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that loss of "first love," which is so common. We content ourselves with selecting, here and there from the Holy Scriptures, a few of the most remarkable directions for walking in the Spirit; and a few of the most solemn warnings against grieving the Spirit; and, having adopted these general maxims, together with certain strong phrases about the power of the Spirit, we take for granted that we are as orthodox and honest in reference to him, as we took pains to be in regard to the Saviour.

Ghost, when we are sowing the seed of it, and watching the springing of it, and watering the leaf of it by prayer: but we are trifling with the Spirit, when we are not attending to what he saith unto the churches. For how can he help us on points, on which we neglect to "hear" him? If, indeed, he had not spoken enough in the promises to comfort us: or not enough in the precepts, to direct us; or not enough in the warnings to check us; then wishing and waiting for the upspringing of the fruits of the Spirit in our hearts, without sowing or seed, might neither be sinful nor useless. It is, however, both, now that the Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation, and to furnish us thoroughly for every good word and work.

It is by overlooking this, that backsliding is so common. Many converts do not listen to the good and comfortable words of the Spirit, the belief of which gives joy and peace; but waste their time in wishing for comfort to come into their minds, or to spring up in their hearts; not from what he has said, but from what he can do. The consequence is, they have not enough of "the peace of God," nor of "the comfort of the Holy Ghost." to keep their hearts and minds happy or steadfast; and thus they lose their first love, and often neglect their first works.

Now I do not mean to insinuate, that we are either willingly or wittingly dishonest, in thus satisfying ourselves with a general recognition of the claims and commands of the Spirit. No! We honestly suppose, that this will be enough to keep up and carry on our piety. It is too, as much as Thus we might have, and we ought to have, the the generality possess, and more than some pro- joy of salvation, and the Spirit of adoption, and fess. What then? It has not always been the earnest of heaven, as well as the desire for enough to keep up the power of godliness in our them. They are as fully provided for, and as hearts, nor to prevent backsliding in our hearts. freely offered, in "what the Spirit saith unto the Nay; it has not been enough to secure equal at churches," as hope is warranted by what he saith tention even to "the fruits of the Spirit." For, to the world. "The Spirit speaketh expressly," after all our professed subjection to him, are there when he assures the world, that whosoever will not some of them we have never yet set ourselves believe shall have eternal life; and not less exto cultivate or consider? "The fruit of the Spirit is, pressly when he says to the church, “he that belove, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, good-lieveth hath eternal life, and shall not come into ness, faith, meekness, temperance." Gal. v. 22. condemnation." Yea, there is much "written" Look at this list, and judge for yourself, whether you to believers for the express purpose, that they have gone far enough in honoring the Holy Spirit." may know that they have eternal life;" and thus Well might Paul say, when he brought this list of feel encouraged and bound to continue a life of graces and virtues before the churches, "If we faith on the son of God. live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Ver. 25. Why; if we had given as little attention to "temperance," or to "faith," or to general "goodness," as to "love, joy, peace," or as to "meekness, gentleness, and long-suffering," we should have made "shipwreck of faith and a good conscience" long ago! Even now, did our account stand as ill with the morals of this list, as it does with the mercies of it, we should almost set ourselves down as being still unconverted. The absence of both "joy and peace" does not, however, prove that against us. Conversion may be real, even although our enjoyment be but small, and our love but weak yet. But still, although neither hypocrisy nor unregeneracy is proved, by the want of joy, nor by the weakness of love, inattention to the Spirit is proved against us by them for as the good seed of joy, love, and peace, is as abundant in his word, as the good seed of faith or repentance, both the want and the weakness of the former fruits of the Spirit, must be occasioned by our not sowing that seed sufficiently. "He that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Gal. vi. 8; and joy and peace in believing, are first-fruits of that harvest of glory. But still, they are as really the fruit from seed, as they are foretastes of heaven. Hence, Paul prayed for the churches, that they might have "joy and peace in believing;" not in wishing for them, nor in waiting for them, nor in merely praying for them; but in believing the joy-giving and peace-giving promises, or in sowing to the Spirit the good seed of good hopes and strong consolations.

