Part 3, Chapter 8: Particular Directions for Communion with the Holy Spirit

Before I name particular directions for our communion with the Holy Spirit, I must premise some cautions as far as the directions to be given concern his worship.

First, the divine nature is the reason and cause of all worship, so that it is impossible to worship any one person and not worship the whole Trinity. It is denied by the schoolmen — and not without ground — that the formal reason and object of divine worship is in the persons precisely considered; that is, under the formally constitutive reason of their personality, which is their relation to each other. But this belongs to the divine nature and essence, and to their distinct persons as they are identified with the essence itself. Hence that way of praying to the Trinity by the repetition of the same petition to the several persons is groundless, if not impious. It supposes that one person is worshipped and not another — when each person is worshipped as God, and each person is so. As though we should first desire one thing of the Father and be heard and granted by him, then ask the same thing of the Son, and so of the Holy Spirit — and so act as to the same thing three distinct acts of worship, and expect to be heard and have the same thing granted three times distinctly, when all the works of the Trinity outward are indivisible.

The proper and peculiar object of divine worship and invocation is the essence of God in its infinite excellency, dignity, majesty, and its causality as the first sovereign cause of all things. Now this is common to all three persons and proper to each of them — not formally as a person, but as God blessed forever. All adoration respects that which is common to all, so that in each act of adoration and worship all are adored and worshipped. The creatures worship their Creator, and a man him in whose image he was created — from whom descends every good and perfect gift — all this describing God as God.

Second, when we begin our prayers to God the Father and end them in the name of Jesus Christ, yet the Son is no less invoked and worshipped in the beginning than the Father — though he is peculiarly mentioned as Mediator in the close, not as Son to himself but as Mediator to the whole Trinity or God in Trinity. But in the invocation of God the Father we invoke every person, because we invoke the Father as God, every person being so.

Third, in that heavenly directory which we have in Ephesians 2:18, this whole business is declared. Our access in worship is said to be to the Father — and this through Christ or his mediation, by the Spirit or his assistance. Here is a distinction of the persons as to their operations, but not at all as to their being the object of our worship. For the Son and the Holy Spirit are no less worshipped in our access to God than the Father himself. Only the grace of the Father, which we obtain by the mediation of the Son and the assistance of the Spirit, is what we draw near to God for. So when by the distinct dispensation of the Trinity and every person we are led to worship — that is, to act faith on or invocate any person — we worship the whole Trinity and every person, by whatever name of Father, Son, or Holy Spirit we invoke him. This is to be observed in the whole matter: when any work of the Holy Spirit appropriated to him draws us to his worship, he is not worshipped exclusively but the whole Godhead is worshipped.

Fourth, these cautions being premised, I say that we are distinctly to worship the Holy Spirit. As it is in the case of faith in respect of the Father and the Son, John 14:1: believe in God, believe also in me — this extends itself no less to the Holy Spirit. Christ called the disciples to act faith on him upon the accomplishment of the great work of his mediation; and the Holy Spirit now carrying on the work of his delegation requires the same. The formal reason of the worship of the Son is not his mediation but his being God — his mediation being a powerful motive thereto. So the formal reason of our worshipping the Holy Spirit is not his being our Comforter, but his being God — yet his being our Comforter is a powerful motive thereto.

This is the sum of the first direction. The grace, actings, love, and effects of the Holy Spirit as he is our Comforter ought to stir us up and provoke us to love, worship, believe in, and invoke him — though all this being directed to him as God is no less directed on that account to the other persons than to him; only by the fruits of his love toward us are we stirred up to it.

