The holy Ghost descended, in a bodily shape, like a dove upon him.

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ROM this comparison of the descent of the spirit on Christ, to the gentle hovering of a dove when it alights, we have observed, that the Spirit of Christ's religion is a dovelike Spirit.

This observation we have illustrated in several particular instances, taken from the allusions of sacred scripture.

The illustration of our subject opens to our view some important matters, which I shall now lay before you, as its proper improvement.

1. Our subject suggests to us, that the spirit of Christ usually comes to the soul in a mild and gentle manner. His operations are, as his fruits, dovelike, sweet and kind.

The benevolent and friendly nature of the dis pensation which Christ was about to introduce, was intimated in the manner of the Spirit's de

scent.

The law, which was a ministration of death and condemnation, was delivered to the people with circumstances of terror and amazement. God came down on the mount with thunder and lightning, with an earthquake and tempest; and uttered the law with such an awful voice, that they who heard it, intreated, that it might not be spoken any

more.

Christ came in a different manner to publish his gospel. He appeared, not in the terrors of unveiled divinity, but in the fashion of a man-not in the forbidding majesty of a monarch, but in the more familiar form of an ordinary person. He taught with such a soft and easy address, that they who heard him, wondered at the gracious words, which proceeded out of his mouth, and confessed, that never man spake like him. He dwelt among men full of grace, as well as of truth. If his reproofs were sometimes pointed with severity, it was only when they met with callous and obdurate hearts.

As his manner of teaching, so the doctrines which he taught, were kind and gracious. While he with plainness condemned the sinner, and warned him of the awful consequence of his impenitence, he proclaimed aloud the mercy of God to pardon the penitent, and, with melting eyes, lamented the dreadful fate of the obstinate and irreclaimable.

The ordinary influence of his Spirit, in the conversion of sinners, corresponds with the genius of his gospel, and the manner of his instruction.

The miraculous gifts of the Spirit, on the day of pentecost, were dispensed in a more grand and solemn manner. "When the disciples were gathered together, suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the house, where they were: And there appeared cloven

tongues, like as of fire, and sat on each of them; and they were filled with the holy Ghost, and spake with other tongues." But the ordinary operation of the Spirit in the renovation of sinners, and the sanctification of believers, is soft and mild, not like a flame of fire, but like a genial warmth-not like a rushing wind, but like a gentle breeze. The apostle says, "God has not given us the spirit of bondage, but the spirit of adoption-not the spirit of fear, but the spirit of love and of a sound mind.

The awakening and convincing power of the Spirit in sinners is, doubtless, often attended with a degree of terror, greater or less according to the degree of guilt and enmity previously contracted. But this terror, so far as it is the effect of gospel truth, and divine influence, is accompanied with hope, not with despair. Sinners under conviction may, indeed, be so filled with a sense of guilt and danger, as, in a great measure, to overlook the encouragements of the gospel, and consequently to fallinto great despondency. But their desponding apprehensions proceed from the weakness of nature, or the power of temptations; not from the direct influence of the spirit of God.

The gospel, while it represents the awful danger of the careless and impenitent, proposes to the awakened and enquiring every possible encouragement. And the influence of the Spirit is so agreeable to the gospel, and so consentaneous to reason, that a man never feels the power of divine truth so sensibly, nor exercises his understanding so clearly, as when he is under this heavenly direction.

A person, under true conviction of sin, will be deeply humbled, will see vast unworthiness; will feel his desert of condemnation; will admire God's: patience toward so guilty a creature. But horrible, despairing apprehensions are no part of real conviction. The divine Spirit comes to the soul, not VOL. II. I i

like a vulture to terrify and devour, but like a dove to invite and allure.

The Psalmist confesses, that he had felt anxicus doubts of God's mercy; but he ascribes them to "his own infirmity," not to the divine Spirit.

If we were to suppose a person enlightened to a view of his own sinfulness, and, at the same time, a stranger to the hopes of the gospel, we might expect to find him in a state of horror and dismay. But they who understand the way of salvation through a redeemer, will feel hope kindly interposing to relieve the terrors of guilt; except where hope is secluded by partial views, mistaken opinions, injudicious counsel, a gloomy temper, or powerful temptations. The gospel holds up terrors to the impenitent and obstinate; but the inquiring and returning see a hope set before them.

You fear, perhaps, that you have never experienced the transforming power of divine grace, because you cannot remember to have felt those amazing terrors, of which you have heard some godly people speak. But you must consider, that the gospel makes no certain degree of terror, the rule by which to judge of the sincerity of your repentance. This may be various in different subjects, according to their characters and circumstances. The habitual disposition of your hearts, with respect to sin and holiness, is a far more certain indication of your character. If you have had those convictions of sin, which have issued in a hatred of it, and in a choice of holiness, you have had all that are necessary. And whatever pangs and terrors you have known, if they have left you in the love, and under the power of sin, your last state is worse than the first. You are to judge of your state, rather by your habitual temper than by any temporary exercises. A calm, sedate view of the evil of sin, accompanied with a just apprehension of the grace and mercy of the gospel, is far more likely to pro

duce a durable good effect, than any violent overbearing terrors. Judas had horror without repentance. Felix was suddenly struck with the fear of a future judgment, but still continued in his sins. The height of religious terrors will not ensure repentance, nor afford an evidence of it. More calm convictions often issue well. The Eunuch became a believer by a rational attention to the gospel; and he went his way rejoicing. Lydia, in hearing the word, felt her heart opened to attend to the truth; and she was judged faithful to the Lord.

I would not be understood to insinuate, that violent convictions never precede true repentance. Paul and the jailer trembled and were astonished. But what I intend is, that there may be such convictions without repentance; and that there may be, and often is, repentance produced in a more easy and gentle manner: So that we are to judge of the sin cerity of our repentance, rather by its abiding fruits,. than by any remarkable circumstances which preceded it.

2. Our subject farther teaches us, that they on ly are led by the Spirit of God, who are of a dovelike temper.

True christians have in them the mind, which was: in Christ, and which was emblematically signified in the gentle and dovelike descent of the Spirit. upon him.

The spirit of God is said to dwell in the hearts of believers. They are required to be filled with the Spirit. Their having the spirit is the test, by which they are to judge, whether they belong to Christ. "Hereby we know that Christ is in us, because he hath given us of the spirit." "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

Now, whether we have the spirit of Christ, or not, must be determined by enquiring, whether we have that benevolent, pure, peaceable and humble