Mexico weekly ledger., 1882-01-12
Correspondence of the Ledger

annals of christianity. In all the
meetings Of which accounts have
been received, there was exhibited
desire for even a more abundant out
pouring of the Holy Ghost during
the present than in the past year
but, to the establishment of not a few,
there has been exception taken to the
form in which expression has been
given to this sentiment. Possibly
this criticism is due to a misconcep-
ton of what has been so widely asked
OF God, which it may be profitable
to notice and correct.
In p%etitioning for the outpouring
and guidance of His SPIRIT, the throne
of Grace has not been besieged for
such miraculous manifestations as
occurred in the pillar of fire, or at
the baptism of Jesus, or at Pentecost,
or for an exhibition of grace outside
the declared intentions aud promises
of God and the ordinary ministrations
of the Spirit. In the prayers that
have been made the church has asked
that it might be brought into con
formity to the will of God and made
cooperative with Him in carrying out
views and purposes that centre in the
redemption and salvation OF mankind,
and in thus honoring the Spirit the
Church honored Christ, who promised
and sent the Comforter, and at the
same time honored the Father, who
is One with His Son.
The harmony Of these meetings Of
the church was unbroken. The crit
icisms noticed came from men pos
sessed of another spirit, who cannot
detect in the gatherings that have
taken place evidence that the sugges-
ton of holding them annually was of
God, and that the spirit manifested
at them everywhere is what was con-
templated by Christ when He prayed:
"Neither pray l for these alone but
for them also which shall believe on
Me through their word, that they all
may be one, as Thou Father art in
Me and l in Thee; that they also
may be n in us; that the world
may believe that thou hast sent Me-"
Mankind are supposed to be, at this
time, IN the special keeping of the
Holy Ghost, whose Office it is to
reprove the world of sin, of
righteousness, of Judgment, to guide
to truth, to glorify the Son.
John 16, 8-15: to lead to prayer;
Eph. 2, IS: to build up the church;
Eph. 2, 20: to impart the Spirit which
is of God, which the natural heart
receiveth not; l Cor. 2, l2-14: to
new create ; John, g. 5: to sanctify
Rom. Is, 16: to console; John, IA,
l6: to direct; Rom. g., ii: and to
confrm ; Rom. 8. l6; and if prayer
for anything is proper, there ought
to be no criticism Of petitions to the
Holy Ghost for the exercise of powers
directly ascribed to him in revelation.
The Psalmist prayed "open Thou
mine eyes that l may see wonderous
things out Of Thy law" 119, -:
Create in me a clean heart, o God;
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence
and take not Thy Holy Spirit from
me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy
salvation and uphold me with Thy
free Spirit" 81, 10 IL.
But these critics say that the Holy
Ghost exhausted His power and u
thority in giving the Word to man,
and it is just here that the church
takes issue with them, for it believes
that God made man holy and impart-
ed to him the high estate from which
he fell before there vas occasion
for such a revelation, as has been
given, and still saves without the
ministration of His word and ordi-
nances, as in the cases of infants and
idiots, and it also thinks that when
David besought God not to take His
Holy Spirit from him, he contemplated
something more than the loss of the
ministry of His Word.
In answer to its prayers the church
does not, as these critics farther sup
pose, expect that God will convert in
any other way than by operating on
the will and heart, and enabling man
to love God and his neighbor or in
any other mi than revelation
cnntemplates, or that anybody will
be led by the Spirit to anything that
is evil or contrary to His word, Or to
the neglect of the ordinances of His
house, or to anything that has not
been distinctly declared to be, time
and again by the Holy Ghost, the
duty of man, and that God has power
over the will is abundantly shown in
Prov. Fl, 1: s'The Kings heart is in
hand of the Lord, as the rivers of
He turneth it whithersover He
1t is truly matter for t%hankfulness
despite unfavorable criticism the
work goes on, and that from year to
year answers are v%ouchsafed to such
prayers as have been recently made,
IN the increased spirituality of the
church and in vast additions to Its
numerical strength. The conclusion
rom which must be that while snch
blessings descend there IS encourage
nent to even larger petitions to the
Holy Ghost and to more abundant
IGNORING of Him as the benefactor of
mankind. X.