tion as we never preach, and scarce dare to preach,
those things now. They who preach true holiness best are just thereby
the more compelled to preach its partial, tentative, elementary, and
superficial character in this life. And the hearer who knows in the word
of God and in his own heart what indeed true holiness is, will insist on
having its complementary truths frequently preached to him to keep him
from despair; or else he will turn continually to those great divines
who, though dead, yet preach such things in their noble books. And that
those books are not still read and preached among us, and that the need
for them and their doctrines is so little felt, is only another
illustration of the true proverb that where no oxen are the crib is
clean.

James Beattie was in very good company when he said that he must have
more assurance, both of his gifts and his graces, before he could enter
on his ministry. For Moses, and Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and many another
minister who could be named, have all felt and said the same thing. Now
that he is near the door of the pulpit, Beattie feels that he cannot
enter it till he has more certainty that it is all right with himself.
But our young ministers will attain to assurance not so much by
consulting Rutherford, skilled casuist in such matters as he is, as by
themselves going forward in a holy life and a holy ministry. 'It is not
God's design,' says Jonathan Edwards, 'that men should obtain assurance
in any other way than by mortifying corruption, increasing in grace, and
obtaining the lively exercises of it. Assurance is not to be obtained so
much by self-examination as by action. Paul obtained assurance of
winning the prize more by running than by reflecting. The swiftness of
his pace did more toward his assurance of the goal than the strictness of
his self-examination.' 'I wish you a share of my feast,' replies
Rutherford. 'But, for you, hang on our Lord, and He will fill you with a
sense of His love, as He has so often filled me. Your feast is not far
off. Hunger on; for there is food already in your hunger for Christ.
Never go away from Him, but continue to fash Him; and if He delays, yet
come not away, albeit you should fall aswoon at His feet.' Pray, says
Rutherford, and you will not long lack assurance. Work, says Edwards,
and assurance of God's love will be an immediate earnest of your full
wages.

XXI. JOHN MEINE, JUNR., STUDENT OF DIVINITY