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how his garments are warm when he (God) quieteth the earth by the south wind ?" Thus in our text two winds are addressed which produce directly opposite results. Yet when we come to enquire into the matter more carefully, we shall find, that this very contrariety only serves to show that the Holy Spirit, -the third person in the ever-blessed Trinity is, indeed, the gracious Being here addressed; for the Scriptures distinctly inform us that the Holy Spirit has two different and two opposite offices, which, in his infinite condescension, he performs for the soul of man. When first God sends him into the hearts of any of his servants, he comes as a reprover He reproves of sin because they believe not in Jesus Christ-He convinces man of his own utter helplessness-his own absolute corruption-of the tainted fountain from which he derives both body and soul-He also brings conviction to the sinner's mind of those repeated offences and multiplied and heinous transgressions which all the children of Adam are guilty of against God, not only as their Creator, but far more heinously as their Redeemer.-The Spirit of God, breathing thus on the soul, as it were with the keen blast of the north wind, comes to reprove man, and move him to a genuine and spiritual repentance. But, God be praised, not only is the address given to that Spirit in the words, "awake O north wind," but also, at no long interval succeeding it, comes the gracious address from the Redeemer, "and come thou south wind, and blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out."-When the Spirit has indeed convinced the sin-smitten soul of its guilt, of its helplessness, and of its hopelessness, anon the south wind blows away the dark clouds which hang around the cross of Christ, and, quite convinced of sin, the soul is led by the same Holy Spirit in his other gracious office-in his other merciful capacity as Comforter and Consoler of God's people, to look to Christ and obtain the remission of its sins. The same Spirit who is pointed out so clearly as the author of that godly sorrow which worketh repentance unto salvation not to be repented of, reveals also that flowing fountain of never ending love, which issues from the cross of Christ, in which they who wash are cleansed from every sin. Taught by the Spirit, they who

believe in Christ are accounted holy and righteous, without spot, stain, or blemish, or any such thing, through the perfect righteousness furnished by the Redeemer. This is the way in which the Holy Spirit. is pleased to operate on the soul of man when he first comes to take him out of the world—to take him as a shoot of the wild olive tree, and graft him into the good olive tree, and make him a fruitful plant teeming with holiness to the Redeemer's honor. Nor does his holy office end here that repentance which was necessary at the commencement of the believer's career is described as continuing necessary so long as he remains upon earth-as long as "the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh," it is needful that repentance should be continuous; and the Holy Spirit renews from day to day that conviction of sin which makes us come and call for mercy as miserable sinners, through the blood of the Lamb. And as he constantly performs the office of a Reprover, so also does he continually work in us as the Comforter, and is continually leading on the people of God to increasing comfort and increasing joy.Nor is it only in the internal work which God the Holy Spirit carries on in the believer's soul that we find the exact verification of the words of the text:external circumstances are also brought to bear by God upon his people in the same way;-"whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth," and our gracious Redeemer, knowing that the believer could not grow to a due proportion, to matured holiness, unless he were first made to pass through varied trials, ever and anon gives the command that the north wind of affliction should awake. Yet he has never sent a trial to those who faithfully trust in him, but he has in reserve for them consolation and comfort too. He summons the south wind as well as the north. We find then that the meaning of the figurative expressions in the text is simply this; it is an address to the Holy Spirit to come into the hearts of all God's people as the Reprover-as the Being who brings continuous repentance, and who sanctifies all the afflictive circumstances of life, and in this capacity he is addressed as the north wind. the other hand he comes as the Comforter, who shews us the cross of Christ, confirms our faith and increases our joy,

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and makes us to know by blessed and increasing experience that the kingdom of God is neither meat nor drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, and then he is summoned as the south wind.

here given, that many of these graces absolutely require for their very existence the presence of trying or afflictive circumstances. The north wind must awake or else the spices cannot flow out. There can be no real meekness where there is no trial of temper-there can be no patience where there is no afflictionand resignation cannot be truly shown except in the afflictive dispensations of our lives. Long suffering will exemplify what I mean-that grace cannot exist unless where there are vexations, harrassings, disturbances and trials continually besetting us on our daily path. Of this lovely Christian grace a departed Christian friend said as beautifully as justly, "how beautiful and blessed a grace it is, amidst all the sorrows, commotions, and vexations of this troublous world, it displays its tranquillizing power, just as the rainbow rests on the spray which has risen from the turmoil of the falling cataract?" And it is even this blending of the north and the south that produces the most fragrant spices. These graces cannot be confined to our own heartsthey cannot be exercised without being perceived by our relatives and friends, our neighbours and acquaintances-without shedding, in fact, their spicy fragrance all around.

