6. But now we pass on to the next aspect of this indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We have seen the power of resurrection, the power of mortification, the power of guidance, the power of sonship, the power of hope, but now we have the power of sympathy. Not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." Thus we have groanings in sympathy with the whole creation, and these groanings are produced by the Spirit of God. For we are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?' 66 7. And then in the 26th verse," Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." We know not what we ought to pray for, but one thing we do know. And here I make a little variation in our translation. Verse 28, "But" (it should read but, not and) "we know that all things work together for good to them that love God." The contrast is here made with our ignorance; what we do not know is contrasted with what we do know. We do not even know how to pray aright and what to pray for; and, as our brother has said, we do not know how to speak, and we put the Word awkwardly before the people; but one thing we do know, and that is, that it will be well in the morning—yes, we know that all things work together for good to them that love God." So then from the hope, the anticipation of the resurrection of the body, we have every gradation of His power till we reach the groaning in sympathy with the whole creation around us, and in sympathy with every part of our being; mental, moral, and physical groanings. So, while the material creation groans, the spiritual creation groans for the full manifestation of the sons of God. It groans, and is not yet satisfied; and rightly so, because it is the Holy Spirit that produces these groanings. Thus we have not merely the power of communion, the power of mortification, the power of guidance, the power of sonship, the power of witness, and the power of sympathy, but also the power of groaning within ourselves for all that is abnormal in ourselves, and in that world around us, for all the evils, and wars, and woes, and miseries produced by sin; we sigh and groan for the time when we shall solve these mysteries. We do not want to be wise above what is written, but we find ourselves sighing and groaning in sympathy with the Holy Ghost, and by His power indwelling in us. Then last of all, in the teaching of the Apostle, we find that by the power of the Spirit dwelling in us we arrive at the grand confidence amid all mutations and change. "If God be for us, who can be against us?' Now we must pass on to the prayer of the Apostle Paul, in the Epistle to the Ephesians: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." In Christ-all our well-springs are in Him, and all God's blessings for us are in Him. 'According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." No one, even of the great angelic host, can stand before God without being holy, without blame and in love. So we, too, if we are to be before God, must be holy, must be without blame, and must be in love-holy in character, without blame in all our ways, and loving in our nature. When we find ourselves on earth-the very opposite of all this by nature unholy, full of blame, and loving ourselves and nothing else—well may we rejoice that in Him we have all we need, and in Him alone we are made presentable before God. In Christ we are made holy, in Him we are blameless, and in Him we learn to love. Then, in connection with all this, the Apostle prays in the fifteenth and following verses, "Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ "--he does not bring in the title, "Father of our Lord Jesus Christ " here; that is in the third chapter, and opens up a wonderful domain of thought which we cannot now enter upon here" that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened." This is the Apostle's prayer for the saints; and it is one purpose of this and similar Conferences, while we confess our sins, and supplicate blessing, we also pray that the eyes of our understanding may be enlightened, our eyes opened: so that we "may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe." Thus we may seek to rise (δυνάμεως). to that hill-top of which a brother has spoken in this Conference. The Apostle prays that we may thus rise, and that the mists and fogs may be taken from our eyes, so that we may see something of the wondrous extent of the inheritance gained for us. Here we have, as has been said of other passages, word piled upon word to enrich the teaching. We have here three distinct words in the Greek for power, each expressing a different shade of thought, and showing the power within us from our resurrection position. "The exceeding greatness of His power" (dvváμews). "The working of His mighty (κρατους) power (ισχους).” "Which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principalities and power." "And you hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins." For we must go on with that second chapter, for it follows from the resurrection of power. May we go on to know more of this power, as those waiting for the manifestation of Christ. Then, remember, we have to tell the world these things, and we have a wonderful message for any unconverted man here. We have to tell the good news, the glad tidings, the Gospel of God, which is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Sometimes we hear a great deal about science and religion agreeing or contradicting one another. I deny the controversy, and won't accept it. I love science where it can teach me. I love it when by the power of the microscope or the telescope it can show me the wonders of my Father and God. But when I come to worship in the Father's temple I bid adieu to science, and I will not listen to it. Here I come to listen to the revelation of God. Take but two grand truths in one verse; where could science learn these, and what does she know of them? The first is the incarnation; who shall ascend into heaven? (that is to bring Christ down from above). Where could science know or teach me of the eternal God coming down to walk before men in the fulness of love and light, and suffer for man. And there too, the resurrection and the ascension is authoritatively taught; and when I take my place as a learner from the Word, I find that which the microscope or telescope cannot explain. There we learn two grand thoughts, that Christ has come down and walked before men, and that a Man has been found by God who could stand before Him for us. That man was once covered with a load of sin such as you nor I can never know, because He was the Lamb of God, taking away the sin of the world. Yet that Man who died is risen, is ascended, and is now on the throne, and He is bringing many sons to glory. As the Son of Man once crucified He is now risen, ascended and in the glory. Thus it is, unconverted man; I have news, good news, for thee. There is One who longs after thee, One who can raise thee from the deepest guilt, and from the degradation of crime, and make a pardoned sinner one with Himself. One word more I must say ere I close. In the first chapter of Ephesians the Apostle prayed that we may know what we have got; but if we study the prayer of the third chapter we shall find there is something higher still. When you read it you find that there is something better than the knowledge of the glory, better than to know the possession we have got, and it is to "know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge." That love which was before the glory, that love which planned the glory; for the love that planned is higher and deeper than even the glory, so the Apostle bows his knee to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we may know that wondrous love. One more solemn thought comes to me as we speak of this love, of this glory, of this eternity, and it is this: What is to be thy eternity, my friend? Men try to get quit of that thought of eternity, and try to blot out these two words, eternity and punishment; but put them out for a moment from Matt. xxv., and read the chapter without them. Is it not a solemn thought even yet? These shall go away"-stop there if you will. Away-away-where? The sweetest word uttered by Christ to poor men is Come! To the weary soul He says, "Come unto Me"; and to those on His right hand. Come, ye blessed." But away, away!-may those awful words never be heard by any here. God grant it may not be. "These shall go away." Away from Christ, away from God, away from life, away from love; away from His tears, His cross, His power, His glory, and His spirit. Away, away! Is the word for you to be away, or come? Now He has opened your way to the glory and pleads with you to come! 66 One word more. I remember when I was a young man, just entering my career, one of my first difficulties was this. I can confess Christ to-night, I can say I am not ashamed to own my Lord; but, stop, what will happen to-morrow? I am sure to be tempted; shall I stand firm? Well, thank God, He put the thought in my mind, "I will wait till to-morrow comes, and He will enable me to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." Not to be strong in myself, not too strong in my resolution, but in my weakness to be strong in Him. I found as I went on that the Master had been before me, and that the difficulties had been anticipated and provided for by the power of the Holy Spirit. So it is that by the Holy Ghost dwelling in us we are carried forward, and receive power to overcome. Well, then, we have but touched on this grand subject, and indeed it cannot be exhausted. May these thoughts be the means of drawing our thoughts to Himself, to Him who loves us all, and to the Spirit who dwells in us, and remember that Christ is not only coming for us, but to-day is with the Father for us, speaking for and thinking of the weakest lamb of His flock; and in all our weakness remember that we have an Advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ, the righteous." He is our High Priest with God. Let us, every one of us, lift our eyes to Him in the glory as He is now occupying His Father's throne and interceding for us. 66 Prayer was then offered by Mr. Edwards, and Hymn 38 was sung "I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord; After which the meeting was brought to a close. |