St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-10-19

made conscience of closet duty, and
dbOunded IN 1t. 1t was the caution and
advice which he frequently gave to his
children and friends, "Be sure you look
to your secret duty; keep that up,
whatever you do the soul cannot pros
per in the neglect of it. Apostacy gen.
orally begins at the closet dOOI."
Have Ye Received the Holy Ghostp"
This question of Paul to the imper-
fectly instructed disciples at Ephesus
has come home with new force to many
a Christian believer, as the circum-
stances of its asking have been studied
afresh in the lessons of the current
quarter. Even if none who call them
selves Christians are compelled to re-
ply, "We have not so much as heard
whether there be any Holy Ghost"
there are quite too many among them
who must answer, ave are not con-
scious of the continual presence with us
of the Holy Ghost"
References to the Holy Spirit are
frequent in the conversation of Chris
tians, but not always as though he were
in the hearts of those who speak of
him. Christians sing, "COme, Holy
Spirit" They pray for Gan outpOuring
of the Spirit" They ask God TO send
his Spirit among them. But they do
not in every instance seem to realize
that the Spirit has been sent, that he
has come, that his gracious influence
has been poured out upon all the true
hearted disciples of Jesus. In the fail
ure to perceive this, they share the sad
lack of the Ephesian Christians.
The descent of the Holy Spirit was
promised by the ancient prophet Joel.
Jesus renewed this promise to his dis
ciples. He declared that his going
away should be blessing because of
the Comforter whom he would send in
his stead. His promise was that this
Comforter should be in his disciples,
should dwell with them, should abide
in them forever, should take of the
things of Christ and show them unto
them, should teach them all things,
should guide them into all truth. At
the day of Pentecost this promise OF
Jesus and the former prOphesy of Joel
were fulfilled. The Holy Spirit de-
scended. He entered the hearts of the
Christian disciples. From that day to
this he has never left the world. His
home has been in the hearts of trusting
believers in Jesus. He has been doing
the work which Jesus foretold for him.
And now why should we pray for the
coming of the Holy Spirit, as though he
were not already with us ? Why should
we ask for a new PentecOst any more
than for new Passover? If we are
Christ's disciples, the Holy Ghost is
with us, he dwells in us, he will abide
with us for ever. We should indeed
pray that our hearts may be open to
his influence, to his entreaties, to his
warnings, to his teachings; but we
should not speak of him or think of him
as remote from us, needing any call
from US to bring him to our side. Let
us not grieve the Holy Spirit by refus-
ing to recognize his presence, when he
has already come into our hearts and
only waits our readiness to yield to his
guidance.
While it is true that the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit are each and
all Omnipresent, and are therefore al
ways with us, there is sense in which
the Holy Spirit is nearer to us, is a
closer and more precious companion
than either Jesus or our Heavenly
Father. The humanity of Jesus enables
us to have sense of sympathy with
him which we do not have in thinking
of the Father or of the Spirit; and as
Jesus promised his disciples that he
would be with them all the days, we
are encouraged to feel that he is evel
at hand, his ear open to our faintest
call. But Jesus declared that he was
going away from his disciples, to be al
the right hand of the Father in heaven
and that he would send "another Com
forter" in his stead, to abide with his
disciples. That Comforter is the Holy
Ghost. He has home in our hearts as
neither Jesus nor the Father has. He
has been sent by the Father. He rep
resents Jesus. He knows as; he loves
us he would bless us by his instruc-
tons and by his sustaining power. All
the sympathy which Jesus has with us
in our weakness and our temptations
and all the tenderness which he would
manifest toward us in our SORROWS and
our trials, are exhibited in the Holy
Spirits work in our hearts. Whatever
Jesus does for us now he does through
the Spirit.
If we ''be led of the Spirit,n "let us
also walk in the Spirit" Since the
Comforter has come into our hearts, let
us recognize and rejoice in his presence
there. Let us open our minds to bis
teaching. Let us ask and expect his
guidance in Bible study, in Christian
work, and in every step of daily duty
Let us cOnfide to him our sorrows and
weaknesses, and our every burden. Let
us yield ourselves to his control in
prayer, that he may pray with us and
for us; "for we know not what we
should pray for as we ought: but the
Spirit itself maketh inteIcession for us
with groanings which cannot be utter
ed" Let us have "joy in the Holy
Ghost" and .abound in hope through
the power of the Holy Ghost" Let us
have that 'leve of Godn which s'is shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost
And if we find any of Gods dear chill
dren who do not realize and rejoice in
the indwelling and comfort of the Holy
Spirit, let us remind them of their un-
improved privileges by the pungen
question: "Know We not that We are the
temple of God, and that the Spirit O
God dwelleth in you f"-S. s. Times.
Prayer for Sunday Schools.