you

Spirit to them that ask him (a)? Observe now that these expressions describe earnest and persevering prayer. They do not in any respect accord with lukewarm or short-lived supplications. They teach you that, if would obtain the gift of the Holy Spirit, you must first become sensible how greatly you stand in need of it; for otherwise you will not pray for it with fervency: and how continually you stand in need of it: for otherwise you will not pray for it with constancy.

Secondly strive always to act up to the measure of the grace which you have received. To him that bath, to him who has faithfully endeavoured to live according to the helps with which it has pleased God to furnish him, more shall be given, and he shall have abundance. But from him who hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away (b). Cherish then the good desires which rise in your mind; for it is by the Holy Spirit that they are planted there. Keep stedfast to the religious resolutions which you have formed; for it is the Holy Spirit who has inclined you to form them. Carry them Carry them promptly and heartily into execution; for it is by the Holy Ghost that you are enabled not only to

(a) John, xvi. 23. Matth. vii. 7. Luke, xi. 13. (b) Matth. xxv. 29.

will, but to do. Study the Scriptures regularly and devoutly; for the holy men of old who wrote them, wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Be diligent, be sincerely pious, in attendance on all the outward ordinances of religion; for through them the Holy Ghost dispenses his grace. Receive with a willing mind the instructions, public or private, of the ministers of the Gospel; for, at the peril of their own souls, they are to feed and to watch over the flock, over which the Holy Ghost has made them overseers.

Lastly: Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God (c), by returning to sins which you have forsaken; or by allowing yourself to proceed in any new course of iniquity. Knowingly to continue in any habit of transgression is to forsake the Holy Ghost. It is not only to refuse to obey the influence of the good Spirit of God: it is to follow the guidance of the evil spirit, the adversary of God, the devil. It is to provoke the Holy Ghost to depart from you; to cast you off; to abandon you to yourself; and to the dominion of the powers of darkness. Keep then your heart diligently, that neither wrath, nor envy, nor hatred, nor impurity, nor covetousness, nor deceit, nor discontent, nor pride, nor worldly (c) Ephes. iv. 30. ·

anxiousness, nor any other unchristian disposition, may harbour there. Review from time to time your outward conduct, that you may discover whether you are indulging any practice unbecoming a servant of the Lord Jesus. Endeavour day by day to grow in grace; to gain more and more the mastery, through the Holy Spirit, over your remaining corruption. Then will he preserve you under his care. He will advance you spiritual understanding, in spiritual strength, in saving faith, in moral attainments. He will make you more and more meet to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light, and will seal you unto the day of redemption.

in

SER

SERMON VI.

The Love of GoD with the whole HEART an INDUCEMENT to strict MORALITY.

MATTHEW, Xxii. 37.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind.

IN

N the time of our Saviour's ministry, many of the Jews appear to have imagined that some of the commandments of God were in their nature of much higher excellence than others: that the observance of these was of much greater consequence, was much more acceptable, than the observance of others: nay, so important, so acceptable, that strict obedience even to one of these principal commandments would excuse the neglect of the remainder, and prove sufficient for the attainment of salvation. A teacher of the Jewish law, whose attention

had

had been raised by the wisdom of our Lord's discourses, partly from a desire to prove the depth of that wisdom, and partly for his own instruction, proposed this question: Master, which is the great commandment in the law? As though he had said, "Upon this point, "our eminent Rabbis are not agreed. Some

are of opinion, that the commandments "which relate to the offering of sacrifices are entitled to the highest rank. Others

give this honour to other command<< ments. What sayest thou? Which "commandment dost thou consider as the ""chief of all the commandments ?" Our Saviour, referring him to the words of Moses, which, if we considered, might have prevented the enquiry (a), replied; Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great com

mandment.

If this be the first and great commandment, to understand it, and to obey it, must be of the first and greatest consequence. For this purpose then let us humbly enquire into its meaning.

I. Consider who it is, whom the com

(a) Deut. vi. 5.

H

mandment