are built; the ark which bears us safely through the deluge of sin to the Ararat of God; the city of refuge, whither we flee for protection and peace from the perils of guilt and the trials of temptation.

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To those, indeed, who have taken little care to consider their spiritual condition in this life, or how intimate a connexion they have, or ought to have, with the Holy Spirit, the words of the text may be very fitly applied. What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, and that ye are not your own? for ye are bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."

Now, from these words, several very important considerations arise to us:

First-That our bodies are set apart and dedicated to the Holy Ghost, which comes to them from God.

Secondly-And by consequence, that "we are not our own, for, we have been bought with a price."

Thirdly-We shall consider how these are motives for glorifying God in our bodies and in our spirits.

Throughout the whole of our blessed Saviour's discourses, where the influence of the Holy Spirit becomes the subject of them, we find, that the abiding of this Holy Spirit within us, is the only test of our sanctification, and, consequently, of our

fitness for salvation. In the following words it is unequivocally declared. "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his." The operation of the spirit within us, is further confirmed by St. John, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." It will appear evident, then, that our bodies are intended for the habitation of the Holy Ghost. Whether or not he makes them his abode, will rest with ourselves. But it surely will be manifest, beyond a contradiction, that we rise up in daring opposition to the designs of His divine will, who first purchased our freedom from eternal death, and our fealty to himself, with his own most precious blood, where we exclude from his prescribed abode that divine director, which, according to his promise, he has

sent to us.

Now, it will appear the more atrocious, that we should exclude him from that temple wherein he was designed to abide with us, by polluting it with those corruptions, arising from the unlicensed indulgence of our carnal wills and affections, when we consider, that he abides there, not only as our ruler and guide, but also as our comforter. "When the Comforter is come," says the Saviour, "whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father,

he will guide you into all truth." This promise he has, indeed, literally fulfilled, and continues still the merciful work of instruction, to those who welcome his abiding within them, and earnestly seek his communications. Are we still in our sins? It is this influential and divine intelligence which works within us, "both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Not either to will or to do, where we stubbornly resist his motions,-for we have certainly command over our own wills to do evilbut, both, in all cases, where we cherish him as the accredited and rightful inmate of our hearts. And hear what he does for those with whom he abides. "He that searcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the mind of the spirit; because, he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God:" so that he not only directs the minds of them that hear and obey him, but he offers up the most effectual appeals to Heaven for them ;—that is, he directs their appeals, and through him they never can be made in vain. He opens the blinded eyes of their understandings, that they may see where the sun of truth displays its glories, that the "light of the glorious gospel" may shine into their hearts. This is, in fact, the sole difference betwixt the infidel and the believer, that the one has the spirit of truth shed abroad in his heart, whilst the other has it occupied only with the spirit of falsehood. The Holy Ghost illumines not the understanding of the latter, because, he uniformly resists

his suggestions, so that he is left to the dark motions of his own bosom, and is thus, in the energetic words of St. Paul, "given over to strong delusions to believe a lie." These delusions, however, are of his own raising. If they finally lead him to everlasting ruin, he becomes the victim of his own obstinacy.

We have said, that the Holy Ghost abides with us as a Comforter. It was through him that "the glad tidings of the gospel of peace" were originally communicated; and it is through him that they are received into the heart by faith. To him, therefore, we are indebted for all the consolations which are derived to us from them. All that we obtain from him, tends to make us happy in ourselves, kind to our neighbours, and obedient towards God; for "the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance." And where is the real comfort accruing to us but through his divine influence? Do we seek it in the mere enjoyments of the world? Do we expect to find it in its riches, its honours, its distinctions? Do we calculate upon extracting it from reputation, from the homage and admiration of the few, and the hollow flatteries of the many? Do we hope to secure it in indulging the affections of the carnal mind? What, for the most part, do we derive from all these, especially the last? From the former, disappointments, vexations, perplexities, and

troubles; from the latter, simply temporary feelings of bodily gratification which, as often as they are indulged, give place to listlessness, apathy, dissatisfaction; and often, where such are our only enjoyments, to sickening disgust.

This must ever be the case where those are the exclusive pleasures after which we strive. Because, our enjoyments here can only impart to us true and lasting satisfaction, whilst the hope of better and more enduring joys exists within us; for there can be no true comfort in this life, where we have no further prospect of it in the life to come. And though the joys of a hereafter are unknown, neither, indeed, to be defined nor conceived; we know, nevertheless, that they will be infinite, mighty, and interminable; for "though it doth not yet appear what we shall be," still, through the kind influence of the Comforter, "we know that when we shall appear, we shall be like unto God, for we shall see him as he is."

Those convictions which arise to us, of the eventual fulfilment of the promises contained in the gospel, are called into existence by the operation of the Holy Spirit alone, at once our comforter and sanctifier. And without this accession of the divine mercy, we should have "no hope in Christ ;" and in the absence of hope, there must be the presence of despair.

Now, when we consider how much we are indebted to that heavenly monitor "whose temple