will be as the clamor of a distant multitude to the soul, which is wholly occupied with the love of God. Sweet and precious was his experience, to those truths, who in the full confidence of them cried out, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? And it will be a happy testimony to the same in your instance, if from the same cause, you can say as he did: I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. t

I have but one evidence more to bring, by way of illustrating this doctrine, of the Spirit's work in the heart; and that is, when he reveals himself to the soul, in his gracious operations, so as to open another source of enjoyment to the believer, in a conciousness from whom all these mercies flow.

It might be well supposed indeed, without my insisting much upon it, that if God the Holy Ghost be, (as scripture teacheth he is) the sole Author, of all that delightful fellowship, and communion, which true believers have, with the Father

Romans 8. 35. 38. 39.

Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ; the same grace would be exercised, to lead the mind into a proper apprehension of his Person, and operations also, who is the cause of these enjoy

ments.

This view of the subject becomes very interesting. The multiform methods, by which God the Holy Ghost carries on his grace in the soul, in quickening, reviving, comforting, and strengthening influences; are all, so many illustrations, of the doctrine. And, though our inattentive, and careless minds, lose a thousand proofs which he is continually affording, to this amount; yet, there are sufficient evidences, in every believer's experience, to the fact itself, which demonstrate, that while he is shedding abroad the love of God, in the heart, to open communion, between each of the persons of the Godhead, and the soul; he is no less calling up every devout affection, of the heart, towards himself.

Every grace indeed, which is brought forth into exercise, for faith to act upon, the Person of the Father, or of the Son, as well as all the sweet influences, which manifest themselves in the life, are the immediate result, of his divine power, and therefore called in scripture, the

fruit

fruit of the Spirit. *

And it would form a

pleasure of the purest kind upon every renewed instance of the sort, if the believer were to accustom himself, to watch, and mark his footsteps, in the ten thousand proofs, which he is. daily testifying of his attention to him, in those particulars.

Shall I beg of you my Brother, either of you, who have personally known the love of God, shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost, to mark the evidences of the spirit's work, in the way I am now insisting upon, in your own experience.

When for example, at any time, you have been deeply exercised with soul distresses, arising from any misconstruction, or perversion, of the sacred word, and in danger of being led away with the error of the wicked; have you never found the Holy Ghost, personally revealing himself to your apprehension, under that well known character, and office, as the Spirit of truth to guide you into all truth? And hath

not his sweet instruction flowed into the mind, in such a manner, as if that voice from behind, was heard by you; saying, this is the way walk

* Gal, 5. 22.

ye

ye in it when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left?

*

Is there one present, who is at all conscious, what preventing, and restraining grace means; and who in the hour of temptation, hath felt its merciful influence, in keeping back, the foot from evil, but what finds the blessing doubly sweet, when the same hand that restrains, displays itself in the act of mercy, and fully proves, that it is through the Spirit he is enabled to mortify the deeds of the body?

And is not that joy and peace of the soul, which the believer finds in believing, either when resting upon the covenant-love of the Father, or in receiving a renewed application, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus to the soul, rendered yet more completely rapturous, when the whole is discovered, to be brought home, and poured into the heart, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Oh Sir! depend upon it the sweetness of all spiritual gifts, become more, or less, so according, as the blessed Spisit himself, who is the Fountain,

* Isaiah 30. 21.

Fountain of them, is beheld in view, while the soul is enjoying itself at the stream.

And what are all the sweet intercourses, between God and his people, which pass at a mercy seat, but the immediate effect of his love, shed abroad in the heart, who comes as a Spirit of grace and supplication, to help the infirmities of the saints, according to the will of God, and who maketh intercession for them, in the groanings which their full hearts cannot utter ?

My poor unawakened Brother! how totally destitute, of all gracious influences must you be, if ignorant of this peculiar office, of God the Holy Ghost, upon the soul? Alas! without him we can neither form right conceptions, of the great Object of prayer; we can neither know, what prayer is, or how to perform it acceptably; we can neither be sensible of our wants, or know through what channel, those wants are to be supplied. He, and he alone, who sheds abroad the love of God in the believer's heart, opens the heart at the same time, to express suitable acknowledgments of that love. And as He knoweth what the mind of God is, so is it his peculiar office, to reveal to us, this knowledge also, that our application for spiritual mercies, may be according to the will of God.

But