Christ: to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (32.)

The Epistle. 1 St. Pet. iv. 7.

The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God: if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all

(31.) This is called Expectation week; for now the apostles were earnestly expecting the fulfilment of our Lord's promise, "If I go away, I will send the comforter to you." (John xvi. 7.) The Epistle exhorts to earnest prayer for the Comforter promised in the Gospel; which exhortation the Church performs in the Collect. It exhorts us all to make such an use of those gifts which the holy Spirit shall bestow upon us, as becomes good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Bp. Sparrow, Wheatly.

(32.) By "the end of all things" mentioned in this Epistle we shall do well to understand that day of the Lord, the terrors of which are described in the 24th chapter of St. Matthew, and the 21st of St. Luke. A revolution of that infinite consequence, that the utmost preparation, possible to be made for it, is all little enough: and a revolution so uncertain, as to the time when it shall overtake us that our Lord, upon all occasions taken to mention it, inculcates the great duty of watchfulness; a duty, incapable of being discharged by any who have not attained to a mastery over their sensual | appetites, the indulging whereof, to any degree of excess, clouds the reason that it cannot keep awake, and indisposes the mind to every thing serious, that it hath no inclination to consider, and provide itself against, the surprises of its spiritual enemy. His temptations can at no time attack us with more fatal advantage, than when unlawful liberties and pleasures have put us off our guard; and, if this be our danger in every common event of life, how much more dreadful is it, with regard to our end, in which whatever we suffer is final and incapable of any reparation? Most seasonably |

The Gospel. St. John xv. 26, and part of the 16th Chapter.

WHEN the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. And ye also shall bear witness; because ye have been with me from the beginning. These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me: but these things have I told you that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. (33.)

therefore does the apostle here press the duty of sobriety. And, in regard the strength and succour of the very best men is not from themselves, most reasonably does he add "watching unto prayer." Thus treading in the steps of our blessed Saviour, who, on the like occasion gives the following warning. "Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye, therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all those things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke xxi. 34, 35, 36.) The only remarks I would leave this particular with, are, 1. That by comparing our Lord and St. Peter together, it appears that sobriety means, not only what we call a temperate use of meats, and drinks, and pleasures, and recreations, and the like, but also a moderating of our desires and pursuits, in the business and advantages of the world. And 2. That there is a mutual subserviency of these virtues to each other; sobriety is necessary to qualify a man for devotion, and prayer as useful to preserve and confirm us in the love of sobriety. Dean Stanhope.

(33.) The word in this Gospel rendered "Comforter" is in the original "Paraclete," which signifies three things, a Comforter, an Advocate, and a Teacher or remembrancer: which offices, as they were necessary to the apostles at that time, so wül they be to all Christians to the end of the world. This Paraclete is the Holy Ghost, the third Person in the ever-blessed Trinity: and he is truly and Whitsunday. (34) The Collect.

O GOD, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice

properly a Paraclete in all the forementioned senses. 1. He is a Comforter: for he administers consolation capable of bearing up the spirits in all conditions, and communicates joys that are sufficient, not only to keep us from fainting under, but even to make us rejoice in tribulation. 2. He is an Advocate, or Intercessor, which office he performs for us, partly by acting our cause for us with God, helping us to pray, forming our petitions, and inspiring us with holy affections, (Rom. viii. 26:) partly by pleading our cause before men, Matt. x. 19:) and partly by pleading Christ's cause against the world. (John xvi. 8, 9, 10.) 3. He is a Teacher or Remembrancer: which office he executed for the apostles, by "leading them into all truth, and teaching and bringing all things to their remembrance which Christ had said unto them." And the same he still executes for us, by instructing us out of the holy Scriptures, which are the dictates of the same Spirit; and by bringing to our minds all necessary truths for our benefit and consolation, as occasion shall require.

in his holy comfort, through the merit of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

For the Epistle. Acts ii. 1. WHEN the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one

the house where they were sitting; and there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, and sat upon each of them. Hereupon they were filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance; whereby they who were Jews by birth, and understood only their own native language, were in an instant enabled to publish that religion which God had revealed to them, all over the world.

Pentecost being on a very high festival among the Jews, observed by them in memory of the promulgation of the law from Mount Sinai, and to entreat the divine blessings upon their then ensuing harvest, there were vast multitudes of proselytes, natives of no less than fifteen different nations, at Jerusalem, to celebrate the feast; who at the first news of this miraculous mission, repaired to the place where the apostles were assembled, in order to satisfy themselves of the truth of it. But how great was their surprise and astonishment, when they heard such ignorant and illiterate men rehearse the wonders of Almighty God, and the sublime doctrines of the Gospel, in almost all the known languages in the world! Some of them, however, and probably the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who had so lately imbrued their hands in the blood of Jesus, and whose hearts were steeled

and Intercessor, against the cry and guilt of our sins; let us cast ourselves upon the merits of Christ's satisfaction, and depend upon his Holy Spirit, who is ever ready to plead our cause, and to make intercession for us. Moreover, let us hearken to the advice and direction of this holy Monitor, both in his private whispers, and more public instructions; never turning the deaf ear to either, but always listening to that voice, saying to us, "This is the way, walk in it, when we are turning to the right hand, or to the left." And then he

and religion, endeavoured to elude what they could not deny, and to impute the miracle (for such it appeared even to them) to the operative qualities of new wine.

