The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 251

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THE WORK OF GRACE A UNIT

211

His glory shines with greater brightness, and His rejoicings with the children of

men

are complete.

However, while the Triune God anticipates from before the foundation of the world the ingathering and glorification of the glorificasaints, Scripture clearly reveals that this ingathering and love is shed God's Spirit. Holy the of work adorable tion is the abroad in our hearts by

The

the

Holy Spirit who

Scripture gives this

work

is

given unto

of the Spirit a

us.

prominent place

not to the exclusion of the Father and the Son, yet so that this personal work is always effected by the Holy Spirit. And the Scripture puts this so strongly that the Catechism speaks, not incorrectly, of three things in our most holy faith of God the Father :

and our Creation, of only of

God

God

the Son and our Redemption, and then

the Holy Ghost and our Sanctification.

And

this is not

For surprising. First, as we have seen already, in the economy of the Triune God it is the Holy Spirit who comes in closest contact with the creature and fills him. Hence it is His peculiar work to enter man's heart, and in its recesses to proclaim God's grace until he believes.

He brings every work of the Triune God to its consumHence He perfects the work of objective grace by the

Second, mation.

saving of souls, thus realizing its final purpose. Third, He quickens life. He hovers over the waters of chaos, and breathes into man the breath of life. In perfect harmony with the sinner dead in trespasses and sin can not live except he be quickened by the Spirit of all quickening, whom the Church has always invoked, saying: " Veni, Creator Spiritus." Fourth, He takes the things of Christ and glorifies Him. The Son does not distribute His treasures, but the Holy Spirit. And

this,

since the entire salvation of the

redeemed consists

in the fact that

dead and withered hearts are joined to Christ, the Source of salvation, we must praise the Holy Spirit for doing it.

their

Hence

in the constraining desire of divine love for the individual work of the Holy Spirit

salvation of chosen but lost creatures, the

evidently occupies the most conspicuous place. Our knowledge of God is not complete except we know Him as the Blessed Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. But as "no man cometh to the

Father but by Me." and "no

man knoweth

the Father save the

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