But, we have further to consider the immediate end proposed by the bridegroom in this address, which is expressed by the further very beautiful figurative language of the text, "that the spices thereof may flow out." Now we know, that in the whole of the New Testament it is a very common thing to speak of the result of the influence of the Spirit on the heart and life as the fruit of a tree; and no image could be more beautiful or descriptive; the same image is here employed but with a peculiar and most | appropriate limitation. The common fruits indigenous to northern climes are not mentioned, but those spice-bearing plants which diffuse their delicious and refreshing aroma far and wide, form the beautiful and significant emblems of the end proposed by the bridegroom in his invocation. No one can enter an eastern spice garden without having the delicious perfume wafted to his senses. How descriptive then is this imagery of some of the fruits which the Christian ought to bear, and which are the especial object of this invocation. There are indeed some And we have further to notice, that fruits of the Spirit which may be hidden the end proposed by our Lord is not in the treasure house of our own hearts— | merely that these fragrant fruits should be such, for instance, as true repentance-produced, but that they should "flow a constant grief for the sinfulness and depravity of our nature and the wickedness of our hearts, which, while it is one of the blessed fruits of the Spirit, is yet one in which our neighbours cannot be sharers, for "the heart alone knoweth its own bitterness." It, from its very nature, is known only to God and our own souls. These fruits then are not the spices of which the text speaks, but there are others which are known to those around us, which in fact cannot be hid. These, like beautiful plants in the spice gardens of the East, spread around each hallowed Christian home, and diffuse throughout each Christian household, a lovely fragrance of Christian grace. Such are meekness, long-suffering, patience, resignation, and submission to the will of God. Wherever these are practised, their holy fragrance cannot, but be perceived.

And it is also worthy of remark as an • additional confirmation of the explanation

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out." The meaning of this expression is evident. The Holy Spirit is invoked in his varied offices, not merely that scanty fruit should be borne by the plants of the Lord's garden; but that they should be produced in such rich abundance, and grow in such prolific fertility, that from them a fragrant stream of the sweetness of Divine grace might "flow out" to the Church of Christ.

And now it is only needful to take one further view of the whole of the phrase as thus pronounced by the Bridegroom. It might seem at first sight as though the language did not exactly correspond with the description of the Redeemer's exaltation to the right hand of the Father's throne, inasmuch as he can command, and consequently can have no reason for the invocation or address which is contained in the text. But a little consideration will shew us that this, so far from interfering with the interpretation suggested, is only an

additional reason for accepting it. The Redeemer, it is true, does sit at the right hand of the Father's glory, not only as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, but as "God over all blessed for evermore.".

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It is true that the north wind as well as the south wind obeys none other's behest, -that in the hollow of his hands he holds these winds, and as he lists can send them forth to desolate or bless the world. But while he is God, he is man too, while he holds in his majestic empire the countless worlds of an endless universe, he yet retains the human body which the Father prepared for him and while at the Father's right hand he reigns in unshrouded glory as the uncreated and eternal God-yet he has taken our nature into that Godhead. And in that human nature he appears as our great High Priest; as our Mediator and Intercessor he comes between his fallen creatures and their offended God, and it is through the continual lifting up of his hands, and the constant intercession of his all-prevailing prayers alone, that there are poured down on his garden the Church, those supplies those outpourings of mercy and of love-and those graces of the Holy Spirit without which, no spices could flow out.

And thus our text presents to us an idea as sublime as it is encouraging Jesus Christ, at once man and God; feeling in his human nature the wants of each poor being engrafted into his Church-presenting these wants before his Father's throne-and according to the necessities of each, supplicating that the Spirit may descend either in an afflictive dispensation, in which he is represented as the north wind, or when a fitting season arises, with all the consolations of the Comforter, who as the south wind, rejoices and consoles the souls of God's own people.

