They are either hypocrites or formalists or back-sliding Christians who have not a daily and growing sense of their need of the Lord Jesus Christ in all His Offices, and of the Holy Spirit in His illuminating, quickening, and sanctifying influences. (See Phil. 3 8-14). Paul when thirty years in Christ, felt as much, and perhaps more, his need of Christ then the first time he closed with Him. They who are really in Christ come daily to Him in the exercise of humble and believing prayer. They come for a present salvation, for a new heart, for new tokens of pardon, for true faith, true love to God, true repentance unto life, true zeal for the divine glory, true indignation against sin, and victory over it, and for a true meetness for the heavenly world.
The true people of God are desirous that the devil and hell may be cast out of their souls in this life, and that the kingdom of God, which consists in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost may be established within them. They who are exercised about these things, and cannot be content without them, have a true and lively faith, and those who say or think, that they rest upon Christ, and are not exercised about these things, whatever appearance of holiness, comfort, joy, and assurance they possess, they in their present state are but the devil’s lambs and going quietly and comfortably to hell. They who can live quietly with the hell of in-dwelling sin in their souls in this world, shall be shut up in a hell of misery and sin in the next; for sin must and will go to its own place if not destroyed. Let professors say what they please, if they are not seeking above all things the glorious work of regeneration and sanctification in their souls they are growing more like devils and ripening for hell. On the other hand they who are tortured and tormented with sin, and are desirous above all things to be made new creatures in Christ and perfectly holy, are preparing as vessels of mercy for heaven and glory. We have many professors of religion but few new creatures. Indeed it is a rare thing to meet with a person really seeking after a change of nature; the most of professors are on very good terms with themselves, and this is a sure evidence that the Holy Spirit is not dealing savingly with their souls.
When the Spirit commences to destroy the work of the devil, there is an uproar in the soul; then the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh, because they are contrary to each other. The warfare gets hotter and hotter as the work of grace advances. Satan and sin say, if we are forced out of the soul at last, we will do all that we can against the Holy Spirit and the new creature while we remain. If we are not able to destroy the new creature we will at least make it groan, and weep, and cry. The Holy Spirit put it here to disturb our rest and repose. Now the devil and sin outwit themselves here, for the new creature runs and tells God all what sin and Satan are doing against him. “Lord thou seest how vile I am, like and worse than a devil, and a picture of hell; Oh Lord I am sore oppressed, undertake for me. Oh destroy the devil’s work in me; if thou wilt not destroy sin in me, it will destroy me in time and eternity. Lord give me an holy nature to hate sin and to strive successfully against it. Write thy lovely law upon my heart, that I may delight in it after the inward man. Oh Lord save me or I perish, for I know I can do nothing but destroy myself; convert, humble, quicken and sanctify me in spite of myself (the carnal mind). Take hold of my soul by Thy Spirit and grace as the angel took hold of Lot and pulled him out of Sodom. Lord pull me out of myself, and every refuge of lies, for I feel Sodom within me. Pull me unto Christ, and pull me on in progressive sanctification, and never let me go, but make me like unto Thy blessed self, and meet for glory.” Now if you are really exercised about these things, your soul is in health and prospering before God.
— From a letter to a friend in Soul Distress, by the Late Rev. William Stewart, Lochee.
(See Romans, Chapter 7.)