spirit, 'according to the mighty
working whereby He is able to subdue all things unto Himself.'

THE INTERCEDING SPIRIT

'The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with
groanings which cannot be uttered.'--ROMANS viii. 26.

Pentecost was a transitory sign of a perpetual gift. The tongues of
fire and the rushing mighty wind, which were at first the most
conspicuous results of the gifts of the Spirit, tongues, and
prophecies, and gifts of healing, which were to the early Church
itself and to onlookers palpable demonstrations of an indwelling
power, were little more lasting than the fire and the wind. Does
anything remain? This whole great chapter is Paul's triumphant answer
to such a question. The Spirit of God dwells in every believer as the
source of his true life, is for him 'the Spirit of adoption' and
witnesses with his spirit that he is a child of God, and a joint-heir
with Christ. Not only does that Spirit co-operate with the human
spirit in this witness-bearing, but the verse, of which our text is a
part, points to another form of co-operation: for the word rendered
in the earlier part of the verse 'helpeth' in the original suggests
more distinctly that the Spirit of God in His intercession for us
works in association with us.

First, then--

I. The Spirit's intercession is not carried on apart from us.

Much modern hymnology goes wrong in this point, that it represents
the Spirit's intercession as presented in heaven rather than as
taking place within the personal being of the believer. There is a
broad distinction carefully observed throughout Scripture between the
representations of the work of Christ and that of the Spirit of
Christ. The former in its character and revelation and attainment was
wrought upon earth, and in its character of intercession and
bestowment of blessings is discharged at the right hand of God in
heaven; the whole of the Spirit's work, on the other hand, is wrought
in human spirits here. The context speaks of intercession expressed
in 'groanings which cannot be uttered,' and which, unexpressed though
they are, are fully understood 'by Him who searches the heart.'
Plainly, therefore, these groanings come from human hearts, and as
plainly are the Divine Spirit's voicing them.

II. The Spirit's intercession in our spirits consists in our own
divinely-inspired longings.

The Apostle has just been speaking of another groaning within
ourselves, which is the expressi