of the subject. In general, however, theologians do not. They content themselves with taking it for granted; and thus leave the fact in an abstract or indefinite form, which neither touches the heart, nor tells upon the character of plain Christians. Indeed, many of the serious "suffer loss," through this inadvertency. They are somewhat afraid of the Spirit. I mean, they do not see that His heart is as warm, and His hand as willing,..to do His work in redemption, as the heart and hand of the Father and the Son were to do their part. They have thus less confidence in the Spirit, and less love to him, than towards God and the Lamb. They do not, however, give less attention to him. Happily that is prevented our theology, both from the pulpit and the press, being rich, beyond comparison, in glorious exhibitions of the necessity, the fulness, and the freeness of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Both the lesser and the greater stars of evangelism are all culminating in the grand scriptural point, that the influences of the

Spirit are just as free as they are necessary, and as accessible as they are indispensable. This is as it should be. And nothing is wanted in order to complete this "demonstration of the Spirit," but to enshrine and crown it with the wonders of his love. That, I am quite unequal even to attempt; because my own mind can only deal with an individual mind, and not with a general subject, in religion. I never could theologize nor generalize at all, apart from trying to carry a practical or experimental point, with a supposed person, to whom I write, just what I should say in conversation. I am, however, on this occasion, more than usually reconciled to this weakness or defect of my own mind; because my conversational hints upon the love of the Spirit, will in no wise forestall the subject; but may, perhaps, create a taste for it in the circle of my "GUIDES" and "CLOSET LIBRARY;" and thus help, at least, to call forth some "Master of Israel," to complete our theology, on the doctrine of "The Comforter." Why does not the author of

"The Official Glory of the Son of God," bring out that of the Spirit?

Having thus stated how the subject stands at present, I proceed in my own way. Did you ever notice the emphatic brevity of apostolic language, when divine love is the subject? "God is love," says John. "The love of Christ passeth knowledge," says Paul. With the same sublime brevity, Paul says, “I beseech you by the love of the Spirit." Thus in all the three instances, we are evidently thrown upon a fact, which words cannot express, and which needs no epithets to commend it. Accordingly, it is always illustrated by other facts, and not by descriptive words. Thus, when John says, "God is love," he immediately adds, "In this was the love of God manifest towards us, because God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John iii. 8. Here facts are every thing, and phraseology is no

thing but the bare statement of them. Thus also Paul writes, when illustrating the love of Christ, "He loved me, and gave himself for me." Gal. ii. 20. "He loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood," says John, to the seven Churches in Asia. Rev. i. 5. Even in heaven, the language of eternity, either does not supply descriptive words to saints or angels, or they prefer facts, in celebrating the love of Christ; for there are no epithets in the New Song: "Thou art worthy; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood." Rev. v. 9.

Now exactly in this way, or by facts, and not by descriptions, is the love of the Spirit illustrated in Scripture. When Paul pleaded with the Romans by "the love of the Spirit," he had just before reminded them, that "the Spirit helpeth our infirmities, and maketh intercession for us" in prayer; that the Spirit "led" the children of God, "dwelt in" them, and "witnessed" with their spirit to their adoption. Rom. viii. In like manner, when the

Saviour commended the Spirit to the confidence of the Church, as "another Comforter," it was not by eulogizing or explaining his love, but by stating what he would do when he came the Comforter shall lead you into all truth; shall bring all things to your remembrance; shall abide with you for ever.

Thus, it is not from words, but from his works, that the love of the Spirit should be estimated, when it is brought into comparison with the love of the Father, or the love of the Son nor is it any valid objection against the equality of their love to the world and the Church, that there is no suffering, nor any humiliation, in the whole history of the Spirit's love. This is equally true of the Father's love. That too involved no suffering nor privation but no one doubts, on this account, the reality, the greatness, or the strength of the love of God. No one suspects it of being at all less than the love of Christ, because Paul does not say of it, as of Christ's, that it "passeth knowledge." The absence, therefore, of