# Ralph Erskine On Necessity of the Holy Spirit



## Backwoods Presbyterian (Sep 26, 2014)

> "What is a man, a minister, a sacrament, a city, a nation, without the Spirit of God? What makes matters so far wrong in a land, but that there is so little of the Spirit with ministers and people? There is no life where the quickening Spirit comes not: O sirs, we will have dead preaching. dead hearing, dead communicating, lifeless work this day if the purchased Spirit does not come! When He comes life comes with Him. Can these dry bones live? Can these dead, formal, lifeless, unbelieving, hypocritical, and carnal hearts live? Yea, undoubtedly they can, if the Spirit blow: O let your hearts cry, 'Come, O north-wind blow! Blow, thou south; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live!' Cry for the purchased and promised Spirit, that we may live, and be lively in our work this day."



-- Ralph Erskine, "Works, Vol. I", pg. 39


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