Owen, Of Communion With God, File 25
(... continued from File 24)
Chapter 7. The general ways of the saints' acting in communion
with the Holy Ghost.
As in the account given of the acting of the Holy Ghost in
us, we manifested first the general adjuncts of his acting, or
the manner thereof; so now, in the description of the returns
of our souls to him, I shall, in the first place, propose the
general acting of faith in reference to this work of the Holy
Ghost, and then descend unto particulars. Now, there are three
general ways of the soul's deportment in this communion,
expressed all negatively in the Scripture, but all including
positive duties. Now these are, - First, Not to grieve him.
Secondly, Not to quench his motions. Thirdly, Not to resist
him.
There are three things considerable in the Holy Ghost: -
1. His person, as dwelling in us; 2. His acting by grace, or
his motions; 3. His working in the ordinances of the word, and
the sacraments; - all for the same end and purpose.
To these three are the three cautions before suited: - 1.
Not to grieve him, in respect of his person dwelling in us. 2.
Not to quench him, in respect of the acting and motions of his
grace. 3. Not to resist him, in respect of the ordinances of
Christ, and his gifts for their administration. Now, because
the whole general duty of believers, in their communion with
the Holy Ghost, is comprised in these three things, I shall
handle them severally: -
1. The first caution concerns his person immediately, as
dwelling in us. It is given, Eph. 4: 30, "Grieve not the Holy
Spirit of God." There is a complaint, Isa. 63: 10, of them who
vexed or grieved the Spirit of God; and from thence does this
caution seem to be taken. That it is the person of the Holy
Ghost which is here intended, is evident, -
(1.) From the phrase, or manner of expression, with a
double article, "To Pneuma to Hagion", - "That Holy Spirit;"
and also, -
(2.) From the work assigned to him in the following words,
of "sealing to the day of redemption;" which, as has been
manifested, is the work of the Holy Ghost. Now, whereas this
may be understood of the Spirit in others, or in ourselves, it
is evident that the apostle intends it in the latter sense, by
his addition of that signal and eminent privilege which we
ourselves enjoy by him: he seals us to the day of redemption.
Let us see, then, the tendency of this expression, as
comprising the first general rule of our communion with the
Holy Ghost, - "Grieve not the Spirit."
The term of "grieving," or affecting with sorrow, may be
considered either actively, in respect of the persons
grieving; or passively, in respect of the persons grieved. In
the latter sense the expression is metaphorical. The Spirit
cannot be grieved, or affected with sorrow; which infers
alteration, disappointment, weakness, - all incompatible with
his infinite perfections; yet men may actively do that which
is fit and able to grieve any one that stands affected towards
them as does the Holy Ghost. If he be not grieved, it is no
thanks to us, but to his own unchangeable nature. So that
there are two things denoted in this expression: -
First, That the Holy Ghost is affected towards us as one
that is loving, careful, tender, concerned in our good and
well-doing; and therefore upon our miscarriages is said to be
grieved: as a good friend of a kind and loving nature is apt
to be on the miscarriage of him whom he does affect. And this
is that we are principally to regard in this caution, as the
ground and foundation of it, - the love, kindness, and
tenderness of the Holy Ghost unto us. "Grieve him not."
Secondly, That we may do those things that are proper to
grieve him, though he be not passively grieved; our sin being
no less therein than if he were grieved as we are. Now, how
this is done, how the Spirit is grieved, the apostle declareth
in the contexture of that discourse, verses 21-24. He presseth
to a progress in sanctification, and all the fruits of
regeneration, verses 25-29. He dehorts from sundry particular
evils that were contrary thereto, and then gives the general
enforcement of the one and the other, "And grieve not the Holy
Spirit of God;" that is, by coming short of that universal
sanctification which our planting into Christ does require.
The positive duty included in this caution, of not grieving
the Holy Spirit, is this, - that we pursue universal holiness
with regard unto, and upon the account of, the love, kindness,
and tenderness, of the Holy Ghost. This is the foundation of
our communion we have in general. When the soul considers the
love, kindness, and tenderness of the Holy Ghost unto him;
when he considers all the fruits and acts of his love and
good-will towards him; and on that account, and under that
consideration, because he is so concerned in our ways and
walkings, to abstain from evils, and to walk in all duties of
holiness, - this is to have communion with him. This
consideration, that the Holy Ghost, who is our comforter, is
delighted with our obedience, grieved at our evils and
follies, being made a continual motive to, and reason of, our
close walking with God in all holiness, is, I say, the first
general way of our communion with him.
Here let us fix a little. We lose both the power and
pleasure of our obedience for want of this consideration. We
see on what account the Holy Ghost undertakes to be our
comforter, by what ways and means he performs that office
towards us; what an unworthy thing it is to grieve him, who
comes to us on purpose to give us consolation! Let the soul,
in the whole course of its obedience, exercise itself by faith
to thoughts hereof, and lay due weight upon it: "The Holy
Ghost, in his infinite love and kindness towards me, has
condescended to be my comforter; he does it willingly, freely,
powerfully. What have I received from him! in the multitude of
my perplexities how has he refreshed my soul! Can I live one
day without his consolations? And shall I be regardless of him
in that wherein he is concerned? Shall I grieve him by
negligence, sin, and folly? Shall not his love constrain me to
walk before him to all well-pleasing?" So have we in general
fellowship with him.
