I conclude with three plain questions, which I earnestly beg each of you to answer to his own conscience before God. First, are you well assured that God has for Christ's sake cast all your sins behind his back? Secondly, if He should please to summon you immediately from this present life, could you be content to die, yea thankful to depart? Thirdly, if you could not; if you would be terrified; if like a criminal under sentence you would earnestly beg for a reprieve; is not this the true account of your reluctance, that you are not heartily impressed with a sense of your redemption, and are not really living, whilst your life is spared, to the praise of the glory of your Saviour?

SERMON III.

THE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY GHOST.

2 COR. 13. 14.

The communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.

THE Communion of the Holy Ghost! what an ample and rich store of blessings is implied in this expression! What a precious gift does St. Paul here devoutly wish for, in behalf of the Corinthians, when addressing these farewell words to his beloved converts! The communion of the Holy Ghost! To partake of that heavenly comfort which Christ promised to convey to his disciples by the Comforter, to partake thereof jointly with all the brethren in Christ Jesus, to have the heart purified by faith, animated with hope, warmed with love, to enjoy a firm persua

sion of God's mercifulness, vouchsafed through Christ Jesus to the most unworthy of his servants, to experience sin mortified, grace established, Satan conquered, Christ triumphant, to find ourselves walking with God, working for God, serving Him, at once humbly, zealously, and joyfully, and to know that all things through his power are made to work together for our good; this is that which the apostle besought for the Corinthians, this is the communion of the Holy Ghost." God grant that this communion may be with you always!

There were disciples of old, at Ephesus, who, when questioned as to whether they had received the Holy Ghost, replied, "We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost." (Acts 19. 2.) Though I trust that this is not the case with any you, I purpose now first to set before you a short account of what we learn from Scripture concerning the nature and offices of the Holy Spirit of God, and then to dwell on the advantages of enjoying the communion referred to in the text.

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The first thing to be borne in mind is this, that the Holy Ghost is truly God. And perhaps no passage proves this truth in a more striking manner, than the words of St. Peter to Ananias, first asking, " Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?" and then saying, "Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." (Acts 5. 3, 4.) Next it is to be observed, that the Holy Ghost is spoken of as a distinct Person in the glorious Godhead; as, for instance, in the solemn form of baptism, thus expressly ordained by our Lord, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (Matt. 28. 19.) Or if we take the whole verse in which the text is written, this truth will be no less striking; for in what name, but the name of God, was St. Paul likely to bless the Corinthians? And yet does he not here plainly speak of more persons than one, saying, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with

you all?" This, we own, is a great mystery. And though revelation, God be praised, explains many mysteries, we must admit that it brings others into view, which are unexplained, and which are to us now inexplicable. Strange indeed it would be, if it did not; strange if we could apprehend distinctly all things heavenly, when we are so soon lost in the study of the most obvious things on earth. When the science of the things which God has made, however widely we extend its circle, is every where bounded by ignorance, strange it would be indeed if we were not met by mystery, in our best directed attempts to know God Himself.

But if the nature of the Holy Ghost, what He is Himself, be beyond our comprehension, there is much that we may understand concerning his attributes and offices, what He does for our spiritual advantage. He is the Comforter, promised by our Lord, when He was about to leave his disciples for a time. And so great is the benefit of his help as Comforter, that for the sake thereof it was expedient that

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