of which my text speaks, is of such a discriminating nature, that no man who has it can fail to belong to Christ, and no man who has it not can have any part or lot with him. The Spirit of God is promised to us, to dwell in us as in his temple ; for we are to be " the habitation of God through the Spirit3";" and he is further to operate in us effectually for all the ends and purposes of our salvation, producing in us all " the fruits of goodness, and righteousness, and truth y." His motions may not unfitly be compared with the operations of the soul in the human body. Without the soul, the body cannot perform any vital function whatever : but when that spiritual inha- bitant is present with us, and discharges its proper offices, we shew, by the various exercises of our mind and body, that it really dwelleth in us. Now the Spirit of God performs in the soul an office somewhat analogous to this. The soul by itself has respect only to things visible and temporal ; but, when filled by the Spirit of God, it occupies itself about things invisible and eternal. And precisely as the body needs the presence and operation of the soul for the discharge of its offices in relation to this world, so does the soul need the influences of the Holy Spirit for the discharge of its duties in reference to the world to come.
To a carnal mind, this may appear strange. But it corresponds exactly with what St. Paul says : — " I am crucified with Christ : nevertheless I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in mez." And again, he says, " When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory a."
The particular operations of the Spirit of Christ will come under our consideration hereafter. My present object is merely to shew who that blessed Spirit is, whom we are to have dwelling in us, and for what ends and purposes he is promised to us. He is none other than God himself: and, as I have said, he operates as really and effectually in our souls, as our souls operate in our bodies.
* Epb. ii. 22. y Eph. v. 9. z Gal. ii. 20. a Col. iii. 4.