The Wind of the Holy Ghost Blowing upon the Dry Bones in the Valley of Vision
[Preached in the Tolbooth-Church, Edinburgh, upon a
fast-day before the sacrament of our Lord's supper, March 15, 1715.
Come from the four winds, O breath; and breathe upon these slain, that
they may live. Ezekiel 37:9.
In the beginning of this chapter,
the Lord, in a vision, brings the prophet Ezekiel into a valley full of dead
men's bones, quite dried and withered, and asks him the question, if he thought
it possible for these dry bones to live? Thereby intimating, that although it
was a thing impossible with men, yet it was easily effected by the almighty
power of God. And, to convince him of it, he commands the prophet to speak to
the dry bones, and to tell them, in his name, that he would make the breath of
life to enter into them; which accordingly is done; for the prophet having in
the name of the Lord, called upon the four winds to breathe upon the dry bones,
immediately life enters into them, and they come together bone to his bone, and
they lived, and "stood up upon their feet, and became an exceeding great army."
by which vision we have a lively representation of a threefold resurrection, as
a late commentator (Mr. Henry) very well observes.
1. Of the resurrection
of the body at the last day, and general resurrection, when God will command
the earth to give up its dead, and the sea to give up its dead; and when, by
the ministry of angels, the dust and bones of the saints shall be gathered from
the four winds of heaven, to which they have been scattered. Or,
2. We have
in this vision a lively representation of the resurrection of the soul from the
grave of sin; which is effected by preaching or prophesying, as the
instrumental, and by the powerful influence of the Spirit of the Lord, as the
principal efficient cause of it; and the wind here spoken of is plainly said to
be understood of the Spirit, (ver. 14:) "I will put my Spirit in you, and ye
shall live." Or,
3. We have, by this vision, a representation of the
resurrection of the church of God, from the grave of her bondage and captivity
in Babylon, under which they were at present detained.
And this indeed is
the primary and immediate scope of the vision, as is plain from the explication
that follows it, ver. 11-14. However, seeing the deliverance of the children of
Israel out of their Babylonish captivity, was typical of our spiritual
redemption purchased by the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross, and in a day of
power applied by the mighty and powerful operation of the Holy Spirit of God;
and seeing it is this redemption with which we under the gospel are principally
concerned, therefore I shall handle the words that I have read under this
spiritual sense and meaning.
And in them briefly we have,
1. A dismal
case supposed, and that is, spiritual deadness. The people of God were not only
in bondage under their enemies, but likewise their souls were at this time in a
languishing condition. But of this more afterwards.
2. We have a blessed
remedy here expressed, and that is the breathings of the Spirit of the Lord,
the influences of the Holy Ghost: Come from the four winds, O breath, &c.
Now, these influences of the Holy Ghost are here described,
1st, From
their nature, held out under the notion and metaphor of wind; Come from the
four winds, O breath. There are three elements by which the operations of the
Spirit are held out to us in scripture. Sometimes they are compared to fire:
Matt. 3:11: "He shall baptize you (speaking of Christ) with the Holy Ghost, and
with fire." Sometimes they are compared to water: Isa. 44:3: "I will pour water
upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my Spirit
upon thy seed," &c. Sometimes the influences of the Spirit are held forth
under the metaphor of wind, as in Cant. 4:16: "Awake, O north wind; and come,
thou south; blow upon my garden." So here, by the wind, or breath here spoken
of, we are principally to understand the Spirit: it is plainly declared to be
the Spirit of God in the 14th verse of this chapter. I cannot stand to show you
the grounds of this metaphor. Wind, you know, is of a cleansing, cooling,
fructifying nature and virtue; it acts freely and irresistibly. It is not in
the power of man to resist or oppose the blowings of the wind. So the
influences of the Spirit cleanse and purify the heart; they allay the storms of
conscience, "make the bones which were broken to rejoice?" They make the soul
to grow as the lily, and to cast forth its roots like Lebanon;" they render the
soul fruitful "like the garden of God?" and the Spirit acts with a sovereign
freedom, and irresistible efficacy, as you may hear afterwards.
But, 2dly,
These influences of the Holy Ghost, are described, from their variety, four
winds: Come from the four winds, O breath; importing the manifold influences
and operations of this one and eternal Spirit. Hence we read of the "north and
south wind," Cant. 4:16; and of "the seven spirits that are before the throne
of God," Rev. 4:5.
3dly, These influences are described from their acting
or operation, which is here called a breathing: Breathe upon these slain. By
the acting of this almighty wind, our natural life was produced and formed,
Gen. 2:7. We are there told, that after God had "formed man of the dust of the
ground, he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and he became a
living soul."
Hence is that of Elihu, Job 33:4: "The Spirit of God hath
made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life." And it is by the
influences of the same almighty breath, that our souls are "quickened, when
dead in trespasses and sins," and our spiritual life is formed within us. But
then,
4thly, These influences are described from the end and effect of
their operation: Breathe upon these slain, that they may live; that is, that
the dry bones may become living souls, that out of these stones children may be
raised up to Abraham.
Now, from these words, thus briefly explained, I only
offer you this one observation; namely,
DOCTRINE. "That as the generality
of a church and people in covenant with God, may be in a very dead and
languishing condition as to their souls; so the breathings and influences of
the Holy Spirit of God are absolutely necessary for their revival." This is the
sum of what I intend from these words, Come from the four winds, O breath; and
breathe upon these slain, that they may live." In discoursing upon this
doctrine, I shall,
I. Speak a little upon this deadness which is incident
to a people externally in covenant with God.
II. Upon the influences or
breathings of the wind of the Holy Ghost, which are so absolutely necessary in
order to their revival.
III. Touch at that life which is effected by these
breathings.
IV. I shall apply. I. I say, I would speak a little on this
deadness which is incident to a people externally in covenant with God. And
here I shall only,
1. Give you some of its kinds.
2. Some of the causes
of it.
3. Some of the symptoms of it.
1. The first thing is to give
you some kinds of deadness. Know, then, in general, that there is a two-fold
death; one is proper and natural, the other is improper and metaphorical. (1.)
Death, properly so called, is a thing so well known, that it is needless for me
to tell you what it is. There is none of us all but we shall know it
experimentally within a little; for "it is appointed for every man once to
die." The grave is a house appointed for all living; and therefore, with Job,
we may "say to corruption, Thou art our father; and to the worm, Thou art our
mother and sister."
