Safeguarding the New Experience
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Spirit, the soul is enlightened, and the character is renewed, sanctified,
and uplifted.
Through the deep movings of the Spirit of God, I have had opened
before me the character of the work of the visitation of the Spirit of
God. I have had opened before me the danger in which souls would
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be placed who had been thus visited; for afterward, they would have
to meet fiercer assaults of the enemy, who would press upon them his
temptations to make of none effect the workings of the Spirit of God,
and cause that the momentous truths presented and witnessed by the
Holy Spirit, should not purify and sanctify those who had received the
light of heaven, and thus cause that Christ should not be glorified in
them.
The period of great spiritual light, if that light is not sacredly
cherished and acted upon, will be turned into a time of corresponding
spiritual darkness. The impression made by the Spirit of God, if men
do not cherish the sacred impression, and occupy holy ground, will
fade from the mind. Those who would advance in spiritual knowledge
must stand by the very fount of God, and drink again and again from
the wells of salvation so graciously opened unto them. They must
never leave the source of refreshment; but with hearts swelling with
gratitude and love at the display of the goodness and compassion of
God, they must be continually partakers of the living water.
Oh, how much this means to every soul—“I am the light of the
world”; “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger
[for anything more satisfying]; and he that believeth on me shall never
thirst” (
John 8:12
;
6:35
). To come to this condition means that you
have found the Source of light and love, and have learned when and
how you may be replenished, and may make use of the promises of
God by continually applying them to your souls.
“But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not”
(
John 6:36
). This has been literally fulfilled in the cases of many; for
the Lord gave them a deeper insight into truth, into His character of
mercy and compassion and love; and yet after being thus enlightened,
they have turned from Him in unbelief. They saw the deep movings
of the Spirit of God; but when the insidious temptations of Satan
came in, as they always will come after a season of revival, they did
not resist unto blood, striving against sin; and those who might have
stood on vantage ground, had they made a right use of the precious
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