\ (ibe > Holy * & . A SERIES OF- BIBLE STUDIES ON THE PERSON, PRESENCE AND POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. BY A PASTOR. rt 1310 OLIVE STREET, ST. LOUIS: FOR SAYLOR SPRINGS ASSEMBLY SERIES. 1890. 'Entered according to act of Congress In the year 1889 by E. A. Stone In the office ol the Llbarlan of Congress at Washington . ' ' DEDICATION. To our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, Who sent the Comforter; And to His Churches, Who received His abiding Presence and Power. INTRODUCTION. The Creed History Corrupting influences upon the doctrine Plan of the work Need of the work Explanatory notes 9 CHAPTER I. The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament Creation Soul Intensifying natural powers Bestowing gifts Inspiration Providence Lim- itations 15 CHAPTER II. The Old Testament prophecies Upon the Messiah Upon the world Upon men With- in the Church 26 CHAPTER HI. The Holy Spirit with the Son of Man In conception Witness Filled with Wrought signs by Was offered by Resurrec- tion Glorification 34 CHAPTER IV. Christ's teaching Promised Sought Needed Sevenfold mission Final instruction. 42 CHAPTER V. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit Promised Fulfillment Order Nature and pur- pose Temporal features Permanent features .... 53 CHAPTER VI. Sins against the Holy Spirit Blas- phemy Despising Resisting Tempting Defil- ing the Temple Quenching Grieving 65 Vi CONTENTS. CHAPTER VII. What the Holy Spirit does for the Sinner. Awakens Enlightens Convicts Regenerates 77 CHAPTER VIII. What the Holy Spirit does for the Saint. Dwells in Witnesses with Leads Gives hope Sanctifies Strengthens Intercedes with. 86 CHAPTER IX. The doctrine in Romans eighth chap- ter 97 CHAPTER X. The fruit of the Spirit Law Neces- sity Nature Special gifts 108 CHAPTER XI. The Holy Spirit and the Ministry Calls Directs Makes effective Strengthens . . . 118 CHAPTER XII. The Holy Spirit in the Church Organization Officers Planting Comforts Dwells in Relation to Ordinances 127 CHAPTER XIII. Co-operation with the Holy Spirit Mind Wait Pray in Use Word Walk by Sow to Be filled with 186 CHAPTER XIV. Tests of the Indwelling Spirit 1 John 4th chap. Confession Overcoming Obey- ing Love Witness Confidence Love for God. 147 CHAPTER XV. The Holy Spirit and the Word- Inspires Blesses Makes powerful 159 CHAPTER XVI. The Holy Spirit in Conflict with Satan Essential Works of the Devil Ancient In Christ's time Perpetual 167 CHAPTER XVII. Emblems of the Holy Spirit Tongues of fire Wind Dove Water Seal CONTENTS. Vll Earnest Fire 178 CHAPTER XVIII. The Holy Spirit and Apostasy Regeneration Enlightenment Last State 187 INTRODUCTION. "I believe in the Holy Spirit." This has been the expressed creed of Christians during all the centuries since the ascension of our blessed Lord. With more or less clearness of vision they have recognized their dependence upon active co- operation with the Holy Spirit in order to success, both in personal growth in grace, and in advanc- ing the Kingdom of Christ on the earth. That,at times their understanding of the full import of his person, presence ami power has been corrupted by surrounding influences, need not be deemed strange. Dark fogs have arisen from the low lands of worldly interests, of physical infirmities and desires. Dark clouds have over- hung the sky, driven by the winds of heathen degration, superstition and ignorance; and at such times Christians have been led to look for success in numbers, wealth, social and civil pres- tige, in magnificent cathedrals, in forms and cer- emonies ; and have forgotten that God had prom- ised it, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my X INTRODUCTION. spirit." But to-day the vision is growing clearer, the understanding more perfect. It must be remembered that so far as human sources and agencies had to do with it, the cause of Christ came out from a formal Judaism, and a corrupt heathanism. It is not strange, therefore, that frequently the statements of creeds have neither correctly nor clearly set forth divine truth. With the Bible lockedfrom the membership of the Churches, in ob- scure cells or unknown tongues, with a ministry often caring more for creeds than the Word of God ; for the confessional than the gospel of par- don ; for the form than for the fact ; depending more for salvation upon the Church than the Christ; it is not strange that confusion of doctrine has arisen, and false teaching been heard. To- day the Christian leaders are standing in clearer light than ever before. The day of truth is ad- vancing, and the Sun of Righteousness is well up the heavens. Churches are coming to recog- nize their obligations to Christ, and the world. Missions are planted, or soon will be, in every nation; the Bible has been, or soon will be, printed in every language ; and the power of the Holy Spirit is manifest wherever the Ministry and Word have gone. It must be wise in view of INTRODUCTION. XI these things, to enquire what is the teaching of the Inspired Word concerning the person, pres- ence and power of the Holy Spirit. The object of this volume is solely to make this enquiry from a Bihle standpoint ; the effort being to collate and harmonize the various passages of the Word, as refer direetly to these truths. To-day if Chris- tians would secure speedily the promised victory over sin, they must understand the teaching of the Holy Spirit concerning himself. This is the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. Just as there has been a dispensation of Patriarchs, of Law, of Priests, of Prophets, and of a personal Christ ; so, now, in the last of the world has come the ao;e when the Holy Spirit is doing His work in sal- vation. What could not be secured by any other means, is being secured by this last agency of God's Spirit. This has been, and is, the di- vine plan for teaching the world the absolute, need of a life from God, of salvation by grace, of the reality of spiritual things, and of eternal loss without the direct personal work of the Holy Spirit upon the soul. To such a study we come, praying for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and that he will make this humble work a blessing in the salvation of souls and the com- fort of saints. XII INTRODUCTION. In the quotations, the Revised Version has been largely used, and the references are inserted in the text rather than in foot notes. The author has also followed the American Revisers' suggest. ion, by using the term Holy Spirit instead of Holy Ghost. " Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS. 1 Veni Creator Spiritus Mentes tuorum visita Imple superna gratia Quae tu creasti pectora. 2 Qui Paraclitus diceris Donum Dei altissimi Fons vivus, ignis, charitas Et spiritalis unctio. 3 Tu septiformis munere Dextrae Dei tu digitus Tu site promissum Patris Sermone ditans guttura. INTRODUCTION. XIII 4 Accende lumen sensibus Infunde amorem cordibus Infirma nostri corporis Virtute firmans perpeti 5 Hostem repellas longius Pacemque dones protinus Ductore sic te praevio Vitemus omne noxium. 6 Per te sciamus da Patrent Noscamus atqne Filium Teque utriusque Spiritum Credamus omui tempore. 7 Deo Patri fit gloria Et Filio, qui a mortuis Surrexit ac Paraclito In Saeculorum saecula. Old Latin Hymn. THE HOLY SPIRIT. CHAPTER I. THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. Science joins hands with the Holy Scriptures in teaching that all life is the gift of God. The Scriptures alone, however, come to us with the teaching that it is the Spirit of God which gives all life. It is by this power that every advance from lower to higher forms of life has been pos- sible. In all our study of the Holy Spirit's work we must keep this thought, then, in plain view, that he is the great life-giver. Recognizing this fundamental truth, let us at once proceed to en- quire what were the earliest manifestations of the Spirit's power and presence, and what were the truths God set forth in the Old Testament dispen- sations concerning his work. That his person and work were but imperfectly revealed in the olden times need not be deemed strange ; but we 16 THE HOLY SPIRIT. shall find that during the entire history of the world prior to the advent of our blessed Lord, the agency of the Holy Spirit was recognized by the inspired writers. (u) In the morning of creation, when by the Word all things had been -made, when darkness covered the entire earth, rolling in emptiness and desolation, it was "the Spirit of God which moved upon the face of the waters" (Gen. 1:2) and brought forth order and developed light and life. And Job declared, " By by his spirit he hath gar- nished the heavens." Job 26:13. Thus while it was by the power of "the Word that all things were made and without him was not anything made that was made ;" it was by the Spirit that life, order and adornment were given to the things thus created. As will be seen further on, doing a supplemental work, to the work of Christ, in nature as well as in grace ; the beauty and order of the natural world being secured by his Divine power after creation had occurred. (b) And after this work when, in the councils of the Infinite, it was determined to make man, it was the Holy Spirit who imparted to him life and gave him understanding. Elihu was right when in his controversy he declared: " There is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Al- THF HOLY SPIRIT. 