The Spirit of Grace

"Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God." —Ephesians 4:30 [KJV]

How affectionate and condescending is this address of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ to His children! Paul writes to Philemon, "Though I might be bold to enjoin thee that which is convenient; yet, for love's sake, I rather beseech thee." So with infinitely higher authority, the Lord might command with terror, instead of beseech with love. Astonishing expression! Grieve not the holy Spirit of God. Hast thou? Canst thou, O believer, be guilty in this matter? 

It is easy to conceive that we may grieve our own spirits, and the spirits of good men by our sin and folly: but to think of grieving the Spirit of God, is enough to make us cry out in amazement, What mystery of love is this? But verily, so dear are God's children to Him, that as in love to our souls He took on Him our nature, so in condescension to our weak capacities, He borrows language from nature, and assumes to Himself passions like unto ourselves: for He was in all things like unto us, but without sin. 

So it is said, God DELIGHTS in the prosperity of His people, He REJOICETH over them to do them good. But when, through their sin and folly, they hurt their own souls, Jesus is touched with a feeling of our infirmities; His Spirit is grieved at our conduct. Who can tell in how many ways Christians do this? Inwardly by giving way to unbelief; by low unworthy thoughts of Jesus, His blood, righteousness and salvation; His mediation and intercession, of whom the Spirit is the glorifier; so also by indulging vain, carnal, sinful thoughts: outwardly, by neglecting the gospel of grace, not walking closely with Jesus by faith, not conforming to His will in our lives and conversations: and experience woefully convinceth, that when the Holy Spirit is grieved, the poor soul is distressed. 

We never send the Spirit grieved to heaven, but He leaves our spirits grieved on earth. He is our Comforter; by Him believers are sealed unto the day of redemption. Though we are sealed by Him, as the Lord's own possession, yet if He leaves us to ourselves, the view of Jesus is obscured to us, and His comforts are withheld from us. Then natural fears, legal terrors, and desponding doubts seize on us, and evil spirits rejoice over us, with "there, there, so would we have it." Though He never becomes the Spirit of bondage to us, yet He leaves us to the bondage of our own legal spirits. What reason have we to pray daily, "cleanse Thy servant, O Jesus, from his secret faults; and let not, O Spirit of grace, presumptuous sins get the dominion over me."—Psalm 19:12, 13.

The Spirit, like a peaceful dove, 

Flies from the realms of noise and strife, 

Why should we vex and grieve His love, 

Who leads our souls to heav'nly life!

 

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

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