sured, on the same authority, of his presence with his servants through all ages. Previous to his crucifixion, and in order to prepare them for that event, and for a clear understanding of the nature of the Dispensation which He introduced, He impressed on their minds, in a remarkable manner, this very doctrine which we hold, of the Holy Spirit : its sensible influences on the mind, and its revealing operations: "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever." Here is clearly set forth the permanence of this favour to the true believers. It was not to be a transient thing, afforded for a limited period, but to abide with his disciples for ever. He proceeds "Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." John xiv. 16, 17. And in the 25th and 26th verses of the same chapter, He adds: "These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my Name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." And again, in the next chapter, He says: "As the branch cannot bear fruit except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the Vine; ye are the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered." ver. 4, 6. That the Holy Spirit was received by the primitive believers, according to these promises, will not be called in question by any denomination of Christians. Nor was it conferred in only a few cases, or at a particular period. It fell on Cornelius and his household. It was received by the con enjoyed by the churches throughout Judea, Galatia, and Samaria. Acts ix. 31. Thus also at Antioch, and the region round about, "the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost." Acts xiii. 52. We are not, however, without examples of a contrary nature, which also deserve to be noticed. The eloquent Apollos, in his first visit to Ephesus, was instructed only in John's baptism; and though he was fervent in spirit, yet he did not fully preach the doctrines of the Gospel; so that Aquila and Priscilla found it necessary to instruct him more perfectly. And that the most important defect in his doctrine related to immediate Divine influence, appears from the next chapter; for it is recorded there, that Paul, having passed through the upper coasts, came to Ephesus, (where Apollos had just been preaching, before he was more perfectly instructed,) and found certain disciples ; of whom he inquired, if they had received the Holy Ghost since they believed. But they had not so much as heard whether there was one or not. But during his stay, and religious exercises with them, the Holy Spirit was communicated to them and it was very evident that they were not fully introduced into the Church, until they had received it. Acts xviii. and xix. Though Simon Magus had received the tenets of the Christian religion, and been so far initiated into the society of the primitive believers, as to be baptized in water; yet, not having received the Holy Spirit, it was found that he had neither part nor lot in the matter." Acts viii. 21. : The doctrines of the New Testament confirm these historical evidences, in establishing the influences of the Holy Spirit as a permanent character of the Gospel Dispensation. But lest it might be objected, that, as miracles and the gift of tongues have ceased, the gift of the Holy Spirit has ceased also; a few remarks may be made to obviate such an objection. : The apostle enumerates various operations of the same Spirit "For to one is given, by the Spirit, the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge, by the same Spirit; to another faith, by the same Spirit; to another the gift of healing, by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy ; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues but all these worketh that one and the self same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will." 1 Cor. xii. 8-11. From the whole tenour of this chapter, as well as from the nature of things, it is evident, that individuals might possess some of these gifts without possessing all. For, says the apostle: "Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues?" v. 29, 30. Therefore the absence of any of these gifts, cannot be considered an evidence of the absence of that Spirit from which they ALL proceeded. It should further be observed, that "faith," "the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge," and "teaching," are all ascribed to the same Spirit, that enabled them to work miracles. Is faith now ceased in the Church? Is there no longer a word of wisdom, of knowledge, or of true teaching, to be found among the followers of Jesus Christ? And if these have not ceased, then the Holy Spirit has not ceased to be conferred; for the apostle attributes them to the same Spirit. "The love of God," said the apostle, "is shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost, which is given us." Rom. v. 5. If the love of God was shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, by what means is it to be shed abroad in our hearts ? or are Christians now to be totally destitute of that love? That the indwelling of the Spirit in man, is a permanent doctrine of the Gospel, is further manifested by the following passages: "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded, is life and peace."-" But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead, because of sin; but the Spirit is life, because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead, dwell in you; He that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."-"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." Rom. viii. 6, &c. "Christ in you the hope of glory." 1 Cor. i. 27. "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which is in Him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God: that we might know the things which are freely given to us of God." ib. ii. 12. "Know ye not, that ye are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you." ib. iii. 16. "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." ib. xii. 3. "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned: but he that is spiritual judgeth all things." ib. xiv. 15. In the 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians, chap. iii. ver. 8, he calls the Gospel Dispensation, "the ministration of the Spirit." "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." 2 Cor. iii. 17.—“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ." ib. iv. 6. "For ye are the Temple of the Living God; as God hath said: I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." ib. vi. 16. "Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates ?" ib. xiii. 5. "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit, through faith." Gal. iii. 14. “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” ib. iv. 6. "In whom you are also builded together for an habitation of God, through the Spirit." Eph. ii. 22. "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might, by his Spirit, in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith." ib. iii. 14, &c. "There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." ib. iv. 4, &c. "But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the Light; for whatsoever doth make manifest is Light.”ib. v. 13. "Christ in you the hope of glory." Col. i. 27. "He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit." 1 Thes. iv. 8. "Whereof the Holy Ghost also is witness to us; for after that He had said before, This is the Covenant that I will make with them, after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them." Heb. x. 15, 16. "If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of his Spirit." 1 John iv. 12, 13. "And hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us." ib. iii. 24. "And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, |