But this is not the death I now speak of; and
therefore, (2.) There is a death which is improper or metaphorical; which is
nothing else but a disease or distemper of the soul, by which it is rendered
unmeet and incapable for holy and spiritual exercises. And this, again, is
two-fold; either total or partial. 1st, There is a total death incident to the
wicked and ungodly, who are stark dead, and have nothing of spiritual life in
them at all. Hence, (Eph. 2:1,) men in a state of nature are said to be "dead
in trespasses and sins;" that is, under the total reigning power of sin, "in
the gall of bitterness, and under the bond of iniquity;" without God, without
Christ, and therefore without hope.
2d1y, There is a partial death incident
to believers, whom God has raised out of the grave of an unrenewed state, and
in whose souls he has implanted a principle of spiritual life. And this partial
death, incident to believers, consists in a manifest decay of spiritual
principles and habits, in the abating of their wonted life and vigour, and
activity in the way and work of the Lord: their faith, their love, their hope,
and other graces, are all in a fainting and languishing condition; they lie
dormant in the soul, like the life of the tree that lies hid in its root,
without fruit or blossoms, during the winter season. Such deadness as this we
find the Lord's people in scripture frequently complaining of particularly Isa.
56:3: "The son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, and taken
hold of his covenant," he is made to speak, saying, "The Lord hath utterly
separated me from his people:" and the eunuch cries out, I am a dry tree,
wherein there is no life or sap. It is this kind of spiritual deadness,
incident to believers, that I now principally speak of. The leaves of his
profession may in a great measure be withered; the candle of his conversation
may burn dimly, or with a very imperfect light; the flame of his affections,
his zeal, love, desire, may, like that of a great fire, be reduced to a few
coals and cinders. There may be a great intermission or formality in the
discharge of commanded duty. The mind, which once with delight and admiration,
could meditate upon God and Christ, and the covenant, and things that are
above, may come to lose its relish for these things, and to dote upon the
transitory fading vanities of a present world. The common gifts of the Spirit,
through carnal ease, and defect of employment, may be in a great measure
blasted: and, which is worst of all, the saving graces, and fruits of the
Spirit, may come to be woefully impaired as to their former degrees and
actings. But now, this partial death of believers, again, is twofold: there is
a deadness which is felt by God's people, and a deadness which is not felt;
"gray hairs are here and there upon them, sometimes, and they do not behold
them." The Lord was departed from Samson, and he wist not, Judg. 16:20. But
then there is a deadness which is felt, when God's people have a sense of their
deadness, and are lamenting it. And it is an evidence of spiritual life, or of
some revival, when the Lord's people are beginning to cry out with the church,
(Psal. 85:6:) "Wilt thou not revive us again; that thy people may rejoice in
thee? Why hast thou hardened our heart from thy fear?" Isa. 63:17.
But, 2.
The second thing is, to take notice of some of the causes of this spiritual
deadness. I shall only name them, because your time would not allow me to
enlarge.
(1.) Then, abstinence or neglect of food, you know, will soon
bring the body into a pining, languishing condition: so, if the means of grace
be not diligently improved, if we neglect, by faith, to apprehend and to
improve Christ, and to feed upon him, whose "flesh is meat indeed, and whose
blood is drink indeed," the spiritual life of the soul will soon languish and
wither. Hence is that [declaration] of Christ, John 6:53: "Except ye eat the
flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you."
(2.)
Surfeiting the soul with sensual pleasure is another great cause of spiritual
death: Hos. 4:11: "Whoredom and wine, and new wine take away the heart:" they
suck out the very life of the soul. What is the reason why many professors of
religion have lost their wonted vigour in the way of the Lord, and are in such
a languishing condition as to their soul-matters? The plain reason of it is
this, they are glutting themselves with the pleasures of sense. If Samson do
but sleep on Delilah's lap, she will betray him into the hands of the
Philistines, and cut the locks wherein his strength lies; and when he goes out
to shake himself, as at other times, he will find his strength gone away from
him.
(3.) Inactivity and sloth in salvation and regeneration-work is
another cause of spiritual deadness. Physicians observe, that as too violent
exercise, so too much rest, or a sedentary way of living, is prejudicial to the
health of the body. This holds also in spiritual things: if we do not exercise
ourselves unto godliness, and endeavour to abound in the work of the Lord, the
spiritual life will soon languish and dwindle away. Therefore, "Let us not be
slothful in business, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; and whatever our
hand findeth to do, let us do it with all our might." And beware of resting
upon empty wishes and desires in spiritual matters; for "the desire of the
slothful kills him, because his hands refuse to labour."
(4.) The contagion
of ill example, of a carnal world, and irreligious relatives, has a fatal
influence this way. You know it is exceedingly dangerous for those who have the
seed of all diseases in them to frequent the company of those who are infected
with the plague or pestilence. A Joseph, if he stay long in the Egyptian court,
will learn to swear "by the life of Pharaoh." It is true, indeed, as fire
sometimes burns with the greater vehemence, and casts the greater heat, the
colder the air be; so the zeal and life of God's people is sometimes rather
quickened, by beholding the wickedness of those among whom their lot is cast,
as Paul among the Athenians. But if we shall adventure to cast ourselves into
the society of the wicked, without a special call and warrant from Providence.
It will be next to an impossibility to keep ourselves free of the contagion:
for "Can a man carry fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burnt? Can a man
walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt? Evil communications corrupt
good manners."
(5.) Some deadly wound in the soul, not carefully noticed,
may be the cause of spiritual death. You know a man may die not only by a
draught of poison, or the like, but also by the cut of a sword. While we are in
the wilderness, we live in the very midst of our spiritual enemies: the fiery
darts of Satan are flying thick about us; he is always seeking to bruise the
believer's heel, "going about seeking to devour:" and not only so, but our own
lusts also do war against the soul, so that we cannot miss to be wounded
thereby. And if the filth and guilt of these wounds be not carefully washed
away by the blood and Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, they cannot miss
exceedingly to impair the spiritual life and health: therefore, David, after he
had been wounded by murder and adultery, is so earnest that God would wash and
cleanse his wounds, and purge him with hyssop, that so the joy of his salvation
might be restored. But then,
(6.) A holy God has sometimes a righteous and
holy hand in this spiritual death, to which the Lord's people are liable, by
withdrawing and suspending the influences of his Spirit from them. For as the
plant and the herb of the field wither, and languish when the rain of heaven is
withheld; so when the influences of the Holy Ghost are suspended, the very sap
of the soul, and its spiritual life go away.
And the Lord upholds the
influences of his Spirit for many reasons, As,
1st, He does it sometimes in
a way of awful and adorable sovereignty, to show that he is not a debtor to any
of his creatures. However, because the Spirit's influences are seldom withdrawn
in a way of sovereignty, it is our part to search and try if conscience do not
condemn us, as having a sinful and culpable hand in it ourselves.
