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unction from the Holy One, and know all things.-1 John ii. 20. Ah, how the Spirit bears with our backwardness in learning the divine lesson-strives to remove our ignorance -strives in our heart and upon the page of the Bible! How this shows the holy friendship and familiarity of the Spirit in the believing soul!

3. He prays there: "We have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but we have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." "Likewise the

Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what to pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered."—Rom. viii. 15, 26. "Praying in the Holy Ghost."-Jude 20. It is an act of pure friendship to teach one to pray. It is often the believing mother's part to lead her child in prayer, teaching it to lisp after her desires for divine things; but ah! how much more than a mother's tenderness does the Spirit show, when he puts the very desires into our hearts— groans within us! It is an act of intimate friendship to pray with one another-what must it be to pray in another? This is the Spirit's friendship.

4. He seals: " Whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption." "After ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise."-Eph. i. A friend who is much with you, leaves a pleasing impression behind; his words, his sentiments have an effect on your mind. When you have a holy friend, he leaves a fragrance behind that abides with you. This is one of the happy effects of sanctified friendship. Such was the impression which David made on Jonathan. But how much more wonderful, blessed, and indelible is the impression made by the Holy Spirit dwelling in the heart! It is compared to the impression made by a seal on wax, and it is to the day of redemption. Ah, my friends! does this Friend dwell in you? Is your body a temple of the Holy Ghost? Are you sealed to the day of redemption? "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

II. Ways of grieving the Spirit.

I have already showed you that the grief the Holy Spirit feels is the same as ours, only without any of the sin or imperfection. Jesus "looked round on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts." What the divine nature of Jesus then felt, the Holy Spirit feels at the

sight of sin. "Jesus turned and looked upon Peter." We are not told what kind of look it was, but I have no doubt it was one of grief; as if he had said, Did I not tell thee, Peter, what thy boasting would come to? What passed in the divine mind of the Lord Jesus at that moment, is what the Holy Spirit feels at sin in believers.

1. Putting the Spirit's work in the place of Christ's. The principal office of the Spirit is to glorify Christ. "He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you."-John xvi. 14. When the three thousand were brought to receive Christ gladly on the day of Pentecost, it was the Spirit who opened their hearts and eyes. He loves this work. It is sweet, God-glorifying work, to reveal Jesus to sinners as all their righteousness. But many look in for righteousness; they begin to look to their sanctification for peace; they begin to look to the work of the Spirit in them for righteousness, instead of the work of the Son for them. This grieves the Spirit. This is quite contrary to the divine plan of salvation-dishonours the law-makes Christ dead in vain.

2. Not leaning all on Him. Another main part of the Spirit's work is to uphold the believer in holy living. "Uphold me with thy free Spirit"-"I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk "-"Thy Spirit is good, lead me". "Without me ye can do nothing." This is the sanctifying work of the Lord the Spirit, which none can do but he; and he is able to do it. But often a believer dare not trust the Spirit. He says: I perish-I know not what to do my lusts are too strong-I shall surely fall. 0 ye of little faith, where is your faith? This grieves your indwelling Friend. Did not I say I would not leave thee? Did not I say I would uphold thee?

Lean on me-fear not. Often we lean on something else—on promises-resolutions -good principles-past experiences. Ah! this is not leaning on the simple promise of Jesus and the power of the unseen Spirit. This is grieving your Friend.

3. Not following his leadings. When Jesus was on earth, he led his disciples from place to place, and they followed the Lamb. "Let us go into Judea again-let us depart to the other side." Had they refused, this would have grieved him-it would have shown want of confidence. In like manner, when the apostles set out on their mission to the Heathen, they were forbidden by the Spirit to enter one country. "Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the

work whereunto I have called them." Had they neglected the command of the Spirit, this would have grieved him. So now, whan believers are led by the Spirit, when the Spirit cries" Abba" within them-when a spirit of supplications is given a yearning in prayer over others-if we do not take heed, if we restrain prayer, this is grieving the Spirit. If we were going into unlawful company-some feast where Jesus is not-if a godly companion were to pull us back, and say, "Ah! do not go, you will hurt your soul"-would it not grieve him if we were to thrust him aside, and quench his warnings, and rush into the place of sin? This is what many of you do to the Holy Spirit. He warns-pricks the heart-you persevere in your sin. Ah! grieve not-quench

not.