Let this much, brethren, beloved, suffice with regard to the meaning of the former part of the text-the latter part need not delay us long. The Church hears this address on the part of her gracious Lord. In the exercise of a simple and undoubting faith she knows that that which He asks for, God the Father will not- may I venture to saycannot, according to his gracious promise, refuse. She knows that the winds will arise and that their influence in proportion to the garden's need, shall be vouch

safed; aud, therefore, in anticipatory faith, looking forward to the garden as already teeming with beautiful blossoms, -as abounding with all spicy plants,whose delicious fragrance shall be every where richly diffused, she addresses her Lord and says, "let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits." She well knew those fruits would grow up in full luxuriance, and rich abundance, (such was her faith in his promise) and now as though the time had already come when her beloved should "see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied," she speaks of them not only as future but present, and she invites him to come into his garden, and bids him eat of them, even as "his pleasant fruits."

And now, did time permit, it would be appropriate to shew, that God's dealings with his Church, whether we regard it collectively, or individually, has ever been in accordonce with this explanation of our text. The Church in the time of the captivity presents an example of what I mean. It was needful that the north wind should blow, else the Church would have been lost, and therefore the Babylonish army were permitted to come down and destroy Jerusalem, and burn with fire the glorious temple of Solomon, blood then ran in the streets like water, and the wretched remnant of the Jewish people were carried into mournful captivity-yet all these grievous trials were not unaccompanied with mercy. Seventy years were appointed for the piercing north wind to blow; and then the south wind was commanded to exert its genial influence, and we have many remaining proofs how the combined influence of the two winds caused the spices of the Lord's garden to flow out. The prophecies of Ezekiel, Daniel, Haggai, and Zechariah, contain many a delicions frnit thus produced and brought to maturity, whose rich fragrance still refreshes, and will continue to refresh the Church in every age.

The same causes produced the holy courage of Joshua, of Zerubbabel, of Nehemiah, of Ezra, and led to the rebuilding of the temple and the restoration of the worship of God on his own holy mountain. Thus it was the north wind and the south wind alike that awoke and blew on the Lord's garden, and then the spices thereof flowed out in abun

and makes us to know by blessed and increasing experience that the kingdom of God is neither meat nor drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, and then he is summoned as the south wind.

But, we have further to consider the immediate end proposed by the bridegroom in this address, which is expressed by the further very beautiful figurative language of the text, "that the spices thereof may flow out." Now we know, that in the whole of the New Testament it is a very common thing to speak of the result of the influence of the Spirit on the heart and life as the fruit of a tree; and no image could be more beautiful or descriptive; the same image is here employed but with a peculiar and most appropriate limitation.-The common fruits indigenous to northern climes are not mentioned, but those spice-bearing plants which diffuse their delicious and refreshing aroma far and wide, form the beautiful and significant emblems of the end proposed by the bridegroom in his invocation. No one can enter an eastern spice garden without having the delicious perfume wafted to his senses. How descriptive then is this imagery of some of the fruits which the Christian ought to bear, and which are the especial object of this invocation. There are indeed some fruits of the Spirit which may be hidden in the treasure house of our own heartssuch, for instance, as true repentance a constant grief for the sinfulness and depravity of our nature and the wickedness of our hearts, which, while it is one of the blessed fruits of the Spirit, is yet one in which our neighbours cannot be sharers, for "the heart alone knoweth its own bitterness." It, from its very nature, is known only to God and our own souls. These fruits then are not the spices of which the text speaks, but there are others which are known to those around us, which in fact cannot be hid. These, like beautiful plants in the spice gardens of the East, spread around each hallowed Christian home, and diffuse throughout each Christian household, a lovely fragrance of Christian grace. Such are meekness, long-suffering, patience, resignation, and submission to the will of God. Wherever these are practised, their holy fragrance cannot, but be perceived.

And it is also worthy of remark as an • additional confirmation of the explanation

here given, that many of these graces absolutely require for their very existence the presence of trying or afflictive circumstances. The north wind must awake or else the spices cannot flow out. There can be no real meekness where there is no trial of temper—there can be no patience where there is no affliction— and resignation cannot be truly shown except in the afflictive dispensations of our lives. Longsuffering will exemplify what I mean-that grace cannot exist unless where there are vexations, harrassings, disturbances and trials continually besetting us on our daily path. Of this lovely Christian grace a departed Christian friend said as beautifully as justly, "how beautiful and blessed a grace it is, amidst all the sorrows, commotions, and vexations of this troublous world, it displays its tranquillizing power, just as the rainbow rests on the spray which has risen from the turmoil of the falling cataract?" And it is even this blending of the north and the south that produces the most fragrant spices. cannot be confined to our own heartsthey cannot be exercised without being perceived by our relatives and friends, our neighbours and acquaintances-without shedding, in fact, their spicy fragrance all around.

