Baptism And The Abiding Spirit

Ipse hoc declarat Deus dicens: Non permanebit spiritus meus in hominibus, quia carnes sunt. Spiritus sanctus spiritus sapientiae est, spiritus cognitionis. Habet ergo sapientiam, habet et disciplinam, sicut et de Beseleel qui sacrum tabernaculum divino oraculo jussus est facere, ait Scriptura: Quia repletus est spiritu prudentiae et disciplinae. Hic ergo spiritus datur hominibus, sed non permanet. Qua autem ratione non permanet, causa proditur, quia caro sunt. Carnis enim natura disciplinae repugnat, quia voluptati obtemperat. Denique de solo Domino Jesu scriptum est: Super quem videritis Spiritum descendentem de coelo, et manentem super eum, hic est qui baptizat Spiritu sancto. In eo enim manebat, quem nulla corruptelae carnalis impedimenta revocabant, quominus incorruptae et impermixtae ordinem disciplinae teneret, cujus caro non vidit corruptionem. Sanctus Ambrosius Mediolanensis, De Noe et Arca, Caput III  Migne PL 14 365

God Himself declares this saying, 'My spirit will not remain in men because they are flesh.' 1 The Holy Spirit is the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of knowledge. He therefore has wisdom and discipline, as even Scripture says of Bezalel who by the command of the Divine oracle made the sacred tabernacle: 'Because He is filled with the spirit of prudence and discipline.' 2 Here, then, the Spirit may be given to men, but it does not remain. And for what reason it does not remain, the cause is given: because they are flesh. For it is the nature of the flesh to cast off discipline because it is is obedient to pleasure. Then concerning the only Lord Jesus Christ it is written, 'Over whom you shall see the Spirit descending from heaven and remaining upon Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 3 For on Him it remained because no impediment of corrupt flesh recalled it, which to prevent He held to the way of incorrupt and pure discipline, whose flesh did not see corruption. Saint Ambrose, from On Noah and the Ark, Chap 3 1 Gen 6.3 2 Exod 31.3 3 Jn 1.33