2dly,
Sometimes he does it to humble his people, and to prevent their pride, which
makes him to "behold them afar off." If we were always under the lively gales
and influences of the Spirit, we would be ready to forget ourselves, and in
danger with Paul, of being lifted up above measure, when he was wrapt up into
the third heaven. Upon this account, some of the saints have said, that they
have got more good sometimes by their desertion, than by their enlargement.
3dly, He does it to make them prize Christ, and see their continual need of
fresh supplies "out of his fulness." He lets our cisterns run dry, that we may
come anew, and lay our empty vessels under the flowings of the blessed
"fountain of life," that "out of his fulness we may receive, and grace for
grace."
4thly, He does it sometimes for the trial of his people, to see if
they will follow him "in a wilderness, in a land that is not sown," as well as
when he is feeding them with the sensible communications of his grace and
Spirit; to see if they will live on him by faith, when they cannot live by
sight or sense.
5thly, Sometimes he does it for their chastisement, to
correct them for their iniquities. And this, indeed, is the most ordinary cause
why the Spirit of the Lord is suspended and withdrawn.
I have not time to
enumerate many of these sins which provoke the Lord to withdraw his Spirit; I
shall only mention two or three. (1.) Not hearkening to the motions of his
Spirit, is one great reason why the Lord withdraws his Spirit; as you see in
the spouse, Cant. 5: There Christ comes, and moves, and calls for entrance: the
spouse does not hearken to the motion: "I have put off my coat, how shall I put
it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?" Upon which he
immediately withdraws and leaves her, as you may read at your own leisure. (2.)
Lukewarmness and formality in the discharge of duty is another cause of it, as
we see in the church Laodicea; it made him to spew that church out of his
mouth. And then (3.) Prostituting the gifts and graces of the Spirit to carnal,
selfish, and base ends, to procure a name, or make a show in the world. This is
another reason of it. (4.) Sinning against light. Trampling upon the belly of
conscience, as David no doubt did in the matter of Uriah and Bathsheba; whereby
he provoked the Lord so far to leave him, that he cries out, (Psal. 51:11)
"Cast me not out of thy sight; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me." (5.)
Barrenness and unfruitfulness under the means of grace: Isa. 5:the clouds are
commanded to give no rain upon the barren vineyard. And then, (6.) And lastly,
Their not listening carefully to the voice of God in ordinances and
providences: this is another cause of it; Psal. 81:11, 12: "My people would not
hearken to my voice; therefore, I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and
they walked in their own counsels."
And thus you have some of the causes of
this spiritual deadness I come to.
3. The third thing, which was to give
you some of the symptoms of it: and would to God they were not too visible,
rife, and common in the day, and upon the generation in which we live. I shall
name a few of them to you.
(1.) Want of appetite after the bread and water
of life is a symptom of spiritual death. You know that man cannot be in a
healthful condition that loathes his food, or has lost his appetite after it.
Alas! Is not the manna of heaven, that God is raining about our tent-doors,
generally loathed? The great truths of God, which some of the saints have found
to be "sweeter than honey, from the honey-comb," have not that savour and
relish with us that they ought to have. Are not sabbaths, sacraments, sermons,
fast-days, and feast-days, burdens to many among us; so that if they would but
speak out the language of their hearts, they would he ready to join issue with
these, Mal. 1:13: "What a weariness is this?" Whereas, the soul that is in a
lively condition is ready to say of the word, "It is better to me than
thousands of gold and silver; I esteem it more than my necessary food:" and of
ordinances, "I love the habitation of thy house, and the place where thy honour
dwelleth;" and Psal. 84:10: "One day in thy courts is better than a thousand."
(2.) Though a man have something of an appetite, yet if he do not grow, or
look like his food, it looks something dangerous and death-like. The thriving
Christian is a growing Christian: "They that be planted in the house of the
Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. The righteous shall hold on his
way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger." But, alas!
is it not quite otherwise with the most part? Many are going backward, instead
of forward; as it is said of Jerusalem; (Lam. 1:8:) "She sigheth, and turneth
backward." May we not cry out of our leanness, our leanness, notwithstanding of
all the fattening means and ordinances that we enjoy?
(3.) You know, when
death takes a dealing with a person, it makes his beauty to fade: "When with
rebukes thou dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume
away like a moth." Pale death soon alters the ruddy countenance. Perhaps the
day has been, O believer, when the beauty of holiness adorned every step of thy
conversation; thy "light did so shine before men, that they, seeing thy good
works," could not but "glorify thy heavenly Father;" but now, alas! the beauty
of thy conversation is sullied and stained, by "lying among the pots" of sin.
This says, that spiritual death is dealing with thy soul.
(4.) Death not
only wastes the beauty, but the strength also: Eccl. 12:3: "The keepers of the
house do tremble, and the strong men do bow," upon the approaches of the king
of terrors. Now, see if your wonted strength and ability to perform duty, or to
resist temptations, be not abated. Perhaps the day has been, when thou couldst
have said with Paul, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do, for, through Christ
strengthening me, I can do all things;" but now thou art ready to faint and sit
up at the very thoughts of duty. The day perhaps has been, when, though Satan,
that cunning archer, did shoot sore at thee; yet "thy bow did abide in its
strength, and the arms of thy hands were made strong by the mighty God of
Jacob;" thou wast in care to beat back the fiery darts of Satan, and to stand
thy ground against the corruptions and defections of the day and generation:
but now, like a dead fish, thou art carried down the stream. Does not this
proclaim thy soul to be under a sad decay?
(5.) Death wastes the natural
heat and warmness of the body. There is a kind of chilliness and coldness that
seizes a man when death takes a dealing with him. So it is a sign of a
spiritual decay and deadness, when wonted zeal for God and his glory, and the
concerns of his church and his kingdom, is abated. Perhaps the day has been,
when, with David, the zeal of God's house did in a manner eat you up, and you
"preferred Jerusalem to your chief joy:" but now you are almost come the length
of Gallio's temper, to "care for none of these things;" indifferent whether the
work of God in the land sink or swim. Laodicea's distemper is too prevalent
among us at this day: we are "neither cold nor hot" in the things of God; and
therefore have reason to fear, lest we be spewed out of God's mouth. The day
bas been, when your spirits were lifted up, in prayer, in hearing, in
communicating; you were "fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; "you could
rejoice to work righteousness, and say, in some measure, with David, "I will go
unto the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy;" but now all this holy warmth
is gone in a great measure; you are become formal and careless in the concerns
of God's glory.
(6.) A dead man, you know, cannot move, but only as he is
moved from without, in regard he wants a principle of motion within. So it is a
sign of spiritual death, even in believers, when external motives and
considerations have a greater influence in the duties of religion upon them,
than an internal principle of faith and love When the believer is himself, "the
love of Christ constrains" him in every duty; this is the "one thing" be
desires, "that he may behold the beauty of the Lord, and inquire in his
temple:" but when any selfish or external motive sets him at work, it is a sign
of spiritual death.
