The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 569

THE LOVE OF THE HOLY

529

an advantage in the use of the metaphor " to pour out." teaches that the dwelling of the Holy Spirit in the congregation of

There

is

the elect

is

It

SPIRIT IN US

aloof from

neither inactive, nor from compulsion keeping himself but that He can not come among them

their persons

;

without pouring Himself out in them. And, dwelling in the elect. He does not slumber, nor does He keep an eternal Sabbath, in idleness shutting Himself up in their hearts but as the divine Worker He seeks from within to fill their individual persons, pouring the ;

stream of His divine brightness through every space. But we should not imagine that every believer is instantly

On

and permeated with that brightness. Spirit finds

him

filled

iquities are piled

with

The consciousness

neath.

manner

all

up on every

filled

the contrary, the Holy

of evil

and treachery.

In-

Horrible sins rise from under-

side.

of his bitter, spiritual misery harasses

Moreover, his heart is divided by many walls and partitions. Even the brightest light can not penetrate the whole at once and by far the greater part remains for the present at least in deepest

him.

;

darkness.

From

this

it

follows that,

when

the Holy Spirit has entered

man's heart. His task is not ended, but only just begun— a task so difficult that the power of the Holy Spirit alone can perform it. His method of procedure is not with divine power to force a man as tho he were a stock or block, but by the power of love and compassion so to influence and energize the impulses of the feeble will that it feels the effect, is inclined, and finally consents to be the

temple of the Holy Spirit. Being once firmly established,

He

gradually subjects the most

hidden impulses and intentions of the saint's personality to the power of His Love, in order thus to prevail. For this end He uses at once the external means of the preached Word which penetrates the consciousness and takes hold of the person, and the internal operation of blessing the Word and making it effectual. This operation

is

rapidity

different in each person. in another, progress is

;

proceeds with marvelous exceedingly slow, being checked In one

it

by serious reaction which in some rare cases is overcome only with the last breath. There are scarcely two men in whom this gracious operation

It

is

may

completely the same.

not be denied that the Holy Spirit often meets serious

opposition on the part of the saint

34

:

not from enmity, for he

is

an

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