The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1888-02-09
ACTS 1I-17. 1s.
BY. REV. W. n. GUY.

The doctrine Of the personality Of
the Holy Ghost, is that he is equal
with the Father and with the Son,
very and eternal God. The historic
revelation of the trinity is as follows:
First in the order Of time God was
made known to the world in the per-
son of the Father. The first conflict
with the power Of darkness, was
fought as to the true God as distin-
guished from the false gods Dur
ing this conflict the fatherhood Of God
was the most prominent point. The
next person of the trinity who is to be
revealed is the Son of God. The pro-
phecies of the coming Messiah were
that man should be born who should
indeed he Dtliv+rer and Savior of
his people. But even before his COM
ing Isaiah spoke of him as the
Mighty God" and "The Prince of
Peace"
When Jesus was born he was called
Emanuel" which being interpreted
is 'God with u.s. During his minis
try he was prosecuted because as God
he forgave sins and called himself the
Son of God, by which his hearers un-
derstood that he claimed to be equal
with God. This was what he really
meant. and when he rose from the
dead, his resurrection and his miracles
established his claim. The next to be
established was the personality of the
Holy Ghost. He is to have a personal
coming to the Church. The Pente-
cost marks the advent Of the Holy
Ghost
But the question may be asked,
Was not the Holy Ghost in the world
before the day of Pentecost? Yes,
"Holy men of old spake as they were
moved by the Holy Ghost" He was
present even in creation, for the ''Spir-
it Of God moved upon the face of the
waters" To the antedeluvian world
God said "my Spirit shall not always
strive with man." The saints of ev-
cry generation were regenerated by
Him and the prophets we're moved by
Him. Holy psalms and blessed pro-
phecies were inspired by Him. Gods
people in every age were such by the
regeneration Of the Holy Ghost. Our
Lord Jesus reproved Nicodemus for
not knowing that he must be born
again, must be born of water and Of
the Spirit. ''Art thou a master of Is
rael and knowest not these things?"
"What things?" He knew that man
must be born of water for every Jew
ish proselyte was baptized, probably
But Nicodemus like other
Pharisees had given attention only to
the outward, to the external. He did
not know that all must be born of the
Spirit to enter the kingdom Of heav-
en-. The apostles were regenerated
by the Spirit and preached the same
gospel which our Lord Jesus preached
to Nicodemus. They followed Jesus
sin the regeneration" that is in the
of Jesus which was one of
and Jesus said Of them
"your names are written in heaven"
But in the closing hours of our Saw
ior's stay on earth, just after institu-
ting what is known to us as the Lords
supper, he distinctly informed his
apostles of the coming or advent of
the Holy Ghost, as a person, as an
other Comforter. This he mentions
four times in the continuous discourse
found in John XIV, XIV, XVI. He
declares he must go away himself in
order to his coming, "for if | go not
away the Comforter will not come un-
to you but if I depart | will send him
unto you"
He also said that the Comforter
should abide with the church forever.
And l will pray the Father and he
shall give you another Comforter that
he may abide with you forever"
John IA, 16. This does not mean
that the Holy Ghost should leave the
church at the end of the apostolic age