Of the doctrines to which these remarks apply, those which relate to spiritual influences are among the most important; whether these influences are considered, in respect of the power which they exercise upon the mind, or the possibility of the renewal of them, when the intervention of grievous sin has proved them for a time interrupted, or the total cessation of them under circumstances of long continued impenitence. In all cases the simplifiers of doctrine cut the matter short with some abrupt position, which either by denying human agency altogether, or by supposing spiritual influence lent and withdrawn under a simple decree, wounds more hearts than it cures, and discourages many more than it invites.

It is to a small part of these doctrines only, that the scope of the text, and the length of the subject, must confine our attention at present; I mean, to the withdrawing of spiritual influence from the minds of Christians:-a part of the general subject, which closely connected with the remainder, and receiving illustration from being considered in connexion with the remainder, is seldom considered apart, except in its last consummation-the total privation of spiritual strength, hopeless and helpless, because judicial, blindness.

Let it be first observed, that every passage in Holy Scripture which speaks at all of this state of punishment while on earth, this blindness as permitted, or inflicted by God upon man, speaks of it

as subsequent to a state of more light; as a withdrawing of assistance previously given. Thus in the case of the Gentiles, as mentioned in the first chap. of the Epistle to the Romans, St. Paul says three separate times, that it was in consequence of their neglecting to use the advantages which they possessed, that God gave them up to their wickedness. So in the 24th verse," Wherefore God gave them up unto uncleanness :" so again in the 26th, "For this cause God gave them up to vile affections :" and so lastly in the 28th, " And as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind." The case of Pharaoh is one which presents an apparent difficulty, because the narrative of the Old Testament, intent only upon the history of the chosen people, leaves out all mention of His earlier life and character. Yet even in the midst of the judgments inflicted upon him, it is recorded that five times he turned, and with an apparent repentance besought Moses to pray for him and the Egyptians. In the last instance," he called for Moses and Aaron, and said, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Intreat the Lord, for it is enough, that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail1." Yet then shortly after we read that "the heart of Pharaoh was" again "hardened, neither

1 Exodus viii. ix. 27, 28. 35.

would he let the children of Israel go; as the Lord had spoken by Moses."

The case is the same with the other passages, wherein the idea of judicial blindness is only conveyed by the expressions, grieving the Spirit,' quenching the Spirit,'' the Spirit not always striving with man''

Since, then, Holy Scripture speaks of no spiritual darkness as inflicted by God, except that which is subsequent to a state of more light, and since the withdrawing of light is only the reverse process to that of giving light, it appears that judicial blindness is to be held the consummation of the one alternative, as perfect spiritual illumination is of the other.

Secondly, it appears that the decrease of spiritual light, like the increase of it, is not to be recognised by any sensation which it produces in the mind of the person who is affected by it. The extraordinary gifts of the Spirit were indeed in some manner made known to the person who enjoyed them; as when St. Paul could distinguish between those instructions which he delivered as matters of inspiration, and those which he taught upon his own authority. But when the Lord opened the heart of Lydia to believe the Apostle's teaching,

1

3

Eph. iv. 30. 1 Thess. v. 19. 2 1 Cor. vii. 12. xi. 16.

Gen. vi. 3. Cf. Ps. li. 9, 10.

3 Acts xvi. 14.

there is no reason to think that the operation upon her mind was at all of a perceptible kind, any more than in the case of ordinary Christians, whose belief is undoubtedly attributable to the same source. So also when the Apostle urges to the Corinthians, "What? know ye not that your bodies are the Temple of the Holy Ghost that is in you?" and again," Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you1?" he clearly refers to a spiritual influence unaccompanied by any perceptible sensation in the persons under it. In like manner the precept to try the Spirits,' 'to try ourselves whether we are in the faith; the mention of 'signs' and 'tokens of the Spirit,' seem to indicate that the operation of the Holy Spirit of God upon the heart of man, is gentle, uncontrolling, not distinguishable, save in its effects, from the ordinary workings of our own minds. The desire of pleasing God, the power to please Him, the liveliness of our feeling of religion, the earnest spirit of prayer, all these are among the signs of the presence of the Spirit in the human heart: towards man, love, joy, peace, long-suffering; in ourselves, purity, temperance, self-denial; these are tokens of the Spirit dwelling in us;-and in proportion as these marks and tokens become more and more visible, are we justified in believing that we grow in grace, and approach "unto a perfect man,

1 1 Cor. vi. 19. Cf. 1 Cor. iii. 16.

unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ1."

And as these are the tokens of spiritual improvement, an improvement essentially gradual, and incapable of perfection on earth, so in the parallel subject may we conclude that the opposite marks to these indicate a diminished spirituality of mind, a gradual and growing alienation from God, which tends as surely to a complete and final alienation from Him, though such consummation may possibly be reserved for the scene of final punish

ment.

Thirdly, it is much to be observed, that neither the increase, nor, by consequence, the decrease, of spiritual influence, is necessarily always proceeding with equal rapidity, or in the same direction. Between the earliest dawn of holy desires in the mind, and the state (if uninspired man can attain to it on earth) in which a perfected Christian can say with St. Paul," I have finished my course, I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith "," how many fallings off, and recoveries,-how many hairbreadth scapes of relapse into the power of sin, will there not be experienced! And so between the first declining from the path of holiness, and the final destitution of the Spirit, may we believe that the heart will be solicited by a thousand merciful suggestions, the conscience wounded by a thousand

1 Eph. iv. 13.

2

2 Tim. iv. 7.