The Good Spirit

Thomas Spurgeon.

Psalm 143:10

Teach me to do your will; for you are my God: your spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

: — I trust that we shall never fail to see that on God's good Spirit we are dependent for all good things, and that that Church is doomed to waste away to absolute nothingness and uselessness which does not draw its fresh supplies of strength each day and hour from God the Holy Ghost.

I. First, we shall, I hope, be disposed to say "Thy Spirit is good" WHEN WE REMEMBER HIS RELATIONSHIPS. Whence is the Spirit? from what quarter does He reach to us? With whom is He associated? from whom does He proceed? By whom has He been sent forth to dwell amidst the Church, and in God's people's hearts? The answer is of course familiar to you.

1. This Spirit is good because He is the Spirit of God, He is God Himself. He is good because God is good.

2. Moreover He is spoken of as the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God's Son. Now, Christ is good. His very enemies declared that they could discover no sort of fault in Him.

3. He is spoken of as the Spirit of promise. The Spirit of promise is bound to be a good Spirit, for He is God's promise and Christ's promise. Our earthly fathers, so far as their judgment goes, give good gifts unto their children; our heavenly Father cannot fail even in His judgment.

II. We shall be still surer of this fact, I hope, WHEN WE CONSIDER HIS ATTRIBUTES. I have only time, of course, to glance at them.

1. He is mighty, how mighty it is not for human tongues to try to say. He is almighty; there is no limit to His power. "Thy Spirit is good" we may well exclaim, when we think both of His terrible acts, and of the might of those acts of mercy which have made Him renowned and revered to every believer. "Thy Spirit is good." He is as mighty now as He was then. What God hath done, God can do. We are straitened in ourselves. The Spirit is omnipotent still. Let us both test and trust His power.

2. He is gracious and gentle.

3. He is wise.

4. He is true.

5. He is holy. All that is sweet, and lovely, and pure, and of good report pertains to Him.

III. Further, I WANT TO CALL TO YOUR MIND HIS SEVERAL OFFICES, for these are proofs that He is good. What He does, as well as what He is and whence He comes, substantiates this fact. He creates. By Jesus Christ the world was made, and "without Him was not anything made that was made," but the Spirit co-operated with Him. "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." In the creation of man, as in all else, God the Spirit was engaged, as well as God the Father and Christ the Son. Is He not a good Spirit, then? Now, the Holy Ghost is still engaged in this sacred service, creating, recreating, making hearts new, bringing chaos out of the void, brooding over the darkness and disorder and transforming them into brightness and beauty. Proceed, good Spirit, with this good work, till all things are made new. 'Tis He who quickens and illuminates, 'tis He who teaches and leads. It was the Holy Ghost who led the children of Israel in the wilderness. The fiery cloudy pillar was the outward sign of Divine guidance, hut it is written, "Thou gavest also Thy good Spirit to instruct them." In special cases, where much wisdom and judgment were required, the Holy Ghost was the Author of these good things. Still He seals His saints, still He is the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry, "Abba, Father." It is even now His blessed function to bear witness with our spirits that we are the children of God. He has not forsaken His task of comforting the sorrowful: He is to this day the Paraclete.

IV. The same truth is exhibited or rather illustrated by the VARIOUS EMBLEMS BY WHICH THE HOLY SPIRIT IS DESCRIBED IN THE WORD OF GOD. He is spoken of as a fire. In such guise He sat upon the heads of the disciples. He is the Spirit of burning. You know that fire is a good servants, if a bad master, but the Holy Ghost as fire is good both as master and servant. He is willing to serve us as well as to employ us, and as fire He lights, and cheers, and warms us. The Holy Spirit may be compared to dew-cheering, beautifying, fertilizing. The Holy Ghost is compared to a dove, that gentlest of feathered fowl. In this semblance He lighted upon Jesus. Listen to the voice of this celestial turtle dove as it is heard in our land, for it speaks of spring-time come and summer-time about to appear. He is compared to the wind, a mighty rushing wind. Get into the draught of that wind, I beseech you, it is a trade wind that wafts us to our desired haven. True, it destroys, but it destroys only what we are better rid of Dead wood, broken branches, withered leaves, these He sweeps away as with a bosom. They are better gone. "Thy Spirit is good." In whatever form He works or acts upon us He is welcome.

(Thomas Spurgeon.)