The Office of the Holy Spirit
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
Well may we be astonished at the terms in which the Apostle Paul speaks of the children of the new covenant. Never were such things written of the Old-Testament saints as are now written of the people under the gospel dispensation. What then says the apostle? He maintains that those who are regenerated are the temple of God, and that the Holy Spirit, the renewer of the world, has his dwelling-place within them. On another occasion also he says, “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?” Showing plainly that it is not merely the brethren taken collectively who are so, but that each member of the community is a temple. Let us now inquire what the apostle means when he speaks of the Holy Spirit and of his living temple; and let us contemplate the Comforter as resembling Solomon in building — Bezaleel in adorning — and, lastly, Aaron in officiating as high-priest.
I. The Holy Spirit builds; this is his occupation when we first learn to know him, and certainly we often behold him employed in it. He resembles the man in the well-known parable of our Lord, who dug deeply; and like him also he lays the foundation of his house upon a rock. There is a city existing upon earth, which has nowhere its equal: it consists of holy sanctuaries and temples; it is invisible and yet close at hand; and the world contemns it, although it is the most glorious thing in it. The wings of Eternal Love are spread over it; heaven smiles on it benignantly; its walls and ramparts are of fire, and its foundations are firm as the eternal mountains. It is the city of the King of kings, and it is the office of the Holy Spirit to raise and extend it. He is a builder of temples; and in this point of view he stands in the same relation to Christ that Solomon did to David. The latter by his victories and conquests first rendered the building of the temple possible; he also provided the materials, and sketched the plan which Solomon put into execution.
No one is by nature a temple; on the contrary, by nature we are the dwelling-places of an evil spirit, who has his work in the hearts of the unregenerated, and who blinds them so that they believe a lie. It is now the employment of the Holy Spirit to remodel this living charnel-house, and for this purpose he throws down and raises up; he destroys and creates anew. His instrument is the holy Scriptures; he makes the word penetrating and sharper than a two-edged sword; giving it power to make impression, and animating it
252 THE offi :e of the holy spirit.
with the breath of life. You know from experience how it acts; sometimes it strikes like a thunderbolt, and sometimes it flashes past; two houses stand together, the one is struck, while the other is untouched: — Sunday after Sunday passes by, while the heavy laden clouds of our sermons thunder and lighten over the heads of the people; but what good does it do’* They pass away without effect until the Spirit direct them. Then indeed there is a change; the rain falls on the heart; the fiery flames descend, and the word strikes like an invisible sword, reforming and creating anew.
It is melancholy to see a man going on unchanged, and in all respects the same as when he came into the world; but it is still more melancholy when this man is at peace with himself, and satisfied with his own condition. The curse rests upon his head, and — he is at peace! He walks along entangled in the meshes and snares of hell, and — still he is at peace! He is the enemy of God, who is never contemned with impunity — and yet peace and tranquillity are his! Is not this terrible? It is a sure sign that the Holy Spirit has not yet begun to labour in his heart. It may happen, however, that he feels differently; his feelings may resemble those of a bird confined in a cage, which, at the approach of summer, beats with impatience against the bars of its little prison, because it feels that here is not its element, and that, if possible, it must away. When ye hear the voice of an invisible One whispering at every moment,” Ye must be changed, completely changed! — when the words
Death, Judgment, and Eternity, sound in your ears like thunder or the clang of a trumpet, and when there is an end of silence and tranquillity in your bosoms; then all this argues the approach of a blessed change, and that the Holy Spirit has begun his work in your hearts. When the sounds which you hear become still more distinct and articulate; when it seems as though some one thus addressed you, “Verily thou art a sinner!” — when a Nathan whom ye cannot see, brands you as guilty; then indeed ye must not doubt that the Spirit is there. When ye strive to drown the voice of awakening conscience in the noise and tumult of the world; but when from every corner ye hear a voice crying, “Adam, where art thou? — when ye can no longer take refuge in the thought,” God is merciful!” for from the clouds is responded, “and just, and holy, and like a consuming fire!” — when you say to yourself, “I will try to amend!” but when the words are thundered forth, “What canst thou do to redeem thy soul T — then it is clear that the great Builder has commenced his mysterious work. And when the peace ye once possessed has departed, and the whole world cannot restore it to you; when ye have ceased to enjoy the pleasures of life, because you have no reconciled God to console you; when the fountain of tears begins to flow, and the chamber within re-echoes with sighs and ejaculations of “Mercy, mercy! — Help, Lord Jesus! — O Lord Jesus!” then, indeed, the building of the Spirit is making rapid progress. Let him proceed without interruption, for consider that it is a hovel which is being changed into a temple of God; and well may there be demolition and destruction, casting down and breaking in pieces. It is as though those wheels which were beheld by Ezekiel were passing through the soul, in whom was the spirit of a living creature, and which were full of eyes penetrating the inmost recesses of the heart.
