For instance, I assert that “till a man _receives the Holy Ghost_, he is without God in the world; that he cannot know the things of God, unless God _reveal_ them unto him by the Spirit: no, nor have even one holy or heavenly temper, without the _inspiration of_ the Holy One.” Now should one who is conscious to himself, that he has ♦experienced none of these things, attempt to confute these propositions, either from scripture or antiquity, it might prove a difficult task. What then shall he do? Why, cry out, “_Enthusiasm! Enthusiasm!_” And the work is done.
♦ “experinced” replaced with “experienced”
But what does he mean by _Enthusiasm_? Perhaps nothing at all: few have any distinct ideas of its meaning. Perhaps, “something very bad,” or, “something I never experienced and do not understand.” Shall I tell you then, what that “terrible something” is? I believe, thinking men mean by _Enthusiasm_, a sort of religious madness; a _false imagination_ of being inspired by God: and by an _Enthusiast_, one that _fancies_ himself under the influence of the Holy Ghost, when in fact he is not.
Let him prove me guilty of this, who can. I will tell you once more the whole of my belief on these heads. And if any man will shew me (by arguments, not hard names) what is wrong, I will thank God and him.
28. Every good gift is from God, and is given to man by the Holy Ghost. By nature there is in us no good thing. And there can be none, but so far as it is wrought in us by that good Spirit. Have we any true knowledge of what is good? This is not the result of our natural understanding. _The natural man discerneth not the things of the Spirit of_ God: so that we never can discern them, until God _reveals them unto us by his Spirit_. _Reveals_, that is unveils, uncovers; gives us to know what we did not know before. Have we love? _It is shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us._ He _inspires_, breathes, infuses into our soul, what of ourselves we could not have. Does our Spirit rejoice in God our Saviour? It is _joy in_ (or by) _the Holy Ghost_. Have we true inward peace? It is _the peace of_ God, wrought in us by the same Spirit. Faith, peace, joy, love, are all his fruits. And as we are figuratively said, to _see_ the light of faith, so by a like figure of speech we are said to _feel_, this peace and joy and love: that is, we have an inward experience of them, which we cannot find any fitter word to express.
*The reasons why in speaking of these things I use those terms, (_inspiration_ particularly) are, 1. Because they are scriptural. 2. Because they are used by our church. 3. Because I know none better. The word “_influence_ of the Holy Ghost,” which I suppose you use, is both a far stronger and a less natural term than inspiration. It is far stronger; even as far as “flowing into the soul” is a stronger expression than “breathing upon it:” and less natural; as _breathing_ bears a near relation to Spirit; to which _flowing in_ has only a distant relation.
“But you thought I had meant _immediate inspiration_.” So I do, or I mean nothing at all. Not indeed such inspiration as is _sine mediis_. But all inspiration, tho’ by means, is _immediate_. Suppose, for instance, you are employed in private prayer, and God pours his love into your heart. God then acts _immediately_ on your soul: and the love of him which you then experience, is as _immediately_ breathed into you by the Holy Ghost, as if you had lived 1700 years ago. Change the term. Say, “God then _assists_ you to love him?” Well, and is not this _immediate assistance_? Say, “His Spirit _concurs_ with yours.” You gain no ground. It is _immediate concurrence_ or none at all. God, a Spirit acts upon your Spirit. Make it out any otherwise if you can.
*I cannot conceive, how that harmless word _immediate_, came to be such a bugbear in the world: “Why, I thought you meant _such inspiration_ as the apostles had; and _such a receiving_ the Holy Ghost as that was at the day of _Pentecost_.” I do, in part: indeed I do not mean, that Christians now receive the Holy Ghost, in order to work miracles: but they do doubtless now receive, yea, _are filled with the Holy Ghost_, in order to be filled with the fruits of that blessed Spirit. And he _inspires_ into all true believers now, a degree of the same peace and joy and love, which the apostles felt in themselves on that day, when they were first _filled with the Holy Ghost_.