that there is now no supernatural manifestation-no visible miracle-no convincing sign of Christ's presence and power in his Church; and are apt to think, that had they been permitted to see Jesus the Lord, to hear his voice, and to witness his wonderful works, they would have certainly believed. Now, not to insist on the fact, that multitudes who did see the Lord in person, who followed him from village to village, and heard his discourses, and saw his miracles, were not only not convinced, but were hardened in unbelief and exasperated into enmity,-I wish you to observe, that even his chosen disciples, who companied with him for years, were distinctly told that their future condition would be not worse, but better, when Christ should leave them, and the Spirit descend; and does not this imply that the grace of the Spirit was of more importance to the Church than the personal presence of Christ himself—that it was more than sufficient to compensate for his departure? And what more could be said to convince you of your error, if now, under the final and perfect dispensation of the Gospel, and under "the very ministration of the Spirit," you remain in a state of unbelief? It is true you have no miracles; but you have the Spirit's testimony in your hands ; and if " ye believe not Moses and the prophets," or Christ, and his evangelists and apostles, "neither would ye believe though one rose from the dead."

For, consider seriously the distinction which is so strongly marked in Scripture betwixt the miraculous gifts and the internal graces of the Spirit, and ask yourselves, which of the two is the more

valuable? That they are quite distinct, is evident from the fact that they might exist separate and apart from each other. Many, in primitive times, were renewed and sanctified by the Spirit's grace, who were not endued with miraculous powers; and some, again, were endued with his miraculous gifts, who were not made partakers of his saving grace. This appears from the case of Saul under the Old Testament, who was endued with the gift of prophecy, while his heart was unrenewed,—from the case of Judas under the New,-and still more from the solemn words of our Lord himself: " Many shall come to me in that day, saying, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? To whom I will answer, I never knew you; depart from me, ye workers of iniquity." The miraculous gifts, and the internal graces of the Spirit, then, are quite distinct, and might even exist apart. Now, of the two, which is the more valuable? Surely that which stands connected with the salvation of the soul; for even were there no express testimony of Scripture on the subject, this inference would be warranted by the simple fact, that his inward grace alone can save the soul. But there is an express testimony of Scripture on the subject; for, bringing these two things into direct comparison, the apostle intimates, that one saving grace in the heart is of greater value than all miraculous gifts put together. Having spoken (1 Cor. xii. 30) of the gifts of healing, and miracles, and tongues, he says, "Covet earnestly the best gifts,"

an expression which shows that he did not by any

means disparage them; but he adds, " And yet show I unto you a more excellent way." And what is that?

66

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity" or Love, "I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity" or love, "I am nothing." Here he selects one of the inward graces of the Spirit-for "the fruit of the Spirit is love," and declares of it that it is more valuable than all the miraculous gifts of the Spirit combined. Now these two-the miraculous gifts and the internal graces of the Spirit-being distinct, and capable of existing separately, and the one being so much more valuable than the other, the only question that remains is-which of the two is the permanent inheritance of the Church? It is evidently the more valuable of the two. The miraculous gifts of the Spirit have long since been withdrawn.* They were used for a temporary purpose. They were the scaffolding which God employed for the erection of a spiritual temple. When it was no longer needed, the scaffolding was taken down, but THE TEMPLE still stands, and is occupied by his indwelling Spirit; for, 66 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Cor. iii. 16.)

The fact is admitted by the Rev. E. Irving, but is ascribed to the want of faith on the part of the Church. Homilies on Baptism, p. 152.

CHAPTER III.

GENERAL VIEW OF THE PROCESS OF A SINNER'S CONVERSION.

In the last chapter I endeavoured to illustrate the general design of the gift of the Spirit, in reference both to the World and the Church, founding my observations on that comprehensive statement of our Lord, "It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Spirit will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment;" and "he will guide you into all truth;" "he shall glorify me ; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you." Two classes are here spoken of,—the two great classes into which, according to the Scriptures, all mankind are divided the world and the Church; and the gift of the Spirit was designed to have an important bearing on each: it was designed to reprove or convict the one, and to instruct, and guide, and edify the other. It is a mistake to imagine that the gift of the Spirit is so confined to the Church as to have no bearing at all on the unbelieving world. It was expressly inti

mated by our Lord, that when "he came, he should reprove the world," or convict the world by proof concerning “sin, and righteousness, and judgment;" and the apostle, referring to one of the miraculous fruits of the Spirit, says, "Tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying" another gift of the same Spirit-" serveth not for them that believe not, but for them that believe." The Spirit, then, affords such proof or evidence to the unbelieving world, as is sufficient either to convince or convict, to convert or to condemn them; while to the believing Church and people of God, he imparts larger and clearer views of divine truth, and enables them to discern "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

But betwixt these two classes, however real the distinction, and however wide the difference which divides the one from the other, there is not now, as there will hereafter be, an impassable barrier of separation. In the state of retribution, believers may say with Abraham, "Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us that would come from thence;" but in the present state of grace, there is no such barrier; souls are continually passing from the world to the Church-from darkness to light -from death to life; the way is plain-the door is open the warrant is clear; every believer was once an unbeliever; every saint was once a sinner; and all God's people will gratefully acknowledge, that if they now belong to a peculiar class, and are no longer