INDWELLING OF THE SPIRIT.
By E. B. Saunders
The Spirit of God does not dwell in a heart that loves sin; and the reason that so many are almost entirely unacquainted with the movings of the Spirit of God, is because sin, which God hates, is cherished. Such is the deceitfulness of the human heart that we think all we possess is devoted to the service of God, when this world and its pleasures are first in all our thoughts. Even our worship, both public and private, is marred with meditations of a worldly nature; our means is often squandered to gratify self. We ask God to bless us with health and strength only to consume it upon our lusts. There must be an entire willingness to give up our darling sin, whatever it may be, before Christ will dwell in us by his Spirit. And when the Spirit of Christ is received into the heart, you will need no one to tell you of it; the sweet harmony between the heart and the word of God, the sacredness of his law, sweeter than honey and the honeycomb, will make it evident to yourself that God accepts you. Others will judge you by the fruits, "Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." These fruits may be counterfeited, but they always seem unnatural, stunted, and irregular, when connected with a corrupt heart. One who is acquainted with the Spirit of God need not be deceived by them. These graces, in the one case, will seem forced and put on for appearance sake; while in the other, they will spring spontaneously from a good heart. Unless we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we shall be lost. We can never truly get the victory without it; but when it dwells in us we are virtually victors. Oh! how easy then to keep the commandments; and God does not then seem to be a hard master. His law will seem "sweeter than honey and the honeycomb," and we shall feel it to be a privilege to improve the talent entrusted to our care. The service of God will be a pleasure, and this world will seem to us small indeed. My brethren, will you seek this conversion, this consecration, this Spirit? If you feel like waiting awhile, till you have enjoyed the pleasures of sin a little longer, it is evident that you are unacquainted with its sweetness, and your heart is not right before God. I entreat you, as a servant of God, to make no delay, but seek the Lord by confessing and forsaking sin, and by earnest prayer to God for pardon, till the Spirit of Christ returns to you again, and you can say from the heart, Jesus is mine, and I am his.