concerning CHRIST with such power and energy, as Peter by a single discourse converted three thousand. This is one remarkable instance of the accomplishment of what CHRIST had told them, "That they should do greater works than they had seen him do." The converts to christianity were but few while he was among them, but now, converts are made by thousands. The Spirit inspired them with such sound doctrine, as it should be worthy to complete the canon of revelation, and be called the word of God, which will in all ages be a glorious testimony to CHRIST, in converting and comforting his children, and confounding all his and their enemies: and so absolutely sure, that if an angel from heaven teach any other doctrine, the apostle says, let him be accursed.

The effusion of the Spirit, at and after pentecost, the doctrines he taught,-the miracles he wrought, the predictions he gave forth by the apostles, the gifts he bestowed, and the infinite power he exerted in bringing thousands to the kingdom of Christ, make up such a testimony to the truth of our Savior's character, as his combined enemies, the devil, the world, and the flesh, can never prevail against. With respect to the extraordinary gifts which seemed necessary to the Spirit to bestow at that time, the apostle gives a comprehensive view of them," Now* there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit,-to one is given by the same Spirit, the word of wisdom,-to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith; to another the gifts of healing; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another the discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the

* 1 Cor. xii. 4, 8, 11.

interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will," &c.

I shall only add one particular testimony more which the Spirit gives to CHRIST, that is, his revealing CHRIST in the souls of his children. He takes the things of CHRIST and shews to the mind, -removes the habits of antipathy, presents him in all his beauty, and allures the heart to love, honor and obey him; hence the apostle tells us that "no man can call JESUS LORD, but by the HOLY GHOST."

Another great part of the Spirit's work with reference to CHRIST, is included in his glorifying him. When Christ was promising to send the Spirit, he says, "He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you."

The coming of the Spirit as the gift of CHRIST, and by his appointment, glorified him. The greatness of the gift shewed the heighth of glory and honor he was exalted to. It shews what divine power, what unspeakable favor he had in heaven, when he could send such a messenger as the divine Spirit. It was the clearest demonstration of his being the true Messiah, and the truth of what he had so often said concerning the glory he was to be exalted to.

But further, the HOLY GHOST glorified CHRIST, by confirming the truth of his resurrection from the dead. The apostle makes the whole of the christian religion to turn upon the truth of CHRIST'S resurrection. It was the great contest betwixt the apostles and the Jews, who held CHRIST to be an impostor and his resurrection fabulous; and it must be allowed that if this

truth is taken away, it is impossible to prove him the Messiah, or that the new testament is any more than a devised fable; but the sending of the HOLY GHOST put that matter beyond doubt. This was the use the apostles made of it to the admiring multitude; the evidence of which was so powerful as to convert some thousands of them to the belief of it; and we find the Spirit directed the writers of the books contained in the new testament, to be so careful on this point, that there is not one of them in which this truth is not asserted or proved at large from incontestible evidence, as being the leading argument to prove that Jesus of Nazareth was the SON OF GOD, and the Savior of the world, who was dead, and is alive, and lives for evermore. To doubt here, is to call the whole of the christian religion in question.

The HOLY GHOST glorified CHRIST, by taking such an effectual method to wipe off the ignominy and reproach he was subject to in his life, and at his death. This was done with such divine wisdom and power, that even many of the priests, his inveterate enemies, were convicted,-such as resisted the truth, were amazed and confounded;-Satan fell as lightning from heaven,-his kingdom shook to the centre, and his captives were led captive by the power of the truth. "So mightily grew the word of the Lord and prevailed!" The HOLY GHOST, as an advocate for the glory of CHRIST, proved all the accusations and reproaches of his enemies to be impotent malice; and vindicated the innocence, righteousness, and honor of the divine Redeemer against all accusers: making his friends to triumph, and praise the "Lamb who had been slain, as worthy of all power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing."

The Spirit glorifies CHRIST, in erecting a kingdom for him, and bringing subjects under his rule and government. This he does in opposition to all the power, malice, and craft of hell and earth,-in opposition to all the disgrace he was under, and the popular prejudices which were so strong against him, the natural or acquired enmity of the mind, and the disconformity of the powers, policy, laws, honors, customs, profits, and pleasures of this world, to the kingdom of CHRIST, Notwithstanding these, and other insuperable difficulties to all created power, the HOLY GHOST erects a kingdom for CHRIST, enthrones him in the hearts of men, whom he makes willing, loving, and obedient subjects, "built together a habitation for him through the Spirit, who inspires them with courage and honesty to propagate the glory of his kingdom, praise him as king of saints, and with holy submission say, "The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king, and he will save us." To this we may add,

That the HOLY GHOST glorifies CHRIST, by conforming all his subjects to his image. He presents the glory and excellence of Christ in such a point of view, as the enmity of their hearts is melted down, and they allured through the preciousness of his character revealed in the gospel, where the knowledge of Christ is made manifest, which in them who are ready to perish, is the savor of life unto life; and to them who are saved from the reigning power of sin, is the savor of death unto death, or the mortification of remaining prejudices, evil affections, or corrupt passions in them. They "behold as in a glass the glory of

*

Though the sense in which I take this expression of the apostle, is directly contrary to the common interpretation of it, yet I humbly think it is the proper meaning thereof. He says, 2 Cor.

the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, by the Lord the Spirit." As Solomon says, they are more excellent than their neighbours,"-all glorious within,-filled with his

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ü. 14, 15, 16. "Now thanks be unto God, who always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place: for we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish, (are perishing as it should be rendered). To the one, we are the savor of death unto death; and to the other, the savor of life unto life." According to the plain connection of the passage, the manifestation of the knowledge of Christ was in the saved, the savor of death unto death, (not death in the worst sense, as the common opinion is, but) a death unto sin of all kinds, which the saved in Christ die daily unto, and which the knowledge of Christ in the gospel is the powerful cause of, agreeable to many similar expressions of the apostle's, Rom. vi. 1, 2, 7, 8, 11. "Shall we (believers in Christ) continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid! How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? For he that is dead, is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Chap. vii. 9. For I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. Col. iii. 3. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on that we being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness." So that the death in the text, is the work of mortification of sin, which is the special privilege of all who have the true knowledge of Christ, and which is a sweet savor to God through him.

1 Pet. ii. the tree,

But this knowledge of Christ in the gospel, is also the savor of life unto life in them that are perishing. The poor, destitute, perishing sinner, stung with guilt, pursued with the curse, and void of all hopes of salvation from every other proposed remedy, has the knowledge of the all-sufficient Savior in all his fulness presented to him in the gospel, which, by the power of the Spirit, is made a principle of new life in him,-destroys all those vain hopes which wrought death in his soul, and makes him live a life of faith on the Son of God. This is the death and the life which are native fruits of the power of divine truth, manifested in the gospel of Christ, and a particular part of the Spirit's work in the divine economy, for which the apostle gives thanks unto God, and which is a sweet savor unto God of Christ. But how shocking are the inferences which have been drawn from this passage! As if the knowledge of Christ in the gospel, was the means of impenitency and