A hand, a divine and omnipotent
hand. From Bonner's book, The Night
of Weeping. The Holy Spirit is our comforter. He is mighty to comfort as well
as to sanctify. His name is the Comforter. His office is to console. In the discharge of this office,
he puts forth his power, not only immediately and indirectly
through the word, but immediately and directly upon the soul, sustaining
and strengthening it when fainting and troubled. It is an unspeakable
consolation to know that there is a hand, a divine and omnipotent
hand, laid upon our wounded spirit, not only upholding it, but drying
up, as it were, the very springs of grief within. In the day of
oppressive sorrow, when bowed down to the dust, what is it
that we feel so much our need of, as a hand that can come into
close and direct contact with our souls, to lift them up and
strengthen them? It is here that human consolation
fails. Friends can say much to soothe
us, but they cannot lay their finger upon the hidden seed of
sorrow. They can put their arm around
the fainting body, but not around the fainting spirit. Here the
heavenly aid comes in. The Spirit throws around us the
everlasting arms, and we are invincibly upheld. We cannot
sink, for He sustains, He comforts, He cheers. And who knows so well
as He how to sustain and comfort and cheer?