17 mighty giveth them understanding." Job 32 :8. And, again : *' The Spirit of God hath made me and the Spirit of the Almighty hath given me life." Job 33 :4 % Job himself had already de- clared : " The Spirit of God is in my nostrils." Job 27 :3. It was the same truth recognized by the Psalmist when having asked, "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit, and whither shall I flee from thy presence," he adds " Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect, and in thy Book all were written what days they should be fashioned when there was none of them." Ps. 139 :7 withlG (mar. reading.) Life does not spring out of, nor is it developed from created matter, it is the Divine Spirit act- ing upon that which the Word has created that produces life. So we are to understand the Psalmist: * By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the HOST of them by the breath (spirit) of his mouth." Ps. 33:6. Not only were the hosts of heaven made by him, but it was his inbreathed spirit that made and marked the difference between man and all other living creatures. vide, Gen. 2 :7 ; Job 27 :3 ; Ps.104 : 29, 30; Job 12:10; Is. 42:5. A further study will also show that the continuation , the preserva- tion, and maintenance of this life is from the 18 THE HOLY SPIRIT. same Divine source. So the Psalmist again de- clares : * ' Thou takest away their ( the creatures ) spirit and they die, and turn again to their dust. Thou sendest forth thy spirit and they are cre- ated, and thou renewest the form of the earth. Ps. 104 :29, 30. Thus does the Word in the beginning recognize that it was the Spirit of God inbreathed that made man a living soul; gave him the powers by which his superiority over all the rest of God's creation on earth is plainly manifested. But sin entered not only the garden, but theheartof man, and he fell ; and therefore the Spirit in his work must deal with man as a sinner ever after. (c) A study of the Old Testament will reveal that this dealing was largely with men as individ- uals and not as a race. Especial emphasis should be laid -on the fact that the Holy Spirit took the natural powers with which man was endowed in creation and in individuals divinely chosen to es- pecial office and work, enlarged and intensified their natural endowments. So God declared to Moses concerning Bezaleel : " I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom and understand- ing and in knowledge and in all manner of work- manship," etc. Ex. 31 :3. And so when the elders were chosen to co-operate with Moses, God THE HOLY SPIRIT. 19 said: " I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee and will put it upon them and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee that thou bear it not thyself alone." Num. 11 :17. And so of Gideon, Jephthah, Samson and others among the Judges. When the Holy Samuel came to anoint David, after he had poured the oil upon him in the midst of his brethren, "The Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward." 1 Sam. 16 :13. This special fitting for service did not imply either a permanent blessing or holiness of life as is apparent in thecasesof Samson, Saul and even David. It only signified that for his own purposes, in developing the plan of redemp- tion, God used certain men and by the Holy Spirit specially fitted them for such purpose. These passages expressly declare the operation of the Holy Spirit upon the minds and hearts of God' s chosen servants, for an especial work; but they do not imply the continuance or abiding presence of the Spirit. Nay, David's prayer, "Take not thy Holy Spirit from me," (Ps. 51:11), would imply the possible removal of the Spirit from the soul for cause and it is declared in the case of Saul that this was true. 1 Sam. 16 :14. It must be remembered, however, that this is true only of the Spirit's work in imparting the special gifts to 20 THE HOLY SPIRIT. those whom God had called to specific work and not to his power in making men holy or in enab- ling them to live a righteous life in the world. (d) But there was also a work of the Spirit in warning sinners by the mouth of divinely called messengers, that was more general. Pa- triarchs, law-givers, judges and prophets were specially moved amd instructed by the Holy Spir- it in warning men of the consequences of sin and in urging them to repentance and consecration. "My Spirit shall not always strive with men. ' Gen. 6:3. So declared the Lord when the Pa- triarch Noah was sent to them as a preacher of righteousness. And it was when the people would not heed the prophetic warnings, that the Lord, speaking through Isaiah, declares, " But they re- belled and vexed his Holy Spirit. Therefore he is turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them." Is. 63:10. There are no other pass- ages in the Old Testament implying any exertion of power by the Holy Spirit over the race. And in these two passages the legitimate inference seems to be rather a rejection of the Spirit's message through the inspired teacher, than a personal rejection of the Spirit's personal influ ence. Whether this be true or not, it is clear that the Holy Spirit did not move upon men in THE HOLY SPIRIT. 21 the old dispensation as he does under the new, but they were left to feel after God if possible to find him and only when it had been demon- strated that none of the old influences, acting without either direct or general influence by the Holy Spirit, could lead men to God, that in the new he exerts his power directly upon the soul. The world must learn its need before God gave the means for blessing. (e) But we shall see that the Old Testament teachers were divinely endowed and inspired. Such language as the following is quite frequent : " The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah," and upon Gideon, etc. Judges 6:34; 11 :29, and 2Chron. 15:1. "The Spirit of the Lord was upon them." "The Spirit took me." "The Spirit lifted me up." "lam full of power by the Spirit." These expressions, and many simi- lar ones, plainly teach that the holy men of God recognized the power of the Holy Spirit in con- trolling and directing them in all of the work which they undertook for the advancement of God's kingdom, or the revelation of his will. And the Apostles in the NewTestament plainly declared that this was true. In the midst of the one hun- dred and twenty, Peter declares: "The Holy Spirit hath spoken by the mouth of David." 22 THE HOLY SPIRIT. Acts 1 :16. And in his epistle he also declares the Spirit of Christ was in the prophet's in- quiring concerning the salvation that should come. 1 Pet. 1 :10-12. And, "The prophecy came not in old times by the will of man, but holy men of God spake, moved by the Holy Spirit." 2 Pet. 1:21. With the call to the propetic office came special personal preparation by the Holy Spirit, so that the prophet was recognized as a man pre-eminent- ly of the Spirit. This fact marks a distinction between those called to the prophetic office and those called by the Spirit to other kinds of ser- vice. It was evidently this very difference which led Moses to say : * Would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them." Num. 11 :29. The prophets everywhere recognized the holy source from which they derived their call, their fitness and their power. (f ) Again it seems certain that in so far as men were enabled to live righteously, it was by the power of the Holy Spirit in the old, as well as in the now, dispensation. From the passages al- ready quoted, it eecrr.s a fair conclusion, especi- ally in the light of the New Testament, that all holiness, or godliness, of life in every age, must THE HOLY SPIRIT. 23 be the result of the Spirit's direct power. When, then , men listened to God's messages, and turned to serve him, he gave them of his Holy Spirit to lead, to guide, to sanctify, and yet it seems not to have been as fully manifested as in the latter days. A contrast indicating this seems to be made between the holy men of old and our blessed Lord in the manifested power of the Spirit's presence when it is said: " God did not give him the Spirit by measure." John 3:34. Implying that to them he was given by measure. (g) But, finally, it seems, also, from Peter's language, already quoted. 