June 24

The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. John 14:26.

Christ calls Him the Comforter. He ascribes to Him work such as only a comforter can do: coming to the disciples, comforting them, and convincing them of the truth. He places this Comforter alongside of, and as being equal to, Himself, who stood before the disciples as a living person.

That the Holy Ghost is a Person we know from the fact that He subsists of Himself and acts for Himself; He acts by the independent, intelligent determinations of His own free will. If He were not such a Person, how much of a Comforter could He be? What good could His power do us? If the heavenly Comforter,

whom the Father sent to us in Jesus' name, were no divine, compassionate, and loving Person, it were folly to trust in such a comforter; for he could not help us. But what kind of comforter is He? Christ says: "He shall teach you all things." So if that Third Person of the Holy Trinity did not exist and were not sent and did not operate upon us for our soul's salvation, we would still be in our natural blindness, without any spiritual knowledge. We would then have no Comforter. In spite of all the love of the Father, in spite of all the suffering of the Son in our stead, we would nevertheless be lost.

It therefore very much behooves us thoroughly to consider how much we owe to the Third Person of the Godhead, the dear heavenly Comforter. His grand work for our salvation is not nearly enough considered and esteemed. How hard is the human heart! How must this dear Comforter often teach, and explain, and plead, and beg, and bring all things to our remembrance before we comprehend and follow! How much does it often cost Him to get us to say a kind word to an enemy, or to pray, or to speak a word of praise to God! How often all His kindness is wasted upon us!

Prayer.

Enlighten our minds, we beseech Thee, O God, by the Spirit who proceedeth from Thee, that, as Thy Son hath promised, we may be led into all truth. Grant us a true knowledge of our sins and also a firm faith in our Savior Jesus Christ, which is the blessed work of the Holy Ghost. Let Him work in us also the sweet fruits of faith, so that we may be instant in prayer, gladly hear the Word of God, battle against sin, in cross and tribulation find consolation in Thy Word, and comfort ourselves with Thy gracious promises of eternal life. Let us be Thy temple, and let the Holy Ghost dwell in our hearts. Amen.

O Holy Ghost, descend, we pray, Abide with us from day to day, Thy temple deign to make us. Let Thy bright beams, Thou heavenly Light, Dispel the darkness of the night, To joy and gladness wake us.---