These things being presupposed, let the saints learn to act faith distinctly on the Holy Spirit as the immediate efficient cause of all the good things mentioned. Faith to believe in him, and faith in all things to believe him and to yield obedience to him. Faith, not imagination. The distinction of the persons in the Trinity is not to be imagined but believed. The scripture so fully, frequently, clearly, and distinctly ascribing the things we have been speaking of to the immediate efficiency of the Holy Spirit, faith closes with him in the truth revealed and peculiarly regards him, worships him, serves him, waits for him, prays to him, praises him. All these things the saints do in faith. The person of the Holy Spirit revealing itself in these operations and effects is the peculiar object of our worship. Therefore when he ought to be peculiarly honored and is not, he is peculiarly sinned against. In Acts 5:2, Ananias is said to lie to the Holy Spirit — not to God, which being taken essentially would denote the whole Trinity — but peculiarly to the Holy Spirit. Him he was to have honored peculiarly in that especial gift of his which he made profession of; not doing so, he sinned peculiarly against him. But this must be branched a little further into particulars.

Let us then lay weight on every effect of the Holy Spirit in any of the particulars before mentioned, on this account: that they are acts of his love and power toward us. This faith will do — faith that takes notice of his kindness in all things. Frequently he performs in sundry particulars the office of a Comforter toward us, and we are not thoroughly comforted; we take no notice at all of what he does. Then is he grieved. Of those who do receive and own the consolation he tenders and administers, how few are there that consider him as the Comforter and rejoice in him as they ought. Upon every work of consolation that the believer receives, his faith ought to resolve thus: this is from the Holy Spirit. He is the Comforter, the God of all consolation. I know there is no joy, peace, hope, nor comfort but what he works, gives, and bestows; and that he might give me this consolation, he willingly condescended to this office of a Comforter — his love was in it, and on that account does he continue it. He is also sent by the Father and Son for that end and purpose. By this means do I come to be partaker of my joy — it is in the Holy Spirit; of consolation — he is the Comforter. What price now shall I set upon his love? How shall I value the mercy that I have received?

This is applicable to every particular effect of the Holy Spirit toward us, and herein have we communion and fellowship with him. Does he shed abroad the love of God in our hearts? Does he witness to our adoption? The soul considers his presence, ponders his love, his condescension, goodness, and kindness; is filled with reverence of him and care not to grieve him; and labors to preserve his temple, his habitation, pure and holy.

Again, our communion with him causes in us returning praise and thanks and honor and glory and blessing to him, on the account of the mercies and privileges we receive from him, which are many. So do we with the Son of God on the account of our redemption. To him that loved us and washed us with his own blood — to him be praise and glory, Revelation 1:5-6. Are not the like praises and blessings due to him by whom the work of redemption is made effectual to us — who with no less infinite love undertook our consolation than the Son our redemption? When we feel our hearts warmed with joy, supported in peace, established in our obedience — let us ascribe to him the praise that is due to him; bless his name and rejoice in him.

And this glorifying of the Holy Spirit in thanksgivings, on a spiritual sense of his consolations, is no small part of our communion with him. Considering his free engagement in this work, his coming forth from the Father to this purpose, his mission by the Son and condescension therein, his love and kindness — the soul of a believer is poured out in thankful praises to him and is sweetly affected with the duty. There is no duty that leaves a more heavenly savor in the soul than this does.

Also in our prayers to him for the carrying on of the work of our consolation which he has undertaken lies our communion with him. John prays for grace and peace from the seven spirits before the throne — that is, the Holy Spirit, whose operations are perfect and complete. This part of his worship is expressly mentioned frequently in scripture, and all others do necessarily attend it. Let the saints consider what need they stand in of these effects of the Holy Spirit before mentioned, with many others that might be insisted on. Weigh all the privileges of which we are made partakers. Remember that he distributes them as he will, that he has the sovereign disposal of them — and they will be prepared for this duty.

How and in what sense it is to be performed has been already declared; what is the formal reason of this worship and ultimate object of it I have also manifested. In the duty itself is put forth no small part of the life, efficacy, and vigor of faith. We come short of that enlargedness of spirit in dealing with God, and are straitened from walking in the breadth of his ways to which we are called, if we learn not to meet him with his worship in every way he is pleased to communicate himself to us. In these things he does so in the person of the Holy Spirit; in that person do we meet him, his love, grace, and authority, by our prayers and supplications.

