discerneth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned;" that is, by the enlightening influence of the Spirit upon his mind.

Moreover, that great change of man's nature, which is absolutely indispensible to his having any part or portion in God, is uniformly ascribed to the same divine person. The grace of the Spirit counteracts the evil nature of the flesh: "that which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit;""the flesh lusteth against the Spirit ;" "if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if ye, through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live;" "the works of the flesh are these, Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness," and various other enormities enumerated by the apostle, but "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Thus the renewal of man in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, is wholly the work of the Spirit upon his

soul. By this influence he obtains not only new views of divine truth, but also new purposes, desires, and pursuits: not only a new mind, but a new heart and a new spirit.

These are the great purposes for which the Spirit of God is given to man in these days of the gospel dispensation. There are other purposes also, consequent upon these, which the same divine agent is sent to effect; as to witness with the spirits of Christ's servants that they are the children of God, and to be a comforter to them in that much tribulation through which they must enter into his kingdom. And whatever else is necessary for the effectual spread of the gospel, and for the glorifying of Christ in the nations of the earth or in the hearts of individuals, and for the peace and prosperity of the church, all these things "worketh that one and the same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." These graces of the Holy Spirit should be the objects of our most intense desire and fervent prayer. The evangelization of the world and the prosperity of our own souls are alike concerned. Nothing is so

much needed as a large effusion of the Spirit. This would produce spiritual knowledge, zeal with all judgment, love and peace, a great accession of converted souls, an abundant increase of the fruits of righteousness. Now we all know that while every good and perfect gift cometh down from the Father of lights, we know also that all spiritual good is comprised in the gift of the Holy Spirit, and that God will "give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him." The promise sets before us the duty; it prescribes the method in which we must obtain the boon: "Ask, and ye shall have; seek and ye shall find." Oh! that the church of Christ was alive, as it should be, to

the great necessity which there is for general prayer for the outpouring of the Spirit. All who are aware of this, should supplicate that the Spirit may be given to the church, even as a spirit of prayer. Let him be given as a spirit of prayer, and then he would make such a power of intercession in the church as would speedily bring down all other holy influences. I commend this consideration to your deep regard. I urge it upon you as a

part of your daily prayers. I say, let those who are spiritual pray for a greater measure of God's Spirit, as a spirit of prayer, upon the whole of the church of Christ, while they pray for a plentiful effusion of all grace upon themselves and upon all nations.

II. But now, in the second part of this sermon, I ask your attention to another important subject, with which this history presents

us.

Of the seventy elders, whose names Moses had written down, and on whom God had put his Spirit, two came not to the tabernacle with the rest, but remained in the camp and there they also prophesied, that is, they spake with such light and power on divine things, as made it evident to all the people that they also were inspired. We are not informed why they did not come to the tabernacle: most probably they kept back through modesty and diffidence, thinking themselves unworthy of so great an office: for the Spirit of God never visits a soul with any grace, but he brings along with it a large degree of unfeigned humility; and in all ages many who have

been, in reality, most qualified for the fulfilment of any part of the ministerial office, have been the most backward to exhibit themselves. But whatever was the cause why these two persons remained among the people, the Lord owned them, and set upon them a seal, whereby he shewed that he had appointed them, as well as the others. When the information came to Moses that Eldad and Medad, for such were their names, were prophesying in the camp, Joshua, at that time a young man, and a constant attendant on Moses, and who afterwards was appointed his successor as the leader of the Israelites, became greatly alarmed for the honour of his master, thinking this irregularity an infringement of due order, and immediately exclaimed, " My Lord Moses, forbid them." The answer of Moses shews that the feeling of his young follower upon this occasion was that of a too zealous partisan. "Enviest thou

for

my sake," said Moses, "would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them." What an instance does Joshua here afford us