The Power of God in Creation

God Is A Spirit *Stephen Charnock: Existence and Attributes of God, p 176 ff.*
Topic	Scripture	Details
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” --I John 4:24
Introduction	1. The design of our Savior is to declare, that God is not taken with external worship invented by men, no, nor command by himself; and is not taken with that pomp which is a pleasure to our earthly imaginations. 2. God, in his commands for worship, respected the discovery of his own nature. 3. God is a Spirit; he hath nothing corporeal, no mixture of matter, not a visible substance, a bodily form. He is a Spirit, not a bare spiritual substance, but an understanding, willing Spirit, holy, wise, good, and just. 4. Being a Spirit, he cannot be gratified with carnal things; he demands something better and greater than all those—that soul which he made, that soul which he hath endowed, a spirit of a frame suitable to his nature. 5. Must worship him; not they may, or it would be more agreeable to God to have such a manner of worship. It is not exclusive of bodily worship; for this were to exclude all public worship in societies, which cannot be performed without reverential postures of the body. The gestures of the body are helps to worship, and declarations of spiritual acts.
I. God Is a Pure Spiritual Being
It is not the ministry of Moses, or that old covenant, which communicates to you that Spirit it speaks of; but it is the Lord Jesus, and the doctrine of the Gospel delivered by him, whereby this Spirit and liberty is dispensed to you; he opposes here the liberty of the Gospel to the servitude of the law; it is from Christ that a divine virtue diffuseth itself by the Gospel; it is by him, not by the law, that we partake of the Spirit. The spirituality of God is as evident as his being. If we grant that God is, we must necessarily grant that he cannot be corporeal, because a body is of an imperfect nature.
Spirit is used various ways in Scripture.	Psalm 11:6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest [a spirit of tempest]: this shall be the portion of their cup. Genesis 6:17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. Psalm 104:4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: Mark 1:27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. Numbers 22:16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me: Isaiah 31:3 Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together. Luke 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. Numbers 14:24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. Hosea 4:12 My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God. Proverbs 29:11 A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.	1. Sometime it means a thin substance, as breath. 2. The principle of living substances, the vital force. 3. The purely immaterial, as good and evil angels and the souls of men, as opposed to the flesh. 4. Something above nature, not having flesh and bones, extended parts. 5. Things which are active and efficacious, an active affection. 6. Vehement motions of sin, as the “spirit of whoredoms” and a “fool utters all his spirit.” 7. The notion of a spirit is, that it is a fine, immaterial substance, an active being, that acts itself and other things. A mere body cannot act itself; as the body of man cannot move without the soul, no more than a ship can move itself without wind and waves. So God is called a Spirit, as being not a body, not having the greatness, figure, thickness, or length of a body, wholly separate from anything of flesh and matter. We find a principle within us nobler than that of our bodies; and, therefore, we conceive the nature of God, according to that which is more worthy in us, and not according to that which is the vilest part of our natures. God is a most spiritual Spirit, more spiritual than all angels, all souls. 8. We say God is a Spirit by way of negation. We better understand what God is not, than what he is; and most of knowledge of God is by this way; as when we say God is infinite, immense, immutable, they are negatives; he hath no limits, is confined to no place, admits of no change. When we remove from him what is inconsistent with his being, we do more strongly assert his being, and know more of him when we elevate him above all, and above our own capacity. And when we say God is a Spirit, it is a negation; he is not a body; he consists not of various parts, extending one without and beyond another. He is not a spirit, so as our souls are, to be the form of any body; a spirit, not as angels and souls are, but infinitely higher. We call him so, because, in regard of our weakness, we have not any other term of excellency to express or conceive of him by; we transfer it to God in honor, because spirit is the highest excellency in our nature: yet we must apprehend god above any spirit, since his nature is so great that he cannot declared by human speech, perceived by human sense, or conceived by human understanding.
II. God Is a Spirit
Some among the heathens imagined God to have a body; some thought him to have a body of air; some a heavenly body; some a human body; and many of them ascribed bodies to their gods, but bodies without blood, without corruption, bodies made up of the finest and thinnest atoms; such bodies which, if compared with ours, were not bodies. Some Christians have been of that opinion. The wiser heathen thought in an unholy thing to have such imaginations of God. Scripture and reason meet together to assert the spirituality of God. The Gentiles changed his glory into that of a corruptible man (Rom. 1:23). His name (Ex. 3:14) signifies a simple, pure, uncompounded being, without any created mixture, above the conceptions of creatures (Job. 37:23), a Father of Spirits (Heb. 12:9)
1. If God were not a Spirit, He could not be Creator.	Job 38:36 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?	Every artificer, watchmaker, carpenter, hath a model in his own mind of the work he designs to frame; the material and outward fabric is squared according to an inward and spiritual idea.
2. If God were not a pure Spirit, He could not be One.	Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:	God’s parts would either be finite, then He is no God; or infinite, then there are as many God’s as parts. Or, the parts are either of the same nature, and God is made up of many like Him; or of different natures, then God is made up of many different Gods. All such is absurd. Where there is the greatest unity, there is the greatest simplicity.