These graces

And we have further to notice, that the end proposed by our Lord is not merely that these fragrant fruits should be produced, but that they should "flow out." The meaning of this expression is evident. The Holy Spirit is invoked in his varied offices, not merely that scanty fruit should be borne by the plants of the Lord's garden; but that they should be produced in such rich abundance, and grow in such prolific fertility, that from them a fragrant stream of the s weetness of Divine grace might "flow out" to the Church of Christ.

And now it is only needful to take one further view of the whole of the phrase as thus pronounced by the Bridegroom. It might seem at first sight as though the language did not exactly correspond with the description of the Redeemer's exaltation to the right hand of the Father's throne, inasmuch as he can command, and consequently can have no reason for the invocation or address which is contained in the text. But a little consideration will shew us that this, so far from interfering with the interpretation suggested, is only an

additional reason for accepting it. The
Redeemer, it is true, does sit at the right
hand of the Father's glory, not only as
King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, but
as "God over all blessed for evermore."-
It is true that the north wind as well as
the south wind obeys none other's behest,
-that in the hollow of his hands he
holds these winds, and as he lists can
send them forth to desolate or bless the
world. But while he is God, he is man
too, while he holds in his majestic
empire the countless worlds of an endless
universe, he yet retains the human body
which the Father prepared for him and
while at the Father's right hand he reigns
in unshrouded glory as the uncreated and
eternal God-yet he has taken our na-
ture into that Godhead. And in that
human nature he appears as our great
High Priest; as our Mediator and Inter-
cessor he comes between his fallen crea-
tures and their offended God, and it is
through the continual lifting up of his
hands, and the constant intercession of
his all-prevailing prayers alone, that there
are poured down on his garden the
Church, those supplies—those outpour-
ings of mercy and of love-and those
graces of the Holy Spirit without which,
no spices could flow out.

And thus our text presents to us an idea as sublime as it is encouraging Jesus Christ, at once man and God; feeling in his human nature the wants of each poor being engrafted into his Church-presenting these wants before his Father's throne-and according to the necessities of each, supplicating that the Spirit may descend either in an afflictive dispensation, in which he is represented as the north wind, or when a fitting season arises, with all the consolations of the Comforter, who as the south wind, rejoices and consoles the souls of God's own people.

Let this much, brethren, beloved, suffice with regard to the meaning of the former part of the text the latter part need not delay us long. The Church hears this address on the part of her gracious Lord. In the exercise of a simple and undoubting faith she knows that that which He asks for, God the Father will not- may I venture to saycannot, according to his gracious promise, refuse. She knows that the winds will arise and that their influence in proportion to the garden's need, shall be vouch

safed; aud, therefore, in anticipatory faith, looking forward to the garden as already teeming with beautiful blossoms, -as abounding with all spicy plants,whose delicious fragrance shall be every where richly diffused, she addresses her Lord and says, "let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits." She well knew those fruits would grow up in full luxuriance, and rich abundance, (such was her faith in his promise) and now as though the time had already come when her beloved should "see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied," she speaks of them not only as future but present, and she invites him to come into his garden, and bids him eat of them, even as "his pleasant fruits."

And now, did time permit, it would be appropriate to shew, that God's dealings with his Church, whether we regard it collectively, or individually, has ever been in accordonce with this explanation of our text. The Church in the time of the captivity presents an example of what I mean. It was needful that the north wind should blow, else the Church would have been lost, and therefore the Babylonish army were permitted to come down and destroy Jerusalem, and burn with fire the glorious temple of Solomon, blood then ran in the streets like water, and the wretched remnant of the Jewish people were carried into mournful captivity-yet all these grievous trials were not unaccompanied with mercy. Seventy years were appointed for the piercing north wind to blow; and then the south wind was commanded to exert its genial influence, and we have many remaining proofs how the combined influence of the two winds caused the spices of the Lord's garden to flow out. The prophecies of Ezekiel, Daniel, Haggai, and Zechariah, contain many a delicions frnit thus produced and brought to maturity, whose rich fragrance still refreshes, and will continue to refresh the Church in every age.

The same causes produced the holy courage of Joshua, of Zerubbabel, of Nehemiah, of Ezra, and led to the rebuilding of the temple and the restoration of the worship of God on his own holy mountain. Thus it was the north wind and the south wind alike that awoke and blew on the Lord's garden, and then the spices thereof flowed out in abun

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