Again, consider him as he condescends to this delegation of the Father and the Son to be our Comforter, and ask him daily of the Father in the name of Jesus Christ. This is the daily work of believers. They look upon and by faith consider the Holy Spirit as promised to be sent. In this promise they know lies all their grace, peace, mercy, joy, and hope — for by him so promised and him alone are these things communicated to them. If therefore our life to God or the joy of that life is considerable, in this we are to abound: to ask him of the Father as children ask their parents for daily bread. And as in this asking and receiving of the Holy Spirit we have communion with the Father in his love from which the Spirit is sent, and with the Son in his grace by which the Spirit is obtained for us, so we have communion with the Spirit himself on the account of his voluntary condescension to this dispensation. Every request for the Holy Spirit implies our closing with all these. Oh the riches of the grace of God!

Humbling ourselves for our miscarriages in reference to him is another part of our communion with him. That we have grieved him as to his person, quenched him as to the motion of his grace, or resisted him in his ordinances is to be mourned for, as has been declared. Let our souls be humbled before him on this account. This is one considerable ingredient of godly sorrow, and the thoughts of it are as suitable to affecting our hearts with humiliation and indignation against sin as any other whatever. I might proceed in the like considerations, as also make application of them to the particular effects of the Holy Spirit enumerated; but my design is only to point out the heads of things and to leave them to the improvement of others.

I shall shut up this whole discourse with some considerations of the sad estate and condition of men not interested in this promise of the Spirit, nor made partakers of his consolation.

Those not interested in this promise of the Spirit have no true consolation or comfort, be their estate and condition what it will. Are they under affliction or in trouble? They must bear their own burden; and how much too weak they are for it, if God is pleased to lay on his hand with more weight than ordinary, is easily known. Men may have stoutness of spirit and put on great resolutions to wrestle with their troubles.

But when this is merely from the natural spirit of a man — for the most part it is but an outside. It is done with respect to others, that they may not appear low-spirited or dejected. Their hearts are eaten up and devoured with troubles and anxiety of mind. Their thoughts are perplexed and they are still striving but never come to a conquest. Every new trouble, every little alteration in their trials, puts them to new vexation. It is an ungrounded resolution that bears them up and they are easily shaken.

What is the best of their resolves and endurance? It is but a contending with God who has entangled them — the struggling of a flea under a mountain. Even though on outward considerations and principles they endeavor after patience and tolerance, all is but a contending with God — a striving to be quiet under that which God has sent on purpose to disturb them. God does not afflict men without the Spirit to exercise their patience, but to disturb their peace and security. All their arming themselves with patience and resolution is but to keep the hold that God will cast them out of — or else to bring them the nearer to ruin. This is the best of their consolation in the time of their trouble.

If they do promise themselves any care of God toward them and relieve themselves thereby — as they often do on one account or another, especially when driven from other holds — all their relief is but like the dreaming of a hungry man who supposes that he eats and drinks and is refreshed, but when he awakes he is empty and disappointed. So are they as to all the relief they promise to receive from God and the support they seem to have from him. When they are awaked at the latter day and see all things clearly, they will find that God was their enemy, laughing at their calamity and mocking when their fear was upon them.

So is it with them in trouble. Is it any better in their prosperity? This indeed is often great and is marvelously described in scripture as to their lives and oftentimes quiet, peaceable ends. But have they any true consolation all their days? They eat, drink, sleep, and make merry, and perhaps heap up to themselves — but how little do these things make them to differ from the beasts that perish? Solomon's advantage to have the use and know the utmost of these things, much beyond any of the sons of men of our generation, is commonly noted. The account that he gives of them is known: they are all vanity and vexation of spirit. This is their consolation — a crackling of thorns under the pot, a sudden flash and blaze that begins but to perish. So both adversity and prosperity slays them, and whether they are laughing or crying, they are still dying.

