dinary help and guidance to carryf them: through, -no one can dispute, that evidence and confirmation which was after given of its truth;-as our Lord's disciples were illiterate men, consequently unskilled in the arts and acquired ways of persuasion.—Unless this want had been supplied,— the first obstacle to their labours must have discouraged and put an end to them for ever. As they had no language but their own, without the gift of tongues they could not have preached the gospel except in Judea ; —and as they had no authority of their own, without the supernatural one of figns and wonders, they, could not vouch for the truth of it. beyond: the limits where it. was firit;

—and that is, the ordinary assistance and influences of the spirit of God in our hearts, for moral and virtuous improvements;–these, both in their naturesiasowell as intentions, being altogether different from the others above-mentioned conferred upon the disciples of our Lord.—The dise were miraculous gifts—in which the endowed person” contributed nothin & which advanced human nature above itself, and raised as its projectile springs above their fountains; enabling them to speak and ad such things, and in such manner, as was impossible for men not inspired and preternaturally upheld—In the other case, the helps spoken of were the influences of God's spirit, which up.”

held us from falling below the dignity of our nature:—that divine assistance which graciously kept us from falling, and enabled us to perform * the holy professions of our religion.— Though these are equally called spiro; ritual gifts, they are not, as in thes first case, the entire works of the spirit, but the calm co-operations of it. with our own endeavours; and are ordinarily what every sincere and well-s disposed, christian has reason to pray. for, and exped from the same fountain of strength, who has promised. - to give his holy spirit to them that From this point, which is the true doctrine of our church,--the two par-4

ties begin to divide both from it and 4

each other;-each of them equally misapplying these passages of Scripture, and wresting them to extremes equally pernicious.- . . . . . . . To begin with the first; of whom,

should you inquire the explanation and meaning of this or of other texts, —wherein the assistance of God's grace and holy spirit is implied as necessary to sanétify our nature, and enable us to serve and please God?" —They will answer, That no doubt all our parts and abilities are the gifts. of God, who is the original author of our nature, and, of consequence, of all that belongs thereto.—That as By him we live, and move, and bave our Being-we must in course, depend. ppon him for all out actions whatsor.