cacy as to bring down blessing and salvation to every sincere dependent upon him for righteousness, is a mystery offensive to the haughty spirit of man in its natural state.Still, if left to ourselves, though the Bible is in our hands, though we profess a sacred regard to its dictates, we shall go about to establish our own righteousness; we shall stand upon our own personal worth before God, as the foundation of our eternal hopes. Under the accusations of conscience, we shall have recourse to our own frailty and the strength of temptation, as our advocates;-to our repentance and amendment, as our propitiation. For so inveterately, through the corruption of our natures, are we prepossessed in favour of our own virtues, and even of our feeblest attempts to be virtuous, that we can be as confident as if we were as holy as the law of God requires us to be.

It is the work of the Holy Ghost to reprove the world for this self-exalting lie; for this hateful over-rating our poor tainted performances, our much-blemished obedience. The eternal Spirit only can overthrow such vain confidence, and can establish a persuasion in the mind directly opposite to it; namely, that Jesus was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification; that in consequence of this, we are always accepted, even after our highest possible advancement in holiness on earth, not for our own sake, but for the sake of Christ; and that his going to the Father, in the character of Mediator, is all our hope; that though unfeigned repentance, sincere love to God, and universal obedience to his commandments, are and must be our vouchers that we belong to Christ, yet neither singly nor altogether do they make reconciliation for the least of our sins; that Jesus alone accomplished this work, impossible to any creature, too mighty even for angels to attempt, when he bled on the cross, and cried out "It is finished."

But till the Holy Ghost convince us of the necessity and glory of this righteousness, it is an offensive subject. Such exaltation of the Saviour's obedience and death will be construed into a disparagement of personal virtue. The seeking the gift of justification unto eternal life, "freely through the redemption that is in Jesus," will be deemed a contempt of good works. The Spirit of truth must

exert his gracious influence to remove this natural blindness, and master this stubborn prejudice; and then, that merit which Jesus ever lives to plead before the Father, for the church purchased by his own blood, will be all your salvation and all your desire.

In one instance more, the text under consideration declares the work and influence of the Holy Ghost: "He shall reprove the world of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged:" that is, he shall convince men of the complete victory which Jesus has obtained over sin, the world, and Satan; in order to make all who believe in him happy partakers of the same.

Subjection to sin, although the vilest servitude and basest vassalage, is too often earnestly contended for. Every man in the world, it is said, in the language of politeness, has his foible; that is, some sin, or evil temper, that lords it over him. Like the dastardly unbelieving spies sent into the land of Canaan, men magnify to an enormous size the force of temptation, and the weakness of the flesh, forgetting the power of God; and then say, Who can stand before these?

The Holy Ghost, who is the grand agent for the glory of Christ, convinces us that we err in this matter, not considering the power of the Redeemer. It is his office to assure the heart that " The prince of this world is judged." already dethroned, and vanquished by Jesus: to persuade us that the working of his spirit, which worketh mightily in them that believe, is infinitely stronger than the combined force of all outward opposition, and of all inward corruption; to demonstrate to us, that if we are doing what is forbidden, if we are enslaved by pride or discontent, intemperance, or uncleanness, covetousness, or envy, it is because we will not in earnest seek deliverance from such hateful tyrants.

In this manner, as in the apostles' days, the Holy Ghost continually operates on the mind of every one that believes in Jesus. Now, as then, a man cannot enter into the kingdom of grace, except he be first "Born of water and of the Spirit."

And whilst the Holy Ghost testifies of Christ, and glorifies him in his person and undertakings; his influence, we must observe, is a thing quite distinct from those

