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and all" in your salvation. Now in doing that, you search out your legal tendencies; you set them down as refuges of lies; you not only pray that God would sweep them away, but also watch lest they should be swept back again by Satan. You are not easy when you find yourself looking less to Christ. You even become afraid of your sincerity in religion, when you are not conscious of a single-hearted and exclusive reliance upon his merits.

velation, to enforce them. The Saviour does not conclude by saying, "Hear what I say; but thus, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Thus whilst he maintains his own office and honor as king and priest of the church, and condescends to act as her prophet too, he asserts and sustains the office of the Holy Ghost, as the Spirit of inspiration.The Saviour makes himself heard, that we may recognise and revere the Comforter, in the lively oracles. The reason of this may not be obvious Well; just such a jealousy and watchfulness at a glance; but the wisdom of it is profound, and should we exercise over our own hearts, in referits design gracious. The prominence and import-ence to the grace of the Holy Spirit. We must ance thus given to the work which the Holy Spirit carries on in the soul, by the truth, like that given to the work of Christ for the soul, is, for the purpose of shutting us up to an entire dependance upon each. Were less said, than that Christ is "all in all" in the work of redemption, we should divide our faith between his merits and our own morals, or seek to be justified partly by law and partly by grace; and thus never come to the point, in penitence nor in humility. For, it is by seeing that we must look to nothing but the blood of Christ, for pardon and acceptance, and that there is nothing else to look to for justification,-that we come to set ourselves in good earnest, to fall fully in with God's plan of saving. Finding that half-measures will not do; or, that God will have nothing to say to us, until we have nothing to say to him, but just that Christ died for the ungodly; we are glad to go any length in abandoning all legal claims and reliances; and become intent upon glorying only in the cross of Christ. We retreat from one thing after another, until we give up every thing but the cross, and say of it alone, "Behold, O God, our shield." Indeed, we get no quiet rest, until we cease to argue or plead, by any thing we have become, or intend to be; and begin to confine ourselves to the one plea, "Look upon us in the face of thine anointed."

This is that réception of Christ, concerning which it is said, "as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God." John i. 12. Now, just such a place in our attention and confidence, should he given to the Holy Spirit, in reference to his work. We ought as much to look to him for grace to help, as to the Saviour for pardon and acceptance. Whenever we look into the Scriptures for counsel or consolation, we ought to look up to the Spirit for a heart to appropriate and improve them aright. Whatever means of grace we use for safety or edification, we should never forget that their success depends upon the blessing of the Holy Spirit. In a word, we ought to be as much afraid of overlooking or underrating the Comforter, as of not applying to the Mediator; and as watchful against leaning to our own understanding, or trusting our own hearts, as against self-righteousness or legality for the work of the Spirit is as much intended to shut us out from self-dependance, in the matter of sanctification, as the work of Christ is to shut us out from self-complacency, in the matter of justification.

To concede all this as a point in theology, or to agree to it as a maxim in religion, is, however, not enough. It must just be applied and acted upon, as you do in the case of making Christ "all

no more allow ourselves to forget him when we open the Bible, or enter the sanctuary, or engage in prayer, than we overlook the Father or the Son. We ought to be as much afraid of grieving him, as of dishonoring them: for as we profess to ascribe equal and everlasting glory to Father, Son, and Spirit, we are bound to pay them equal attention. I mean, that the attention given to the Spirit, should not be left to accident, nor paid in formal compliment. And it need not be so. It is just as easy, because as much our duty, to give him his proper place in our confidence, as to give the Father and the Son their place. We took some pains to ascertain, and to fix in our minds, the precise reference which our prayers, our hopes, and our feelings should have to God and the Lamb. We did not leave that to chance nor to impulse, when we became anxious that our fellowship should truly be with the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ and the fellowship or munion of the Holy Ghost," cannot be kept up by paying him empty compliments, nor by yielding vague honors to him.

