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holiness! This is exactly what Christ said of him afterwards: "He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you."

Dear friends, has the Spirit glorified Christ to you? He is still the great revealer of Christ. He shines into our heart, to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Christ. Has he led you to the altar-to the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world? Has he clothed you in the high priest's garments? Has he brought you within the veil-to the mercy seat? This is his delightful work. Oh! it is a sweet work to be the minister on earth that leads souls to Christ-that points, like John, and says: "Behold the Lamb of God." But O how infinitely more loving in that Holy Spirit of God to lead trembling souls to Jesus! Oh! praise him that has done this for you. Oh! love the Spirit of God. "Thy Spirit is good: lead me to the land of uprightness."

2. He purifies all that believe: "Thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar."Exod. xl. 6, 7. This brazen laver, containing water, was set up in the wilderness to typify the Holy Spirit; and observe the place where it was put-between the altar and the tabernacle of God. The first thing that the sinner came up to was the altar with the bleeding lamb. He laid his hands upon the head of the lamb, and confessed his sins; so that they were carried all away in the blood of the lamb. Forgiven and justified, he advanced a few paces further to the brazen laver; there he washed his feet and hands. This represented the Holy Spirit washing and renewing his heart, and then he entered into the holy place of God.

"Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the Scripture, might have hope." Dear friends, has the Holy Spirit purified you? If you have laid your sins upon the Lamb of God, have you come to this laver of living water? are you really washing there, and preparing to enter into the holy place, made without hands, eternal in the heavens? "Without holiness no man can see the Lord;" and without the Spirit you will have no holiness. Oh! is he not a loving Spirit who thus delights to prepare the believer for glory, who comes into our vile heart, and "creates a clean heart, and renews a right spirit within us:" Oh! love him who thus loves you; and ask for him, you that are his children. The Father delights to give him. "If ye,

being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

3. He upholds the life of believers: "They all drank of that Rock which followed them; and that Rock was Christ." -1 Cor. x. 4. This was a third way in which the Spirit showed himself in the wilderness. (1.) A river. This was to show Israel how refreshing and supporting he is to the weary soul, and that there is abundance in him. Drink, and drink again—you will not drink a river dry; so there is infinite fulness of the Spirit. (2.) Flowing from a smitten rock. This shows that he is given by a wounded Saviour that it is only when we hide in that Rock that we can receive the Holy Ghost. "I will send him unto you." (3.) It followed them. This was to show that, wherever a believer goes, the Holy Spirit goes with him: "I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that may abide with you for ever". '—a well within, springing

he

up into everlasting life.

My dear friends, have you received the Holy Ghost, since you believed? It appears to me that few Christians realize this river flowing after them. Oh! what inexpressible love and grace there is in this work of the Spirit. Is there any of you weak and faint, and ready to perish under a wicked heart, and raging lusts? or, have you got a thorn in the flesh-a messenger of Satan to buffet you? and are you driven to pray that it may be taken from you? See here the answer to your prayer. A river of living water flows from Christ. There is enough here for all your wants. "My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness." Some of you are afraid of the future you fear some approaching temptation-you fear some coming contest. See here the river flows after you— the Spirit will abide with you for ever. Oh! what love is here. Notwithstanding all your sinfulness, and weakness, and unbelief, still he abides with you, and will for ever. He is "a well of water springing up into everlasting life." -John iv. 14.

Oh! love the Spirit, then, who so loves you. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption.

St Peter's, Dec. 16, 1838.

SERMON XII.

MOSES AND HOBAB.

"And Moses said unto Hobab the Son of Raguel, the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel."—NUMB, x. 29.

THE children of Israel had been nearly a year encamped in the wilderness that surrounds the rocky peaks of Mount Sinai. But now the cloud rose from off the tabernacle— the signal that God wished them to depart-and so Israel prepared for the march in regular order. Upon a rocky eminence, that overlooked the marshalled thousands of Israel, stood Moses and his brother-in-law, Hobab. The heart of Moses grew full at the sight, when he looked upon their banners floating in the wind-when he looked at the pillarcloud towering over them like some tall angel beckoning them away—when he thought of God's good words concerning Israel, and the good land to which they were hastening. He felt that his loins were girt with truth, and on his head the helmet of salvation, and in his hand the sword of the Spirit. He could not bear that any he loved should leave them now; and, therefore, while Hobab stood lingering, uncertain which way to go, Moses spake thus: "We are journeying toward the place of which the Lord hath said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good."

