​August 17

Quench not the Spirit — 1 Thes. 5:19.
 
The Spirit of the Lord among His people is compared to "a flame of sacred love" for the Lord and all connected with His cause; this flame is enkindled through the Divine message in each one individually, when receiving the holy Spirit, and pertains to the Church collectively, under the guidance of that Spirit. In proportion as the Church grows in knowledge and in love and in fellowship with the Lord this "flame of sacred love" will make it a light in the world, a city set on a hill, which cannot be hid—Z '03, 25 (R 3135).
 
From this verse it is apparent that the Spirit is not Jehovah; for if it were, such an exhortation would be both unnecessary and absurd. How foolish and unnecessary to exhort us not to annihilate the Almighty and Self-existent One! Understanding the Spirit as the Lord's disposition in us, the exhortation is both wise and necessary. Just as a candle light can be extinguished, so can the Spirit, a holy light, be quenched by sin, error, selfishness or worldliness gaining dominance over us. The Spirit once quenched, unlike the candle, which may be relighted, cannot be rekindled. Therefore let us give all diligence not to quench this priceless light, else we will remain in perpetual darkness; and how great would that darkness be!—P '33, 111.
 
Parallel passages: Rom. 8:1-16; 1 Cor. 2:10-16; Isa. 11:2, 3; John 7:39; 1:12, 13; Gal. 5:22, 23; Eph. 1:17, 18; 1 John 4:1, 6; 2 Tim. 1:7; Eph. 4:30; Isa. 7:13; 63:10.

Hymns: 90, 267, 95, 125, 196, 1, 249.
Poems of Dawn, 89: Filled With Christ's Fulness.
Tower Reading: Z '12, 343 (R 5129).

Questions: Have I this week increased or quenched the Spirit? How? What helped or hindered therein?

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FILLED WITH CHRIST'S FULNESS

JESUS, my Lord, Thou art my life,
My rest in labor, strength in strife;
Thy love begets my love of Thee;
Thy fullness that which filleth me.

Long, long I struggled ere I knew
My struggling vain, my life untrue.
I sought by efforts of mine own
What is the gift of Christ alone.

I prayed, and wrestled in my prayer,
I wrought, but self was ever there;
Joy never came, nor rest, nor peace,
Nor faith, nor hope, nor love's increase.

Mine effort vain, my weakness learned,
Weary, from self to Christ I turned,
Content to let His fulness be
An unbought fulness unto me.

Life's heavenly secret was revealed— ​
In Christ all riches are concealed.
We try and fail; we ask, He gives,
And in His rest our spirit lives.

O peaceful rest! O Life Divine!
Mine efforts cannot make Thee mine.
I yield my sinful heart to Thee,
And in Thy love Thou fillest me.

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