Page061

Page061

THE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN.


. VOL. I.


D e " t' 0 ted toT.' 11 t 11 and Ie. i go 11 t eo 11 S 11 CiS.


, MENDON, MASS., DECEMBER 15, ' 1840. No. 16.


THE PRAOTJ: CAL CHllJ: STJ: AX


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Re~ lar Contributors to the Work,- ADIN


DALLOU, ( Editor and Publishin@ l Agent;) DAVID


R. LAMSON, GEORGE W. STACY, DANIEL S.


WHITNEY, \ VILLIAH n. FISH, SAMUEL J.


1\ 1Ar.


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be seat ( post paid) to AlliN BALLOU, Men. ton,


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. We love all, hut can Rutter none. Therefore


we solicit no person 10 subscribe who is not willing


wo'should utter 1111 our moral convictions UI freely


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eth. "


EXPOSITION or r AITB.


SECTION 2,-, cHAI" rER IV.


Tile Holy Ghost is the en lightener, quicken.


er, reprover, sanctifier, nud coinforter .( If ' the


moral world. i-- without whose I'Ogencrllting


influeuce no lost soul can ever enter into the


kingdom of God.


" 11''' 0 lUll" directed tlit Spirit of the Lord, or'


beinK his cOlLn" e1lor, hal" taught / iim1" Isa,


40: 13. .


I. The Hnly Ghost is the enlightener of the


1II0rni world. Juhn denominates lite L0l-: 0s­which


is the Holy Gllllst , Iwelling ill Jesus­"


the true light thut euliulueue th every man


, thaI erun eth into the world." John 1: 9. " And


this," said Christ, " is th e coudemnation thnt


liKItt is clime into the world, IIIHI men 10ve, I


darklle~ s rather thall light, I'ecanse their . le'e. ls


were e\ ' il." Ih. 3: 19. It is thi s IlOly SJ'il'it


which hilS ahvn. vs heen the director of rhe


pl'opllCl", llpostles, and SlIilllS of God ; anti


which spl! lIking throngh th emlllls cnlil! h! enefl


tiiil iriil~ S- O f " nieiiWith n'iO'fe"' orlell8... ot; r ltfVi!\:,


truth. lIence it is written, " For the prophe.


cy clime no( in old lime [ 01' at IUly time] hy


the wi 1/ oflIIun ; IJllt hofy men of Gor! spske,


: 114' they wer e lIIoved hy the Holy Gllost." 2


)' el. 1: 21. A;: lIin; the sallie apostle, sp ellk " ­ing


of salvation by Clu'ist, I\ lIys-" Of which


salvation the prolthets have inquired and


seal'ched dili~ ently, wllo prophesied of the


grnce lhat should cOllie IInto you: searching


\ Vlmt or whllt manner of time the S, tirit of


Chl'ist did signify, when it testified befi. re hand '


die sufferings of Christ, lind the Klol'y that


shouhl fill/ ow." 1 Pet. 1: 10, 11. Of Ihe he ·


stowment of this Spirit under the Old and


New Covennnts, on particular persons, we


fi'equeully read. Thus we fiud such passages


ofScriptul'e ast hese. God said to 1\ los8s on


lI · c ertllin occllsion, " I will take of the Sp! I'it


which is upon thee, allli will put it uppm it. elll


[ the sevenly eld ers] ; nml they shall hear tltC'


bUl'den \ of th e people with thee." " " "


" And the Lord carne down ill a cloud and


spake uuto him, lind took - of the Spirit that


WIIS upon him and gave it unto the seventy


elders: lind it carne to pllSS, when the Spirit


rested upon th em, th ey prophesied ." Num­ber!!


11: 17, " 25. Samnel said to Saul-" And


the Spirit of the Lord will come upon th ee,


and thou shult prophesy with theril, and ~ halt


he turned iuto another man." " " And when


tl: ey carne thithel' to . the hill, behold, a ~ o m ·


rany of prophets met him; and the Spirit of


God came upon him, und he prophesied


alllong th em." 1 Salll. 10: 6, 10. Concerning


Davi< l · we find it wl'itten-" David the son of


Jesse sai, I, aud the lIIan I'aised np on high, the


anointed of the God 01 Jllcol~, and the sweet


J; sallllist of Isra el, sai,), The Spirit of the LOl'd


spake by me, and his word was in lily tongil~."


