The Lord's way, in his providence, is often hid from our eyes. He passeth by us, and we perceive him not, because his operations are hidden under the veil of second causes. Every year we are witnesses to a thousand operations of the Spirit, whilst his agency is unobserved. When the desolations of winter are exchanged for the cheering verdure of spring, it is by the Spirit of God that the face of the earth is renewed. When we read of the mighty exploits of Cyrus, king of Persia, at a time when he knew neither God nor his Spirit, he was the Lord's anointed. These noble qualities which made him the delight of mankind, were the gifts of the Spirit. When your souls are possessed with a deep concern about your salvation, and your consciences deeply pierced with a sense of your sins, the Spirit of God is operating upon your minds.

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