Ellet J. Waggoner
“O Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds” (Ps. 116:16).
THAT is the language of the soul that has learned that “Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful” (Ps. 116:5).
BUT the loosing of bonds is the work of the Holy Spirit; “and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Cor. 3:17). The Spirit of the Lord proclaims “liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound” (Isa. 61:1)
BUT “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:14-16).
(The Present Truth 11, 17 (April 25, 1895), p. 272.)