Spirit, be left out, where is the inhabitant? It is an habitation of God through the Spirit. Christ is the nearest object to faith, as our mediator. "Ye believe in God, believe also in me;" for through Christ we believe in God, who raised him from the dead, 1 Peter i. 21. And we receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Here is the mystery; faith lays hold of Jesus Christ, and through him we believe in God the Father, and, upon our believing, we receive the Spirit through faith, and are sealed by him. This is the ground-work, the basis, and power, on which faith stands or rests; all building is in vain without this. "Building yourselves upon your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." The most Holy Trinity is the mystery on which faith rests; and we stand by faith, or rest on the powerful confidence which the arm of God reveals in us. Hence the exhortation, "Hold the mystery of faith in a pure conscience," 1 Tim. iii. 9. This is called building up ourselves on our most holy faith. Faith is the Father's gift to us through Christ, and from his fulness it comes, and by the operation of the Spirit it is wrought in us, and therefore called a fruit of the Spirit; this is the basis, namely, the Holy Trinity. Love is the bond of union, or the grand cement that compacts and builds up; charity edifieth, or raises the edifice. Hence we read of the love of God to us in giving the Son; and the love of the Son, in laying down

his life for us; and the love of the Holy Ghost also. "Now I beseech you, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit," Rom. xv. 30. The love of the Trinity to us is the bond of union, which, when perceived by faith, and enjoyed, leads to a most blessed freedom and familiarity with the Father, Son, and Spirit; as you read. "And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery," Eph. iii. 9. We can have fellowship with nothing but persons; there is no fellowship with names. These things have I written unto you, that you may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And you read of the comfort of love, and of the fellowship of the Spirit, Phil, ii, 1. Hence the foundation of vital god. liness is God-Father, Son, and Spirit. Faith apprehends this, and by a full persuasion stays the mind thereon; love is the cementing bond that unites the soul to God. "He that loveth dwelleth in God, and God in him;" that is, he abideth in the Trinity; he abideth in the Son, and in the Father. And it is added, "As that anointing hath taught you, you shall abide in him." Read 1 John ii. 27. Here is our inbeing and abiding in the Father, Son, and Spirit; and fellowship is the effect of this union.

True fellowship among men is a company of real friends meeting together in love. "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself." "When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by

the death of his Son." And the Holy Ghost applies the word of reconciliation. "Henceforth I

call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you," John

xv. 15.

Persons in fellowship often meet and associate together. Believers, with their confessions, prayers, praises, and thank-offerings, pay their constant visits to their God: and in their conclusive doxolo

gies address all the three divine persons distinctly; and by these we ascend, in faith and affection, to the Almighty. And, with respect to the sensible enjoyment of God's presence, the Holy Trinity often condescends to visit us. "If a man love me he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him," John xiv. 23. And the Holy Ghost comes also; "I will send you a comforter, who shall abide with you for ever." Thus does the holy and blessed Trinity visit and take up their abode with believing souls.

Persons in real union and fellowship are a comfort to each other, and partake of each other's joys. "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you for ever," John xiv. 16. Christ does not say, I myself will pray to myself, that I may send myself; which would have been the right way of expressing the matter, if there were but one per

son in the Trinity: but, "I will pray the Father." Here is Christ upon earth praying; the Father in heaven prayed unto; and another Comforter, distinct from them both, prayed for. The Father comforts us by revealing his dear Son in us, and by accepting us in the beloved, and appearing well-pleased with us in his righteousness, "And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee; though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me," Isa. xii. 1. The Saviour comforts us by speaking the word of eternal life to our hearts. My word is spirit and my word is life. "My sheep hear my voice, and follow me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand," John x. 27, 28. "This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me," Psalm cxix. 50. The Holy Spirit comforts us, by applying the promises to us, and attending them with power; the word comes with power in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; which power brings peace, joy, and gladness of heart; which is called the sincere milk of the word; and so it is written, "Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her; rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her; that ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. For thus, saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gen

tiles like a flowing stream, then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem," Isai. lxvi. 10-12. This joy, consolation, love, and peace, are in the new testament called the fruits of the Spirit, Gal. v. 22.

Persons in true fellowship have great confidence in each other, and know much of each other's minds; and so it is with God and his saints. In the saints worst hours they believe without doubting the truth of God, and the truth of the whole of his word; whether they can take the comfort of it or not, they know it is true, and that God, the author of it, is true: and, as God is true, so he makes his children sound in the truth, lovers of it, and earnest contenders for it, and sworn enemies to all false doctrines. "For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie; so he was their saviour." They know much of each other's minds; and so it is with God and his elect: they are made acquainted with God the Father's secret purposes of grace, of his counsels and his covenant, of his good will of purpose and of promise in Christ Jesus before the world. began. Christ chooses us out of the world, and discovers himself to us, with all his finished work and saving benefits; while the Holy Spirit takes of the things that are his, and shews them to us, and makes them manifest in our hearts, and secretly seals us up to the day of redemption.