The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 592

LOVE

552

when God's

children, active in whatever part of heaven, shall en-

and intimate communion, one in Imraanuel, all parsame Love. Why is the communion of saints an article of the creed of the Church on earth? (i) Because in the invisible world it is even now

joy

full, rich,

takers of the

a

because

reality J (2)

because

it is

it is

implied in the nature 0/ the case j and (3)

already active in the germ.

First, it exists already /'« the invisible world ; iov there is a triumphant Church above. Millions upon millions are fallen asleep in their Lord, and have entered the halls of the eternal Light. And

altho to

as

it

fied

now

them the

body

Kingdom

glory of the

is

not revealed, tarrying

detracts from the full

still

communion

of saints, yet

even

the departed saints and martyrs live in such heavenly felicity

that the

ant

full

does until after the Judgment Day, and the absence of the glori-

it

word

of the Psalmist,

"

Behold,

how good and how

pleas-

for brethren to dwell together in unity," can be applied

is

only to that heavenly company. Second,

and altho

in that sense

implied and does exist

not found on the earth, yet

it is

it

and as such it of must be the object of faith. We profess to believe in the Holy Spirit, who does not live apart from the Church, but has descended in the Church and in all the members of Christ, in whom He dwells and works which fact He seeks to bring to their individual conAnd since it is the essence of self-denial on the part sciousness. of the saint to let the Holy Spirit work in him more and more, being only a colaborer himself, it is evident that the activity of faith must have this one result: that there is in all God's saints but one Worker, working in you and me and in all who love the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a fact of which all are conscious, the effect of which must be the most intimate harmony of life, one growth from the same root, and a strong mutual attracIn the one Holy Spirit the work in tion between all the members. the souls of all must concentrate. It may not appear on the surface, but underneath the surface all these waters must flow together is

in the nature

the case j

;

in the

communion

Third,

the

germ

own

and of

of saints.

this is verified

it

in the earth.

intimate circle

of old

hymns;

it

:

is

by experience

To some

;

for

extent

in the reading of old books,

clearly discover

is

evident in our

and

in the singing

when we hear how God's work prosplaces, in other countries, and among other

evident

pers or suffers in other

we

it

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