1 Peter 1 : 10-12, and from other teachings of the New Testament, to be quoted, that, as the Holy Spirit developed or- der out of chaos in creation, so in the moral world the chaotic condition by sin was, in the providence of God, moved upon by the Holy Spirit, developing, unfolding, directing, all the affairs of men so that the world was being pre- pared for Christ's coming. It requires only a careful study of the world's moral and spiritual development to realise that it was the Holy Spirit that led the world by successive stages, through patriarch, law-giver, priest, judge and prophet up to Him who more than all and com- bininir all in himself , was also the world's Re- 24 THE HOLY SPIRIT. deemer. It required four thousand years to do this work, but under his direction the fullness of time came and God sent his Son into the world, that the world might have life. Thus from the whole tenor of the Scriptures it becomes evident that there were in the Old Tes- tament times limitations to the efficiency of the Holy Spirit. Limitations, not made by any dif- ference in his nature, but in the conditions of men themselves. Let us note here the character of these limitations : First. The Holy Spirit never reveals himself. He only reveals Christ. Hence, as Christ was only revealed in types, and forms, and figures, the Holy Spirit could only present these types, forms and figures; until in the fulness of times God should send his Son into the world. Vide John 15:26; 16:14. Second. The Holy Spirit always uses the re- vealed word as an instrument. Hence, when there was an imperfect instrument, there must be imperfect use. Vide John 16 :13 ; 1 Cor. 2 :4, 5. Third. The Holy Spirit manifests himself in worship. The Old Testament age, at its best, furnished but one central place of worship The Tabernacle and The Temple and worship was an elaborate system of ceremonies. Hence, the THE HOLY SPIRIT. 25 Spirit's efficiency must be limited by these very conditions. Vide John 4 ;23, 24. These limitations removed by the coming of the gospel in the fulness of times and his efficien- cy is perfected. " Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." 26 THE HOLY SPIRIT. CHAPTER H. THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Special emphasis is laid in the Old Testament prophecies upon the blessings to follow the advent of the Messiah in the enlarged and intensified presence and power of the Holy Spirit. That which had been by measure, was then to be in abundance. That which had been limited, was was then to become unlimited. New and glori- ous blessings were to follow the coming of the Christ, because of the increased activity of the Holy Spirit in the world, and upon the hearts of all men. (a) This increase of power and blessing was first to be manifested upon the Messiah himself : " There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots, nnd (he Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit THE HOI/T SPIRIT. 27 of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." Isa. 11 ;1, 2. In rapturous vision, the same prophet, as God's messenger, turns the attention of the people to the Messiah, in these words: "Behold my ser- vant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my Spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles." Isa. 42:1. And then follows a glowing prophecy of the blessings to come with the advent of the Messiah's reign. In the succeeding chapters he depicts the coming triumphs of grace over sin, and at last declares the Messiah's message, as speaking for himself, he says: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the open- ing of the prison to the bound." Isa. 61 :1. We have made no mistake in thus attributing to Christ these wonderful prophecies. No better confirmation is needed than that given us by the Word. Seven centuries roll away after the Prophet's revelation of his rapturous visions, and he of whom he spoke, standing in the Synagogue of Nazareth, opened the Book at this place, and reading in the hearing of all the people these 28 THE HOLY SPIRIT. words, added : " This day is this Scripture ful- filled in you ears." Luke 4 :18-21. Thus do the Old Testament Scriptures point to Christ as the center around which moves the word's spiritual history. The nearer the old world comes to his gracious advent the more the writings glow with descriptions of these coming blessings. One af- ter another of the prophets recognise these bless- ings, speak of them, look for them, and turn the world's thoughts toward .them. Last in the line stands one even after the birth of the Messiah who also by the Holy Spirit saw the glory of the Shiloh. "And the Holy /Spirit was upon him, and it was revealed him by the Holy /Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple : and when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law," Simeon recognized him as the promised Christ, and so declared. Luke 2 :25-27. Thus do the Prophets, not only by the Holy Spirit recog- nize the coming of our Lord and identify him when ho does come, but also declare the especial presence and power of the Holy Spirit as consti- tuting, in a largo measures, the glory of his ad- vent and mission. (b) But the prophecies look not alone to THE HOLY SPIRIT. 29 Christ's great endowment by, and fuller reception of the Holy Spirit, they also lay especial empha- sis upon the fact that after the Messiah has come the world and the Church are to be made large recipients of his divine blessing. These prophe- cies are worthy of special notice as indicating not only the blessings to follow Christ's advent, but the distinctions to be made between the New and the Old. Isaiah makes this contrast sharply when he speaks of the desolations coming upon God's people because of their transgressions, and to continue "until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest." Isa. 32:15. Again: " Thus said the Lord; . . . Fear not, O, Jacob, my servant ; and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground ; I will pour my Spir- it upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine off- spring." Isa. 44:2, 3. Ezekiel, as the Lord's prophet, sees the same blessings, and declares : I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you." Ez. 11 :19. And, again : "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you ; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you 30 THE HOLY SPIRIT. an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit with- in you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them." Ez. 36 :26, 27. And when he recognizes the same blessingas already present, he says : "Neith- er will I hide my face any more from them ; for I have poured out my Spirit upon the house of Is- rael, saith the Lord God." Ez. 39:29. Likewise the prophet Joel, in the language quoted by Peter on the day of Pentecost, in the beginning of the fulfillment, declares: "It shall come to pass afterwards, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh ; and your sons and your daughters shall prophecy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit." Joel 2 :28, 29. Thus by prophecy, revealing that neither race, class, age, nor condition were to be unblessed by the Holy Spirit when the Messiah's reign should be inaugurated. The prophet Zachariah also recognizes this blessing for the spiritual Israel when he says : "I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication ; and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn THE HOLY SPIRIT. for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one is in bitter- ness for his first-born." Zech. 12:10. Thus to- ward the New Testament times was the world turned by the holy prophets for the fulfillment of these blessings when the Holy Spirit should be poured out. For four thousand years the world sat in more or less darkness, beholding these rays of coming light as they flashed from the prophet's declaration, and waiting for the full glory of the rising of the Son of Righteousness and the com- ing of the day of the Most High. The people of God heard now and again these hopeful messages coming from the lips of God's chosen and anointed ones who, standing upon spiritual heights, could first discern and declare the glory of the coming day. As it drew nearer and nearer to the breaking, their vision grew clearer, their messages were plainer, and the hope they sought to inspire was enkindled into a glowing flame, until at last the whole world seemed waiting for the gospel light and life. At length the last of these messengers stood on the banks of the Jordan a strange messenger, not unlike the first Elijah coming as if born of the wind, which rushed down the wild canyons of the river, and he proclaimed the end of the night and 32 THE HOLY SPIRIT. the breaking of the day. Filled as the prophets of old, by the Holy Spirit, and yet in a greater degree than any of them he stood and declared : " There cometh one after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to loose, who shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." Matt. 3 :11 ; Mark 1 :8; Luke 3:16. " Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. "LET THERE BE LIGHT." Thou ! whose almighty word Chaos and darkness heard And took their flight, Hear us, we humbly pray And, where the gospel day Sheds not its glorious ray " Let there be light." Thou! who didst come to bring On thy redeeming wing Healing and sight, Health to the sick in mind, Sight to the inly blind., Oh, now to all mankind 'Let there be light." THE HOLY SPIRIT. 