GRIEVING THE SPIRIT. BY REV. B. M. PALMER, D. D., PASTOR OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, NEW ORLEANS, LA. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.-Ephesians, iv, 30. The essence of Christianity is in the fact that it is the religion of a sinner. It discloses, indeed, a system of morals which, viewed in its principles or in its aim, is as far superior to that of the academy or of the porch, as the heavens are lifted above the earth. This, however, is wholly incidental. Its main design is to extricate the sinner from the state of ruin in which he is found, and to teach him how to escape the damnation of hell. All ethical systems are but compilations of dry rules, intended simply to regulate the external conduct, and presuppose the ability to comply with the same. However clearly they may state duties and enforce motives, they can never rise above the office of mere instruction. If man's will be averse, they propose no remedy for this fundamental defect, and have no resources by which to rectify the inward nature which is stubborn or impure. Hence, all the beautiful systems of morality which men have devised, have proved inefficient in reforming the vices of mankind. In like manner, all the systems of false religion upon the globe. content themselves with our external relations alone. They propose rites by which to propitiate the divine favor and to pacify the human conscience. Not one suggests the idea of a change of heart, by which the sinner shall become fit for communion with God, or capable of new obedience to His holy law. Their forms of worship are but the incantations of religious magic, by which to break the spell of divine wrath; not acts of spiritual communion with a Being of infinite purity and love. But Christianity-whilst, on the one hand, it republishes the original law, and adds new and superior sanctions of its own-assumes, on the other hand, that the sinner can never fulfil its commands; and reveals a method by which he may be saved, so as both to love and to obey. It answers the solemn question of Job, "how should man be just with God;" and solves the mighty problem of sin, by showing how "mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other"-how "truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven." Its fundamental teachings must therefore touch two points, pardon and the new birth, as these expand into the complete justification and sanctification of the sinner. Around these two centres gather all the doctrines of the Gospel. Around the first are collected such facts as the incarnation of the Son of God, His voluntary substitution for us under the law, His expiatory sufferings and death, His perfect and vicarious obedience, His whole priesthood as discharged both on earth and in heaven. Around the second are attracted all the truths which enter into a full exposition of the person and office of the Holy Ghost; as He enlightens the sinner's mind, arouses the sinner's conscience, renews the sinner's heart; and comforts, seals, sanctifies, and glorifies, the believer. The text, it will be perceived, falls into the latter of these two divisions. It is a remarkable fact, that most of the references in Scripture to the Holy Ghost occur in connection with His work upon the hearts of the professed people of God. With the exception of a limited number of passages, some of which are of doubtful interpretation-and with the exception always of that fearful denunciation, in the twelfth chapter of Matthew, of the sin against the Holy Ghost the instructions, exhortations, promises, and warnings, of the Bible, in regard to this person of the Godhead, are addressed primarily to the church, rather than to the aliens without her pale. The text furnishes an illustration of this. Those whom it urges not to grieve the Holy Spirit are, beyond question, such as have already professed faith in Jesus Christ. In preceding verses they are discriminated from other Gentiles who walk in vanity; they are described as persons who have "learned Christ," "have put off the old man," and "put on the new man ;" and as "renewed in the spirit of their mind." The exhortation of the text occurs in the midst of others which imply the desire of the Christian to conform his life to the Gospel standard. And the great motive by which this exhorta tion is enforced, the sealing of the Spirit, refers not to His first influence upon the hearts of the impenitent, but presupposes union with Christ and the existence of true faith; as this apostle elsewhere testifies, "in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise." If it were prudent to offer an explanation of this striking fact, it might be suggested, that as the later and more full operations of the Spirit within the Christian presuppose and involve His earlier influences upon the sinner, both classes are compendiously embraced in the references which seem to be addressed only to one. By a natural and even necessary deduction, we carry over these expostulations from the church to the world, from the Christian to the unconverted sinner, as being by necessary implication embraced. Since none come to Christ save those who are effectually called, at every step of the sinner's return to God he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit, by whom this call is mediated; who may therefore as well be resisted and grieved in the first stage, when He convinces of sin, as at the last stage of our sanctification, when we are made meet for the saints' inheritance in light. But whatever explanation may be offered, there is no difficulty in the widest extension of the language of the text. Since, from first to last, we must feel the power of the Holy Ghost, at any stage from first to last of our career, we are in danger of grieving Him; and the exhortation is quite as pointed to the sinner as to the saint. In this large application, then, of the text to all classes of men with whom this Spirit may be dealing, I propose to consider the reasons why none should permit themselves to grieve Him. I. Because of the solemnity of so personal and recognised a contact with God. We are at all times in contact with God, and surrounded with His presence. There is no hiding place within the universe, which is not penetrated by the eye of His omniscience, and covered by the hand of His protection. "Whither shall we go from His Spirit, or whither shall we flee from His presence? If we ascend into heaven, He is there; if we make our bed in hell, behold, He is there. If we take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall His hand lead us, and His right hand shall uphold us; even the night shall be light about us; the darkness and the light are both alike to Him." Yet is this dreadful truth not always so discovered to us as to enlist the devotional senti |