3. If God had a body, he would not be invisible.	1 Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Luke 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 1 Timothy 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. John 5:37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. Genesis 18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. Genesis 32:30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. Deuteronomy 34:10 And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, Exodus 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. Deuteronomy 4:15 Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:	1. God is invisible to our senses, hence he is not material; He is invisible to our intellect, hence he is infinite. 2. God’s works are visible to us, and we see something of Him from His works, be we can not see or perceive His essence. 3. We have seen the shape of the sun, but no man has seen the shape of God. 4. Though God has appeared in physical form, yet the essence of God no man every saw, nor can see. 5. No man can see the face of God, and no one ever saw the similitude of God.
4. If God were not a Spirit, he could not be infinite.	2 Chronicles 2:6 But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?	He hath an essence beyond the bounds of the world, and cannot be included in the vastness of the heavens.
5. If God were not a Spirit, He could not be independent.	Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.	1. The essence of a man depends upon the conjunction and union of his two main parts, his soul and body; when they are separated, the essence of a man ceaseth. 2. If God had a body, the perfection of the Deity would depend upon every part of that body; and the more parts he were compounded of, the more his dependency would be multiplied according to the number of those parts of the body: for that which is compounded of many parts is more dependent than that which is compounded of fewer. 3. If god had parts and bodily members, the essence of God would result from those parts, and those parts may be supposed to exist before God does. For that which is a part, is before that whose part it is.
6. If God were not a Spirit, he were not immutable and unchangeable.	Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.	1. God’s immutability depends upon His simplicity. Whatsoever is compounded of parts may be divided into those parts, and resolved into those distinct parts which make up and constitute the nature. Whatsoever is compounded is changeable in its own nature, though it should never be changed. 2. God is immutable by nature as well as will: as he hath a necessary existence, so he hath a necessary unchangeableness. He is as unchangeable in his essence as in his veracity and faithfulness: they are perfections belonging to his nature.
7. If God were not a Spirit, He could not be omnipresent.	Deuteronomy 4:39 Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else. Jeremiah 23:24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD. Job 11:8 It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? Deeper than hell; what canst thou know?	1. The divine essence is at once in heaven and earth; but it is impossible a body can be in two places at one and the same time. 2. Since God is everywhere, He must be spiritual. 3. If he had a body wherewith to fill heaven and earth, there could be no body besides his own.
8. God were not a Spirit, He could not be the most perfect being.	1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.	God is unboundedly perfect without any limitation; and therefor above spirits, angels, the highest creatures were made by him: an infinite sublimity, a pure act, to which nothing can be added, from which nothing can be taken. “In him there is light and no darkness,” as spirituality without any matter, perfection without any shadow or taint of imperfection.
Question: Why Are Body Parts Ascribed to God?
1. This is in condescen-sion of our weakness.	Daniel 7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. Psalm 11:4 The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.	1. By the condition of our nature, nothing erects a notion of itself in our understanding except that it is conducted in by our senses. 2. As our souls are linked with our bodies, so our knowledge is linked with our sense. 3. We are not able to conceive a spirit, without some kind of resemblance to something below it, nor understand the actions of a spirit, without considering the operations of a human body in its several members.
2. These representa-tions are to signify the acts of God.	Psalm 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. Isaiah 51:9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?	1. Those members ascribed to him rather note his visible operations to us, than his invisible nature; and signify that God does some works like to those which men do by the organs of the body. 2. The wisdom of God is called his eye, because he knows that with his mind which we see with our eyes. 3. The efficiency of God is called his hand and arm; because as we act with our hands, so doth God with his power. 4. All those are attributed to God to signify divine actions, which he doth without bodily organs as we do with them.
3. Only man’s most noble members are used to represent God’s actions.		1. The heart is ascribed to him, to signify the life he has in himself. 2. Watchful and discerning eyes, not sleepy and lazy one; a mouth to reveal His will, not to take in food. 3. He does not eat, nor sleep. Only those organs that indicate speaking, strength, power, charity, knowledge, wisdom, and compassion are ascribed to Him.
4. Possibility: could these expressions point to Christ in His incarnation?	Psalm 78:1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. Matthew 13:34,35 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. John 12:40,41 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. 41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. [See Is. 6] Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.	1. What is said of God figuratively, may be said of Christ literally, for He is God manifest in the flesh. 2. Though God was heard in a voice, he was not seen in a shape; but after the fall we several times read of his appearing in such a form; though we read of his speaking before man’s committing of sin, yet not of his walking, which is more corporeal, till afterwards. 3. Though God would not have man believe him to be corporeal, yet he judged it expedient to give some prenotices of that divine incarnation which he had promised.

