Jordan, or that of Jacob's well. "Whosoever shall drink of the water that I shall give him," said he to that enquiring woman; whosoever shall come to my baptism, and let down his vessel into the inexe haustible fountain of my grace," shall never thirst: but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water," a source of righteousness, peace, and joy, "springing up into everlasting life." w

In order to strengthen the hope of those, who had been baptized with water, our Lord publicly ratified the promise, which had been so frequently repeated to them by John the Baptist. "In the last day, that great day, of the feast, Jesus stood and cried; If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this he spoke of the Spirit, which they that believe on him," in every age, "should receive, For the Holy Ghost was not yet fully given because that Jesus was not yet glorified." An inestimable promise this, which deserves to be deeply engra yen in the minds of those, who are merely acquainted with Christ, according to his exterior appearance in the world. Observe here the method, by which he endeavours to prepare all such in every country, and in every period, for his manifestation in the Spirit: "If you love me keep my commandments," be faithful to the present dispensation of my Gospel," and I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. At that day," when ye shall experience the fulness of his presence, "Ye shall know, that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you," For he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him." By comparing these words with the seventeenth and tweny-sixth verses of the same chapter, it is evident, that by this spiritual manifestation of the Father and

thed Son, nothing less can be intended than the full measure of that Holy Spirit," which proceedeth from the Father," and which is expressly called, “the Spirit of his Són.”:

3. Our Lord, who knew the stupidity of those who were under the inferior dispensation of his Gospel, and how "slow of heart" they were to believe," what either the Prophets or himself had spoken, judged it expedient to repeat the grand promise of the Spirit again and again. When the Comforter is come," said he, "whom I will send unto you from the Father, he shall testify of me. It is expedient for you, that I go away for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart I will send him unto you. Behold I send the promise of my Father upon you.”.

The abundant effusion of the Holy Spirit was termed by our Lord, the promise of the Father, for two reasons; first, because coming to instruct mankind how to worship the Father" in spirit and in truth," it became him to refer all things to that Father and this he was strictly and constantly accus tomed to do. Secondly, because "the Father of lights" is to be considered as the author of " every good and perfect gift." It was he, who so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son to die for the world; and from him proceeds that Holy Spirit, which Jesus Christ still continues to shed abroad among his faithful followers. The Father had already promised under the law, that he would grant unto his people a general out-pouring of his Spirit, under the reign of the Messiah. The memorable prophecy of Joel, as quoted by St. Peter, is generally known; and the following promises equally merit the attention of believers. "In that day, I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications: and they shall look upon me, whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only

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son. I will pour water upon him, that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean. I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. I will give them one heart; I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh." That man must be prejudiced to an extreme degree, who perceives not, that these gracious prophecies began to receive their accomplishmeut upon the day of Pentecost, when the multitude of them that believed were "of one heart and one soul."

The last day our risen Saviour passed upon earth, was employed in strengthening the faith of his disciples, with respect to this promise. After having them together, "he commanded them to wait for the promise of the Father, which," continued he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water," and ye have done the same by my direction, "but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."

After the grand promise under the dispensation of the Son was in part accomplished; when the disciples were filled with faith, and with the Holy Ghost, another promise was given to exercise their faith, to fix their attention, and to perfect their pa tience; the promise of Christ's second coming to "gather his wheat into the garner, and to burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. This same Jesus," said the Angels who appeared to the disciples on the day of their Masters ascension; "This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come, in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven." This important promise was afterwards repeated by St. Paul and the other Apostles. "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven, with his mighty Angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that obey not the Gospel; who shall be punish

ed with everlasting distruction from the presence of the Lord when he shall come be glorified in his. saints, and to be admired in all them that believe. Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. The day of the Lord will come, as a thief in the night.

This coming of Christ, which is disregarded by many, for the reason assigned by St. Peter, is so fully expected by those, who live under the dispensation of the Spirit, that they are constantly looking for, and hastening to, the coming of the day of God." According to St. Paul, sinners are converted from the error of their ways, that they may serve the living and the true God, and wait for his Son from Heaven, whom he raised from the dead: looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." This second coming of Christ was the object of this Apostle's highest hopes, after which he represents himself as " groaning" with the most fervent desire. "Yea, I count all things but loss," continues he, " that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection. Our conversation is in Heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working, whereby he is even able to subdue all things unto himself."

As God had afforded believers, under the old Testament, a perspective view both of the manifestation of the Redeemer in a mortal body, and that dispensation of the Spirit, which he was to open among his followers under the new Testament, so he had likewise foretold, by his Prophets, the glorious return of that Saviour to the earth. "The Lord cometh with fen thousands of his saints to execute judgment. Behold he shall come saith the Lord of Hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand

when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap.”

Mark the terms, in which our Lord himself declared this sublime dispensation. "The love of many shall wax cold. False prophets shall arise, and ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by the Prophet Daniel stand in the holy place. Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the powers of the Heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in Heaven: then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven, with power and great glory. But of that day and hour knoweth no man. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." Thus Jesus himself testified of his second coming, and his first disciples, in conformity to their Master's decla, ration, addressed a large assembly in the following terms, almost immediately after his ascension: “Repent ye, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus, which before was preached unto you; whom the Heaven must receive, until the time of restitu tion of all things, which God hath spoken by the the mouth of all his holy Prophets, since the world began."

So long as a minister embraces these different. promises; so long as, with a lively faith which is "the evidence of things not seen," he believes, that the Father sent his Son for the redemption of sinners, and his Holy Spirit for the sanctification of believers....so long as, with a faith which is "the substance of things hoped for," he believes, that Christ shall one day return for the glorification of his saints; so long he is saved by that "faith and hope," which enable him to preach the Gospel in all its wonderous extent. So long, he not only compre hends, but experiences the power of that Gospel in