'How he works upon us we know not': Monday in Whitsun Week

For this Monday in Whitsun Week, from an 1814 volume of sermons by Richard Mant - appointed Bishop of Killaloe and Kilfenora in 1820, translated to Down and Connor in 1823 - words from his sermon 'The Aid of the Spirit, the gift of God', on a trust in the ordinary working of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life, requiring no speculative inquiries or attempts to probe beyond the plain assurance of holy Scripture:

But whatever improvement our spiritual part is capable of receiving, it is not capable of furnishing that improvement to itself. We must be wrought upon by supernatural power: we must be "strengthened with might by the Spirit of God in the inner man." How he works upon us we know not: we need not, we cannot know; and it were useless and rash to inquire; for the scriptures, not only do not supply a clue to guide us in the search, but close the door upon such inquiries, by authoritatively asserting the fact, and requiring us to believe it as an article of faith, established on sufficient evidence. Do we ask with Nicodemus, "How can these things be?" We have our answer in the reply of our Saviour, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen." Let it suffice us then, that the fact of the Spirit working within us is a part of that divine revelation, which Christ came to teach us: and let us not busy ourselves with inquiries into the manner of his operations ...

Such are some of the principal operations, wherein the Holy Spirit exercises his influence upon our souls; regenerating, instructing, leading, and assisting, strengthening, renewing, and comforting all those, who are willing to profit by his fellowship, and to submit to his influence: and such and so great being the blessings, thus bestowed upon us, how can we sufficiently admire the abundant goodness of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who "grants us according to the riches of his glory to be thus strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man"?

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Why I support the ordination of women: a High Church reflection

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