit, and in which he foresaw considerable difficulties with little prospect of usefulness.

On his return to Glasgow Dr. Burnet married the Lady Margaret Kennedy, a daughter of the Earl of Cassilis, and not long after published his Vindication of the Authority, Constitution, and Laws of the Church and State of Scotland; in which he strenuously maintained the cause of episcopacy and the illegality of resistance merely on account of religion: a publication so highly esteemed that he was again strongly urged to accept of a bishopric, with the promise of the first archbishopric which should become vacant. These advantageous offers however he declined, and continued diligently engaged in the laborious duties of his Professorship.

The circumstances indeed of Scotland were such at this period, as to render Dr. Burnet desirous of declining any connexion with public affairs; but he was soon actively engaged in them, though very contrary to his own inclination. He had now completed his memoirs of the Dukes of Hamilton, and on visiting London to obtain a license

I

THOSE Who would proclaim the glad tidings of the gospel to perishing sinners, should determine with St. Paul, "to know nothing amongst them," to preach nothing to them save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." In this, much is comprehended, and it seems that the first step in thus addressing blind sinners, asleep and dead in trespasses and sins, should be to endeavour to convince them of their awful and dangerous state : else what will Christ be to them, or what will the account of his love and sufferings be but as a lovely touching song of one that has a pleasant voice; the song dies away on the ear, even so will the most glowing description of the love of Jesus fade away from the hearts of those who know nothing, who feel nothing of the wretchedness of that state from which the Saviour came to deliver them. The depravity of man is a subject which pervades the scrip

ture.

Jehovah made man upright. He pronounced him very good, but man has sought out many inventions. Eccles. vii. 29. The Creator gave him but one command, and he endued him with power to keep that command; but pride and unbelief prompted our first parents to listen to the tempter, and to eat of the forbidden tree. Thus by one man sin entered into the world, and with sin its fatal consequence, death" so death passed upon men, for that all have sinned." Rom. v. 12. How soon death followed the fall, and that death was in an especial manner the work of sin! The evil passions which entered the heart of Cain lifted his murderous hand against his brother. Satan, the author of sin, had gained an advantage over man, and he kept his ground for we read

all

that the children of men went on from bad to worse, till the Lord looked down from heaven, and saw that their wickedness was great in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. All flesh had corrupted his way on the earth, so that it repented the Lord that he had made man, and a flood of great waters swept away in his wrath that rebellious generation, save only Noah, and they that were with him in the ark. Gen. vi. But

did sin stop here? Yet a few years and the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah became so abominable, that the cry thereof went up before the Lord, and he rained fire and brimstone from heaven and de

stroyed them. And in following the people of God, the chosen seed of Israel, through their wanderings in the desert, how often do we read of their murmuring, of their unbelief, nay even of their idolatry, whereby they provoked the Lord to swear in his wrath, that they should not enter into the land of Canaan. The testimony of each of the sacred writers might be brought to support the text. In the 14th verse of the xvth chapter of Job, original sin is thus strongly spoken of: "What is man that he should be clean, and he that is born of a woman that he should be righteous?" In the following verses the holiness of God and his abhorrence of sin is expressed in a very striking manner: "Behold he putteth no trust in his saints, yea the heavens are not clean in his sight; how much more abominable and filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like water." David says in the xivth Psalm: "There is none that doeth good, no, not one; and Isaiah in his lxivth chapter and 6th verse declares, We are all

as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses as filthy rags." And He who knoweth well the heart of man, declares, that out of it proceed evil thoughts, murders, and a black catalogue of sins; Matt. xv. 19. St. Paul says, "AH have sinned," and if you search the scriptures, you will find abundance of texts bearing the same testimony. Nay, if you carefully observe the workings of your own minds, you will soon discover in yourselves many painful proofs of this innate depravity. Here we make no distinction, we speak not of those who may be naturally of more amiable dispositions than others, nor of those whose hearts have been renewed by the Spirit of God, who have been born again from above; but scripture warrants the declaration, that the heart of man is indeed deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. It is a strong proof of this deceitfulness that we do not at once confess our guilt, that while we can see the mote in our brother's eye, and discern in him faults which will not permit us to call him good hearted, we can maintain of ourselves that we are well-meaning, barmless, kind-hearted people, and that the small errors into which we occasionally fall, are abundantly counterbalanced by our good qualities and actions. What mad selfdeception is this! In the heart of each one is that evil tendency, which led Cain to murder, Achan to steal, David to commit adultery, Judas to betray his master; yea, there is no enormity into which our natural corruption might not lead us. Nothing can enter heaven which is impure, " without holiness no man shall see the Lord." Then if our hearts be unclean, we cannot enter heaven by any thing in ourselves; some great change must be wrought in us ere we can become meet for the inheritance of the saints in light. Oh, sinner, you will have a fear

