Subjects of this Work. xxv 



generation there is a similar but even stronger 

 tendency, for the thought of conversion to attract 

 such exclusive attention -as to obscure that of the 

 Father who sends the Holy Spirit to convert the 

 soul, and of the Lord Jesus Christ in whose name 

 the Holy Spirit is sent. 1 



The earlier chapters of the present work are 

 occupied with an examination of Drummond's doc- 

 trine of conversion. After these, I have endeavoured 

 to show, what Drummond has not seen, that the 

 Darwinian law of progress by natural selection among 

 spontaneous variations, is a case of "natural law" 

 which is also true of the "spiritual world." This 

 raises the question of the fate of those who are 

 rejected in God's selective judgment; and I have 

 given my reasons for believing that the teaching of 

 Nature does not oppose the hope of the ultimate 

 salvation of all ; while that of Eevelation, when 

 rightly understood, favours it. 



The subject of Judgment and Responsibility leads 

 on to that of Freedom ; and I have devoted two 

 chapters to the inquiries, what the books of Revela- 

 tion and of Nature, respectively, have to tell us on 

 this question ; with the result, that they both leave 

 it open and undecided, to be answered by us accord- 

 ing to the light of reason and conscience. It may 

 appear to some readers that, in these two chapters, 

 I have changed my position in an inconsistent way 



1 John xiv. 26. 



