your own spiritual state, and give beauty and glow and glory to that which before was desert. The Spirit of God refreshes the thirsty mind of man by the communication of his truth, the thirsty conscience of man by the bestowment of his mercy, and the whole nature of man by that abundant grace which he sheds abroad, and by means of which he raises and satisfies and saves. I see, then, from this promise of God, not only what is sufficiently large, but what is most suitable-sufficiently large to satisfy all my desires, and suitable as the dew which descends upon the thirsty ground, and which is so fitted to refresh and renovate the whole.

It is, in the third place, a fertilizing influence which God promises here. The design of all dew is to promote a greater measure of fertility. It is encouraging to know that all the influence which God bestows, leads to the production of a spiritual and practical effort more eminently to advance the diffusion of his glory. If the Spirit descend copiously from on high, it is that converts may "spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. If the Spirit descend, the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is counted for a forest. All things flourish in new life and in new fruitfulness. The man thus plentifully supplied from his God, is "neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

I once more remark, that such an influence is silent and instantaneous, yet most mighty in its operations. We seem to fall into the error which marked the conduct of the people in the days of the Lord-we expect that the kingdom of God will come with observation, with something which shall attract human regard, something striking, something instantaneous, something which moves with noise, as well as searches and renovates by power we cannot entirely shake off these prejudices. We should at all times so let God work in the manner in which it pleases him to work. If he should think proper to employ means more mighty, more visible, more striking in the sight of men, let him do so but at the same time never let us forget that his usual order of proceeding is in a more silent, but not less powerful manner. He becomes as the dew unto Israel: his influence descends with all its abundance, its refreshing qualities, and its fertilizing effects; but it descends in silence, it descends on the waiting spirit, it descends that it may more evidently appear that the power is of God, and not of us-a power which silently searches and renews the whole man. Silence is the energy of God. Look around you at this season of the year. A short time since, all was the dreariness and desolation of winter: a mighty change is now transpiring all around us; every thing begins to

wear the hue of beauty, and proving a mighty change in the vegetable world. What has accomplished it? Has there been aught very noisy, aught very instantaneous, aught to strike men's senses, or to attract especial observation? Nothing of the kind: God has sent forth his own silent and pervading influence: he has penetrated the veil, he has changed the whole scene by his own silent energy; and he has given new life, and new beauty, and new glory. And may we not justly expect that he will proceed in the same way to pour out his influence on his Church? He works when we regard it not: he is sending forth the silent dew of his influence; it is penetrating the earth; removing the dreariness of winter, and spreading new scenes around us, when perhaps we suppose that nothing but what is ordinary is transpiring.

It

There is, doubtless, a mistake here. We expect that God will become as dew unto Israel: we expect the effusion of divine influence, which shall renovate the church and the earth too. is of the utmost consequence that this expectation be kept alive; but are we not expecting it, as if nothing of the kind had not already taken place-as if there would be an effusion of Divine influence marked in all its parts and characters, by something irregular, and new, and strange? The Spirit is descending: go abroad into the different sections of this country, mark that more serious attention, that deeper sense of spiritual things, that more marked growth in Divine life, among the different denominations in this and other lands, and you will see what is the commencement of that living influence which is diffused in all the worldthe change of the season of winter into the glow and glory of spring.

Brethren, we are acting most consistently, then, with the order of our God, when we are attending to these secret and spiritual renovations of his grace-when we are striving amongst his people, and amongst those who associate with his people, to promote such an influence as this: not disregarding it because it is not surrounded with pomp and noise, but rejoicing in that dew which he diffuses, and earnestly waiting until the mighty flood should flow down, until the mighty shower descend, and the whole scene is renovated. May we seek this influence upon ourselves and all around us! May we not, then, expect his promise, and that all shall yet be well? He will be as the dew unto Israel. Be Thou as the dew unto us! Let thy copious, refreshing, fertilizing, powerful influence, descend, secret as the silent dew, and give new glory to every part of our Church! and then, though thy servants die, the work of our God shall live and flourish.

The second part of this subject, which this text presents to our

notice, has respect to THE PROSPERITY WHICH THE CHURCH SHALL ENJOY IN CONSEQUENCE OF THIS INFluence. And here the Prophet, alluding to a tree, has drawn a beautiful representation of that sort of prosperity which we ought most earnestly

to covet.

There is, for example, the fair promise of future fruit. "I will be as the dew unto Israel "—more literally, "I will be as the blossom-as the lily”. -as a tree refreshed by the influence of spring: he shall put forth new blossoms, like the lily, so fair, so lovely: he shall yield promise of most encouraging and renovated life, and more abundant fertility. Persons who are accustomed to God's spiritual operations have often seen, that when his influence is descending like the dew, it has often produced this effect on the Church itself, in its general connections, or in its more particular sections. There has been the appearance of the fair blossoms serious thought, earnest inquiry, fervent prayer: it appears as if the tree were clothing itself in new blossoms, giving tokens of new life, as if it were pledging the certainty of more abundant harvest.