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I dare not ask yet, whether you feel deeply interested in these hints. They are both too few and feeble to command absorbing attention, or to excite much expectation. Perhaps they do not even suggest to you their precise design which is, to explain how backsliding and declension chiefly arise. Now that it is not fully explained by saying, that some sin of omission or of commission, grieved the Spirit of God, and then the power of godliness declined rapidly. This is, indeed, quite true; but it is not all the truth. The sin, whether of omission or of commission, or of both, which led to this sad result, was, itself, preceded and occasioned by inattention to the Holy Spirit, or by expecting help from his grace without hearing his word. For "what the spirit saith to the churches," is as much his means of sanctifying and comforting, as what the Saviour hath done and suffered for the church is God's reason for pardoning. Now we expect no pardon, apart from the cross. We are quite sure that we should receive none, were we to look away from the cross, or even to look to it but partly. Well; it is just as true, that we are not warranted to expect grace to help, apart from an impartial use of the word of grace. The Spirit sanctifies, and sustains, and consoles, " by the truth," just as God acquits and accepts by the atonement. But how few so notice this fact, as to follow up their full submission to the cross, by a full submission to "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

Here is the real secret of backsliding, and of

that loss of "first love," which is so common. We content ourselves with selecting, here and there from the Holy Scriptures, a few of the most remarkable directions for walking in the Spirit; and a few of the most solemn warnings against grieving the Spirit; and, having adopted these general maxims, together with certain strong phrases about the power of the Spirit, we take for granted that we are as orthodox and honest in reference to him, as we took pains to be in regard to the Saviour.

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Ghost, when we are sowing the seed of it, and watching the springing of it, and watering the leaf of it by prayer: but we are trifling with the Spirit, when we are not attending to what he saith unto the churches. For how can he help us on points, on which we neglect to "hear" him? If, indeed, he had not spoken enough in the promises to comfort us: or not enough in the precepts, to direct us; or not enough in the warnings to check us; then wishing and waiting for the upspringing of the fruits of the Spirit in our hearts, without sowing or seed, might neither be sinful nor useless. It is, however, both, now that the Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation, and to furnish us thoroughly for every good word and work.

It is by overlooking this, that backsliding is so common. Many converts do not listen to the good and comfortable words of the Spirit, the belief of which gives joy and peace; but waste their time in wishing for comfort to come into their minds, or to spring up in their hearts; not from what he has said, but from what he can do. The consequence is, they have not enough of "the peace of God," nor of "the comfort of the Holy Ghost." to keep their hearts and minds happy or steadfast; and thus they lose their first love, and often neglect their first works.

Now I do not mean to insinuate, that we are either willingly or wittingly dishonest, in thus satisfying ourselves with a general recognition of the claims and commands of the Spirit. No! We honestly suppose, that this will be enough to keep up and carry on our piety. It is too, as much as Thus we might have, and we ought to have, the the generality possess, and more than some pro- joy of salvation, and the Spirit of adoption, and fess. What then? It has not always been the earnest of heaven, as well as the desire for enough to keep up the power of godliness in our them. They are as fully provided for, and as hearts, nor to prevent backsliding in our hearts. freely offered, in "what the Spirit saith unto the Nay; it has not been enough to secure equal at- churches," as hope is warranted by what he saith tention even to "the fruits of the Spirit." For, to the world. "The Spirit speaketh expressly," after all our professed subjection to him, are there when he assures the world, that whosoever will not some of them we have never yet set ourselves believe shall have eternal life; and not less exto cultivate or consider? "The fruit of the Spirit is, pressly when he says to the church, "he that belove, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, good-lieveth hath eternal life, and shall not come into ness, faith, meekness, temperance." Gal. v. 22. condemnation." Yea, there is much "written" Look at this list, and judge for yourself, whether you to believers for the express purpose, that they have gone far enough in honoring the Holy Spirit." may know that they have eternal life;" and thus Well might Paul say, when he brought this list of feel encouraged and bound to continue a life of graces and virtues before the churches, "If we faith on the son of God. live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Ver. 25. Why; if we had given as little attention to "temperance," or to "faith," or to general goodness," as to "love, joy, peace," or as to "meekness, gentleness, and long-suffering," we should have made "shipwreck of faith and a good conscience" long ago! Even now, did our account stand as ill with the morals of this list, as it does with the mercies of it, we should almost set ourselves down as being still unconverted. The absence of both "joy and peace" does not, however, prove that against us. Conversion may be real, even although our enjoyment be but small, and our love but weak yet. But still, although neither hypocrisy nor unregeneracy is proved, by the want of joy, nor by the weakness of love, inattention to the Spirit is proved against us by them for as the good seed of joy, love, and peace, is as abundant in his word, as the good seed of faith or repentance, both the want and the weakness of the former fruits of the Spirit, must be occasioned by our not sowing that seed sufficiently. "He that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Gal. vi. 8; and joy and peace in believing, are first-fruits of that harvest of glory. But still, they are as really the fruit from seed, as they are foretastes of heaven. Hence, Paul prayed for the churches, that they might have "joy and peace in believing;" not in wishing for them, nor in waiting for them, nor in merely praying for them; but in believing the joy-giving and peace-giving promises, or in sowing to the Spirit the good seed of good hopes and strong consolations.

