All that the believer has must come from Christ, but it comes solely
through the channel of the Spirit of grace. Moreover, as all blessings thus
flow to you through the Holy Spirit, so also no good thing can come out of
you in holy thought, devout worship, or gracious act, apart from the
sanctifying operation of the same Spirit. Even if the good seed be sown in
you, yet it lies dormant except He worketh in you to will and to do of His
own good pleasure. Do you desire to speak for Jesus--how can you unless the
Holy Ghost touch your tongue? Do you desire to pray? Alas! what dull work it
is unless the Spirit maketh intercession for you! Do you desire to subdue
sin? Would you be holy? Would you imitate your Master? Do you desire to rise
to superlative heights of spirituality? Are you wanting to be made like the
angels of God, full of zeal and ardour for the Master's cause? You cannot
without the Spirit--"Without me ye can do nothing." O branch of the vine,
thou canst have no fruit without the sap! O child of God, thou hast no life
within thee apart from the life which God gives thee through His Spirit!
Then let us not grieve Him or provoke Him to anger by our sin. Let us not
quench Him in one of His faintest motions in our soul; let us foster every
suggestion, and be ready to obey every prompting. If the Holy Spirit be
indeed so mighty, let us attempt nothing without Him; let us begin no
project, and carry on no enterprise, and conclude no transaction, without
imploring His blessing. Let us do Him the due homage of feeling our entire
weakness apart from Him, and then depending alone upon Him, having this for
our prayer, "Open Thou my heart and my whole being to Thine incoming, and
uphold me with Thy free Spirit when I shall have received that Spirit in my
inward parts."
