The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 636

LOVE

596 to

endure this

little

marked by and

And this may result in a temposometimes very serious, and which is

opposition.

rary hardening, which

is

consists in the fact that the saint

next time to break with his

sin,

by his temporary indulgence the power to

And

resist

The

God's righteous reward.

this is

who intended

the

then discovers, to his dismay, that

has been

lost.

love that the disobe-

dient saint resisted for the sake of sin

is

insulted and refuses to be

Altho he did not expect

it,

yet by his obstinate resist-

trifled with.

ance of that

love the power of sin was strengthened, the soul's

first

tender sensitiveness was dulled, and the heart was

What was

An He

first

power developed

evil

made

callous.

a mere sliver in the flesh became a malignant

fights against

it,

boil.

imperceptibly and unexpectedly.

itself

but in vain.

After repeated

falls,

he ceases

the fight, and gradually lapses into a condition of hardening so

grievous that he can not discover in his heart the least trace of the divine love.

However, this hardening is only partial, for it has reference only some special matter; and this is the difference between it and the permanent hardening. Apart from this matter, he can still burn with love and zeal for his God he can still open his heart for the operation of the gracious powers of eternal life, and even have blessed communion with the Lord. But these slowly disappear. The malignant abscess gradually imparts its fever-heat from one to

;

The blood

part to another. less tension,

and

in the veins of the soul is

to this partial

hardening

eral forsakenness that causes his

and

less refreshing.

there

is

never a

full,

poor, dry, and dead

;

is

communion

kept in rest-

added a sense to

of gen-

become more

rare

There may be an occasional drop of oil, but fresh anointing. As a result, he feels himself he goes about with the sentence of condemna-

tion in his conscience; but in the midst of his anguish his soul

groans unto God.

And the

the Lord hears that groan.

Holy

Spirit

may be

There may be no prayer, and

too far gone to enable his soul to pour itself

yet so long as there is a smoking flax and a broken reed that vainly tries to lift itself, so long as there is a sense of shame and an inward groan to God for deliverance, the Lord inclines His ear, full of compassion, and the hour approaches when out in supplications

the

Sun

of

;

Righteousness shall dispel the clouds and melt the hardThe love first resisted now returns with irresist-

ness of his heart. ible

power

to

gladden his

soul.

The

crust of ice begins to melt.

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