This is giving the Holy Spirit his proper place, in a proper way. There is both sense and humility in wishing and waiting for the joy of the Holy

If you have never studied this subject before, you are in some danger of getting impatient with this mode of treating it; especially as I hardly seem to have a definite object before me. Do you then ask me, what I mean? I am glad of it; for a plain question will bring me to the point, or stop me altogether. Well; I mean, that you have nothing to expect from the Spirit, but just what the Saviour promised; which is, that the Comforter would sanctify and console by the truth-by leading into all truth,-and by bringing it to remembrance. If, therefore, you and I overlooked or forgot this fact, and satisfied ourselves with listening to the Spirit on only a few great truths, what could be expected, but that our comforts should be few and small, and thus our declensions many?

Now, do not quarrel nor quibble with this fact, as if it would impose upon you a task which you have neither time nor ability to undertake. All that the Spirit hath said to the churches, is not so much, but that it may be examined and considered too, by reading over the Epistles-not the work of a month to the busiest! And begin, if you will, by hearing what he hath said to comfort,

and thus to confirm, them who believe. You want to know whether the righteousness of Christ is imputed to you; and he says, that it is "upon all them that believe." Rom. iv. 22. You want to know whether you are a child of God; and he saith, "ye are all children of God through faith in Christ." You want to know whether your sins are pardoned; and he saith, "he that believeth is justified from all things." What do you mean by comfort, if this be not enough to comfort you? For, what more could the Spirit say to you, were he to speak to you as he did to the prophets and apostles? True; the comfort of these sweet assurances turns upon faith. They are only addressed to believers. What then? You are not as an unbeliever, if all your reliance be upon Christ, for the holy salvation proclaimed in the gospel. You are a believer, if you love salvation from sin and wrath, and be honestly seeking it by prayer. The Spirit does not stand upon niceties, nor lay down perplexing distinctions, when speaking of faith. He looks to the heart; and when it is well disposed towards the cross and sceptre of Christ, and willing to be a debtor and dependant for all mercy and grace, he recognises faith, whoever else may doubt or deny its existence. O yes; the love of the Spirit is too tender and considerate, to perplex or embarrass an humble penitent with intricate questions about the nature of faith. The substance of his questions is,-in whom do you believe for salvation? and for what holy purpose do you believe? and if our souls, in answer to this appeal, throw themselves upon the Lamb slain for grace and law, the Spirit saith,"be of good cheer, thy sins, which are many, are forgiven; go, and sin no more."

There would be less backsliding, if this were believed. Neither Satan nor the world would be able to get such a hold upon us as they do, if we took care to keep a firm hold upon what the Spirit saith to the churches, as a Comforter. And were he to be as much listened to as a sanctifier, there would soon be but few complaints about desertion, or darkness, or doubts.

Where backsliding, however, has occurred, what the Spirit saith is, "Remember from whence thou hast fallen, and repent, and do thy first works. | Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and fight against thee, with the sword of my mouth." Rev. i. 16. And he keeps his word! The Spirit makes his sword turn against the backsliding, until they return to their first love and their first works. Accordingly, they can find no comfort in his promises; no refreshing from his ordinances; and but little hope from the glorious gospel itself. Thus, their Bibles become to them books they are afraid to open; and sacraments, awful hazards; and their closets, painful retire

ments.