2 Slim. 2: 3: 1,2. OfChrist it WIIS pre'! icted,


" Thel'e shall cOllie fOl1h a rod out of the stem


ofJessc, and a hranch sha ll grow out of his


roots: and th e Spirit of th e Lord shalll'est up­on


him; the Spirit of wisdom : md under ·


lItandiug. the Spirit ofconnsel alH) might, thc


Spirit of knowledge, and of the fellr of the


Lord." Isn. 11: 1, 2. Chl'ist instructed hi~


apostles lint to pl'emedilate what to' SIlY when


. ar"'" aio" ued at the j udgmllnt seat of kings and


governors; for, says he, " It shall be given you


in that sanie hour what ye shall speak; for it


is not ' ye that speak, but the Spirit of yonI" Fa~


ther which speaketh in yon." 01', 88 Luke


expresses it, " The Holy Ghost shall teach you


in that same honr what ye ought to MY.". Mau.


10: 19, 20. Luke' 12: 12. Again; Christ said


to hi~ disciples- s- vl have yet many . things to


say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. ­Howbeit,


when he the Spirit of truth is come,


he will guide you into ull truth: for he shall


not speak of himself; hut whatsoever he shall


hear, that shall he ' speak: and he will show


you things to come. He shall glol'if)' me: for


he shull receive of mine and shall show itun­to


you." John , lG: 12- 14.


. 2. The Holy Ghost is the quickener of the


moral world. " It is the Spirit thntlquickenetla


- the flesh profiteth nothing." John G: 63. ­"


Our sufficiency is 01 God; who also hath


made us ahle ministers of the New Testament,


not of the lett er but of the Spirit ; for the let­tel'


killeth, but the S'lirit giveth life. 2 Cor. 3:


G. A1111 this agrees with the more ancient


Scriptures. By Ezekiel it was said in proph­ecy-"


And I will put my Spirit within you,


and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye


shall keep my judgments, IIml do them, " and


ye slmll he my people, and I will he your


GO/ I." Chap. 36: 27. Again; ;' And ye shull


know thut I am thc Lord, . when I have open­ed


your graves, 0 my people, and brought


you up out of your grav es, and shall put - my


Spirit in you, and yon shall live." Ib. 37: 13,


14. The gospel represents mankind us dead


in rresspasses and sins, nnil th e Holy Ghost us


thnt divine enel'gy whereby God quickens


them into sjiiritual life.


. 3. The Holy Ghost is the reprover of the


world. J esul in llllllonncing the . Comforter,


which he said was the Holy Ghost, thus ,


spcalts-" It is expe,! ient . for. ' you that I go


away; fol' if I go not aW: IY the Comfort~ r will


1101 cOlne ' iintoy o17; txtt if I ~ Iep; it I will


send him unto you. And when he is come he


~ iII reprove the world of ! lin, nnd of righteous.


ness, and of jndgment. John 16: 7, 8. Bnt


this same Spirit 11lIS been always the reprover


of the world. It strove wilh men before the


flood, lind often administered reproof throngh


the pl'ophets ill the days of rebellious Israel. ­Too


often . indeed, has it been resisted and


I! I · ieved. Heal' Nehemiah in his confession,


" They dealt pl'oudly and hearkened not unto


thy commandments, bnt sinned against thy


jUllgllleuts ( which, if II mlln do, he shall live


ill them) IIlId wilhdrew the shoulder, alld


hardencd theil' neck, and would not hear: yet


llIauy years didst thou forhear them, lIlId testi.


fiedst against Ihlllll hy thy Spirit in thy proph.


ets. Nehemiah 9: 29, 30. Zechariah used


similal' language. " They made ' theu' heltrts


as anlularriant stone, lest tlley should hear the


h~ w, lInd the word which the Lord of hosts


hath sent in his Spirit by the former prophets."


Chap. 7: 12. Stephen ill his speech, illlmedi­ately


precedidg his martyrdom, is represented


assaying to his persecutors-" Ye sti! fnecked,


and uncircnmcised in heart alld COl'S: ye odo


aiways resist the Holy Ghost; as your fathers


did, so do ye." Acts 7: 51. Paul, quoting from


tI) e Psalms, speaks aftel' this l\ lat, llIcr-" The


Holy Ghost saith, To day, if ye will hear his


voice, harden not your hearts." Heb. 3: 7,8. ­And


because this divine reprover adininisters


such slllutlll'y instn! ction and admonition to


Ihe hearl, the ! lame apostle exhorts us not to


qucnch the Spil'it- not to grieve the Spirit­not


to do despite to the Spirit, & c.


4. The' Holy Ghost is the Snlletifier of the


mol'll! world. The illustrious Baptist said­"


He that cometh after me is mightier than


I, whose shoes lam not wOl'thy to bear; , he ·


shall baptize' you wilh the Holy Ghost and


with fire: whose fan is in his halld, and he


will thoroughly, pllrge his 1l00r, und gnth~ r his


wheat iuto his garner; but he will burn up


the chaff with uuqllenchable fire." Malt. 3: 11.


