Holy Spirit (continued)
Christ is the door that opens into God's presence and lets the soul into His very bosom, faith is the key that unlocks the door; but the Spirit is He that makes this key. (William Gurnall)
God is able to interpret His own Word unto thee. Indeed none can enter into the knowledge thereof but he must be beholden unto His Spirit to unlock the door. He that hath not the right key is as far from entering the house as he that hath none, yea, in some sense further off; for he that hath none will call to him that is within, while the other, trusting to his false key, stands pottering without to little purpose. (William Gurnall)
The natural man may have excellent notions in divinity, but God must teach us to know the mysteries of the Gospel after a spiritual manner. A man may see the figures upon a dial, but he cannot tell how the day goes unless the sun shines; so we may read many truths in the Bible, but we cannot know them savingly, till God by His Spirit shines upon our souls. He not only informs our mind, but inclines our will. (Thomas Watson)
It is not the work of the Spirit to tell you the meaning of Scriptures, and give you the knowledge of divinity, without your own study and labor, but to bless that study, and give you knowledge thereby. To reject study on pretense of the sufficiency of the Spirit, is to reject the Scripture itself. (Richard Baxter)
Fire is quenched by pouring on water or by withdrawing fuel; so the Spirit is quenched by living in sin, which is like pouring water on a fire; or by not improving our gifts and graces, which is like withdrawing fuel from the hearth. (Thomas Manton)
What a sad difference is there in the same person, as to what he is when the Spirit leads him, and as to what he is when the Spirit leaves him! (Thomas Jacombe)
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