But still, the Spirit does not say, even to such, that they are hypocrites; nor that they never knew the grace of God in truth. No! He treats them as fallen; but not as if they never had stood. Accordingly, he sends them to recommence their "first works," and not to begin their faith anew. I mean, he does not treat them as unbelievers, but as ungrateful and disobedient children, who require to be both wooed and warned to return home. Here, again, the love of the Spirit shines

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brightly! He does not make the worst of very bad cases; but even when "things are ready to die," says, "Be watchful, and strengthen" them. The general sentiment of this essay will come under your notice in another form, when I trace the love of the Spirit watering and ripening the good seed of his own word. As, however, I have referred so much to the Apocalyptic Epistles in this chapter, I cannot close it without reminding you, that the first works" of the primitive churches included one work, which very few modern Christians begin with-the consecration of their property to spread the gospel. I say, to the spread of the gospel; not the aggrandisement of its ministers, nor the architecture of its temples. They laid their goods at the feet of the apostles, that the apostles might lay the gospel before the world, and enable its poor adherents to be faithful unto death.

This, when it is done at all now by individuals, is usually their last, instead of their first work. And yet, the first emotions of a true convert, are very much akin to the benevolent feelings of the first converts at Pentecost. Indeed, were the ministers of the gospel as much pledged to the world now, or as intent upon carrying or sending the unsearchable riches of Christ to the Gentiles, as the apostles were then, rich converts would do now as they did then; and the first work of every Christian, who had any property beyond the necessities of his family, would he to distribute to necessitous saints, and to help on the chariot of salvation. And this good work is not less necessary, now that it has to be begun in the churches. For the churches will never have the outpouring of the Spirit, until there be an outpouring of their own property into the treasury of the Lord.

This time is at hand; and it will be a searching time. It will soon be impossible for a rich man to believe the gospel, unless he is prepared to spread it. The kingdom of heaven is again making its strait gate a "needle's eye," through which the camels of providence cannot enter, without selling all they have, more than they really need. tremble to think how many, when this duty is enforced, will, like him upon whom it was first en joined, "go away sorrowful" from Christ, just because he wants their property as well as their faith.

No. IX.

THE LOVE OF THE SPIRIT IN SEALING BELIEVERS.

Ir the witness of the Spirit be a somewhat mysterious, and thus a perplexing subject, to many Christians, the seal of the Spirit is an intimidating subject, to still more. Indeed, very few venture to say or think, that they are "sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." Eph. i. 13. This is hardly to be wondered at, however much it should be deplored; for when a Christian asks, “what is the seal of the Spirit ?" and turns from his Bible to commentaries for an answer, he is not made much wiser, nor at all happier, by learning the ancient modes of sealing sacrifices, letters, and

property. To tell him, that believers are sealed, as these were, to distinguish and preserve them; only widens the question, without answering or simplifying it in the least. It then returns with the puzzling addition,-what is the distinctive mark? What is the impress of the seal of God, upon the children of God?

Now, when the question takes this form, we can never be far wrong in taking general ground at first, and saying, "they that are after (or according to) the Spirit, mind the things of the Spirit." Rom. viii. 5. For whatever his seal be, they are not utterly unsealed, who are mindful of, and take a lively interest in, the things which the Holy Spirit has written, and wrought, and promised. And in like manner, they are not altogether unsealed, who are not unsanctified. Whoever has any real features of the image of God upon his heart and character, is not quite without the seal of the Spirit of God.

So far this process of settling the question may, indeed, somewhat confound sealing with sanctification and spiritual-mindedness. That, however, will do no harm to truth or piety. Far better confound the seal of the Spirit with the sanctification of the Spirit, than separate them. They cannot be separated, in fact, nor in experience, however they may be distinguished in theory.Neither the unholy in character, nor the carnal in mind, have any seal of the Father, Son, or Spirit upon them. "Their spot is not the spot of his children;" but "the mark of the beast," or of "the false prophet." Accordingly, whenever any thing independent of faith and holiness, has been invented or paraded as the seal of heaven, it has always been some mystery of Babylon, or some vagary of fanaticism.

There is, amongst the truly pious, a familiar, but emphatic use of the word "sealing," which I am persuaded, is quite as near to the real fact on this subject, as the definitions of any creed or critic. I allude, especially, to the well-known

stanza,

"Prone to wander; Lord, I feel it;

Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart! Lord take and seal it; Seal it from thy courts above."

