our naked souls. He is the Rock, giving out living water, which ever follows us. He is the compassionate Husband and elder Brother on whom we lean, coming up from the wilderness. He is our King, at whose feet our heart is laid down, that he may reign over it for ever and ever. When we decay it is not so. There is much guilt on the conscience, but little travelling to the Fountain; there is a doubt and dislike of the way of salvation by Christ. There is little hiding beneath the righteousness without works. There is little drinking out of the Rock-it seems dry, or we are removed from it. There is no leaning upon Christ -no sense of his presence by night and by day. Ah! this is a sad mark of grey hairs.

4. Sin not hated. When first we knew the Lord, how did sin appear? We had awful discoveries of the exceeding sinfulness of sin. It appeared evil and bitter—the load that had crushed the Lord Jesus to the lowest hell; we could not bear it—we fled from temptation with our whole heart-we were quick-scented (Isa. xi. 3—margin) in the fear of the Lord. Like those animals that quickly scent game, so the new creature easily discovered the approach of sin, and fled from it. Now we have little conviction of sin. Dry eyes in confession-little confession, or none at all-no times set apart for the confession of sin. Temptation little feared, the soul becomes bolder and bolder in its approaches to sin.

5. Christians lightly esteemed. Once we loved all that loved the Lord-all our delight was in them-the mark that Christ left as the mark of a true disciple applied to us: "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,

if

ye have love one to another."-John xiii. 35. We had all things in common with them, so that none of them could be in want; we exhorted one another daily, as iron sharpeneth iron; we would not suffer sin upon our brother; we spoke with such love, and frankness, and humility, that they could not be offended. Now we look on them with coldness; we are not so intimate with them-we fear lest they see our guilt. We are not so careful of the poor saints as once we were-we have sworn to our own hurt, and we begin to change; we do not exhort one another daily; when they reprove us, we turn angry, and we do not reprove in love, but with a bitter spirit, or we speak evil of them behind their back.

6. The ungodly not warned.

Once we wept over them

in secret-pleaded with God night and day for their conversion-abhorred their ways: "I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me."-Ps. ci. 3. Now our bowels do not yearn over them-little or no prayer for their conversion; we now, perhaps, guiltily smile on their wicked ways. If we do not partake, at least we do

II. Causes of decay.

1. A lust allowed to prevail. So with Israel: "They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker.”—Hos. vii. 4. This was the cause of Israel's decay. So it will be with you and me. A lust for money-a sensual lust—a lust for praise or pleasure, if tampered with, and suffered to prevail, will make the whole soul wither. For a time you begin to fight against it—then your opposition grows weaker-then you make excuses for it-then you hide it from yourself, but still obey its power. This brings guilt on the conscience -takes away your relish of the Bible-makes you weary of the mercy-seat. This makes the holy Saviour little prized this makes sin little hated, Christians avoided, and the ungodly not pitied. O my brethren! we must either be enemies of all sin, or we shall be decaying, withering branches. One lust nourished in your heart will be a viper in your bosom.

2. Worldly company. "Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people."--Hos. vii. 8. This was the peculiar character of the Jews: "The people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations;" but when they mixed themselves among the nations, then grey hairs began to appear. So it is with Christians-they are a peculiar people. Jesus said of them: "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." We are as completely separated from the world as Christ was; we have got blood upon us, and the Holy Spirit in us; we have peculiar joys and peculiar sorrows; we are a praying people-a praising people. But the moment we begin to mix with the ungodly, grey hairs begin to appear our souls wither.

Do not mistake me. If God has cast your lot in an ungodly family, where God is not worshipped-where his holy name is blasphemed-where his Word is not read—where your ears are vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked-be not cast down. This is your peculiar trial; and God, who suits the back to the burden, will give grace

according to your day. But if you choose a place where God is not-if you choose companions who have no fear of God-if you venture into companies where the god of this world reigns, where the Bible is a jest-book, and God's ministers are the song of the drunkard-then your soul will and must begin to wither.

You retire to your closet, and open your Bible; but its holy, pure words, are not sweet to your taste. You kneel and fold the hands; but prayer is a burden-you have no spiritual desires. You name the name of Christ; but he does not appear altogether lovely. Sin has lost its frightful look. Lively Christians are now too exact and precise for you. Alas! it is not with you as in months past. The crown has fallen from your head. Woe unto you, because you have sinned!

III. Cure.

1. You may be cured. "O Ephraim, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thine help. Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers, yet return again to me, saith the Lord." Satan will tempt you to say, There is no hope—no, for I have loved strangers; but this is a lie. Remember, in Christ there is hope.

