Digital Logos Edition
Taking a three-fold approach to The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, Smeaton first examines scriptural testimony on the Holy Spirit. Next, he gives details on six aspects of the Holy Spirit: the perceived "personality" of the Holy Spirit; the Spirit's influence by revelation and inspiration; how the Holy Spirit brings about an individual's regeneration; the Spirit of holiness; and the Holy Spirit in the church. Finally, he concludes with a historical survey of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit from the apostolic age.
“The arguments against the view that Adam had the Spirit are wholly destitute of Biblical ground, and of no validity or weight. One ill-understood text has been adduced to prove that Adam was not replenished with the Spirit, viz.: ‘the first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening Spirit’” (Page 15)
“Except where Puritan influences are still at work, we may safely affirm that the doctrine of the Spirit is almost entirely ignored.” (Page 1)
“Faith was often needed to confront dangers with a confident mind.” (Page 53)
“The unction and fragrance of the Spirit with which the Psalms are replete lead me to notice, before leaving this portion of our survey, that it is an utter misconception to represent the Old Testament religion as more fed by mundane hopes than by the influence of the Holy Spirit.” (Page 25)
“The Holy Spirit, by the gospel, separates Christians, or sets them apart, in a peculiar way, from the common mass of men; and the blessings enjoyed are the fruit of the Spirit’s sanctifying power.” (Page 89)
George Smeaton (1814–89) was ordained to the ministry of the Church of Scotland at Falkland (1839), and was among the numerous ministers who emerged in 1843 during the Disruption to form the Free Church of Scotland. He was appointed professor at the Free Church College in Aberdeen (1854), and later became Professor of Exegetical Theology at New College, Edinburgh (1857). Smeaton passed away on April 14th, 1889.