This is giving the Holy Spirit his proper place, in a proper way. There is both sense and humility in wishing and waiting for the joy of the Holy

If you have never studied this subject before, you are in some danger of getting impatient with this mode of treating it; especially as I hardly seem to have a definite object before me. Do you then ask me, what I mean? I am glad of it; for a plain question will bring me to the point, or stop me altogether. Well; I mean, that you have nothing to expect from the Spirit, but just what the Saviour promised; which is, that the Comforter would sanctify and console by the truth-by leading into all truth,—and by bringing it to remembrance. If, therefore, you and I overlooked or forgot this fact, and satisfied ourselves with listening to the Spirit on only a few great truths, what could be expected, but that our comforts should be few and small, and thus our declensions many?

Now, do not quarrel nor quibble with this fact, as if it would impose upon you a task which you have neither time nor ability to undertake. All that the Spirit hath said to the churches, is not so much, but that it may be examined and considered too, by reading over the Epistles-not the work of a month to the busiest! And begin, if you will, by hearing what he hath said to comfort,

and thus to confirm, them who believe. You want to know whether the righteousness of Christ is imputed to you; and he says, that it is "upon all them that believe." Rom. iv. 22. You want to know whether you are a child of God; and he saith, "ye are all children of God through faith in Christ." You want to know whether your sins are pardoned; and he saith, “he that believeth is justified from all things." What do you mean by comfort, if this be not enough to comfort you? For, what more could the Spirit say to you, were he to speak to you as he did to the prophets and apostles? True; the comfort of these sweet assurances turns upon faith. They are only addressed to believers. What then? You are not as an unbeliever, if all your reliance be upon Christ, for the holy salvation proclaimed in the gospel. You are a believer, if you love salvation from sin and wrath, and be honestly seeking it by prayer. The Spirit does not stand upon niceties, nor lay down perplexing distinctions, when speak. ing of faith. He looks to the heart; and when it is well disposed towards the cross and sceptre of Christ, and willing to be a debtor and dependant for all mercy and grace, he recognises faith, whoever else may doubt or deny its existence. O yes; the love of the Spirit is too tender and considerate, to perplex or embarrass an humble penitent with intricate questions about the nature of faith. The substance of his questions is,-in whom do you believe for salvation? and for what holy purpose do you believe? and if our souls, in answer to this appeal, throw themselves upon the Lamb slain for grace and law, the Spirit saith,"be of good cheer, thy sins, which are many, are forgiven; go, and sin no more.'

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There would be less backsliding, if this were believed. Neither Satan nor the world would be able to get such a hold upon us as they do, if we took care to keep a firm hold upon what the Spirit saith to the churches, as a Comforter. And were he to be as much listened to as a sanctifier, there would soon be but few complaints about desertion, or darkness, or doubts.

brightly! He does not make the worst of very bad cases; but even when "things are ready to die," says, "Be watchful, and strengthen" them. The general sentiment of this essay will come under your notice in another form, when I trace the love of the Spirit watering and ripening the good seed of his own word. As, however, I have referred so much to the Apocalyptic Epistles in this chapter, I cannot close it without reminding you, that the "first works" of the primitive churches included one work, which very few modern Christians begin with-the consecration of their property to spread the gospel. I say, to the spread of the gospel; not the aggrandisement of its ministers, nor the architecture of its temples. They laid their goods at the feet of the apostles, that the apostles might lay the gospel before the world, and enable its poor adherents to be faithful unto death.

This, when it is done at all now by individuals, is usually their last, instead of their first work. And yet, the first emotions of a true convert, are very much akin to the benevolent feelings of the first converts at Pentecost. Indeed, were the ministers of the gospel as much pledged to the world now, or as intent upon carrying or sending the unsearchable riches of Christ to the Gentiles, as the apostles were then, rich converts would do now as they did then; and the first work of every Christian, who had any property beyond the necessities of his family, would be to distribute to necessitous saints, and to help on the chariot of salvation. And this good work is not less necessary, now that it has to be begun in the churches. For the churches will never have the outpouring of the Spirit, until there be an outpouring of their own property into the treasury of the Lord.

