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into the hands of the perfon after bap- LECT. tifm, and they were admited to hear the lectures of the catechifts in the church, under the name of the illuminated. The festival of Chrift's baptifm was celebrated in the month of January with the ceremony of a number of lighted torches. When the converts repeated the confeffion of their faith at baptism, they turned themfelves to the east; and to the weft when they renounced the powers of darkness. In the modern church of Rome this ceremony of worshipping to the east has been abused, and turned into an act of adoration to the altar; on account of which, fome Chriftians who have heard of the abuse of this ceremony, without knowing the use of it, have rejected that as an act of superstition, which has an edifying fense, and was practised in the days of the apostles, before any superstition had infected the church. As fuch only I would recommend it to obfervation*.

* An excellent fermon, which ought never to be forgotten, and which I carried through the prefs, when I was an under graduate at Oxford, was published on Chrift the Light of

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In the element of air, which comes next in order to be confidered, we have a figure of the Holy Spirit, which worketh imperceptibly as it lifteth, while we cannot tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth. The operations of the divine Spirit, are like those of the air, neceffary to life the one to the natural life, the other to the spiritual and as the air gives the breath of speech, fo the Holy Ghoft gives the utterance of inspiration: therefore he defcended on the day of Pentecoft under the outward fign of a rushing mighty wind from heaven; and in confequence of it, the apoftles fpake as the fpirit gave them utterance; and their found went out into all lands.

the World, from a verfe of the 19th Pfalm, by my admired, beloved and lamented friend, the late Rev. George Watfon, once a fellow of Univerfity college, to whose early instructions and example I have been indebted in most of the literary labours of my life. Many extraordinary men have I feen; but for tafte in claffical literature and all works of genius; for a deep knowledge of the inspired writings; for readiness of speech and sweetness of elocution; for devout affection towards God, for charitable goodness of heart, and elegance of manners, I never met with one that exceeded him.

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The element of water, which washes LECT. and purifies the body, is used to fignify the inward cleanfing of the foul from fin, by the washing of grace in baptism: and all the purifications by water under the law had the like meaning; as they are applied in those words of the prophet: then will I Sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye fhall be clean, from all your filthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you: a new heart alfo will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you*. This new heart and new fpirit, as the work of God's grace, was always fignified by every act of religious purification; according to that of the Pfalmift, Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right Spirit within me†.

Water is used in another capacity to quench the thirft; in which sense it is put for the doctrine of God's word, refreshing and invigorating the foul, as the water of the fpring gives new life and ftrength to

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LECT. the thirsty. As the fpring breaks forth

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from the fecret treasures of the earth, the doctrines of falvation proceed from a fource which we cannot fee. In this fort of language did our Saviour fpeak of the grace of his own divine doctrine to the woman of Samaria: if thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that faith to thee, give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water; that is, the doctrine of falvation which he preached to the world, and of which he ufed these remarkable words in the temple.-He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath faid, out of his belly fhall flow rivers of living water; that is, the words of his mouth fhall convey that doctrine which giveth life to the world: his preaching fhall fatisfy a multitude of fouls, as the ftream of a river is fufficient to the quenching of their thirst.

There is a peculiar propriety in the fcripture term of living water for the water of a running fpring; because it brings with it a new life and fpirit, which it has derived from the fubterraneous chymistry of nature; and it is always found to contain a large quantity of air.

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As the elements of the world, fo the LECT. feasons of the year have their fignification in fcripture. The beauties of the spring and fummer are felected by the prophet Isaiah, to describe the perfection and felicity of Meffiah's kingdom at the appearance of the gospel: when righteousness should spring up among the barren Gentiles who had been fruitlefs and deferted as the earth when forfaken by the fun; The defert fhall rejoice and bloom as the rofe; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy and finging: the glory of Lebanon fhall be given to it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon; they shall fee the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. The feafon of the harveft, which came in at the end of the Jewish year, is applied in a parable of our Saviour to the great in-gathering of the world, when the wheat shall be reaped, the tares shall be feparated for the fire, and the labourers employed in that great work shall be the miniftring fpirits of God, fent forth to gather his elect, and to finish his kingdom upon

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