Year: 1859

/ Holy Spirit of God?


| Nor will it do merely that we are very jealous
in cooperating with the particular congregation
of believers we are united with in church fela-
ton. While ones obligations, because of his
better opportunities, are chiefly to help and be
helped at home, he must syinpathize and CO.
operate with all christians as he has any op-
portunity. If he believe that any are Jesus
Christ's outside of his own particular connection,
he must admit that they have the Spirit of
Christ, (Rom: 8; 81 consequently that he
must have unity of Spirit with them so far
forth they such and that he is bound,
accordingly, to cooperate with them in doing
good, in helping and being helped in the chris
tian life, and in persuading sinners thereto.
Not to do So is necessarily, to grieve the Spirit
which makes him and them brethren.


This principle of the combination of direct
and indirect influence applies, in like manner, to
the Spirits work as Conuicter. Saints of old
testified for Christ by the Spirit that was in
them. While the great convicting Agent has
direct access to the conscience, through which
to convict the heart, christians must still be
witnesses. 'Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord ;





the Lords people must come up unitedly to his
help against the mighty, testifying with one
heart and one voice for Christ and against sim
IF the sinner see division, distraction and con-
| tradicton among the witnesses, how hardly shall
he be convicted! 1 refer not to mere lack of
christian union, ecclesiastic aggregation, but to
lack of ataiy Of iSpiirit. This is the case where
one professor of the name of Christ is burn
ing with love for souls and adherence for sin,
and is constrained by the love of Christ to
strive with sinners and lead them to Jesus;
while another, nominally the brother of such
christian, clearly indicates, by his manner and
conduct, that it is not worth while to concern
ones self about the conversion of souls. An
other is jealous, but instead of compasstonating
sinners, is ready to call down fire from
heaven, like those of old, not knowing what
manner of spirit he is of. Another regards
the church as an institution of an aggressive
sort, instead of an attractfUe one, and would do
everything in the spirit of pugilism. An
other yet, would have the mild and loving made
the entire burden of preaching, forgetting in
his turn that while the church is to be attrac-
tive with reference to the sinner, it must be
sternly aggressive toward his sin,-its motto
being, '.tfrst pure, Hten peaceaJle." The great
hindrance, however, of the Spirits convicting
work, unquestionably lies, first, in the disagree
ment of profession and life seen by sinners in
individual professors; and then in the fact that
they disagree with each other, in that some are
warm, others lukewarm, and others yet indif-
ferent and cold about the great work of sal
vation. Alas that our contradiction of each
others testimony should rule it out, and make
it sometimes harder for the Spirit to do his
work than though we were all out of the way
Pray God that we bear not the curse of Meroz
How shall we who have been graciously made
'partakers of the heavenly gift" grieve the
Spirit given, by refusing to second his benevo-
lent striyings with sinful world


Let us close with word of application sug-
gested in the text itself.


This Holy Spirit of God seals us unto the
day of redemption. Nothing less than the
Spirit of God can do this. The outward rite
of circumcision could suffice for a seal of the
covenant of outw; rd and earthly blessings.
But spiritual redemption requires a spiritual
seal, the circumcision of the heart and the
engraving thereon of theimageof Christ by the
power of the Holy Spirit; and this image
must not only bef ormGd there but retained
The abrasion of the world, the overrunning
waves of passion, all mt1sttend to obliterate that
blessed image. The Spirit is given us to renew
this image perpetually. The dross of impuri-
ty rapidity tends to obscure it. If we grieve
away our Sanctifer, this image of love and JOY
and all the blessed lneaments, departs, and we
can no longer see our seal, our warrant that ace
personally included in the covenant. -
ubtcomes in to blight and wither the heart
Oh, it is a fearful thing to have to struggle on
through clouds, no longer able to read our "ti-
tie clear, to mansionsi in the skies" Most dear
ly do we pay for our folly which grieved the
Spirit. Deeper and darker grows the gloom,
until we break down in penitenee under the
load, and cry to him who gives his Holy Spirit
to them that ask him.. Oh, then, when he re-
stores that free Spirit, joy kindles anew,
and hope more plumes her plnlons, evil
is thrust back the tempter driven away in defeat,
and love is once more shed abroad in the heart
by the Holy Spirit given to us. ""Every man
that hath this hope" of redemption, Sin him,
purifeth himself" Then more brilliantly
glows the Saviors image, larger and larger
measures of the Spirit are enjoyed, and hope
thus increases hope, as we grow more and more
confident in our trust that we are of that bless
ed company sealed unto the day of redemption,
when the Spirit that raised up Christ from the
dead and whom we know to be dwelling in us,
shall also quicken mortal bodies. This is /
the witness of the Spirit, this the SEAL Still
let cry=-


"Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it,
Seal it for thy courts above


BFThose that resolve to walk with their Ma
Lor md fnlloyp fba;r Poda