Other things might be added; but I hasten to speak to,
II. The second thing proposed in the method, and that was, to speak a
little of these breathings and influences of the Spirit of God, which are
absolutely necessary for the revival of the Lord's people under deadness: Come
from the four winds, O breath! and breathe upon these slain, that they may
live. And here I would, 1. Clear the nature of these influences, in a word or
two. 2. Speak to the variety of these influences, four winds. 3. To the manner
of their operation upon the elect; they are said to breathe upon, the slain. 4.
Speak a little to the necessity of these breathings. 5. To the several seasons
of the Spirit's reviving influences.
I fear your time will cut me short
before I have done; but I shall run through these particulars as quickly as
possible.
1. The first thing is, to clear the nature of these breathings or
influences. And what I have to offer upon this head, you may take in these few
propositions: (1.) You would know, that the influences and gifts of the Spirit
of God are of two sorts, either common or saving. As for the common influences
of the Spirit, which are sometimes bestowed upon the wicked and reprobate
world, I am not to speak of these at this time. All I shall say about them is,
to tell you, that they are given in common to the children of men, "for
edification of the mystical body of Christ," until it arrive at "the measure of
the stature of the fulness of Christ," as you read, Eph. iv.: and therefore
they are commonly called by divines dona ministrantia, or ministering gifts.
Although they have no saving efficacy upon the person in whom they dwell; yet
God, in his holy wisdom, makes use of them for the good of his church in
general, as we read, Eph. 4: And another thing that I would tell you, likewise,
concerning these common influences, is, that they of an exceeding dangerous
nature when they are not accompanied with saving grace. The man that has them,
is like a ship having very large sails, and but little or no ballast at all, in
the midst of the ocean; and is therefore in danger of being split in pieces
against every rock. In Matt. 7:22, we read of some who had extraordinary common
gifts; they prophesied in Christ's name, wrought miracles, and cast out devils
in his name, and did many wonderful works, and yet Christ utterly disowns them.
I do not speak of these common influences now, but of such as are saving. And
therefore, (2.) A second proposition is, that the Holy Spirit of God,
considered in his particular economy in the work of redemption, as the applier
of the Redeemer's purchase, is the author and efficient cause of all saving
influences. It is he, I say, that prepares and disposes the soul of man for the
entertainment of the things of God, which are not received nor discerned by the
natural mind. It is he that ploughs up the fallow ground of the heart, and
brings in the wilderness, and turns it into a fruitful field. It is he that
garnishes the face of the soul with the saving graces of the Spirit; these are
flowers of the upper paradise, therefore called "the fruits of the Spirit,"
Gal. 5:22. It is he that preserves, cherishes, and maintains, them by renewed
influences: he cherishes the smoking flax, and at last turns it into a lamp of
glory in heaven; for "he brings forth judgment unto victory." (3.) Again; you
would know that the elect of God are the subjects recipient of all saving
influences of the Spirit of God: I say, they are peculiar only to the elect of
God, and to them only upon their conversion, when they come to be united to
Christ, as members of his mystical body. We must be ingrafted into this true
olive tree, otherwise we can never partake of his sap, and "receive out of his
fulness, grace for grace." That these influences are peculiar to the elect of
God, is plain from Tit. 1:1; where we read of "the faith of God's elect." (4.)
These influences of the Spirit, are given for various ends to the elect of God.
The judicious Dr. Owen, in his Discourses on the Spirit, observes, that these
saving influences are given to the elect of God for regeneration, to the
regenerate for sanctification, to the sanctified for consolation, and to the
comforted Christian for further up-building. and edification; and
establishment, until they arrive at perfection in glory.
But the nature of
these influences will farther appear from,
2. The second thing proposed,
which was, to speak a little to the variety of these influences of the Spirit.
You see they are diversified here, while they are called four winds: Come from
the four winds, O breath. The apostle tells us, that "there are diversities of
gifts and operations, but the same Spirit," 1 Cor. 11:4. And we read, as I was
telling you, of "seven Spirits that are before the throne," Rev. 1. Here, if
time would allow me to enlarge, I might tell you, that the saving influences
and breathings of the Spirit are either primary, fundamental, and absolutely
necessary to salvation; or they are accumulative, additional, necessary only
for the believer's comfort and well-being. Some of these influences are
antecedent, or preparative unto conversion; some of them are regenerating, and
others are subsequent and posterior unto regeneration. But I shall not stand
upon such subtle distinctions. You may take a few of them in the order
following:
(1.) There are the convincing influences of the Spirit: John
16:8: "When he is come, he will convince the world of sin." This is what I
conceive we are to understand by the "north wind," (Cant. 4:16;) which is
commonly boisterous, cold, chill and nipping. The elect of God by nature lie
fast asleep within the tidal mark of God's wrath, upon the very brink of
everlasting ruin, crying, "Peace, peace," to themselves; the Spirit of the Lord
comes like a stormy north wind, blows hard upon the sinner's face, and awakens
him; breaks his carnal peace and security, brings him to himself and lets him
see his danger; fills him with remorse and terror. Hence, (Isa. 28:17,) the
hail is said to "sweep down the refuge of lies," before the sinner come to
settle upon the "foundation that God hath laid in Zion." In Acts 2:37, it is
said, "they were pricked in their heart;" and then they cried out, "Men and
brethren, what shall we do?"
(2.) There are the enlightening influences and
breathings of the Spirit. Hence, he is compared to eye-salve, Rev. 3:18: "Ye
have received an unction from the Holy One, whereby ye know all things," 1 John
2:20. We read, Isa. 25:7, of a "veil and face of a covering that is spread over
all nations." The wind of the Holy Ghost must blow off this veil of ignorance
and unbelief; and then the poor sinner comes to see a new world of wonders that
he never saw before; a wonderful great God, a wonderful Redeemer, a wonderful
covenant, and a wonderful holy law. Hence, we are said to he "translated out of
darkness into a marvellous light. The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, even
the deep things of God." And, I Cor. 2:12: "By the Spirit we know the things
that are freely given to us of God."
(3.) There are the renewing influences
of the Spirit. We are said to be "saved by the washing of regeneration, and
renewing of the Holy Ghost," Tit. 3:5. Hence, he is called "a new Spirit." He
renews the will, and "makes old things to pass away, and all things to become
new."