This time is at hand; and it will be a searching time. It will soon be impossible for a rich man to believe the gospel, unless he is prepared to spread it. The kingdom of heaven is again making its strait gate a "needle's eye," through which the camels of providence cannot enter, without selling all they have, more than they really need. I tremble to think how many, when this duty is enforced, will, like him upon whom it was first enjoined, "go away sorrowful" from Christ, just because he wants their property as well as their faith.

Where backsliding, however, has occurred, what the Spirit saith is, "Remember from whence thou hast fallen, and repent, and do thy first works. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and fight against thee, with the sword of my mouth." Rev. ii. 16. And he keeps his word! The Spirit makes his sword turn against the backsliding, until they return to their first love and their first works. Accordingly, they can find no comfort in his promises; no refreshing from his ordinances; and but little hope from the glorious gospel itself. Thus, their Bibles become to them THE LOVE OF THE SPIRIT IN sealing believers. books they are afraid to open; and sacraments, awful hazards; and their closets, painful retire

ments.

But still, the Spirit does not say, even to such, that they are hypocrites; nor that they never knew the grace of God in truth. No! He treats them as fallen; but not as if they never had stood. Accordingly, he sends them to recommence their "first works," and not to begin their faith anew. I mean, he does not treat them as unbelievers, but as ungrateful and disobedient children, who require to be both wooed and warned to return home. Here, again, the love of the Spirit shines

No. IX..

Ir the witness of the Spirit be a somewhat mysterious, and thus a perplexing subject, to many Christians, the seal of the Spirit is an intimidating subject, to still more. Indeed, very few venture to say or think, that they are "sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." Eph. i, 13. This is hardly to be wondered at, however much it should be deplored; for when a Christian asks, “what is the seal of the Spirit ?" and turns from his Bible to commentaries for an answer, he is not made much wiser, nor at all happier, by learning the ancient modes of sealing sacrifices, letters, and

property. To tell him, that believers are sealed, all that is meant by the seal of the Holy Spirit of

as these were, to distinguish and preserve them; only widens the question, without answering or simplifying it in the least. It then returns with the puzzling addition,-what is the distinctive mark? What is the impress of the seal of God, upon the children of God?

Now, when the question takes this form, we can never be far wrong in taking general ground at first, and saying, "they that are after (or according to) the Spirit, mind the things of the Spirit." Rom. viii. 5. For whatever his seal be, they are not utterly unsealed, who are mindful of, and take a lively interest in, the things which the Holy Spirit has written, and wrought, and promised. And in like manner, they are not altogether unscaled, who are not unsanctified. Whoever has any real features of the image of God upon his heart and character, is not quite without the scal of the Spirit of God.

promise, as "the EARNEST of the inheritance of the purchased possession" of heaven; but they are so like it, that they cannot be far from it. For we have some foretastes of heaven, and some humble consciousness of the beginnings of meet ness for the inheritance in light, when we are walking with God. They may not, indeed, be very lasting, nor at all rapturous whilst they do last; but they are both sweet and soothing. They help us to go on with some calmness, and with more relish," look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

It is, therefore, well worth our while to trace the love of the Spirit, in sealing his own work upon the soul, even if his special seal be something more and higher, than settled principles and habits of faith and holiness. Indeed, the more than these it is, the more need there is that these should be sealed, or confirmed, by the Spirit. For, So far this process of settling the question may, to what can you look in your religious experience, indeed, somewhat confound sealing with sanctifi- which, if left to itself, would not have vanished cation and spiritual-mindedness. That, however, away, like the early cloud or the morning dew? will do no harm to truth or piety. Far better True; there is vitality in gracious principles. confound the seal of the Spirit with the sanctifica- But why? Just because the Spirit who implanttion of the Spirit, than separate them. They ed them, keeps them alive. The good work of cannot be separated, in fact, nor in experience, grace in the heart does go on; but it does so, behowever they may be distinguished in theory.cause he who began it, carries it on. Neither the unholy in character, nor the carnal in mind, have any seal of the Father, Son, or Spirit upon them. "Their spot is not the spot of his children;" but "the mark of the beast," or of "the false prophet." Accordingly, whenever any thing independent of faith and holiness, has been invented or paraded as the seal of heaven, it has always been some mystery of Babylon, or some vagary of fanaticism.

