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Ps. lxxxiv. 7. disciples of the Lord, says "They go

from strength

to strength, and unto the God of Gods appeareth

Ps. lxxxiv. 11. every one of them in Zion."-" For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."

Ps. cxxiv. 7.

And at the final redemption.

"Our soul is escaped," through the veil of the passions "even as a bird out of the snare of the fowler: The snare is broken" by the Holy Spirit of the Lord, "and we

Ps. cxxiv. 8. are delivered."-" Our help is in the name of the Lord," our Redeemer, "who hath made heaven and earth."

Hosea i. 7.

Ps. xliv.

Rev. xxi. 6.

Hence the words of the Lord speaking in Hosea, "I will have mercy upon the house of Judah," (the disciples of Jesus Christ), "and will save them by the Lord their God; and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen."

Hence the prophetic words of David, “Through thee, O God, will we push down our enemies," of malignity: "through thy name will we tread them under, that rise up against us; for I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me."

Hence the Lord's words, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely."

Hence his words unto the woman of Samaria. John iv. 13.14. "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst

again but whosoever drinketh of the water" of life "that I shall give him, shall never thirst: but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life : "— because, "He that is joined to the Lord is one 1 Cor. vi. spirit" in eternity.

Hence the Lord said, "Therefore said I unto John vi. 65. you, that no man can come to me, except it" the Holy Spirit "were given to him of my Father."

Hence he said, "No man "No man can come to me, John vi. 44. except the Father which hath sent me draw him," by being of his Holy Spirit: "and I will raise him up at the last day." Hence his prayer, "Holy John xvii. 11. Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one (spirit)

as we are;" and added, "neither pray I for these John xvii. 20. alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word: that they all may be one" (spirit;)" as thou Father art in me, and I in Thee; that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me: and the glory which Thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one (spirit); even as we are one. I in them, and Thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one (spirit), and that the world may know that Thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as Thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also which Thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which

John xiv. 1.

John xviii. 36.

Thou hast given me for Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world."

To comfort his disciples, our Saviour said, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you:

I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also."

He, therefore, said to Pilate, "My kingdom is not" of the spirit "of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the jews; but now is my kingdom not from hence."

That the kingdom of God comes progressively Luke xvii. 20. within us, he said, “The kingdom of God cometh not with outward show; neither shall they say, Lo here; or, lo there, for the kingdom of God is within you."—And that all good things of comfort come with it; he said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you;"-which St. Paul's words Rom. xiv. 17. explain, "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."

Matt. vi. 33.

And our Saviour said, it could be acquired only by the honest simplicity of children, and that pride Luke xviii. 17. and malignity has no admittance in it. "Verily, I

say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall in no wise enter therein."

Now the parable of the sower shows, the moral order of the government of God in this world.

"The seed is the word of God" sown in our hearts, Luke viii. 11. sufficient to become the sons of God, by relying upon justification through Jesus Christ. "Those by the way-side, are they who" have sufficient of the Holy Spirit to "hear: then cometh the devil, and taketh the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe, and be saved," by receiving greater strength in the Spirit of the Lord. "They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for awhile believe, and in time of temptation, fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth and are choaked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection."

"But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."

The Lord, therefore, cautions us against the day of judgment. That as we have received sufficient strength in his Holy Spirit to become the sons of God, if there be but a willing mind to attain it; he says, "Take heed, therefore, how ye hear, for whosoever hath," of his Holy Spirit more than was first given, "to him shall be given" more of it: and Luke viii. 18.

"whosoever hath not," of his Holy Spirit beyond the seed originally sown, "from him shall be taken even that which he thinketh that he hath :" when, of course, he will be left solely in the spirit of malignity-the devil and his angels.

The Lord also likened the manner of our progressive strength in his Holy Spirit by grace, to the Mark. iv. 26. progressive growth of a plant from a seed, “And he said, so is the kingdom of God. As if a man should cast seed into the ground, and should sleep or rise night and day, yet the seed would spring and grow up, he knoweth not how, for the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself: first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear; but when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come."

Luke xxi. 27.

In this progressive state we are told to consider ourselves. The Spirit of the Lord is sown in our hearts, it progressively increaseth in strength by grace; by this progressive strength, in due time the mind will perceive the light of heaven through the veil over it, as the eye perceives the natural sun through an opaque glass. When that strength in the Spirit of the Lord arrives, then we know that the final redemption draws nigh.

Hence the Lord says to all his disciples, "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads," through the veil of the pas

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