Second, they have no peace — no peace with God, nor in their own souls. I know that many of them, upon false bottoms, grounds, and expectations, do manage to keep things in some quietness. But this is their state: true and solid peace being an effect of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers, as has been declared, those who are not made partakers of him have no such peace. They may cry peace, peace indeed, when sudden destruction is at hand. The principles of their peace — as may be easily evidenced — are darkness or ignorance, treachery of conscience, self-righteousness, and vain hope. To these heads may all the principles of their peace be reduced. And what will these avail them in the day when the Lord shall deal with them?

The same may be said concerning their joy and hope: they are false and perishing. Let those consider this who have satisfied themselves with a persuasion of their interest in the good things of the gospel and yet have despised the Spirit of Christ. I know there are many who may pretend to him and yet are strangers from his grace. But if they perish who in profession use him kindly and honor him, if he does not dwell in them with power — where shall they appear who oppose and affront him? The scripture tells us that unless the Spirit of Christ be in us, we are dead, we are reprobates, we are none of Christ's. Without him you can have none of these glorious effects of his toward believers before mentioned; and you are so far from inquiring whether he is in you or not as to be ready to deride those in whom he is. Are there none who profess the gospel who have never once seriously inquired whether they are made partakers of the Holy Spirit or not? You who almost account it a ridiculous thing to be put upon any such question — who look on all men as vain pretenders that talk of the Spirit — the Lord awake such men to a sight of their condition before it is too late. If the Spirit does not dwell in you, if he is not your Comforter, neither is God your Father, nor the Son your Advocate, nor have you any portion in the gospel. O that God would awake some poor soul to the consideration of this thing before the neglect and contempt of the Holy Spirit comes to that despising of him from which there is no recovery. That the Lord would spread before them all the folly of their hearts, that they may be ashamed and confounded and do no more presumptuously.

Before giving specific directions for our communion with the Holy Spirit, I must first state some cautions, insofar as the directions touch on His worship.

First, the divine nature is the ground and cause of all worship, so it is impossible to worship any one person of the Trinity without worshipping the whole Trinity. The scholastic theologians have maintained — and with good reason — that the formal ground and object of divine worship is not the persons as precisely considered in what distinguishes them from each other, that is, in their relations to one another. Rather, it belongs to the divine nature and essence, and to the distinct persons as they are identified with that essence itself. Therefore the practice of praying to the Trinity by repeating the same petition separately to each person is groundless, if not outright wrong. It implies that one person is being worshipped while the others are not — when in fact each person is worshipped as God, and each person is God. It would be as if we were to ask the Father for something and expect Him to grant it, then ask the same thing of the Son and expect Him to grant it, and then ask it of the Holy Spirit too — performing three distinct acts of worship for the same request and expecting to receive the same thing granted three separate times, when in fact all the outward works of the Trinity are undivided.

The proper and distinctive object of divine worship and prayer is the essence of God in its infinite excellence, dignity, majesty, and its role as the first and sovereign cause of all things. This belongs equally to all three persons and distinctively to each — not formally as a person, but as God, blessed forever. All adoration is directed toward what is common to all, so that in each act of adoration and worship, all three are adored and worshipped. Creatures worship their Creator; a person worships Him in whose image he was made and from whom every good and perfect gift descends — all of this describing God as God.

Second, when we begin our prayers to God the Father and close them in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son is no less invoked and worshipped at the beginning than the Father is. Christ is specifically mentioned as Mediator at the close — not as the Son directing a prayer to Himself, but as Mediator in relation to the whole Trinity or God in Trinity. When we invoke God the Father, we invoke every person, because we invoke the Father as God, and every person is God.