33 Blessed and holy Three, All glorious Trinity, Wisdom, Love, Might, Boundless as ocean's tide, Rolling in fullest pride Through the world, far and wide, "Let there be light!" 34 THE HOLY SPIRIT. CHAPTER IH. THE HOLY SPIRIT WITH THF SON OF MAN. The entire and complete co-operation of the Holy Spirit with the Son of Man is clearly set forth not only in the prophecies already quoted but in the New Testament teaching. As he was one in the counsels of the Holy Trinity in the eter- nal past, as he is now and ever will bo in the car- rying forward of God's kingdom, so was he one with the Son of Man during his earthly ministry. Mystery shrouds much of the relationship exist- ing between the second and third persons in the trinity, but that does not set aside the revealed facts. Whatever may be our theories we can ac- cept the declarations of the Scriptures with un- faltering faith. The Holy Spirit was personally at one with Christ from the time of his conception throughout his whole earthly life. (a) With holy awe we listen to the wondrous annunciation ' made by the angel to the Virgin Mary as he declares the glorious and solemn truth THE HOLY SPIRIT. 35 to be realized to her, culled of God, "highly favorei " and "blessed among women." " The Holy Spirit shallcomeuponthee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee : therefore also the holy thing to be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Luke 1:35. In such holy mystery was he conceived, and from such paren- tage was he born, who walked among men as the Son of Man. With such birth we, should expect no less than the constant co-operation of the Holy Spirit with the Christ thus manifested in the flesh. The Holy life thus began must be fittingly con- tinued and consumated. (b) It is then but the legitimate sequence w-hen he enters upon his public ministry, that the Holy Spirit in a personal manner witnesses to his sonship with God. At his baptism, coming, as he himself declares to " fulfill all righteousness," as he comes forth from the water when he has com- pleted this act of obedience to the Father's will; the Holy Spirit in form like a dove, descending rests upon him and " lo, a voice from heaven, say- ing, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matt. 3 :16 ; Mark 1 :10; Luke 3 :22; John 1 :33. This witness to the Spirit of Christ's mission and identity had been declared previously to John. I knew him not: but he that sent me 36 THE HOLY SPIRIT. to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the pirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which bap- tizeth with the Holy Spirit." John 1 :33. These words also set forth a new fact in the relationship between Christ and the Holy Spirit in this, that the latter was to remain or abide on Christ. (c) This truth stands out clearly in the divine record. Christ's earthly life was under the com- plete control and influence of the Holy Spirit. The baptism ended, the witness of the Spirit had been given, we then read that, " Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil." Luke 4:1, 2, Mark lays an especial emphasis on the Spirit's control when he says after his baptism, "Immediatelythe Spirit driveth him into the wilderness." Mark 1:12. In these words at least implying that sis the Son of Man, obeying the Father's will the Holy Spirit impels him to meet the great tempter and by the personal conflict help toward the final victory in which heaven is to be triumphant over hell. " (d) But the Master himself recognizes not only this manifest control in his earthly life, but that his works were wrought by the agency of the THE HOLY SPIRIT. 37 Holy Spirit. When the Pharisees accused him of being in league with the Prince of Devils, when he cast out devils from men, he showedthe incon- sistency of their argument, the utter impossibility of so securingthis result, and then adds, "But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you." Matt. 12:28. Thus clearly setting forth their entire co-opera- tion. (e) The Apostle writing the epistle to the Hebrews brings to our notice an additional fact of great Importance in this connection. It is the re- lationship of the Holy Spirit to the vicarious sacrifice of Christ, at the close of his holy life on earth. " If the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of flesh ; How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot or fault to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" Heb. 9:13, 14. These words clearly reveal that the rectitude of the Master's life making his offering an efficacious one was secured through the eternal Spirit. It is to this same truth that Paul calls attention when he says Great is the mystery of godliness. He who was manifested in the flesh, justified or made 38 THE HOLY SPIRIT. righteous in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, re- O ' ' ceived up into glory." 1 Tim. 3:16. Thus the offering of Christ is made acceptable and sufficient by the Holy Spirit. (f ) Once more Paul and Peter both set before us the truth that the glory .of the resurrection of our Lord from the dead, was achieved by the power of the Holy Spirit. " Jesus Christ . . . was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrec- tion of the dead." Rom. 1:4. And again: "The Spirit of him that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead, shall quicken also your mortal bodies." Rom. 8 :11. "Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God ; being put to death in the flesh, but quickened in the Spirit." 1 Peter 3:18. (g) The final specific co-operation is the glori- fication of Christ ; the helping to extend the Master's kingdom by revealing Christ to the world. The ascended Christ has taken his seat in glory at the right hand of the Father. From the place of intercession he has sent the Spirit. When he made the promise to send him, the Master said that when he shall come "He shall glorify THE HOLY SPIRIT. 39 me, for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you." John 16:14. Thus from the beginning of the Savior's holy life on earth, throughout his whole mission as the Son of Man is the co-operation with the Holy Spirit fully established. Whatever separation in person there may be, or in office, their co-opera- tion is most complete. If the language quoted above has any real meaning it certainly implies that Christ on the earth, as Man, recognized his dependence upon the Holy Spirit. Yea, even more, they teach that the only woik done by the Holy Spirit during our Lord's earthly life was through his divine person, and only so many were moved upon by the Holy Spirit as came into per- sonal contact with him, or to whom he imparted personally the influence or power. He also plain- ly taught that all the light and life given to the disciples came through himself as he gave the Spirit to them. It was thus a personal imparta- tion from Christ to those who received either spiritual light or life; hence he declares, " It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth noth- ing, the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit and are life." John 6:63. During his earthly- life then there was no awakening, no regeneration, no comforting, no guidance, for any 40 THE HOLY SPIRIT. soul except from the personal Saviour to the soul receiving him and his Words. Wonderous, mysterious limitations. The Spirit was with Christ, but he had not yet been given to the world and would not could not be,until Christ had finished his work and gone to the Father. A multitude of questions growing out of this mystery of godliness present themselves to the student : but their answer and the solution of the mystery are well left until we walk in the clearer light of eternity. But one significant truth, or queiy rather, does press upon us for practical answer. It is this: If the Christ, who became man, if the son of God in his incarnation, was in any sense dependent upon the Holy Spirit for success in His mission, how much more are we, who with corrupt natures and inherited tendency to sin are pressing toward eternity ? If his triumph in the dark hours of temptation and conflict and death was made possible only through the Holy Spirit, what shall be our condition if we have not his aid? In him was no sin ; we are born in sin and conceived in iniquity. No wonder that the Master by precept and example would impress upon us our greater need. No wonder that the message to Nicodomus in the garden, " Ye must THE HOLY SPIRIT. 41 be born from above ' ' has come with startling power to careless sinners in every suceeding age. " Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." 