-When
Thou lettest Thy Spirit go forth, they shall be made; and Thou shalt
renew the face of the earth--words which St Augustine of old applied to
the work of God's Spirit on the souls of men.

For well it is with us--as St Augustine says--when God takes away from us
our own spirit, the spirit of pride and self-will and self-righteousness;
and we see that we are but dust and ashes; worse than the animals, in
that we have sinned, and they have not. Confess--he says--thy weakness
and thy dust: and then listen to what follows:--Thou shalt take away from
them their own spirit; but Thou shalt send forth Thy Spirit on them, and
they shall be made and created anew. As the Apostle says, "We are God's
own workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works." And so--he
says--God will indeed renew the face of the earth with converted and
renewed men, who confess that they are not righteous in themselves, but
made righteous by the grace of the Spirit of God; and so the Lord shall
rejoice in His works; you will be indeed His work, and He will rejoice in
you.

Yes. God will indeed rejoice in us, if we obey the godly inspirations of
His Spirit. But again, we shall rejoice in God; if we be but led by His
Spirit into all truth, and thence into all righteousness. Then we shall
be in harmony with God, and with the whole universe of God. We shall
have our share in that perpetual worship which is celebrated throughout
the universe by all creatures, rational and irrational, who are obeying
the laws of their being; the laws of the Spirit of God, the Lord and
Giver of life. We shall take our part in that perpetual Hymn which calls
on all the works of the Lord, from angels and powers, sun and stars,
winds and seasons, seas and floods, trees and flowers, beasts and cattle,
to the children of men, and the servants of the Lord, and the spirits and
souls of the righteous, and the holy and humble men of heart--"O all ye
works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord, praise Him and magnify Him for
ever."

SERMON XVIII. DEATH.

PSALM CIV. 20, 21.

Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the
forest do creep forth. The lions roar after their prey, and seek
their meat from God.

Let me say a few words on this text. It is one which has been a comfort
to me again and again. It is one which, if rightly understood, ought to
give comfort to pitiful and tender-hearted persons.

Have you never been touched