Third, the heavenly pattern given in Ephesians 2:18 sets this out clearly. Our access in worship is said to be to the Father — through Christ or His mediation, by the Spirit or His assistance. Here there is a distinction among the persons as to their operations, but none at all as to their being the object of our worship. The Son and the Holy Spirit are no less worshipped in our coming to God than the Father Himself. It is simply that the Father's grace — which we receive through the Son's mediation and the Spirit's assistance — is what we draw near to God for. So when the distinct ministry of the Trinity and each person draws us to worship — that is, to exercise faith toward or call upon any person — we worship the whole Trinity and every person, by whatever name we use: Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. This must be kept in mind throughout: when any work of the Holy Spirit ascribed to Him particularly draws us to worship Him, He is not worshipped in isolation — the whole Godhead is worshipped.

Fourth, with these cautions stated: we are to worship the Holy Spirit distinctly. Just as faith is directed to both the Father and the Son in John 14:1 — 'Believe in God; believe also in Me' — this same faith extends equally to the Holy Spirit. Christ called the disciples to direct their faith toward Him upon the completion of His mediatorial work; and the Holy Spirit, now carrying on the work He was commissioned to do, calls for the same. The ground of worshipping the Son is not His mediation but His being God — though His mediation is a powerful incentive to do so. Likewise, the ground of worshipping the Holy Spirit is not His being our Comforter but His being God — though His being our Comforter is a powerful incentive to do so.

This is the essence of the first direction. The grace, actings, love, and effects of the Holy Spirit as our Comforter ought to stir us up and move us to love, worship, believe in, and call upon Him. Yet since all of this is directed to Him as God, it is no less directed to the other persons than to Him. It is simply through the fruits of His love toward us that we are moved to offer it.

With these things in place, let believers learn to exercise faith distinctly toward the Holy Spirit as the immediate and effective cause of all the good things described. Faith to believe in Him, and faith in all things to believe Him and yield obedience to Him. Faith — not imagination. The distinction of the persons in the Trinity is not to be pictured in the mind but believed. Scripture so fully, frequently, clearly, and distinctly attributes the things we have been speaking of to the immediate work of the Holy Spirit that faith embraces Him in the revealed truth and regards Him in a particular way — worshipping Him, serving Him, waiting for Him, praying to Him, praising Him. All these things believers do by faith. The person of the Holy Spirit, revealing Himself in these operations and effects, is the distinctive object of our worship. Therefore, when He ought to be particularly honored and is not, He is particularly sinned against. In Acts 5:3, Ananias is said to have lied to the Holy Spirit — not to God in the general sense (which would refer to the whole Trinity), but specifically to the Holy Spirit. He was to have honored the Spirit in a particular way through the particular gift He had publicly professed; failing to do so, he sinned specifically against Him. But this needs to be worked out further in its particulars.

Let us therefore place real weight on every effect of the Holy Spirit in any of the particulars described, on this basis: that they are acts of His love and power toward us. Faith will do this — faith that takes notice of His kindness in everything. Frequently He carries out the work of Comforter toward us in specific ways, and yet we are not fully comforted; we take no notice at all of what He does. That is when He is grieved. Of those who do receive and welcome the consolation He offers and administers, how few actually think of Him as the Comforter and rejoice in Him as they should. With every act of consolation a believer receives, his faith ought to draw this conclusion: this is from the Holy Spirit. He is the Comforter, the God of all consolation. I know there is no joy, peace, hope, or comfort except what He works, gives, and bestows — and to give me this consolation, He willingly condescended to take up this office of Comforter. His love was in it, and on that account He continues it. He is also sent by the Father and the Son for this very purpose. Through this I become a partaker of joy — it is in the Holy Spirit; of consolation — He is the Comforter. What value, then, shall I place on His love? How shall I treasure the mercy I have received?

This applies to every particular effect of the Holy Spirit toward us, and in this we hold communion and fellowship with Him. Does He pour the love of God into our hearts? Does He bear witness to our adoption? The soul considers His presence, reflects on His love, His condescension, goodness, and kindness; it is filled with reverence toward Him and with care not to grieve Him; and it works to keep His temple — His dwelling place — pure and holy.

