December 22

"Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."—Ephesians 4:30.

LET me not grieve my Friend of friends. I cause Him sorrow if I yield consciously to sin; or if I fail to glorify Christ, whom He honours; or if I walk much in darkness and doubt—mine should be the testimony of a saint of my own time, "I have not always had sunshine, but I have every day had sunlight in my soul."

Let me not grieve the blessed Spirit—He does a great work for me. He "seals" me, St. Paul says.

There is the seal which accredits. It is hard for the world to recognise in me an ambassador of the King—hard for myself sometimes. But He so cleanses me and comforts me that my origin and mission have their attestation.

There is the seal which secures. He dwells with me, to tell me that God counts me a thing of price, whose costliness no arithmetic can compute. It is as though a casket should be stamped with the royal signet, to declare that it holds what must not be lost.

There is the seal which dignifies. On the denarius the image of the Emperor is impressed. That, too, is why He abides with me in His divine power and His divine patience. It is that He may leave with me the King's likeness, the King's endowments, the King's perfection.

And there is the seal which predicts. Unto the day of redemption He assures and keeps and purifies me. His presence renders the consummate day certain—the day when I am haunted and pursued no more; the day when I stand faultless before the throne.

These are prevailing reasons why I must not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.