[September 15th, 1861.]
I. Principles on which the language of Scripture is to be interpreted.
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We must not attribute to God the imperfections or limitations which belong to our own natures. When God is said to love, to be angry, or to be grieved, we are not to suppose that God is subject to any agitation, much less to any painful emotion.
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We must not leave the language vague or meaningless. To speak of an unconscious power or principle or law being angry or grieved, would be either a positive personification or meaningless. Such language when used of God is intended to give us definite knowledge, and such knowledge is trustworthy. All that it necessarily implies is to be received as certainly true.
II. The subject above announced implies,—1st, that the Holy Ghost is a person; that he is intelligent, self-conscious, and as such, not only an agent but the object of agency. That he is capable of being loved, obeyed, or disobeyed; that his approbation and favor may be won or lost.
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It implies that the Spirit stands in an intimate relation to us, so as to be the object of our action; not only cognizant of our conduct, but so to speak affected by it in so far as his agency or operation toward us is measurably determined by our character and conduct.
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This language implies or assumes what is elsewhere explicitly taught in the Scriptures, viz.: that the Spirit of God is the source of all life and activity in the universe. And more especially of all spiritual life. He is not only omnipresent and everywhere active in the world of mind and of matter, but he dwells in every believer individually and in the Church collectively, as the source of life and of all good. Consequently we are ever in his presence, and he is ever present with us. He knows our thoughts. He feels our emotions. He takes cognizance of every word, act and look.
III. Such being the nature of the Holy Spirit and the relation in which he stands to us, it follows that any thing inconsistent with his nature or which tends to oppose his works in us or others must grieve him— That is, it is, on the one hand, so far as we are concerned, an offence of the same nature as grieving a parent, a benefactor, would be; and on the other, it determines him to act towards us as an offended and wounded love leads a wise and holy parent to act towards a child. He withdraws his influences. He leaves us to ourselves. This dereliction, if final and entire, would be eternal perdition. As the Holy Ghost in his relation to us is set forth as the Spirit of truth, of holiness, of love, of consolation, and of glory, it follows,
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That what is contrary to truth grieves the Spirit of truth. Not only what is opposed to veracity in word or act, but especially what is opposed to the truth as revealed by God. a. Want of faith, or submission to the truth in our own minds, all unbelief or scepticism. b. All endeavors to pervert the truth in the minds of individuals. c. All heresy and false doctrine in the Church.
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Everything impure or unholy; cherishing impure or unholy feelings in our hearts; exciting them in the hearts of others. This is represented as a sacrilege or desecration of the temple of God.
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All irreverence, ingratitude or disobedience toward God, and all malignant or unamiable feeling or conduct toward our fellow-men, all disposition or conduct which tends to disturb the peace of the family, of the community, of the Church, or of the world, is opposed to the Spirit of love, who is thereby also the Spirit of peace.
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So all that tends to produce misery or distress is opposed to him who is the Comforter.
IV. We should not grieve the Spirit,
- Because he is a divine person. 2. Because we are so greatly his debtors. 3. Because he loves us and all his purposes and activities regarding us tend to our good. 4. Because we are absolutely dependent upon him for truth, holiness, and salvation. If he depart from us we perish forever.
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