Apollos. On the other hand, if those Christians who are yet carnal had any proper idea of these different dispensations; if they could but believe, that the same Jesus, who was once outwardly manifested among the Jews, still continues to manifest himself in the Spirit, through every part of the world, to those who are anxiously pressing into the kingdom of God; if they could admit, but in theory, this eminent dispensation of grace, they would no longer argue against those, as enthusiasts, who speak of the influence of the Spirit in scriptural terms.

So long as this glorious light shall continue in obscurity, so long we may expect to observe among Christians the most unfriendly disputes; and though they never again

kindle blazing piles for their mutual destruction, yet bitter words interchanged among them, like so many envenomed shafts, will continue sternly to declare that war is in their hearts. Those who imagine themselves in possession of the purest Christian faith will treat others who indulge different sentiments as infidels and heretics; while these, in return, will stigmatize their uncharitable brethren with the opprobrious epithets of enthusiast and fanatic. But when every minister of the gospel, enlightened with truth and glowing with charity, shall faithfully conduct the flock of Christ from grace to grace, and from strength to strength; then the foremost of that flock shall manifest their religious superiority, by giving proofs of the most unfeigned affection toward the meanest and most infirm of their spiritual companions. Copying the humble courtesy of St. Paul, these unpresuming elders will cry out, among their younger brethren, "Let us, as many as be like-minded, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, press" earnestly "toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded," that perfect charity which hopeth all things, engages us to believe that "God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same things." Phil. iii. 13-16.

It may not be amiss to conclude these remarks upon the three grand dispensations of grace by observing how imperfect worshippers deceive themselves while they refuse to proceed from faith to faith. It is the opinion of many sincere deists, who are zealous for the dispensation of the Father, that were they to embrace the dispensation of the Son, they must necessarily detract from the honour due to the incomprehensible God. This prejudice, however, evidently flows from the want of spiritual discernment, since the holy scriptures instruct us, that when "at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that he is Lord of heaven and earth," such religious adoration shall be considered as ultimately heightening "the glory of God the Father." Philip. ii. 10, 11. If the Father leads us to the Son by the drawings of his grace, as we are taught by the following passages:- "No man can come unto me, except the Father draw him :" John vi. 44: "Simon Peter said, Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God: Jesus answered him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven:" Matthew xvi. 16, 17:-it is equally certain, that when we come to Christ, he teaches us both to know and worship the Father. Observe the language of our Lord, with respect to this point: "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me." John xiv. 6. "Father, glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee. This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Righteous Father, the world hath not known thee; but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me," to make an open display of thy glory upon earth. "I have declared unto them thy name, and I will declare it" yet more perfectly. John xvii. From these passages it evidently appears, that the faith of the Son can never possibly take away from that profound veneration which is due to the Father. And what is here observed relative to the faith of the Son is no less true with regard to the faith of the Holy Spirit. For if, under the dispensation of Jesus, we learn to address " our Father who VOL. VII.

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is in heaven," with a degree of humble confidence, it is only under the dispensation of the Spirit that we are enabled to make those addresses with all that filial reverence and that lively fervour which the gospel requires. This "Spirit of adoption, by witnessing with our spirit, that we are the children of God," Rom. viii. 15, 16, assists us to bow before our celestial Parent with that ineffable veneration and love which are due to the supreme Being. If philosophers would duly reflect upon these important truths, they would no longer tremble under the vain apprehension of becoming idolaters and tritheists by admitting the doctrines of the gospel. On the contrary, we might indulge a hope, that these proud reasoners would one day be seen, in company with humble believers, approaching the God of their fathers through the intercession of the Son, and with the energy of the Holy Spirit crying out, with St. Paul, "There is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus," 1 Timothy ii. 5, "and through him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father." Eph. ii. 18.