Then the man who had hitherto regarded himself as blameless, confesses, “I am the chief of sinners!” — then those tears flow from the eyes of the lain and worldly Magdalene, which only one hand in earth or heaven can dry; — then the proud Simon, perceiving his own helplessness, breaks forth into the cry, “Lord, save me!” — the publican, beating his heart, says, “God be merciful to me a sinner!” — and the jailor asks, “What must I do to be saved?” Happy art thou if thou resemblest any one of these; it is a sure sign that much has already been done towards preparing thy heart for the dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit; the hateful guests who formerly made it their habitation, are already banished; sin no more rules over thee, for thou art now at variance with it, and the world no longer enchants thee, for it has lost its allurement. Delusion ceases to possess thy soul; the Spirit has swept away a thousand errors and misconceptions, and He who of his own accord, has with almighty power commenced the good work within thee, will most assuredly finish that which he has begun. Above all, he takes care that the alarmed soul should not altogether despair; and he points out to the bruised heart the true fountain of consolation. It is true that he tears away from beneath your feet the delusive ground of your own strength and righteousness, but only to substitute in its place another and a better foundation. He establishes you and your hopes upon a rock; he declares to you Christ and him crucified; explains the mystery of his sufferings and death in the stead of wretched sinners; teaches you to trust in his merits only, and kindle that love towards him in your breast, which many waters cannot quench, neither can the floods drown it. Ye are no longer what ye were; but ye are houses in the city of God, sanctuaries and temples, firmly grounded on a fountain which cannot be shaken, and dedicated to Jehovah and his glory. No one henceforth can assail you, — no one say ought against you, — no one put you in shame; for him that doeth so, saith the apostle, “shall God destroy;” for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
IL When the Holy Spirit has like Solomon finished building the temple, he enters into it to continue his labours, in the manner of Bezaleel. Bezaleel was the artificer full of understanding and wisdom, who was appointed by God to erect the holy tabernacle in the desert, and more particularly to ornament the interior of the tent with rich carving and symbolical images, and to superintend the making of the consecrated furniture. Such an artificer is the Holy Spirit, and he never permits the interior of his living temple to remain empty and unadorned; he works in every manner, and there is nothing more beautiful than the fruit of his labours. Let us now enter the sanctuary of a regenerated soul, and contemplates its glorious contents.
That which first arrests our attention is a rich carved work, the figures of which remind one of those which decorated the holy tabernacle, or the walls of the temple. There are no longer to be seen pictures of the folly and vanity of the world, arrayed in tempting colours, and alluring us to sin; but in their stead there are pictures of the kingdom of light and of everlasting life. But brighter and in fresher colours than all beside, we see on every hand the picture of Him who is the Alpha and Omega, and the great power which governs the world. In what bold characters has it been drawn, and in what colours of flame has it been painted by the invisible Limner! It is a picture which will remain indelible, for it is eternal as the heart in which it is placed. We behold the fairest among the children of men in all stages of his life, and in the most various situations and circumstances. A beautiful child, he rests in the manger, the pious shepherds bending their knees before him: now he appears as king of the elements, walking upon the sea, and stretching out his hand to save his sinking disciple. There he stands like a conqueror at the grave of Lazarus, the dead becoming alive at his command, and issuing forth from the prison-house of death. Again we behold him comforting Magdalene, entering the house of Zaccheus, curing the sick of the palsy, and feeding the thousand in the wilderness. All these scenes, and many others, shine forth in living pictures from the canvass, and are of wonderful efficacy in sanctifying and purifying the heart: the splendour of a supernatural light illuminates them, and the frames in which they are set are of fire. But if there is one among those pictures of Christ which arrests our attention more than the rest, it is the sufferings of the man of sorrows in his crown of thorns; and next to this his triumph and gladness on the third day as the conqueror of hell and of death. But where should I end were I to describe the second series of pictures in the spiritual temple? They are indeed innumerable, and all the chambers are filled with them. They are representations of the city above, enrapturing pictures of our future glory, apocalyptic sketches of the new and perfect kingdom, and portraits drawn by an inspired hand, of holy men long departed to their eternal homes. And those pictures and images, which in the temple of the soul stand in the place of those cherub forms that ornamented the house at Jerusalem, do not lie dead and inactive, preserved in the caskets of memory. No, they are alive in the heart: the Spirit of life painted them there, and they manifest their activity unceasingly, in enlivening, consoling, and exciting us to piety. If we look still more closely into our spiritual sanctuary and its various chambers, we perceive beside the pictures many important sentences and inscriptions, They are divine promises, selected from the Book of Life, each one more beautiful than another, all sealed and confirmed by the Holy Spirit, and inscribed in the heart in letters of fire. Here one may read, — “I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee!” Jer. xxxi. 3. “For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.” Isa, liv. 10. “Fear not; for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.” Isa. xliii. 1. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them put of my hand.” John x. 27, 28.” When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they
shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” Isa. xliii. 2. But we are not yet at an end; for there are still many beautiful things to be viewed in our temple. The Bezaleel from on high has erected an altar within it, upon approaching which, no matter at what time, we invariably perceive the fragrance of a sacrifice; perhaps it may only consist of a faint ejaculation of thanks, or an unconscious sigh of complaint and longing, nevertheless the cloud of incense can always be discerned hovering above it, sometimes even ascending in thick columns, and filling the whole tabernacle. Near the altar of prayer we behold the eternal lamp burning, and the eternal Artificer has not forgotten to adorn it also; deeply engraved upon it, in living characters, we read the words — “In Jesus is salvation, and in no other.” This light may be darkened, but it can never be extinguished. Think you that it was actually extinguished in the breast of Simon Peter, when he refused to acknowledge Jesus 1 I reply, No; it was not extinguished even for a moment. However far astray a regenerated person may wander, it is still impossible that this little flame can be altogether quenched; his soul may look desolate; the altar of prayer in his spiritual temple may lie in ruins, and grass may grow upon its steps; the holy pictures may be obliterated, or be, from their faded colours, no longer recognisable; and the poor heart, once so gloriously adorned, may resemble a forsaken dwelling, where the birds of night find a habitation, and which the rain and the storm penetrate; all this may take place, and yet the lamp of the testimony — “Thou art the Christ!” may still flicker among the ruins in the now desolate hall. The divine flame of this conviction still remains, and will most assuredly, sooner or later, lead back the lost sheep, by the aid of its light, into the arms of its Shepherd*.
Have we now finished the examination of the temple 1 Not yet, my brethren; there are still more of the works of the heavenly Bezaleel. Besides the seven golden candlesticks of the wisdom from on high, we behold in the sanctuary of the regenerated soul, the whole contents of the old covenant. Here is the eternal law, no longer engraved upon tables of stone as formerly, but written by the finger of the Spirit on the fleshly tables of the heart. It has now become the instinct of the heart, and its secret inclination; it no longer constrains, for pleasure and duty now coincide. There is to be found the rod of Aaron always green, always producing flowers and fruit; the priesthood of Christ as comprehended by faith; his eternal mediatorship, affording unceasingly to the conscience its fruits of peace, and from day to day quickening the heart with renewed enjoyment. The little pot with the imperishable manna is not even wanting — the joy of knowing that we are the children of God, and partakers of his grace — divine treasures, in comparison of which whole worlds of temporal glory are as nothing. And what shall I say of the immortal garlands with which the Spirit encircles the pillars and festoons the walls of the temple of the soul 1 No virtue is here wanting; whatever is just and true — whatever is beautiful and glorious — whatever is lovely and of good report, all are twined together. Humility scatters its violet-odour; the passion-flower of patience turns round in faith, following the course of the Sun of Righteousness; and from the lily-cup of a renewed and heavenly spirit there issues forth the sweet fragrance of those acts of benevolence which are never wanting in the lives of the just. Thus we behold garlands of ever-blooming flowers plucked from the garden of God, watered with heavenly dew, and bound together by the ties of perfection and love.
111. When the Comforter has finished his work in the character of Bezaleel, think you that he will take leave of the temple, and depart from it? No, my brethren; our Saviour has promised that the Comforter will remain with you; and Paul also says, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” He now makes it his permanent abode; not a place merely to enter and depart from. A soul which the Son of God has purchased and washed with his own most precious blood, will not be accounted by the Holy Spirit as too mean a domicile. But it is only priests who inhabit a temple; and the Holy Spirit may, in this respect, be regarded as an Aaron performing his priestly functions in the souls of the regenerated.
