24. Chapter 8. Particular directions for communion with the Holy Spirit.
Chapter 8. Particular directions for communion with the Holy Spirit.
Before I name particular directions for our communion with the Holy Spirit, I must give some cautions concerning his worship.
First. The divine nature is the reason and cause for all worship. It is impossible to worship any one person in the godhead, and not worship the whole Trinity. The schoolmen denied, on good grounds, that the object of divine worship is found separately in the persons of the godhead. That is, they denied that their relationship means each is a distinct object of our worship. This relationship belongs to the indivisible divine nature and essence of God. Therefore, praying to the Trinity, by repeating the same petition to each of the several persons (as in the Litany), is groundless, if not impious. It supposes that we can worship one person and not another, when in fact each person is worshipped as God, and each person is God. It is as though we could desire something of the Father, have it heard and granted by him, and then we turn to the Son to ask the same thing, and once more we ask it of the Holy Spirit. We would be doing this as three distinct acts of worship, expecting to be separately heard by each, and separately granted by each. That is misguided. All the works of the Trinity are indivisible. The proper and specific object of divine worship and invocation is the essence of God, in its infinite excellence, dignity, and majesty, and as the first sovereign cause of all things. Now, this is common to all three persons, and it is proper to each of them. It is not given to God formally as a person, but as God blessed forever. All adoration regards what is common to all, so that, in each act of adoration and worship, all are adored and worshipped. The creatures worship their Creator, and a man, the one in whose image they were created, the one “from whom descends every good and perfect gift” James 1:17, all describing God as God.
Secondly. When we begin our prayers to God the Father, and end them in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son is no less invoked and worshipped in the beginning than the Father. He is specifically mentioned in the close of the prayer, not as the Son himself, but as Mediator to the whole Trinity, or to God in Trinity. In the invocation of God the Father, we invoke every person of the godhead. And because we invoke the Father as God, every person is invoked.
Thirdly. This whole business is declared in the heavenly directory we have in Ephesians 2:18. Our access in our worship is said to be “to the Father,” and this is
“through Christ,” or his mediation, “by the Spirit,” or with his assistance. Here is the distinction of the three persons as to their operations, but not at all as to their being the object of our worship. For the Son and the Holy Spirit are no less worshipped in our access to God than the Father himself. What we draw close to God for is the grace of the Father, which we obtain by the mediation of the Son, and the assistance of the Spirit. So when we are led by the distinct dispensation of the Trinity, and every person in that Trinity, to worship any person (that is, to exercise our faith on him, or invoke him), we worship the whole Trinity; and we invoke every person by whatever name we use, whether Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. So this is what is to be observed in this matter: when any work of the Holy Spirit or any other person, which is appropriate to him, draws us to worship him, he is not worshipped exclusively; the whole Godhead is worshipped. We never exclude the concurrence of the other persons.
Fourthly. This being said, we are to distinctly worship the Holy Spirit. As in the case of faith in the Father and the Son, “Believe in God, believe also in me,”
John 14:1, this extends no less to the Holy Spirit. Christ called the disciples to have faith in him as he was accomplishing the great work of his mediation. The Holy Spirit, now carrying on the work delegated to him, requires the same. And their distinct operations are to the same purpose: “My Father works until this time, and I work,” John 5:17. The formal reason for worshipping the Son is not his mediation, but his being God, yet his mediation is a powerful motive. So too, the formal reason for worshipping the Holy Spirit is not his being our comforter, but his being God; yet his being our comforter is a powerful motive. This is the sum of the first direction: the grace, activity, love, and effects of the Holy Spirit as our comforter, ought to motivate and provoke us to love, worship, believe in, and invoke him. All of this, being directed to him as God, is no less directed to the other persons. And we are moved to these things only by the fruits of his love towards us.
