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TRINITY SUNDAY.

THE HOLY TRINITY.

2 CORINTHIANS XIII. 14.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all.

TRINITY SUNDAY, brethren, is a very marked day in the order of the Christian year. It is the Sunday after which all the other Sundays, between now and Advent, are named-Sundays after Trinity.

And why is it so called? Because on it, in a very especial manner, we are taught "to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity;" in other words -to confess God, as He has been pleased to reveal Himself to us in the Scriptures, under three Persons-Father, Son, and Holy Ghost-each performing a great parteach wonderful in His doings towards the children of men-Three Persons but One God-in glory equal, in Majesty co-eternal.

This is what we remember on Trinity Sunday. This

is that great doctrine, which is so fully drawn out in the Creed we have used on this day.

On other days we remember other points of our Christian faith the birth of our Lord on Christmas dayHis Manifestation on the feast of the Epiphany-His Crucifixion on Good Friday-His glorious Resurrection on Easter day-His Ascension forty days later-the coming of the Holy Ghost, according to Christ's true promise, on Whit-Sunday. But to-day we celebrate, not so much one particular point in our religion, as that which is the very sum of it all. To-day we acknowledge God under each and every relation, in which He has been pleased to reveal Himself to us-as the Trinity in Unity as the Father that made; the Son that redeemed; the Holy Ghost that sanctifies us-and we say, This God is our God-we will have no other God but Him-He shall be our Guide unto death!

Now, in speaking to you on so grave a subject as this, I must, at the first, confess our ignorance. What can creatures such as we know of the nature of the Deity! Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven, what canst thou do? deeper than hell, what canst thou know?

It is indeed a great mystery that God should be Three and yet One-and with our limited minds it is useless to inquire How can these things be?

But, brethren, there need be no stumbling at this doctrine. Many things in this world, many laws of nature, as they are called, many things in our own souls and bodies are hid from our eyes, are past finding out unto perfection. Is it wonderful, then, is it not rather what we

should expect, if God's own nature remains to us a mystery? May we not be content to know only in part at present? Shall we not wait patiently for the clearer and for the larger powers which will be ours in another state of being? For now we see things through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then I shall know even as also I am known.

There is much in

And yet all is not dark even now. the doctrine of the Holy Trinity which is plainly adapted to our understanding at present-much that ministers to our deepest necessities-much that meets the yearnings of our hearts-much that may furnish us with a staff on which to lean for support and guidance in all our pilgrimage.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The love of God.

The communion of the Holy Ghost.

Weigh well these words, and you will agree with me that what is revealed to us of the Holy Trinity, is revealed for our comfort-revealed to make us wise unto salvation.

Let us dwell, for a few moments, on what is here said of each of the Three Persons in the Blessed Trinity. And, first, of the Love of God-how is this set forth in the name by which the First Person in the Godhead is named Father-our Father Who is in heaven.

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If any word could convey to us the assurance that God loves us, it must be this-For as a Father pitieth his own children, even so is the Lord merciful unto them that fear Him.

Yes, and it is by this tender name of Father that God

there, that at His name, the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father!

Again, the Ascension of our Lord prepared the way for His Intercession. He is gone into the presence of God, and sits at God's right hand on our behalf. He is there to plead, day by day, the efficacy of His great sacrifice. As the High Priest of old, among the Jews, took the blood of the victim, and having sprinkled it on his person, and on the vessels of the sanctuary, went into the Holy of Holies, to offer it to God for the people -so our High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, having made an offering, once for all, upon the cross, has gone with that offering-even with His own blood, into the heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us!

He is there, our prevailing Advocate with the Father. He is there that the sinner awakened to his danger, may yet have hope, may not despair of being accepted, and forgiven!

Do think of this, dear brethren-do avail yourselves of the help that it offers you-Bring your wants, bring your fears-bring your troubles of all kinds-bring your sins to Christ.-Never have recourse to any other means, any other mediator, for reconciling yourselves to God. Christ alone is sufficient-He can save to the uttermost them that come unto God by Him. Seek His intercession -make your prayers in His name. All prayers, we are expressly told it, are accepted that go up to God seconded by His Son-Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my

name He will give it you. Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full !

Again, our Lord's Ascension greatly confirms that hope to which we instinctively cling, that most blessed hope of a life beyond the grave. He is in heaven as the first fruits of the resurrection of the dead. He is there with "body, flesh, and bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature."

Yes! where, and whatever, heaven may be however difficult it is for us to form a picture of it to our minds— one thing we know about it, which is of incalculable worth-we know that it is the abode of Jesus Christ— that He, the prophet of Nazareth in Galilee-Who did those works of mercy and of goodness recorded in the Gospel-Who once led that truly human life on our earth -Who was the friend of sinners-Who preached His glad tidings to the poor-Who was Himself poor-poor as the very poorest-Who could have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way, for that He Himself was compassed with infirmity—we know that He now dwells, and dwells unchanged, with God in heaven. And further we know, that where He is, there shall all His people be also.-Ye cannot follow Me now, but ye shall follow Me afterwards. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am ye may be also!

I will not dwell upon this now; it was the subject that occupied us last Sunday. But O, how thankful should we be for the glimpses thus opened to us of the

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