The New Life

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XXIII.
THE LEADING OF THE SPIRIT.
" As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of
God. The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that
we are children of God." Rom. viii. 14. 16.
IT
who also assures us that we are children.
is the very same Spirit that leads us as children
Without
His leading there can be no assurance of our filiation.
True, full assurance of faith is enjoyed by
him who surrenders himself entirely to the leading
of the Spirit.
In what does this leading consist?
Chiefly in this,
that our whole hidden inner life is guided by Him to
what it ought to be. This we must firmly believe.
Our growth and increase, our development and progress,
is not our work, but His : we are to trust Him
for this. As a tree or animal grows and becomes
large by the spirit of life which God has given to it,
so also does the Christian by the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus.^ We have to cherish the joyal assurance
that the Spirit whom the Father gives to us
does with divine wisdom and power guide our hidden
life, and bring it where God will have it.
Then there are also special directions of this lead-
1 Hos. xiv. 6, 7 ; Matt. vi. 28 ; Mark iv. 26, 28 ; I,uke ii. 40
Rom. viii. 2.
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