Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

"THOU holy Spirite, we pray to the
Strengthe our fayth and increase it alwaye;
Comforth our hertes in adversite
With trewe beleve bothe nyght and daye.
Kirieleyson.

"Thou worthy lyght, that art so cleare,
Teache us Christe Jesu to knowe alone;
That we have never cause to feare
In hym to have redempcyon.

Kirieleyson.

"Thou swete love, graunt us altogether

To be unfayned in charite;

That we may all love one another,

And of one mynde alwaye to be.

Kirieleyson.

"Be thou our comfortoure in all nede;
Make us to feare nether death nor shame;
But in the treuth to be stablyshed,

That Sathan put us not to blame.

Kirieleyson."

BISHOP COVERDALE, 1488-1569.

PREFACE.

THE subject of the following chapters needs no prefatory introduction to the Christian. reader. In itself eternally and divinely important, it has become in the mercy of God a special subject of our own time. Far and wide in the Christian Church, amidst too many phenomena of peril and perplexity, we hail as a phenomenon of good and glorious omen an ever-deepening attention to the divine promises which gather round the truth of the Holy Ghost. More and ever more it is recognized by those who name the Name of the SON that, alike for individual blessing and for the work and witness of the Community, we depend with an absolute need upon the presence and power of the SPIRIT.

May these pages, for all their fragmentary character, be used in some measure by HIM of whom they speak to stir up His saints so always to lay hold on Him that He evermore may lay hold on them, and graciously fill them with Himself.

CAMBRIDGE,

March 28th, 1890.

CONTENTS.

Purpose of the Book-Owen's theory of successive tests
of orthodox faith-Present supreme importance of
the truth of the Holy Spirit-The Veni Creator at
the Pleissenburg-The Personality of the Holy Spirit
-John xiv.-xvi. the ruling passage for its proof-
Affecting the interpretation of Scripture testimonies
at large—Reserve in the Scripture exhibition of the
Personality-Why?-Christ not Himself His subject
in the Scriptures-And in His dealings with the soul
-The truth of His Personality is full of life and
love-The writer's testimony-It is a truth meant
to be prominent in faith and experience-Rightful-
ness of prayer addressed to the Spirit-Addendum
-The Sin of Railing against the Holy Ghost

PAGE

-The Epistles to the Churches-The Spirit produced
and maintained the Manhood, the Son assumed It—
No independent Personality of the Manhood-Yet its
holiness and power was by the Holy Spirit -
Strengthening power of this truth-Place of Christ
in the Spirit's saving work for us-All parts of the
life of grace and faith are by the Spirit-And the
Life itself is Christ, in the mystical Union—Thus
the Spirit imparts not Himself, but Christ-Practical
spiritual importance of holding this truth and wit-
nessing to it

PAGE

· 24

(1) The Holy Spirit as the Interpreter of Scripture-
Cowper's hymn-How is the work done?-Not by
supernatural illumination of the nature of infallible

« AnteriorContinuar »