and find the knowledge of God, for the Lord giveth wisdom."* What says St. James? "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." What saith the Lord by his prophet Isaiah? "It shall come to pass, that before they call I will answer, and whilst they are yet speaking I will hear."+ Is not the whole history of the Bible an exemplification of the same truth? Are not the instances of Jacob, of Lot, of Hannah, of Elijah, of Daniel, of Hezekiah, of Jonah, so many illustrations of the subject before us; so many unequivocal proofs of the prevalence and efficacy of prayer?

IV. We may observe from the words under consideration, that one very general cause for which men neglect to pray for the blessing of the Spirit, is their ignorance respecting it. They know neither the nature and value of the gift; nor their own need of it; nor the manner of obtaining it; nor Christ's power and willingness to impart it: therefore they make no inquiries after it. What is the language of our Lord in the text? "if thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldst ask."

This woman was now conversing with the Saviour of the world, who alone was enabled to bestow on her all spiritual blessings. It was the most momentous and critical hour of her life. She now possessed such an opportunity as she never had possessed before, and might never possess again. But yet she was on the point of losing all these advantages. Instead of throwing herself at the feet of Christ, and of imploring him to sanctify and save her guilty soul, she was treating him with indifference, and almost with contempt. She had a pearl of great price within her reach; yet she stretched not out her hand to take it. For she was ignorant of its value. She knew not "Christ and the gift of God." She was a stranger to the dignity of the person with whom she was discoursing; to the excellence of the gift which he was ready to bestow on her; to her own character, situation and wants.

But was such ignorance peculiar to this woman? Look round into the world, and see if it be not common to

*Prov. ii. 3-6. James i. 5. Isaiah lxv. 24.

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thousands. Look into your own hearts, my brethren, and see if it belong not to yourselves. You indeed have not Christ personally present with you. But he is ever present by his spirit, by his word, by his ministers. Behold he cries, "I stand at the door and knock.' His promises, his offers, his invitations, are still addressed to you. He is still ready to bestow on you the gift of God: to give to you living water; to shed abroad the Holy Ghost into your hearts. Yet how many of you hear these glorious tidings without emotion! You value them not. You are intent on your several pursuits of business, or of pleasure, eager to add "field to field, and to join house to house;" or saying to your soul, "soul take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." You attend the public ordinances of Christ. You call yourselves his disciples. You render to him a formal service. But you never heartily pray to him for the blessing of the Spirit, that first best gift, which he has purchased for you, and freely offers to you. You walk over the field regardless of the inestimable treasure, which lies hid beneath its surface. From what cause does this conduct spring? Springs it not from your ignorance of Christ, of the gift of God, of your own character, situation, and wants? If you knew these things you would ask. If you knew that you were "wretched and miserable, and poor and blind, and naked," you would pray to Christ for " gold tried in the fire that you might be rich; for white raiment, that you might be clothed; for eye-salve that you might see." And whence does this ignorance arise; for want of opportunity, of instruction, of capacity? No: from want of attention to the truths revealed in scripture. Whatever might have been the case with the woman in the text; whatever excuse she might possibly be allowed to urge for not knowing Christ and the gift of God; you cannot plead the same excuse. You have the word of God to teach you. If you continue strangers to the excellence of Christ, of his gifts, and offers, your ignorance can proceed only from your neglect and disbelief of his word; because you love the body better than the soul; because you love this world better than the next; because you love sin better than God. But will ignorance which arises from such

*Revelations iii. 20.

