and gospel through his ministers and servants great, and the glory and beauty thereof ravishing to pious souls. Oh! may every true minister and every sensible soul, bow before the Most High, and bless the holy name of him that lives and reigns forever, for this unspeakable gift of Christ's holy ministry, which always was, now is, and ever will be, convincing and converting unto souls, who are not slow in heart to believe in God, and in his dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our great high priest, and the bishop of souls; he saw the need that his church had of this his ministry, and therefore he estab lished it in his church, and among his followers to the end of time.

Now, in order to this great and wonderful work, he told his disciples (when he was going into his glory and kingdom of his Father), "That he would pray to the Father, and he would send them another comforter, the spirit of truth, and that he should abide with them for ever." And he also told them, "That when he is come, he shall first reprove or convince the world of sin, because they believe not in me;" for if they believed truly in Christ, they would love his spiritual appearance; but Oh! how many are there in the world, who slight this high favour, and grace of God and Christ, calling this wonderful gift and grace, the light of nature; whereas Christ says it is the Holy Ghost; and the apostle Paul says, "It is God's grace that teaches us to deny ungod liness, and hath appeared unto all men." O! that the children of men might love that which appears to them, and convinceth them of their sins; and surely it is a great sin not to believe in the spirit and light of Christ: such unbelieving souls are in darkness, and not yet turned from darkness to light, and from the power of satan, to the power of God, which was the very work Christ's ministers where sent of God to do.

2d. "And he convinceth or reproveth the world of righteousness, because I go to the Father and ye see me no more." When their righteousness is only wrought in the wisdom of man, and not by the power of God, whether it be in preaching or worship, when only the

m, and not the power, is witnessed, this then convincthem that they have been building their religion upon vrong bottom, and a sandy foundation; and sheweth formal minister, that he is only a minister of the let

and not of the spirit; and the formal worshipper, t he has not yet come to worship in spirit and truth; 1 the professor of Christ in words, that he denieth him works and inward faith; because "Faith without rks is dead," as works without this spiritual faith is ad also.

"Because I go to the Father," is the wonderful cause en by Christ, for it is Christ's righteousness that must re the soul, and Christ being gone to the Father, the il must go there to him, for all his gifts and favours, ercies and blessings, and must witness him in spirit to i with them, and in them, as he is in the Father. When arist was personally on earth, he taught us by words voly expressed; but "Henceforth know we him so no Ore." Now he teacheth us by his spirit, light and life, ich convinceth us of form without power, letter witht spirit, religion without life, righteousness without ace, and light and imputative righteousness without acal righteousness, and actual or formal righteousness in rown wills (only ;) all this, and much more, it connceth us, not to be effectual to salvation, and sheweth that the spiritual power, and presence of Christ is ablutely necessary for the work of the ministry, and the onversion of souls.

3d." He convinceth the world of judgement, because e prince of this world is judged." He, the Comforter, e Spirit of truth, when he is come, sheweth us our rong judgement, and convinceth us of the evil of beg too censorious, rash and uncharitable, in judging, ad plainly giveth us to understand, that such judgement from the prince of this world, who is king over all the hildren of príde, and that this prince or evil spirit, is idged by the righteous and just Judge of heaven and arth, Christ Jesus. He also convinceth us of the eversting truth, as it is in Jesus, and is our sure comforter,

while we keep therein, in doctrine, worship, and conversation.

4th." He shall bring all things (or those things) to your remembrance, which I have spoken unto you." Wherfore this gift is absolutely necessary for a minister of Christ; and every true believer in him, wants this remembrancer, which must needs be a great comfort to us, to have his exellent speeches and divine doctrine brought by his own spirit to our remembrance, if we do love him in sincerity.

5th. "He shall receive of mine, and shew it unto you," says Christ. Take of his light, his life, his grace, his wisdom, his mercy, peace, and truth, and shew it unto you. Oh, infinite love from a tender Saviour! Well may we admire his goodness, and intirely love him above all things in the world.

