claim to be authoritative: but still the belief of the immortality of the soul and of judgment to come, stript of that peculiarity with which the doctrine of the "Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity" invests it, would have but little more influence upon the hearts of men than that common prudence with respect to a future state which several heathen philosophers have so strongly recommended.

Had Christ been but a prophet, a man like ourselves, his unequalled wisdom would still have commanded our greatest respect, his unparalleled goodness our esteem, and his unbounded benevolence our love we should have been bound by a constant debt of gratitude to him who had given us such perfect lessons of morality to teach us to be happy, and had voluntarily submitted to the most cruel death to confirm and ratify them to us. But then not only would all these lose what now gives them their chief weight and force, but we should have no full assurance that he who had done so much for us could do more. After so much endured for our sakes, we could not doubt of his willingness to save but yet we should have no assurance of his power to do so. We see, indeed, that he laid down his life for us; but we should not know that he had power of himself to take it again.

us;

Thus, if we lose sight of this main article of our belief-if we neglect to hold fast the faith as it has

been delivered to us by the Church, sealed by the blood of the apostles and martyrs, so fully developed in the Holy Scriptures, and so strongly maintained and insisted upon by the early writers of Christianity, we shall cease to be any longer influenced by those motives which are peculiarly Christian, and our inducements to a virtuous and holy life will become little more than those which the common maxims of morality could supply.

Thus, as our motives for the practice of virtue and holiness depend upon the faith with which we regard the second Person of the Blessed Trinity; as they become weaker or stronger, human or divine ; according as we regard the Son as "equal or inferior to the Father as touching his godhead;" so do the influence and guidance by which we are animated and assisted to every good work and labour of love become heavenly and effectual, or earthly and deficient, according to our faith in the Holy Spirit as we believe or disbelieve the "whole three Persons to be co-eternal together, and co-equal." Nothing but the right faith in God the Son can furnish us with motives sufficiently strong to create in us the desire of doing always the will of God the Father; and nothing but the right faith in God the Holy Ghost can endue us with that power from above which will enable us to perform his will.

Thus the doctrine of the Trinity, as it is set forth in the creeds of our Church, is not merely a matter of speculation upon the divine nature-is not simply a declaration of abstract verities gathered from the revealed word of God; but it is an exposition of practical truths of vital importance, which alone can furnish us with inducements strong enough to lead us to embrace in earnest the Christian profession, and alone can supply us with that spiritual aid without which we should be unable to perform the duties which it imposes.

The disciples of our blessed Lord, who had followed him in his ministry when he went about doing good, who had beheld his sufferings on the cross for the sins of the world, who had been witnesses of his victory over death and the grave in his glorious resurrection, and, further, had seen him exalted to the right hand of the Majesty on high on the day of his ascension, could not have needed more powerful motives and inducements than they must then have felt, to lead them to endeavour to devote. all their faculties and exertions to his honour and service. But still it was not until they had received the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost that they were qualified to fulfil the duties to which they were called. The love which their Lord and Master had always propounded to them as the motive for performing his will-If ye love me keep my command

ments they already possessed, as far as mere human affection could supply it; but it was further expedient for them that he should send the Holy Ghost the Comforter from the Father, to guide them to all truth, and to endue them with power from above to enable them to keep his words. Directed, then, by His divine instruction, and strengthened by His indwelling aid, they were qualified to fulfil the office to which they were called, and to execute the command of their Lord and Master of preaching the Gospel to every creature. Endued with this power from above, they were enabled to speak with other tongues, and to declare the glad tidings of salvation to all nations, and to work signs and wonders in the name of the Lord Jesus, in confirmation of the truth of the Gospel which they were commissioned to preach.

Before the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them even the Apostles themselves do not appear to have had a right conception of that spiritual kingdom of Christ which he came to establish, and had already appointed and commissioned them to preach; for on the very day of his ascension, their minds still clinging to the hope of the temporal sovereignty of Israel, we find them urging, as their last inquiry, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? (Acts i. 6.) But not only were their minds enlightened by the illumination of the Holy Spirit

on the day of Pentecost, so as to enable them clearly to see and comprehend the spirituality of Christ's kingdom; not only were they endued with power from above to enable them to speak with other tongues, and to work signs and wonders in confirmation of what they preached; but their own hearts were changed, and a right spirit renewed within them. We find them no longer influenced by that spirit of anger and revenge which would call down fire from heaven upon those who would not receive them, nor actuated by that spirit of pride and ambition which would lead them to contend which should be the greatest. The timidity which, at the first sign of danger, drove them all to forsake their Master, and flee, was changed to that faithful firmness which, when they were brought before kings and governors for his sake, led them to speak boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, fearless of any sufferings which man could inflict while they humbly endeavoured to fulfil their duty to God. The disciple who thrice denied, with cursing and swearing, all knowledge of Christ, when it does not appear that any danger would have followed the confession, was afterwards ready boldly to confess the name of the Lord Jesus in the face of threatening and persecution, and to be led to prison and to death rather than withhold any of the doctrines of salvation, or refrain from speaking any of those things which he had seen and heard.