Friday, February 5, 2016

The Holy Ghost is here,
Where saints in pray’r agree;
As Jesus’ parting gift-is near
Each pleading company.

Not far away is he,
To be by prayer brought nigh,
But here in present majesty
As in his courts on high.

He dwells within our soul,
An ever welcome guest;
He reigns with absolute control,
As monarch in the breast.

Our bodies are his shrine,
And he the indwelling Lord;
All hail, thou Comforter divine,
Be evermore adored!

Obedient to thy will,
We wait to feel thy power,
O Lord of life, our hopes fulfill,
And bless this hallowed hour.
                               Spurgeon

****************************************

To Thee, O Comforter divine,
For all Thy grace and pow’r benign,
Sing we Alleluia!

To Thee, whose faithful love had place
In God’s great covenant of grace,
Sing we Alleluia!

To Thee, whose faithful voice doth win
The wandering from the ways of sin,
Sing we Alleluia!

To Thee, whose faithful pow’r doth heal,
Enlighten, sanctify, and seal,
Sing we Alleluia!

To Thee, whose faithful truth is shown,
By every promise made our own,
Sing we Alleluia!

To Thee, our teacher, and our friend,
Our faithful leader to the end,
Sing we Alleluia!

To Thee, by Jesus Christ sent down,
Of all His gifts the sum and crown,
Sing we Alleluia!

To Thee, who art with God the Son
And God the Father ever One,
Sing we Alleluia!
                         F. R. Havergal 


     No sooner is Christ inaugurated in his throne, but he scat-ters his coin, and gives gifts.  He gives gifts, or the gift of gifts, the gift of the Holy Ghost.  “If thou knewest the gift of God,” said Christ to the Samaritan woman (John 4:10):  that gift was the water of life, and that water of life was the Spirit, as John, who knew best his mind, gave the interpretation, “This spake he of the Spirit.” John 7:39.  O my soul, consider of this princely gift of Christ!  Such a gift was never before, but when God gave his Son.  “God so loved the world, that he gave his Son;” and Christ so loved the world, that he gave his Spirit.  But, O my soul, consider especially to whom this Spirit was given; the application of the gift is the very soul of thy meditation; “unto us a Son is given,” said the prophet (Isa. 9:6); and “unto us the Holy Ghost is given,” saith the apostle (Rom. 5:5); and yet above all consider the reasons of this gift in reference to thyself.  Was it not to make thee a temple and receptacle of the Holy Ghost?  Stand a while on this!  Admire, O my soul, at the condescending, glorious, and unspeakable love of Christ in this!  It was infinite love to come down into our nature when he was incarnate; but this is more, to come down into thy heart by his Holy Spirit:  he came near to us then, but as if that were not near enough, he comes nearer now, for now he unites himself unto thy person, now he comes and dwells in thy soul by his Holy Spirit.
                                                                                                                     Isaac Ambrose, 1592-1674


No comments:

Post a Comment