The Christian the Temple of God
I. This is the misery of sin, that it brings what is so unholy, so close, into the Presence of the All-Holy. Sin begins in thought, yet thought is of the soul, and in the soul dwelleth God the Holy Spirit. Thought goes on to consent of the will. No deadly sin is committed, but the soul has first willed it; it has willed it in the very presence of God; not afar off, not under heaven, not under His holy eye alone, but there where He came to hallow us; where by the voice of our conscience, He pleaded with us; where, if we held on in sin, we must first stifle our conscience, that is, deaden His voice, nay, cast Him forth. Yet however marred, defiled, sin-stained, a soul may be, He hath not left that soul, which can yet loathe its own stains, His love hath not yet forsaken the soul which can yet hate what it has been, and long to love Him whom once she would not have to reign over her. Yea, He will yet fan that remaining spark into a flame which shall kindle the whole soul.
II. Great as God's gift is, the soul which can contain it cannot contain the world also. The soul can contain God who is infinite, for He hath said, "I will dwell in them and walk in them." The whole world cannot fill the soul, for it can be filled by nothing but God. Had it all the kingdoms of the earth and the glory of them, it would still crave; for they are ashes and not bread, earth, and not its God. For although all the world could not fill it and it can contain God, it cannot contain the world and God, for God is a jealous God. He, the infinite source of love, must be loved with an entire love. He would give us all He is. He asks of us in return the nothingness we are. Seek therefore to win thy soul more and more from all which is not God. Seek as thou mayest to win to Him the souls of thy brethren whom Christ hath made His own. Commit thyself daily to God, to guard thee as His own shrine.
E. B. Pusey, Sermons from Advent to Whitsuntide,p. 342.
References: John 14:15-17. H. W. Beecher, Christian World Pulpit,vol. vii., p. 275; W. Roberts, Ibid.,vol. ix., p. 332; D. Bagot, Church of England Pulpit,vol. xiv., p. 73. Joh 14:15-21. A. B. Bruce, The Training of the Twelve,p. 388. John 14:15-31. Clergyman's Magazine,vol. ii., p. 270. John 14:16. Spurgeon, Sermons,vol. xviii., No. 1074; E. Cooper, Practical Sermons,p. 230; J. Armstrong, Parochial Sermons,p. 272; C. Stanford, The Evening of our Lord's Ministry,p. 93; J. Vaughan, Fifty Sermons,9th series, p. 107; W. Hutchings, The Person and Work of the Holy Ghost,p. 78.