There is, amongst the truly pious, a familiar, but emphatic use of the word "sealing," which I am persuaded, is quite as near to the real fact on this subject, as the definitions of any creed or critic. I allude, especially, to the well-known stanza,

"Prone to wander; Lord, I feel it;

Prone to leave the God I love.
Here's my heart! Lord take and seal it;
Seal it from thy courts above."

Any Christian understands this; and every Christian feels his need of such sealing, and desires to experience its help. For, having found, again and again, that warmth and tenderness of heart can relapse into cold formality; and that our best frames are not abiding; and that both our views and vows can be almost forgotten at times; we cannot but desire this sealing work of the Holy Spirit. That may be more than the perpetuation or the ratification of our best views and feelings: but we know, and are sure, that we are neither prepared for more, nor likely to obtain a higher seal, until our principles and affections are more sealed or confirmed. And we know also, that when truth has the force of truth upon us, and whilst the spirit of prayer keeps up well, and whilst we walk humbly and circumspectly before God, neither our hopes nor our comforts are few or small. They may not amount, even then, to

Where

would its goodness or its progress have been at this moment, had it depended entirely upon its first powerfulness, or upon our prudence? Alas, we have often brought that good work to a very low ebb, and into a bad position in our hearts. We have, at times, thought that it was utterly lost; or that it had been only a delusion, from the first. And it would have gone entirely, had not the Holy Spirit loved it more than we prized it, and watered it more than we watched it. It lives, because he, in common with Christ, has ever lived to keep it alive.

This is emphatically true of that sense of guilt and danger, in which the work of grace usually begins. For, had not our first convictions been sealed by the Spirit, as well as awakened by him, they would either have passed away, or been shaken off. Self-upbraiding, and especially selfcondemnation, are so unnatural and painful, that the mind does all it can, first to evade them, and then to throw them off. The fear of perishing would never gain such an ascendency over our self-love and self-complacency, as would lay us down, self-condemned, at the feet of God, did not the Spirit of God bring it to this point, and keep it there long enough to compel flight from the wrath to come. "A fearful looking for of judg ment, and fiery indignation," is too fearful, to be willingly admitted, or long retained, by the mind. It would be kept out, or cast out, if we could.

But if it had-we should not have fled for refuge from the wrath to come, to lay hold on the hope set before us in the gospel. Had not the Spirit sealed our fears, until they shut us up to the cross and the mercy-seat, with the cry, "Lord, save, I perish," we should never have become believers, nor penitents.

This sealing of the sense of danger, at the very time when the mind is doing all it can to rid itself of fear, is not, indeed the sealing spoken of in Scripture. That, whatever it be, comes "after"

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believing. Hence Paul says to the Ephesians, of being found in him. Why? we have sealed "After ye believed, ye were sealed." i. 13. There persuasions of the necessity of this, and settled would, however, be no believing with the heart desires to obtain it. Our efforts have not, alas, unto salvation, if there was no sealing, on the been equal to our convictions or to our desires; heart, of the awakened sense of the need of sal- but they would have been less than they are, had vation. It is only sealed convictions, that lead to not the Holy Spirit stamped our concern to besaving conversion. Do, mark the love of the long to Christ, with stability and perpetuity. Spirit in this! It well deserves your admiration and gratitude. He carried out your fears far enough, and kept them up long enough, to render the gospel glad tidings to your uneasy conscience, and to make Christ precious to your soul. It was, no doubt, very painful at first, to be kept on the rack of suspense, whether by terror or by timidity; but it was good for you. It led to a fervency of prayer, and to a searching for hope, and to a casting of the soul upon Christ entirely, that more than compensated for all the pain. For you could not wish now, that your sense of danger had been slighter at the time, however trying it was for the

time.

Well; observe how it has been sealed by the Spirit, since it ceased to be painful and oppressive. You have not now that "fearful looking for of judgment," which once haunted your conscience, or depressed your spirits: but still, you do look forward to the judgment-seat. You have lost "the fear which hath torment;" but you cherish still a holy fear or awe of both judgment and eternity. You are neither altogether fearful, nor altogether fearless. Why? There has been a sealing of your convictions at this middle point, between absolute dread, and perfect peace. mean, that the Holy Spirit has taken care, that you should neither despair nor presume.

