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But when, through unfaithfulness to God's grace, we are jostled out of the divine order, either by going in advance through precipitancy, or falling in the rear through worldly sloth, we are no longer conscious of this divine harmony and beauty. Under such circumstances we necessarily lose, in a considerable degree, the sense of God's presence and favor; and wandering in our own position and out of the divine position, we experience but little else than darkness and sorrow.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THIRD.

Suggestions to aid in securing the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

ONE of the most important questions, which can occupy the minds of those, who wish to experience the reality of the interior spiritual life, is: In what manner can we most certainly secure the ever present and guiding influences of the Holy Spirit ? We learn from the Scriptures, that those, who are the sons of God, are led by the spirit of God. And a wo is expressly denounced against those "foolish prophets, that follow their owN SPIRIT." The facts of individual experience, in relation to the subject

Ezek. 13:3.

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of a divine guidance, abundantly confirm the truth of the scriptural declarations. "Though this secret direction of the Almighty," says Sir Matthew Hale, who was distinguished as a christian as well as a scholar and a judge, "is principally seen in matters relating to the good of the soul, yet even in the concerns of this life, a good man, fearing God, and begging his direction, will very often, if not at all times, find it. I can call my own experience to witness, that even in the temporal affairs of my whole life, I have never been disappointed of the best direction when I have, in humility and sincerity, implored it." And I think we may undoubtedly regard it as a great truth, ever to be kept in remembrance, that the true children of God, su far as they live acceptably to him, are guided by the Spirit of God. This great truth, that, as followers of God, it is our privilege and duty to be led by the Spirit of God, may be realized continually in our personal experience, as it seems to us, in connection with a few simple but fundamental conditions.

FIRST.-In the first place, we cannot reasonably expect to be guided by the Spirit, unless we desire it. And if we expect a continuance of this guidance, the desire must be permanent and strong. It would be extremely absurd to suppose that the Holy Spirit will condescend to dwell with us, if we have no desire for it; or if we have not a permanent and strong desire. But we cannot suppose that those, who aim after holiness of heart, are

without this desire. And therefore we do not consider it necessary to dwell upon this point.

SECOND. In order to realize this great blessing, we must have faith in God, that he will do for us the thing which we ask. To desire of God without having faith in the giver, is nearly as effectual a way to defeat the object of our request, as to be without desire. But on this point, also, we will not delay. Who can be ignorant that one of the first elements in the life of holiness is the doctrine of faith? "Without faith it is impossible to please God." How can it be possible, then, without faith to receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit?

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THIRD.-Besides those which have been mentioned, there is another condition necessary to be realized, in order to have the guiding influences of the Holy Spirit always with us. Namely, we must cease from our natural activity. We do not mean to say that we must be inactive; that we must be wholly and absolutely without mental movement; but merely and precisely that we must cease from the activity of nature. In other words, ceasing from self and from its turbulent and deceitful elements, and as a consequence of this, ceasing to place .ourselves and our personal interests foremost, we must keep our own plans, purposes, and aims in entire subjection. For instance, when we ask God to guide us, we must not at the same time cherish in our hearts a secret determination and hope to guide ourselves; just as some persons foolishly and almost wickedly ask the advice of their neighbors, when they have already fully decided in their own

minds upon their future course of action. If we would have our desire of being continually guided by the Holy Spirit fully realized, we must not only give up our personal and self-interested plans and purposes, submitting every thing into God's hands. with entire childlike simplicity, but it is important also not to give way to uneasy, agitated, and excited feelings. The existence of undue eagerness and excitement of spirit, is an evidence that we are, in some degree, afraid to trust God; and that we are still too much under the influence of the life of nature. So that to cease from the activity of nature, when properly understood, seems to be nothing more nor less, than to cease from the spirit of self wisdom, self seeking, and self guidance, and thus to remain in submissive and peaceful simplicity and disengagement of spirit, in order that God may enter in, and may guide us by the wisdom of his own divine inspiration.

It may be proper to add here, that the view, which has now been expressed, is entirely consistent with the exercise of our powers of perception and reflection. A cessation from our natural activity, in the sense which has been explained, is not only consistent with, but it is evidently favorable to a just exercise of these powers. They will be found at such times to be free from erroneous and disturbing influences, and to possess a clearer insight into the truth.

FOURTH.-In order to secure the continual presence of the Holy Spirit, we must not only fulfil the condition of ceasing from the self-interested activi

ty of nature; we must not only believe in God's truth and faithfulness to his promises, attended with a sincere desire for the blessing under consideration ; but when we ask under such cirumstances, it is our privilege and duty to believe, that we now have the thing, which we ask for. If, for instance, in true detachment and simplicity of spirit, and with a sincere desire for the object, we seek the divine wisdom, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit, to guide us in some difficult case of duty, we are bound, on the principles of Scripture, to believe, (provided further that we exercise all our powers of perception and reasoning applicable to the case,) that we do now have all that wisdom, which God sees to be necessary for us. Accordingly we are not at liberty, in the spirit of distrust towards God, to go about to seek some new natural light to see our spiritual wisdom with. Such wisdom, resting in its origin upon the immutable promise of God, a promise which is fulfilled in connection with the exercise of faith, is, for the most part, hidden from all forms of sight on the part of the creature, except one. That is to say; as it has its origin in connection with the operations of faith, and cannot exist, except in that connection, so it is visible, in general, only to the eye of faith. It seems very evident under the circumstances and in the fulfilment of the conditions which have been mentioned, that we should do wrong, we should sin against God, not to believe in the actual possession of the thing which had been interceded for. It would evidently be a case of UNBELIEF; and unbelief can never be ac

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