that He has paid our ransom with His own blood. And in the last great settling day, when the graves shall give back their dead, and we shall stand with our account before our Judge, we shall receive the blessed recompence which is promised us in Christ our Lord; no less a gift than everlasting life in perfect happiness with Him. Amen!

SERMON XXXII.

(FOR WHIT-SUNDAY.)

JOHN xvi. 7.

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.

THIS season of the year has been appointed by the church to be kept as a holy feast by Christians, in remembrance of a very great and wonderful event which took place in days of old. What that event was, has been read to you in this morning's service: the coming down of the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit of God, in a manner that could be seen, upon the disciples of our Blessed Lord. This circumstance is thus mentioned in the second chapter of the book of the

Acts of the Apostles: When the day of Pentecost, a great feast of the Jews, was fully come, the disciples of Jesus Christ, who was now gone up into heaven, were all met together with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, as it were of fire, and it sat upon each of them: and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

In the early ages of the Church, when

men reverenced God, and gave up more of their time to Him than I fear we are inclined to do now, this and the following days were set apart in honour of the great event which I have just mentioned to you, to be kept as a season of holy joy and religious worship. It is called Whit-Sunday, which is the same as White-Sunday, because the first Christians used at this season to meet together in the church in white clothing, which was an innocent and pious way of showing their belief in the blessed change which is worked by the Holy Spirit

in the soul of man, clearing it from the stains of sin, and clothing it with the white robe of holiness and grace.

We see in the great event which took place upon this day, the wonders of God's providence: how He can make of the poorest and simplest of His creatures, servants the most able and most useful. What were these disciples whom our Blessed Lord had chosen for His companions and friends whilst he was upon earth? They were poor ignorant persons, the most unlikely of all men, and the most unsuited of all men, to spread the religion of Jesus Christ and to preach His gospel to the world. They were Jews they all spoke one language: how then should they make themselves understood by those who spoke in different and strange tongues?-For their Blessed Master had ordered them to make known the glad tidings of His gospel not to the Jews only but to all nations. But He had graciously promised them, that though He should be taken from them He would not leave them without a comforter and guide; that He would send One who should take

His place, to be with them in all their undertakings, filling their heads with wisdom. and their hearts with truth. This gracious promise He did not fail to fulfil : and upon this day that Comforter which he had promised, the Holy Spirit of God, came down, as I have already told you, upon his chosen disciples.

And what was the consequence which immediately took place? Why, these poor ignorant men became filled with all knowledge and able to speak the languages of different nations, which they had never learned, as readily as their own. Thus wonderfully helped, guided, and instructed by the Holy Ghost, they went forth, the messengers of Jesus Christ, making known to the heathen nations which were yet in the darkness of ignorance, the name of the great Redeemer and Saviour of mankind, and offering, through faith in His blood, the free forgiveness of repented and forsaken sin: that same merciful and gracious offer which is made, to this hour, to you and to me, and shall be made to all mankind till the end of time, though to too