that he may bestow it upon usk. But, however free his promises be, " he will be inquired of by us," before he will perform them1. The promise runs, " Ask, and ye shall have ; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened unto youm." Let us then, in dependence on this promise, entreat of God to give us, in the first place, his Holy Spirit as a " spirit of grace and supplication11;" and then, in answer to our prayers, to " pour out his Spirit, even, as it were, in rivers and floods upon us0;" that so there might be accomplished in us that good work, which it is the Spirit's office to perform, by renovating our souls, and " causing us to walk in God's statutes, and to keep his judgments, and do themp." Then, having ob- tained this inestimable gift, let us be careful to improve it aright, never "resisting his holy motions'1," lest we provoke God to " withdraw his Spirit from usr," and with holy indignation to swear, that " his Spirit shall strive with us no more8;" and that "we shall never enter into his rest1."
The most important parts of my subject must of necessity be deferred to the remaining opportunities of addressing you. This, which I may call only a prefatory part, I will conclude with that beautiful Collect of our Church, in which the whole that has been brought before you is thus briefly and piously expressed : " O God, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee, grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AmenV
k In Ps. lxviii. 18. it is, "he received ;" but in Eph. iv. 8. " lie gave." He received in order that he might give.
1 Ezek. xxxvi. 37. m Matt. vii. 7. » Zech. xii. 10.
0 Isai. xliv. 3. P Ezek. xxxvi. 27. <J Acts vii. 51.
r Ps. li. 11. * Gen. vi. 3. * Heb. iii. 11.
u Collect for Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity.