The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 623

THE HARDENING OPERATION OF LOVE However, even from the

joy of victory

first

of disappointment.

unsatisfactory

:

For

this awful condition return is possible.

followed by a positive and painful feeling

is

Surely he has conquered, but his conquest

first,

is

because every sinful gratification alarms the

secondly, because unholy is misery to the soul always exhausting and disappointing, never yields what promised, never proves to be what first it seemed. In such mo-

conscience, and this

pleasure it

583

;

is

ments salvation is still possible. Better feelings may be aroused, and may lead the sinner to realize that God is right and loves him And, acknowledging that God is better than he loves himself. Then salvation's gates are right, he may cease to justify himself. open, and he may not be far from the heavenly kingdom. But, overcoming the feeling of disappointment, he falls immeThen he explains his feelings in the diately into a deeper depth.

way disappointed

not because he has already drank too but not deeply enough. He acknowledges his disappointment, but he fancies that greater boldness in opposite

:

deeply from the cup of

sin,

comes the turning-point. When the and admitted, and the heart's demon-like desire has sprung up deeply and systematically to revel Then " the vain imagination and in sin's pleasures, then he is lost. darkening of a foolish heart" is added to being" given over to a reprobate mind." Then the spirit of slumber takes possession of him. He can no longer discern the real cause of his dissatisfaction and disappointment. Sin intoxicates him more and more. And the more he indulges the greater his blindness for the consequences. Things lose their forms. The phenomenal take the place of the real. He has eyes, but not for the real and the true ears, but not for the voice of the eternal Speaker. And so he rushes on from sin will

remedy

this.

And

so

fearful thought is once conceived

;

one sin to another; dissatisfied with sin, yet thirsting after more. As St. Paul says, even anxious to see others sin. In the

way

it is "

of salvation

sin, it is sin for sin.

To

stand

grace for grace still

is

"

;

way of The path in-

but in the

impossible.

clines.

Thus God

lets the sinner go.

He

intoxicates

does not see the precipice that yawns before him. the

way

for the hardening.

subject of saving grace

Every

effort to

him

And

so that he

opens

this

make such a one

like casting pearls before

the

swine then Immanuel must hide His love, that seeing he see not, and hearing he understand not. is

;

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen