s  Acts  ii.  38,  39.  *  Rom.  viii.  9.
u  In  the  Prayer  for  the  King  we  say,  "  Replenish  him  with  the
grace  of  thy  Holy  Spirit."  In  the  Litany,  "  That  it  may  please  thee
to  illuminate  all  Bishops,  Priests,  and  Deacons,  with  true  knowledge
and  understanding  of  thy  word."  \_Mark  this  welL~\  See  also  the  Col
lects  for  1st  Sunday  after  Epiphany — 5th  Sunday  after  Easter — Whit-
Sunday — 9th  Sunday  after  Trinity — 19th  ditto.  Compare  these  with
the  text ;  and  see  whether,  in  the  judgment  of  our  reformers,  the  best
and  most  learned  of  men  do  not  still  need  to  have  the  Spirit,  as  a  Spi
rit  of  wisdom  and  revelation,  <nven  unto  them.
2095  J  THE  SPIRIT'S  INFLUENCES.  281

1.  Of  God  himself—

[Somewhat  of  God  may  be  known  from  books,  without
any  supernatural  aid :  but  the  knowledge  gained  in  that  way
will  be  merely  theoretical ;  it  will  have  no  suitable  influence
upon  the  heart  and  life.  But  the  very  same  truths,  when
applied  by  the  Spirit  to  the  soul,  make  a  deep  impression
on  the  mind ;  they  fill  it  with  wonder  and  with  love  ;  and
constrain  the  enraptured  soul  to  exclaim,  "  I  have  heard  of
thee  by  the  hearing  of  the  ear ;  but  now  mine  eye  seeth
theex!"  How  precious  does  Christ  appear  at  such  seasons!
how  "  unsearchable  the  length  and  breadth  and  depth  and
height  of  his  incomprehensible  lovey!"  These  are  the  mani
festations  of  himself  which  our  blessed  Lord  promised  to  his
Church2;  and  without  which  we  cannot  know  aright  either
him  or  his  Father3.