12. To sanctify is to cleanse, pUl'ify and set


apan to sacl'ed uses. This is whllt Christ by


the Holy Gh ost , Ioes for ull his Irlle lollowers.


They are baptized; i. e. clellnsed with . th e


Holy Ghosl and fire, Hence Puul says-" lle.


cause of the grace that is given to me of God ;


that I should be the minister of Jesus Christ


to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God,


that the offering up of the Gentiles might be


acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy


Ghost." - Rom. 15: 16. Again; " Kuow ye Dot


that the unrighteous shall not inherit the king­dom


of ( jod? Be not deceived; neither for­nicators,


nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor ef­feminate,


nor abusers ofthemselves with man­kind,


n( lt thieves, 1101' covetous, nor drunkards,


nor revil ers, 1101' extortioners, shall inherit the.


kingdom of God. And such were some of


you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified,


but ye are justified in the name of the Lord


Jesus, and hy the Spirit of our God." 1 Cor.


6: 9- 11 . A~ ain; " Rut we are bound to give


thanks for you, brethren beloved of the Lord,


because God hath from the . beginning chosen


you to'salvariun, ihrongh sanctification of the


Spirit and belief of the truth.' 2 Thess. 2: ) 3.


Peter stylesChristlans " elect according to the


forekno wledge of God the Father, throngh


snncrificnilon of the Spirit unto obedience,"


& c. 1 Per, 1: 2. Paul, speaking to Titus,


furth~ r says-" But after that the kindness and


love of Uod our Savior toward mnn appeared,


not hy works of righteousness which we have


done, hilt according to his mercy; he saved


us by the washing of regeneration, nnd re­newing


of the lJoi y Ghosl." Titus 3: 4, 5.


5. The Holy Ghost is the Comforter of the


moral- world, particularly of the true Church


of Chrisr; Christ says-" And J will prny the


Father, and he shall give you another COlli"


forter, that he may abide with you forever j


even the Spirit of truth; whom the world


cannot receive, because it seeth him lIot, nei­ther


knoweth him: hut ye know him; fol' he


dwelletll with you, and shall be in you. , I


will nOI lellve YIlU comfortless, I will corne


unlo you. The Comforter which is th e Holy


~ h~ t; R! 1~ n .. the Father ~~} ~ lIe,! 1d in ~.~! l


name, he shall teach' you all thmgs, oud l: irmg


all things to your remembrance whatsoever I


have said unto you." John 14: 16- 18 .. 26.


" Bnt when the Comforter is come, whom I


will send u. nto yon from the Father, even the


Spirit oftrmh which proceedeth fl'om the Fa­ther,


he sliall testily of me." John 15: 26: In


the Acts of the apostle! l, refel'ring to Saul's


conversion it is said-" Then had the churches


rest throughout all Jndell, and Galilee, and


Samaria; and wl! lking in the fear ofthe Lord,


ane! in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were


muhiplied." Chap. 9: 31. PlIul to the Ro­mans


8ayll-" Likewise thc Spirit also helpeth


our infil'mities: for we know not whot we .


