The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 528

SANCTIFICATION

488 him

mounted, with spur and knee, rein and make the horse do what it should And the same is true of sanctification. Unless the breath of do. the Lord blow through the garden of the soul, not a leaf can stir. The Lord alone performs the work from the beginning to the end. But He performs it partly by the aid of means; and the instrument chosen is often man himself, who cooperates with God. And to this human instrumentality the Scripture refers when, in connection with sanctification, it admonishes us to good works. As in nature God gives the seed and the forces in the soil and rain and sunshine to mature the fruit of the earth, while at the same time He uses the farmer to perfect His work, so it is also in sanctification God causes it to work effectually but He employs the human instrument to cooperate with Him, as the saw works together with him that handles it. victory

;

but after he

is

voice, he uses all his strength to

;

:

However,

this

should not be understood as tho in sanctification

God had made Himself strument. tification,

This

is

absolutely dependent upon the

impossible

but new&v further

Moreover, he

is

;

it.

human

in-

by nature man can indeed mar sancBy nature he hates and opposes it.

absolutely unable to produce from his

nature anything for his growth in sanctification.

own

corrupt

His instrumental

cooperation should therefore not be abused either by ascribing to

man

a power for good, or to obscure the work of God.

Careful discrimination disposition is the Lord.

is

He

necessary.

The combined

that implants the holy

exertions of all these in-

struments could not implant one single feature of the holy mind, any more than all the carpenter's tools together could draw the

molding of one panel. with

all their

draw a

the rough marble.

And

is

artist paints

upon the canvas; but

The

single figure.

selves his chisel, mallet,

ner

The

exertions his palette, brush, and paint-box could never sculptor molds the image but of themand stool can not detach a single chip from ;

To engrave

the features of holiness in the sin-

a work in the highest sense

the Artist

who

executes

it is

artistic,

unspeakably divine.

the Lord, as St. Paul calls

the Artist and Architect of the City which has foundations. fact that the

Lord

is

The

pleased to use instruments for some parts of

the work does not impart to

them any

value,

much

less

any

to accomplish anything of themselves without the Artist.

the only Worker.

Him,

ability

He

is

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