2. Search out the cause. Your heart will be most unwilling to find it out, but you must find it out. If you were in a sinking ship, the first thing is to find the leak; so you must find the leak in your soul. Is it an idol? -lay it bare. Trace back your feelings till you find it out. Is it some lust you indulge?—mark it out. Is it worldly company?-note it-put your finger on it. Say, This is the Achan in my heart-this is the troubler.

3. Get forgiveness of it. Confess it over the head of the Scape-goat-plunge it into the Fountain opened for sin. Jesus is crying: "Return unto me, for I have redeemed

thee."

4. Slay the troubler. Do with it as they did with Achan. Seek the Holy Spirit's indwelling power to slay the troubler, that it never rise up any more. O my friends! If we would thus seek reformation, we would be the better of our falls-we would get honey out of the lion's carcass. Awake! awake my friends! hell is as deep as ever it was- -Christ as free-your souls as precious-your eternity is nearer and nearer. O how foolish to deny, instead of, like Caleb, following the Lord fully! "Be ye stedfast, immovable,

always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord."

SERMON LXII.

GRIEVE NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT.

"Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."-EPH. iv. 30.

I. The holy familiarity of the Spirit in a believing soul. 1. He dwells in it.-John xiv. 17; Ezek. xxxvi. 26; 1 Cor. vi. 19; 2 Cor. vi. 16. 2. He teaches there.-John xvi. 13; 1 John ii. 20. 3. He prays there.-Jude 20; Rom. viii. 26. 4. He seals.

II. How he may be grieved.

Something analogous to grief, anger, desire, in God. Take away all imperfection from these passions. When God was manifest in the flesh, he was angry at sin-grieved -wept-longed. So the Spirit is grieved. The same effect as in a grieved person-withdraws. 1. Putting his work for Christ's work. 2. Not leaning all on him. 3. Not following his leadings. 4. Despising ordinances.

When we become Christians, we become acquainted with the persons of the Godhead. An unconverted soul knows nothing, and thinks nothing about the Holy Spirit. How strange and foolish must such a command as this appear to many of you. Paul is dissuading from filthy, corrupt talking, and the argument he uses is, "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God." You would understand, Grieve not your minister, or father, or godly friend; but what can you make of this, "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God?"

III. Application.

1. Because it is so ungrateful. 2. You will lose your peace with God. 3. You will fall into deeper sin.

I. The holy friendship of the Spirit in the believing soul. The very words "Grieve not," show this. It is the part of a friend to be grieved when we do wrong. An enemy would rejoice, or an unfeeling person might be angry, but the Holy Spirit is grieved. This shows his holy, tender friendship for the justified soul. It is true, it is not possible for God the Holy Spirit to suffer grief in exactly the same sense in which we do, for that would imply that he was not unchangeably happy; but there is no doubt all that is holy, excellent, and perfect in our grief at the sin of another-everything except what would imply imperfection. Accordingly, when God was manifest in the flesh, these emotions of the Godhead showed themselves in the tears and groans of the Lord Jesus.

"I will

1. He dwells in the soul: "I will put my Spirit within you."-Ezek. xxxvi. 26. "The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, he dwelleth in you."-John xiv. 17. "What! know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you?"-1 Cor. vi. 19. dwell in them, and walk in them.”—2. Cor. vi. 16. Can there be imagined a more intimate friendship than this? Other friends may live in the same house with us, mingle tears and prayers together, take sweet counsel together; but he, the blessed Comforter, dwells in our body-dwells in us and walks in us. Can there be a more condescending friendship? It was amazing condescension when the Son of God was made flesh, and dwelt among us. It is hardly less wonderful that the Holy Spirit of God should come down and dwell in a clay cottage beside such a wicked heart.

2. He teaches there: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth." There is no greater kindness than to teach the ignorant-to bear with a dull scholar-to teach as the scholar is able to bear. It is great condescension, when a man of gigantic powers, who might guide the councils of nations, or wield the sceptre of the world, sits down to teach the alphabet, like John Eliot, to a child. This is what the Spirit does. It was amazing love in the Lord Jesus to come as a teacher, to open mouth in parables, and to explain all things so simply, with such majesty, authority, simplicity, love and longsuffering; but, ah! surely it is no less amazing love in the Spirit, to come and teach sinners by his own secret breathings to open their understandings-to take of the things of Jesus and show them unto us; so that we have an

his