42 [THE HOLY SPIRIT. CHAPTER IV. CHRIST'S TEACHING CONCERNING THE HOLY SPIRIT. Christ held before the disciples continually the importance of one promised blessing. He taught them to pray for it, to look for its fulfillment, to realize their need of it. That promise was the coming and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. (a) We have seen, when the second Elijah, John, the harbinger, stood, the last in the long line of holy prophets, declaring the soon advent of the Messiah, he also promised the bestowment of the Holy Spirit in overwhelming power : "I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance, but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear, he shall baptize you with (in) the Holy Spirit and with (in) fire." Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:1(5; Acts 1 :5. Some light may be thrown on this wonder- ful promise made by John, if we make a compar- THE HOLY SPIRIT. 43 ison of the various texts in which the promise recurs. It will be noticed by reading the texts noted above, that in Acts 1:2, the Lord omits the expression used by John, "and in fire," The significance of this expression will be con- sidered more fully in another chapter, but here it is important to notice that the promise of im- mediate blessing, and upon which our Lord laid emphasis, was the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It evidently conveyed to the minds of those hear- ing it, that it was a blessing never before enjoyed and one that could only be bestowed subsequent to the Master's earthly life. No wonder then that John and the apostles came to look to this blessing as one of the most important to come as a result of our Lord's life 'and work. No won- der that our Master, understanding better than they the need for this blessing, should continual- ly seek to impress upon them this blessing for which they were to pray and wait, even while a world was perishing. If some light of life had stolen through the darkness of sin upon men here and there, hitherto, now under the Mes- siah's rule there was to be fullness of blessing upon all. If he had come to some by measure in the past, the present, in which John preached, was the beginning of the most glorious future in 44 THE HOLY SPIRIT. which the light, as sent by Christ, was to shine unto all, and blessing was to be in fullness and upon all. (b) Early in his own ministry the Master be- gan to impress upon the apostles the necessity of seeking for this promised blessing of the imme- diate presence and fullness of power of the Holy Spirit. There can be no reasonable doubt that the disciples, prior to the baptism of the Holy Spirit, only received him by measure, as had been true of others in previous periods. Some meas- ure of spiritual light, and some measure of spir- itual power was theirs, as it had been of holy men who lived before them ; but the Master taught them to pray for the Holy Spirit, and to seek the baptism which had been promised by John. So we read that when they came, saying : "Teach us to pray," he not only unfolded to them the ideal form of prayer, and the blessings to follow its use, but he gave them to know that the highest of blessings would be given to them in answer to prayer even the Holy Spirit him- self. From the analogy of the earthly parent he draws the lesson: "If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give THE HOLY SPIRIT. 45 the Holy Spirit to them that ask him." Luke 11:13. (c) This declaration undoubtedly refers both to their present and future reception of his bless- ings, for no fact was more fully impressed by our Lord upon the disciples than their personal need of, and dependence upon, the Holy Spirit both during our Lord's personal ministry and after his ascension. To this end they were assured they were not to fear persecution. " And when they bring you unto the synagogue and magis- trates and powers, take yo no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say, for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say." Luke 12:11, 12. Thus setting forth both their dependence on the Holy Spirit and the fact that he vouchsafed to them his presence and power only as there came necessity for it by measure. Toward a fuller blessing they were directed to look. A significant statement is made by John, showing this fact where he recounts the Lord's discourse in Jerusalem at the last great day of the feast, when he sent forth the universal invitation to come to him for the water of life, and gives the assur- ance that everyone thus coining shall become in turn a source of spiritual life flowing to others: 46 THE HOLY SPIRIT. and John adds: "But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believed on him were to receive, for the Spirit was not yet given ; because Jesus was not yet glorified." John 7:37-39. Thus, step by step, the Master leads the disciples not only to see their present, but also their future need of the Holy Spirit. (d) But it was when he was passing into the deep shadows of suffering, which gathered over the close of his life, and when the disciples be- gan to realize their own sad orphanage, that he unfolds most clearly, not only the immediate coining of the Holy Spirit, but the fullness of blessing to follow his advent. " I will not leave you desolate," was the promise. The sorrow at his absence was to be more than compensated for to them by the wonderful seven-fold work the Holy Comforter would accomplish for and in them. Notice the following passages in order : 1. "I shall pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth ; whom the world cannot receive ; for it beholdeth him not, neither knoweth him ; for he abideth with you and shall be in you." John 14:1(5-17. 2. " The Comforter the Holy Spirit whom THE HOLY SPIRIT. 47 the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you." John 14 :26. 3. "When the Comforter is come, whom I shall send unto you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me ; and ye also bear wit- ness, because ye have been with me from the be- ginning/' John 15 :26-27. 4. "Nevertheless, Itell you the truth, it is expe- dient for you that I go away ; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if J go, I will send him unto you. And he, when he has come, will convict the world in re- spect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judg- ment ; of sin, because they believe not on me : of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye behold me no more ; of judgment, because the Prince of this world is judged." John 16:7-11. 5. "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth ; for he shall not speak from himself, but whatsoever things he shall hear, them shall he speak." John 16 :13. 6. " And he shall declare unto you the things that are to come." John 16 :13. 48 THE HOLY SPIRIT. 7. " He shall glorify me ; for he shall take of mine, and shall declare it unto you." John 16 :14. An analysis of the above passages, taken from the Passover discourse of our Lord, will show us the general work to be wrought by the Holy Spirit when he should come, after our Lord's departure : 1. He was to dwell in the disciples. 2. He was to teach them in their work. 3. Bring to memory the personal teaching of the Lord. 4. To testify or witness concerning Christ. 5. He was to work conviction in the world. 6. He was to guide into all the truth. 7. He was to glorify Christ in the Church on the earth. These assurances and declarations coming from our Lord on the eve of his departure, came to the disciples with great value. They did not under- stand the full import of this teaching, but they were strengthened, and afterward they realized the full meaning. This full meaning will ap- pear yet more clearly in our further study, as we analyze this work of the Holy Spirit. We shall see what depth of meaning there was in these words of our Lord to the disciples sent ferth to preach the gospel, and found a kingdom in a world loving sin and hating righteousness. No THE HOLY SPIRIT. 