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ON THE HOLY GHOST.

The Holy Ghost shall teach you what ye ought to say. Luke xii. 12.

He shall teach you all things. John xiv. 26.

Words which the Holy Ghost teacheth. 1 Cor. ii. 13.

My speech and my preaching was-in demonstration of the
Spirit, and of power. 1 Cor. ii. 4.

The Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened. Eph.
i. 17, 18.

He convinces of sin.

When he is come, he will reprove the world of sin. John xvi. 8, 9.

He regenerates.

Except a man be born of water and ofthe Spirit, &c. John iii. 5, 6. He renews.

He saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Tit. iii. 5.

He dwells in the heart.

He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. John xiv. 17. Know ye not that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 1 Cor. iii. 16, 17.

Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you? 1 Cor. iii. 6. 19.

He strengthens with might.

To be strengthened with might by his Spirit, in the inner man. Eph. iii. 16.

The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. Gal. v. 17.

He is a source of consolation: He comforts us, and assures us of the willingness of God to receive and bless us. He shall give you another Comforter-even the Spirit of truth. John xiv. 16, 17.

The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost. John xiv. 26.
Walking in the comfort of the Holy Ghost. Acts ix. 31.
He reveals the promises to the awakened soul.

God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit. We have received not the Spirit of the world, but of God. 1 Cor. ii. 10-12. He guides into all truth, glorifies Christ, and takes of the things of Christ, and reveals them unto us, so as to incline us to part with sin.

The Spirit will guide you into all truth. John xvi. 13.

He shall glorify me. John xvi. 14.

For he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. John xvi. 14.

He testifies of Christ.

He shall testify of me. John xv. 26.

He gives access to Christ.

Through him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Eph. ii. 18.

He makes us willing to return, inclines us to part with

sin, works repentance, produces grace, wisdom, knowledge, piety, truth, patience, long-suffering, forbearance, holiness, love, joy, peace, consolation, hope, trust; and all that makes holy, or fits for heaven.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, &c.
The fruit of the Spirit in all goodness, &c.
He inspired the sacred writers.

Gal. v. 23.
Eph. v. 9.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. 2 Tim. iii. 16. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ, which was in them, did signify, &c. 1 Pet. i. 10, 11.

Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Pet. i. 21.

He witnesses with us, not by particular impulses, but by coinciding with the testimony of our consciences, that we are upright in giving ourselves to God, and also by producing in us the tempers and affections of his children. The Spirit beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. Rom. viii. 16.

My conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost. Rom. ix. 1.

God bearing them witness-with gifts of the Holy Ghost. Heb. ii. 4.

Whereof the Holy Ghost is a witness to us. Heb. x. 15.

He intercedes.

The Spirit maketh intercession for us. Rom. viii. 26.
He adopts.

The Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Rom. vii. Î7.

God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of love. 2 Tim. i. 7.

He sheds abroad the love of God in the heart.

The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. Rom. v. 5.

He sanctifies.

Being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. Rom. xv. 16.

Ye are sanctified by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor. vi. 11.
Chosen through sanctification of the Spirit. 2 Thess. ii. 13.
Elect-through sanctification of the Spirit. 1 Pet. i. 2.

He seals us, and is an earnest of our inheritance. Who hath sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. 2 Cor. i. 22.

Sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance. Eph. i. 13, 14.

Whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Eph. iv. 30. It is by the Spirit alone that we can do any good thing, and we are warned not to slight or grieve him. If he should finally leave us, there would be no hope of our

being again brought to repentance, and consequently our portion would inevitably be the worm that dieth not, and the fire that is not quenched.

Grieve not the Spirit. Eph. iv. 30.
Quench not the Spirit. Thess. v. 19.

They rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit. Isa. Ixiii. 10.

Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost. Acts vii. 51.

Take heed that you do not resist and grieve the Holy Spirit, by living carelessly, despising his gifts, and abusing his favours. Remembering what God has said: My Spirit shall not always strive with man. Gen. vi. 3. And pray earnestly to him, to uphold you with his free Spirit; (Psalm li. 12,) to renew a right Spirit within (Psalm li. 10,) and not to take his Holy Spirit from you, (Psalm li. 11.)

you,

Ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto eternal life. Jude 20, 21.

Absolution. Let us beseech him to grant us true repentance and his Holy Spirit.

Litany. Endue us with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, to amend our lives according to thy holy word.

Collect, Sunday after Ascension.-We beseech thee send to us thy Holy Ghost to comfort us.

19th Sunday after Trinity.-Grant that thy Holy Spirit may, in all things, direct and rule our hearts.

1st Collect, Communion Service.-Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit.

ON BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST.

This sin was not confined to the days of the Apostles, because sixty years after our Lord had declared that it should not be forgiven, St. John said, (1 John v. 16,) "There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it."-This sin is characterized,

1. By a great malignity of spirit; men are sinners exceedingly.

2. By a hatred of Christ because he reproves sin.

The Pharisees derided him, because he reproved the sin of covetousness. Luke xvi. 14.