(4.) There are the comforting influences of the Spirit. This is the
south-wind, as it were, gentle and easy, and refreshing; and therefore he is
called the Comforter. And, indeed, his consolations are strong consolations;
they put more gladness into the heart than corn, wine, and oil in abundance;
fill the soul with a joy that is "unspeakable, and full of glory." And then,
(5.) There are the corroborating and strengthening influences of the
Spirit. By the breathings of the Spirit the feeble are made "like David, and as
the angel of God before him." It is he that "gives power to the faint, and
increases strength to them that have no might." It is by him that worm Jacob is
made to "thresh the mountains, and to beat them small, and to make the hills as
chaff" And then,
(6.) There are the drawing and enlarging influences of the
Spirit: "Draw me," (says the spouse,) "we will run after thee." The poor
believer lies many times, as it were, wind-bound, that he is not able to move
one step in the way of the Lord: but, O! when the Spirit of the Lord comes,
then come liberty and enlargement: "I will run the way of thy coinmandments,"
(says David,) "when thou hast enlarged my heart;" to wit, by the influences of
thy Spirit. He is like oil to their chariot-wheels; and when he comes, they are
as the chariots of Amminadib, or a willing people.
(7.) There are the
sin-mortifying and sin-killing influences of the Spirit: "We, through the
Spirit," are said to "mortify the deeds of the body, that so we may live." When
this wind of the Holy Ghost blows upon the soul, he not only makes the spices
to revive, but he kills the weeds of sin and corruption, making them to wither
and decay; so that the poor believer, who was crying, "Wretched man, what shall
I do to be delivered from this body of death!" is made some-times to tread upon
the necks of these enemies, as a pledge of his complete victory at last; And
then,
(8.) There are the interceding influences of the Spirit: Rom. 8:26:
"The Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."
He intercedes in a physical and efficient way. He makes us to wrestle and pray;
therefore he is called "the Spirit of grace and supplications," Zech. 12:10. He
fills the believer's heart and mouth with such a heavenly rhetoric, that God is
not able to withstand it. Hence Jacob "had power with the angel, and
prevailed;" for "he wept, and made supplication unto him." And then (9.) There
are the sealing and witnessing influences of the Spirit: He "witnesseth with
our spirits, that we are the sons of God." He bears witness of the glorious
fulness and suitableness of Christ to the soul: "The Spirit shall testify of
me," John 15:26. And he is said to "seal believers to the day of redemption;"
and his seal is the earnest of glory: Eph. 1:13, 14: "Ye are sealed by the Holy
Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of the inheritance." But these things I
have not time to insist upon.
So much for the second thing.
3. The
third thing that I proposed here, was, to speak a little to the manner of the
acting or operation of these influences, or how it is that this wind blows upon
the soul? I answer,
(1.) The wind of the Holy Ghost blows very freely; the
Spirit acts as an independent sovereign, John 3:8. It does not stay for the
command, nor stop for the prohibition of any creature. So the breathings of the
Spirit are sovereignly free as to the time of their donation, free as to their
duration and continuance, free as to the measure, and free as to the manner of
their working. And then,
(2.) He breathes on the soul sometimes very
surprisingly: "Or ever I was aware (says the spouse,) my soul made me like the
chariots of Animinadib." Canst thou not seal this in thy experience, believer,
that sometimes, when thou hast gone to duty in a very heartless and lifeless
condition, perhaps beginning to raze foundations, and to say with Zion, "The
Lord hath forsaken, and my God hath forgotten," a gale from heaven has in a
manner surprised thee, and set thee upon the high places of Jacob, and made
thee to cry with the spouse, "It is the voice of my beloved! Behold, he cometh
leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills? His anger endureth but for
a moment: in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh
in the morning."
(3.) These breathings and influences of the Spirit are
some-times very piercing and penetrating. The cold nipping north wind, you
know, goes to the very quick. The sword of the Spirit "pierces even to the
dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Wind, you know, is of a
very seeking, penetrating nature; it seeks through the closest chambers. So the
Spirit, which is the candle of the Lord, "searcheth the lower parts of the
belly:" he makes a discovery of these lusts and idols that sulk in the secret
chambers of the heart.
(4.) The breathings of this wind are very powerful,
strong, and efficacious. Who can oppose the blowings of the winds? Some winds
have such a mighty force with them, that they bear down, overturn, and
overthrow every thing that stands in their way. So the Spirit of the Lord
sometimes, especially at first conversion, breaks in upon the soul like the
rushing of a mighty wind, as he did upon the apostles, breaking down the
strongholds of iniquity, casting to the ground every high thought and towering
imagination of the soul, that exalts itself against Christ, with a powerful and
triumphant efficacy. He masters the darkness of the mind, the contumacy and
rebellion of the will, and the carnality of the affections: the enmity of the
heart against God, and all the spiritual wickednesses that are in the high
places of the soul, are made to fall down at his feet, as Dagon did before the
ark of the Lord.
(5.) Although he act thus powerfully and irresistibly, yet
it is with an overcoming sweetness, so as there is not the least violence
offered to any of the natural faculties of the soul: for whenever the Spirit
comes with his saving influences, he sweetly overcomes the darkness of the
mind; the sinner becomes a volunteer, and content to enlist himself a soldier
under Christ's banner: Psal. 110:3: "thy people shall be willing in the day of
thy power." No sooner does Christ by his Spirit say to the soul, "Follow me,"
but immediately they arise and follow him. "Behold, we come unto thee, for thou
art the Lord our God." Then,
(6.) There is something in the breathing of
this wind that is incomprehensible by reason: John 3:8: "Thou hearest the sound
thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goes," says
Christ: "so is every one that is born of the Spirit." There is something in the
operation of the eternal Spirit and his influences beyond the reach, not only
of natural but of sanctified reason. Who can tell "how the bones are formed in
the womb of her that is with child?" So, far less can we tell how the Spirit
forms the babe of grace in the heart; how he preserves, maintains, and
cherishes "the smoking flax," that is not quite extinguished. We may, in this
case, apply the words of the psalmist in another case, and say, "Thy way is in
the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known;"
and that of the apostle, "How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past
finding out!"
(7.) These influences of the Spirit, are sometimes felt
before they are seen; as you know a man will feel the wind, and hear it, when
he cannot see it. So it is with the Lord's people many times, on whom the
Spirit breathes: they feel his actings, they are sensible that he has been
dealing with them; and all that they can say about it is, with the man that was
born blind, "One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see." "The
kingdom of heaven comes not with observation."
4. The fourth thing proposed
was, to speak a little to the necessity of these breathings.
And here I
shall show, 1. That they are necessary. 2. To what things they are necessary.
(1.) That they are necessary, will appear, 1st, From the express
declaration of Christ, John 15:5: "Without me, ye can do nothing;" that is,
without the aid and influences of my Spirit. He does not say, Without me, ye
cannot do many things, or great things; but, "Without me, ye can do nothing."