49 phase of their mission to the world, as the pro- claimers of the gospel, would fail to need and receive the Holy Spirit's influence. Their minds were to be enlightened; their questions answered ; their difficulties solved by his divine power. The conversion of the world was dependent upon his coming. The preaching of the gospel would be of no value without his aid. The infant Church would grow to gigantic proportions only as he should dwell in her midst. The disciple cast into personal conflict with sin and Satan would be but a puny contestant except as the Holy Spirit en- dued him with divine power. That this was the significance of our blessed Lord's teaching will O ^3 be fully apparent in our future study. As we have said, the disciples evidently did not realize the full import of these words until the blessing came, but much of encouragement evidently did come to them as the Master sat with them in the shadow of his own great passion and unfolded these promises. It reveals to us the tender depths of the Savior's love when he, so near his own agony, could wait to comfort and assure the apos- tles by these precious words of instruction and promise. The dark hours which witnessed the tragedy of Calvary came all too soon for the disciples in 50 THE HOLY SP1KIT. spite of the Muster's comfort. The atonement is made for the sin of the world. In the mantle of night, during the day of suffering, the whole earth waited for the end to come. At last, with the cry, " It is finished !" he gave up his spirit. John 19 :30. And the end of the suffering for the Son of Man had come. They buried him; the morning of the third day witnessed his tri- umph over death and hades. In the resurrection body the Master walks among his disciples, giving them every evidence of the reality of his resur- rection, and teachingthem concerning their work. At last he comes for the final visit to Jerusalem. From the city of David he leads them forth across Kedron, and up the side of Mt. Olivet, until at, near, the summit he stopped with the apostles. He gives to them the great commission. To them he entrusts henceforth the visible direction and development of his kingdom on the earth. But for this great work they must remember the needed and promised co-operation of the Holy Spirit. ' Thus it is written that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day ; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, unto all the nations, be- ginning from Jerusalem. Ye are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send forth the prom- THE HOLY SPIRIT. 51 ise of my Father upon you ; but tarry ye in the city, until ye be clothed with power from on high." Luke 24:46-49, "Ye shall receive pow- er when the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the utter- most part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, as they were looking, he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight." Acts 1 :8, 9. Thus with the promise again repeated, and with the ascension of our Lord, closed the old dispensations ; so far as the power and influence of the Holy Spirit was concerned despensations involved in much obscurity. They were dispen- sations of darkness, of sin, of groping after the light, of partial revelations, through patriarch, law-giver, priest and prophet. The only hope offered to man was through the keeping of a moral law and belief in a coming Messiah, pre- figured to them in sacrifices and offerings. But now the Messiah had come ; his signs had been given to men; his teachings had been given to his disciples ; his sacrifice for sin had been made, and he had now ascended to the Father. From thence he would send the Spirit to control and develop the new and last dispensation of grace to 52 THE HOLY SPIRIT. men. For the Spirit's advent the disciples wait- ed at Jerusalem. For his advent the world was ready, so far as it ever could be, until sin was banished by his power and the blessings of his presence realized. " Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." THE HOLY SPIRIT. 53 CHAPTER V. THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Ten days of prayer by the disciples in "the up- per room" at Jerusalem followed the ascension of our Lord. Not only had he promised them the needed power and presence of the Holy Spirit, but as he stood in their midst after his resurrec- tion " he had breathed on them and said unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit. Whosoever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them ; whoseso- ever sins ye retain, they are retained." John 20 :22. Thus in symbol teaching them that as in the beginning, "God breathed into man the breath of life and man became a living soul," Gen. 2:7, so now spiritual life was to be secured only by the quickening power of an inbreathed Holy Spirit. So they understood the Master, and so they wait- ed the fulfillment of his promise. Not only had he never deceived them, but he had always gone beyond their hopes. So it was to be now. They had desired a temporal kingdom, they were to 54 THE HOLY SPIRIT. receive a spiritual kingdom. They had desired to crown him King of the Jews ; they were to help to prepare the world for the grander corona- tion of Lord of lords and King of kings. These things they did not know. They should know hereafter. "And when the day of Pentecost was now come they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder like as of fire ; and it sat upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and be- gan to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." Acts 2:2-4. We are left in no doubt as to the fact that this wonderful mani- festation was the beginning of the fulfillment of Christ's promise. The Apostle Peter, standing up with the eleven, in plain language declares that: "This is that which hath been spoken by the prophet Joel : And it shall be in the last days, saith God, I will pour forth of my Spirit upon all flesh : And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young man shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams. Yea, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in these days will I pour forth of my Spirit; and THE HOLY SPIRIT. 55 they shall prophesy. * * And it shall be, that whosever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Acts 2: 16:21. And then having set forth in brief form the main facts of Christ's life and death he adds : "This Jesus did God rarse up, whereof \ve all are witnesses. Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this which ye see and hear." Acts 2:33. And when having awakened them to the sin of rejecting and cruci- fying Christ, they cry out, "What shall we do?" "Peter said unto them : Repent ye, and, be bap- tized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins and ye shall re- ceive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord God shall call unto him." Acts 2 : 37-39. In this account we have the record of the first revealed presence and power of the Holy Spirit, after our Lord's ascension and in fulfillment of his promise. A few days later a similar, but somewhat less strik- ing, manifestation of the power and presence of the Holy Spirit was given, setting forth the work in the midst of Jtulea. The band of disciples were struggling against the rising tide of opposi- 56 THE HOLY SPIRIT. tionfrom the Jews. The hatred which had vented itself against the Lord until it secured his death, now sought the destruction of his faithful dis- ciples ; The disciples turned to the Lord in prayer for direction and deliverance. " And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together ; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they spake the Word of God with boldness." Acts 4:31. With such manifest tokens of Divine approval and co-operation, they had learned that the work was not to be limited to a narrow boundary. Accordingly, in a few months, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, Philip went into Samaria that he might preach the gospel; and "when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women." "When the apostles, who were at Jerusalem, heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John ; who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might re- ceive the Holy Spirit; for as yet he was fallen up- on none of them ; only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy THE HOLY SPIRIT. 57 % Spirit." Acts 8 :5-17. This work meeting with divine approval , prosecuted under divine leader- ship, sustained by divine power, continued in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria for several years without any attempt at territorial enlargement. But the gospel of the Lord Jesus must be carried unto the uttermost parts of the earth. They who knew the truth and had been blessed by its accept- ance were to be witnesses of it to all nations. Such an enlargement of the work demanded a fitting inauguration. T.he narrow prejudices of the Jews must be broken down. There must be no chance for any disciple to believe that all were not equal under the blessings of Christ's kingdom. The Gentiles must be brought into his kingdom. At Cesarea this work was inaugurated. A certain man there, "Cornelius, by name * * * a devout man and one that feared God " was the first convert from the Gentile world. To this man, by special instruction, Peter was sent to un- fold to him the gospel. His own prejudices as a Jew were overcome by the vision of the sheet let down from heaven, and to Cornelius he came and presented the gospel of the Lord Jesus ; and " while Peter yet spoke these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision who believed were 58 THE HOLY SPIRIT. amazed, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God." Acts 10:44, 45. Thus to Cornelius and his kinsmen and friends came a repetition of the visible as well as the internal manifestations of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Thus was carried to the apostles the conviction of the universality of the gospel proclamation, and Peter could with emphasis raise the question: " Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?" Acts 10 :47. The news of this wonderful work and of the apostolic reception of uncircumcised Gentile members into the Christian Church soon spread throughout Judea and the narrow conceptions of the Jewish Christians speedily refused to accept so strange an innovation. Peter accordingly soon returned to Jerusalem :md insisted upon the right- eousness of his work and the evident intention of the Lord in it, because of his bestowment of the Spirit's power and presence. Having recounted to the Church at Jerusalem the way in which the Lord led and instructed him, he added : " And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them THE HOLY 8PIRIT. 