Every Believer has experienced the renewing of the Holy Ghost; sin has not dominion over him. He perceives the beauty of holiness, and loathes himself on account of sin. He would be internally holy, and externally conformed to the precepts of the Bible.
He would pray with fervour; praise with gratitude; believe with confidence; war against sin, Satan, and the flesh with courage; and glorify God by every feeling, thought, word, and action. Thus he feels, and for this he prays in his best moments; but he finds that he needs the frequent renewing of the Holy Spirit, for he is prone to sink into coldness, deadness, darkness, and stupidity, and he is obliged to cry out, "My soul cleaveth unto the dust; quicken Thou me according unto Thy word."
The Lord must work in us to WILL as well as to DO; for by nature we are unwilling, and the desire after holiness, proved by effort to obtain it, is from God. Beloved, you must be coming to Jesus daily for fresh supplies of the Spirit, or you will find yourself not only weak, but careless; not only will the power of godliness decline, but you will become indifferent. Watch against temptation. Watch unto prayer. Watch over your own heart.
O Lord, assist me through the fight, My drooping spirit raise; Make me triumphant in Thy might, And Thine shall be the praise.
Written by James Smith for his own flock around 1840, but such was the demand that by 1846 over thirty thousand copies where in circulation.
James Smith was a predecessor of Charles Spurgeon at New Park Street Chapel in London from 1841-1850. He also ministered with great blessing in Cheltenham. His devotional, The Believer's Daily Remembrancer, subtitled Pastor's Morning and Evening Visit, was very popular in its own day, and has received a new lease of life through recent republication.
Every Believer has experienced the renewing of the Holy Ghost; sin has not dominion over him. He perceives the beauty of holiness, and loathes himself on account of sin. He would be internally holy, and externally conformed to the precepts of the Bible.
He would pray with fervour; praise with gratitude; believe with confidence; war against sin, Satan, and the flesh with courage; and glorify God by every feeling, thought, word, and action. Thus he feels, and for this he prays in his best moments; but he finds that he needs the frequent renewing of the Holy Spirit, for he is prone to sink into coldness, deadness, darkness, and stupidity, and he is obliged to cry out, "My soul cleaveth unto the dust; quicken Thou me according unto Thy word."
The Lord must work in us to WILL as well as to DO; for by nature we are unwilling, and the desire after holiness, proved by effort to obtain it, is from God. Beloved, you must be coming to Jesus daily for fresh supplies of the Spirit, or you will find yourself not only weak, but careless; not only will the power of godliness decline, but you will become indifferent. Watch against temptation. Watch unto prayer. Watch over your own heart.
O Lord, assist me through the fight, My drooping spirit raise; Make me triumphant in Thy might, And Thine shall be the praise.