Quote 4057
the Holy Ghost in man increases or fills, and diminishes or departs: not that there is any change to be found in God (who, as commonly and truly said, neither receives more or less); but because man, according to his capacity, either receives the Spirit plentifully and liberally, or else measurably and sparingly, even as it pleases the Holy Ghost.
Heinrich Bullinger
The Decades, https://www.monergism.com/decades-ebookOther Quotes from the Author & Topic
With a perversity as pathetic as it is impoverishing, we have become preoccupied today with the extraordinary, sporadic, non-universal ministries of the Spirit to the neglect of the ordinary, general ones. Knowing God (The Love of God, 130)
Today the doctrine of the Holy Spirit's personal divinity is seldom given much attention. Books about him tend to gloss over who he is and concentrate almost entirely on what he does. This is a pity, because the works of the Holy Spirit cannot be understood unless his divine personhood is acknowledged.God Has Spoken (725)
The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them. Answers to Prayer (11)
Your flesh is a square peg, and the Spirit is a round hole. The two don't go together!
the gospel is the most evident sentence of the eternal God, brought down from heaven, absolving all believers from all their sins, and that is freely too, for Christ's sake, with a promise of eternal life.
the Ten Commandments are the very absolute and everlasting rule of true righteousness and all virtues, set down for all places, men, and ages, to frame themselves by. For the sum of the Ten Commandments is this: to show our love to God, and to love one another. And the Lord requires this at all times, and everywhere, of all kinds of men. The Decades, https://www.monergism.com/decades-ebook
though some are not at all zealous, and hardly drawn to hearing sermons in the church, that springs out of no other fountain than this: it is because they neither understand rightly, nor weigh diligently enough, the virtue and true force of the word of GodThe Decades, https://www.monergism.com/decades-ebook
The operation of the Spirit in believers, the communion of the Holy Ghost, is a great mystery. He works more on them than they feel and know; and they feel more than they can express in words; and they express more than any that have not received "the same spirit of faith" (2 Cor. 4:13) can understand. But this we know, that whenever the Spirit of Christ applies His grace and power to the heart of a sinner, there is something wrought that day which shall last to eternity. There is, by this finger of God, that impression made upon the soul and that mark left upon it that shall never wear out and that sin and Satan shall never be able to blot out again, but it shall remain and grow and be seen at the coming of Christ at the last day (Phil. 1:6).
The Holy Spirit is often moving in the consciences and affections of carnal creatures, counseling, rebuking, and exciting them, so that upon His suggestions, some warm affections are raised in them to that which is good, but presently all is quashed and comes to nothing and the Spirit driven away by the entertainment He finds. Again, you cannot know by the common gifts of the Spirit— illumination, conviction, restraining grace, and assistance to perform the external part of religious duties; these are gifts of the Spirit, but such as do not prove he hath the Spirit that hath them. These gifts are beamed from the Spirit of God and show that the kingdom of God is come nigh such an one, but they do not demonstrate that God is come into that soul and hath taken possession of it for His temple.
The Holy Spirit who is given to work grace in us, He is also given to witness grace unto us and to make us "know the things that are freely given to us of God" (1 Cor. 2:12). He is a free and sovereign agent indeed, and He works and witnesses in them in whom He worketh as He pleases. He giveth assurance of peace with God as much as He pleases and as soon, and no more and no sooner, than He pleases (1 Cor. 12:11).
But how shall I know the witness of the Spirit from a delusion? Answer: The Spirit of God always witnesses according to the word, as the echo answers the voice. Enthusiasts speak much of the Spirit, but they leave the word. That inspiration which is either without the word or against it is an imposture. The Spirit of God did indite the word (2 Peter 1:21). Now if the Spirit should witness otherwise than according to the word, the Spirit should be divided against itself; it should be a spirit of contradiction, witnessing one thing for a truth in the word and another thing different from it in a man's conscience.
If we desire the Spirit, we must wait in the way of duty, as the apostles waited many days before the Comforter came. We must also empty our souls of self-love and the love of the world and willingly entertain those crosses that bring our souls out of love with it. The children of Israel in the wilderness had not the manna till they had spent their onions and garlic; so this world must be out of request with us before we can be truly spiritual. Through grace, labor to see the excellency of spiritual things. How despicable then must all the glory of the world appear! These things, duly considered, will raise our desires more and more toward spiritual and heavenly objects.
