Did he tell them people to a light within themselves? to "gather into stillness," to "wait for the heavenly Pilot," to be very careful not to rely too much on an outward sacrifice ? Nothing like it. It is unquestionably necessary in the ministry of the Gospel, that the offices of the HOLY SPIRIT, as well as the offices of CHRIST, as they are revealed in the Scripture, should be brought into view. True ministers "preach the word,” they are "ministers of the word," i. e. bearers or declarers of the message,-See Acts, xiii. 32,—and their desire should be to set forth that word of life and salvation in all its comprehensiveness. EXTRACT VI. Order itself no sufficient Bond. "IF we keep to the order established, and which we believe to have been set up under the guidance of truth, we shall never be broken to pieces, we shall always be united." p. 133. WHAT reason has any man to suppose, that order established by a body of people, can keep them together acceptably to God, unless the bond of their union consists in the acknowledgment of the Holy Scriptures, -the attested revelation of the SPIRIT, as the rule of their faith and practice? We see infidelity itself lays claim to the GUIDANCE OF TRUTH: by what means then are unjust, claims to be set aside, and false pretensions to be exposed, if the Scriptures be not the ultimate standard of doctrine, on the truth and authority whereof we confidently rely? SERMON VI. EXTRACT I. Creaturely exertions. Stillness. Waiting. “ Nor all the external means, and all external instruction, could give them [the disciples] an understanding of the way of it. This [the new birth] cannot be understood till the mind becomes quieted and settled, and divested of all its roving and running, all its creaturely exertions, all its willing and doing, and comes into that state that Jesus commended his disciples to come into. The soul must become willing to wait as he told them.' 'He told them that they must be still and submissive; that they must be nothing; that they must experience a time, when, in self abasement, they would be settled and confirmed in the belief, that they could do nothing at all, but merely to wait for that power by which, said he, I have done those miracles you have seen me do." p. 137. 66 Creaturely exertions," creaturely activity, are not Scripture phrases; and the mischief is very great, that has been produced by using unscriptural terms, in speaking and writing on religious subjects, when the meaning of those terms is not clear and definite. Such phrases also as sinking down-centering down -digging deep-dwelling deep-turning inward, &c., the reader may have observed, but we hardly need say, they are not the language of Christ and his Apostles. The Apostle Peter exhorted Simon the sorcerer, even when he was in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity, to repent and pray, if perhaps the thought of his heart might be forgiven him; but did he caution him in doing this, to be much on his guard against creaturely exertion? "He told them that they must be still."-Upon what occasion did the Lord Jesus tell his disciples, "that they must be still?" He often told them to believe, and to pray; but we recollect no one instance, in which he recommended the mystical quiet, which in these extracts is represented as of vital importance. See under Ser. II. Ex. 7; Ser. V. Ex. 2; Ser. VII. They could do nothing but merely to wait."-It is a great fallacy to represent, that, unaided by the Holy Spirit, we have the ability, even to wait upon God, in the sense in which David uses the expression, My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from him." 66 EXTRACT II. The authority of the Apostles. Spirit given to every rational creature. "OH! that we might look to ourselves, and examine ourselves rightly, under the influence of the Holy Spirit. For I hope we all believe the Apostle's testimony-not by any means BECAUSE HE HAS SAID IT, but because we feel an evidence of it in ourselves. For there is a portion of the Spirit given to every rational creature under heaven, to profit withal, and it will do the work for us, if we will only unite with it." p. 142. "Nor by any means because he has said it."-Is not the testimony of the Apostles really the testimony of the HOLY SPIRIT? Where will the errors of that man end, who thinks that we are not required to believe, on the authority of the Apostles? Surely no CHRISTIAN can entertain such a sentiment. Let us consider the fullness of the divine testimony, with regard to the commission and authority of the Apostles. 1st, The Testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. "Jesus spake unto them, | saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Matt. xxviii. 1820. "As my Father hath sent me, even so, send I you." Jno. xx. 21. "All things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you, [the Apostles.] Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that should ye go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain." Jno. xv. 15, 16. name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me ; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things, whatsoever thou hast given me, are of thee: For I have given unto THEM THE WORDS WHICH THOU GAVEST ME; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.—I have given them thy word :-Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I sent them into the world." Jno. xvii. 6—10, 14, 17, 18. "Whose soever sins ye remit; they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained unto them." Jno. xx. 23. AGAIN. "I have yet many things to say unto you, [the Apostles] but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will "When the Son of Man guide you unto all truth: shall sit in the throne of for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever his glory, ye also shall sit he shall hear; that shall upon twelve thrones, judghe speak; and he will showing the twelve tribes of Israel." Matt. xix. 28. you things to come. He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine "Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations; and I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that and show it unto you." ye may eat and drink at Jno. xvi. 12-15. my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Luke, xxii. 28-30. AGAIN. "And he said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatso-be preached in his name ever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matt. xvi. 19. among all nations, and ye are witnesses of these things." Luke, xxiv. 46, 47. "Ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been |