superior advantage possessed by those endowed with the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit; especially as the title of saints is commonly applied in Scripture to the early Christians, while by us it is limited to a few of the most eminently pious that are recorded. If one were to even hint at the possibility of any man's becoming, in the present day, as perfect a Christian as one of the Apostles,-of any set of Christians now, attaining an equality with the best of those primitive Christians,-becoming Saints in as high a degree as those who are usually so called,—the very idea would be reprobated by many persons as an almost impious presumption; though in fact there is much more presumption in expecting God's eternal favour, while we are content to remain inferior.

Not that men deliberately assent to the proposition, that the power of working miracles is a better thing than a pure and holy mind; nor that they can be ignorant, if they are but moderately versed in Scripture, of the recorded imperfections of many thus gifted, even in their manner of exercising these very gifts; but the use of the word extraordinary, together with the perceptible and

striking character of these endowments, and our habit of prizing the most highly what is rare, tend to leave a sort of vague impression on the mind, of some pre-eminent sanctity in those who were partakers of them, above what is attainable in the present day. The splendid accompaniment which testified to them the reality of the spiritual influence bestowed, is apt to enhance in our minds the value of the benefit thus attested, above that which is still placed within the Christian's reach. But if we attentively consider the case, we shall be convinced that the Lord has not given to the one class of Christians any advantage over the other, in that which tends to the spiritual welfare of the individual Christian, and leads to the salvation of his soul;-that his promise to be with his Church always, and to dwell spiritually in the hearts of those who love Him and keep his saying, extends equally to all who equally strive to fulfil that, the condition of it;--and that our situation resembles that of the primitive Christians in all that is essential, and differs from it only in circumstances which were temporary and comparatively unimportant.

§ 6. Hitherto, I have been comparing together the case of the early Christians and our own, principally with a view to the intrinsic character of the spiritual gifts themselves, which were promised. I shall proceed (according to the division mentioned, page 268) to offer some remarks on the signs by which the two classes of gifts—the influence of the Spirit in these two modes of operation, the extraordinary, and the ordinary,-are, respectively, to be recognized and ascertained. We shall hence be led to perceive some further points of difference and of resemblance, between the condition of the first Christians and our own; and may thus be more effectually guarded against each of those opposite errors, which are but too prevalent; that of neglecting or depreciating those inestimable gifts, which are placed within our reach; and that of pretending to, or expecting such as are not promised.

When our Lord said to his disciples, "If ye have Faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig-tree, but also, if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, it shall be done,"

it is plain that the Faith, which in this and in several other passages He was inculcating on them, is not to be understood of mere belief in Jesus as the Messiah, or in the doctrines of his religion; or of trust, generally, in divine power and goodness. It evidently has reference to miraculous powers, such as are not bestowed on all Christians; though Faith, in another sense, is required by all. But in this and other declarations of like import, there can be little doubt that our Saviour had in view, confidence in those admonitions and injunctions which his disciples and many others of the early Christians received, authorizing and empowering them to work certain miracles. Their extraordinary gifts were not at their own command. Even St. Paul, who performed so many mighty works, and, among others, possessed the gift of healing in a high degree, yet was not always permitted to exert this gift, even in favour of his dearest friends." A special commission seems to have been requisite to enable them to exercise their delegated powers. And this was conveyed to them,--their permission

n See 2 Tim. iv. 20.

and call to perform miracles, was announced to them,--in various ways. During our Lord's abode on earth in the flesh, He Himself, whose authority they could not doubt, uttered commands to this purpose with his own lips. Besides the general commission given to the Apostles and to the Seventy, we find Him on one occasion giving a precise direction to Peter to cast a hook into the sea, and to take the fish that first came up, in whose mouth he should find the piece of money (a Stater) which the exigency required: in another instance, He, at the request of the same Apostle, commissioned him to come and meet Him on the surface of the water. St. Peter seems to have well understood that his Master's command was at once requisite and sufficient to enable him to tread the waves without sinking. But even after he had begun to experience the efficacy of that command, his faith was shaken by alarm, and he began to sink, and was reproached by his Master for his doubts. The faith in which he was in this instance found deficient, seems to have been precisely that which our Lord on other occasions so earnestly inculcated.

After our Lord's ascension, some other kind of