Our communion with the Holy Spirit also produces in us a returning of praise, thanks, honor, glory, and blessing to Him for the many mercies and privileges we receive from Him. We do the same with the Son of God for our redemption. 'To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood' — to Him be praise and glory (Revelation 1:5-6). Are not the same praises and blessings due to Him by whom the work of redemption is made effective for us — who undertook our consolation with no less infinite love than the Son undertook our redemption? When we feel our hearts warmed with joy, upheld in peace, strengthened in our obedience — let us give Him the praise that is due; bless His name and rejoice in Him.

This glorifying of the Holy Spirit in thanksgiving — flowing from a deep, spiritual sense of His consolations — is no small part of our communion with Him. Reflecting on His free commitment to this work, His coming forth from the Father for this purpose, His being sent by the Son and His condescension in that, His love and kindness — the soul of a believer pours itself out in grateful praise to Him and finds sweet satisfaction in that duty. There is no duty that leaves a more heavenly savor in the soul than this one.

Our communion with the Holy Spirit also includes praying to Him for the continuation of the work of consolation He has undertaken. John prays for grace and peace from the seven spirits before the throne — that is, the Holy Spirit, whose operations are perfect and complete. This aspect of His worship is explicitly mentioned throughout Scripture, and all other aspects of worship necessarily accompany it. Let believers consider what need they have of these effects of the Holy Spirit that have been described — and of many others that could be added. Weigh all the privileges of which we have been made partakers. Remember that He distributes them as He wills and holds sovereign authority over them — and you will be ready for this duty.

How and in what sense this worship is to be carried out has already been explained, as has the ultimate ground and object of it. In the practice of this duty no small measure of the life, energy, and vitality of faith is expressed. We fall short of the spaciousness of spirit in our dealings with God and are held back from walking in the full width of His ways — to which we are called — if we do not learn to meet Him in the particular way He is pleased to communicate Himself to us. In these things He does so in the person of the Holy Spirit; and in that person we meet His love, grace, and authority through our prayers and petitions.

Also, consider the Holy Spirit in His condescension to this commission from the Father and Son to be our Comforter, and ask for Him daily from the Father in the name of Jesus Christ. This is the daily practice of believers. They look to and by faith consider the Holy Spirit as the One promised to be sent. In this promise they know that all their grace, peace, mercy, joy, and hope lie — for it is by this promised Spirit and by Him alone that these things are communicated to them. If our life toward God and the joy of that life matter to us, then we should be abundant in this: asking for the Spirit from the Father as children ask their parents for daily bread. In this asking and receiving of the Holy Spirit we have communion with the Father in His love — from which the Spirit is sent — and with the Son in His grace — by which the Spirit is obtained for us — and also with the Spirit Himself on account of His willing condescension to this work. Every request for the Holy Spirit includes an embracing of all of these. Oh, the riches of the grace of God!

Humbling ourselves for our failures toward Him is another part of our communion with Him. That we have grieved Him as to His person, quenched Him in the promptings of His grace, or resisted Him in His ordinances is something to mourn over, as has been stated. Let our souls be brought low before Him on this account. This is a significant element of godly sorrow, and meditating on it is as well suited to filling the heart with humility and holy anger against sin as almost anything else. I could go on in similar reflections and also apply them to the specific effects of the Holy Spirit described earlier — but my purpose has only been to identify the main headings and leave their fuller development to others.

I will close this entire discussion with some reflections on the sad state and condition of those who have no share in this promise of the Spirit and have never known His consolation.

Those who have no share in this promise of the Spirit have no true consolation or comfort, whatever their outward circumstances may be. Are they suffering or in trouble? They must carry their own burden. And how unequal they are to that burden — when God is pleased to press down with more than ordinary weight — is easy to see. People may summon inner resolve and commit themselves firmly to wrestle with their troubles.

