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TWELFTH DAY.

Almighty God, bless Thou these words to the good of Thy servant, through Thy Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

A little while, and ye shall not see me; and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

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.

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all 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, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.

Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple

are ye. If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

ONE of us, not even the best that have ever lived, could have done one single thing that would have pleased God, without the help of the Holy Spirit. Of ourselves we can do no good thing, nor can we even think right thoughts. You know that we should die if we had no air to breathe. It is so great a necessity to us, that we should laugh at any one who told us to try and live without air, for we know that it would be quite impossible. And yet there are many of us who really seem to think that they can live as Christians should live, that they can keep their baptismal promises and obey God's commandments, without any help out of themselves. They seem to think so, that is, because they do not ask God for the help which is as necessary to their soul's life, as the air is for the life of our bodies.

Now, when our Saviour had finished His work on earth, and was going back to His Father's Home,

He told His disciples that He must leave them; that it was necessary to do so, because that if He did not go away, the Comforter, that is, the Holy Spirit, would not come. And He told them, that without that Blessed Spirit they could not keep the commandments, as they were only weak human beings who could do no good thing of themselves. It is just the same now, and has been ever since that great day when the Holy Ghost descended from heaven with a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and was seen above the head of each of Christ's servants, like a flame or tongue of fire.

Although we cannot see or hear the workings of the Holy Spirit, yet He has never left Christ's Church since the first Whitsunday, and He is always ready to hear and willing to help every soul that cries out to Him.

Oh! why do you not think of this more often? Why do you go on living careless lives? Or if you do intend to be a follower of the Redeemer, how is it that you will not ask for the great and wondrous Help that He told us would come, and without which we cannot hope to be saved? How awful to think that you reject the aid of the Holy Spirit, and that He should wait, and wait in vain, for you to turn to Him! Think of His patience, His forbearance, His love, and do not any longer live without His help.

No;

You are not worthy, perhaps you think. but He can make you worthy. Remember that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost; we cannot understand it, but what is written in God's Book must be true. Should you not then keep that body pure and clean? Should you not ask with all earnestness that the sins which have stained it all your life, may be washed away in the Blood of Christ, and that it might be made as fit as it can be for the dwelling-place of Him who is All-Pure, All-Perfect?

It will not be enough if we say that so long as we keep from breaking the actual commandments, we may commit sin in small things. Do you suppose that he who obeys that order of Christ's that we should love one another, could ever break the commandment that bids us commit no murder? What you may call a trifling fault not worth fighting against, may be, nay, is, the root or beginning of one of the most deadly sins. And this your conscience will tell you also. it again and again, perhaps Have you not felt uncomfortable when you were doing or saying something wrong? What do you suppose that inward, pricking voice is? It is the Holy Spirit speaking to you.

Have you not heard without heeding it?

And will that voice only warn you against the worst and blackest sins? Does it not make itself

heard when you are tempted to what you call small faults? Listen to it. Be guided by it; or else, most awful thought, it will be silent. A silent conscience! what is that but a sign that the Holy Spirit has departed from that temple, your body, because those sins you thought so little of have driven Him away.

How did Christ's disciples spend the time after their Master had gone away into heaven, having promised that He would send the Holy Spirit to them? They all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication. For ten days they waited and prayed. What can you do better than wait and pray? In all patience, with all earnestness, with repentance for your past sins, with a true heart-felt wish to live as Christ would have you live, and in obedience to the ordinances that God has appointed in His Church.

So shall the Blessed Spirit come upon you also, and guide you and lead you into all truth.

PRAYER.

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty and merciful God, that the Holy Ghost may come upon us, and by His gracious indwelling may make us a temple of His glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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