"word, and were baptized; and the same day there "were added to them about three thousand souls."*

Thus our LORD adds," He, the Spirit of truth, "shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine and "shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father "hath are mine; therefore said I, he shall take of "mine and shall shew it unto you." Hence we learn, that it is one grand part of the office performed by the Holy Spirit, to give us high and honourable apprehensions of CHRIST; to render him glorious in our eyes and precious to our hearts; to endear to us his person, his love, his salvation; to excite in us fervent desires after the blessings which he bestows, and to fill us with admiring adoring love and gratitude to him. Now can it be questioned whether these views and affections are as necessary for us, as for the primitive Christians? And are not men's low thoughts of this glorious Saviour, and their scanty expectations from him, and the disrepute into which warm affections towards him are fallen, evident effects of the neglect, nay, contempt, with which the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is generally treated?

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"I will," saith the LORD by his prophet, " pour upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and supplication, and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced " and mourn." Hence we learn that true repentance, faith in a crucified Saviour, and a heart prepared for fervent prayer, are the effects of the Spirit being poured

Acts ii. † John xvi. 14, 15.

Zech. xii. 10.

out upon any people; and surely it is as necessary that we should mourn over our sins and be humbled for them, and by faith look unto CHRIST, and lift up our hearts in prayer; as it was that the Jews of old should. Indeed the expression "praying by the Spirit," or "praying in the Holy Ghost," is commonly used in the New Testament, however at present, not unfrequently treated with profane ridicule. It certainly does not mean praying extempore, (as some imagine;) for men may learn to pray in this manner, without the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit; and he very often enables those who use a form to lift up their hearts with fervency unto God. In short, whatever words be used, we never pray spiritually, except as the Holy Spirit enables us truly to desire the blessings we implore, and so to exercise faith in the promises of God through JESUS CHRIST, as to expect that our prayers will be answered. And when these desires become fervent, and these expectations very lively, "the Spirit helpeth our infirmities, and we

pray with groanings which cannot be uttered." Our longings and hopes are greater than any words can express; while the language of the formalist vastly exçeeds his real meaning.

"Now the GoD of hope fill you with all peace and 'joy in believing, that ye may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Ghost." And "now abideth; faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is "love." If then these graces are to abide in the

church, when miraculous gifts ceased; surely we need the Holy Spirit to create and preserve them in our hearts, at least as much as the apostles and primitive Christians did. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, "meekness, temperance." His "fruit is in all good66 ness, and righteousness and truth." "The love of "GoD is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spi"rit." "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obey"ing the truth through the Spirit, unto unfeigned "love of the brethren," &c. " If ye through the Spi"rit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."— What are we to understand by this language? Is it all little, or nothing, to us? Is it not necessary, that we should love GoD and one another? Are meeknessand temperance no longer requisite? Or are our natures so much better than those of the primitive Christians, that we are of ourselves inclined and able to perform those things, which they even in an age of miracles could not attain to, except by the Holy Spi rit? Let the character of modern Christians at large, compared with that of the ancient church, supply an answer to these questions.

In a word, “If any man have not the Spirit of CHRIST, he is none of his."* All true believers are" led by the Spirit;" "live in the Spirit;" walk in the Spirit;" and are "an habitation of GoD through the Spirit." "What, know ye not, that are the temple of God; and that the Spirit of GOD

ye

Rom. viii. 9.

dwelleth in you?" Certainly then you are very ig norant of real christianity, and strangers to the distinguishing experience of true Christians.

All genuine consolation likewise is conferred by the Holy Spirit, who is emphatically called "the Com"forter." As a Spirit of adoption, he "witnesses "with our spirits, that we are the children of GOD," not by any immediate revelation, but by forming our hearts to all holy and filial affections towards GoD, and bringing reverence, confidence, love, gratitude, and zeal for his honeur, into lively exercise. And in this view "the love of the Spirit," in not only renewing our depraved nature, but coming to dwell in us as a Comforter, and a Spirit of adoption, and as the Seal, Earnest, and First Fruits of our eternal inheritance, demands our highest admiration and most lively gra. titude. " Thy Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness!"*

Whatever "strength in our souls" we need, in order to "all long-suffering with joyfulness;" to resist temptation, to overcome the world, and to meet death with cheerful hope, is ascribed to the Holy Spirit. Nay, we have ground to think, that the felicity of heaven will not arise independently from external situation, or the state of our minds; but also from the immediate influences of this Holy Comforter. For our LORD, evidently speaking of the Holy Spirit, says, "The water that I shall give him, shall be in "him a well of water, springing up into everlasting "life."

* Psalm cxliii. 10.

With these things in our view, let us return to the promise of the text. "If ye, being evil, know how to

give good gifts unto your children; how much more "shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to "them that ask him?" GoD is far more ready to give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him; than any parent is to give bread to a starving supplicating child! as much more ready, as his goodness transcends that of fallen man! as his riches exceed our poverty! Surely human language is incapable of expressing any thing more forcibly. Parents may be destitute of natural affection; paternal kindness may be wearied out by repeated provocations; and often a father must greatly deny himself, while he supplies the wants of his children: yet so strong are the feelings of a parent, that depraved as men are, few can bear to see their children in distress, without relieving them: "How much then more will your heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit "to them that ask him!" Our LORD illustrates his meaning in this promise, by his address to the woman of Samaria, at that time an immoral character: "If thou "hadst known the gift of GoD, and who it is that said "unto thee, give me to drink; thou wouldst have "asked, and he would have given thee living water." Had she asked he would have given; and when she was further instructed, no doubt she asked and received.His words in another place further explain his meaning; as well as prove, when compared with the text, that "He and the Father are one." "If any man thirst, "let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, Out of his belly VOL. II.

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