How does the Spirit intercede ?

It is not by suppressing the use of our faculties. It is not by praying for us, while we do nothing. He prays for us by stimulating our faculties. Not that he immediately suggests words to us, or directs our language, but he illuminates our mind and causes the truth to seize our soul. It leads us to consider the state of the Church and the condition of sinners around us. We can not say how it presents the truth to our mind until it produces its effects ; but what we can know is that it leads us to a profound consideration of the state of things, and that the natural and logical result is deep feelings. When the Spirit presents the truth to a man, there is only one way by which this man can escape the profound impressions of which I speak : it is by diverting his thoughts from this truth to turn them towards others. objects. Sinners can not escape feelings when the Spirit of God presents them the truth. They feel uncomfortable as long as they remain unrepentant. If a person is a Christian, and the Holy Spirit puts a subject in direct contact with his heart, it is also impossible that this person does not feel it, that it is impossible for you to feel anything if you put your hand in the fire.

If the Spirit leads a man to reflect on subjects that can excite extremely powerful feelings concerning the salvation of souls, if this man feels nothing, it is a proof that he has no love for souls, that He has nothing of the Spirit of Christ, and knows nothing of the Christian experience.

The Spirit makes the Christian feel the value of souls, the guilt of hardened sinners and the danger they run. It is amazing to see the insensitivity and stupidity of many Christians on this subject. There are even Christian parents who let their children descend directly into hell, before their eyes, and who seem to hardly feel anything about them or make the slightest effort to save them. Why ? Because they are blind about hell, unbelieving about the Bible, and ignorant of the precious promises God has made to Christian parents. They drive out the Spirit of God by grieving him, and it is useless to tell them to pray for their children, as long as they live themselves without the Spirit of God.

Jeremy Sourdril