and divine perfection of his character. In humbling himself from his glorious estate, even to the death of the cross, he was one with the Father, not ely ma scheme of mercy, but also in upholding the nighteousness of the law; during his life on earth, he displayed, in his conduct as a man, a perfect conformity to the moral attributes of God; and now that be reigns supreme at the right hand of the Messer on 1, no man can live in sin and yet has & Saviour; his kingdom is one of purity We therefore, acknowledge him to be a righteous Rowever, De Hay-one of Israel;" we depend ada mu sris aš mercies: we admire ani siece tim ve is buntess bre, and for his -ray is the Lamb that was sist 22 reve power, nd sides, rd wisdom, and strare, and bonour, and port, and bessing."— • Sessing mi honour, me gory nnd power, be unto Sun star stec z de dome, mi mo the Lamb jor ever and erec SECTION V. ON THE CONTEMPLATION OF GOD IN REDEMPTION. Hence WHEN the Lord Jesus was on the point of quitting the sphere of his humiliation, and of returning to the glory of his Father, he gave his last commission to his disciples-"Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."1 we cannot fail to learn, that the Holy Ghost is no mere influence or quality, but an equal object, with the Father and the Son, of the Christian's faith and allegiance. As such, he is frequently alluded to in the New Testament. The source of all true virtue and happiness among men, he claims our perpetual reverence; and to blaspheme against him, is declared to be an unpardonable transgression. "All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme; but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.” 2 The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of Christ 3-He is sent of the Father, and sent of the Son.5 Yet it cannot be denied that the authority and dignity which are thus ascribed to him, belong to the Supreme Being himself; and equally clear is it, that God alone can perform the works of the Spirit. To search, illuminate, and cleanse, the soul; to breathe into it the breath of the true life; to inspire the Lord's servants; to distribute, according to his own will, those manifold gifts by which the church is edified—are the peculiar offices of the Spirit; who shall deny that they are offices of deity? “God is a Spirit;" invisible and spiritual in his nature, he fills his own works; he exercises over them an unseen and powerful influence; he dwells and operates and in the hearts of men. Nor can we deny the truth of the converse of the proposition—that the Spirit who fills the works of the Creator, who exercises over them an unseen and powerful influence, who dwells and operates in the hearts of men, is God. LORD is that SPIRIT." 6 The Since then the Spirit is God, it plainly follows that he is also love; for "God is love;" and nothing can be more inseparable from the nature of the Deity, than this pervading attribute. When Paul beseeches his brethren to strive with him in prayer, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for (the sake of) the love of the Spirit, we may best understand him as speaking, not of our love to the Spirit, but of the Spirit's love to us. 7 It was through the agency of the Holy Ghost that the Son of God became incarnate, and was afterwards anointed for all his gracious offices. Immeasurably gifted for his work and station, by the influences of the Spirit, Jesus became both the prophet and the king of his people. "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me," says the Messiah, "because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek."8 Again, the psalmist, worshipping him, says "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre; thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness; therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."9 Jesus was also the Christ, i. e. the Anointed-one, in his priestly character. The precious ointment which was poured forth upon the head of Aaron, and ran down to the skirts of his garment, was probably a type of that unlimited effusion of the Holy Ghost, through which the Saviour offered on the cross, one all-sufficient sacrifice for the sins of mankind. 66 Through the 7 Rom. xv, 30. διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Πνεύματος. s Isa. lxi, 1; comp. ch. xi, 2, and John iii, 34. 9 Ps. xlv, 6, 7; comp. ii 2. H care or the Lord um reraded, not CIS HANGIN marere. 2 yes meness of 1 ssss the Father, the Daemon of the world. n xe lies gre of this point purpar mamiche occasion, when pea wa Jesus, and the Spirit a las i ara mi lighted upon him; are of the Five was heard, saying, I buvai Sm. whom I am well You then an act that heaven's vast tem fr ma's svin, is to be ascribed to the Gove of the Spin as well as to that of the Father and the Soc? But let us mark the gracious dealings of the Holy Ghost, in applying this scheme of mercy, to our own benefit. The Spirit who co-operated with Christ in his sacrifice on the cross, is, through that sacrifice, himself bestowed on mankind, to enlighten, teach, regenerate, purify, console, and ripen for hea May we not rest assured that he performs all ffices, in the most ardent, tender, and persever |