3. By having made up the mind to go on in sin, and being wedded to it.

It includes,

1. A determination to resist all convictions, and to resist the truth, knowing it to be the truth.

2. Hating reproof, and those who use it.

3. A determination not to leave off the practice of sin. The following seem to be instances of those who committed this sin.

Koran, Dathan, and Abiram. Num. xvi. 26-32.

The sons of Eli. 1 Sam. ii. 25.

Alexander the coppersmith. 2 Tim. iv. 14.

Those who sin wilfully after they have received the knowledge of the truth. Heb. x. 26-31.

Those, who after having escaped the pollutions of the world, are again entangled therein, and overcome. 2 Pet. ii. 20-22. Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost will not be forgiven.

He that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. Mark iii. 29. Unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven. Luke xii. 10.

It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost-if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance. Heb. vi. 4. 6.

The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men-neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Matt. xii. 31, 32.

The world to come means the Gospel dispensation; and no sacrifice was appointed for presumptuous sin under the law. Num. xv. 30. Pardon is only offered to penitents, and those who have committed this sin never do repeat. All other sins are committed for present ease, comfort, or advantage; but this sin is the result of determined hatred to God. St. Paul was a persecutor, but he did it ignorantly. Julian the apostate persecuted religion, knowing it to be religion.

This was not David's sin-he was drawn on, from one neglect of duty to another-his fall was gradual, and his passions kept gathering strength-he went on from sin to sin, apparently without compunction, and his conscience seemed to be lulled asleep, till the prophet Nathan was sent to reprove him.

The passages of Scripture referred to in this chapter, have caused great distress to many conscientious Christians. They were written for our admonition, and were intended to warn the presumptuous against trifling with the convictions of conscience, but certainly not to discourage the humble penitent. They who most fear having committed this sin, are generally at the greater distance

from it; while they who are thus given up, feel no sorrow for sin, nor any anxiety to be restored to the favour of God.

Pray as David did, (Ps. xix. 13,) Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion

over me.

NOTE.

THE OFFICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

BISHOP PEARSON, in his observations on this article of the Creed, sets forth, first, the nature, and then the office, of the Holy Spirit. The first of these points has been so fully exhibited in this section, in the language of Scripture itself, that nothing more upon it is requisite. The remarks of the ex cellent author above mentioned upon the second, contain much valuable instruction, and deserve an attentive perusal. The pious reader will be gratified by the insertion of them here, slightly abridged in the first three or four paragraphs, and with occasionally (as also in other extracts from this author) a slight change in the phraseology, not in any way affecting

the sense.

By the office of the Holy Spirit we do not understand any ministerial office or function, such as that of created angels, who are all "ministering spirits," (Heb. i. 14,) for the Holy Spirit is a Divine person, and therefore above all ministration. By this expression we are to understand whatsoever is attributed to him peculiarly in the salvation of man, the work wrought by him, for which he is sent by the Father and the Son. All the persons in the Godhead are represented to us as concurring in our salvation, and whatsoever the Holy Ghost worketh in order to the same sal vation, we look upon as belonging to his office. Now, without holiness it is impossible to please God. We are all impure and unholy, and the pu rity and holiness which are required in us, to appear in the presence of God, must be wrought in us by the Spirit of God, who is called holy, be cause he is the cause of holiness in us. The office of the Holy Ghost we acknowledge, therefore, to consist in the sanctifying of the servants of God. This sanctification being opposed to our impurity and corruption, whatsoever is wanting in our nature of that holiness and perfection, must be supplied by the Spirit of God. Wherefore, as we are by nature totally void of saving truth, and under an impossibility of knowing God; as "no man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him; even so none knoweth the things of God, but the Spirit of God:" this "Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God," (1 Cor. ii. 10, 11,) and revealeth them unto the sons of men.

The first part, then, of the office of the Holy Spirit, consists in expelling the darkness of our understanding, and enlightening us with the know ledge of God. This work of the Spirit is double, being either external and general, or internal and particular.

The external and general work of the Spirit as to the whole Church of God, is the revelation of the will of God, by which so much in all ages has been propounded as was sufficient to instruct men unto eternal life. There have been "holy prophets" ever since the world began, (Luke i. 70,) and in these last days, when God has spoken to us by his Son, that Son sent his Spirit, the Spirit of truth, into the apostles, teaching them al! things, and bringing all things to their remembrance. John xvi. 13. By this means it came to pass that all Scripture was given by inspiration of God, that is, by the motion and operation of the Spirit of God.

Again, the same Spirit which reveals the object of faith generally to the universal Church of God, (which object is propounded externally by the Church to every particular believer,) does also illuminate the understand

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