Post #5969

From Challoner's Meditations: WHITSUN-THURSDAY ON THE MARKS OF THE HOLY GHOST’S ABIDING IN THE SOUL Consider first, that the surest way to make a judgment whether the Holy Ghost abides in the soul or not, is by his fruits. The Spirit of God never lies idle: he is a fire that is always active, always in motion, always tending upwards. If we find nothing of this in our soul we have reason to fear he is not there. His fruits are charity, joy, peace, patience, &c. If we have none of these fruits, he is not with us. My son, what is thy faith? Is it firm? Is it lively? Or is it not rather dull and dead? Does it show itself in the practice of thy life? Dost thou live by faith? What is thy hope? What is thy sense of the things of eternity? What is thy esteem of spiritual things? What is thy devotion? What is thy love for God and thy neighbour? What is thy desire of making a daily progress in the way of God? By examining thyself upon these heads, it will be easy to judge whether the Holy Ghost be with thee or nor. But especially there is no surer mark of this divine spirit abiding in the soul, than a constant and fervent desire of loving God daily more and more, and of ever knowing and doing his holy will in all things. Dost thou find in thyself this earnest desire of loving and pleasing God? If so, the Spirit of God cannot be far from thee. Consider 2ndly, that as there is an infinite opposition between the spirit of God and wilful sin, so one of the surest marks of the Holy Ghost’s residing in the soul, is a settled constant abhorrence of wilful sin, with a fixed determination of the soul never to admit for the future any such sin, upon any consideration whatsoever. My soul, what is thy disposition in this regard? Art thou fully determined to be ever faithful and loyal to thy God, both in life and death? Dost thou resolutely renounce Satan and all his works, both for the present time and for ever? Is it thy constant and settled resolution never to transgress the holy law and commandments of God for any worldly honour, interest, or pleasure, for any respect of person, for any fear or love, for anything that the world can give or take away, or for any other consideration? If this be thy sincere disposition and determination, the Holy Ghost is with thee; but if thou art not thus determined, there is no room for him in thy soul, because Satan is there.