demption for us.-The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus." And many other places speak much the same language. He will be ever with them, and will for ever crown them with his love and blessing. A pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeds, out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb, which waters and refreshes the heavenly Jerusalem, and fills every soul with joy and gladness. There, in the holy street of that glorious city, and on its sacred banks, the tree of life, loaded with its rich variety of fruit, flourishes in everlasting bloom, whilst its mystical leaves preserve, unceasingly, the health of the ransomed nations, on whom no curse shall ever fall. There they constantly behold the face of him they love, and wear his honoured name alone, in shining characters, on their unfading diadems. They require neither material nor artificial light, for there is no night there; but the Lord God will surround and fill them with glory for ever. Blessed place, and blessed people! Unworthy as I am, let me, O my Redeemer and my God, have my lot there; and, with thy saints, I shall acknowledge thy marvellous loving kindness, and praise thee as the author of all my mercies, and all my salvation! Bring me, O bring me to thy holy hill and dwelling-place, to those everlasting habitations where there is no sin, no curse, no death, no shadow of fear! There I shall never deviate from thy all-perfect will; there no changes take place but what are more and more perfective of our nature, and which tend only to diversify, and bring continual accession to our joy. The gift of God, gift worthy of himself, is indeed eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. To thee, O God, be glory for ever.

If we then survey the procedure of grace in our Redemption, from its first dawning to the perfect day, the numerous intimations given us of the greatness of our Redeemer's person and offices, the various descriptions of moral and legal impurities, with the multiplicity of means appointed for their removal, many of which, it evidently appears, were typical of him, and perhaps the whole, had we sufficient wisdom to pene

trate the veils spread over them; if we consider the apparently slow, cautious, peculiar, and yet effectual manner pursued, till Messiah the Prince was cut off, and the legal ceremonies abolished; if we look at the heavy national calamities which befel the Jews when they departed from them, and the special providences in their favour when they sincerely observed them; to which may be added, the many eminent and pious men raised up among them from time to time, to explain and enforce their ritual; and yet, notwithstanding all the mercies and judgments that attended them, till their final overthrow by the Romans, they remained in general a selfwilled, hypocritical, and rebellious nation; we must infer that sin is an evil full of deadly poison, spreading its destructive venom through our nature, strong and rapid in its movements, bursting through all restraint, and not to be consumed but by Divine power, nor the sinner pardoned without shedding the blood of the Holy One of God. Every thing belonging to its nature, or discoverable by its consequences every thing done to expiate and annihilate it, declares its power and malignity, its devilish and accursed nature, and the absolute necessity of faith in the Lord Jesus and his precious blood; that, being washed therein, we may become holy; and thus be counted worthy to escape the damnation of hell, and have administered to us an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of God.

CHAP. V.

AGENCY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

The Holy Spirit promised.-His Divine Person.- Means employed.

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THE HOLY SPIRIT PROMISED.

AFTER these remarks on the person and sufferings of the Lord Jesus, it will be needful to say a little on his exaltation to the right hand of the throne of God, and the glory which was to follow that event. Before his apprehension, he informed his disciples that it was expedient for them, and consequently for all, that he went away: "For (said he) if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send him to you." This promise, in all probability, was made them in reference to that prophetical description of his triumphant ascension: "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them.-Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive :" which description is abundantly heightened by what is spoken in another psalm, where these ministers of flame, attendant on their victorious Sovereign, demand entrance for him at the gates of heaven: "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the king of glory shall come in." "Who (some are represented as saying) is this King of glory?" as expressive of their surprize at the demand. They describe him as “the Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, mighty in battle." There is still some hesitation, till another summons is made: "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in." "Who is this King of glory?" they reply a second time. He appears in sight to the whole joyful multitude, when all unite together to acknowledge his authority: "The Lord

of Hosts, he is the King of glory." Having dragged his enemies as at his chariot wheels, and made a shew of them openly, he enters, and "receives gifts for men ; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God (the eternal Spirit) might dwell among them." It is then immediately added, "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with his benefits, even the God of our Salvation;" which is expressive of the readiness with which the Saviour imparts his grace and mercy to mankind.

Our Lord knew full well that the feebleness of our nature, and the circumstances in which we are placed, require more than human assistance; and, therefore, as he was about "to enter his glory," and receive the kingdom, he endeavoured to comfort his disciples, by telling them that he would entreat the Father, and he would send them another Comforter, who would not abide with them as he, their first Comforter had done, for a season only, but for ever. This was the Spirit of truth, whom they knew in part, and whom they should more fully know when he was glorified. "He shall (said he) testify of me.-He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine;" and, "he shall take of mine and shew it unto you." Hence it appears that the coming of the Holy Spirit was to realize to mankind the benefits of the Saviour's death and intercession. For which purpose he was to replenish with his gifts and graces the apostles and. first teachers of the church in a peculiar manner, that they 'might be the better prepared to overcome the opposition they were likely to meet with from the powers of darkness and their deluded agents; but it was not for that age alone that he came, his influences being as needful for men in all ages, as it respects their own personal salvation, as they were for them. There is not indeed the same necessity for the confirmation of evangelical truth by the working of miracles, where that truth is acknowledged and received, as there was in the beginning, when newly published to the world; yet, as the apostle observes, "If any man have not

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the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." We see then the necessity of receiving him, unless we purpose to be disowned by the Saviour.

After our Lord's resurrection from the dead, he did not ascend hastily to heaven. St. Luke informs us that "he shewed himself alive after his passion, by many infallible proofs, being seen of his disciples forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, commanding them to wait for the promise of the Father, which (said he) ye have heard of me." It is probably called "the promise of the Father," in allusion to the ancient prophecies, where the effusion of the Spirit is clearly foretold, as by Isaiah: "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thy offspring :" and Joel, "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh." And sometimes the same blessing, set forth in these places, for its utility and abundance, under the emblem of water, is foretold under that of fire: "He that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy— when the Lord shall have purged the blood of Jerusalemby the Spirit of judgment, and by the Spirit of burning." And our Lord's ministry, from the fulness of this Spirit, is compared to "a refiner's fire ;" and he was to "baptize with the Holy Ghost, and with fire." When this promise was fulfilled, the effects produced were astonishing. The apos tles seem scarcely the same men; but, filled with wisdom, power, and love, they rose, and went forth "like the sun in its strength;" nothing afterwards but death being able to stop their progress, and indeed not even that, since their testimony and writings continue still to enlighten the world. Thus the dispensation of righteousness, as contra-distinguished from the ministration of condemnation, was by the pouring forth of the Spirit on the day of pentecost, fully opened; and all nations, without exception, freely invited to a participation of gospel benefits to the end of time.