Note

My publishers have just issued a work of William Law on the Holy Spirit. In the Introduction I have said how much I owe to the book. I cannot but think that anyone who will take the trouble to read it thoughtfully will find rich spiritual profit in connection with a life of Waiting upon God.

What he puts more clearly than I have anywhere else found are these cardinal truths: —

1. That the very Nature and Being of a God, as the only Possessor and Dispenser of any life there is in the universe, imply that He must every moment communicate to every creature the power by which it exists, and therefore also much more the power by which it can do that which is good.

2. That the very Nature and Being of a creature, as owing its existence to Gkd alone, and equally owing to Him each moment the continuation of that existence, imply that its happiness can only be found in absolute unceasing momentary dependence upon God.

3. That the great value and blessing of the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost, as the fruit of Chrisf a Kedemption, is that it is now possible for God to

1 The Pbwer of the Spirit: An humble earnest, and affectionate Address to the Clergy. With Additional Extracts and Introduction, by Rev. Andrew Murray. (Fleming H. Revell Company. 11.00.)

take possession of His redeemed children and work in them as He did before the fall in Adam. We need to know the Holy Spirit as the Presence and Power of God in us restored to their true place.

4. That in the spiritual life our great need is the knowledge of two great lessons. The one our entire sinfulness and helplessness — our utter impotence by any effort of our own to do anything towards the maintenance and increase of our inner spiritual life. The other, the infinite willingness of God’s love, which is nothing but a desire to communicate Himself and His blessedness to us to meet our every need, and every moment to work us in by Hia Son and Spirit what we need.

5. That, therefore, the very essence of true religion, whether in heaven or upon earth, consists in an unalterable dependence upon God, because we cangive God no other glory, than yieldiiag ourselves to ms love, which created us to show forth in ua its glory, that it may now perfect its work in us.

I need not point out how deep down these truths go to the very root of the spiritual life, and specially the life of “Waiting upon God. I am confident that those who are willing to take the trouble of studying this thoughtful writer will thank me for the introduction to his book.