5.We must not conceive of such expressions according to the letter, but according to the true intent.

Job 10:4 Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?

2 Chronicles 32:8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Psalm 36:7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

Hosea 13:7,8 Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them: 8 I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.

Genesis 11:5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

1. When Christ is called a sun, a vine, bread, is any so stupid as to conceive him to be a vine with material branches, and clusters, or be of the name nature with a loaf?

2. things designed by such metaphors are obvious to the conception of a mean understanding. If we would conceive God to have a body like a man, because he describes himself so, we may conceit him to be like a bird, or with wings, or like a lion or leopard, a rock, a horn, fire, etc.

3. We should conceive of God according to the expressions; when we read of his eyes, we should conceive his omniscience; of his hand, his power; of his sitting, his immutability; of his throne, his majesty; and conceive of him as surmounting, not only the grossness of bodies, but he spiritual excellence of the most dignified creatures; something so perfect, great, spiritual, as nothing can be conceived higher and purer.

Use 1: Man is not the image of God according to His external bodily form and figure.

Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Deuteronomy 4:15,16 Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire: 16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

Acts 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

1. The image of God cannot be in that part which is common to us with beasts, bur rather in that wherein we excel all living creatures, in reason, understanding, and an immortal spirit.

2. The soul comes nearest the nature of God, as being a spiritual substance; yet considered singly, in regard of the spiritual substance, cannot well be said to be the image of God; a beast, because of its corporeity, may as well be called the image of a man, for there is a greater similitude between man and a brute, in the rank of bodies, than there can be between God and the highest angels in the rank of spirits.

3. This image consists partly in the state of man, as he had dominion over the creatures; partly in the nature of man, as he was an intelligent being, and thereby was capable of having a grant of that dominion but principally in the conformity of the soul with God, in the frame of his spirit, and holiness of his actions.

Use 2: it is unreasonable to frame any image of picture of God.

Exodus 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

Deuteronomy 5:8,9 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: 9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

Isaiah 40:18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

1. If God can be pictured in human shape, then why not as a lion, horn, eagle, rock, etc.? Yet God has absolutely forbidden this, with the greatest of threatenings.

After the prohibition against having any other gods before Him, Jehovah forbids all figuring of him by the hand of man; not only images, but any likeness of him, either by things in heaven, in the earth, or in the water.

The followings shows the unreasonableness of images:

It is impossible. None knows him but himself. He is a simple, infinite, immense, eternal, invisible, incorruptible being; a statue is a compounded, finite, limited, temporal, visible, and corruptible body.

It is unworthy of God. Whosoever thinks a car-

Jeremiah 10:8,14 But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities. 14 Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

Romans 1:22-27 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

Exodus 32:31 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.

Hosea 10:15 So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.

Genesis 31:30 And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father’s house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?

Exodus 32:4,5 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD.

Genesis 3:16,17 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. 17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Psalm 106:19,20 They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. 20 Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.

