Christian Theology - Media Sabda Org

man cannot be operated on in this way, because it is contrary to the laws
of his creation and nature; nor can the Holy Ghost work on that as a
machine which himself has made a free agent. Man, therefore, may, and
generally does, resist the Holy Ghost; and the whole revelation of God
bears unequivocal testimony to this most dreadful possibility and most
awful truth. It is trifling with the sacred text to say that resisting the Holy
Ghost here means "resisting the laws of Moses, the exhortations,
threatenings, and promises of the prophets," &c. These, it is true, the
uncircumcised ear may resist; but the uncircumcised heart is that alone to
which the Spirit that gave the laws, exhortations, promises, &c., speaks;
and, as matter resists matter, so spirit resists spirit. These were not only
uncircumcised in ear, but uncircumcised also in heart; and, therefore, they
resisted the Holy Ghost, not only in his declarations and institutions, but
also in his actual energetic operations upon their minds.
"Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God," by giving way to any wrong
temper, unholy word, or unrighteous action. Even those who have already
a measure of the light and life of God, both of which are not only brought
in by the Holy Spirit, but maintained by his constant indwelling, may give
way to sin, and so grieve this Holy Spirit that it shall withdraw both its
light and presence; and, in proportion as it withdraws, then hardness and
darkness take place, and, what is still worse, a state of insensibility is the
consequence; for the darkness prevents the fallen state from being seen,
and hardness prevents it from being felt.
LOVE.—Love is a sovereign preference given to one above all others,
present or absent; a concentration of all the thoughts and desires in a
single object, which is preferred to all others. Now, apply this definition
to the love which God requires of his creatures, and you will have the
most correct view of the subject. Hence, it appears that by this love the
soul cleaves to, affectionately admires, and consequently rests in, God,
supremely pleased and satisfied with him as its portion; that it acts from
him, as its Author; for him, as its Master; and to him, as its end; and that
by it all the powers and faculties of the mind are concentrated in the Lord
of the universe; that by it the whole man is willingly surrendered to the