Such are the feelings of every child of God. Whenever a soul is brought to Jesus Christ, to wash in his blood and to stand in his righteousness, he is brought to feel two things: first, That now he is journeying to a good landhis sins are blotted out-the Spirit is within him-God is his guide-heaven is before him; second, He wishes all he loves to come along with him.

Doctrine.-The children of God are on a journey, and wish all they love to come along with them.

I. This world is not the home of a Christian.
When Israel was travelling through the wilderness, they

did not count it their home. Sometimes they came to bitter places, like Marah, where the waters were bitter; they would not rest there. Sometimes they came to sweet, refreshing places, like Elim, with its seventy palm trees and twelve wells of water; and yet they would not sit down and say: "This is my rest.” It was sweet when the manna fell round the camp every morning, and when the water followed them; yet it was a wilderness, and a land of drought, and the shadow of death. "We are journeying," said Moses. So is this world to a true Christian-it is not a home. Sometimes he meets with bitter things-disappointments, losses, bereavements—and he calls the waters Marah; for they are bitter. Sometimes, too, he comes to refreshing spots, like Elim; yet he does not rest in them.

1. There are the sweet joys of home and of kindred, when the family ring is still unbroken-when not a chair is empty by the hearth-when not a link is wanting in the chain-when not even a lamb is carried off from the flock. These are very pleasant and lovely to the child of God; yet he does not, he cannot, rest in them. He hears a voice saying: "Arise, depart, this is not thy rest; for it is polluted."

2. Christian friends are sweet to the Christian. Those that are sharers of our spiritual secrets, those who mingle prayer with us before the throne, those who never forget us when within the veil-oh, there is something cheering in the very light of their kindly eye! It is an intercourse of which the world knows nothing. We have them in our heart, inasmuch as they are partakers of one grace, washed in one fountain, filled with the same Spirit, having one heart-members one of another; yet our rest is not among these. This is a taste of heaven, but not heaven. They often disappoint us-go back and become colder, or they are taken from us before, and leave us to journey on alone. "We are journeying.'

3. Ordinances are sweet to the Christian. They are the manna and the waters in the wilderness the rain that fills the pools in the Valley of Baca. How sweet is the Sabbath morning! The sun shines more brightly than on any other day. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord! the singing of psalms, how pleasant!-the prayers, how solemn, when we stand within the veil !—the doctrine, how it distils like the dew!—the blessing, how full of peace!the sacraments especially, how sweet to the Christian-wells of salvation, Bethels, trysting-places with Christ!—what

sweet days of pleasure, love, and covenanting with Jesus! Still not our home, not our rest. (1.) They are defective; always something human about them to mar the sweetest ordinances. There is a bunch of grapes, but oh! it is not enough to satisfy. (2.) They are polluted; always some fly to spoil the fragrant ointment; always so much sin in the minister and in the hearer. "We are journeying unto the

place."

Learn, 1. To look with a traveller's eye upon the world. When a traveller is journeying, he sees many fine estates, and beautiful houses, and lawns and gardens; but he does not set his heart on them. He admires, and passes on. So must you do, dear Christians. Ye are a little flock, travelling through the wilderness. Twine not your affections round any one thing here. Do not set your affections on home, or on kindred, or houses, or lands. Be like Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, who lived in tents, declaring plainly that they sought a better country. "If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth." "Set your affections on things above, not on things of the

earth."

Learn, 2. Not to mourn over the loss of Christian friends, as those who have no hope. Some of you have lost little children, who died in the Lord. Some of you have lost near friends, who fell asleep in Jesus. Some of you have lost aged parents, who have committed their spirit into the hand of Jesus. Now, you cannot but weep; and yet, if they were in Christ, you need not. They have got to their journey's end, and we are on the way. A voice seems to rise from their grave, saying: "Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and your children." They are at rest, and we are journeying."

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II. The Christian's home is nearer every step. Israel was travelling the wilderness, they came nearer to the good land every step they took. They had a long wilderness to pass through, still every day's journey brought them nearer to the end. So it is with all that are in Christ Jesus. Every step is bringing them nearer to heaven. Every day they are coming nearer and nearer to glory. "Now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." "The night is far spent, the day is at hand." Every sheep that is really found, and on the shoulder of the shepherd, is coming nearer to the

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