It is peculiarly delightful to trace the love of the Spirit, in keeping alive, in spite of all the world's snares, and all the heart's treacheries, and all Satan's temptations, a settled sense of our need of an interest in the unfinished work of Christ. This need has been before us for years, in all lights and in all forms; but we are neither tired of feeling it, nor indifferent about its success. Our hearts return to it, however they wander; and for a time. Thus our solicitude to be found in our prayers re-centre upon it, however they fail Christ, has been so far sealed by the Spirit, that we do not, and dare not, give up seeking to be

found in him.

It is impossible not to remember, in this connection, how our general views and convictions of the truth of the gospel, have survived shocks of trial, or of temptation, which must have upset them, had they not been sustained by the power of Providence have seemed to us, at variance with of the Holy Ghost. Sometimes, the dispensations both the promises and doctrines of Grace. We have looked for light, and found darkness; for seemed clashing with God's word, and his provijoy, and found only sorrow. Then, God's dealings I dence running contrary to his promises. This creates a sad dilemma! When this suspicion settles in the mind, it unsettles every thing for a time. when the rod of Providence seems to contradict Oh, were there no seal put upon our principles, the pen of inspiration, and the hand of God to undo the word of God, by mysterious visitations, had it not been sealed in the cloudy and dark day, how soon and entirely our faith would fail! Yes; made shipwreck of both faith and a good conwhen all things seemed against us, we should have

It is just as true of the way of salvation, as of our need of salvation, that both our knowledge and love of it, require to be sealed by the Spirit, in order to live and last. They are not natural to us, any more than self-condemnation; and, therefore, although more agreeable, they too would vanish away, if the power which created them did not confirm them. Accordingly, we know by bitter experience, that our clearest views of our warrant and welcome to trust in Christ, have become so dim and indistinct, that we could make nothing of the gospel for a time, in our own case. And, what is worse, our love of the gospel can wax cold, even when our knowledge of it is not clouded nor confused.

And had this darkness and disrelish gone on, or remained, when they set in upon our mind, where now had been our faith or hope? Who does not feel, that he requires to be kept to the cross, as well as brought to it? This is a melancholy confession; but it is only too true! Our hearts can be treacherous even to the Saviour; and our consciences, to the blood of sprinkling. They have both had to be sealed again and again, in order to bind them to the only thing which can pacify or purify them.

But, thus, they have been bound to "the horns of the altar" of Calvary! They may at times so loosen "the cords" of confirmation, as to seem about to fall or fly off entirely; but they do neither long. We cannot forget, for many days together, what we have known and felt of our need of a personal interest in Christ; nor can we give up, often, the habit of seeking, or of trying, to make sure,

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science.

It is not adversity only, that can thus peril the life of faith. Prosperity, also, not unfrequently, induces a state of mind prone to speculation, or open to sceptical suggestions. Satan thus finds it easy, first to amuse the soul with curious questions, and then to entangle it with plausible sophistries. And, having inserted the wedge of doubt among the mass of first principles, he drives it home, until they split up like dry timber or a veined rock. Nothing could stop their destruction, but seals which stop the rent.

If you have at all passed through trying exercises of mind from affliction or temptation, it ought not to be very difficult for you to conceive, how the Holy Ghost, as the Spirit of promise, seals the souls unto the day of redemption. This is not more unlikely, nor more inexplicable, than that, as the Spirit of faith and truth, he should have sealed your principles and desires, when they were giving way before heavy trials, or harassing temptations. You are no stranger to sealing, if you have passed through deep and dark waters, without losing entirely your faith or your hope. You may well believe that the Spirit of promise

can seal your hopes, seeing he has so often revived them.

of their inheritance. Thus he wanted them to have more sealing eartnests of heaven.

