John Owen · 39 of 73

Chapter VIII. The indwelling of the Spirit. · Part 1

Having showed that the Holy Spirit is purchased for us by the oblation of Christ, and bestowed on us through his intercession, to abide with us for ever, — a truth confirmed by the unquestionable testimonies of the Father, Son, and Spirit, — I shall, in the next place (I hope to the advantage and satisfaction of the Christian reader), a little turn aside to consider how and in what manner he abideth with them on whom he is bestowed, together with some eminent acts and effects of his grace, which he putteth forth and exerteth in them with whom he abideth, all tending to their preservation in the love and favour of God. A doctrine it is of no small use and importance in our walking with God, as we shall find in our pursuit of it. And therefore, though not appearing so directly argumentative and immediately subservient to the promotion of the dispute in hand, yet as tending to the establishment, guidance, and consolation, of them who do receive it, and to the cherishing, increasing, and strengthening of the faith thereof, I cannot but conceive it much conducing to the carrying on of the main intendment of this whole undertaking. I say, then, upon the purchase made of all good things for the elect by Christ, the holy and blessed Spirit of God is given to them, to dwell in them personally, for the accomplishment of all the ends and purposes of his economy towards them, — to make them meet for, and to bring them unto, the inheritance of the saints in light: personally, I say, in our persons (not by assumption of our nature, but giving us mystical union with Christ, not personal union with himself; that is, not one personality with him, which is impious and blasphemous to imagine), by a gracious inhabitation, distinct from his essential filling all things, and his energetical operation of all things as he will, as shall afterwards be declared. Now, this being a doctrine of pure revelation, our demonstrations of it must be merely scriptural; and such (as will instantly appear) we have provided in great plenty. In the carrying on, then, of this undertaking, I shall do these two things:— I. Produce some of those many texts of Scripture which are pregnant of this truth. II. Show what great things do issue from thence and are affirmed in reference thereunto, being inferences of a supposal thereof, all conducing to the preservation of believers in the love and favour of God unto the end.

For the first, I shall refer them to four heads: unto, — 1. Promises that he should so dwell in us; 2. Positive affirmations that he doth so; 3. Those texts that hold out his being distinguished from all his graces and gifts in his so doing; 4. Those that ascribe a personality to him in his indwelling in us. Of each sort one or two places may suffice.

I. 1. The indwelling of the Spirit is the great and solemn promise of the covenant of grace; the manner of it we shall afterward evince: Ezek. xxxvi. 27, “I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk: in my statutes.” In the verse foregoing he tells them, “He will give them a new heart, and a new spirit;” which, because it may be interpreted of a renewed frame of spirit (though it rather seems to be the renewing Spirit that is intended, as also chap. xi. 19), he expressly points out and differences the spirit he will give them from all works of grace whatsoever, in that appellation of him, “ ‘My Spirit,’ my Holy Spirit; him will I put within you: I will give him or place him in interiori vestro, ‘in your inmost part,’ in your heart; or in visceribus vestris, ‘in your bowels’ (as the soul is frequently signified by expressions of sensual things), ‘within you.’ ” In his giving us a new heart and new spirit, by putting in us his Spirit, certainly more is intended than a mere working of gracious qualities in our hearts by his Spirit; which he may do, and yet be no more in us than in the greatest blasphemer in the world. And this, in the carrying of it on to its accomplishment, God calls his covenant: Isa. lix. 21, “This is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My Spirit that is upon thee shall not depart from thee;” — “Upon thee, in thee, that dwelleth in thee, as was promised.” And this promise is evidently renewed by the Lord Christ to his disciples, clearly also interpreting what that Spirit is which is mentioned in the promise of the covenant: Luke xi. 13, “Your heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him” of him; that is, that pray to him for the Holy Spirit. Our Saviour instructs his disciples to ask the Holy Spirit of God upon the account of his being so promised; as Acts ii. 33. All our supplications are to be regulated by the promise, Rom. viii. 27. And surely he who (as shall afterward appear) did so plentifully and richly promise the bestowing of this Spirit on all those that believe on him, did not instruct them to ask for any inferior mercy and grace under that name. That Spirit which the Lord Christ instructs us to ask of the Father is the Spirit which he hath promised to bestow so on us as that he shall dwell in us. That the Spirit which Christ instructs us to ask for, and which himself promises to send unto us, is the Holy Ghost himself, the Holy Spirit of promise, by whom we are sealed to the day of redemption, I suppose will require no labour to prove; what is needful to this end shall be afterward insisted on.