If we cannot endure the Spirit going up and down with a candle and lantern to search our hearts, how can we abide the day of Christ's coming and stand when the Sun of Righteousness shall appear, for He is like refiner's fire and like fuller's soap? Justice, humility, repentance, though now they be but poor and low things with man, yet when the judge shall take the bench more visibly, how high will they be with God? Sincerity, though it be a silent grace at this time and dwells in obscurity, ere long, I hope, will carry the day and bear away the bell.
The Spirit exactly knows the heart of God to the creature, with all His counsels and purposes concerning Him: the Spirit searches all things, the deep things of God (1 Cor. 2:10). And what are those deep things of God the apostle means but the counsels of love which lie deep in His heart, till the Spirit draws them forth and acquaints the creature with them, as appears by verse 9? And also He knows the whole frame of man's heart. It were strange if He that made the cabinet should not know every secret box in it.
All the doctrine of the Scriptures may be briefly referred to these two heads: first, how we may be prepared to receive the Spirit of God; secondly, how the Spirit may be retained when we have once received it.
The supreme work of the Holy Spirit is to focus attention on, and to point to, the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you take a candle out of a lantern, you have taken the light from the lantern, but you have not put out the candle. Truly, because the candle is taken away, the lantern remains full of darkness; but the candle feels so little hurt by removing it, that being taken away from the lantern, it then shines more clearly, and casts forth the beams of its light more at large. So truly, being separated from its earthly or slimy body, the soul feels so little discommodity, that being delivered from the trouble and burden of the body, it lives more at liberty, and works more effectually. But the common sort do not understand thisThe Decades
But let no man so understand these things, as if the devil were able to do all things, and that whatever he wills, he can also do later. For his power is definite, or limited and restrained, so that he cannot do as much as he would: otherwise all things would have been overthrown and perished long ago.The Decades
Nevertheless we must take heed here lest, contrary to the nature of true religion, we attribute too much to angels. We must take heed that we not worship them; that we not call upon them, nor serve them. Indeed, when men hear that angels are given to them by God as ministers, and that God does good to us by them, they later think that some honour is to be ascribed and given to them. But sincere religion teaches us to acknowledge God as the author of all good things; that the angels are the ministers of God, and instruments as it were, by whom God works — just as we see the sun, the moon, and the stars, the patriarchs, the prophets, and the apostles, to be and to have been.The Decades, https://www.monergism.com/decades-ebook
we must further see what manner of creatures angels are: they are heavenly spirits, and incorruptible and most swift substances. The Decades, https://www.monergism.com/decades-ebook
For the Father works all things by the Spirit. By him God creates, sustains, moves, gives life, strengthens, and preserves all things. By the self-same Spirit, he regenerates his faithful people, sanctifies them, and endues them with diverse kinds of graces. Thus, in the description of him mentioned above, his principal powers and effects which show themselves by their working in men, are comprised in four members. I said that he illuminates, regenerates, sanctifies, and fulfils the faithful with all good graces.The Decades, https://www.monergism.com/decades-ebook
The Holy Ghost is the third person in Trinity, to be worshipped, very God, proceeding from the Father and the Son. He enlightens, regenerates, sanctifies, and fulfills the faithful with all good graces. The Decades, https://www.monergism.com/decades-ebook
kings can serve their Lord and King in no other way than as kings — that is, in doing those things which kings ought to do; namely, to execute judgment and justice.The Decades, https://www.monergism.com/decades-ebook
because our Lord is a king, he must therefore have a kingdom. The realm and dominion subject to a king is called a kingdom, as well as principality, empire, power, and the manner of government itself. Therefore the church, the communion or fellowship of saints, being obedient and subject to their king Christ, is called the kingdom of GodThe Decades, https://www.monergism.com/decades-ebook
in Isaiah, the people of God cry out: "You, God, are our Father. Though Abraham is ignorant of us, and Israel does not know us; You, O Lord, are our Father, and our Redeemer." Isa 63.16 iv.212 If, then, the patriarchs — so studious and careful for their people — did not know what they did, which of the saints (I ask you) would we grant or point out, who knows what we do, and intermeddles with the affairs of the living?The Decades, https://www.monergism.com/decades-ebook
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