But a growing stability in the life of God is a second part of this prosperity. "He shall cast forth"-he shall strike-"his roots as Lebanon." The allusion is to the cedars of Lebanon, remarkable for striking their roots deep, rising to an eminent height, becoming a monument of permanence and strength. If the Prophet had mentioned the blossom merely, it might be thought he might have mentioned what was very pleasing and very fair but he passes to the growing stability of it: that Church, thus flourishing in its new blossoms, shall, at the same time, strike deep its roots, take further hold of the soul, shall be more entirely rooted in "the truth as it is in Jesus."

Our Apostle suggests, that the three constraining principles of the Christian, are faith, hope, and love: and we may truly say, that the Christian has an exceeding stability here, in the faith which believes, in the hope which expects, and in the love which enjoys. We sometimes hear of revivals, when men are said to be brought to the knowledge of the truth, but in which there often seems to be scarcely any increase of stability among its professors. I will not say that such revivals are to be utterly disregarded; but I may say, it would be seen better if they had a genuine piety appropriate to an increase of life in the Church itself. That is God's usual order of proceeding: while blossoms are putting forth and roots are striking deep, there is a greater stability-a more entire establishment, in all the principles and blessings of the Divine nature.

An enlargement of existing members of the Church in divine

grace, is a third proof of this prosperity. "His branches shall spread"-his branches shall go forward, increasing in size, becoming more capable of leaf, and of fruit too. I cannot think that this applies to the accession of new members so much as to the enlargement of members already existing-their growth in the spiritual life. We sometimes love to select for contemplation, seasons when Christians have attained, by the power of God, a more eminent degree of divine grace, when we may see them rising into their proper magnitude, conveying to us the lovely representation of what Christian men ought to be. Where do we find abundance of such examples? Where and when ? In those places and at those seasons in which God especially pours forth his Spirit. It is then that the branches of his own tree go forward: it is then we mark their growth, their vitality, their fruitfulness: it is then we have the greatest number of the choicest and most precious examples of the power and energy of the Divine life. Amidst the influence which God pours forth, the Christian man rises to his promised stature, and becomes in some measure what we are all invited to become, when we rise to the high standard which God has placed before us-the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

Another mark of this prosperity discovers itself in the Church's spirituality. "His beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon." When we speak of the fruits of Christian piety, we may not improperly distribute them into three classes: fruits of special devotedness to God-fruits of personal purity and circumspection and fruits of practical charity, fruits of doing good to others. These fruits abound amidst the influence of God, when he pours forth the dew of his blessing. You find that all these parts of Christian felicity are wonderfully associated together; they seem inseparable, as they truly are. The man gives himself to God, to the pursuit and practice of all holiness, and gives himself up to the warm fervors of a warm charityfeels himself constrained by the love of Christ-constrained to become "steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord"-then especially knowing, when the influence of God is with him, that his "labor is not in vain in the Lord."

I mention only another mark of this prosperity, that is, the healing influence which a prosperous Church diffuses, thus blooming, and taking new root, and enlarging his branches, and sustaining new fruit. The description closes with saying, "His smell shall be as Lebanon;" the fragrant influence shall spread himself from him as from the odoriferous plants and shrubs on Mount Lebanon. There shall be something inviting and healing in that influence which this prosperous Church possesses.

How

fragrant is the influence of holy tempers when all the man's dispositions are involved with the influence he has received from on high! How fragrant are holy words, when a person's conversation is with grace and abundantly filled with that holy unction which descended from heaven! How fragrant are holy actions! The same actions done by another person are not the same-the vital blossoms, the living unction, are wanting: performed by the man who feels the influence from on high, they diffuse their own odor; they convey an evidence which cannot be resisted, that they are wrought of God. Happy the Church when thus favored with the dew of God's blessing-it diffuses such an influence all around! Why should not this be the case more and more? The dew of God's blessing is promised, and prosperity will assuredly follow; if we secure the influence we shall have the prosperity; and the tree, before rent, and torn, and despised, and forsaken, shall flourish under the care of God, and shall exhibit every mark of true prosperity.

It follows, thirdly, that THERE SHALL BE AN EXTENSION OF THE

CHURCH.

First, by the accession of new members; "They that dwell under his shadow shall return," an expression somewhat ambiguous of meaning. The fact doubtless is, that many shall turn from their manifold wandering to dwell under the shadow of this prosperous Church.

The Prophet may have three classes of persons on his mindat least we may apply the expression to three classes. The first constitutes the apostates from the truth. At the time Hosea wrote, there were many of these who forsook the Church, and betook themselves to their own apostate wanderings; but he knew that if God became as the dew unto Israel, and if Israel should flourish under his blessing, many of these would return to dwell under his shadow.

The second class may comprehend those who are indifferent and careless. While the Church is neglected, these persons lay disregarded. The glory of God's Church is his own presence. If you imagine that aught else will engage man's true attention, you are mistaken. You may increase its worldly influence, its worldly splendor, but you increase not its success. Its efficacy flows directly from God; and when the spiritual life languishes, the Church loses its influence, and is disregarded by careless and indifferent persons. They look at the naked trunk of this Church, withered and desolate, and they go on, finding no shelter, no invitation there. But let the Church flourish and revive, and these indifferent and careless ones shall return and dwell under its shadow.