2. Positive affirmations that he doth so dwell in and remain with the saints are the second ground of the truth we assert. I shall name one or two testimonies of that kind: Ps. li. 11, saith David, “Take not thy Holy Spirit from me.” It is the Spirit, and his presence as unto sanctification, not in respect of prophecy or any other gift whatever, that he is treating of with God. All the graces of the Spirit being almost dead and buried in him, he cries aloud that He whose they are, and who alone is able to revive and quicken them, may not be taken from him. With him, in him, he was, or he could not be taken from him. And though the gifts or graces of the Spirit only may be intended, where mention is made of giving or bestowing of him sometimes, yet when the saints beg of God that he would continue his Spirit with them, though they have grieved him and provoked him, that no more is intended but some gift or grace, is not so clear. I know men possessed with prejudice against this truth will think easily to evade these testimonies by the distinction of the person and graces of the Spirit. Wherefore, for the manner how he is with them with whom he is, the apostle informs us, Rom. viii. 9, “Ye are in the Spirit” (that is, spiritual men, opposed to being “in the flesh,” — that is, carnal, unregenerate, unreconciled, and enemies to God), “if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” Not only the thing itself is asserted, but the weight of our regeneration and acceptation with God through Jesus Christ is laid upon it. If the Spirit dwell in us we are spiritual, and belong to Christ; otherwise, if not, we are none of his. This the apostle farther confirms, verse 11, “If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you.” I know not how the person of the Holy Ghost can be more clearly deciphered than here he is, “The Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead.” Why that is mentioned shall afterward be considered. And this is the Spirit, as he bears testimony of himself, dwells in believers; which is all we say, and, without farther curious inquiry, desire to rest therein. Doubtless it were better for men to captivate their understandings to the obedience of faith than to invent distinctions and evasions to escape the power of so many plain texts of Scripture, and those literally and properly, not figuratively and metaphorically, expressing the truth contained in them; which, though it may be done sometimes, yet is not, in a constant uniform tenor of expression, anywhere the manner of the Holy Ghost. The apostle also affirms farther, verse 15, that believers “receive the Spirit of adoption, whereby they cry, Abba, Father;” which, being a work within them, cannot be wrought and effected by adoption itself, which is an extrinsical relation. Neither can adoption and the Spirit of adoption be conceived to be the same. He also farther affirms it, 1 Cor. ii. 12, “We have received the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God;” — “We have so received him as that he abides with us, to teach us, to acquaint our hearts with God’s dealing with us; bearing witness with our spirits to the condition wherein we are in reference to our favour from God and acceptation with him.” And the same he most distinctly asserts, Gal. iv. 6, “God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” The distinct economy of the Father, Son, and Spirit, in the work of adoption, is here clearly discovered. He is sent, “sent of God,” that is, the Father. That name is personally to be appropriated when it is distinguished, as here, from Son and Spirit. That is the Father’s work, that work of his love; he scuds him. He hath sent him as the “Spirit of his Son,” procured by him for us, promised by him to us, proceeding from him as to his personal subsistence, and sent by him as to his office of adoption and consolation. Then, whither the Father hath sent the Spirit of his Son, where he is to abide and make his residence, is expressed. It is into “our hearts,” saith the apostle; there he dwells and abides. And, lastly, what there he doth is also manifested. He sets them on work in whom he is, gives them privilege for it, ability to it, encouragement in it, causing them to cry, “Abba, Father.” Once and again to Timothy doth the same apostle assert the same truth: 2 Epist. i. 14, “That good thing committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.” The Lord knowing how much of our life and consolation depends on this truth, redoubles his testimony of it, that we might receive it, — even we, who are dull and slow of heart to believe the things that are written.

