by Abraham Kuyper
in ePub, .mobi & .pdf formats
"Who hath also given unto us His Holy Spirit"—1 Thess. 4:8.
THE need of divine guidance is never more deeply felt than when one undertakes to give instruction in the work of the Holy Spirit—so unspeakably tender is the subject, touching the inmost secrets of God and the soul's deepest mysteries.
We shield instinctively the intimacies of kindred and friends from intrusive observation, and nothing hurts the sensitive heart more than the rude exposure of that which should not be unveiled, being beautiful only in the retirement of the home circle. Greater delicacy befits our approach to the holy mystery of our soul's intimacy with the living God. Indeed, we can scarcely find words to express it, for it touches a domain far below the social life where language is formed and usage determines the meaning of words.
Glimpses of this life have been revealed, but the greater part has been withheld. It is like the life of Him who did not cry, nor lift up nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. And that which was heard was whispered rather than spoken—a soul-breath, soft but voiceless, or rather a radiating of the soul's own blessed warmth. Sometimes the stillness has been broken by a cry or a raptured shout; but there has been mainly a silent working, a ministering of stern rebuke or of sweet comfort by that wonderful Being in the Holy Trinity whom with stammering tongue we adore as the Holy Spirit.
Spiritual experience can furnish no basis for instruction; for such experience rests on that which took place in our own soul. Certainly this has value, influence, voice in the matter. But what guarantees correctness and fidelity in interpreting such experience? And again, how can we distinguish its various sources—from ourselves, from without, or from the Holy Spirit? The twofold question will ever hold: Is our experience shared by others, and may it not be vitiated by what is in us sinful and spiritually abnormal?
Altho there is no subject in whose treatment the soul inclines more to draw upon its own experience, there is none that demands more that our sole source of knowledge be the Word given us by the Holy Spirit. After that, human experience may be heard, attesting what the lips have confessed; even affording glimpses into the Spirit's blessed mysteries, which are unspeakable and of which the Scripture therefore does not speak. But this can not be the ground of instruction to others.
The Church of Christ assuredly presents abundant spiritual utterance in hymn and spiritual song; in homilies hortatory and consoling; in sober confession or outbursts of souls wellnigh overwhelmed by the floods of persecution and martyrdom. But even this can not be the foundation of knowledge concerning the work of the Holy Spirit.
-----
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE
EXPLANATORY NOTES TO THE AMERICAN EDITION
PARTIAL LIST OF THE WORKS OF DR. KUYPER
INTRODUCTION BY PROF. BENJAMIN B. WARFIELD, D.D., LL.D.
VOLUME I: The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Church as a Whole