But when this comes merely from natural strength of character, it is mostly just an outward show. It is performed for the benefit of others, so they will not appear low-spirited or defeated. Inside, their hearts are consumed and hollowed out by trouble and anxiety. Their thoughts are tangled, and they keep struggling but never arrive at any real victory. Every new difficulty, every small shift in their circumstances, brings fresh distress. What keeps them going is a groundless resolve, and they are easily shaken.

And what is the best their determination and endurance amounts to? It is nothing more than a struggle against God, who has placed them in this situation — like a fly straining under a mountain. Even when, on the basis of outward principles and reasoning, they try to practice patience and acceptance, it is all still a striving against God — an effort to be at peace under the very thing God has sent on purpose to disturb them. God does not afflict people who have no Spirit in order to build their patience; He does so to disrupt their false peace and false security. All their arming themselves with patience and determination is either an attempt to hold onto what God intends to tear away from them, or it brings them closer to ruin. This is the best they can offer themselves as consolation in their times of trouble.

If they persuade themselves that God cares about them and find some relief in that thought — as they often do on one basis or another, especially when other supports have failed — all that relief is like the dream of a hungry man who imagines he is eating and drinking and feeling satisfied, only to wake up empty and disappointed. So it is with all the relief they imagine they will receive from God and the support they think they have from Him. When they are awakened in the last day and see everything clearly, they will find that God was against them, laughing at their calamity and mocking when their fear fell upon them.

So it is with them in trouble. Is it any better in their prosperity? That prosperity may be considerable, and Scripture describes it in vivid terms — long lives, often quiet and peaceful ends. But do they have any true consolation all their days? They eat, drink, sleep, and enjoy themselves, and perhaps accumulate wealth — but how little does this distinguish them from the animals that perish? It is commonly noted that Solomon had unrivaled opportunity to experience and understand these things to their utmost, far beyond any person of our generation. His verdict on them is well known: they are all emptiness and chasing after the wind. This is their consolation — the crackling of thorns under a pot, a quick flash and blaze that appears only to disappear. Both adversity and prosperity consume them, and whether they are laughing or crying, they are still dying.

Second, they have no peace — no peace with God and no peace within their own souls. I know that many of them, building on false foundations and false expectations, manage to maintain some appearance of quiet. But this is their actual state: since true and solid peace is an effect of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers, as has been shown, those who have no share in the Spirit have no such peace. They may cry 'Peace, peace!' when sudden destruction is at hand. The foundations of their peace — as can easily be shown — are darkness and ignorance, a deadened conscience, self-righteousness, and empty hope. All the sources of their peace can be reduced to these. And what will any of these do for them in the day when the Lord deals with them?

The same must be said about their joy and hope: they are false and will not last. Let those who have settled into a confident belief in their share in the blessings of the gospel, and yet have despised the Spirit of Christ, consider this seriously. I know there are many who may claim Him and yet are strangers to His grace. But if those who in profession treat Him kindly and honor Him will perish if He does not dwell in them with power — where shall those appear who openly oppose and insult Him? Scripture tells us that unless the Spirit of Christ is in us, we are spiritually dead, we are disqualified, we do not belong to Christ. Without Him you can experience none of these glorious effects He brings to believers that have been described — and yet you are so far from even asking whether He is in you or not that you are ready to mock those in whom He is. Are there none who profess the gospel who have never once seriously asked whether they have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit? You who consider it nearly ridiculous to be asked such a question — who regard everyone who speaks of the Spirit as a vain pretender — may the Lord awaken such people to see their condition before it is too late. If the Spirit does not dwell in you, if He is not your Comforter, then God is not your Father, the Son is not your Advocate, and you have no portion in the gospel. May God awaken some poor soul to think on this before their neglect and contempt of the Holy Spirit reaches that point of final despising from which there is no return. May the Lord spread before them all the folly of their hearts, so that they may be ashamed and humbled and no longer act so presumptuously.