for a witness-to leave every man without ex

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maining in his sins; as if he had said: Now if y is your own blame-God is clear of your blood Ah! my dear friends, such is our ministry to It is for a witness. God, who knows my that I seek your salvation night and day. above, that your heaven would be two heavens your salvation as two salvations to me." Ye not learn, I will be a witness against you i The words that we have spoken in weakness trembling, will rise to condemn you in that day would I see you gathered with the ransomed right hand of the throne! How fain, in that see you smiled on by the lovely Saviour, whose bright than the summer sun! But, if it may say with the angels: "Hallelujah!"-"Even for so it seemed good in thy sight."-Amen. St Peter's, Feb. 25, 1838.

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SERMON XI.

THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT.

And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters

THERE is, perhaps, no subject upon which the ignorance than that of the Spirit of God. Mo our day, if they answered truly, would say as men at Ephesus: "We have not so much as h be any Holy Ghost."-Acts xix. to be saved, you must know him; bring a poor sinner to Christ.

A

And yet, if for it is all little boy,

said: "Three persons in the Godhead. God the Father made and preserved me; God the Son came into the world and died for me; God the Holy Ghost came into my heart, and made me love God and hate sin." My dear friends, if you would die happy, you must be able to bear the same dying testimony. You know it is said in John, that "God is love." This is true of God the Father in his giving up his Son for sinners; this is true of God the Son, in his becoming man and dying for sinners; this is true of God the Holy Ghost, in his whole work in the heart of sinners. At present I wish to show you the love of the Spirit, by observing all that he has ever done for men in the world. To-day I will J. show you his work at creation—at the flood-in the wilder

ness.

I. At creation: "The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."-Gen. i. 2. The expression is taken from a dove brooding over its nest. "Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created; and thou renewest the face of the earth."-Ps. civ. Here the Spirit is said to have renewed the face of the earth. He made every blade of grass to spring-every_flower to open-every tree to put forth blossoms. "By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens." -Job xxvi. 13. Here God does, as it were, lead us forth to look upon the midnight sky; and when we gaze upon its spangled maze, studded with brilliant stars, he tells us that it was the loving Spirit that gave them all their brightness and their beauty. Observe, then, that whatever beauty there is in the glassy sea, in the green earth, or in the spangled sky, it is all the work of the Holy Spirit. God the Father willed all-God the Son created all-God the Holy Ghost garnished, and gave life and loveliness to all. Oh! what a lovely world that unfallen world must have been-when God the Son walked with Adam in Paradise -when God the Holy Ghost watered and renewed the whole every moment-when God the Father looked down well pleased on all, and said that all was very good.

He

Learn 1. The love of the Spirit. He did not think it beneath his care to beautify the dwelling-place of man. wanted our joy to be full. He did not think it enough that we had a world to live in, but he made the waters full of life and beauty. He made every green thing to spring for man, and made a shining canopy above, all for the joy of man. Whatever beauty still remains on earth, or

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sea, or sky, it is the trace of his almighty finger. You should never look on the beauties of the world without thinking of the Holy Spirit that moved upon the face of the waters-that renewed the face of the earth-that garnished the heavens with stars.

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2. The holiness of the Spirit. From the very beginning he was the Holy Spirit, of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. It was a sinless world. The sea had never been defiled by bearing wicked men upon its bosom. The green earth had never been trodden by the foot of a sinner. The spangled sky had never been looked upon by the eye of one whose eye is full of adultery, and cannot cease from sin. was a holy, holy, holy world—a temple of the living Godthe lofty mountains were the pillars of it; the glittering heavens its canopy. The far-resounding ocean sang his praise. The hills brake forth into singing, and all the trees of the field clapped their hands. As the cloud which so filled Solomon's temple that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; so the Holy Spirit filled this world-a holy, sinless temple to the Father's praise. When man fell into sin, and the very ground was cursed for his sake, then the Holy Spirit, in great measure, left his temple; he could not dwell with sin. And never do you find him coming back, as before, till he lighted on the head of a sinless Saviour; for the Holy Ghost descended upon him like a dove, and abode upon him.

