The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 679

THE PRAYER OF THE REGENERATED comes

Holy

Spirit

tho

were our own prayer.

//

to help our infirmities, in

us to

-pv a.y

/or

639 us, as

This lastpoint must be emphasized. The Holy Spirit prays for men and it must be maintained that every regenerated per-

called saints ;

son

a saint, his infirmities notwithstanding: a saint, not for what

is

but because of the word of Christ

"

Thou art Mine." unholy Wherefore the Sacred in himself, can not remain unreconciled. Scripture teaches that, altho we lie in the midst of death, yet in he

in himself,

is

And

these two conditions,

(i) of

:

being a saint, and

(2) still

hence we have a holiness, yet not //; us, but " Our Life is hid with Christ in God." And the same applies to our prayers. We are saints not only in name, but in deed. And therefore the prayers that ascend to the Christ

we

are holy

;

outside of us in Christ Jesus.

mercy-seat from our hearts must be holy prayers. It is the sweet incense of the prayers of the saints. But being unable of ourselves to kindle the incense, the

Holy

Spirit helps our infirmities,

and

from our hearts prays to God in our behalf. We are not conscious of it; He prays for and in us with groans that can not be uttered; which does not mean that He makes zis utter groans for which we can not account, but that

He

groans in us with affections and emo-

which may comfort

us,

but which have nothing in

tions

common

from where St. Paul declares, that He that searcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit. with the sighing of our respiratory organs. verse

This

is

clear

27,

Apart from the intercession of the Holy Spirit in our behalf there a work of His Person in our 07un prayers. The proportion between these two operations is different accord-

is also

ing to our different conditions.

The child, regenerated in the cradle

and deceased before conversion was possible, could not pray for himself the Holy Spirit prayed therefore for and in him with groans that can not be uttered. But if the child had lived and was converted at a later age, it would first have been the prayer of the Holy Spirit alone; and after his conversion his own prayers would have been added. And, even after his conversion, he may become indifferent and fall into a temporary apostasy, so that his own prayer fails altogether; yet the prayer of the Holy Spirit in him never fails. Finally, according to the measure of his spiritual growth, his ;

progress in prayer will be either slow or rapid.

The Holy

Spirit

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