Then comes the next work of the Holy Spirit, God's great revelation is at hand; but who is to prepare for ihe mighty Incarnation? who is to work it out? who is to bring it to pass? "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee, therefore that holy thing that shall be born of ce shall be called the Son of God."
Incarnation is the work of the Holy Spirit The Incarnate Son comes forth upon His ministry; He has laid aside His glory. Though He was equal with God, He thought it not a thing to be snatched at to be equal with God, but "made Himself of no reputation; He put Himself on our level for His work. In whose power is He to resist Temptation? In whose power is He to work His miracles? In whose power is He to preach? We are told "He went in the power of the Spirit preaching the Word." The Spirit drive th Him into the wilderness. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because the Lord hath appointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor." And yet all the time the Incarnate Son of God points io an even more intimate nearness of the Holy Spirit "He is with you but He shall be in you." "It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you." "I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you."
Then comes that wonderful day, the Birthday of the Christian Church. "Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high; and as they tarried, waiting, praying, expecting, they heard a sound of rushing, mighty wind, and with tongues of fire, down came in full power and full force the Holy Ghost from heaven. there been a day on which we mark the return of the Holy Ghost to heaven? Thank God, there has not. The whole history of the Christian Church is one great evidence to the person and power of the Holy Ghost.
But for the presence of the Holy Ghost in the Christian Church coming down and filling with life the Body which Christ had prepared so carefully, the Church must have perished from coldness or heresy, at times when the life seemed to have died out of it. The power of recovery in the Christian Church is due to the power of the Holy Ghost. Yes, we seemed dead. for instance, in the 18th Century—we seem dead in parishes sometimes now—but time after time there comes a revival, the power of the Holy Ghost seems to be shown again, and seems to come back; and the long history of the Christian Church, in its falls and recoveries, as well as in its great successes, is a record and a witness to the power of the Holy Spirit.
What then, if we are certain that He is here, should we be expecting Him to do in this parish and in individual\souls if He is at work among us? First) in.the Church and in the parish at large, if the Holy Spirit has had free scope among you, there must have been a growing unity year after year because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Love. There must have been more harmony among Church workers and less friction, if the Holy Ghost is at work among them.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.