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August 30, 2005
Ch. XXII. Q. 124. What is the Economy of the Holy Ghost?
THE economy of the Holy Ghost is to sanctify those who are called of God; which He achieves by means of the Body of Christ, wherein He dwells and provides the mysteries of grace and truth. On the whole subject see Ewer's Oper'n. of the Holy Spirit: Hutchings' Holy Ghost: Moberly's Bamp. Lectures: Milligan on the Ascension, lec. IV: Pearson's Apost. Creed, Art. VIII: Mason's Faith of the Gosp. VII. 6: Norris' Rud. Theol. pt. I. c. IV: Maclear's Introd. to the Creeds, ch. 8: H.B. Swete, in Smith an Wace's Dic. of Christian Biog., etc., "Holy Ghost."
2. The Holy Ghost, as we have seen, is the third Person of the Blessed Trinity, proceeding from the Father and the Son, and co-essential, co-eternal and co-equal with Both (Qq. 65. 4: 6C. 2-4). Holy Scripture speaks of Him as of a Person (I. Sam. XVI. 14: John XIV. 26: XV. 26: XVI. 8,13: Acts X. 19, 20: XIII. 2: Rom. VIII. 26, 27: I. Cor. 11. 10, 12: Ephes. IV. 30): attributes Divine characteristics and operations to Him (Job XXVI. 13: Isa. XLVIIL 16: Matt. XII. 31, 32: Luke I. 35: Rom. XV. 19:1. Cor. II. 11: VI. 19: XII. II): directly asserts or implies His Divinity (Acts V. 3, 4: I. Cor. III. 16. cf. II. Cor. VI. 16): and distinguishes Him from the other Divine Persons (Matt. XXY1IL U): Gal. IV. 6: Ephes. II. 18: I. John V. 7). Pearson 546-569: Forbes' Nic. Creed, 251-256, 264, 265: 89 Arts. L pp. 83-88: Hutchings on the Holy Ghost, 4th edit., pp. 12-32.
3. The Holy Ghost is the efficient and perfecting cause of every external work of God. His operations, therefore, did not commence on the day of Pentecost, but at that time reached their final and most developed earthly stage. (a.) In the beginning He brooded with fructifying effect upon the face of the deep, and brought forth order out of chaos (Q. 74. 1, 3, 6): (b.) He was imparted to our first parents for their sanctification, and was withdrawn when they fell into sin (Qq. 86. 4: 90. 1, 2): (c.) He continued His work among the chosen people after the fall, checking the progress of wickedness among them, preparing them for salvation, and inspiring the Prophets (Qq. 93. 1-5): (d.) He also preserved the Gentiles from total depravity, and entire loss of truth, and perfected the conditions under which, in the fulness of time, they might receive the Gospel (Q. 93. 6): (e.) He overshadowed the Blessed Virgin, and filled the body and soul of Christ with His own fulness (Qq. 99. 1, 3: 113. 5): (f.) He prepared the Body of Christ for its mystical extension on earth, and employed it as a medium of His descent on the day of Pentecost and of His subsequent work of guiding and sanctifying the Church (Qq. 121. 3:122.3,4): (g.)He extends His beneficent influences outward and beyond the Body of Christ, upon those who still grope in darkness; restraining evil, and building foundations, no doubt, of better things in the world to come, for those who in this life of, probation display a moral readiness and capacity to receive and enjoy them. Mason VII. 6, 7: Webb's Presence and Office of the H. Sp. I. i, ii:Ewer, Lee. I, pp. 9-15, 26-34: Hutchings, 50-75, 99-124.
4. The Economy of the Holy Ghost does not displace that of the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ but completes it; for the Holy Ghost works in and from the Body of Christ. He does not take the place of an absent Mediator, but secures His effective presence, and accomplishes that mystical union the achievement of which was the end for which our Lord became Incarnate (Q. 122. 3). The eternal Three work indivisibly in all their operations (Q. 67). Pearson, 578: Moberby, pp. 15, 33-36: Milligan, pp. 179-183, 209-212.
Posted by Trevor at August 30, 2005 01:01 AM