is self-moved and sovereign. Christ has rendered salvation consistent with the divine glory. He has declared his readiness to receive all who come.

Oh that sinners were sensible of the misery of subjection to that Spirit who worketh in all the children of disobedience. The tempter, who now labors to benumb conscience, will ere long prove its tormentor. He

has one quality which no other master has, how cruel soever; namely, to torment those most, and give them the worst wages, who have done him the most faithful and continued services.

O be persuaded to flee instantly to Jesus. Fear not but he will receive and heal you.

Let Christians labor to counterwork Satan, by encouraging returning souls.

LXIII.

HUMILITY ESSENTIAL TO TRUE GREATNESS.

LUKE ix. 48.

He that is least among you all, the same shall be great.

THE integrity of the sacred writers is remarkably conspicuous in their relating so freely and unreservedly, the defects and imperfections of themselves and of their brethren. This ingenuous disposition is peculiarly evident in the Evangelists; and appears particularly, in the relation of the jewish prejudices, which infected the apostles, while our Lord was yet with them; and which led them so fondly to indulge the idea of his setting up a temporal kingdom, in which they were ready to contend who should enjoy the pre-eminence. Such reasonings, Luke informs us, were at this time agitated among them; and he relates the wise and gentle method which our blessed Lord took to instruct and correct them. Ver. 46-48. He closes his admonition with the words of our text: "He that is least among you all, the same shall be great." A maxim which is doubtless as needful to be remembered by us as by the apostles; for who will say that we are less addicted to pride, or have less cause for humility,

than they? And doubtless it will hold good in the present day, as well as in theirs. There seems, indeed, a sort of paradox or mystery in this declaration; but it will admit of a very easy and satisfactory solution; as will appear if we consider,

FIRST, The reasons why the most eminent saints have the most humbling views of themselves.

All creatures are indeed little, diminutive beings, less than nothing and vanity, when compared with the great and glorious God. Things also appear great or small in proportion to the nearness of the station from whence we discern them. All sinners who are divinely enlightened, have room to think little of themselves, as compared with their brethren, as having that opportunity of knowing their own defects and unworthiness which they cannot have of knowing the deficiency and faults of others. He who lives nearest to God, will see most of God's greatness and majesty, and will consequently have the deepest sense of his own littleness. and meanness. He will see most of the divine purity, and his own pollution. He who examines most the extent of his obligations, and has the best acquaintance with the rule of duty, will see most clearly how far he falls short of compliance with it, and will think himself most culpable for his transgressions or defects. He who sees most of the evil of sin, will naturally entertain the most humbling thoughts of himself. He who watches his own heart most thoroughly, will detect most of its secret evils, and will consequently appear the least and the meanest in his own eyes. He that is most concerned to do his whole duty, will think the least of what he does towards it. He who best understands the doctrine of the cross, will be the most deeply humbled by its import; and, feeling most of his obligations to the Saviour, will be most ashamed that he complies with them no more fully. He that has most love to the brethren, will think most highly of them, and least of himself, for love covers a multitude of sins; and though not blind to the faults of others, yet he will not dwell on their aggravations, as he will wish to do on those of his own sins. He who is nearest to what he should be, forms the best idea of what he ought to be, and

He also will be most owing that he is in any

image, and that he now He will ascribe it wholly

will therefore be the most displeased with himself for not being more entirely devoted to God; which he sees is what duty absolutely requires. sensible to what cause it is degree restored to the divine begins to be devoted to God. to the operation of the Holy Spirit, and give God the entire praise of all that is wrought in him, as well as of all that was done for him. He that is actually the nearest to heaven, must have the best idea of what heaven will be; and so, comparing himself not so much with what he once was, as with what he hopes to be at last, he is humbled and abased on account of the vast difference.

SECONDLY: The tendency of such views to promote true greatness.

