Lord and Master of it. The first disciples and believers were so entirely taken possession of by this blissful dominion of the Pentecostal Spirit, that they were no longer master of their own tongues or any other member, but were compelled as it were, to speak, even as the Spirit gave them utterance. They could no longer speak, according to their own judgment, knowledge, and learning. No! they were constrained to do and speak as the Holy Spirit would have them. Thus it fares with every one, with whom the Holy Spirit takes up his residence; he then experiences the blissful dominion of our Lord Jesus Christ in his heart. The Holy Spirit is then the sceptre, which is sent forth out of Zion into our hearts; for he takes possession of all our will and desire, all our actions and deportment, all our inclinations and affections, and makes us entirely subject to him. He dwells in our hearts, like a king of the realm in his palace; he ordains and accomplishes in us that, which is pleasing and acceptable to him; he creates in us another principle and beginning of life; he becomes to the soul, as it were, the life of her life; he renews her daily, more and more, in the image of him that created her, and forms her into a temple of truth and righteousness, yea to a living temple of God and Jesus Christ. All the glory of earthly kings and princes are only vain shadows and child's-play compared with a single pentecostal heart, which is deemed worthy of receiving the Spirit of Jesus Christ, in such plenitude.

Now see, my dearest friends, to be brief, such

great things has the Lord our God in store for us! Therefore, why do we stop short at mean and inferior things, nay at real shadows, and child's play? Why do we cleave, like the brute beasts, continually to the earth? Why do we root, like the mole, for such things, which can never satiate, never satisfy, never afford rest to our immortal spirits ? God has created and redeemed us, in order that we may become partakers of his divine nature and living temples of the Holy Spirit. Now, how does our conduct accord with this most sacred intention of God, if it only loves what is earthly, and makes it evident, that we are not heavenly, but earthly and carnal minded? Every heart has the nature of that, of whose spirit and sentiment it is possessed, and by which it is governed. If the spirit and the fashion of this world govern us, we have an earthly and carnal nature, and as many vices within us, as a carnally-minded heart, impregnated with the spirit of the world, is wont to breed, and can consequently have as little intercourse with God, as little as we are partakers of the divine nature. If the Spirit of God and Jesus Christ possesses or leads us, we have a divine nature, and are thus capable of acting as temples of the Holy Spirit, and of being' most intimately united with God.

Now then, my dear brethren and fellow-called ! let us with the divine assistance press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, with all possible earnestness. Let us so run, in the course, the race which God has set

S

let us continually every one at each

before us, that we may obtain, and to this end, abstain as much as possible from all other things! Truly, since so great a fulness is promised us, let us most greedily seize hold of it! watch and be sober, and look, other, to incite him forward. And if it be, that as a despised little flock, we are scorned and persecuted with Christ, let us look unto Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of faith, who, although he might have possessed joy, endured the cross, despising the shame. (Heb. xii. 2.) Now, as our head is gone before us in the path of the cross, ought we not willingly and gladly, as his members, to follow him? How shameful would it be for a soldier, if, in battle, he would not follow his commander-in-chief, when going before him, but drew back! Therefore, as a valiant soldier not only considers it his duty, but even the greatest honor to follow his general, step by step, and to suffer every inconvenience with him, so ought we, if we wish to be true members and soldiers of Christ, not only to esteem it our duty, but all joy and the greatest honor, when it is granted us to suffer for Christ's sake. O happy are we, when we can say, "For thy sake we are killed all the day long, we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter!" For if we suffer with him, we shall also be exalted with him to glory." These light afflictions, which are but temporary, will yield us an eternal and exceeding weight of glory. Let the world continue to laugh at and ridicule us, because we do not run to the same excesses as they

do: we know that the Spirit, which rests upon us, is the Spirit of glory and of God; on their part, he is blasphemed, but on our part he is glorified." (1 Peter iv. 4-14.) We know that the beauty of the children of God is not outward, but consists in the hidden man of the heart, immoveable, in a quiet spirit. "Yea, we know, that our life is hid with Christ in God, and that when Christ who is our life shall appear, on the great day of the third general manifestation in glory: we also shall appear with him in glory." (Col. iii. 3, 4.) Amen. Thus be it unto us!

We have now heard weak and imperfect words. We must have spirit, we must have power, from above, that we may apply the word we have attended to, to the salvation of our souls. Bow yourselves therefore with me, most humbly, before the ever-present Saviour. Let us unanimously, with believing hearts and ardent desires, call upon him to grant us his gracious influences and his blessing, and thus pour out our hearts before him.

PRAYER.

O Lord Jesus! who art anointed with the balm of the Holy Spirit without measure, who hast purchased gifts for us, invaluable gifts, infinite gifts! We desire to honor thee, as the only source of all good, which we are able to receive in time and eternity. Let our hearts adore, praise, and love thee, thou great restorer, for having so deeply condes

cended to us, poor mortals, to us poor children of men, as to take upon thee our body, soul, and spirit, in order, by this most intimate union, to become such a one, by whose means, the life of God might be again imparted to us, thy fellow crea

tures.

Sweetest Saviour, Jesus! we have meditated upon thee, as the exalted One at the right hand of the Father, on the throne of thy glory; we now desire to honor and adore thee as such, by thy Holy Spirit. O let thy Holy Spirit, who has granted us this pleasing and unexpected opportunity of testifying of thee at this time-let this Spirit glorify thyself and thy truth in all our hearts! O that it may not be merely words, that it may not be a passing sound, but may it be and continue to be a power in the hearts of each of us! O Lord Jesus, make up, by the power of thy Spirit, for the imperfection of all our discourses! Let thy Holy Spirit become more and more master of our tongues, and teach us to declare the wonderful works of our God, that, inwardly animated by this Spirit, we may increasingly know, love and experience thee, our Saviour, in our hearts, as the true life. Blessed Jesus! thou knowest the souls of all now before thee. O dearest Saviour! do we possess thy Spirit, or is the spirit of the world still Lord and Master in many or any of our hearts ?

Now, thou all-searching Spirit, and thou only light, go from heart to heart, search us and try us, and examine what our intention is, whether we give