should pray for as we ought: hut the Spirit


itself rnllketh intercession for' us wilh / rroan­ings


which canuot be uttered." Chap. 8. 26. ­It


seems to have been c1elll'ly proved from this


clond of texts ' that the Holy Ghost is the eu­lighteuer,


qUickener, reprover, · sonctifier und


comforter of the moral world. With a remork


or two I will pass on. As II great llIajority of


the passages which speok of the Holy Ghost


appear inconsistent with the notion of person­ality,


und as I have taken the ground ofimpel' ­sonalitlJ,


it may he asked how those of the


foregoing texts are to be understood which ap ·


ply to the Holy Spirit the mascnline pronouns


Ire and Irim. I am aware that great stl'ess is


laid on these personiji. cntumll by those who


mnintain that the Holy Ghost is a , iistinct co­equal


person in th e Godhead. But when I


take iuto view first that most of tile texts which


make meution of the Holy Ghost can by no


possihility be reconciled with this doctl'iue of


a distinct coequul personality; and secondly,


the . peculiar propriety of personifying the


Spirit in the few passages where it hus been


done, I feel ussured that I occupy a true and


safe Ilosition wilh re!! pect to this subject. ­When~


vel' the Holy ' Ghost is repl'esented os


performing in the room of God or Christ the


office 01' 0 personal agent, the figul'e of speech


set! ms to I'e,) uire the use of the masculine per­sonal


pronouus. In all such cases the Holy


GIIO_ 1 is virtually God, or Christ, in pel'son. ­P


ruclically to 11 11 intents and purposes- an in ·


tellig elll heing is lIcling; lind there is a heau­tiful


propriety in carrying out the elllire per-sonifieation,


Hence the Savior in describing


the Comforter, the Spirit or truth, 88 a mes­senger


commissioned to perform a certain of­fice


in his name, uses the personal pronouns


heand him. " When he the Spirit ' oftruth is


come he will guide you into all truth; for he


shall not speak of himself," & c.-" Whom the


world cannot receive, because it seeth him


not, neither knoweth ' hun," . But he informs


us distinctly that this. Comferter is the Holy


Gho~ t- thatvery Holy Ghost with which he


had been anointed, and with which he had


baptized; whieh might be asked for and re­ceived


of God- which was al~ ahout to be


poured out, and communicated by the laying


on of hands. Moreover, he represents this


divine messenger as proceeding forth, a Spirit


from the Father, sent by him to carryon tbe


work in his name which he was aboutto leave


unfinished'. There is no inti motion of a per-'


son distinct from and coequal with the Father;


hut altogether the contrary idea- that the Ho­ly


Ghost is sent forth to perform a certain.


work in the name 811d by the authority of the


Father all. I SOil. All thilll places the subject'


at rest in my miud, and shows the ' qualified


und figurative nature of those peCUliar modes


of expression by which the divi~ eSpirit is


personified in the texts under notice,


Resuming my main thread of discourse, I


have only to show that withont the regenerat­ing


influence of the Holy Spirit no lost soul


call ever enter into the kingdom ofheaven.- ·


J shall excuse myself from a partieular explan­ation


at present of the doctrine ofregeneration.


This will constitute a distinct chapter of my


exposition, and will - be pr esented in its proper


place. It is necessary here only to assert and


prove the general proposition, that withont the'


operati.\ n of the Holy Ghost there is no ~ lilvn' ­tion.


If a mon i~ ' under th~ · d~ minion of sili


he is in a state of alienatio~ frOl~ God, ilild op­posjtion


to the divine Spirit. And 110 '" truth


" c1Itrbe · mOre'' obv'IMa, ", n-, tJ'tei- w; thout Duen­tire


Illoral change · of heart, stich an one " iust


remain for ever lost. But if the desired ch'~ nge


shall ever be produced, it is cerlnin that ' the


Holy Spirit lIIust some how or OllieI'influenco


the heart, so I! sto supersede therein tbe oppos­ing


power of darkness. This, I hold, is ne\' er


dOlle but with the COII! lent and coopel'lltion of


the creature. Yet it i" done bY, the regen. erat­ing


illfluences of the Spirit, and cunnot possi­bly


hajlJlen withont those influences. No


lIIsn will or clln efiect the resn It unaided by


the HolV GllOrit. To snslain the groupd as­~~


lI itCd, a few texts will abundantly suffice. ­Our


Lord says-, iExcept a man he horn of


waleI' alii! of the Spirit ( which signifies Ilre­cisely


the . same DS . buptism wilh the Holy


Ghost and with fire) he cannot enter into the ,


kingdom of God." Again-" ExceJlt a maD


be bOl'n from ahove, becllnnot see the king- ,


dom of God." " That which is horn of the


flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the ,


Spirit is Spirit. !\ Iarvel not that I said unto


thee, Ye mnst be bol'll from ahove." John 3: .


5,3, 6, 7. Of the Logos, cou8ubstantially the .


slime with the Holy Ghost, Jolm says-" lIe


carne unto his own, lind' his own recei~ ed ' lim


not. llut as many as received him, to . them


gave he po. wer to become the sons of God,


even to them tllat belieye on his name, who


w~ re born 1I0tor blood, n~ r 01 the will or the .


flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." lb• .


1: 11- 13. Panl snys-:,"' fhere is therefore


now no condemnation to them w~ jch are . ill


Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but


after the Spiril." • •. " For they that are after


the flellh do mind things of the f1' esh ; but they


tliat are after the Spirit, the things of the Spir­it.


. For to be carnally minded is death, but to


be Spil'itually minded) s life and lIeace." *


" Now ifany mlln hl, lv~ not , the Spirit'of Christ


he is nOlle of, his." Rom. 8: 1,5,6,9. Again;


"\ Vhat ilion knoweth the thi ilgs ofa man, save


the Spirit of man which is in him? Even so


the things of God knowelh no ilion, but the


Spirit of God." .. " Tile" natnl'lll man [ as he


is hefor e heing influenced by the divine Spirit,


actnated by mere tempornl iml', 1I8p! l) rel'ei\" eth


nOl the thillgd of the Spfrit of God: fol' th ey


are foolishness unto him: neither cnn he know

Page 61 of Volume 1 from The Practical Christian 1840-1841

Ballou, Adin

1840