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and act, in history and prophecy. Indeed, as the time of the
Incarnation drew nigh, as Milton tells us in his sublime ode on the
Incarnation, surrounding nations had caught from the chosen people the
spirit of expectancy, and the world was in feverish anticipation of the
coming of its Redeemer. He was the Desire of all nations. All the
ages, and all the family of man, accompanied Mary to Bethlehem, and
worshipped with the Magi.
So with the Holy Spirit. Joel distinctly foretold that in the last
days of that dispensation. God would pour out of His Spirit; and His
message is echoed by Isaiah, Zechariah, Ezekiel, and others; till Jesus
came, who more specifically and circumstantially led the thoughts of
His disciples forward to the new age then dawning, which should be
introduced and signalized by the coming and ministry of the Spirit.
(3) _Each was manifested in a body._--The Lord Jesus in that which was
prepared for Him by the Father, and born of a pure Virgin. We are
told, that He took on Him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of man. Similarly the Holy Spirit became, so to speak,
incorporate in that mystical Body, the Church, of which Jesus is the
Head.
On the day of Pentecost, the hundred and twenty who were gathered in
the upper room, and who, up to that time, had had no corporate
existence, were suddenly constituted a Church, the habitation and home
of the Divine Spirit. What the human body of Jesus was to the second
Person of the Holy Trinity, that the infant Church was to the third;
though it did not represent the whole body, since we must add to those
gathered in the upper room many more in heaven and on earth, who by
virtue of their union with the risen Christ constituted with them the
Holy Catholic Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who
filleth all in all. "This," said the Blessed Spirit, "is My rest
forever; here will I dwell, for I have desired it."
(4) _Each was named before His advent._--"Thou shalt call His name
Emmanuel." "His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty
God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." Thus was the Lord
Jesus designated to loving hearts before His birth.
So also with the Holy Spirit. The last discourses of Jesus are full of
appellatives, each setting forth some new phase of the Holy Spirit's
ministry; some freshly-cut facet of His character. The Spirit of
Truth; the Holy Spirit; the Paraclete; the Spirit o
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