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V6

THE DOCTRÌÑE OF THE

TRINITY,

(SEEM.

,

Liv.

he

would work

deep and unfeigned

repentance

in

us,

by

his Holy Spirit,

that

his

Spirit might change

our natures

into

his

own likeness,

and restore

his image, which

is

defaced

by sin

;

that

he would send his

Spirit to mortify

all the

corrupt

principles

that

are within

us,

to

lead

us

into

all

needful truth, and

incline

our

hearts

with

power

to the

practice

of

every duty.

We must

ask,

that

he

would

-

assist

-us,

by his

Spirit, in all

the

holy and

devout

exethses

of

our

souls,

and enable

us

to worship

God

the

Father

aright, through

Jesus

Christ, in all

his own

ap-

pointments.

We

are

to pray,

that

the Spirit

of God

may

preserve

the divine seed

of

grace alive in

our

souls,

that

he may recover

us,

whenever

we go

astray

from

God,

and carry

on

his own

heavenly work

in us

to

perfection.

We must

seek,

and

wait

for the

divine influences,

of

this blessed Spirit, continually,

to

give

and

to

maintain

holiness

and comfort: And

we

must take the utmost

re-

ligious care,

lest,

at

any

time, we

grieve

him,

and cause

him

to

depart,

by

resisting his sacred influences:

And

thus, with

a

daily

dependance on

the grace

of

the

Holy

Spirit, we must

perpetually approach nearer

to

God,

both

in

the

temper

of

our

souls,

and

in holy

converse with

him, till

our

state

of

trial

be finished, and till the work

of

holiness

is

complete in heaven.

It

is

a very

natural

inquiry here, whether

we may

directly address

ourselves, in prayer, to the

Son,

or the

Spirit

of

God,

to bestow

these

divine influences

upon us?

To

which

I

answer,'

that

the scripture,

which

is

indited

by

the Spirit

himself,

generally

instructs

us to make God

the

Father

the more

direct

object

of

our

addresses in

prayer,

and

to

intreat

the Father,

to bestow

his

Spirit

on

us,

because

it

is

he

sustains the supreme dignity and ma-

jesty of

godhead,

as

the

Lord and

sovereign

of

all,

as

the

prime Agent

in

our

salvation, and prime object

of

wor-

ship.

It

is

the

"

Father of

lights,

that

is

the

giver

of

every good

and

perfect

gift

;"

James

i.

17.

It

is

"

the

Father, that

gives his

Holy Spirit

to them

that

ask

it

;"

Luke

xi.

13.

It

is

"

the God,

and

Father of

our

Lord Jesus

Christ,

to whom

St.

Paul bowed

his knees,

that

he would

strengthen

his

saints,

by his

Spirit,

in

the

inner

man

;"

.Eph:

iii.

I4,

16.

And

he

"

prays,

that

the

God of our

Lord

Jesus

Christ, the

Father of

glory,

would

give

them

the

spirit of

wisdom

and

revelation,"

5