under His own guidance, and commences the work of spiritual illumination.

This is very much needed by the young believer. As we have already said to you, it is not yet with him perfect day in spiritual things. It is but at best a season of twilight. The light is still struggling with that moral “darkness" which "comprehendeth it not." There is, therefore, much need of the Holy Spirit's direction-of that Divine Agent's operation within the mind, which will be the guiding into all truth, which will consist in taking of those things which belong to Christ, and so revealing them to the believing heart, that it may understand the way of the Lord more perfectly. Otherwise, the believer will not make a thorough, solid, firm Christian. He may be a true Christian, but unless he have the teachings of the Holy Spirit, in an especial sense, at the outset of his pilgrimage, he will hereafter have to trace to that want of spiritual light and spiritual knowledge much disquietude, many mistakes, many humblings in the narrow way, much mental gloom, much spiritual uncertainty, and many suspicions and misgivings of heart. From these we believe he will be free, if he at the beginning of his pilgrimage make a more earnest application at the throne of grace, that that Comforter, that Guide, that Counsellor, may "guide him into all truth."

We see an illustration of this thought in the parable of the man who built his house upon the rock. We might, for argument's sake, imagine that man erecting his house, in truth, upon the rock, but building in the dark; and do you not see, that supposing that man had built his house upon the rock in the dark, he might have built in earnest and in reality upon the rock-foundation, and so have built upon the right foundation; but still his house would have been badly constructed, strangely put together, supposing he had no light to guide him-no light to see how

his work proceeded-no light to see that he laid the stones of his foundation properly? So, when the tempest came, it might have beat upon that badlyconstructed house, built though it were upon the right foundation, and some portion of that ill-constructed masonry might have given way, and have caused fears for the safety of the whole superstructure; and the mind of that builder during the tempest must have been a mind full of disquietude and apprehension; he must have trembled for the safety of his house, even though he was conscious of having built it, so far as he could see to do it, on the right foundation.

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Now, I do not say that this is a perfectly analogous case; but it may serve somewhat to explain my meaning. The sinner may be trusting sincerely to Christ, but he may do it with so much uncertaintymay so mix up earthly with heavenly motives-he may so unconsciously combine self with the Saviour, that, although he is ignorant of it, he may be only partially a Christian. He may be depending upon the true Rock of Ages; and yet his dependence may be so poor, and so uncertain, and so vague, that when temptation comes, when Satan approaches with his assaults, he may not then be able to say, "I know in whom I have believed;" but be inclined to fear lest, after all, he is not one of Christ's children.

How earnestly, then, ought we to knock at the door of the Interpreter's house! How earnestly ought we to ask for the Holy Spirit-that Spirit promised by the Saviour ere He left this world-promised in order to guide his people into all truth! How earnestly ought you who are young beginners in the way to Zion-you who are just setting out on the Christian pilgrimage, to supplicate God to bestow upon you this gift of the Holy Spirit. Remember, God is willing and waiting to bestow upon you that rich donation of his love. "How much more shall

your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” "Ask, then, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened unto you,”—the door of the rich outpourings of the Holy Spirit's influences-the door through which there shall break beams of bright illumination, the illumination of Divine truth, guiding you along the darkest road which you may have to tread.

Mark the important nature of the instruction which the Holy Spirit generally gives, when His aid has been sought at the commencement of the Christian life. And this has been well portrayed for us in "The Pilgrim's Progress." The various visions which Christian is shown, very suitably represent to us the character of the Divine illumination of which the young convert is the subject. I entreat you to follow me, as I describe the six visions which were presented to his eye-whilst I endeavour to point out to you their appropriateness, to show you how much he needed that particular instruction which was then communicated. The same kind of instruction, we believe, is now needed, and is now received by the true believer, if he ask diligently, and ask in faith.

I. The first vision is intended to bear upon the true character of the Christian ministry. Need we say, that the Christian ministry is very important to a young believer? Oh! how ignorant he is-how full of mistakes-how much in danger of considering impulse to be principle, and of supposing that his present happy frame of mind will necessarily continue

that now temptations will have no power over him—that now, when Satan comes with his fiery dart, he will always be able to present that "shield of faith" which shall repel all the artillery of Satan! How much he needs one more advanced in spiritual things, one who has made it his business to understand the heart, one who has learned to know himself,

and has thus learned to know others, one who has made it his chief occupation, to take young believers, as well as aged Christians, by the hand, and kindly, and gently, and wisely instruct them in the mysteries pertaining to the kingdom of heaven!

But it is very important that the young Christian should be able to discern between true guides and false guides. If it is important for the young believer to have a guide, seeing he knows so little of the untried paths to which God's providence is about to lead him-is it not very important that he should have a right guide, and that he should know how to tell a right guide when he sees him-how to ascertain whether that minister who is professedly his friend and his counsellor, is such a friend and such a coun sellor that he dare trust the interests of his soul to ? How, then, shall he be able to discern? How shall he "try the spirits," so as to know "whether they be of God"? We read of the Bereans, who "searched the Scriptures daily," to see if the details of apostolic preaching corresponded with the dictates of God's word; and if it was when an apostle preached that they who listened to him dared not receive what he said upon his own word, but compared his speaking with God's speaking, surely, in the present day, it becomes yet more a duty for those who listen to Christian ministers to take their words not as words to be received upon their own strength, but as words only to be received if they agree with what the Holy Ghost teacheth in God's word. It is not, therefore, presumption any more now, for those who listen to Christian ministers to compare what they say with what the Bible declares, than it was in those times, when the Bereans were spoken of as having true nobility of spirit, because they "searched the Scriptures daily, to see if those things," which Paul affirmed, were therein contained.

The Scriptures, then, are the standard by which

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any Christian minister is to be measured. The Scriptures contain the true marks and characteristics of a spiritual guide. Well have these marks been laid down. Well has the writer of "The Pilgrim's Progress" painted the portraiture of the Christian minister. He has told us nothing about apostolical succession. He has spoken nothing about his having been ordained in any particular communion. He has said nothing about human learning, about earthly wit or talent. No, reader, these are not necessarily marks of a Christian minister. The true learning is not that which is to be found in books, but that which comes down from God on high, who "giveth wisdom liberally, and upbraideth not"-that wisdom which is profitable to direct. The true talent, the true eloquence, is that which comes from the heart—not that which is acquired merely by rule or by art; and the real equipment of a Christian minister is, not to have studied in the schools of human philosophy or human learning, but to have received the instructions of that Divine Spirit who has promised to guide into all truth.

Take, then, these, as some of the marks whereby you may know a Christian minister. First, "his eyes are towards heaven;" showing to us, that a Christian minister ought to feel himself always in the presence of God-to remember that the Great Head of the church is looking down and watching him, and, realizing that thought, he is to preach as having his eyes ever turned towards heaven; and, in connexion with this, as also remembering that there is an ac count to be given, when he ascends on high; an account either of joy or grief; and also as suggesting to us the source of that help which he obtains-that help which comes down from the everlasting hills, that Divine assistance which is vouchsafed from God's throne. So the Christian minister has his eyes towards heaven.