2dly, It is evident from the express acknowledgment of the saints of God
upon this head: 2 Cor. 3:5: "We are not," says the apostle, "sufficient of
ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves: but our sufficiency is of God."
It is he that must "work all our works in us and for us."
3dly, It is plain
from the earnest prayers of the saints for the breathings of this wind: Cant.
4:16: "Awake, O north wind, and come, thou south; and blow upon my garden."
Psal. 85:6: "Wilt thou not revive us again; that thy people may rejoice in
thee?" They are promised in the covenant, and therefore necessary: Isa. 44:3:
"I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I
will pour my Spirit upon thy seed," &c. Ezek. 36:27: "I will put my Spirit
within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes."
Now, there is not a
mercy promised in the covenant that can be lacking. But, (2.) To what are these
breathings necessary? I answer, they are necessary,
1st, To the quickening
of the elect of God, when they are stark dead in trespasses and sins. Can ever
the dry bones live, unless this omnipotent wind blow upon them? It is strange,
to hear some men that profess Christianity, talking of the power of their own
wills to quicken and convert themselves. They may as well say, that a dead man
may take his grave in his two arms, and lay death by him, and walk. "No man,"
says Christ, "can come to me, except the Father, which hath sent me, draw him."
Oh! What a dead weight is the sinner, that a whole Trinity must draw! For both
Father and Son draws the sinner by the breathings of the Holy Ghost.
2dly,
These influences are necessary for the suitable discharge of every duty of
religion. You cannot read, you cannot hear, you can not pray or praise, you
cannot communicate to any advantage, unless the wind of the Holy Ghost blow
upon you. It is the Lord that must enlarge our steps under us, and make your
feet like hinds' feet in the ways of the Lord.
3dly, They are necessary for
accomplishing our spiritual warfare against sin, Satan, and the world. We will
never be able to combat with our spiritual enemies, if he do not help us: it is
he only that must "teach our hands to war, and our fingers to fight, so as bows
of steel may be broken in pieces by us." Without the Spirit, we will fall
before every temptation; like Peter, curse and swear, that we never knew him.
4thly, They are necessary to the exercise of grace already implanted in the
soul. As we cannot work grace in our hearts, so neither can we exercise it
without the renewed influences of the Holy Ghost, Cant. 4:16: When this wind
blows, then, and never till then, do the spices flow out. But I shall not stand
on this: the Spirit's influences are necessary to all the uses mentioned upon
the second head: for conviction, illumination, renovation, consolation,
enlargement, mortification of sin, for assurance of our adoption.
5. The
fifth thing that I proposed upon this head, was, to give you some of the
seasons of these influences of the Spirit: for the wind, you know, has its
seasons and times of blowing and breathing. I shall only name a few of them to
you.
(1.) The Spirit's reviving influences blow, very ordinarily, in a day
of conversion. This, as you were hearing, is a season when this wind breathes
on the soul, Ezek. 36:26: when God "takes away the stony heart, and gives the
heart of flesh." He puts his Spirit within them, when the soul is first
espoused unto Christ. So Jer. 2:2: "I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth,
the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a
land that was not sown."
(2.) When the soul has been deeply humbled under a
sense of sin and unworthiness. When Ephraim is brought low, and is smiting on
his thigh, acknowledging his sin and folly, then the Spirit of the Lord comes
with a reviving gale upon his spirit. "Is Ephraim," says the Lord "my dear son?
is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember
him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy
upon him, saith the Lord."
(3.) After a dark night of desertion, when the
Lord returns again, it is a time of sweet influences. After Zion had been
crying, "The Lord hath forsaken me, my God hath forgotten me;" upon the back of
it comes a sweet gale of the Spirit, "Can a woman forget her child, that she
should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet
will not I forget thee."
(4.) Times of earnest prayer and wrestling; for he
gives his Spirit to them that ask it. This is agreeable to the promise, Ezek.
36:37.
(5.) Times of serious meditation are times of sweet influences of
the Spirit Psal. 63:5, 6, 8: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on
thee in the night watches, my soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and
my soul followeth hard after thee."
(6.) Communion-days are sometimes days
of sweet influences. Some of the Lord's people can attest it from their
experience, with the spouse; that "while the King sat at his table, the
spikenard sent forth the smell thereof;" and when they "sat down under his
shadow, they found his fruit sweet to their taste. He brought me to the
banqueting house, and his banner over me was love."
(7.) The day of death
has sometimes been found to be a day of such pleasant gales of the Spirit that
they have been made to enter into the haven of glory with the triumphant song
in their mouth, saying, "Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through
our Lord Jesus Christ." Thus David, "Although my house be not so with God; yet
he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure;
for this is all my salvation, and all my desire." Thus, Simeon, thus Paul,
&c.
III. The third thing in the text and doctrine to be spoken to, is
the life that is effected and wrought in the souls of God's elect by these
influences and breathings of the Holy Spirit. Your time will not allow me to
enlarge upon this. I shall only tell you, in a few particulars, what sort of a
life it is.
(1.) It is a life of faith. The apostle calls it so, Gal. 2:20,
"The life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who
loved me; and gave himself for me." And the just is said to live by faith. The
man is ever embracing a Redeemer, and the fulness of the Godhead in him; always
deriving fresh supplies out of that full treasury and store-house.
(2.) It
is a life of justification. The law pronounces a curse against every one that
"doth not continue in all things written in the book of the law to do them."
The believer gets this sentence of death cancelled: Rom. 8:1. "There is no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." And not only so, but he has
the everlasting righteousness of Immanuel God-man imputed to him: so that with
a holy boldness he may challenge justice, and challenge the law, what they have
to say against him, as the apostle does, Rom. 8:33: "Who shall lay any thing to
the charge of God's elect?" &c.
(3.) It is a life of reconciliation
with God; God and they are at friendship; which follows naturally on their
justification: Rom. 5:1: "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God."
God does not retain the least grudge in his heart against them; and he and they
walk together, because they are agreed: that is, they have fellowship one with
another, according to that, 1 John 1:3: "Truly our fellowship is with the
Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."
(4.) It is a life of holiness and
sanctification: for the Spirit of the Lord is a cleansing, purifying, and
renewing Spirit: he renews the soul after the image of God; makes the heart,
that was a "cage of unclean birds," a fit temple for the Holy Ghost to dwell
in; he garnishes the soul, and makes it like the King's daughter, all glorious
within. They that had lain among the pots, become "like the wings of a dove
covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold."
(5.) It is a very
lightsome and comfortable life: and no wonder; for his name is The Comforter.
