The Spurgeon Series 1855 & 1856. Charles H. Spurgeon

extraction; you are not a child of God nor an heir of the kingdom of heaven.

      16. We are told in the text, that Jesus would send the Comforter, who would abide in the saints for ever; who would dwell with them and be in them. Old Ignatius, the martyr, used to call himself Theophorus, or the God-bearer, “because,” he said, “I bear about with me the Holy Spirit.” And truly every Christian is a God-bearer. Do you not know that you are temples of the Holy Spirit? for he dwells in you. That man is no Christian who is not the subject of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; he may speak well, he may understand theology and be a sound Calvinist; he will be the child of nature finely dressed, but not the living child. He may be a man of so profound an intellect, so gigantic a soul, so comprehensive a mind, and so lofty an imagination, that he may dive into all the secrets of nature; may know the path which the eagle’s eye has not seen, and go into depths where the knowledge of mortals does not reach; but he shall not be a Christian with all his knowledge, he shall not be a son of God with all his researches; unless he understands what it is to have the Holy Spirit dwelling in him, and abiding in him, yes, and that for ever.

      17. Some people call this fanaticism, and they say, “You are a Quaker; why not follow George Fox?” Well we would not mind that much; we would follow any one who followed the Holy Spirit. Even he, with all his eccentricities, I do not doubt, was, in many cases, actually inspired by the Holy Spirit; and whenever I find a man in whom there rests the Spirit of God, the Spirit within me leaps to hear the Spirit within him, and he feels that we are one. The Spirit of God in one Christian soul recognises the Spirit in another. I remember talking with a good man, as I believe he was, who was insisting that it was impossible for us to know whether we had the Holy Spirit within us or not. I wish he was here this morning, because I would read this verse to him: “But you know him, for he dwells with you, and shall be in you.” Ah! you think you cannot tell whether you have the Holy Spirit or not. Can I tell whether I am alive or not? If I were touched by electricity, could I tell whether I was or not? I suppose I would; the shock would be strong enough to make me know where I stood. So, if I have God within me — if I have Deity tabernacling in my breast — if I have God the Holy Spirit resting in my heart, and making a temple of my body, do you think I shall know it? Call it fanaticism if you will; but I trust that there are some of us who know what it is to be always, or generally, under the influence of the Holy Spirit — always in one sense, generally in another. When we have difficulties, we ask the direction of the Holy Spirit. When we do not understand a portion of Holy Scripture, we ask God the Holy Spirit to shine upon us. When we are depressed, the Holy Spirit comforts us. You cannot tell what the wondrous power of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is: how it pulls back the hand of the saint when he would touch the forbidden thing; how it prompts him to make a covenant with his eyes; how it binds his feet, lest they should fall in a slippery way; how it restrains his heart, and keeps him from temptation. Oh you who know nothing of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, do not despise it. Oh do not despise the Holy Spirit, for it is the unpardonable sin. “He who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him, but he who speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall never be forgiven him, either in this life, or that which is to come.” So says the Word of God. Therefore, tremble, lest in anything you despise the influences of the Holy Spirit.

      18. But before closing this point, there is one little word which pleases me very much, that is, “for ever.” You knew I could not miss that; you were certain I could not let it go without observation. “Abide with you for ever.” I wish I could get an Arminian here to finish my sermon. I fancy I see him taking that word, “for ever.” He would say, “for — for ever”; he would have to stammer and stutter; for he never could get it out all at once. He might stand and pull it about, and at last he would have to say, “the translation is wrong.” And then I suppose the poor man would have to prove that the original was wrong too. Ah! but blessed be God, we can read it — “he shall abide with you for ever.” Once give me the Holy Spirit, and I shall never lose him until “for ever” has run out; until eternity has spun its everlasting rounds.

      19. IV. Now we have to close with a brief remark on the reason why the world rejects the Holy Spirit. It is said, “Whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see him, neither knows him.” You know what is sometimes meant by “the world,” — those whom God, in his wondrous sovereignty, passed over when he chose his people: the preterite ones; those passed over in God’s wondrous preterition — not the reprobates who were condemned to damnation by some awful decree; but those passed over by God, when he chose out his elect. These cannot receive the Spirit. Again, it means all in a carnal state are not able to procure for themselves this divine influence; and thus it is true, “Whom the world cannot receive.”

      20. The unregenerate world of sinners despises the Holy Spirit, “because it does not see him.” Yes, I believe this is the great secret why many laugh at the idea of the existence of the Holy Spirit — because they do not see him. You tell the worldling, “I have the Holy Spirit within me.” He says, “I cannot see it.” He wants it to be something tangible: a thing he can recognise with his senses. Have you ever heard the argument used by a good old Christian against an infidel doctor? The doctor said there was no soul, and he asked, “Did you ever see a soul?” “No,” said the Christian. “Did you ever hear a soul?” “No.” “Did you ever smell a soul?” “No.” “Did you ever taste a soul?” “No.” “Did you ever feel a soul?” “Yes,” said the man — “I feel I have one within me.” “Well,” said the doctor, “there are four senses against one: you have only one on our side.” “Very well,” said the Christian, “Did you ever see a pain?” “No.” “Did you ever hear a pain?” “No.” “Did you ever smell a pain?” “No.” “Did you ever taste a pain?” “No.” “Did you ever feel a pain?” “Yes,” “And that is quite enough, I suppose, to prove there is a pain?” “Yes.” So the worldling says there is no Holy Spirit, because he cannot see it. Well, but we feel it. You say that is fanaticism, and that we never felt it. Suppose you tell me that honey is bitter, I reply, “No, I am sure you cannot have tasted it; taste it, and try.” So with the Holy Spirit, if you only felt his influence, you would no longer say there is no Holy Spirit, because you cannot see it. Are there not many things, even in nature, which we cannot see? Did you ever see the wind? No; but you know there is wind, when you behold the hurricane tossing the waves about and rending down the habitations of men; or when in the soft evening zephyr it kisses the flowers, and makes dewdrops hang in pearly coronets around the rose. Did you ever see electricity? No; but you know there is such a thing, for it travels along the wires for thousands of miles, and carries our messages; though you cannot see the thing itself, you know there is such a thing. So you must believe there is a Holy Spirit working in us, both to will and to do, even though it is beyond our senses.

      21. But the last reason why worldly men laugh at the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, is because they do not know it. If they knew it by heartfelt experience, and if they recognised its agency in the soul; if they had ever been touched by it; if they had been made to tremble under a sense of sin; if they had had their hearts melted; they would never have doubted the existence of the Holy Spirit.

      22. And now, beloved, it says, “He dwells with you, and shall be in you.” We will close up with that sweet recollection — the Holy Spirit dwells in all believers, and shall be with them.

      23. One word of comment and advice to the saints of God, and to sinners, and I am finished. Saints of the Lord! you have this morning heard that God the Holy Spirit is a person; you have had it proven to your souls. What follows from this? Why, it follows how earnest you should be in prayer to the Holy Spirit, as well as for the Holy Spirit. Let me say that this is an inference that you should lift up your prayers to the Holy Spirit, that you should cry earnestly to him; for he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all you can ask or think. See this mass of people; what is to convert it? See this crowd; who is to make my influence permeate through the mass? You know this place has now a mighty influence, and God blessing us, it will have an influence, not only upon this city, but upon England at large; for we now enjoy the press as well as the pulpit, and certainly, I would say before the close of the year, more than two hundred thousand of my productions will be scattered through the land — words uttered