1 Corinthians 10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

Job 31:26-28 If I beheld the sun when it shined, or themoon walking in brightness; 27 And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand: 28 This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.

Acts 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

nal corruptible image to be fit for a representation of God, renders God no better than a carnal and a corporeal being.

c) Yet this is natural to man. Such was the golden calf of Israel: their worship was not terminated on the image, but they worshipped the true God under that image. We see the inclination of our natures in the practice of the Israelites; a people chosen out of the whole world to bear up God’s name, and to preserve his glory; and in that the images of God were so soon set up in the Christian church; and to this day, the picture of God, in the shape of an old man, is visible in the temple of the Romanists.

d) To so worship God is idolatry. Israel did not acknowledge the calf to be God, nor intended a worship to any of the Egyptian deities, but worshipped God in it and honored God for their deliverance from Egypt, yet it is called an Idolatry by the apostle. God has sufficiently manifested his works without images, in the heavens and in His creatures. His glory sparkles in the heavens, sun, moon, and stars, as being magnificent pieces of his wisdom and power. If our worship terminates in the image, all confess that to be folly; if not in the image, it is still foolish, we may as well terminate our worship on the true object, God Himself. It is no part of the divine institution, has no authority of a command to support it, no cordial of a promise to encourage it, and the image being infinitely distant from, and below the majesty and spirituality of God, cannot constitute one object of worship with him.

III. This Doctrine will direct us in our conceptions of God,

as a pure, perfect Spirit, than which nothing can be imagined

more perfect, more pure, more spiritual.

1. We cannot have an adequate or suitable conception of God, but we must not conceive of him under a human or corporeal shape.

Daniel 7:9,13

9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

Exodus 22:4 If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.

Psalm 50:17,21

17 Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee. 21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

Job 42:6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

1. Daniel saw a vision wherein such representations were made, as were accommodated to the inward sense of Daniel; wherein outward senses are of no use.

2. We may indeed conceive of Christ as man, who has in heaven the vestment of our nature, though we cannot conceive the godhead under a human shape.

a. To have such a fancy is to disparage and wrong God. God is a pure Spirit. When men fancy God like themselves in their corporeal nature, they will soon make a progress, and ascribe t him their corrupt nature; and while they clothe him with their bodies, invest him also in the infirmities of them.

b. Such fancies obstruct and pollute our worship of Him. We must have a low opinion of our corruption in order to rightly worship God. The higher sense we have of Him, the viler we will appear.

c. Every thought of God, however, will make us reflect on our own being. We cannot possibly think or speak of God, unless we transfer the names of created perfections to him; yet we are to conceive of them in a higher manner when we apply them to the Divine nature, than when we consider them in the several creatures formally.

d. We are therefore to elevate and refine all our notions of God, and spiritualize our conceptions of Him. Whatever God is, he is infinitely so: he is infinite Wisdom, infinite Goodness, infinite Knowledge, infinite Power, infinite Spirit; infinitely distinct from the weakness of creatures, infinitely mounted above the excellencies of creatures: as easy to be known that he is, as impossible to be comprehended what he is.

Inferences

Hebrews 1:13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?

Isaiah 31:3 Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

1 Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Ephesians 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

Psalm 90:1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

Psalm 58:1 Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

Hebrews 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Ephesians 2:2,3 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

1. No corporeal thing can defile Him. What place can defile a spirit? Does a dunghill defile the light that shines upon it?

2. God is active an communicative. God can pierce into the center of all spirits; make His way into the most secret recesses; stamp what He pleases. God is active because He is spirit; and if we be like to God, the more spiritual we are, the more active we shall be.

3. God is immortal.

4. We can only communicate with Him by our spirits.

5. Only spirit can be filled with spirit; our true satisfaction must be in our spirits.

6. We should take most care of our spirits.

7. We must particularly heed those sins which are spiritual. When we make our spirits, which are most like to God in their nature, and framed according to his image, a stage to act vain imaginations, wicked desires, and unclean affections, we wrong God in the excellency of his work, and reflect upon the nobleness of the pattern; we wrong him in that part where he hath stamped the most signal character of his own spiritual nature. Spiritual sins are the greatest root of bitterness within us.