59 even as on us at the beginning. And I remem- bered the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. If then God gave unto them the like gift as he did also unto us, when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God." Acts 11: 15-17. From this time forward the gospel was carried into all the adjacent countries by the apostles. Paul had been converted and became by divine direction the great apostle to the Gentiles. He pressed forward in his work throughout all Asia Minor and then into Europe. It was in the pro- secution of this work that he came to Ephesus, where he had made a promise to preach the gos- pel. When he reached the city he found that Apollos had already began the work, but had not been baptizing the converts into the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, since he knew only of John's baptism. This made it nec- essary that Paul should correct the instruction; and to this end he gave command that they should be rebaptized. After their rebaptism, "when Paul had laid hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them ; and they spake with tongues and prophesied." Acts 19 : 1-6. Thus by the visible 60 THE HOLY SPIRIT. manifestations of the Spirit's presence giving the divine seal of approval to the correction, instruc- tion, and work of the Apostle Paul. Thus have we sketched the several occasions on which the visible evidences of the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurred. Two important facts are here set forth and should be carefully noted. The first is that the order in these visible mani- festations is the same as that given by our Lord in the great commission, viz., Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and then, unto the uttermost parts of the earth. By divine command the apostles were directed to carry forward the work in this specific order, and by the visible, miraculous manifesta- tions in the baptism of the Holy Spirit repeated at the inauguration of each advance movement the divine endorsement was given to the work. So that in this specific order the Holy Spirit wit- nessed to Christ by enabling the disciples to speak with tongues and prophesy. The second is that the apostles subsequently, if not at the time, understood, and we to-day also understand, that the baptism of the Holy Spirit, at the period under consideration included two distinct kinds, or phases, of manifestation. The advent of the Holy Spirit's work in the world was accompanied with two kinds of revelation, and THE HOLY SPIRIT. 61 both were included in one term, " the baptism of the Holy Spirit." There was the external, visi- ble and temporary; the sound, the tongues part- ing asunder, the speaking in tongues unlearned, the power of prophesy. These constituted the visible and miraculous appeal to the physical senses ; such an appeal as God has made in the inauguration of a new dispensation always. Then there was the invisible, the internal and the permanent influences. Those which consti- tuted the real blessing promised by the Lord per- sonally to the disciples, and which was considered in the^ last chapter. These were to continue al- ways and these constituted the real and essential baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is worthy of note here that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is called in Luke 24: 49, an endument, or clothing with power. This power was to be theirs not in meas- ure, not meagrely, but completely equiping them for service. It becomes apparent that this defin- tion, given by the Lord, makes the real baptism to consist in the internal and the invisible, rather than the external and visible ; and that the latter were only secondary to the former. Thus it will be seen that by the term " Baptism of the Holy Spirit " much more is implied than either the miraculous manifestations, or the endowment of 62 THE HOLY SPIRIT. power, or both combined. In fact it becomes apparent from our Lord's own association of thought injthe teaching of John 16th chapter with the promise as recorded in Acts 1st chapter that he included the whole work of the Holy Spirit in the promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And the Apostle Peter evidently so understood the teaching when in Acts 2 :39, he affirms that the blessing is continuative, abiding and per- manent. The conclusion then, from the Master's teaching and Peter's interpretation is, that the entire work of the Holy Spirit inaugurated on the day of Pentecost, and to continue unto the end of time, including the temporary external,and abid ing internal manifestations, from the hour of the sinners awakening,through his conversion, justifi- cation, sanctification, and redemption, is the real baptism of the Holy Spirit. If the promised baptism of the Holy Spirit be considered in its connection with our Lord's statements as record- ed in John 15 and 16 chapters, it becomes evident that nothing less than the entire work was intend- ed to be included in the expression, baptism of the Holy Spirit, thus including the two-fold word,of power to become the sons of God, and power to serve the living Christ. When we remember that the baptism of the THE HOLY SPIRIT. 63 Holy Spirit must precede the preaching of the gospel in all nations, and that he was to be the active agent with the apostles and the subsequent ministry in thus proclaiming the gospel to all peo- ples, we can see a striking significance in these external manifestations as they appeared and formed part of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. These four epihanies brought to the disciples the endowment of prophesy and of speaking with tongues, possibly together with physical healing as incidental and symbolical of spiritual healing. And thus there was symbolized the great work of the Churchin becoming the proclaimer of the gospel of the crucified, risen and ascended Christ, and by this means to conquer the world for Christ. But beyond this symbolism and visible revelation they were to receive endument of power, a sancti- fication of energy, a direction of life fitting them for this great work. The disciples and the Church should ever realize this latter and real gift of the Spirit, but the world of unsaved would behold this external manifestation as a testimony to the physical senses that spiritual power had been given . The external served its purpose and ceased with the personal ministry of the apostles. The internal has never ceased, but abides with the 64 THE HOLY SPIRIT. Church and is the last gift of heaven toearth for her purification. " Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it wasin the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." THE PROMISE. Our blest Redeemer, ere he breathed His tender last iarewell, A Guide, a Comforter, bequeathed With us to dwell. He came sweet influence to impart, A gracious, willing guest While he can fiudone humble heart Wherein to rest. And his that gentle voice we hear, Soft as the breath of even, That checks each thought, that calms each fear, And speaks of heaven. And every virtue we possess, And every victory won And every thought of holiness Are his alone. Spirit of purity and grace Our weakness pitying see, And make our hearts thy dwelling place And meet for thee. H. Auber. THK UGLY SPIRIT. 65 CHAPTER VI. SINS AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT. The antagonism on earth to Christ and his mis- sion was intense. The natural heart rejected him in every advance he made to help men. Men possessed by demons met him and resisted him. The prince of darkness assailed him with temptation in every form and during his entire ministry. Men reviled him. They slandered and blasphemed. At last they crucified him. It is but one illustration of the merciful love of the Christ, so characteristic of his whole life, when in the midst of their sins against himself he warns them of the danger of sinning in like manner "against the Holy Spirit when he should come." 1. " Verily I say unto you, all their sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and their blas- phemies wherewithsoever they shall blaspheme : but whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin ; because they said he hath an unclean spirit." Mark 3:28-30; Matt. 12: 24-32; Luke 66 THE HOLY SPIRIT. 