The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-12-20
The SPIRITS 1NTERCEssIOE.

"The whole creation grOaneth and travail,
eth in pain together uasil now; and not only
they, but ourselves also, which have the first
fruits of the Spirit, even We ourselves groan
within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to
wit, the redemption Of our bodies. Hope,
as an anchor of the soul enters into that with.
in the veil, and encourages Gods people to
toll, to endure, and to wait. Likewise the
Spirit also helpe,h our iu6rmites' by His
direct supernatural all prevailing power
working faith in as, and so uniting US to
Christ in our eFectual calling" He "maketh
intercession for US with grOanings that can
not be uttered, and according to the viii
of God.
When our Lord Was about to return TO the
bosom Of his Father lie told his troubled dis
eiples of "Another Comforter or Interesssor.
lie referred to the Holy Spirit. The apostle
John says, "if any man sin ne hath an Ad
vocate Cor Integcessor) with the Father even
Jesus Christ" Christ then is our Advocate
with the Father. By his infinite righteous
ness he has satisfied the broken law and the
wounded honor of God; and in virtue of his
merit he now ever lives at the right hand of
God to make insercessiOn for MS people. lie
interpOses his infinite righteousness as a
shield between poor trembling sinners and the
holiness Of God which they have arrayed
against themselves The place Of his in-
tercessions then is heGvea and the adversary
against whom he pleads our cause is the DO
Illness Of Goa which would otherwise consume
the sinner.
But mans misery in this life consists 10
the power Of sin exerted upon him now in
his helpless condition. Sin is bis great sd,
versary. He needs, and often feels the want
of some advocate to plead his cause against
sin, to deliver him from the cruel dominion
and the distressing guile Of sin. "Has be such
an one?" becomes an earnest inquiry. Just
here he receives the message of Christ, q" l
will send Him (tha ComfOrter) unto you,
and of the apostle Paul, The Spirit itself
maketh intercessiOn for US" Mans heart
is the place of the SPIRIT s0ork, ais present
evil and miserable heart Aud the adverse
~ against which He pleads your cause and
protects you is sin. He sets you free FROM
the dominion of sin and interposes his own
Omnipotence between the soul and sin on
earth, while the Saviour, your heavenly AID
vocste, interpOses himself between your soul
and the holiness of God-thus shielded on
the one hand from sin by the Holy Ghost,
and on the other from the consuming hOli-
ness of God by the Saviour, is not the sianer
made safe? Can we conceive Of his being
any safer Hehas one Advocate with the
Father" in heaven, who is all prevalent and
whom the Father heareth always, he has
" Another Comforter" on eartn who is abun-
dainty able to overcome sin and Satan
Both these Advocates are real persons of the
Godhead, "the same in substance, equal in
power and glory" with the Father.
The Spirit quickens the dead, teaches the
ignorant, tesdfes Of Christ, brings Christ
down into your soul, applies him to you for
"wisdom, righteousness, sancti6cation. and
redemption; ;" enables you in 6ne to put your
case into his hands to be urged upon the
Father. Now there is, and of necessity must
be, absolute concurrence between the three
persons of the Godhead. Whom the Spirit
guiokens, He quiokens with the life of Christ
which the Father has given him authority to
impart. For whom the Spirit intercedes on
earth, the Son also intercedes in heaven and
for whom the Son in heaven and the Spirit on
earth intercedes, him surely will the Father
bring into His kingdom of glory. There can
be no failure.
Wherefore take courage, child Of sorrow
and Of woe. In times Of perplexisy, fear,
and distress, do not faint. When darkness
broOds over your way, when earthly plans
miscarry, when disappointments come, when
property and friends are taken FROM you,
when temptations assail and foes multiply,
when oppressed by q sense Of unworshiness,
weakness, guilt and fear; then remember
that it is the office of the Spirit to "help your
infrmites," to snake intercessons" for
you; and that all 6is iateYcessiOns are, and
must Be Z" according to the eoU of God"