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christianity are so much neglected, despised, or perverted, by men called Christians. If then, the Holy Spirit be given us for this purpose, we shall soon feel and act as they did, at the day of Pentecost, who hearing St. Peter's discourse, "were

pricked in their heart and said,-Men and bre"thren what shall we do?" And when further instructed in the gospel, "they gladly received the

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 ine; 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

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warm affections towards him are fallen, evident effects of the neglect, nay, contempt, with which the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is generally treated? "I will," saith the LORD by his prophet, "pour 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 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 " pray"ing 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 in the promises of GOD through JESUS CHRIST, as to expect that our

Zech. xii. 10.

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 exceeds his real meaning.

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"Now the GOD of hope fill 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 suffer"ing, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." His "fruit is in all goodness, and righteousness and truth." "The love of God is "shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit."

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Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the "truth through the Spirit, unto unfeigned love of "the brethren," &c. "If ye through the Spirit 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 meekness and temperance no longer requisite? Or are our natures so much

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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 Spirit? Let the character of modern Christians at large, compared with that of the ancient church, supply an answer to these questions.

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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 ye are the temple of God; and that "the Spirit of GOD dwelleth in you?" Certainly then you are very ignorant 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 Comforter." As a Spirit of adoption, he "wit"nesses with our spirits, "that we are the chil"dren 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 honour, 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

Rom. viii. 9.

Seal, Earnest, and First Fruits of our eternal inheritance, demands our highest admiration and most lively gratitude. "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."

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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

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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

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