ful awakening in eternity if you leave the world trusting in the mercy of God which you never sought, or to your own worthiness in any degree. You may be blind to your spiritual state on earth, you may disbelieve the word of God respecting it here, but you cannot deceive yourself hereafter. Oh! that you might now pray that the Lord would show you your real character, for He only knoweth the hearts of the children of men. Pray with David, "Search me, O God, and know my heart." The Spirit teacheth all things, and he is promised to all who ask, to abide with them for ever. As a beam of light, he will show you the hid den evils of your heart, that corrupt spring whence flow all your evil tempers and thoughts, all your reluctance to serve God, all that pride which keeps you from ac knowledging your vileness. Such a view of your own heart will lead you to deep humility, and selfabasement, deep sorrow for your rebellion and ingratitude towards Him who made you, preserved, and gave his Son for you, and an earnest concern for the safety of your im→ mortal soul. If such be your feelings, bless God for them, they are the work of his Spirit, the first fruits of that godly sorrow which worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of. They are the first feeble steps of the infant Christian heavenward. Oh! beware of drawing back ; there is much yet to be done in you. You are not far from the kingdom of God. Oh beware lest by any means you come short of it. You feel that there is no soundness in you from the sole of the foot even to the head; that the whole head is sick, the whole heart faint. You want an ointment to heal your wound, a balm to sooth your pain, a medicine to cure your sickness. Seek not these in yourself. Seek not to recover your cheerfulness in scenes of mirth. Such remedies

will only add to your disease, and lead you further from happiness.

As the Israelites were directed to look to the serpent of brass; so must you 'Look unto Jesus-Jesus crucified for sin.' Pray for faith to see him as the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world; and if the sin of the world, then assuredly he will take away yours. His work is of love and grace from first to last. It was love which prompted the Father to give his only Son, that whoso, ever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. It was love which induced the Son to lay down his life, the just for the unjust; and it is grace alone which calls the sinner from his natural state of unbelief and sin, and enables him to obey the gospel.

By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." Eph. ii. 8. God requires repentance and faith from those who are saved, in order that they may receive the pardon and salvation which Christ purchased; but He will give his Holy Spirit to all who ask it; and that Spirit cleanses, sanctifies, and changes the heart, and renders the believer a vessel meet for the Master's service. In Christ Jesus are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge: Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall spring forth speedily," and the fruits of this work of the Spirit will be love, joy, peace, and all the Christian graces, which should adorn your profession: in short all those fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of God.

Lord. You do not serve a hard Master, nor shall your labour be in vain in the Lord. Inasmuch as ye fed, clothed, and shewed kindness unto the one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me.' Not that such services have the smallest share in your salvation. Eternal life is not a reward-it is the gift of God, through Jesus Christ. But God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, even though your means and opportunities of doing good may be small. Poverty, sickness, and sorrow may be your portion. Then glorify God in your spirit, which is his, by patience, by long-suffering, by gentleness. May you be enabled to say at the close of your earthly pilgrimage, "I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do:" and when you join the multitude which no man can number who surround the throne, how will you praise Him who taught you the evil of your own deceitful and desperately wicked heart, who washed that heart from sin in His own blood, and who has brought you safely through the snares, troubles, and sorrows of this evil world, and conducted you with singing unto Zion, where all tears shall be wiped from your eyes, and where you shall be for ever with the Lord.

Remember that though eternal life is the gift of God to his believ ing people, those who reject the gospel, who think they need no physician, and wilfully shut their eyes, lest the light of truth should shine into their hearts, are serving a different master and the wages of the master they serve is Death. Oh may the Holy Spirit enlighten their eyes to see the fearful precipice on which they stand; and may a ray of divine light constrain them, ere it be too late, to cry to Him whose ear is always open, and whose hand is always stretched out to help.

L. E. A.