The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 74

November 16, 1897

“Editorial” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 74, 46, p. 728.

“THE eternal God if thy refuge.” Deuteronomy 33:27. ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.1

He “whose goings forth have been from the days of eternity” is your Saviour. Micah 5:2, margin. ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.2

“The eternal Spirit” is your guide. Hebrews 9:14; John 16:13. ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.3

The eternal Spirit guides you into the knowledge of “the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Ephesians 3:11. ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.4

Through him “whose goings forth have been from the days of eternity,” “the eternal God” gives to you “eternal life,” in order that “the eternal Spirit” may guide you into the knowledge of that “eternal purpose,” in which he “hath called us unto his eternal glory.” Romans 6:23; 1 Peter 5:10. ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.5

And our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh—is working—for us an eternal weight of glory, while we look at the things which are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18. ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.6

And, “Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, ... I dwell in the high and holy place,—with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit.” Isaiah 57:15. “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name: thou art mine.” Isaiah 43:1. ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.7

Do you not see, then, that the Christian belongs to eternity, and not at all to time? ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.8

O then stand up, and be a Christian in the full enjoyment of the presence of eternity and the consciousness of “the power of an endless life.” ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.9

“‘Without Spot to God’” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 74, 46, p. 728.

“THE Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.1

This flesh was just such as ours is: for, “As the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same.” ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.2

“He took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.” He took not the nature of angels but the nature of men—human nature. For as man was “made a little lower than the angels,” so “we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels.” ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.3

For which cause he is not ashamed to call us brethren. And “in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren.” ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.4

Men are “laden with iniquity.” So also was he: for, “The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.5

The flesh of men is sinful flesh. His flesh was just like it; for God sent “his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh.” “He hath made him to be sin.” ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.6

Men are so weak that he must say of all, “Without me ye can do nothing.” And he was made in all things so entirely like us, that of himself he could say, “I can of mine own self do nothing. ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.7

Yet for all this,—in spite of all the sinfulness, and all the iniquity, and all the weakness, of human nature which he took upon him, and “was made” “like as we are,“—though all this was upon him, and though all this he was made, yet “through the eternal Spirit,” he “offered himself without spot to God.” Blessed be the name of the Lord! ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.8

And by this mighty truth he has settled it forever that though you be so weak that you can do nothing,—though you be laden with iniquity and full of sin,—yet in him, through the eternal Spirit, you also can offer yourself without spot to God. ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.9

“Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift; and blessed be his glorious name forever and ever. ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.10

“Will You Receive, or Will You Grieve, the Holy Spirit?” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 74, 46, p. 728.

“GRIEVE not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.1

And how we shall avoid grieving the Holy Spirit is told us in the words: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil-speaking be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.2

Bitterness grieves the Holy Spirit. Yet there are professed Christians who hold, for years, bitterness against neighbors, and even against brethren. People professing to be Christians indulge bitterness against their own brethren in the same little church to such a degree that they will not go to church if the others go; and if they do go, and the others come in, they themselves will walk out. How such people can think themselves Christians is one of the greatest mysteries of the great mystery of selfishness. But such people can never receive the Holy Spirit while they indulge such a spirit as that: they grieve the Holy Spirit instead of receiving him. Let all bitterness be put away from you. ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.3

Wrath and anger grieve the Holy Spirit. These things are closely akin, of course. In the Greek, the word translated “wrath” signifies “the active principle of anger,” whereas the word translated “anger” strictly is “the passions.” “Wrath is temporary: anger is a chronic bearing of malice.” “Both are effects of bitterness, considered as a rooted disposition.” Yet there are professed Christians who have the active principle of anger so rooted in their disposition that when some word is said, or something is done, that does not just suit them, they instantly flare up like fire into the passion of anger: and then will hold to it and sulk under it, even for days. Such people cannot receive the Holy Spirit while they indulge such a spirit as that: they grieve the Holy Spirit instead of receiving him. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger be put away from you, that you may receive, rather than grieve, the Holy Spirit. ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.4

Clamor and evil-speaking grieve the Holy Spirit. clamor is that “in which angry men break forth” in abuse. Evil-speaking is “the more chronic form of clamor—the reviling another, not by an outbreak of abuse, but by the insidious undermining of evil surmise and slander.” Clamor might be defined as loud, angry speaking to or at a person, while evil-speaking is moderate angry speaking insidiously about a person. The Greek word translated “evil-speaking” is blasphemia, from which comes our English word “blaspheme.” Loud, angry speaking and evil-speaking—clamor and blasphemy—grieve the Holy Spirit. People who indulge such things cannot receive the Holy Spirit. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and all evil-speaking be put away from you, that you may receive, and not grieve, the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.5

Malice grieves the Holy Spirit. The Greek word translated “malice” signifies “moral badness, vice, depravity, baseness, cowardice, faint-heartedness, faultfinding.” It is “the inner root out of which spring all those things,” named before. “Those enmities are most savage which are cherished within, and make no show to those who are without.” Such people cannot receive the Holy Spirit. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and all evil-speaking be put away from you, with all malice, that you may receive, rather than grieve, the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.6

Yet all these evil things are cherished and practised by people who belong to the church, and profess to be Christians. Let every soul pray earnestly, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” And let every one who so prays, receive this divine answer to that prayer: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.” ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.7

Then you will be kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. There will be kindness instead of bitterness; there will be tender-heartedness instead of wrath; there will be forgiveness instead of anger; there will be the love, the mercy, and the gentleness, of God, instead of the clamor, the evil-speaking, and the malice of men and devils. ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.8

Then, too, you can receive the Holy Spirit; for he says: “I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.9

Which, now, do you choose? Will you receive the Holy Spirit? or will you grieve the Holy Spirit? ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.10

You will do one or the other; there is no escape from that. For not to choose is to choose: not to choose to receive the Holy Spirit is to choose to grieve the Holy Spirit. ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.11

And why should there be any hesitation? Who would not rather entertain kindness than bitterness? Who would not rather indulge tender-heartedness than wrath? Who would nor rather show forgiveness than anger? Who would not rather manifest gentleness than clamor? Who would not rather be loving than evil-speaking? Who would not rather be merciful than malicious? ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.12

Choose, O choose ye this day, that you will receive the Holy Spirit! “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us.” ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.13

“Grieve not the Holy Spirit.” “Receive ye the Holy Spirit.” ARSH November 16, 1897, page 728.14

“Editorial Note” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 74, 46, p. 730.

THE United Presbyterian of October 28 gives the following as a quotation from Mr. Moody: “In my opinion, the ministers are abreast of the times if they preach the old doctrines faithfully. If the sixty thousand ministers of our country should preach a rousing sermon occasionally on the fourth commandment, I think the effect on some of the stockholders of corporations would be beneficial.” And we may add, that if they would adhere to the testimony of the Scriptures on the fourth commandment, the effect on all these ministers and their congregations would be beneficial. And then, living it, and teaching it, according to the Bible, they could present it with a divine sanction behind it, which would have effect upon stockholders of corporations and all others. But they may try as hard as they please to rouse the people to regard something as a divine institution which has no divine law behind it, and it will be of no avail. ARSH November 16, 1897, page 730.1