warrant for this expectation; the only pledge of their being "heirs of the kingdom." Therefore, That which is set forth as the mark of the members of Christ's kingdom in the great day of his appearing, must in some measure, in commencement and in daily progress, be the mark of those who are looking out for this appearing, i. e. of what the New Testament writers call Spiritual men.

And in this sense, and to this extent, the many glorious prophecies of the Old Testament respecting "the last days" began to be fulfilled at the very first Coming of Christ, and are applied therefore to that Coming by the New Testament writers; and the very expression of "the kingdom of heaven" is used for the time of invitation, of collecting disciples, of preparation for that kingdom.* All who shall enjoy it will have acquaintance with God, will "see Him as He is," will stand before his throne, and "his tabernacle will be with men," (as John declares (Rev. xxi. 3,) describing that very time of the Second Coming in the words of the Prophets whom we have referred to,)" and He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." Therefore all who would indulge

* See Matt xiii. 24, &c.

the expectation of enjoying this in his good time, and have the pledge and earnest of their right and title to it, must have now and here the beginnings and the growth of this same acquaintance with God ;—i.e. (as I expressed it at the outset,) The Spiritual man is he who has attained to some Acquaintance with God.

And this is expressed in our Text by the phrase "The Spirit of God dwelleth in you." For, the only way and channel of Acquaintance with God, in this our expectant and preparatory state, is by and through His divine Spirit. The Spirit of God, in the heart of the Believer, is the Representative and Vicegerent of the Father; the channel of his communications to us, and of our prayers and sighs to Him. Whence our Lord, when he says to his disciples (in answer to the question of Judas "How is it that thou wilt manifest thyself to us and not unto the world?") "If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him ;"*-expresses the same thing which he had promised just before, "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, * John xiv. 23.

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neither knoweth Him; but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you." The Holy Spirit is the Manifester to the heart of man, both of Jesus himself, (because the Spirit of Christ was the Spirit of God,) and of the Father, (because the Spirit is God.) And therefore to have the Spirit of God dwelling in us, is to have Christ dwelling in us, is to have God dwelling in us; i.e. is to have entered into Acquaintance and fellowship with God;-to have realized in commencement that vision of the Holy One which is to be the glory and the blessedness of times to come; to have that preliminary and preparatory, and anticipative application of the prophecies, to which St. Paul refers as already, in these times, taking place in the heart of every believer, when he says "Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." And again, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" And again, “In whom also (i.e. in Christ) ye are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit,"-by means of, or in person of, the Spirit. And St. John also, when he says, "Hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He

hath given us." And again, "Hereby know we that we dwell in Him and He in us, because He hath given us of his Spirit."

In a word, therefore, To have the Spirit of God dwelling in us, is to have God present and manifested to the heart of the Christian as a Friend and Father; and therefore to feel towards him as such, all the Confidence, all the Love, and all the Devotedness, of a filial mind.

And to this, therefore, I say, the Spiritual man has attained;-to this, in some commencement and experience.

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And First, To filial Confidence. "Ye shall

my people, and I will be your God," is the promise in Jeremiah; and this promise is realized in anticipation and earnest by the Spiritual man. For, says St. Peter, "Ye in times past were not a people, but are now the people of God: ye had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." And this adoption, this mercy, is assured to us by the possession of the Spirit. For," says St. Paul to the Romans, "The love of God"-the sense of his fatherly compassion" is shed abroad in your hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto you." To have the Spirit of God dwelling in them, was to have derived some hope and assurance of God's love

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to them. When the Spirit was shed abroad upon them, or descended into their minds, there was thereby and therewith communicated to them a trust in God's compassion. Just as the friendly tokens or messages of a friend assure us of his kindness; or still more, the smile upon his face declares the feeling of his heart. That great Jehovah who from Sinai manifested himself clothed in terrible Majesty; that same God who in the works of nature shows such awful power and authority; this God is manifested by the Spirit in the heart as the Father of Mercies and the God of all Comfort. It is the first great privilege of the Gospel. It is that, to bring us into which Christ shed his blood. It is that, the enjoyment of which is to be the spring and stimulus to all future service.

Let me ask, then, Brethren, how far are we Spiritual men in this respect? Let us not trifle with our blessings. Let us not let slip that which is so freely vouchsafed us, and defraud ourselves of the peace for which Christ died. I speak to the sincere Christian, and I ask whether it is not unreasonable and ungrateful, almost childish, to be doubting that compassion which He has proved to us in the sacrifice of Christ, and which He would shed abroad in our hearts by his own Spirit? Do we doubt its