give the Holy Spirit to them that ask. This is however, stating the case with less force than it is put by our Blessed Saviour. His words are, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?"

And now let me ask, what effect this gracious assurance has produced on your minds? Has it been a great comfort and encouragement to you? Have you felt that it just meets a difficulty and effectually removes it? Do you feel in any measure grateful for the assurance thus tenderly and convincingly given you? Alas! it is to be feared that many a one has never been affected by it at all. It is to be feared that many a one has never earnestly prayed to God to give him his Holy Spirit; has never felt really anxious to possess this supernatural power; has not even been convinced of his absolute need of it, and therefore to him the words of our Blessed Lord have been of no service, have imparted no comfort, suggested no hope, prompted no prayer. But if your case is different, if it is really the desire of your souls to walk with God all the day long; and if you know, that this you cannot do, without His continual help-then in your devotions day by day you will earnestly pray that this help may be vouchsafed to you.

The matter may then, in conclusion, be put in this simple way: If any do not anxiously and in faith pray for the Holy Ghost, it is either because they do not long to live a godly life, or because they think they have strength of principle enough, and enough of resolution to keep the ways of God without His help. But if the case be so, that any of you are not anxious to live a godly life, oh! think what a wretchedness of moral condition the absence of such anxiety bespeaks! If you know not your need of power from above, if you have not by experience found it out, how little can you understand what holiness means, how far you must be from either living above the world, living to God, walking in the Spirit, or being ready to receive your Saviour!

SERMON X.

RESTORATION TO HOLINESS.

PSALM lxviii. 11-13, P. B. V.

"The Lord gave the word: great was the company of the preachers. Kings with their armies did flee, and were discomfited: and they of the household divided the spoil. Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove, that is covered with silver wings, and her feathers like gold."

THE Psalm, from which these words are taken, having been appointed as one of the proper Psalms for this holy day,' it is of course supposed to be applicable to the event we are celebrating. And indeed, if it be not applicable to the first foundation and subsequent progress of the Christian Church, it would be extremely difficult to assign any event in the past history of the world, to which it could be justly referred. On what occasion can God have been said to have given the word, and when, as the result of this, has the voice of the preachers been heard, except under the publication of the gospel?

1 Whit Sunday.

It is true, the words of the text may in part be interpreted as having reference to the deliverance of the Israelites out of their bondage in Egypt. In this sense the Jews would naturally understand them. When they saw the overthrow of Pharaoh and his hosts, they saw (in the Psalmist's words) "kings with their armies," fleeing and discomfited. And they of the household, the chosen family of God, may be said to have divided the spoil, when, as the sacred narrative tells us, "they spoiled the Egyptians." And further, the happy change which took place in their condition, when after having been the bondslaves of a cruel master, and after having had no country, or laws, or power of their own, they saw themselves a free people, beyond the reach of the of the oppressor, in quiet possession of a land of their own, and blessed with a system of laws of divine authority, this happy change in their condition might well be described in the words of the text, "Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove, which is covered with silver wings, and her feathers like gold.”

It is, however, one of the excellencies of the Book of Psalms, that while it refers to past facts in the history of the Jewish people, it foreshadows future events in the history of the Christian church. It is this circumstance, which makes

this portion of scripture, rightly understood, so suitable a part of Christian worship. The past dealings of God are herein set before us as tokens of His future mercies. Events apparently recorded as happening to other individuals, are seen to refer to our Lord Jesus Himself. And the trials, and supports, and ultimate triumph of God's people, are set forth under expressions, which in their first meaning seem to speak of nothing higher than events of an earthly and temporal character.

That the Church has not been fanciful in thus discerning traces of higher things in the simple language of the Book of Psalms, is evident from the circumstance, that both our Blessed Lord Himself and also His Apostles, guided after His resurrection by divine inspiration, were wont to interpret it in this manner. Thus we read our Lord said to His disciples, "These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me." And if we refer to St. Peter's address to the Jews on the day of Pentecost, we shall find a large proportion of it taken from the Book of Psalms, and quoted as referring to the wonderful events then taking place. St.

1 St. Luke xxiv. 44.