upon all flesh." John the Baptist, the last of the prophets, the immediate precursor of Jesus, said to the Jews, "I indeed baptize you with water; but there cometh one after me, who shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:" in which words he plainly describes the miracle of Pentecost; when the Holy Ghost was "shed forth" under the symbol of fire. But above all, Christ Himself had repeatedly promised his Spirit to his disciples; as a "Comforter," as a 'Spirit of truth," who should "guide them into all truth;" as a Teacher, who should "abide with them for ever."

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This, therefore, was truly the promised Spirit :-promised by God the Father, promised by the prophets,-by John the Baptist, and by our Lord himself, as the grand privilege of the Gospel, the strength and support, the guide and comforter of all true believers, the authentic evidence of the calling of the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, in one body in Christ Jesus, and the earnest through Him of an everlasting inheritance. Thus, in the apostolical writings, the Holy Ghost is frequently styled, by way of eminence," the Promise, or the Spirit of promise." And this promise of the Spirit, comprehends all those graces, whether extraordinary and miraculous, or ordinary and saving, which he produces and communicates under the new

covenant.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are of two kinds : one, that which was more peculiarly necessary, at the first preaching of the Gospel, to effect the conversion of unbelievers and Gentiles, to promote the exercise of the apostleship, and the propagation and establishment of Christianity : the other, that which is still, and must ever be necessary, to the first saving reception of divine truths in the heart, and to the renewal, sanctification, and final perseverance of every Christian. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.”

It is, however, principally under the quality of a prophetic and miraculous Spirit, producing extraordinary gifts and graces, that St. Peter considers the Holy Ghost, when he says, "Jesus having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, hath shed forth this, which we now see and hear." For, the Jews then saw and heard those astonishing and supernatural effects of the Spirit, on the persons of the apostles, which, however some might be disposed to mock and deride, all must have known, could have been alone the work of GOD.

The first of these miraculous gifts, to which the Jews were witnesses, was the gift of languages, which was obviously most essential, to enable the apostles to preach to various nations, and bring them to the faith. To what purpose indeed,

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would they have obeyed their Master's injunction, to "go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature," unless they had been enabled to "utter words easy to be understood?" Would not such a futile attempt have been in direct opposition both to the spirit and the words of St. Paul, where (strongly deprecating the speaking in an unknown tongue," by those who are called to the work of the ministry) he says, “when thou shalt bless with the Spirit, (that is, in an unknown tongue,) how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned, say amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?" "For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified."

Since then, "faith cometh by hearing," and since it was the especial object of the apostles' preaching, to "speak unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort," how important to the vital interests of Christianity, how essential to its establishment in the minds of men, was the proof here afforded of the Holy Spirit's miraculous influence, by the astonishing fact, that a number of poor illiterate fishermen and mechanics, were, in an instant, endued with the power of speaking every known language of the habitable globe. How important, that this rare, this unheard-of gift, should have been imparted in a manner which must at once have removed every possible suspicion of deceit or imposture;

at a season too, when such a numerous assemblage of widely scattered nations were witnesses of the fact, and of course enabled to attest its truth. For, at this festival of Pentecost, there were sojourning at Jerusalem, great multitudes of Jews, "out of every nation under heaven:' and well might they all be "amazed and marvel, when they heard these simple-minded, unlearned Galileans, speak, "every man in his own tongue, the wonderful works of God."

The second miracle wrought by the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, was his giving them an understanding of the secret counsels of God :—a clear perception, a full comprehension of what they had hitherto known but imperfectly ;-an entirely new insight into things, which (till they had received this divine illumination) were to them utterly unknown: nor was this all; for as a yet farther evidence of their being indeed "taught of God," they were endued with the spirit of prophecy, which enabled them to predict many events, which were afterwards accomplished in due season.

The spiritual knowledge which the apostles had already acquired, from the doctrines, the promises, the divine example, and mighty works of their adorable Lord, may be compared to the beautiful features of a splendid landscape, obscured in the gloom of night, or but indistinctly seen through the first faint glimmerings of the

morning's dawn,-as contrasted with the same fair scene, displayed in all its loveliness, by the bright beams of a meridian sun. For, as in this case, it is not the sun that produces the rich variety of nature's work, though it is to his light we owe the distinct developement of each beauteous object; so, the divine truths presented by Christ to his disciples, though, like their eternal Source, “the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever,” were but dimly perceived, but imperfectly appreciated, till his Spirit's light had beamed on their darkened minds, dispelled the mists of doubt and uncertainty, and revealed those things, which, being "spiritually discerned," had been hitherto, in a great measure," hidden from their eyes."

And with respect to those things which Christ had not taught them, because (as he said to them) "ye cannot bear them now ;"-such as the abolition of the Jewish ceremonies, and the calling of the Gentiles; it was the Holy Spirit that "led them into all truth." He had been promised to them for this purpose; and it is with reference to his miraculous gifts, that St. Paul calls him "a spirit of wisdom and revelation; a spirit that searcheth the deep things of God, that revealeth hidden things." On this first effusion of the Spirit, what a perfect understanding of Scripture was instantly manifested by St. Peter! He who before, could not compre