3. Whereas some may say, “It cannot be denied but that the Spirit dwells in believers, but yet this is not personally, but only by his grace;” I might reply that this indeed, and upon the matter, is not to distinguish but to deny what is positively affirmed. To say the Spirit dwells in us, but not the person of the Spirit, is not to distinguish de modo, but to deny the thing itself. To say, “The graces, indeed, of the Spirit are in us” (not “dwell in us,” for an accident is not properly said to dwell in its subject), “but the Spirit itself doth not dwell in us,” is expressly to cast down what the word sets up. If such distinctions ought to be of force, to evade so many positive and plain texts of Scripture as have been produced, it may well be questioned whether any truth be capable of proof from Scripture or no. Yet I say farther, to obviate such objections, and to prevent all quarrellings for the future, the Scripture itself, as to this business of the Spirit’s indwelling, plainly distinguisheth between the Spirit itself and his graces. He is, I say, distinguished from them, and that in respect to his indwelling: Rom. v. 5, “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” The Holy Ghost is given to us to dwell in us, as hath been abundantly declared, and shall yet farther be demonstrated. Here he is mentioned together with the love of God, and his shedding thereof abroad in our hearts, — that is, with his graces; and is as clearly distinguished and differenced from them as cause and effect. Take the love of God in either sense that is controverted about this place, — for our love to God or a sense of his love to us, — and it is an eminent grace of the Holy Spirit. If, then, by “The Holy Ghost given unto us,” ye understand only the grace of the Holy Ghost, he being said to be given because that is given, then this must be the sense of the place, “The grace of the Holy Ghost is shed abroad in our hearts by the grace of the Holy Ghost that is given to us.” Farther; if by “The Holy Ghost” be meant only his grace, I inquire what grace it is [that is] here by the expression intended? Is it the same with that expressed, “The love of God?” This were to confound the efficient cause with its effect. Is it any other grace that doth produce the great work mentioned? Let us know what that grace is that hath this power and energy in its band of shedding abroad the love of God in our hearts. So Rom. viii. 11, “He shall quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” This quickening of our mortal bodies is generally confessed to be (and the scope of the place enforceth that sense) our spiritual quickening in our mortal bodies, mention being made of our bodies in analogy to the body of Christ; by his death we have life and quickening. Doubtless, then, it is a grace of the Spirit that is intended; yea, the habitual principle of all graces. And this is wrought in us by the Spirit that dwelleth in us. There is not any grace of the Spirit whereby he may dwell in men antecedent to his quickening of them. Spiritual graces have not their residence in dead souls. So that this must be the Spirit himself dwelling in us that is here intended, and that personally; or the sense of the words must be, “The grace of quickening our mortal bodies is wrought in us by the grace of quickening our mortal bodies that dwelleth in us;” which is plainly to confound the cause and effect. Besides, it is the same Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead that is intended; which, doubtless, was not any inherent grace, but the Spirit of God himself, working by the exceeding greatness of his power. Thus much is hence cleared: Antecedent in order of nature to our quickening, there is a Spirit given to us to dwell in us. Every efficient cause hath at least the precedency of its effect. No graces of the Spirit are bestowed on us before our quickening; which is the preparation and fitting of the subject for the receiving of them, the planting of the root that contains them virtually, and brings them forth actually in their order. Gal. v. 22, 23, all graces whatsoever come under the name of the “fruit of the Spirit;” that is, which the Spirit, in us brings forth, as the root doth the fruit, which in its so doing is distinct therefrom. Many other instances might be given; but these may suffice.

4. There is a personality ascribed to the Holy Ghost in his dwelling in us, and that in such a way as cannot be ascribed to any created grace, which is but a quality in a subject; and this the Scripture doth three ways:— (1.) In personal appellations; (2.) In personal operations; and (3.) In personal circumstances.

(1.) There are ascribed to the indwelling Spirit, in his indwelling, personal appellations, 1 John iv. 4, “He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world,” — μείζων ἐστὶν ὁ ἐν ὑμῖν. “He that is in you” is a personal denomination, which cannot be used of any grace or gracious habit whatsoever. So John xiv. 16, 17, “He shall abide with you, he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you,” — Ὑμεῖς γινώσκετε αὐτὸ (τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας) καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν ἕσται. John xvi. 13, “But when the Spirit of truth is come,” — Ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ἐκεῖνος, τὸ Πνεῦμα. His person is here as signally designed and expressed as in any place of Scripture, to what intent or purpose soever mentioned. Neither is it possible to apprehend that the Scripture would so often, so expressly, affirm the same thing in plain, proper words, if they were not to be taken in the sense which they hold out. The main emphasis of the expression lies upon the terms that are of a personal designation, and to evade the force of them by the forementioned distinction, which they seem signally to obviate and prevent, is to say what we please, so we may oppose what pleases us not.