I prefer to let the meaning of the special seal And that their first sealing did not confirm their of the Spirit creep out thus, without formality of souls long, is but too evident from the Saviour's definition or announcement, that you may not message from Patmos; charging them with havonly judge for yourself, but also enjoy what you ing "left their first love," and threatening to rediscover. It is, you see, only a higher and strong-move their "candlestick out of its place," uner degree of the hope of eternal redemption. less they repented. These facts give the lie diThat is usually weak and fluctuating at first. rect to all theories of sealing, which make the Even the joy and peace found at first in believing, seal final or indelible. His seal like every other have not much of a heavenly character about part of his work, has to be renewed from time to them. I mean, they are not so much earnests or time. Like his witness, it is not abiding any foretastes of heavenly peace and joy, as sweet re- longer than we keep from grieving him. The liefs from present fear and anguish. They rather Holy Spirit soon unseals every one, who makes a look back with wonder to the past day of dread, bad use of his comforts. And in unsealing the than forward with delight or composure to the inconsistent and slothful, he evinces as much love, final day of redemption; and thus are but earnests as when he seals, most fully, the diligent and deof "the earnest of the inheritance" of the saints votional. For if we could find the sanctuary “a in light. little heaven below," however seldom we were in our closets, or however unwatchful we were in the world, we should soon try more hazardous experiments.

as well as comforted.

This is not so uncommon as some say. There are, perhaps, but very few Christians, who have not been again and again sealed with earnests of the heavenly inheritance; although they have not ventured to call or consider their

It is then when the soul is enabled to lift up its head, in prospect of the final day of redemption, with a hope full of immortality, that it is sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, as the earnest of hea- You now see that the seal of the Spirit is nothing ven. When he carries out the hope of finding which makes either calling or election sure, apart grace, to the hope of glory also; and makes from walking in the Spirit, and bearing the fruits present communion with God and the Lamb, a of the Spirit. It makes these fruits foretastes of sweet foretaste of eternal happiness; then, the heavenly happiness: and that is all. But that is soul is sealed as well as enlightened—confirmed | much! "The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, temperance.' Gal. v. 22. And what a sweet and useful sealing of the soul it is, when these take a heavenward direction, and something of a heavenly character! How delightful it is to love, feeling that it will be perfect and eternal in heaven! How joy improves, when we think of it becoming full of glory! How peace passeth all understanding, when we think of it reigning unto as earnests of glory. But, have you not known eternal life! How gentleness and goodness comsuch times of refreshing, both in the sanctuary mend themselves, when we realise them as holiand the closet, when you found it something likeness which can never be tarnished, and as comheaven begun on earth, to see God in a light, and posure which can never be ruffled! the Saviour in a light, which hushed all your anxieties, and filled your soul with peace? Have you not felt at times such oneness of spirit with all the armies of heaven, that you could not but see how instinctively and cheerfully your heart joined their harps in ascribing "Salvation and glory to God and the Lamb?" Have you not said at the wells of salvation,

"Moments rich in blessing,"

"If such the sweetness of the streams,
What must the fountain be,
Where saints and angels draw their bliss
Immediately from Thee ?"

And this is the way to ripen the fruits of the Spirit. Instead of looking at them only in their connection with this world, we ought to lift them up, one by one, into the light and warmth of glory, that we may see and feel how they will be "pleasures for evermore." But this subject must not be treated thus vaguely. It will come under your notice in a more definite form, in a subsequent chapter, where the love of the Spirit, as the earnest of the heavenly inheritance, is traced experimentally.

No. X.

THE LOVE OF THE SPIRIT IN SANCTIFICATION.

This is the sealing work of the Spirit. Nothing is more unwarranted or unwise, than to regard that, as either indelible assurance, or an unalterable witness of sonship. It was not a full nor an abiding earnest of heaven to the Ephesians; al-Ir is not easy, even with the promise of the Spirit though a real earnest whilst they took care not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, whereby they were sealed." Eph. iv. 30.

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Observe this fact. Even whilst their first love was in its first glow, and when they were just sealed, Paul told them, that he bowed his knees for them in prayer, that they might be rooted and grounded in love, and that they might know the hope of their calling, and the riches of the glory

before us, to maintain a lively hope of sanctification, in the presence of the solemn assurance, that "without holiness no man shall see the Lord:"-and it would be impossible to hope at all in the face of the fact that "nothing which defileth" can enter heaven, if we had not the Holy Spirit to look to, and depend upon. They know little of heaven, and care still less about it, who do not feel this. It is deeply felt by those who

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