The priests, as you are aware, had to make use of blood in many things; and in this also the Spirit resembles them. He it is who makes the blood of atonement, which we are by nature unable to perceive, so unutterably costly and precious in our eyes: he teaches us its importance, and enables us by means of faith to comprehend its power; he enables us to appropriate it to ourselves, and he sprinkles it on the floors of our hearts, making us hear its voice, which cries louder than that of Abel. And by whom do we enjoy such peace in this blood, that no contemplation of the -holiness of God, no thought of the multitude of our sins, is able to lessen it? It is by the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the High-Priest, and the sprinkler of blood. The offices of this invisible Aaron are of various kinds; and who could name or recount them all! Sometimes he stands with the incense kindled in his hand, his eyes raised to heaven, and in the attitude of prayer; for all the devotion whose incense ascends from our souls, is kindled by his breath of life. He gives it substance, and he gives it wings; he warms and enables it to rise. At other times he rings the bell of the sanctuary; then suddenly, as though some miraculous trumpet had been blown, the congregation of our thoughts assemble clad in their Sunday apparel. He preaches to them, unfolds one mystery after another to their comprehension, explains texts, parables and histories, and pours out light and joy upon all. We behold him again performing his office at the altar: he sacrifices, and it is a thank-offering which he presents: “Give thanks unto the Lord,” he cries with a loud voice, “for he is good!” Then it is a sacrifice of praise: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits!” When we bring a burnt-offering also, that is, when we give up our dearest wishes or most valued possessions for the Lord’s sake, — when, to please him, we part with some joy, lay aside some prerogative or some advantage, or account all as shame that we may win Christ when we do so, — it is not we who bring these sacrifices to the altar; but it is He, the invisible Aaron, who does so, and who then bums them in the sight of God. Sometimes he opens the horn of consecrated oil in the soul, when its fragrance fills the whole temple, impregnating even the air without, and manifesting its presence, on every occasion, by words of power, by friendly consolation, or by joyful notes of praise. But we have not yet enumerated all his priestly functions. He spreads forth his hands in blessing; he blesses when our spirits bear testimony that we are the children of God; when our hearts rejoice because we are of a chosen and a royal race; when he declares us to be people in whom there is no longer spot or stain; or when, in short, he enables our hearts to enjoy what the Son purchased for us with his blood. He consecrates, also; and, oh! how beautiful, how lovely, is the temple of the soul when he performs this work! No longer is there any thing impure to be discerned; our wishes and desires mount upon seraph’s wings, far above the high places of this earth; with countenances veiled like those of the angels of God, the thoughts stand solemnly assembled around the throne of the Lamb, and the glory of God fills the house of the soul. As it belonged to the office of the old-testament priest to stand as representative of the people; so we behold the Priest from on high acting in a similar manner in the temple of the regenerated heart. He not only represents us when he gives form and substance to those sighs which we ejaculate when we know not how or what we would pray for, and when he makes them conformable to the dignity and beauty of the house of God; but in various other ways he is Paraclete and
Advocate, Intercessor and Representative. When our conscience is accusing us, and a voice cries out to it, “Why dost thou accuse? God is greater than thou!” who is it that steps forward on our side? Who is it but the Comforter? When some error or iniquity rises in judgment against us, and One who is not of our heart, although he dwell within it, says to the Judge, “Condemn the sin, but not the sinner, for he is holy!” who is it that thus pleads our cause? It is the great advocate within. When we are in perplexity, and know not what we shall say, or how we shall defend ourselves, and when, all of a sudden, we are no longer at a loss for words, but, to our own astonishment, express ourdtelves at the right moment, and in the most eloquent and appropriate manner, is it not clearly discernible that an invisible being assists us, and furnishes us with words to speak? Thus we see how the Spirit is accustomed to perform his office of Priest in the temple of the soul; his occupations are innumerable, and he labours without ceasing.
Meanwhile it may happen to us with the Aaron in our souls, as it did to the Jewish congregation with their priest Zacharias; he may disappear, when one least expects it, from the front of the soul’s temple; he may vanish in the back-ground of the sanctuary, and the congregation of the thoughts may stand anxious and trembling before the curtain, afraid lest he have died, or, at least, that he may no more return. Oh! then, be still, ye despairing thoughts; if ye would only listen attentively, ye would hear, though at. a distance, the music of the bell at the hem of his garment! In some way or other, perhaps in a sigh from the depths of the heart, or in a longing desire for the Lord, its sound will be borne to your ears, and be to you a joyful and satisfactory token that the priest still remains in the temple; and before ye are awake, he steps once more out of his concealment, the censer of incense or the harp in his hand, and convinces you anew of the truth of our Saviour’s promise which he gave to his disciples, that the Comforter should abide with them always.
Thus the Spirit performs his various offices; he builds in the desert places, — renovates that which is decayed and withered, — fills our hearts with his decorations, and joins with them elen in the great and eternal song, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing! Amen.”