Hereupon Peter, as president of the assembly, stood up, and endeavoured to confute their injurious calumny by telling them, "That then it was early in the morning, not above nine of the clock, and consequently very improbable that men should be drunk, it being no proper time to have eaten or drank any thing; that the present effusion of the

Dr. Hole.

from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them: and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost; and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed, and marvelled,

poured down those extraordinary gifts upon his Church; that from the testimony of the holy David it plainly appeared, that God all along intended to raise him from the dead, and exalt him to his right hand; and that the present mission of the Holy Ghost abundantly declared, that the same person, whom they by divine permission, had crucified and slain, God had ordained to be both Lord and Christ." This sermon, though the first that St. Peter made in public, was so very moving, and so deeply affected the audience, that no less than three thousand of them were converted, and received into the profession of the Christian faith by baptism, who by their diligent attention to the apostles' doctrine afterwards, their constant attendance upon public prayers, their frequent celebration of the Lord's Supper, their cheerful intercourse with each other, their parting with their goods and possessions, and communicating to every one according to their necessities, (even to the love and admiration of all that beheld them) were daily and hourly confirmed therein.

On this day when we commemorate the first establishment of the Christian religion, not in the manner in which other religions have been established, by fire and sword, plunder and rapine, fraud and violence, but by the far more powerful and efficacious influences of the ever-blessed Spirit. We ought therefore to live in strict conformity to the precepts of that Gospel, which hath received so convincing a testimony; to hold fast the profession of that faith, which is established upon such firm grounds; and to support ourselves under all the difficulties of the Christian warfare, with this comfortable consideration, that he that is in us, is greater than he that is in the world; and that we may do all things through Christ that strengtheneth us. G. NALLSON.

these which speak Galileans? and how hear we every man in our own tongue wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotomia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Lybia about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. (35.)

The Gospel. St. John xiv. 15. JESUS said unto his disciples, If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will ministering of which sacrament, Easter, and this, and the Sundays between, were the most solemn seasons. Particularly on this day, the last of those Sundays (when that solemnity determined, and the preparation, for it had been extended to the utmost length); as well on that aecount, as for the deserved veneration due to so great a festival, vast numbers offered themselves to be received to baptism. And, in token of their being cleansed from all past sins, as well as for an emblem of that innocence and purity, to which they then obliged themselves, they were clad in white: and, from the multitude of such vestments then put on, are supposed to have given occasion for this Lord's day being distinguished by that name.

Dean Stanhope.

The reason, why this time was of old appointed for solemn baptism, was, 1. Because this day the apostles were baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire. Acts ii. 3. 2. Because this day three thousand were baptized by the apostles. Acts ii. 41. In memory of which, the Church ever after held a solemn custom of baptizing at this feast.

Bp. Sparrow.

This day is called Pentecost, because there are fifty days betwixt the true passover and WhitSunday. As there are fifty days from the Jews' passover to the giving of the Law to Moses in Mount Sinai, which Law was written with the finger of God; (for from the fourteenth day of the first month, the day of the passover, to the third day of the third month, the day of the Law's giving, (Exod, xix. 1. 16.) are fifty days;) so from the true Passover, which was celebrated when Christ was offered up for us, are fifty days to this time when the Holy Ghost came down upon the Church, to write the new law of charity in their hearts. It should be noted, that we must not count the fifty

that the word is at length "White-Sunday;" so called from the white garments, worn by the persons baptized in the ancient Church. For the ad

the Sunday following: and so God directed the Jews, (Lev. xxiii. 15.) speaking of their Pentecost or Feast of Weeks, "and ye shall count from the

pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelieth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

He

that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father; and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, (not Iscariot,) Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not, keepeth not

morrow after the sabbath; from that day seven weeks shall be complete." Bp. Sparrow.

(35.) This scripture relates one of the most important events that ever happened to mankind. For such was the mission of the holy Spirit, and the pouring out of his miraculous gifts upon the disciples, in a manner most amazing, most effectual for the mighty purposes appointed to be accomplished by their means. An event deservedly commemorated by the Christian Church, since the influence of it extends to all ages; and the benefit consequent upon it is no less than the conversion and instruction of a whole world. Upon this occasion first, that power from on high exerted itself, wherewith our Lord promised to endue those delegates, to whom he had committed the care of finishing the great work. A work, which himself declares necessary to have been begun in his own person; but to have been carried on and finished by other hands.

All the circumstances that concurred to give authority and efficacy to their undertaking, are of great significance and consideration: such in particular are the time, the place, the surprising appearances of the Spirit's descent. But such more especially were the immediate effects it produced, and the condition of the persons so powerfully wrought upon.

Now that effect was "speaking with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance," (Acts ii. 4. 7;) and the persons who spake thus were all Galileans; natives of a country held in great contempt among the Jews, and, in particular, for be

my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me, These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said nnto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father; for my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. (36.)

ing heavy, and ignorant, and unpolished. The men before us were known to be such. Bred up to mean trades, and destitute both of capacity and opportunity to acquire any degree of those abilities, which they now exerted in the utmost perfection. And what could be a more evident proof of God speaking in them, and by them, than the doing of that in an instant, which the study of a whole life could hardly, if at all, qualify any man to do? Here was no room for delusion, where every hearer was a judge for himself; and where those that heard were so many, of regions so distant, and of languages so very different from each other. So amazing are the improvements where God condescends to teach; and so manifestly does it appear, that he teaches immediately by himself, where art and nature are so far out-done: where the "foolish" are empowered in a moment to "confound the wise:" and the "weak" chosen to "confound the mighty," 1 Cor. i. 27.29. This left no room for "flesh to glory in his presence," but proved itself, beyond all contradiction, to be a "power from on high." Dean Stanhope.

(36.) This solemnity being consecrated in a peculiar manner to the honour of the blessed Spirit of God, this is a convenient opportunity for setting forth that light, which the Gospel for the day and other passages of Scripture have given us, into the nature of the Holy Ghost.

1. The testimony of Scripture will, I conceive, abundantly justify us in stating that the Holy Ghost is a person, and not a mere quality, or operation. It is confessed, that some passages in the