18. Chapter 2. What the Holy Spirit does in and towards us –

Chapter 2. What the Holy Spirit does in and towards us –

Having declared why and how the Holy Spirit is given to us as a Spirit of consolation, I come next to the following:

5thly. To declare what his acts are in us and towards us. There are two general areas to consider:

(1st.) His various manners and kinds of acting, and (2dly.) The particular products of his acting in us, in which we have communion with him.

(1st.) His various manners and kinds of acting.

[1st.] He is said “to work effectually,” [NT:1754 energein]. 1 Corinthians 12:11,

“All these work” (or effect) “that one and the self-same Spirit.” This is said in respect to his distribution of gifts, but the same can be said for communicating graces and privileges. He does it by working. This is evidence of his personality, especially when we consider the words following, “Dividing to every man according to his will.” To work according to will is the inseparable property of a person, and it is spoken expressly of God, Ephesians 1:11. So in relation to 1 Corinthians 12:6, it makes his Deity no less evident. What he is said to do there is said of God himself:

“There are various operations, but it is the same God which works all in all.” In other words, “All these works are of one and the same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” What we have from him, we have by his energetic working. It is not by proposing this or that argument to us. It is not by persuading us with this or that moral motive or inducement, leaving us to make use of them as we can. Instead, he works effectually to communicate grace or consolation to us.

[2dly.] In the same verse, it speaks of the manner of his working. He is said to divide or distribute to everyone as he will, diairein [NT:1243]. This act of distribution involves operation, choice, judgment, and freedom. One who distributes variously, does so with choice, judgment, and freedom of will. Such are the proceedings of the Spirit in his dispensations. To one, he gives one thing abundantly, to another, something else. To one, he gives one thing in one degree, to another, the same thing in a different degree.

Thus, in his sovereignty, the saints are kept in constant dependence on him. He distributes as he will. Who should not be content with his portion?

What claim can any make to what he distributes as he will?

[3dly.] This is further manifested by his giving what and when he chooses.

They “spoke with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance,” Acts 2:4. He gave these tongues to them, freely. Whatever he bestows upon us is his gift. Hence, in the economy of our salvation, no one person prejudices the freedom and liberty of any other. So the love of the Father in sending the Son is free. Sending him in no way prejudices the liberty and love of the Son. He lays down his life freely. The satisfaction and purchase made by the Son in no way prejudices the freedom of the Father’s grace in pardoning and accepting us. The Father and Son sending the Spirit does not derogate from his freedom in his workings. What he gives, he gives freely. And the reason for this is because the will of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is essentially the same. In the act of one is the counsel of all, and each freely participates in that. This describes the general manner and kind of his working in us and towards us. Power, choice, and freedom are evidently denoted in the passages cited. It is not a unique work of his towards us that is declared here, but the manner in which he produces the effects.

(2dly.) What remains is to explain the foundation of the communion which we have with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit being sent to us, and working in us, I will now take up the effects that he produces. I will not put them into any artificial order.

Instead I will treat them as I find them lying scattered up and down in the Scripture. I will move from those which are more general, to those which are more specific. My aim and desire is not to be exhaustive, but to address only the most obvious ones.

I will speak of the Spirit principally (if not exclusively) as a comforter, and not as a sanctifier. Therefore, I must omit the great sanctifying work of the Spirit towards us all our days, his constant supplying of new light, power, and vigor in the grace that we receive from him. Nor will I speak of those things which the Comforter effects in believers towards others, in testifying to them and convicting the world. These are promised in John 15:26; John 16:8, where the Spirit is properly the believer’s advocate. I will only speak of those effects that he works in and towards believers as their comforter.