The Holy Ghost, why called a Spirit
THOMAS GOODWIN.‡
PHILIP NYE.‡
A FOUNTAIN SEALED
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom we are sealed until the day of redemption.—EPH. 4:30.
Whether these words are a command issuing from authority, or counsel from wisdom, or a warning from God's care for our souls, it is not significant, considering that both counsel and warnings from the great God possess the force of a command, accompanied by a touch of love's sweetness. The apostle, in his customary manner, moves from a specific dissuasion against corrupt speech in the preceding verse to this general advice of not grieving the Spirit of God through sin, particularly when acting against an enlightened conscience. This dissuasion from evil is reinforced by the dangerous consequence of grieving the Spirit of God, and the danger arises from the fact that it is the Spirit of God and God Himself whom we grieve
—a holy Spirit: holy in His own nature, and holy as the source of all holiness within us. He, after working holiness in us, seals and confirms us in that state of grace until the day of our glorious redemption. Therefore, the reasons for not grieving lie in the greatness and goodness of the person whom we grieve and the magnitude and constancy of the benefits we receive from Him. To say something about the person: the Holy Spirit is called a Spirit not