4. Despising ordinances. These are the meeting-places with the Spirit, the wells of salvation. If you break appointment with a dear friend, you slight and grieve him— he goes away; so with the Spirit.

III. Application.

1. Because it is ungrateful. When Peter met the eye of Jesus, and saw the grief he had occasioned him, he went out and wept bitterly. This is what you should do who have grieved the Spirit. It is he that brought you to Christ. Do ye thus requite the Lord the Spirit? Has he deserved this at your hands?

2. You will lose your peace with God. The grieved Spirit withdraws-the seal becomes dim, and disappearsguilt, confusion, unbelief, doubt, fear, crowd upon the soul. O the misery that you procure to your own soul! "Thine own wickedness shall correct thee."

3. You will fall iuto deeper sin. The grieved Spirit withdraws, but without him you can do nothing-you cannot pray, you cannot walk toward the land of uprightness -you sink deeper and deeper. Ah! my brethren, you who have grieved the Spirit, and are sinking deeper and deeper into sin, let this very thought awaken you, that you know not where your sin will stop, unless you now turn back to Jesus.

Dear believers, walk tenderly with this dear Friend. Do not grieve him in anything. Let him reign in you and over you. Lean on him-follow his leadings-often pray for him. Soon we shall be his entirely.

SERMON LXIII.

YE WILL NOT COME TO ME.

"Ye will not come to me that ye might have life."-JOHN v

THERE is nothing more affecting in the Gospel na than to read of the vast multitudes who heard the w the Lord Jesus, and remained unsaved. He stood midst of them, the Saviour of the world-willing at to save them to the very uttermost; he stretched hands all the day. Each one of that crowd neede he was the only one who could save them-the only place for their souls; and yet they were not saved why was this? Hear. Ye will not come unto ye might have life." The same affecting scene is s fore you Jesus is in the midst-you all need him; will not come to him that ye might have life.

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I. What is in the hand of Jesus?-Life. Jesus standing in the midst of a crowd of poor serving sinners, declares that in his hand there is lif here implied that all around were dead-void of li that in his hand alone they could find life.

This life is of three kinds.

1. Life judicial-that is, pardon; so verse 24 passed from death unto life." "He that hath the S life."-1 John v. 12. "Believing, ye might ha through his name."-John xx. 31. Every one crowd was lying under sentence of death, on acc sin; there was none righteous, no, not one. A ready to perish. Some of them knew it, and had da bodings-most of them did not know it, and did about it. Still it was true of all; all were under condemned to die the second death-poor con criminals; the sentence of the law had gone out them, and any one moment might be put in executi Jesus' hand there was life-a way of pardon open an them all. "In him was life." He came into the wo died in such a way that he could honestly and tru himself to every creature as their Surety and Saviour

is still the same; you all need life judicial-you are underlying the curse of a broken law. All in this assembly who have not come to Christ, are under sentence of eternal death. But there is life in the hand of Jesus; the Lord Jesus offers himself to each of you as your complete surety. O how sad that the most will not come to Christ that they may have life!

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2. Life spiritual-that is, inward holiness-spoken of in verse 25: "The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live." He had been telling them that the Father had given him authority to quicken whom he will. It is a hidden life.-Col. iii. 3. It is Christ living in the soul.-Gal. ii. 20. All the crowd around him were dead in trespasses and sins-like the dry bones, very many and very dry. But here was the Fountain of living water-the Rock smitten, and the life-giving stream gushing forth-enough to quicken ten thousand worlds. The same scene is still here: "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." He is the Unseen present; in his hand is the fountain of a new life. Your souls are dead-your will dead-heart dead-mind dead to God and divine things. O that you would come to him and find life! You need your eye quickened, to see him -your ear, to hear him-your heart, to receive him-your whole soul, to close with him. There is a fulness of spiritual life in Christ: "If thou knewest the gift of God, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water."-John iv. 10.

3. Life of glory-called in the Word "eternal life" and "everlasting life:" "The righteous into life eternal.”— Matt. xxv. 46. "I give unto them eternal life."-John x. "Whoso believeth in him should have everlasting life." -John iii. 16. "He that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."-Gal. vi. 8. All around were on the way to the second death.

"Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death "-standing over the lake of fire. Jesus had eternal life in his hand-ready to give the right to it, the foretaste of it, and itself in due time. No wonder he cried so earnestly. So now every unpardoned soul is on the way to deathover the lake of fire. Jesus has everlasting life.

II. The witnesses.

1. John: "Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness to

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