02.B04. The Renewing Of The Holy Ghost

CHAPTER IV. THE RENEWING OF THE HOLY GHOST.

WITHOUT further statements at the present time of the influence and results of the views under consideration upon others, I will continue the account of my own inner life. The apostle speaks of two distinct stages of Christian experience and moral and spiritual renovation. "According to His mercy hath He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Ghost." Prior to regeneration the Spirit convinces the soul of "sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." So, prior to the period when "Christ manifests Himself" to the believer, and "He and the Father come to him, and make their abode with him," there is commonly a process of heart-searching, in which all our "secret faults," as well as "presumptuous sins," if we have been guilty of the latter, all our evil propensities, tendencies, and habits, with "the depths of Satan" within us, are fully disclosed to the mind. So it was with myself. A few days after I had received the light of life, as above stated, my thoughts were suddenly turned inward, and my whole inner life and character were made manifest to my mind. My enslavement to my temper and appetites, my pride of character, egotism, self-will, secret ambition, restlessness under disappointments and afflictive providences, and the pain endured in "bearing the cross after Jesus," these, and things like these, were so presented, that I became a loathing to myself; and, but for the prior revelation of the infinitude of Christ’s love and grace, together with His absolute power to "save unto the uttermost them that come unto God by Him," the midnight of blank despair would have settled over my mind. As it was, I read in a moment the purpose of the Spirit in the process which was going on. "Christ was manifested to take away my sins," and the preliminary steps to that end were being wisely and lovingly taken.

I accordingly, with all earnestness, repeated the prayer of the Psalmist, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts." "Let the light now shine through all the chambers of imagery within me." Then "sprinkle clean water upon me, and make me clean from all my filthiness, and from all my idols do Thou cleanse me;" and after that, "lead me in the way that is everlasting." It was according to my faith. After the process of searching and self-revelation was completed, the waters of life seemed to flow through every department of my nature, rolling down as the river of life into the Dead Sea of the propensities, and everywhere with the same healing and vitalising efficacy. How often did I exclaim at that time, "There is healing now, and immortal health following the healing"! Truly, Christ is "the way, and the truth, and the life," and "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus does make free from the law of sin and death."

Let no one, who would know the full power and blessedness of the hidden life, fear or avoid, but rather desire and seek, the searching process under consideration; nor take alarm when the Spirit, instead of showing you at once "the glory of the Lord," and introducing you into the rest of faith, rather shows you your sins, your inward defilements, and sinful tendencies and habits. Seek, on the other hand, to know yourself as God knows you, and this as a means of your being "purified and made white." If we did not know our sins, we should not value the grace and love by which we are saved from our sins. When we have once put our case into the hands of the Great Physician, let us never for a moment distrust His wisdom, power, or fidelity, or become restive, though the healing process may, for the moment, seem severe. Only believe, and we shall "See the glory of the Lord."