means by which it is conveyed; so that wherever proper convictions of the Redeemer's person and salvation are cordially received, it is not to the means, but to the Spirit working by them, that we must attribute the enlightening and renewing of the mind. This important doctrine is repeated again and again in Scripture, and must therefore never be overlooked by us. Thus it is written of the degenerate idolatrous Israelites, "Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed," Isaiah vi. 9, 10. Here is the outward call of the word, on the one hand, but on the other a refusal of the inward and spiritual grace, on account of their insupportable provocations. The alarming expressions, "Make the heart of this people fat, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes," cannot possibly mean that God actually inspired Israel with contempt for his holy word, or disaffection towards it; but they mean that such hardness of heart and disaffection must always follow, where the Spirit of grace is withdrawn; because he alone opens the eyes of the understanding, and unstops the ears which are deaf to the words of God's book. In confirmation of the same truth, it is recorded that God "Opened the heart of Lydia, that she attended to the things which were spoken of Paul," Acts xvi. 14. In this instance you very distinctly mark the inspired preacher on the one hand, declaring the whole counsel of God, and offering the knowledge of all that is externally needful to the conversion of the soul; and on the other, you observe the God of all grace exercising his blessed and powerful influence, by which the apostle's discourse was successful, and attained the end for which it was delivered. And lest these declarations should be considered as extraordinary, St. Paul teaches us generally to distinguish between the means and instruments, and the grace of the Holy Spirit from whom all their beneficial effects proceed. He puts this interrogation: "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers, by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase,"

1 Cor. iii. 5, 6. Mark here how totally distinct from each other are the means of grace, and the eternal Spirit to which they owe their efficacy. By consequence, you must allow that the foundation of the Christian religion is laid by the power of the Holy Ghost in every believer; and that his work and influence is at this hour as real and successful with the faithful, as it was when signs and wonders were done by him through the hands of the apostles.

From what has been offered, we may understand clearly the permanent work and internal operation of the Holy Ghost; and know whether we are the happy subjects of it ourselves, by considering what impressions the word of truth has made upon our minds.

But besides this, the Scripture teaches us to look upon the Holy Ghost as the author of the sanctification which is wrought in the hearts, and appears in the lives of believers; and that, by this sanctification, his in-dwelling presence and effectual working may be known with the greatest certainty and preciseness. If you feel a sincere. love to God for sending his Son into the world as the propitiation for sin, this love is no more the natural growth of your heart, or acquired simply by your own reflections and contemplations, than the beneficial grain which enriches our fields is spontaneously produced without seed or culture." It is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost given unto you." If the effect of this love is joy, or that delightful sensation which results from the consideration of great good obtained or expected from the God of your salvation; this sensation, in honour of its divine and gracious Author, is called Joy in the Holy Ghost." If you possess an internal settled tranquillity, whilst God and eternal judgment are in your thoughts, through Jesus Christ, by whom you have received the atonement; in the place of that guilty uneasiness, or stupid insensibility, which you shewed before, at the mention of such awful subjects; the marvellous change claims a divine parent, and is expressly declared to be "The fruit of the Spirit." If possessing in your heart the heavenly treasure of love, peace, and joy, you are patient under repeated injuries, gentle under exasperating provocations, kind according to your ability,

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meek so as to evidence the humble opinion you entertain of yourself, and the good will you feel towards all men; this union of amiable tempers "Cometh from above." It is the image and superscription of one sanctified by the Spirit, and expressly said to be his fruit. There is not a duty we are called to perform, not an evil temper we are required to vanquish, but we are directed in Scripture, to seek for the aid of the Spirit of God, that our endeavours may be crowned with success. taught that "He helps our infirmities" in prayer; that on this account he is called "The Spirit of grace and supplications." We are commanded "To pray in the Holy Ghost:" which plainly implies, that as in prayer we must seek his sanctifying grace, in order to do all other duties, so must we acknowledge and depend upon his assistance for the right discharge of the duty of prayer itself. This is plainly marked in the Scripture account of the acceptance of our holy duties. It teaches us, that all true Christians have access to the Father through the Mediator" By one Spirit," Ephes. ii. 18. So in discharging the duty of praise, when Christians are exhorted to be much employed in the praises of God, they are exhorted to be "Filled with the Holy Ghost." And their being thus filled with the Holy Ghost is not spoken of merely as a privilege which God promises, but a duty which he requires. From whence it is evident, that without him all our services will want the very soul which should animate them, and be as a maimed sacrifice. In a word, it is to denote the never-ceasing influence and operation of the Holy Ghost on the hearts of all the faithful in Christ Jesus, that their life is expressed in these terms, "Being,"-" Walking,"—" Living," "In the Spirit.'

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See Prayer the 7th.