(2.) Personal operations, such acts and actings as are proper to a person only, are ascribed to the Spirit in his indwelling. That place mentioned before, Rom. viii. 11, is clear hereunto, “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you,” or “by his indwelling Spirit,” διὰ τοῦ ἐνοικοῦντος αὐτοῦ Πνεύματος ἐν ὑμῖν. “To quicken our moral bodies” is a personal acting, and such as cannot be wrought but by an almighty agent; and this is ascribed to the Spirit as inhabiting, which is in order of nature antecedent to his quickening of us, as was manifested. And the same is asserted, verse 16, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” That Spirit that dwells in us, hears witness in us, a distinct witness by himself distinguished from the testimony of our own spirits here mentioned, is either an act of our natural spirits, or gracious fruit of the Spirit of God in our hearts If the flint, what makes it in the things of God? Is any testimony of our natural spirits of any value to assure us that we are the children of God? If the latter, then is there here an immediate operation of the Spirit dwelling in our hearts, in witness-bearing, distinct from all the fruits of grace whatever. And on this account it is, that whereas, 1 John v. 7, 8, the Father, Son, and Spirit are said to bear witness in heaven, the Spirit is moreover peculiarly said to bear witness in the earth, together with the blood and water.

(3.) There are such circumstances ascribed to him in his indwelling as are proper only to that which is a person. I will instance only in one, — his dwelling in the saints as in a temple: 1 Cor. iii. 16, “Ye are the temple of God, the Spirit of God dwelleth in you;” that is, as in a temple. So plainly, chap. vi. 19, “Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God:” giving us both the distinction of the person of the Spirit from the other persons, “he is given us of God;” and his residence with us, being so given, “he is in us;” as also the manner of his in-being, “as in a temple.” Nothing can make a place a temple but the relation it hath unto a deity. Graces, that are but qualifications of and qualities in a subject, cannot be said to dwell in a temple. This the Spirit doth, and therefore as a voluntary agent in a habitation, not as a necessary or natural principle in a subject. And though every act of his be omnipotent intensively, being the act of an omnipotent agent, yet he worketh not in the acts extensively to the utmost of his omnipotency, lie exerteth and puts forth his power, and brings forth his grace, in the hearts of them with whom he dwells, as he pleaseth. To one he communicates more grace, to another less; yea, he gives more strength to one and the same person at one time and in one condition than at another, dividing to every one as he will, 1 Cor. xii. 11. And if this peculiar manner of his personal presence with his saints, distinct from his ubiquity or omnipresence, may not be believed, because not well by reason conceived, we shall lay a foundation for the questioning principles of faith which as yet we are not fallen out withal.

And this is our first manifestation of the truth concerning the indwelling of the Spirit in the saints, from the Scripture. The second will be from the signal issues and benefits which are asserted to arise from this indwelling of the Spirit in them; of which I shall give sundry instances.

II. 1. The first signal issue and effect which is ascribed to this indwelling of the Spirit is union; not a personal union with himself, which is impossible. He doth not assume our nature, and so prevent our personality, which would make us one person with him, but dwells in our persons, keeping his own and leaving us our personality infinitely distinct. But it is a spiritual union, — the great union mentioned so often in the gospel, that is the sole fountain of our blessedness, — our union with the Lord Christ, which we have thereby.

Many thoughts of heart there have been about this union, — what it is, wherein it doth consist, the causes, manner, and effects of it. The Scripture expresses it to be very eminent, near, durable, setting it out, for the most part, by similitudes and metaphorical illustrations, to lead poor weak creatures into some useful, needful acquaintance with that mystery, whose depths in this life they shall never fathom. That many in the days wherein we live have miscarried in their conceptions of it is evident. Some, to make out their imaginary union, have destroyed the person of Christ, and, fancying a way of uniting man to God by him, have left him to be neither God nor man. Others have destroyed the person of believers, affirming that in their union with Christ they lose their own personality, — that is, cease to be men, or at least these or those individual men.

I intend not now to handle it at large, but only (and that, I hope, without offence) to give in my thoughts concerning it, as far as it receiveth light from and relateth unto what hath been before delivered concerning the indwelling of the Spirit, and that without the least contending about other ways of expression.