FIRST CHAPTER
INTRODUCTION
I. Careful Treatment Required
II. Two Standpoints
III. The Indwelling and Outgoing Works of God
IV. The Work of the Holy Spirit Distinguished
SECOND CHAPTER: THE CREATION
V. The Principle of Life in the Creature
VI. The Host of Heaven and of Earth
VII. The Creaturely Man
VIII. Gifts and Talents
THIRD CHAPTER: RE-CREATION
IX. Creation and Re-Creation
X. Organic and Individual
XI. The Church Before and After Christ
FOURTH CHAPTER: THE HOLY SCRIPTURE OR THE OLD TESTAMENT
XII. The Holy Scripture
XIII. The Scripture a Necessity
XIV. The Revelation to Which the Scripture of the Old Testament Owes Its Existence
XV. The Revelation of the Old Testament in Writing
XVI. Inspiration
FIFTH CHAPTER: THE INCARNATION OF THE WORD
XVII. Like One of Us
XVIII. Guiltless and Without Sin
XIX. The Holy Spirit in the Mystery of the Incarnation
SIXTH CHAPTER: THE MEDIATOR
XX. The Holy Spirit in the Mediator
XXI. Not Like unto Us
XXII. The Holy Spirit in the Passion of Christ
XXIII. The Holy Spirit in the Glorified Christ
SEVENTH CHAPTER: THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
XXIV. The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
XXV. The Holy Spirit in the New Testament Other than in the Old
XXVI. Israel and the Nations
XXVII. The Signs of Pentecost
XXVIII. The Miracle of Tongues
EIGHTH CHAPTER: THE APOSTOLATE
XXIX. The Apostolate
XXX. The Apostolic Scriptures
XXXI. Apostolic Inspiration
XXXII. Apostles To-Day?
NINTH CHAPTER: THE HOLY SCRIPTURES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
XXXIII. The Holy Scriptures in the New Testament
XXXIV. The Need of the New-Testament Scripture
XXXV. The Character of the New-Testament Scripture
TENTH CHAPTER: THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
XXXVI. The Church of Christ
XXXVII. Spiritual Gifts
XXXVIII. The Ministry of the Word
XXXIX. The Government of the Church
VOLUME II
FIRST CHAPTER: INTRODUCTION
I. The Man to be Wrought upon
II. The Work of Grace a Unit
III. Analysis Necessary
IV. Image and Likeness
V. Original Righteousness
VI. Rome, Socinus, Arminius, Calvin
VII. The Neo-Kohlbruggians
VIII. After the Scriptures
IX. The Image of God in Man
X. Adam Not Innocent, but Holy
SECOND CHAPTER: THE SINNER TO BE WROUGHT UPON
XI. Sin Not Material
XII. Sin Not a Mere Negation
XIII. Sin a Power in Reversed Action
XIV. Our Guilt
XV. Our Unrighteousness
XVI. Our Death
THIRD CHAPTER: PREPARATORY GRACE
XVII. What It Is
XVIII. What It Is Not
FOURTH CHAPTER: REGENERATION
XIX. Old and New Terminology
XX. Its Course
XXI. Regeneration the Work of God
XXII. The Work of Regeneration
XXIII. Regeneration and Faith
XXIV. Implanting in Christ
XXV. Not a Divine-Human Nature
XXVI. The Mystical Union with Immanuel
FIFTH CHAPTER: CALLING AND REPENTANCE
XXVII. The Calling of the Regenerate
XXVIII. The Coming of the Called
XXIX. Conversion of All that Come
SIXTH CHAPTER: JUSTIFICATION
XXX. Justification
XXXI. Our Status
XXXII. Justification from Eternity
XXXIII. Certainty of Our Justification
SEVENTH CHAPTER: FAITH
XXXIV. Faith in General
XXXV. Faith and Knowledge
XXXVI. Brakel and Comrie
XXXVII. Faith in the Sacred Scriptures
XXXVIII. The Faculty of Faith
XXXIX. Defective Learning
XL. Faith in the Saved Sinner Alone
XLI. Testimonies
VOLUME III
FIRST CHAPTER: SANCTIFICATION
I. Sanctification
II. Sanctification a Mystery
III. Sanctification and Justification
IV. Sanctification and Justification (Continued)
V. Holy Raiment of One's Own Weaving
VI. Christ Our Sanctification
VII. Application of Sanctification
VIII. Sanctification in Fellowship with Immanuel
IX. Implanted Dispositions
X. Perfect in Parts, Imperfect in Degrees
XI. The Pietist and the Perfectionist
XII. The Old Man and the New
XIII. The Work of God in Our Work
XIV. The Person Sanctified
XV. Good Works
XVI. Self-Denial
SECOND CHAPTER: LOVE
XVII. Natural Love
XVIII. Love in the Triune Being of God
XIX. The Manifestation of Holy Love
XX. God the Holy Spirit the Love which Dwells in the Heart
XXI. The Love of the Holy Spirit in Us
XXII. Love and the Comforter
XXIII. The Greatest of These Is Love
XXIV. Love in the Blessed Ones
XXV. The Communion of Saints
XXVI. The Communion of Goods
XXVII. The Communion of Gifts
XXVIII. The Suffering of Love
XXIX. Love in the Old Covenant
XXX. Organically One
XXXI. The Hardening Operation of Love
XXXII. The Love which Withers
XXXIII. The Hardening in the Sacred Scripture
XXXIV. Temporary Hardening
XXXV. The Hardening of Nations
XXXVI. The Apostolic Love
XXXVII. The Sin Against the Holy Ghost
XXXVIII. Christ or Satan
THIRD CHAPTER: PRAYER
XXXIX. The Essence of Prayer
XL. Prayer and the Consciousness
XLI. Prayer in the Unconverted
XLII. The Prayer of the Regenerated
XLIII. Prayer for and with Each Other