The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-06-12
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A SERMON X<&S&
pY THE REV AMeE
IAMHENDERSSNWsl
Theme: Divine Indwelling.

|
Jno. 20:22: Receive ye the Holy
Spirit He said:
The reception OF the Holy Spirit in
the inner sanctuary of the human
heart is the condition of entrance into
the kingdom of God. The possibility
of the immediate aud present incom-
ing and welcoming OF the Spirit is
reason enough for us 10 believe that
the kingdom begins in this life and
at once, If you will. The fact that the
coming of the Spirit into the heart is
contemporaneous with the entrance
of the individual into the privileges OF
divine citizenship is sufficient demon
stration that spirituality is the key 10,
and the essence OF. and the first re-
| quirement of admission 10 the king
| dom. The one and only way 10 par
| ticipate in the joys and blessings OF
J the Spirit filled life is 10 cease from
! hardness of heart. and from intellec-
! tual lf-glorification and selt.trust,
and 10 become as little children in
! humility and in receptivity 10 truth.
| Spirituality and divine citizenship are
one and tne same thing. Growth in
| spiritually is the test CT efficient
citizenship. The man VINO has stopped
depending upon his own strength, his
own wisdom, and has opened his
eyes and ears and mind and heart TO
! the influences and manifestations of
/ the Spirit is ready to receive. and in
all conscience will get, the papers and
rights of citizen of the kingdom of
! the God of Jesus Christ. And that
soul only is being sanctified unto God
/ likeness and fashioned into the image
| OF Jesus Christ whO is growing daily,
hourly, momently, in the gifts and
graces OF the spiritual life. To be
| spiritual is TO become childlike. To
! attain spiritual development is the
aim and the calling of those who are
! Christ's.
The Holy Spirit, the personal, puri-
! flying, propelling presence OF God In
| the life of man, is the means unto
the spiritualizing Of human natures
according to the divine DEGREES. The
entrance of the Spirit means death
to sin. The yielding of self to the
gentle ministrations Of the Holy
Ghost is the first step toward indi-
vidual transformation. The COM
munion OF the spirit OF man with the
Spirit OF God brings peace, content
, ment, rest and a wisdom and energy
which are more than sufficient to meet
the demands and the opposition OF
the world.
No mere impersonal, unreal. un-
attainable something is this Spirit
which Christ bade His disciples re-
| ceive, ana OF which at later time
| they received a fuller measure. Ii Is
the real. helpful, personal presence
of God in the life. The spirit OF man
is prey to all sin save the SnSrit OF
] God as constructive, controlling
force comes in. The TRANSMISSION OF
the soul with the vitality OF the Spirit
fills the dying heart of man with life.
There are three characteristics Of
the Holy Spirit to which l wish TO
direct your thought. The Holy Spirit
Is constant presence in the life of
the world. controlling energy, q
soul satisfying comforter.
The Holy Spirit is a constant pres
ence and factor in the life OF the
world. The entire list OF graces and
gifts and blessings which are ours
at the hands OF our Heavenly Father
are constant. The gift OF the Spirit
is no exception TO the rule. When
| God promises TO men the presence
and uplift Of the Holy Spirit upon the
| fulfilment OF certain conditions upon
their part He means just what He
says. Our Father is not fickle or
changeable or inconstant. He is the
same to-day, yesterday and forever.
And His Spirit, which is His own real,
| personal presence In the hearts OF
men, is as constant as all else with
which He has anything to do. When
we were far away from duty and were
serving sin the Spirit OF the living
God was knocking ever at our hearts.
And though we hated ourselves and
the depth of onr own iniquity, though
the world may have despised US and
forsaken us, though everything in life
may have held us as ~unclean" with
the leprosy OF sin, still the Spirit OF
our living, loving Father stood wait
ing TO reveal TO us the wealth and
beauty Of the love of God and TO re-
vive oar dying souls with the fullness
OF power unto eternal life.
The constancy OF the Spirit as a
factor in life is nowhere better illus
trated than in the experience Of
| Christian men who have given
themselves up, in less or greater
measure, 10 His dominion. What a
! JOY, what comfort, what a stay IL Is
TO know that whenever and whereso-
/ ever we may turn TO the Spirit for
/ the portion OF refreshment that our
1 souls so sortly need we shall always
| find Him ready TO supply our wants.
There is no sense and no reason in
/ much of our constant petition 10 God
10 infill us with His Spirit. The in
| fiuences Of types OF thought and OF
| prayer are hardly escapable. We
! have grown so accustomed to ask
/ God to FIJI uF with His Spirit
| OF power. But I submit, would we
not pray better and more 10 the point
! II we thanked ou: Father for the
\ favors OF HIS love and acknowledged
| 20 Him in person, what He already
! knows, our shortcomings and our lack
! OF appropriation OF the gift OF His
Spirit. The showers OF spiritual
! blessings are forever falling free, full
/ and sufficient upon human souls
! everywhere. Our prayers should not
| be OF petition that God may give us
| showers, but rather OF Thanksgiving
/ for past, present and future blessings
and OF dedication Of self, through the
~ r.n Tfm II