Use. First, Why ? To quicken us to look after this gift. Let us see why and how.
1. Consider our necessity. Better never had the spirit of a man, if we have not the Spirit of God. Man is only in fieri, in the way to his perfection. A brute hath all things now that belong to the perfection of his nature. Man, that was made for a higher end, must have a higher guide : Job xxxii. 8, ' But there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.' A brute, when lie hath served out his time, hath done his work, and when he dieth, liis misery and happiness dieth with him; but man's happiness or misery tiien beginneth.
2. If the Holy Spirit of the Lord be not in you, the evil spirit is. God and Satan divide the world. The heart of man is not a waste ; it is either possessed by God or the devil. Natural men, the devil worketh in them, Eph. ii. 2. The heart of a wicked man is Satan's forge and workhouse: 1 Sam. xvi. 14, 'The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.' As soon as God is gone, the devil taketh possession.
3. You may know where your mansion, )'0ur everlasting residence will be, by the spirit that dwelleth in you. Every spirit fitteth for liis own place. There are vessels of wratii fitted to destruction, and vessels of mercy prepared unto glory, Rom. ix. 21. Heaven is not only prepared for us, but we for heaven ; and who prepareth us? 2 Cor. V. 5, ' Now he that hatii wrought us for this self-same thing is God, who hath given us the earnest of the S[)irit.' The house and home of good spirits is heaven, of bad is hell. Each of them labour to conduct us to the several places whence they come.
296 SERMONS UPON ACTS 11. 37, 38. [SeR. VIT.
4. Thou ait unable for any duty, and incapable of any comfort : 1 Cor. xii. 3, ' No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost ; ' that is, acknowledge Jesus Christ to be the true Saviour of the world. Thou canst not so much as pray, which is the most natural duty : Kom. viii. 26, ' For we know not what we should pray for as we ought.' Instinct teacheth all creatures to look for relief of their necessities. And thou art incapable of any comfort. All the good thoughts in us, all the good desires, the good hope we have, is by the Spirit ; all that we have and shall receive, all the spiritual joys and satisfactions. The Spirit indeed did not die, suffer, satisfy, reconcile you to God, purchase grace and glory for you. You are beholden to Christ for this ; yet all the sweet comforts depending thereupon, and the application of them to our souls, is from the Spirit. Your joy is from the Holy Ghost. You can neither live nor pray, nor work, noJ Avalk, nor hope without the Spirit.
Secondly, How?
1. Pray for it. If you feel the want of the Spirit, and do in good earnest seek for him, you shall find him. A cold suitor shutteth the door upon himself: 'Ask, seek, knock,' Mat. vii. 7; Luke xi. 8, 8ia TTjv dvaiSeiav, ' Because of his importunity he will rise and give him.' A father may deny a wanton child bread to play with or throw under his feet, but not a starving child, that cries. Bread, bread, to preserve his life. He may and will deny the Spirit to them that ask him in a careless fashion, or to pride himself in his gifts ; but not the hungry soul, that is pinched with a want of his grace, that crieth to him. Father, give me thy Holy Spirit. Nay, the vehemency is some evidence that thou hast him already : Isa. xliv. 3, ' I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground : I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.'
2. The hopes to obtain him. It is donum, a gift : ' Ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.' It is donum promissum, a promised gift : ' I will pour my Spirit upon all flesh,' Acts ii. 17. It is donum neces- sariiim, a necessary bequest. When you pray for the Spirit, you pray as children when they ask bread. Bread is not so necessary for this life, as the Spirit for the life of grace ; it is the spring and fountain of holiness. We may crave health, and wealth, and outward prosperity, and receive that answer, ' Ye know not what ye ask,' But when you go beg the Holy Spirit, you ask that which is good and necessary for you. It is such a gift as is the foundation of all the rest, and without which we can have no pledge and assurance of God's love. Compare Mat. vii. 11, with Luke xi. 13. That which is called 'good things' in one place, is called the ' Holy Spirit ' in the other. Of whom do you seek ? Of God, who is your Father. Tam pater nemo, tampius nemo. No one is so much a father and so good a father. In whose name do you seek it ? In Christ's, whose merit hath purchased this gift for you : Titus iii. 5, 6, ' The renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he hath shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour ; ' Eph. iii. 12, ' In whom we have boldness, and access with confidence by the faith of him.' By him we have a kind of right. He opened the door by his merit, and keeps it open by his intercession.