the Spirit"1," and will answer the petitions which are so dictated by him.
We are not indeed to expect any miraculous aid from the Holy Spirit: but a gracious influence we may expect ; as St. Paul says, " Pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit"." Nor need we be concerned whether we address our God in words conceived at the moment, or in a pre-com- posed form : it is the frame of mind which God regards : and, if that be spiritual, our prayer, even though it consist only of a sigh, or a groan, shall come up with acceptance before him °, and shall bring down into our souls all the blessings both of grace and glory.
Whilst then we are building up ourselves on our most holy faith, we must be " pouring out our hearts before him " through the assistance of his good Spirit, and be bringing down from him such communications of grace and strength as our daily necessities require.]
The beneficial tendency of the two former direc- tions being thus clear and manifest, let me call your attention,
II. To the two latter, as perfective of your welfare — " Keep yourselves in the love of God " — [This teas primary in the mind of the Apostle: the two preceding being urged only as conducive to it. And certainly this is the great object which every Christian should keep in view, and at which he should aim day and night. To have a sense of " God's love shed abroad in the heart1';" to " have the light of his countenance lifted up upon usq;" to be going to him continually as a Father1; to "walk with him," as Enoch dids ; and, like Abraham, to commune with him as a friend'; to " set him always before usu;" to have no wish or desire but to please him x; to be "delighting ourselves in himy," as our God, our portion, our eternal great reward2: this is our wisdom ; this is our happiness ; this is our security. If we descend on lower ground, we are open to all manner of assaults : but who can reach us there ? Who can break through to harm us, when we are " dwelling in God, and God is dwelling in usa?" We are " encompassed as with a wall of fireb ;" we are in a fortress that is absolutely impregnable0: we mav defy the whole universe to " separate us from his loved."]
m Rom. viii. 27. n Eph. vi. 18. ° Ps. xxxviii. 9
P Rom. v. 5. i Numb. vi. 26. r Rom. viii. 15.
s Gen. v. 24. * Jam. ii. 23. u Ps. xvi. 8.
x Col. i. 10. Heb. xiii. 21. v Ps. xxxvii. 4.
z Gen. xv. 1. a 2 Cor. vi. 10. b Zech. ii. 5. c Prov. xviii. 10. d Rom. viii. 39.