O to feel it!" truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ."5. Yet we hear also of the "communion" or fellowship "of the Holy Spirit." What a fellowship, to draw near to God through communion with a creating Father, a redeeming Son, and a sanctifying Spirit!

Who

8. Another thought presents itself. can communicate mind, but that infinitely glorious being who is all mind? Such an agency belongs only to God. Yet the apostle says, "we have the mind of Christ;"6 and "let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:"7 he speaks likewise of the communication of "the mind of the Spirit."8 O what a glorious union, what a precious communication, flowing equally from the Father, Son, and Spirit! How is it felt, when brought home to believers who are enabled to live to God's glory!

9. Once more, observe the equal influence of the Three in One, in preparing the hearts of the ministers of the gospel. No minister was ever truly sent of God, who was not thus qualified. God the Father makes “able ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter, 6 1 Cor. ii, 16. 8 Rom. viii, 27.

5 1 John i, 3.
7 Phil. ii, 5.

but of the Spirit."9 Yet St. Paul writes thus to Timothy, "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;"1 and he says to the elders of the church of Ephesus, "take heed unto yourselves and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers. Thus God the Father, God, the

Son, and God the Holy Ghost equally make ministers. The triune God is of one mind, and these things are revealed to us, to enable us to climb out of regions of darkness into regions of light.

Remember then that we are to deal with God as he reveals himself in his word, by which alone we can be saved from error. I desire to bring home these truths in the way of application. Some persons may say, "how can these things be?" I know that I exist, but if asked what life is, I know not, I cannot tell how I exist. All we have to do is to aim, not at the hidden secrets of truth, but at the enjoyment of truth.

Let us inquire then, what is the substantial truth, which comes home to our minds from

9 2 Cor. iii, 6.

1 1 Tim. i, 12.

2 Acts xx, 28.

the doctrine before us? Do you know by the Holy Spirit, what sinners you are; are you convinced of your own helplessness; are you ashamed and confounded under a sense of your guilt and depravity? If so, you feel as you ought to feel; and these wise feelings are from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, who have wrought in you a holy enmity to that which is against you, and suffer you not to be at peace with your corruptions. By this you are led to see what is the real truth, which you could never have seen but by the revelation of God; yet being revealed to you, you see its glory. You ask, "how can sin be pardoned?" and say, perhaps "we have done. that which has undone us, and that for ever, if no ransomer appear to save us from destruction." Here the bible opens the covenant of redemption, fulfilled in him who died for our sins; but we cannot "say that Jesus is the Lord except by the Holy Ghost;" and all the while that we are believing in God the Father, and in the glorious redemption of the Son, we cannot, as it were, help believing in God the Holy Spirit, because we feel him spiritualizing our souls. As you are in the very act of giving Christ the glory of your ransom, behold the blessing

of regeneration takes place within you, and sanctification accompanies it, whereby through the Holy Ghost the dear Saviour's image is imprinted on your hearts. The Lord the Spirit depicts the Redeemer's likeness on the believer's heart; he dwells and walks in him; he is his life, and while believing, he is, according to the fine language of scripture, "changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." But nothing will cause you to believe these divine truths, except an experimental acquaintance with them; but when once you have them within, as the good things you have received from above, then you can

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set to your seal that God is true." The spiritual eye alone can see the beauty of the doctrine of the Father, Son, and Spirit; and the nearer you are enabled to live to, and the more you are enabled to live upon Christ, the clearer will your spiritual vision be, till the time shall arrive when you will " see as you are seen and know as you are known." The Lord give you to think of these things, and may the everlasting good of them be brought home to your minds.

SERMON IX.

A PLAIN EXHORTATION ON NEW YEAR'S DAY.

1 COR. XV, 31.

"I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily."

WE are beginning a new period of time; may we think of the prayer of David, "so teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."1 No persons so completely proclaim their folly, as those who make light of time, for on it depends eternity. Every one of us here present is as sure to die, as that we are this moment living; but the time is known to God only. It is wisely concealed from us, but it is our wisdom to be always ready. O may that petition be preferred by us and granted, that "neither the splendour of any thing that is great, nor the conceit of any thing that is good in us, may withdraw our eyes from looking 1 Ps. xc, 12.