He Shall Give You Another Comforter
The Holy Spirit is the present Immanuel, dwelling with His people and guiding them, and we must seek His aid and dependence to avoid neglecting His presence.
C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes the vital role of the Holy Spirit as the Comforter who dwells among believers, guiding and empowering them in their spiritual journey. He reflects on the historical revelation of God to figures like Abraham and the transition to the Holy Spirit's presence after Christ's ascension. Spurgeon urges believers to recognize their dependence on the Holy Spirit for both inner life and outward service, warning against acting independently of His guidance. He calls for humility and a sincere desire to seek the Holy Spirit's help, reminding that while He is jealous, He is also merciful and always ready to return to those who seek Him. The sermon concludes with a plea for divine grace to soften hardened hearts and fill them with love.
Text
Great Father revealed Himself to believers of old before the coming of His Son, and was known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as the God Almighty. Then Jesus came, and the ever-blessed Son in His own proper person, was the delight of His people's eyes. At the time of the Redeemer's ascension, the Holy Spirit became the head of the present dispensation, and His power was gloriously manifested in and after Pentecost. He remains at this hour the present Immanuel--God with us, dwelling in and with His people, quickening, guiding, and ruling in their midst. Is His presence recognized as it ought to be? We cannot control His working; He is most sovereign in all His operations, but are we sufficiently anxious to obtain His help, or sufficiently watchful lest we provoke Him to withdraw His aid?
Without Him we can do nothing, but by His almighty energy the most extraordinary results can be produced: everything depends upon his manifesting or concealing His power. Do we always look up to Him both for our inner life and our outward service with the respectful dependence which is fitting? Do we not too often run before His call and act independently of His aid? Let us humble ourselves this evening for past neglects, and now entreat the heavenly dew to rest upon us, the sacred oil to anoint us, the celestial flame to burn within us. The Holy Ghost is no temporary gift, He abides with the saints. We have but to seek Him aright, and He will be found of us. He is jealous, but He is pitiful; if He leaves in anger, He returns in mercy.
Condescending and tender, He does not weary of us, but awaits to be gracious still.
Sin has been hammering my heart Unto a hardness, void of love, Let supplying grace to cross his art Drop from above.
Sermon Outline
- The Holy Spirit's Role in the Dispensation
- The Importance of Recognizing the Holy Spirit's Presence
- The Nature of the Holy Spirit's Presence
- Seeking the Holy Spirit's Presence
- The importance of humility and dependence
- The promise of the Holy Spirit's presence
Key Quotes
“The Holy Ghost is no temporary gift, He abides with the saints.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“He is jealous, but He is pitiful; if He leaves in anger, He returns in mercy.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“Sin has been hammering my heart Unto a hardness, void of love, Let supplying grace to cross his art Drop from above.” — C.H. Spurgeon
Application Points
- We must humble ourselves and seek the Holy Spirit's presence to avoid neglecting His aid.
- The Holy Spirit is jealous, but He is also pitiful and returns in mercy when we seek Him aright.
- We must look up to the Holy Spirit for our inner life and outward service with respectful dependence.