6th. Christ speaks in divers places concerning this wonderful and extraordinary gift of the Holy Ghost, or Spirit, and in the 14th chapter of John, 16th and 17th verses, he thus drops his divine words, "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." Oh! ye ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ, in this his gift is your strength, your comfort, and your exceeding great reward, both here and hereafter, for ever; far exceeding silver and gold, or the diadems of princes. The whole world, wanting this, lieth in wickedness, and must lie there unavoidably, if they have not the sense of this unspeakable gift. There cannot be salvation, nor any saving ministry without it; it being absolutely needful, to the being and well being of a minister of Christ. And indeed the holy text is plain and positive, that he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his; none of his minis ter, none of his believer. Oh! no; they cannot be his in any respect, without his Spirit. But if it should be objected, how shall we do to know the minister or the

in who hath this divine gift, or spirit of Christ, since may be pretended to both by the ministers and peo, and yet they may not have it in reality? This ined is a great point, and highly necessary to be searchinto, which is to be known by our Lord's rule, which has prescribed for that end. "Do men (saith he) ther grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles ?" Surely

The grape is gathered from the vine, and the fig m the fig-tree. "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall ow them." Now those (according to this rule) who ve the Spirit, or Holy Ghost, bring forth the fruits of "Which fruits are love, charity, meekness, temrance, patience, experience, hope, faith, and wisdom m above, which is pure and peaceable, gentle, and y to be entreated," to all and every thing that is good. d those who have the Holy Spirit, bring forth fruits 5 it as naturally as the vine doth the grape, or the fige the fig. Also, Also, "Whatsoever things are holy, just, nest, pure, and of good report," or tend to piety, or tue; in a word, every thing that is good, is the fruit the Spirit of God and Christ: and they are brought th with divine life and power in that minister and ople, who through true faith in the blessed Jesus, ve received the gift of the Holy Ghost, or Spirit of

irist.

The minister of the gospel being thus fitly furnished every good word and work, he is ready to answer the ll of his great Lord and holy Master, who is in heaven; wants not the call of man, nor authority from man, nor iges of man. But those who bring forth fruits contra

to the above, can neither be true ministers, nor ristians, according to the doctrine of our holy Lord. eing thus qualified by the Most High, those ministers freely given up to serve the Lord, and go wheresoer he is pleased to send them, though he send them as eep among wolves: and it is worth noting, that Christ's essengers and ministers are called and sent of him; they o not run of themselves, nor in their will; which if they d, their end would be like the forward false prophets old, who did not profit the people at all.

Our great Lord seeing what need the world had of true teaching, and true teachers, sends his ministers forth into it, saying, "All power is given unto me in heaven and 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: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Mat xxvii. 18, 19, 20.

Many of his excellent sayings, and commands may be found in that wonderful sermon which he preached on the mount; Mat. chapters v, vi, and vii.

Here Christ shews his ministers his power, and sends them forth in his own name, for there is none other given under heaven for salvation; and Christ comforts his ministers with a glorious promise, of being with them to the end of the world. Oh, the wonderful sweetness of this gracious promise! and such are all his promises, for they are yea, and amen, forever. Wherefore Christ's ministers may well go forth without doubting, having their authority from the King of kings. Again he saith, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel unto every creature. He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned." Mark xvi. 15, 16. So Christ says, go; but the world, the flesh, and the devil, say, stay; for the spirit of sin and satan is for obstructing the work of Christ, and hindering the free gospel ministry, and the motions of the word and testimony of Jesus; and is for quenching it in those in whom it may appear: it is a new mode or fashion, contrary to the primitive order of Christ, above mentioned, for ministers to stay, and be tied to an outward benefit, or a particular meeting or congregation; which way of preaching, or reading (reading being much in practice now a days) is quite contrary to the call, and practice of Christ, and his ministers, and of the martyrs, and confessors of Jesus: as also of many of the most noted reformers in religion. Oh! but it is objected, if ministers should always go about among the nations, what would become of their families, or how must they