God, and the revealed belong to us; and whatsoever God hath faid, he is fure to make good. The Spirit is often compared to the wind, and the analogy between them is very striking in many respects; to say nothing of the identity of the fame, Hebrew and Greek, words made use of to exprefs the wind which blows and the heavenly Comforter, there is an exact fimilarity in their operations--the wind blows where it lifteth; fo, in like manner, it is with the Spirit. The wind sometimes blows with a gentle motion, even fo gentle, as is scarcely to be perceived; at other times with fo impetuous a gust, that all oppofition gives way before it in each of these, the resemblance holds good. Thus, when the Lord Jehovah fhall thresh the mountains of fin and oppreffion, they fhall be fanned; and the wind fhall carry them away, and the whirlwind fhall fcatter them*. Like the fmitten image the wind fhall carry it away, and no place shall be found for it †. And who can stay his hand, or fay, What doft thou? Having confidered the reality of the Promife, I proceed,

II. TO CONSIDER the end for which it fhall be accomplished:

1. As the Spirit of the Lord is the spirit of wisdom, knowledge, and revelation, fo one grand end to be anfwered is, to unfold the great things of eternity, which otherwife must remain locked up in profound

L

and

* Ifa. xli. 16.

+ Dan. ii. 35.

and eternal darkness. It is the Spirit which fearcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God: For what man knoweth the things of man, fave the spirit of man, which is in Him? even fo the things of God no man knoweth, but the Spirit of God: and it is our privilege to know, by the fame Spirit, the things which are freely given to us of God *. It is, therefore, the Spirit of truth which muft guide into all truth; which must take of the things of Christ, and shew them unto us, and must reveal the deep things of God unto us.

2. EVEN the Apoftles were as ignorant of many things as other men, till they were illuminated from on High. The Bible was a fealed book unto them; yea, the very things which Chrift fpake to them were hidden from them, till they were enlightened from above. Hence they had the fame grofs and carnal notions of things refpecting the kingdom of Our Saviour, the fame proud and selfish views that mere natural men have; and, as fuch, they often fell under their Mafter's gentle reproofs for their partiality and undue attachment to the objects of time and sense: nay, even when he was upon his laft journey to Jerufalem, to fuffer like a criminal, the very things which he himself told them, yet, at that unfeasonable time, there was a conteft among themselves which should be the greatest. So that we don't perceive any extraordinary capacities which they had more than other men ; on the contrary, there appears fomething heavy and dull in them ; but,

but, as St. Paul obferves, God hath chofen the foolish things of the world to confound the wife; and God hath chofen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty; and bafe things of the world; and things which are defpifed, hath God chofen; yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught the things that are *. Now if this was the cafe in the morning of the Gofpel, what must it be in the meridian splendour ? therefore, then the Sun of righteousness fhall rife with healing in his wings, in the eyes of all-then the Spirit fhall be poured upon all flesh, and, through that Divine Teacher, all fhall know the Lord, from the least unto the greatest !

3. WHAT a number of deep and important things lie hid in the facred oracles, like precious pearls, which lie buried, till the Heavenly Inftructor fhall bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make an ample display of those things which have been kept fecret from the foundation of the world. The little which we now fee, by the twilight which we have, is very amiable; yet is but a faint view of what will appear, when the vail of the covering is removed from all nations. For as it is with the Jews, fo, in a great measure, it is with us all-the vail is ftill upon the mind; but it shall not always be fo; no, the time will come when there will be a general turning to the Lord-and then the vail fhall be taken away-and then all believers will fay, as an infpired Apoftle did, L 2

* Cor. i. 27, 28.

But

But we all, with open face, beholding, as in a glafs, the glory of the Lord, and are changed into the fame image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord*.

4. How glorious will every attribute fhine, when we fee them all fo fweetly harmonize in the adorable Mediator! The juftice of the Deity, with all its extensive demands, fo wonderfully demonftrated and held out to full view, while we fee it amply fatisfied by the blood of an incarnate God!-The flaming fword is now fheathed again, and a free, open way, will appear into the holieft, while the tabernacle of God is with men, with whom he now delights to dwell for evermore. Mercy, that darling feature of the Deity, appears with wings expanded, to fhadow all under its benign influences, and jarrs no longer with justice, but each are at amity and peace in the glorious humanity of God manifested in the flesh. Righteousness and peace fweetly combine in proclaiming,-Glory to God in the higheft, and good-will, and every choice bleffing, to the favoured race! These are richly perfumed by the fweet fragrance exhibited upon the Crofs. Here, juftice and mercy meet together-righteoufnefs and peace kifs each other. Here, Wisdom, like a morning ftar, expells the horror, chases away the darkness from the opening heavens-while Love, infinite Love, like the Sun in his miridian strength, fheds forth its brightest beams, its richest splendour, to all the human race-while the powerful arm of a reconciled

2 Cor. iii, 18.

reconciled Jehovah is their defence for ever. Thus will these jewels fhine out with never-fading luftre, and will form the diadem of Zion's matchless King for ever, and will appear confpicuous when the glory of the latter day shall be revealed. Well may the Church cry out,-Come, Lord Jefus, come quickly!

5. THE fame Spirit will be an univerfal quickener; and we may depend upon it, the living ftreams of grace fhall be as univerfal as the poifonous flowings of fin. 'Tis true, the human race, juft like the dry bones, lie exposed in the open valley; and lo, they are very dry, very destitute of any heavenly moisture: but when the univerfal cry is, Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these flain, that they · may live-the breath will come into them, and they will live, and ftand upon their feet a great army *. It is the Spirit which quickeneth, and what hath already appeared is only like fome early plants, or flowers, which are as so many verdant harbingers of a general fpring; when the wilderness and the folitary place fhall bloffom as a rofe. Indeed, the blooming feason of the year, when the earth is arrayed in her rich attire, and the winged chorifters are all mufic, life, and vigour, is always to me a fweet emblem of that charming feafon, when the kingdoms of this world fhall become the kingdoms of our God and of his Chrift for ever. Then will Jehovah open the graves of his people, and the fpirit of life fhall enter in; the dead L 3

* Ezek. xxxvii. 9, 10.

fhall