Any Christian understands this; and every Christian feels his need of such sealing, and desires to experience its help. For, having found, again and again, that warmth and tenderness of heart can relapse into cold formality; and that our best frames are not abiding; and that both our views and vows can be almost forgotten at times; we cannot but desire this sealing work of the Holy Spirit. That may be more than the perpetuation or the ratification of our best views and feelings: but we know, and are sure, that we are neither prepared for more, nor likely to obtain a higher seal, until our principles and affections are more sealed or confirmed. And we know also, that when truth has the force of truth upon us, and whilst the spirit of prayer keeps up well, and whilst we walk humbly and circumspectly before God, neither our hopes nor our comforts are few or small. They may not amount, even then, to

all that is meant by the seal of the Holy Spirit of promise, as "the EARNEST of the inheritance of the purchased possession" of heaven; but they are so like it, that they cannot be far from it. For we have some foretastes of heaven, and some humble consciousness of the beginnings of meetness for the inheritance in light, when we are walking with God. They may not, indeed, be very lasting, nor at all rapturous whilst they do last; but they are both sweet and soothing. They help us to go on with some calmness, and with more relish, "look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."

It is, therefore, well worth our while to trace the love of the Spirit, in sealing his own work upon the soul, even if his special seal be something more and higher, than settled principles and habits of faith and holiness. Indeed, the more than these it is, the more need there is that these should be sealed, or confirmed, by the Spirit. For, to what can you look in your religious experience, which, if left to itself, would not have vanished away, like the early cloud or the morning dew?

True; there is vitality in gracious principles. But why? Just because the Spirit who implanted them, keeps them alive. The good work of grace in the heart does go on; but it does so, because he who began it, carries it on. Where would its goodness or its progress have been at this moment, had it depended entirely upon its first powerfulness, or upon our prudence? Alas, we have often brought that good work to a very low ebb, and into a bad position in our hearts. We have, at times, thought that it was utterly lost; or that it had been only a delusion, from the first. And it would have gone entirely, had not the Holy Spirit loved it more than we prized it, and watered it more than we watched it. It lives, because he, in common with Christ, has ever lived to keep it alive.

This is emphatically true of that sense of guilt and danger, in which the work of grace usually begins. For, had not our first convictions been sealed by the Spirit, as well as awakened by him, they would either have passed away, or been shaken off. Self-upbraiding, and especially selfcondemnation, are so unnatural and painful, that the mind does all it can, first to evade them, and then to throw them off. The fear of perishing would never gain such an ascendency over our self-love and self-complacency, as would lay us down, self-condemned, at the feet of God, did not the Spirit of God bring it to this point, and keep it there long enough to compel flight from the wrath to come. "A fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation," is too fearful, to be willingly admitted, or long retained, by the mind. It would be kept out, or cast out, if we could.

But if it had-we should not have fled for refuge from the wrath to come, to lay hold on the hope set before us in the gospel. Had not the Spirit sealed our fears, until they shut us up to the cross and the mercy-seat, with the cry, "Lord, save, I perish," we should never have become believers, nor penitents.

This sealing of the sense of danger, at the very time when the mind is doing all it can to rid itself of fear, is not, indeed the sealing spoken of in Scripture. That, whatever it be, comes "after"

persuasions of the necessity of this, and settled desires to obtain it. Our efforts have not, alas, been equal to our convictions or to our desires; but they would have been less than they are, had not the Holy Spirit stamped our concern to belong to Christ, with stability and perpetuity.

believing. Hence Paul says to the Ephesians, of being found in him. Why? we have sealed "After ye believed, ye were sealed." i. 13. There would, however, be no believing with the heart unto salvation, if there was no sealing, on the heart, of the awakened sense of the need of salvation. It is only sealed convictions, that lead to saving conversion. Do, mark the love of the Spirit in this! It well deserves your admiration and gratitude. He carried out your fears far enough, and kept them up long enough, to render the gospel glad tidings to your uneasy conscience, and to make Christ precious to your soul. It was, no doubt, very painful at first, to be kept on the rack of suspense, whether by terror or by timidity; but it was good for you. It led to a fervency of prayer, and to a searching for hope, and to a casting of the soul upon Christ entirely, that more than compensated for all the pain. For you could not wish now, that your sense of danger had been slighter at the time, however trying it was for the

time.