2. The second is that of 1 Thess. 5: 19, "Quench not the
Spirit." There are various thoughts about the sense of these
words. "The Spirit in others, that is, their spiritual gifts,"
say some; but then it falls in with what follows, verse 20,
"Despise not prophesying." "The light that God has set up in
our hearts," say others; but where is that called absolutely
"To Pneuma", - "The Spirit?" It is the Holy Ghost himself that
is here intended, not immediately, in respect of his person
(in which regard he is said to be grieved, which is a personal
affection); but in respect of his motions, acting, and
operations. The Holy Ghost was typified by the fire that was
always kept alive on the altar. He is also called a "Spirit of
burning." The reasons of that allusion are manifold; not now
to be insisted on. Now, the opposition that is made to fire in
its acting, is by quenching. Hence the opposition made to the
acting of the Holy Ghost are called "quenching of the Spirit,"
as some kind of wet wood will do, when it is cast into the
fire. Thence are we said, in pursuance of the same metaphor,
"anadzoturein", - to "stir up with new fire," the gifts that
are in us. The Holy Ghost is striving with us, acting in us,
moving variously for our growth in grace, and bringing forth
fruit meet for the principle he has endued us withal. "Take
heed," saith the apostle, "lest, by the power of your lusts
and temptations, you attend not to his workings, but hinder
him in his good-will towards you; that is, what in you lies."
This, then, is the second general rule for our communion
with the Holy Ghost. It respects his gracious operations in us
and by us. There are several and various ways whereby the Holy
Ghost is said to act, exert, and put forth his power in us;
partly by moving upon and stirring up the grace we have
received; partly by new supplies of grace from Jesus Christ,
falling in with occasions for their exercise, raising good
motions immediately or occasionally within us; - all tending
to our furtherance in obedience and walking with God. All
these are we carefully to observe and take notice of, -
consider the fountain whence they come, and the end which they
lead us unto. Hence have we communion with the Holy Ghost,
when we can consider him by faith as the immediate author of
all supplies, assistance, and the whole relief we have by
grace; of all good acting, risings, motions in our hearts; of
all strivings and contending against sin. When we consider, I
say, all these his acting and workings in their tendency to
our consolation, and on that account are careful and watchful
to improve them all to the end aimed at, as coming from him
who is so loving, and kind, and tender to us, we have
communion with him.
This is that which is intended, - every gracious acting of
the blessed Spirit in and towards our souls, is constantly by
faith to be considered as coming from him in a peculiar
manner; his mind, his goodwill is to be observed therein.
Hence, care and diligence for the improvement of every motion
of his will arise; thence reverence of his presence with us,
with due spiritual regard to his holiness, does ensue, and our
souls are wonted to intercourse with him.
3. The third caution concerns him and his work, in the
dispensation of that great ordinance of the word. Stephen
tells the Jews, Acts 7: 51, that they "resisted the Holy
Ghost." How did they do it? Why, as their fathers did it: "As
your fathers did, so do ye." How did their fathers resist the
Holy Ghost? Verse 52, "They persecuted the prophets, and slew
them;" their opposition to the prophets in preaching the
gospel, or their showing of the coming of the Just One, was
their resisting of the Holy Ghost. Now, the Holy Ghost is said
to be resisted in the contempt of the preaching of the word;
because the gift of preaching of it is from him. "The
manifestation of the Spirit is given to profit." Hence, when
our Saviour promiseth the Spirit to his disciples, to be
present with them for the conviction of the world, he tells
them he will give them a mouth and wisdom, which their
adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist, Luke 21:
15; concerning which, in the accomplishment of it in Stephen,
it is said that they "were not able to resist the Spirit by
which he spake," Acts 6: 10. The Holy Ghost then setting up a
ministry in the church, separating men thereto, furnishing
them with gifts and abilities for the dispensation of the
word; the not obeying of that word, opposing of it, not
falling down before it, is called resisting of the Holy Ghost.
This, in the examples of the wickedness of others, are we
cautioned against. And this inwraps the third general rule of
our communion with the Holy Ghost: - in the dispensation of
the word of the gospel, the authority, wisdom, and goodness of
the Holy Ghost, in furnishing men with gifts for that end and
purpose, and his presence with them, as to the virtue thereof,
is to be eyed, and subjection given unto it on that account.
On this reason, I say, on this ground, is obedience to be
yielded to the word, in the ministerial dispensation thereof -
because the Holy Ghost, and he alone, does furnish with gifts
to that end and purpose. When this consideration causeth us to
fall low before the word, then have we communion with the Holy
Ghost in that ordinance. But this is commonly spoken unto.
Owen, Of Communion With God
(continued in File 26...)
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