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never inactive nor ineffectual, of their exalted High Priest, who was praying for them within the vail, and strengthening them with all might by his Spirit in the inner man !

Finally, we may see of what temper and disposition Christians ought to be,-sympathizing and compassionate. What Christ has proved himself to be to them, they will show themselves to be to others, and especially to their Christian brethren. This is one proof of their belonging to his mystical body. If one member of the human body suffer, all the members suffer with it; and so is it with the church, which is the body of Christ. Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, "even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." Remember the address of the Lord to the unmerciful servant: "Shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee ?"* Compassion for the temporal distresses of our fellow-creatures is not a sure mark of godliness; but the want of it is an indubitable mark of ungodliness. "For whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" Beware of selfishness, which contracts the heart, and renders it insensible and callous. "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of another." Thus will the same mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus, for "he is not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Matt. xviii. 33.

SERMON X.

THE LOVE OF THE SPIRIT.

ROM. XV. 30.

NOW I BESEECH YOU, BRETHREN, FOR THE LOVE OF THE SPIRIT.

THE Volume of nature has the name of its author inscribed upon it, and every where bears the most distinct and legible marks of his Godhead and perfections; but it conveys no information to us of his subsistence in three persons. In the unity of design apparent in the works of nature, and in the nice and admirable adaptation of all parts of the universe to accomplish the same grand ends, which we perceive the more clearly in proportion to the increase of our knowledge, we have a proof of the unity of God which yields satisfaction to a plain and unsophisticated understanding; but there is nothing either in the work of creation, or in the works of common providence, which indicates any personal distinctions in the Godhead, or, in other words, makes known the doctrine of the Trinity. The knowledge of this mystery we owe to the volume of inspiration, which not only teaches it doctrinally, but reveals and describes a work calculated to illustrate it, and to give us clear, though necessarily from its nature, inadequate conceptions of the subject. Redemption is the work of one God, but of that one Being existing according to distinct relations of an intrinsic kind, which we, for want of a fitter word, and to guard against the opinions of those who would explain away the whole mystery, are forced to call personal.

The doctrine of the Trinity, as revealed in the Bible, is far from being a mere speculative truth. It lies at the foundation

of our hope; our blessedness is wrapt up "in the love of God, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the communion of the Holy Ghost." It is supposed in all acceptable worship, for " we have access to the Father through the Son, by one Spirit: ""our fellowship is with the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ," and this is the fellowship of the Spirit. And as our worship is animated by the distinct consideration of what each person has done for our salvation, so the duties of obedience are enforced upon our minds by the same consideration. Hence the apostle, in entreating the prayers of the Christians at Rome in his behalf, employs the plea in our text, "for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit."

By the "love of the Spirit," I understand that love which the third person of the Godhead has displayed in the economy of redemption. Some indeed are of opinion that it refers to that brotherly love, which is the production of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers, and binds them together as members of the same mystical body, so as to feel a deep interest in one another's welfare. Even though it should be allowed that this was the more immediate meaning of the word in this passage, we might still take occasion from it to speak of that love which is the spring of all the Spirit's operations. We judge of the qualities of a fountain from the waters which it sends forth, and of a tree from its fruits. "The fruit of the Spirit is love;" and what must be the love resident in and flowing from that divine Person, who is the author of every affectionate feeling toward God or toward man! But I apprehend the connexion in which the words stand fully justifies the other interpretation: "I beseech you from regard to what the Lord has done for you, and the love which the Holy Spirit has shown to you, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me."

We often speak of the love of the Father in not sparing his Son, and the love of the Son in giving himself for us; and we do well, for we cannot speak of them too often, nor with too much fervour of gratitude and admiration. But the love of the Spirit is more rarely the topic of public discourse or

private converse, and there is reason to fear that it is too little in our thoughts, for "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." May not this deficiency have a hurtful effect upon Christian experience? God draws his children to himself "by the cords of love," meaning his own love; but if one of the threads in "this threefold cord" be relaxed, must not the influence of divine love upon our hearts be weakened and impaired ? If we are deficient in this part of Christian exercise, it assuredly does not arise from any defect in the proofs and illustration of love on the part of this divine Agent. The subject seems entitled to our particular attention.—Let us then, trusting to the aid of the Spirit, without whom we can neither speak nor hear aright, in the first place, contemplate the manifestations of the love of the Holy Ghost; and secondly, exhibit the influence which a due sense of this love would have on our minds and conduct.

I. Contemplate the manifestations of the love of the Spirit. The work of redemption, or of recovering man from the ruin into which he had fallen by his transgression, is to be traced to the spontaneous and boundless love of God. This wonderful love is held forth as exerted in distinct acts by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To the Father we ascribe, agreeably to the analogy of the word, the purpose and superintendence of the plan of redemption, to the Son its purchase, and to the Spirit its application. The love from which the Spirit acts is equally divine with that from which the Father and Son act; indeed it is the same, for the love of God, like his will, is one. "There is none good but one, that is God;" and this epithet is repeatedly applied to the third Person, in an absolute sense: "Thou gavest them thy good Spirit"-"Thy Spirit is good." The love of the Spirit is eternal, unchangeable, sovereign, independent; and in its breadth and length, and depth, and height, it passeth knowledge.

1. The Holy Spirit displayed his love in the readiness with which he undertook his mission and work. We speak of the covenant of grace, as made between the Father and Son, because in contemplation of the Son's assuming human na

ture, there was an engagement and a promise, a work and a reward. But we must not overlook the concurrence of the Blessed Spirit, and the delight which he took in the prospect of his work of grace and power. As the Son was sent by the Father, so the Spirit is sent by the Father and the Son, and on this account is called economically their Spirit; but he was as free and cheerful in undertaking and engaging in his work, as He who said "Lo I come, to do thy will, O my God." When Jesus was about to leave his disciples, he said, "I will pray the Father and he will give you another Comforter-if I go not away the Comforter will not come, but if I depart I will send him unto you." Observe, he is not only said to be "sent," to intimate the established order of the economy of grace, and the certainty of the gift, but he is said to "come," in order to point out his willingness to engage in the work. "When he is come, he shall convince the world." Hence the prayer of the Old Testament Church," Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out."* And hence on the day of Pentecost, "Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty rushing wind, and there appeared unto them cloven tongues as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.” These were the emblems of the "love of the Spirit," in its ardour, impetuosity, and irresistible power. And as he was voluntary in undertaking, so he is sovereign in carrying on his work, “dividing severally to every man as he will." When we pray the Father to give us the Holy Spirit, we should remember that he whom we ask to dwell in us is a free and independent agent. "Uphold me with thy free Spirit." †

2. The love of the Spirit appeared in dictating the Scriptures. Saints in every age have loved the Word of God, and from the time that it was first committed to writing, they have not ceased to take the highest delight in reading and meditating on its contents. In the Bible they find their meat and their drink, the life and the health of their souls. They could not live without it, and having it they can be contented with a

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