Well; observe how it has been sealed by the Spirit, since it ceased to be painful and oppressive. You have not now that "fearful looking for of judgment," which once haunted your conscience, or depressed your spirits: but still, you do look forward to the judgment-seat. You have lost "the fear which hath torment;" but you cherish still a holy fear or awe of both judgment and eternity. You are neither altogether fearful, nor altogether fearless. Why? There has been a sealing of your convictions at this middle point, between absolute dread, and perfect peace. mean, that the Holy Spirit has taken care, that you should neither despair nor presume.

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It is just as true of the way of salvation, as of our need of salvation, that both our knowledge and love of it, require to be sealed by the Spirit, in order to live and last. They are not natural to us, any more than self-condemnation; and, therefore, although more agreeable, they too would vanish away, if the power which created them did not confirm them. Accordingly, we know by bitter experience, that our clearest views of our warrant and welcome to trust in Christ, have become so dim and indistinct, that we could make nothing of the gospel for a time, in our own case. And, what is worse, our love of the gospel can wax cold, even when our knowledge of it is not clouded nor confused.

And had this darkness and disrelish gone on, or remained, when they set in upon our mind, where now had been our faith or hope? Who does not feel, that he requires to be kept to the cross, as well as brought to it? This is a melanOur choly confession; but it is only too true! hearts can be treacherous even to the Saviour; and our consciences, to the blood of sprinkling. They have both had to be sealed again and again, in order to bind them to the only thing which can pacify or purify them.

It is peculiarly delightful to trace the love of the Spirit, in keeping alive, in spite of all the world's snares, and all the heart's treacheries, and all Satan's temptations, a settled sense of our need of an interest in the unfinished work of Christ. This need has been before us for years, in all lights and in all forms; but we are neither tired of feeling it, nor indifferent about its success. Our hearts return to it, however they wander; and our prayers re-centre upon it, however they fail for a time. Thus our solicitude to be found in Christ, has been so far sealed by the Spirit, that we do not, and dare not, give up seeking to be

found in him.

It is impossible not to remember, in this connection, how our general views and convictions of the truth of the gospel, have survived shocks of trial, or of temptation, which must have upset them, had they not been sustained by the power of the Holy Ghost. Sometimes, the dispensations of Providence have seemed to us, at variance with both the promises and doctrines of Grace. We have looked for light, and found darkness; for joy, and found only sorrow. Then, God's dealings seemed clashing with God's word, and his providence running contrary to his promises. This creates a sad dilemma! When this suspicion settles in the mind, it unsettles every thing for a time. Oh, were there no seal put upon our principles, when the rod of Providence seems to contradict the pen of inspiration, and the hand of God to undo the word of God, by mysterious visitations, how soon and entirely our faith would fail! Yes; had it not been sealed in the cloudy and dark day, when all things seemed against us, we should have made shipwreck of both faith and a good con

science.

It is not adversity only, that can thus peril the life of faith. Prosperity, also, not unfrequently, induces a state of mind prone to speculation, or open to sceptical suggestions. Satan thus finds

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easy, first to amuse the soul with curious questions, and then to entangle it with plausible sophistries. And, having inserted the wedge of doubt among the mass of first principles, he drives it home, until they split up like dry timber or a veined rock. Nothing could stop their destruction, but seals which stop the rent.

If you have at all passed through trying exercises of mind from affliction or temptation, it ought not to be very difficult for you to conceive, how the Holy Ghost, as the Spirit of promise, seals the souls unto the day of redemption. This But, thus, they have been bound to "the horns is not more unlikely, nor more inexplicable, than of the altar" of Calvary! They may at times so that, as the Spirit of faith and truth, he should loosen "the cords" of confirmation, as to seem about have sealed your principles and desires, when they to fall or fly off entirely; but they do neither long. were giving way before heavy trials, or harassing We cannot forget, for many days together, what temptations. You are no stranger to sealing, if we have known and felt of our need of a person-you have passed through deep and dark waters, al interest in Christ; nor can we give up, often, without losing entirely your faith or your hope. the habit of seeking, or of trying, to make sure, You may well believe that the Spirit of promise

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