His consolations are so strong, that they furnish the soul with ground of joy
in the blackest and cloudiest day: Hab. 3:17, 18: "Although the fig tree shall
not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive shall
fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the
fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation." And the joy that he gives is deep:
"Your heart shall rejoice." And it is abiding: "Your joy shall no man take from
you." And it is such as cannot be made language of: "We rejoice with joy
unspeakable, and full of glory."
(6.) It is a life of liberty; for "where
the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." He brings us into "the glorious
liberty of the sons of God." Before the Spirit comes with his saving
influences, the man is in bondage; in bondage to sin, to Satan, to the law, and
to the curse and condemnation of God: but the Spirit of the Lord frees from all
these. Christ, by his Spirit, sets the captives of the mighty at liberty, and
"delivers the prey from the terrible."
(7.) It is a hidden life: Col. 3:3:
"Your life is hid with Christ in God." And believers are called "God's hidden
ones," Psal. 83:3: The spring and fountain of this life is hid, namely, an
unseen Christ; for with him is the fountain of life. The subject of this life
is hid, even the hidden man of the heart. The actings of this life are hid, and
the means of its support; he feeds upon "the hidden manna, and the tree of life
which is in the midst of the paradise of God." And then the beauty and glory of
this life is hid; for "the King's daughter is all glorious within." The beauty
of the hypocrite's life lies all in the outside, painted sepulchres.
(8.)
It is a heavenly life; they are made to live above the world: "Our conversation
is in heaven," says the apostle. They look on themselves as pilgrims and
strangers on the earth, and, therefore, look not so much to the things that are
seen, as to the things that are not seen. With Moses, they "have respect unto
the recompense of the reward;" their eyes are set upon the land that is very
far off, and the King in his beauty.
(9.) It is a royal life: for they are
"made kings and priests unto God," Rev. 1:6: They have a royal kingdom, of
which they are heirs: "I appoint unto you a kingdom," says Christ; a royal
crown, "a crown of glory which fadeth not away." They shall have a royal throne
at last, Rev. 3:21. Royal robes, princely attire, "the garments of salvation;"
a royal table provided for them, Isa. 25:6: "a feast of fat things, a feast of
wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well
refined;" royal guard continually attending them, the angels of God, and the
attributes of the divine nature, &c.
(10.) It is an eternal life: John
17:3: "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and
Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." The saving knowledge of a God in Christ,
what is it but the first dawnings of eternal glory in the soul? And where he
once dawns, he is ever in the ascendant until the mid-day of glory come; for
"his goings forth are prepared as the morning."
IV. The fourth thing is the
use of the doctrine. And waiving other uses that might be made of this
doctrine, I shill only improve it by way of examination and of exhortation.
The first use shall be of trial and examination. Oh try, sirs, whether or
not these saving influences of the Spirit did ever breathe upon your souls,
yea, or not. For your trial I shall only suggest these few things:
1. If
these breathings have blown upon thy soul, man, woman, then he has blown away
"the veil and face of the covering" that was naturally upon your mind and
understanding. He has given you other views of spiritual and divine things,
than you can have by any natural or acquired knowledge. The Spirit of the Lord
is called "the Spirit of wisdom and revelation," Eph. 1:17: because he reveals
these things to the soul which flesh and blood is not able to receive or
understand. So then, has the Spirit testified of Christ unto you? Has he "who
commanded the light to shine out of darkness, shined into your heart, to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ?"
And as a fruit and consequence of this,
2. If the wind of the Holy Ghost
has blown upon thy soul, he has blown away some of the filth of hell that did
cleave to thy soul, and has transformed thee into his own image: 2 Cor. 3:18:
"Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, thou art changed into the same
image. from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." If you have the
Spirit, the "same mind will be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:" for "he
that is joined unto the Lord, is one spirit." You will imitate and resemble him
in his imitable perfections, in his holiness, meekness, self-denial, patience.
He is a holy God; and wherever he comes, he works holiness, and makes the soul
holy.
3. If this Wind has blown upon your souls, then it has driven you
from your lying refuges, and made you take sanctuary in Christ. He has driven
you from the law, and made you consent to the method of salvation through the
righteousness of the Son of God: "I through the law," (says the apostle,) "am
dead to the law, that I might live unto God." This is the design of all the
Spirit's influences, to lead sinners off from sin, off from self, off from the
law, that they may rest in Christ only.
4. If ever you felt any of the
reviving gales of this wind of the Spirit, you will long for new gales and
breathings of it: and when these breathings are suspended and withheld, your
souls will be like to faint, as it were, like a man that wants breath. You will
pant for the air of the Spirit's influences, like David, Psal. 63:1: "My soul
longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;" and Psal. 84:2:
"My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and
my flesh crieth out for the living God." Oh for another gale of his Spirit in
public ordinances!
5. If you have felt the breathings of this wind you will
not snuff up the east wind of sin and vanity: John 4:14: "Whosoever drinketh of
the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst." You will not thirst
immoderately after things of time; no, no; you will see them to be but mere
trash and vanity. You will "choose that good part which shall not be taken away
from you." You will "seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on
the right hand of God."
6. If this wind has blown upon thy soul, then you
will follow the motion of this wind: you will not run cross to this wind, but
will go along with it. I mean, you will yield yourselves to the conduct of the
Spirit speaking in his word; for "as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they
are the sons of God."
But, say you, How shall I know if I be led by the
Spirit of God?
I answer, 1st, If you follow the Spirit, then "you will not
fulfil the lusts of the flesh," but, on the contrary, you will study to
"crucify the flesh, with the affections and lusts." You will be ready to cut
off your right hand, and to pluck out the right eye sins at the Lord's command.
2dly, Then the way wherein you walk will be a way of holiness, for he is a
Spirit of sanctification; and a way of truth; for the Spirit of the Lord is a
Spirit of truth, and he leads into all truth: a way of uprightness: Psal.
143:10: "Thy Spirit is good, lead me into the land of uprightness."
3dly,
You know leading imports spontaneousness and willingness.
There is a great
difference between leading and drawing; between being driven by the wind, and
following the motion of the wind. Sometimes, indeed, the wicked, a hypocrite, a
natural man, by a strong north wind of conviction, may be driven on to duty
through the force of terror. But the believer is a volunteer; he freely yields
himself to the Spirit's conduct; he rejoices to work righteousness, and to
remember God in his ways. Whenever he hears the Spirit whispering in his ears,
and saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it," presently, he complies. When the
Spirit of Lord says, "Come," he immediately echoes back again, and says,
"Behold, I come unto thee; for thou art the Lord my God."
Now, try
yourselves by these things. The second use shall be exhortation. Is it so, that
the influences of the Spirit are so necessary in order to our revival? Then be
exhorted to look up to Heaven, and cry for the breathings of the Spirit. O
sirs, will you turn the words of my text into a prayer? And say, "Come from the
four winds, O breath; and breathe upon these slain, that they may live?"
