This book was written when its author was first Principal of Ridley Hall Theological College, Cambridge. He later became Bishop of Durham from 1901 through to 1920. He was closely associated with the establishment of the Keswick Convention in the Lake District area of England, a yearly conference that continues to this day and has been used of the Lord greatly in multitudes of lives. His writings are strongly devotional. He wrote a number of commentaries on New Testament epistles and also a significant biography on the life of Charles Simeon of Cambridge. His style is very much that of the late Victorian era but the content of this book leads the reader to worship and adore God as it considers the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit. Although it contains a degree of theological reflection, it is a series of meditations to magnify the Spirit’s work . The secondary title of “Veni Creator” was, in fact, the original title of the book when first published in 1890. It comes from the ancient hymn attributed to Charlemagne which begins ‘Come, Holy Ghost, Creator come”. The words ‘Creator Come’ in the original Latin are “Veni Creator”. A book like this is a healthy balance to some of the charismatic literature on the Holy Spirit more popular nowadays. It considers the Spirits Person in relation to the human nature of Jesus having looked a little at Him being Person rather than an influence. Short chapters follow on the Spirits work in relation to the scriptures, regeneration, conviction of sin and creating faith in Jesus. The book is not long, it is not a treatise of theology, it is a book to ponder upon and a good primer for those wishing to do further in depth study on the Holy Spirit. The author, in his preface remarks that although the book is somewhat fragmentary in character, ‘may it be used in some measure by Him of whom it speaks to stir up His saints so always to lay hold on him that he evermore may lay hold on them, and graciously fill them with Himself.”