I say, then, this is that which gives us union with Christ, and that wherein it consists, even that the one and self-same Spirit dwells in him and us. The first saving illapse from God upon the hearts of the elect is the Holy Spirit. Their quickening is everywhere ascribed to the Spirit that is given unto them; there is not a quickening, a life-giving power, in a quality, a created thing. In the state of nature, besides gracious dispensations and habits in the soul inclining it to that which is good, and making it a suitable subject for spiritual operations, we want also a vital principle, which should actuate the disposed subject unto answerable operations. This a quality cannot give. He that carries on the work of quickening doth also begin it, Rom. viii. 11. All graces whatever, as was said, are the “fruits of the Spirit,” Gal. v. 22, 23; and therefore, in order of nature, are wrought in men consequentially to his being bestowed on them. Now, in the first bestowing of the Spirit we have union with Christ; the carrying on whereof consists in the farther manifestation and operations of the indwelling Spirit, which is called communion. To make this evident, that our union with Christ consists in this, the same Spirit dwelling in him and us, and that this is our union, let us take a view of it, first, from Scriptural declarations of it, and then, secondly, from Scripture illustrations of it, both briefly, being not my direct business in hand:—

First, (1.) Peter tells us that it is a participation of the divine nature, 2 Pet. i. 4. We are “by the promises made partakers of the divine nature;” that is, it is promised to be given unto us, which when we receive, we are made partakers of by the promises. That this participation of the divine nature (let it be interpreted how it will) is the same upon the matter with our union with Christ, is not questioned. That φύσις θεία should be only a gracious habit, quality, or disposition of soul in us, I cannot easily receive. That is somewhere called καινὴ κτίσις, the “new creature,” but nowhere θεία φύσις, the “divine nature.” The pretended high and spiritual, but indeed gross and carnal, conceits of some from hence, destructive to the nature of God and man, I shall not turn aside to consider. What that is of the divine nature, or wherein it doth consist, that we are made partakers of by the promises, I showed before. That the person of the holy and blessed Spirit is promised to us, — whence he is called the “Holy Spirit of promise,” Eph. i. 13, — hath been, I say, by sundry evidences manifested. Upon the accomplishment of that promise, he coming to dwell in us, we are said in him, by the promises, to be made “partakers of the divine nature.” We are θείας κοινωνοὶ φύσεως, we have our communion with it. Our participation, then, of the divine nature being our union with Christ, consists in the dwelling of [the] same Spirit in him and in us, we receiving him by the promise for that end.

(2.) Christ tells us that this union arises from the eating of his flesh, and drinking of his blood: John vi. 56, “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.” The mutual indwelling of Christ and his saints is their union. “This,” saith Christ, “is from their ‘eating my flesh, and drinking my blood.’ ” But how may this be done? Many were offended when this saying was spoken. Near and close trials of sincerity drive hypocrites into apostasy. From his, Christ takes away this scruple: Verse 63, “It is,” saith he, “the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing.” It is by the indwelling of the quickening Spirit, whereby we have a real participation of Christ, whereby he dwelleth in us and we in him. So, —

(3.) He prays for his disciples, John xvii. 21, “that they all may be one, as the Father is in him, and he in the Father, that they may be one in the Father and Son;” and verse 22, “Let them be one, even as we, are one.” And that ye may not think that it is only union with and among themselves that he presses for (though, indeed, that which gives them union with Christ gives them union one with another also, and that which constitutes them of the body unites them to the Head, and there is one body because there is one Spirit, Eph. iv. 4; which even Lombard himself had some notion of, in his assertion that charity, which is in us, is the person of the Holy Ghost, from that place of the apostle, “God is love”), I say he farther manifests that it is union with himself which he intends: John xvii. 23, “I in them,” saith he, “and thou in me.” This union, then, with him, our Saviour declares by, or at least illustrates by, resemblance unto his union with the Father. Whether this be understood of the union of the divine persons of Father and Son in the blessed Trinity (the union, I mean, that they have with themselves in their distinct personality, and not their unity of essence), or the union which was between Father and Son as incarnate, it comes all to one as to the declaration of that union we have with him. The Spirit is Vinculum Trinitatis, “The bond of the Trinity,” as is commonly, and not inaptly spoken. Proceeding from both the other persons, being the love and power of them both, he gives that union to the trinity of persons, whose substratum and ground is the inestimable unity of essence wherein they are one. Or if you take it for the union of the Father with the Son incarnate, it is evident and beyond inquiry or dispute, that as the personal union of the Divine Word and the human nature was by the assumption of that nature into one personal substance with itself; so the person of the Father hath no other union with the human nature of Christ, immediately and not by the union of his own nature thereunto in the person of his Son, but what consists in that indwelling of his Spirit in all fullness in the man Christ Jesus. Now, saith our Saviour, “This union I desire they may have with me, by the dwelling of the same Spirit in me and them, whereby I am in them, and they in me, as I am one with thee, O Father.”