I
might enforce this exhortation by many motives: I only name them.
Motive
1. Consider, that spiritual deadness is very prevalent in the day in which we
live. There is a great multitude of "dry bones" scattered up and down our
"valley of vision." There are many that carry the marks of a deadly leprosy on
their foreheads: their atheism, their profanity, irreligion, and other gross
abominations, plainly declare to the world, that they are "dead in trespasses
and sins." And, alas! May it not be for matter of lamentation, that even many
of those, who, in the judgment of charity, have "the root of the matter," the
principles of spiritual life, are yet under sad decays of the life of grace?
Alas! It is not with Scotland's ministers and professors as once it has been. I
might produce many melancholy evidences of this, if time would allow. Remember
those already mentioned, the general loathing of the word, &c.
Motive.
2. Consider the evil and danger of spiritual deadness. The evil of it will
appear, lst, If you consider that it is a frame of spirit directly contrary to
the command of God. God commands us to "present ourselves a living sacrifice
unto him:" and, indeed, this "is our reasonable service," Rom. 12:1. Yea, it is
contrary to the very nature of God; for God is a Spirit; and they that worship
him, must worship him in spirit and in truth," 1 John 4:24. 2dly, The evil and
danger of it appears farther from this; that it unfits the soul for every duty,
and mars our communion and fellowship with God. God meets the lively Christian
in the way of duty: "Thou meetest him that rejoiceth, and worketh
righteousness; those that remember thee in thy ways." But, for the man that
comes to him with a Laodicean, dead, lifeless, and lukewarm frame of soul, he
will not hold communion with that man; no he "will spew him out of his mouth."
3dly, It opens a door for all other sins, and renders a man an easy prey to
every temptation. A dead man can make no manner of resistance; he is carried
down the stream without opposition. Then, 4thly, It lays a foundation for sad
and terrible challenges from conscience. David's spiritual deadness brought him
to that pass, in the end, that he is made to cry out of broken bones, &c.
Motive. 3. Consider, that as the breathings of the Spirit are necessary for
every duty, so particularly for that solemn work which hou have before your
hands of commemorating the death of the exalted Redeemer. I might here let you
see, how the influences of the Spirit are necessary for every part of your
work, if time would allow. Without the Spirit's influences of light, you can
never examine yourselves to purpose: it is "the Spirit of the Almighty that
giveth understanding" how to search out "the mystery of iniquity" in the heart,
which is "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." And then,
without the Spirit you cannot mourn for sin; for it is the kindly influences of
the Spirit that thaws the heart into evangelical tears, Zech. 12:10. Without
the Spirit you cannot discern the broken body of a Redeemer; for it is the
Spirit that testifies of Christ. "I will pour the Spirit of grace upon the
house of David, and inhabitants of Jerusalem;" and then follows, "They shall
look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him." In a word,
you cannot exercise any grace, you cannot wrestle in prayer, you cannot have
any right view of the contrivance of redemption, you cannot "take hold of God's
covenant," or improve any promise of the covenant, without the Spirit.
Motive. 4. Consider the excellency of these influences of the Spirit.
1st, They blow from an excellent quarter and original: the Holy Ghost is
the author of them; and you know he "proceeds from the Father and the Son." So
that a whole Trinity, as it were, convey themselves with these breathings.
2dly, They are the purchase of a Redeemer's blood, and therefore excellent.
There is not the least grace, or the least gale of the Spirit, that is given to
believers, but it cost Christ the blood of his heart. He purchased grace as
well as glory.
3dly, These influences of the Spirit, as it were, supply
Christ's room while he is in glory. And truly, sirs, I may safely say it upon
scripture-warrant, that the presence of the Spirit with believers upon earth,
is a greater blessing than the mere bodily presence of Christ: and, therefore,
Christ tells his disciples by way of comfort, (John 16:7:) "If I go not away,
the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto
you." As if he had said, "When I am gone, the Spirit will be poured out from on
high, which is far better for you than my bodily presence."
4thly, These
breathings of the Spirit are pledges of glory, the earnest-penny of the
inheritance: Eph. 1:13, 14: "After that ye believed, ye were sealed with that
Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance."
5thly,
Their excellency appears from the excellent effects that they produce upon the
soul. They beautify the soul on whom they fall, and make it like "a field which
the Lord hath blessed." They render the soul "fruitful in every good word and
work:" Hos. 14:5: "I will be as the dew unto Israel:" And what follows? "he
shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon." Isa. 44:3: "I
will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I
will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring;" and
then follows, (ver. 4,) "They shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by
the water courses."
Quest. What advice or counsel do you give, in order to
our obtaining or recovering the enlightening and reviving gales of the Spirit?
Ans. 1. Be aware of your deadness, and mourn over it; for the Lord
"comforts them that mourn in Zion." He will "give unto them beauty for ashes,
the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of
heaviness:" and then follows, "They shall be called trees of righteousness, the
planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified," Isa. 61:2, 3.
2. Be much
upon the mount of divine meditation; for here it is that the Spirit of the Lord
breathes: "While I was musing the fire burned," says David, Psal. 39:3; Psal.
63:5, 6: "When I meditate on thee in the night-watches, my soul shall be
satisfied as with marrow and fatness."
3. Cry mightily to God for these
influences, that he would pour down his Spirit from on high: for "if ye, being
evil," says Christ, "know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much
more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"
Luke 11:13. Plead the promises of the new covenant; and, particularly, be much
in pleading this absolute promise of the Spirit, Isa. 44:3: "I will pour water
upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my Spirit
upon thy seed," &c. Ezek. 36:27: "I will put my Spirit within you, and
cause you to walk in my statutes." But still remember, that these promises are
to be managed by the prayer of faith. We are to turn God's promises into
prayers; for it is added, (ver. 37,) "For these things I will he inquired of by
the house of Israel, to do it for them."
4. Make conscience of waiting on
him in all the duties and ordinances of his appointment, particularly the
preaching of the word. And beware of a legal frame of spirit in your attending
upon these ordinances, as if thereby you could merit anything at God's hand, or
as if God were obliged to you for what you do this way; for "we receive the
Spirit," (says the apostle,) "not by the works of the law, but by the hearing
of faith." Gospel ordinances are the usual chariots in which the Spirit rides,
when he makes his entrance at first, or when he returns into the soul after
absence.
5. Lastly, Study to have union with Christ; for it is upon them
that are in Christ, that "the Spirit of God and of glory" rests: "He that is
joined unto the Lord is one Spirit" with him. "The oil of gladness," that was
poured upon the head of our exalted Aaron, runs down upon the skirts of his
garments, upon every member of his mystical body.
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