The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-03-30


And yet how poor comment are our actions,
on aBe ye holy, for I am holy" How little
we realize, that our deeds should continually
have SAVIOR of holiness and purity, to all with
whom we mingle. The breast-plate of right
eousness or holy living should be FURNISHED
breast-plate over our hearts, continually. And
vet it was not because we acre able to live
thus, that the Holy Spirif.was vouchsafed as
resident of the soul, but because we were not
Therefore it was a fsrt offsthe divine arrange
ment that we should purify our souls, in obey
ing the truth, through theSpirit.' This being
so, God can most reasonably expectand require
of. us to go on toward perfection of christian
conduct and behavior. For not only has the
Spirit spoken expressly in the word of God, in
detail of duties, but he aids the ministers of
his word in expounding and the hearer in
understanding; nor stops even there, but
"strengtkens US with might in the inward
man." for the performance of duties so learned
and SO understood. Not to progress, therefore,
in living ''soberly, righteously and gody," is to
neglect the aid of this Helper and Sanctifer,
and thence to cause him grief by our wretchcd
waywardness. "Let your light so shine before
men, that they, seeing your good works, may
glorify your Father who is in heaven" The
light which filed the Jewish tabernacle was
shed from the golden candlestick. By this
light men-+ere enabled to perform the taber-
nacle service, whereby God was glorifed. That
tabernacle, as is generally agreed, typifed the
church of Christ, and that seven-lamped caN
dlestick the office of the Holy Spirit in the
church. The holy oil ever burning in the
former typifed the Spirit ever dwelling in the
latter, enlightening in, prompting to and
strengthening for, those good works which our
Savior calls the light. AS the quenching Of the
light of that wondrous candlestick would have
been its dishonor and proclamation, so neglect
to bear the fruits of the Spirit by a godly walk
and conversation, must wound and grieve that
indwelling Spirit, whom, we receive as an unc-
that sacred flame was extinguished in the tab
ernacle, we, in turn, 'queach the iSpiirit.'
5. The Spirit is grieved by our neglect of self
examination, penitenee and prayer.
For in all these, also, it is his special work
to aid us. We are ofteRexertaken with faults
Neglect to search ours Ssss for these is one of
the readiest ways of contracting fixed defle-
ment. We sin against our own spiritual ma
lures in so doing, for Gods word declares that
''the spirit of man is the candle of the Lord
searching all the inward parts" If it be sin
to neglect so imperfect asearcher as conscience
how much more to slight the help of the In
fnitely searching Spirit When David had
barred his bosom to divine searching, he was
overwhelmed with penitence as a result, and
then could cry in faith-"take not thy Holy
Spirit from me, "-"Uphold me by thy free
Spirit, and restore unto me the joys of thy
salvation" God delights peculiarly in dwell
ing, by his Spirit, with the broken and contrite
heart. Self-searching humble confession, and
fervent prayer-these are means of retaining
the presence of our heavenly Helper and Com
forter, and OF securing yet greater measures of
that presence. OF these three the greatest is
prayer. For not only must we pray in order
to selfsearching, and in order to proper con-
triton, but must even pray that ace may pray.
All christian experience justifes this paradox.
Very often, while attempting to supplcate a
throne of mercy, we realize deeply, painfully,
a need of more earnestness, greater sense of
need, greater strength of desire, ere we dare
cry to God in faith that our prayer must pre-
vail and bring down the blessing
Of all things, therefore, wherein the Spirit
is grieved by us, the greatest grievance would
seem to be, the restraining of prayer, since even
"'the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us
with groahings which cannot be uttered"
ss4Jro,vor 10 tl,o ,;tol h-oo,b
The christians native air.
The heart of our physical system incurs but
a partial injury suffering from improper eat
ing, or even considerable suspension of food,
from too much or too little bodily exercise, etc.
yet it is quickly, foullE and fatally gorged,
if those great relieving and purifying agents,
the lungs, C; ase to inhale the air. So is it
with the moral heart, under restraint of pray
er. The corruption of our nature is counter
acted or purged by the free, purifying Spirit
which comes into e soul constantly on the
breath of prayer: As the carbon of our blood
makes the heart black and foul so soon as that
blood ceases to be aerated, SO our "heart of
hearts grows quickly foul and noisome,
without the vital breath of prayer. And that
heart is still the temple of the Holy Spirit
Shocking Oh, if other sins of omission and
commission grieee the Spirit, then by any pro-
tracted restraint of prayer that Spirit must be
"quenched," driven out, grieved away! How
can christian ever hate the heart to do this?
With such heart, can he be christian at all?
1t would seem far easier to believe that the
prayerless professor had never yet been con-
verted to God in reality Let us watch and la
Dor and pray without ceasing, that this be not
found our case.
6. We may not omit to name that grievance
of the Spirit, so expressly predicted of, which
consists in departing from the faith. Hear
Panl to Timothy: "Now the Spirit speaketh
expressly, that in the latter times, some shall
depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies
in hypocrisy; having their conscience scared
with hot iron; forbiddihg to marry, and cons
manding to abstain from meats" With such