Presuming all of these things, let the saints learn to act out their faith distinctly on the Holy Spirit, as the immediate and efficient cause of all the good things mentioned. This means faith to believe in him; and faith to believe him in all things, and to yield obedience to him. I am speaking of faith, not imagination. The distinction of the persons in the Trinity is not to be fancied, but believed. The Scripture fully, frequently, clearly, and distinctly ascribes the things we have been speaking of to the immediate efficiency of the Holy Spirit. And so faith embraces him in the truth revealed there. It uniquely regards him, worships him, serves him, waits for him, prays to him, and praises him. The saints do all these things in faith. The person of the Holy Spirit, revealing itself in these operations and effects, is the unique object of our worship. Therefore, when he ought to be uniquely honored, and he is not, then he is uniquely sinned against. In Acts 5:3, Ananias is said to lie to the Holy Spirit, not to God. In its essence this would denote the whole Trinity, but it specifically refers to the Holy Spirit. Ananias was to have honored Him specifically in that special gift of his which he promised; in not giving it, he sinned uniquely against the Holy Spirit. But this must be a little further divided into its particulars: Let us emphasize every effect of the Holy Spirit as an act of his love and power towards us. Faith that notices his kindness in all things will do this. Frequently he performs the office of a comforter towards us. If we are not thoroughly comforted, we take no notice at all of what he does. Then is he grieved. Of those who actually receive and accept the consolation he tenders and administers, there are few who recognize him as the comforter, and rejoice in him as they ought to! For each work of consolation that the believer receives, his faith ought to resolve that, “This is from the Holy Spirit. He is the Comforter, the God of all consolation. I know there is no joy, peace, hope, or comfort except what he works, gives, and bestows. And so that he might give me this consolation, he has willingly condescended to this office of a comforter. His love was in it. And because of his love, he continues it. He is sent by the Father and Son for that end and purpose. By this means I partake of my joy, which is in the Holy Spirit. He is the Comforter. What price, now, will I set upon his love? How will I value the mercy that I have received?” This applies to every effect of the Holy Spirit towards us, and in this we have communion and fellowship with him. Does he shed abroad the love of God in our hearts? Does he witness to our adoption? The soul considers his presence, ponders his love, condescension, goodness, and kindness, and it is filled with reverence for him. It takes care not to grieve him, and it labors to preserve his temple, his habitation, as pure and holy.
Again: our communion with him causes us to return praise, thanks, honor, glory, and blessing to him. This is because of the mercies and privileges we receive from him, which are many. We do the same with the Son of God because of our redemption: “To him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever,” Revelation 1:5-6. Are not the same praises and blessings due to the one who makes the work of redemption effective in us? The Spirit undertook our consolation with no less infinite love than the Son had when he undertook our redemption. When we feel our hearts warmed with joy, supported in peace, established in our obedience, then let us ascribe to the Spirit the praise that is due him, bless his name, and rejoice in him. This begins our next direction.
Glorifying the Holy Spirit in thanksgiving, in response to a spiritual sense of his consolations, is no small part of our communion with him. Consider his free engagement in this work, his coming from the Father for this purpose, his mission by the Son, his condescension in accepting it, and his love and kindness to us. The soul of a believer is poured out in thankful praises to him for these things, and it is sweetly affected with the duty to glorify him. There is no duty that leaves a more heavenly savor in the soul than this does.
Also, our communion with him lies in our prayers to him to carry on the work of our consolation that he has undertaken. John prays for grace and peace from the seven Spirits that are before the throne (Revelation 1:4, the Holy Spirit) whose operations are perfect and complete. This prayerful part of his worship is expressly and frequently mentioned in Scripture, and all other parts of worship necessarily attend it. The saints will be prepared for this duty if they consider which effects of the Holy Spirit they need, weigh all the privileges they enjoy, remember that he distributes them as he will, and that he sovereignly disposes of them.
How and in what sense this worship is to be performed has already been discussed. I have also shown the formal reason for this worship, and its intimate object. No small part of the life, efficacy, and vigor of faith is put into this duty.
If we do not learn to worship him in every way that he is pleased to communicate himself to us, then we will come short of what we have been called to: confidence of spirit in dealing with God, and walking in the breadth of his ways. In these things, God deals with us, and walks with us, in the person of the Holy Spirit. And we meet him in that person, in his love, grace, and authority, by our prayers and supplications.
Again: consider the Spirit condescending to undertake this delegation or dispensation of the Father and Son to be our comforter. Ask the Spirit daily for the blessings of the Father in the name of Jesus Christ. This is the daily work of believers. They look at the Holy Spirit as the one who was promised to be sent, and by faith they consider him so. They know that in this promise is found all their grace, peace, mercy, joy, and hope. For these things are communicated to them by this promised Spirit, and by him alone. Therefore, if the joy of our living to God is considered, we will abound in asking the Spirit of the Father, just as children ask for daily bread from their parents. In asking for and receiving the Holy Spirit, and for which he is sent, we have communion with the Father in his love. In his grace, by which the Spirit is obtained for us, we have communion with the Son. And because of his voluntary condescension to this dispensation, we have communion with the Spirit. Every request for the Holy Spirit implies our embracing these things. O the riches of the grace of God!
