It is easy to put this off with a sneer : but we cannot change that declaration of God, that, " If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his^;" or that, " Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God™: and, if we will brave those explicit declarations, we shall find ere long, " whose word shall stand, whether ours or God's."]
2. What rich eneouragement does the Gospel afford to drooping contrite souls !
[It is by the Gospel that Christ communicates this blessing to mankind. See this exemplified in the instance of Cornelius. Peter, in preaching to him, said, *' To Christ give all the pro- phets witness, that whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." Then we are told, " While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word"." Now to you also do I make the same blessed decla- ration, that " all who believe in Christ shall be justified from all things." O that God might bear the same testimony to it at this time, by sending to you the Holy Ghost in rich abundance ! What joy that event would occasion, you may see in the effect produced on all the college of Apostles at Jerusalem, at the recital of it in reference to Cornelius : " They glorified God, saying. Then hath God unto the Gentiles granted repentance unto life"." Yes, my dear brethren, "Repentance," "re- pentance unto life," would infallibly accompany the gift of the Holy Spirit to your souls. And is not that worth seeking? You are sure to repent sooner or later: and how much better is it to repent on earth, than to repent in hell ; to have " re- pentance unto life," than " repentance that shall be eternally to be repented of ! " Go then to the Lord Jesus for this heavenly baptism. The baptism of water you are to receive but once : but the baptism of the Spirit you are to be receiving every day and hour. St. Paul speaks of " supplies of the Spirit of Jesus ChristP," which you are to be continually receiving : and it is the very office of Christ to impart them to you. The Lord grant, that you may all now " be filled with the Spirit^!," and that, having him poured out abundantly upon you, you may possess also, in the richest abundance, all his attendant blessings both of grace and glory "■ !
1 Rom. viii. 9. '" John ill. 5. " Acts x. 43, 44.
« Actsxi. 15—18. P Phil.i. 19. i Eph. v. 19.
r Tit. iii. G, 7.
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