The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 121

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arranging all things in Creation, proceeded the holy disposition and arrangement with reference to the Incarnation. And as the correlated acts of the Father and the Son in Creation and Providence receive animation and perfection through the Holy Spirit, so there is in the Incarnation a peculiar act of the Holy Spirit through which the acts of Father and Son in this mystery receive completion and manifestation. Therefore it is said in Heb. x. 7 of the Triune God "A body Thou hast prepared Me"; while it is also declared that that which is conceived in Mary is of the Holy Ghost. This, however, may not be explained in the ordinary sense. It might be said that there is nothing wonderful in this, for Job " The Spirit of the Lord hath given me 4), and of Christ we read that He was born of Mary, being conceived by the Holy Ghost. These two cover the same ground. Both instances connect the birth of a child with an act of the Holy Spirit. While, as regards the birth of Christ, we do not deny this ordinary act of the Holy Spirit, which is essential to the quickening of all life, especially that of a human being, yet we do deny that the conception by the Holy Spirit was the ordinary act. The ancient confession, " I believe in Jesus Christ, His Only-Begotton Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy G/iosf,"reiersto a divine miracle and a deep mystery, in which the work of the Holy Spirit must be

declares (chap, xxxiii. life,"

glorified.

Accordingly a complete analysis of this work is impossible. If it would cease to be a miracle. Wherefore let us look into this matter only with deepest reverence, and not advance theories not,

Word of God. What God has been pleased to we know what His Word only hints we can know only in outlines; and what is advanced outside of the Word is only

contrary to the reveal faint

the

;

of a

efifort

In this

meddlesome

work

of the

spirit or

Holy

First, the creation of the

Spirit

unhallowed

curiosity.

two things must be distinguished:

human

nature of Jesus.

Secondly, His separation from sinners.

On

the

first

point, the Scripture teaches that

no man ever could

claim paternal connection with Jesus. Joseph appears and acts as the stepfather of Christ; but of a fellowship of life and origin

between him and Jesus the Scripture never speaks. Indeed, Joseph's neighbors regarded Jesus as the Son of the carpenter, but the Scripture always treats this as an error. St. John, declaring that 6

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