Humbling ourselves for our sin in reference to him is another part of our communion with the Spirit. We mourn that we have grieved him in his person, quenched him in the impulses of his grace, or resisted him in his ordinances. Let our souls be humbled before him on this account. This is a main ingredient of godly sorrow. Thinking of it is as suited to affect our hearts with humiliation and indignation against sin as any other means.
I will close this whole discourse with some considerations of the sad estate and condition of men who are not interested in this promise of the Spirit, and do not have his consolation:
1. They have no true consolation or comfort without him. If they have affliction or trouble, they must bear their own burden. But they are much too weak for it, especially if God lays on his hand with more weight than ordinary. Men may have stout spirits, and great resolve to wrestle with their troubles, but because this proceeds from their natural spirit,
(1.) For the most part it is only an external solution. It is done with respect to others, so that they may not appear to be low-spirited or dejected. Their hearts are devoured with troubles and anxieties. Their thoughts are perplexed. They still strive, but never conquer. Every new trouble, every little alteration in their trials, puts them in greater distress. The resolve that bears them up has no foundation, and so they are easily shaken.
(2.) What is the best we can say of their resolve and endurance? It is contending with God, the one who has entangled them. It is a flea struggling under a mountain. Though on outward considerations and principles, they endeavor to have patience and tolerance, it is only contending with God, striving to be quiet under what God has sent on purpose to disturb them. God does not afflict men without the Spirit to exercise their patience, but to disturb their peace and security. Arming themselves with patience and resolve only maintains the hold that God wants to release them from, or else it makes them nearer to ruin. This is the best consolation they have in the time of their trouble.
(3.) They may promise themselves to have God’s care, and gain relief from that. This is what they often do for one reason or another, especially when they are driven from other holds. But their relief is like a hungry man who dreams that he eats and drinks, and is refreshed; but when he awakes, he is empty and disappointed. It is the same with the relief they promise to receive from God, and the support they think to have from him. When they are awakened at the last day, and see all things clearly, they will find that God was their enemy, laughing at their calamity, and mocking them when they were afraid. This is what it is like when they are in trouble. Is it any better in prosperity? Their prosperity in life is often great, and marvelously described in Scripture.
They often have a quiet, peaceable end. But did they have any true consolation all their days? They eat, drink, sleep, and make merry, and perhaps heap up wealth. But these things make them little different from the beasts that perish!
Solomon’s material wealth is well known. He had the most of these things, far beyond what anyone in our generation experiences. The account he gives of them is also known: “They are all vanity and grasping air,” Ecclesiastes 1:14. Their consolation is a crackling of thorns under the pot, a sudden flash and blaze that begins to perish. So both adversity and prosperity slays men without the Spirit.
Whether they are crying or laughing, they are still dying.
2. They have no peace. They have no peace with God, or peace in their own souls. I know that many of them, on false grounds and expectations, make a shift to quiet their soul. It is not my business here to show the falseness and unsoundness of it, but this is their state. Because true and solid peace is an effect of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers, those without him have no such peace. They may cry, “Peace, peace,” when sudden destruction is at hand, but the basis of their peace is darkness, ignorance, treachery of conscience, self-righteousness, and vain hope. What will these avail them on the day the Lord deals with them?
3. I might say the same thing concerning their joy and hope. They are false and perishing. Those who think they have an interest in the good things of the gospel, and yet have despised the Spirit of Christ, should consider that. I know there are many who pretend to have him, but are strangers to his grace. Some will perish who, despite their false profession, treat the Spirit kindly, and honor him, even though he does not dwell in them with power. What will happen to those who oppose and affront him? The Scripture tells us that unless the Spirit of Christ is in us, we are dead, James 2:26; we are reprobates, 2 Corinthians 13:5; we do not belong to Christ, Romans 8:9. Without him, you have none of those glorious effects of the Spirit mentioned before. And you, who do not care whether he is in you or not, are ready to deride these effects in those who do have him. Are there any who profess the gospel, who have never once seriously inquired whether they have the Holy Spirit? There are those who consider it ridiculous to be asked such a question, who look at anyone who talks of the Spirit as false believers. May the Lord awake such men to see their condition before it is too late! If the Spirit does not dwell in you, if he is not your Comforter, then neither is God your Father, nor the Son your Advocate, nor do you have any portion in the gospel. O that God would awake men to consider this, before their neglect and contempt of the Holy Spirit reaches a point of despising him from which there is no recovery! O that the Lord would spread before them all the folly of their hearts, so that they may be ashamed and confounded, and stop their presumption!
End