There is another class of worshippers, who are zealous for the dispensation of the Son, and who, wholly taken up with the "Word manifested in the flesh," imagine that his dispensation is rendered contemptible, if it be represented merely as the commencement of Christianity, while the perfection of the gospel is declared to consist in the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. To the consideration of such we would propose the following expression of St. Paul:"Henceforth know we no man after the flesh : yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet henceforth know we him no more" after this manner. 2 Cor. v. 16. And though our Lord is acknowledged to have spoken on this wise, "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day: for my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed;" yet it must likewise be confessed, that he immediately added, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing." John vi. 54, 55, 63.

The following observations, it is hoped, will entirely

dissipate the fears of these pious persons. "When the Spirit of truth is come," saith our Lord, "he will guide you into all truth," and especially into those truths which respect faith toward me, and repentance toward my Father. "He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show unto you" the merits of my righteousness, the efficacy of my death, and the power of my gospel. John xvi. 13, 14. "The Father shall give you another Comforter, whom ye" already "know" in part; "for he dwelleth with you," even now, in my bodily presence; but hereafter "he shall be in you," when I shall have baptized you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come unto you. The world seeth me no more; but ye" shall see me" in the effects of my indwelling power; and "because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I," by my Spirit, "in you." John xiv. 16—20. This spiritual abode of Christ in the souls of his people is the most glorious mystery of the gospel: and "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ," Rom, viii. 9, he is at best but a disciple either of Moses, or of John the baptist; he is not in a spiritual, but in a carnal, state.

in me." Gal. "The mystery

"I live: yet not I, but Christ liveth ii. 20. "Christ is our life." Col. iii. 4. which hath been hid from ages is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Col. i. 26, 27. "My little children, of whom I travail in birth until Christ be formed in you." Galatians iv. 19. These, with a thousand other scriptural expressions, must be utterly incomprehensible to those who, resting contented with a literal knowledge of the incarnate Word, admit not the internal manifestation of Christ, by his Spirit of revelation, wisdom, and power. "The deep things of God" are "revealed unto us by his Spirit;" 1 Cor. ii. 10; and without this Spirit we must continue strangers to the most exalted truths of the gospel, and be cut off from the purest springs of religious consolation. "This is he," saith St. John, "that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ: not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, be

cause the Spirit is truth.” 1 John v. 6. As though the apostle should say, Christ indeed, in the first part of his ministry, proclaimed that repentance toward God which his own disciples, as well as John the baptist, were accustomed to seal with a baptism of water. And to this sacred ceremony he himself condescendingly submitted. But after this he proceeded further, when, as a visible Saviour, he sealed his own dispensation of grace with a baptism of blood upon the cross. Moreover, it is the Spirit that gives testimony to the unsearchable truths of the gospel by his still more excellent baptism, deepening our repentance toward God, and adding a "full assurance to our faith in Jesus Christ. Heb. x. 22. Let no one, then, suspect that the manifestation of the Spirit must necessarily obscure the glory of the Son; especially since it is expressly declared, that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." 1 Cor. xii. 3.

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Before we close this section, we have to lament that this important part of the gospel is so rarely published among professing Christians. The greater part of the clergy are to be ranked with the most violent opposers of spiritual religion. They insult its followers, they condemn its advocates unheard, and presumptuously "speak evil of those things which they know not." Jude 10. As there was a time in which the Jewish church overlooked the most important promise under the dispensation of the Father; so it was intimated, that a time would come, in which the Christian church, sunk into a state of listlessness and incredulity, should neglect the grand promise under the dispensation of the Son. "When the Son of man cometh," saith our Lord, "shall he find faith on the earth?" Luke xviii. 8. He will find little indeed, if we may either rely upon our own observations, or give credit to the most solemn assertions of a predicting apostle. 2 Tim. iii. 1—5.

All our ecclesiastics, however, are not of this description. Among the thousands of this sacred order, we find many who are possessed of godly fear, scriptural faith, and Christian charity. These pious evangelists are anxious