Spirit; but
as a matter of practice and habit, it is indifferent which Person in
the Holy Trinity we address, for each is equally God. As the Father is
God, so also is the Son, and so the Holy Spirit. In her hymns and
liturgies the Church has never hesitated to summon the Holy Spirit to
her help.

It is in recognition of the Personality of the Holy Spirit that the
historian of the Acts of the Apostles quotes His solemn words,
"Separate _Me_ Barnabas and Saul"; tells us that Ananias and Sapphira
lied to Him; and records that the Church at Jerusalem commenced its
encyclical letter with the words, "It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and
to us." Happy that body of Christians which has come to realize that
the Holy Ghost is as certainly, literally, and personally present in
its midst, as Jesus Christ was present when, in the days of His flesh,
He tarried among men!

II. A SEVENFOLD PARALLEL BETWEEN THE ADVENTS OF THE TWO
PARACLETES.--(1) _Each was in the world before His specific
advent._--Long before His incarnation the delights of the Son of God
were with men. In Angel-form, He visited their tents, spoke with them
face to face, calmed their fears, and fought on their behalf. He trod
the holy fields of Palestine with noiseless footfall that left no
impress on the lightest sands, long before He learned to walk with
baby-feet, or bore His cross up Calvary.

So with the Holy Spirit. He brooded over chaos, strove with men before
the deluge, moved holy men to write the Scriptures, foreshadowed the
advent of the Messiah, equipped prophets and kings for their special
mission. In restraining evil, urging to good, preparing the way for
Christ, the Holy Spirit found abundant scope for His energies. But His
influence was rather external than internal; savored rather of gift
than grace; and dealt more often with the few than with the many--with
the great souls that reared themselves to heaven like Alpine summits
touched with the fires of dawn, rather than with the generality of men,
who dwelt in the valley of daily commonplace, enwrapped in the mists of
ignorance and unbelief. It was to be the special prerogative of this
age, that He should be poured out on all flesh, so that sons and
daughters should prophesy, whilst servants and handmaidens participated
in His gracious influences.

(2) _The advent of each was previously announced._--From the Fall, the
coming of the great Deliverer was foretold in type and sign, in spee