Fri.-Sabbath, 11/1-3/24 Devotion

Bless God—Sunday is almost here. In order to help us get ready for the church worship services, here are good words from Jonathan Edwards' ser-mon, entitled, “The Holy Spirit Forever To Be Communicated To The Saints In The Grace of Charity, Or Divine Love.” . . .

“The Spirit of Christ is given to His church and people everlastingly to influ-ence and dwell in them. The Holy Spirit is the great purchase, or purchased gift, of Christ. The chief and sum of all the good things in this life and in the life to come that are purchased for the church is the Holy Spirit. And as He is the great purchase, so He is the great promise, or the great thing promised by God and Christ to the church. So said the Apostle Peter on the day of Pente-cost (Acts 2:32-33): ‘This Jesus . . . being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.’ This great purchase and promise of Christ is forever to be given to His church. He has promised that His church shall continue, and expressly declared that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And that it may be preserved, He has given His Holy Spirit to every true member of it, and promised the continuance of that Spirit for-ever. . . . "