reasoning, here put forth, I make no intercession; let it be mercilessly weeded out with the hoe of criticism. But if any one complains of the fragmentary character of the book, I must plead that it has been done in fragments of time,those remnants of the day left to a Clergyman working single-handed in a Metropolitan District. It seemed in vain, under such circumstances, to write a consecutive volume, and I have judged it prudent, therefore, to rescue from an uncertain Future these Fragments of an unfinished work.

30, OSNABURGH STREET,

REGENT'S PARK. N.W.

THE

FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT.

CHAPTER I.

FRUCTIFICATION.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance."-GAL. v. 22, 23.

THE Holy Spirit is God, and his special office is to sanctify believers, and make them fruitful in good works. This office he discharges by a daily process-carrying on the work of spiritual improvement in the Christian day by day. Different images are employed to designate his operations :-sanctification, renovation, and here FRUCTIFICATION.

When the Holy Spirit sows the seed of God, in prepared ground, and distils heavenly dew upon

B

it, then grow up the Fruits of the Spirit. It is manifest, then, that these are cultivated fruits.

They have not been left to

neously in nature, like wild

grow up sponta

flowers and wild

fruit; but they are the production of the divine husbandry.

We often meet with persons who are goodnatured, warm-hearted, hospitable, and amiable. These may be but wild flowers of human nature. They may have sprung up without the Spirit's influence; and, although they may have a certain value in society, yet they are not of God's planting, nor fit for God's garner.

No one, can bring forth fruit pleasing and acceptable to God unless he has been newcreated in Christ, and prepared by the Holy Ghost.

It is not the Spirit, but the Christian who is fruitful, just as it is not the Sun, but the Earth which yields us fruits. And this reads a useful lesson to that sort of Christian who would leave all to God, and excuse himself from cultivating himself, and making his life fertile in good works.