Just so is it with the soul. As long as your soul is guilty, polluted, vile, in the sight of the Spirit, he cannot make his abode in your heart. He is a loving Spirit, full of a tender desire to make you holy. But as long as you are guilty in his sight, it is contrary to his nature that he should dwell in you. But come to the blood of Jesus, sinner-come to the blood that makes you white as snowthen will the Spirit see no iniquity in you, and he will come and dwell in your heart, as he dwelt at first in the sinless world. As he moved on the face of the waters, like a dove over its nest, so he will make his nest in your heart, and brood there. As he renewed the face of the ground, so will he renew your heart. As he garnished the heavens, so will he beautify your soul, till he make you shine as the

stars for ever and ever.

II. At the flood: "My Spirit shall not always strive with men, for that he also is flesh (fading): yet his days

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shall be an hundred and twenty years."-Gen. vi. 3. a different scene we have here! Yet here also we shall learn that the Holy Spirit is a loving Spirit. At the creation we found him beautifying the world-dwelling in it as in a temple; the earth, the sea, the sky-all proclaiming that it was a sinless world. But now fifteen hundred years had passed away, and the whole earth was covered with a race of godless men-giants in body and giants in wickedness.

"God looked upon the earth, and it was corrupt." It was all one putrid mass. "From the sole of the foot to the crown of the head there was no soundness in it;" for all flesh had corrupted his way. Just as a putrid body is loathsome in the sight of man, so the earth was loathsome in the sight of God. Nay, more; the earth was filled with violence. The few children of God that remained were hated and persecuted-hunted like the partridge on the mountains. It repented the Lord that he had made man, and it grieved him at his heart. How is the Holy Spirit engaged? Ans. 1. He does not dwell with sinful men. He cannot dwell with unpardoned sinners; for he is the Holy Spirit. 2. But still he strives with men, and strives to the very end. The men were giants in sin. Every imagination of their heart was only evil continually. But this is the very reason he strives. He sees the flood that is coming -he sees the hell that is beneath them; therefore does he strive. In the preaching of Noah he pleaded with them; he pricked their hearts-made them think of their danger, their sin, their misery. In the preparing the ark he pleaded with them-showed them the way of safety, and said: "Yet there is room." He made every stroke of the hammer go to their hearts. "The Spirit and the Bride said, Come."

Learn 1. That he is a striving Spirit. O! let those of you that are living in sin, learn what a loving Spirit is now striving with you. Some of you, who are living in sin, think that God is nothing but an angry God; therefore you do not turn to him. True, "he is angry with the wicked every day;" still he is striving with the wicked every day. He sends the Holy Spirit to strive with you. Oh! what a loving Spirit he is, that does not at once turn you into hell, but pleads and strives, saying: "Turn ye, turn ye; why will ye die?"

Some may say: I am a giant in wickedness-I am corrupt-I am violent against God's children. True; yet

providences. Sometimes, when you are all alon wrestles with you, brings your sin to remem makes you tremble; or, like the angels at So to make you flee from destruction. Oh! what to strive with hell-deserving worms. "Oh! ye and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do alwa Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.”

2. A long-suffering Spirit. One hundred years he strove with the men before the flood. ceased till the flood came. Some of you reme when God's Spirit was striving with you at school, or your first sacrament. You wept fo and prayed; but the world has come on you and now you fear he strives no more. Lea long-suffering Spirit-he strives with you yet. hath ears, let him hear what the Spirit sai Churches."

3. He will not always strive. Observe, the till the flood came, but no longer; for the floo carried them all away. So it is with you, my As long as our ministry lasts, he strives with yo death comes, or when the Saviour comes, he w more. Ah! you will have no awakening, invi sermons in hell-not one invitation more. Oh is to think that so many, who have the Sp striving with them, should perish after all.

III. In the wilderness. Nearly one thousar the flood, we find God choosing a peculiar pec self, and keeping them separate from all pe wilderness. Here the Spirit shows himself stil loving Spirit.

1. The glorifier of Christ. Bezaleel and his guidance, make the tabernacle-the mer altar-the high priest's garments.-Exod. xxxi these typify Christ. The Spirit here enables t show forth the Saviour to the many thousan Although they often vexed the Holy Spirit, and in the desert, yet, see here how lovingly he sets in the midst of them, that he may lead them t