SERMON XII.

ON THE GIFT OF THE HOLY

SPIRIT.

John xiv. 16, 17,

AND I WILL PRAY THE FATHER, AND HE SHALL GIVE YOU ANOTHER COMFORTER, WHICH SHALL ABIDE WITH YOU FOR EVER; EVEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH; WHOM THE WORLD CANNOT RECEIVE.

BUT

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UT before I enter upon the third proposition, I must not pass over another class of mankind who, although they profess much love and veneration for Christ, and have him frequently in their mouths, will string together a number of pretty epithets, will call him a dear Jesus, a precious Christ, with a jingle of highsounding phrases;. and will ring the changes of his blood and righteousness a thousand times over; and yet

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there may be dead formality through the whole.

IT is not of repeating the endearing name of Jesus, which makes us spiritual; but it is Christ in us, the hope of glory, which constitutes christians indeed; but how can this be done except by, or through, the influences of the ever blessed spirit of God!

THERE is a sort of orthodox stile in great vogue among some who profess religion. They will speak of the fall of man; yea, not only speak, but earnestly contend for it; and yet there is much reason to fear that they are strangers to the very doctrine which they contend for. So in like manner they speak highly, very highly of all the offices of Christ, and all they say may be strictly true, and yet it may be mere system; nay, it may be the form of sound words, and yet the speaker may be as destitute of the experimental part, as a pillar of marble or brass upon which the good words may be inscribed.

THIS gospel formality is what we all ought to be aware of, who are in the habit of hearing the gospel, or reading evangelical books, lest there should be a resting in the letter; a being satisfied with the form of sound words. It has been the downfall of pure religion in every age and country.

MINISTERS of every denomination have great need to take heed, both of themselves and their doctrine, lest they stumble here,

or rest satisfied with a set of sound expressions without the power of an endless life. What can be a sounder form of words than what is called the Apostle's Creed? and yet it is to be lamented, that numbers repeat it, and have no more sense of it than a poor papist has of his Latin prayers. I reckon the Litany one of the finest, mere, human compositions that was ever penned, taking it upon the whole; and yet, alas! it is to be feared, that it is repeated over and over by multitudes with no more feeling than a parrot feels the words she is taught to articulate.

BUT is there not a danger of ministers getting into a dead form, as well as the hearers? Indeed there is; if we get into a kind of indolent common place way, and barely doing only what we cannot help; or if we are aiming at popularity, or in any wise seeking our own; then we preach ourselves, and not Christ Jesus the Lord.

Now the receiving the heavenly paraclete will happily prevent all the evils which I wish to deprecate, and without which, there is no avoiding dry formality, let the system be what it may. Let it be the national establishment, or any body of Dissenters, let them be Calvinists, or Arminians; for there are dead formalists in both parties; I see it, I lament it; I lift up my voice against it, I cry to God against it; and while it is thus, the professor is but the

walking coffin of a dead soul; and what are called churches, are like houses without inhabitants; or like the prophet's vision of the dry bones; they were collected together into human forms, but there was no breath in them. No, they still lay like the slain in the street till them the breath, or Spirit, as the same word is rendered in the 14 verse, came into them, and then they lived and stood upon their feet, as men alive and prepared for action. (a)

NOR is every ranting enthusiast under the influence of the heavenly Comforter. I have seen enough to convince me of that. Great numbers of this description have appeared for a time, and too many have been like a meteor, or a blaze of straw; and others have been very much wanting in the passive part of religion; they have been impatient, if any thing has opposed them; and very censorious against such as could not exactly agree with them.

Now we are exhorted, To try the spirits whether they be of God; and for a very good reason; if it is of God, it will be like its author. Learn of me, said the pattern of perfection, for I am meek and lowly in heart. O yes, let patience have its perfect work. That compleat portrait of genuine religion, the thirteenth of the first of Corinthians, runs all in the pas

(a) Ezek. xxxvii. 8—11.

sive strain. We certainly may be formal in noise and tumult as well as in a more silent way; and therefore let every one seriously and honestly examine his own frame, spirit and temper, so shall he have rejoicing in himself and not in another.

I BELIEVE many have been awfully mistaken on this head, and therefore we must ever attend to that sure mark which our Lord has laid down, By their fruits, ye shall know them. *

III. I COME now to enquire why we must receive this heavenly guest. Indeed, I have indirectly shewed the reasons alrea dy; and therefore I must walk the ground lightly over again.

1. IF it is the office of this Comforter to

I think I shall never forget what that venerable man of God, Mr. Whitfield said, to a hot zealot, the first Conference I had the honour to attend in the year 1761, at Spitalfields Chapel, in London. The person Mr. Whitfield addessed, was a high professing Clergyman, who came to the Conference, and who appeared all zeal and activity; but in the course of conversation, he began to shew that his talk was far from being the pure flame of love; yet he avowed it was all the jove of God in his heart, and talked very loud, M. White field, as I recollect, put his hand upon the gentleman's head, and said, My dear man, you are mistaken; you have the love of God in your head; but not in your heart. And it is to be feared it was so; for all was like a flash of water from a lock, it was over soon, for he soon took his leave of us, even in a few months; nor do I remem

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ever hearing of him since. In short whether we be noisy or otherwise; we may be formal: but let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.