causes, be any extenuation of your guilt? When God by his prophet Isaiah, denounces the desolations which were coming on his people of old, what is the leading charge which he prefers against them? "The harp and the viol, the tabret and pipe, and wine are in their feasts; but they regard not the works of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands: therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge.' And in another passage; "It is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour."* When Christ himself in after ages predicts the final destruction which would speedily fall upon Jerusalem, what does he assign as the immediate cause of this calamity?"Because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. In both instances, ignorance resulting from wilful inconsideration, is represented as closely connected with the impending judgments. God forbid, that you my brethren should be equally ignorant! That you should not know the gift of God, and thus perish for want of asking for it! Is inconsideration the great source of ignorance? For once be serious. Fix your wandering thoughts. Reflect on the proofs which have been adduced of the importance of that gift. It is the gift of God; the gift, which the Son of God came down from heaven to purchase: the gift, the want of which even Christ's continual presence could not compensate. Consider your utter need of the Spirit of God, the essential part which he takes in your salvation. It is the Spirit, who " convinces the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment," who "takes of the things of Christ and shews them unto men;" who "guides us into all truth." It is the Spirit of whom, except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." It is the Spirit by whom you must be made partakers of that "holiness without which no man shall see the Lord." It is the Spirit who alone can effectually work in you repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ." It is the Spirit from whom " all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed." Without his preventing grace you cannot read the Bible with understanding and profit; * Isaiah v. 12, 13; xxvii. 11. + Luke xix. 44,

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you cannot hear the preached word with improvement; you cannot think or do "such things as be rightful." It is the Spirit, who alone can "take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh:" who can strengthen you under temptations; can comfort you in afflictions; can help your infirmities; can shed abroad the love of God in your hearts; 66 can fill you with all peace and joy in believing;" can "seal you unto the day of redemption." Contemplate these important operations; and say whether the gift of the Spirit be not an invaluable gift? Can you be saved without it? Can any thing supply the want of it? Consider then, further, that the same Lord Jesus Christ, who bought it with his blood has also the disposal of it; is ready to bestow it on you; has promised if you will but ask, to give it to you. Ask then, that you may have. Slight not the proffered mercy. Pray that your hearts may be established with grace. Despise not a blessing so dearly purchased, so freely offered, so greatly needed; a blessing, which may be procured on terms so easy. Had the Lord commanded you to do some great thing for the attainment of this gift; even then, would not wisdom, would not interest, would not a regard for your immortal soul, have dictated a compliance with a prescribed condition? How much rather then, when he only saith unto you "seek and ye shall find?" Will it not be an agonizing thought throughout eternity to reflect, that there was once a time, when the Gift of God was within your reach, but that you wickedly neglected to apply for it: that Christ, from a tender concern to your spiritual good, counselled you to pray to him for the Spirit, but that you set at nought all his counsels? How insupportable will be this reflection! God grant, my brethren, that you may never experience it! In this your day, may you know the things which belong unto your peace! May you know the Gift of God, and Who it is, that speaketh unto you from heaven, that asking in humble, faithful, persevering prayer, you may receive from him " living water, springing up into everlasting life!"

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SERMON VI.

ON THE DANGER OF BEING CORRUPTED FROM THE SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST.

But I fear lest by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.-2 Corinthians, xi. S.

ST. PAUL had preached the gospel at Corinth, and had planted there a very flourishing church. But after his departure false teachers arose, who under colour of superior wisdom and eloquence, undermined the Apostle's influence, and introduced many divisions and irregularities. To counteract these mischiefs was his leading design in the two epistles which he wrote to the Corinthians: in the latter of which especially, we find him, with this view, asserting very strongly his authority as an Apostle of Christ, and contrasting his own gifts, labours, and conduct with the pretences of these self-appointed ministers. On this subject indeed he entered unwillingly. Self-condemnation, he admitted, was in general a mark of folly. But the circumstances of the case, at that time, required it of him. He therefore entreats the Corinthians, at the beginning of the chapter before us, "to bear with him a little in his folly;" to tolerate this seeming impropriety in his conduct. For, he adds, "I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy." He was agitated by a variety of anxious hopes and fears on their account. On one side he had been the blessed instrument in the hand of God, of persuading them to embrace the christian faith: and it was his highest ambition and most fervent desire to present them to Christ at last, " holy, unblameable, and unreproveable in his sight.-For I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you a chaste virgin to Christ." But on the other side, his hopes were damped by chilling apprehensions. He contemplated the dangers to which his converts were exposed, and trembled for their safety. I fear, he subjoins in the text, "I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through