There is just room for others highly to esteem the eminently humble man, and there is room to hope that he will become greater still. He who is least in his own eyes, the same is evidently great; for he has the greatest light; he has the truest views of God and of himself. He that is least among you all, the same shall be great; for he will have the most love to God. Divine glory and goodness will appear greatest to him, and the sight of such majesty and condescension will increase his love and gratitude. He that thinks himself least, will be the most importunate in prayer for more grace; and will be the most willing to be dependant on Christ alone for righteousness and strength. He will draw near to God in Christ's name only, and be most solicitous to receive out of his fulness grace for grace, living by faith. He that is most humble, and who is least in his own eyes, will be most likely to get good by every thing; if he sees others fall he will dread lest he should do so, and so take warning; while he will imitate good examples, be willing to receive reproof, and be the soonest convinced of a fault. He that is least among you all, will be the most willing to be servant of all; and thereby will be the most willing to do good to all, and that will be the way to be greatly useful. Instead of contending for pre-eminence, he will be glad to occupy any post in which he can be of service. Selfishness is the root

and essence of sin, and disinterested affection is the essence of virtue. He that is the least in his own eyes, will be the most averse to setting up a private interest of his own; and the most ready to deny himself for the good of others; and to unite with the great family of heaven and earth, in promoting the divine glory and the general good of the created system. True greatness consists in union to God and his whole obedient kingdom; and the more self is denied, the more entire is that union. The less we are in our own eyes, the more ready we shall be to give God all the glory, and the safer it will be for us to be employed in his work; as we shall not presume to rob him of the glory due unto his name, which he will not give to another.

Let us examine, therefore, the nature and degree of our religion by this plain and certain test-What is the tendency of our principles, discoveries, and experience? Do they tend to make us little in our own eyes, and teach us to prefer others as better than ourselves? or do we get more fond of pre-eminence, more stiff and self-willed, more impatient of reproof ourselves, and less tender in our manner of giving it? Do we think highly of our partial humility? or are we ashamed of our remaining pride? If we are less in our own eyes than we once were, yet we are still not brought down. to our proper place; we need much more humbling; and if God means to make any great use of us, it is probable we shall experience greater humiliation; for he resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. May we, as long as we live, become more and more like little children: this will be a sure evidence of growth in grace, and a happy means of farther growth, as we shall then be more importunate for more grace. May our humility be genuine and unfeigned. There is a counterfeit humility, which is a very big and self-important thing; which loves to vaunt itself, and to make a show; but is highly displeased if it be not noticed and admired. He who thinks much of his own humility cannot be possessed of much. Let us remember that genuine humility consists, not in outward show, nor in an affected garb, much less in a boasted ignorance; but in a lowly disposition of heart, prompting us to deny ourselves for the sake of others.

THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

LUKE Xi. 13.

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him!

THE Evangelist, in this chapter, gives an account of a conversation which our Lord had with his disciples, concerning prayer. Two principal things demand our notice:

FIRST: An instructive direction evidently implied, respecting what blessing we should pray for above all others, viz. The Holy Spirit.

Nothing is so excellent, needful, or advantageous. In the similar part of our Lord's sermon on the Mount, he had said "good things," indefinitely. Matt. vii. 11. Here he tells us what is good, the chief good. Not as though he would revoke the former permission, or restrict us more from desiring any thing truly good; but he would give us a fuller discovery of the chief good. The Holy Spirit is equivalent to all good things. No other blessing can be safely enjoyed without him. Temporal good would ensnare us without the Holy Spirit; it will draw off our hearts from God, deaden us to spiritual things, fill us with pride and vanity, or with anxiety and increasing care, unless our hearts and minds are kept by the influences of the Holy Spirit. We shall neither enjoy earthly good safely, use it profitably, nor part from it when necessary, without the Holy Spirit. Spiritual blessings cannot be enjoyed by us at all, without the grace of the Holy Spirit. Neither objective good, or good without us; nor subjective good, or good within us. Objective spiritual good cannot be known, except by divine illumination. Eph. i. 17, 18. The nature of God, worth of his favor, way of access; the nature of heavenly happiness. 1 Cor. ii. 9, 10. Nor can it be lawfully claimed, till we partake of the Holy Spirit. He is the earnest of future bliss. 2 Cor. v. 5. Nor could this good be relished or enjoyed without him. A proud, unhumbled heart cannot enjoy a free salvation. Nor can a