The Holy Ghost came twice over the apostles. Christ blew the Holy Ghost on the apostles before his resurrection, thus saying, "Receive the Holy Ghost." Again, on this day, the Almighty Father and the Son sent the Spirit of both to the faithful company dwelling in this world. Jesus blew his Spirit on his disciples for a sign that they and all christian {327} men should love their neighbours as themselves. He sent afterwards, as he had before promised, the Holy Ghost from heaven, to the end that we should love God above all other things. The Holy Ghost is one, though he came twice over the apostles. So also there is one love and two commandments, That we should love God and men. But we should learn by men how we may come to the love of God, as John the apostle said, "He who loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God, whom he seeth not bodily?" We celebrate the advent of the Holy Ghost with hymns for seven days, because he stimulates our mind with a sevenfold gift, that is, with wisdom and understanding, with counsel and strength, with knowledge and piety, and he fills us with awe of God. He who through good deserts attains to these sevenfold gifts of the Holy Ghost will have all honour. But he who will attain to this honour shall believe in the Holy Trinity, and in True Unity, that the Father, and his Son, and the Spirit of them both are three in persons, and one God indivisible, existing in one Godhead. This faith was betokened by the three thousand who first inclined to belief, after the advent of the Holy Ghost. As those three thousand were one company, so is the Holy Trinity one God. And that company was as unanimous as though they all had one heart and one soul; for of the Holy Trinity there is one Godhead, and one nature, and one will, and one work inseparable. The faithful brought their money, and laid it at the feet of the apostles. By this is manifested that christian men should not set their delight in worldly treasure, but in God alone. The covetous who sets his delight in his gold-hoard, is, as the apostle said, "like unto him who practiseth idolatry." They held the gold as worthless, because covetousness had no place in their hearts: they made their goods in common, {329} that they might be in true peace without covetousness. They set their hands over believing men, and the Holy Ghost came to them through their bishoping. Bishops are of the same order in God's church, and hold that institution in their bishoping, so that they set their hands over baptized men, and pray the Almighty Ruler to send them the sevenfold gift of his Spirit, who liveth and reigneth ever without end. Amen. * * * * * DOMINICA SECUNDA POST PENTECOSTEN. Homo quidam erat diues: et reliqua.