12:10. This was a signal of danger . The clos- ing words of the evangelist afford us an explana- tion for his warning, and suggest a key for its interpretation. The Pharisees h.id accused the Master of being in league with Beelzebub, the prince of devils, and by Satanic agency casting out devils from men. This the Master recognized as blasphemy against himself. It was malignant rejection of Christ against their own reason. It was devilish imputation to Christ; of hellish pur- poses against the clearest evidence to the contrary. Apply the same principles to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and you have the correct defini- tion of this sin; a malignant, wilful rejection of the Holy Spirit's work linked with an imputing to him of hellish purposes against reason and conclusive evidence to the contrary. The soul committing this sin is at once forsaken by the Holy Spirit, and forever left to his sin. He can have no spiritual sensibility, no power of repent- ance, no awakening of conscience, no desire for salvation, no impulse to seek God, no hope for peace or pardon. He is forever lost while yet living in a world where the power of the cross remains, where the Bible is still open, where the holy ordinances are still manifested and observed, where the Holy Spirit is still working conviction THE HOLY SPIRIT. 67 to sinners and comfort to saints. This sin began in thought, grew in purpose, and was completed in deliberate, open act, and brings its fruit in eternal rejection. It is the only sin declared to be unpardonable, and is not to be confused with any other siu against the Holy Spirit. A clear distinction is made in the language of Scrip- ture, between the sin for which God, in this life and before death, forever rejects the soul, and refuses to him all holy influences ; and the sin by which the sinner himself continues to reject God, though God pleads with him even unto death. God's rejection of the sinner, and the sinners re- jection of God, are two things, even though the ultimate result to the sinner be the same. 2. This leads, then, to the consideration of this sin, as set forth in the epistle to the Hebrews : " A man that has set at naught Moses' law, dieth without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses; of how much sorer punishment, think ye, shall he be judged worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of Man, and hath counted the blood of the covenant .... an un- holy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace." Heb. 10:21-29. Here the sin de- scribed, and against which warning is given, is where the sinner having come to the knowledge 68 THE HOLY SPIRIT. of the truth, and having received the light neces- sary to enable him to obey the truth, treats with contempt, dispises the truth and the Holy Spirit who comes to him as a messenger of the truth. The spirit has not forsaken him, but he has for- saken the spirit; he has despised the Spirit and his work. Practically this sin works as great ruin as the former, but it lacks the malignant, blas- phemous features of it. That they are closely related, is apparent, but that they are not the same is evident from the terms used and from the context. Most truly does the apostle close his word of warning against the commission of the last si n, by the solemn declaration : "It is a fear- ful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." 3. The third sin against which the soul is warned, is that charged by Stephen upon his per- secutors : " Ye stiff-necked and uncircumciscd in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit." Acts 7:51. In every effort the Holy Spirit makes to awaken, to convict, to enlighten, the soul antagonizes his influence and his power. Whether his message be delivered by prophet or apostle, or if he come by his own revelations and manifestations, the sinner opposes and resists him. That this sin can lead to great crimes is THE HOLY SPIRIT. 69 evident in the death of Stephen, and evident also in the many grevious sins committed by men in -every age, when they resist the power of the Holy Spirit. It may not take on the malignant features of blasphemy ; it may not be so fearfully ungrateful as despising his holy love, but it arrays the sinner in open antagonism to God's love, and if continued, leads to his eternal ruin. There can be no doubt of its enormity. When the Holy Spirit would awaken that he might save ; when he would convince that he might heal ; when he would arouse that he might lead out of dan- ger ; then the forces of the whole moral and spir- itual nature in man are turned into warfare against him. Still he does not turn away from the sinner, but until death has closed the day of strife, and the sinner perishes by his own per- verseness does the Spirit seek to arouse, convince and save. 4. Against two of the early members of the Church in Jerusalem was laid the charge of lying to and tempting the Holy Spirit. The swift exe- cution of the divine sentence leaves no room for doubt as to the estimate God places upon this sin. Its character is best learned from the facts as recorded. The covenant voluntarily made with the Church was not kept. Gross deception 70 THE HOLY SPIRIT. was resorted to that the Church should not know the truth. They coveted that which they had pledged to God, and then sought to mislead the Church by seeming to keep the covenant made. But Peter said, "Ananias, why hath Satan fijled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? . Thou hast not lied unto man, but unto God." And to his wife, he said: " How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Lord." Acts 5 :3, 9. Again, in the epistle to the Hebrews, we find this language: "Wherefore, even as the Holy Spirit saith, To-day if ye shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provoca- tion, like as in the day of the temptation in the wilderness. Wherewith your fathers tempted me by proving me, and saw my works forty years." Heb. 3:7,8. This term "tempt" is made in this sin synonomous with " lying to the Holy Spirit," and evidently implies a" turning away from the covenant obligation which the soul has made with God. The Jews tempted tried God's Spirit by desiring to turn back to Egypt after he had graciously delivered them and they had enrolled themselves among Ijis peo- ple. Ananias and Sapphira likewise tempted God by desiring to go back to the world after they had voluntarily enrolled themselves among THF HOLY SPIRIT. 71 God's people and then attempted to deceive the Church regarding their real purpose. So the Christian professor of to-day who, having entered into covenant with God's people, and having vol- untarily placed himself among them, turns awa} r from his covenant, and attemps to deceive the Church, while still remaining in her membership, is tempting, or trying the Holy Spirit. Having pledged to the Church his time, his influence and his means he is under obligation to keep his pledge. The Church is the temple of the Holy Spirit and the wrong he commits against the Church is not primarily against men, but is against God against the Holy Spirit. The enormity of the sin is easily understood when we remember the fearful condemnation of God in the judgment here recorded. 5. The next sin against the Holy Spirit is that of defiling the temple. This means to destroy the Church or corrupt the body, by tak- ing away the sanctity which belongs to it. " Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man destroy the temple of God him shall God destroy ; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." 1 Cor. 3 :16, 17. Again " Know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy 72 THE HOL.Y SPIRIT. Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? And ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price : glorify God therefore in your body." 1 Cor. 6:19, 20. In these two pas- sages the apostle is emphasizing the sacredness of the temple of the Holy Spirit. In the first, the Church, as the temple, is considered. In the second, the body of the believer. The destruc- tion or defilement is substantially the same in both. It is the perversion of the temple from a holy to an unholy use. In the Church, as an organized body of believers, this sin is commit- ted when the Church fails to recognize Christ as her foundation and the work of the Church to co-operate with God in saving souls and develop- ing a holy life in Christians. In the Christian's body this sin consists in using the body for unholy and impure purposes especially as the sin may take the form of fornication. The apostles realized the great temptation to this sin both in the Church and in the believer, and knowing this he makes the warning against it a serious matter. That any kindred sin, even defrauding a brother, is to be considered as an abuse of the body, as the abode of the Holy Spirit, is apparent from the language of Paul where he urges against for- nication, concupisence and defrauding a fellow THE HOLY SPIRIT. 73 Christian and adds: "For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not man but God, who giveth his Holy Spirit unto you." 1 Thes. 4:7, 8. 6. Another sin or offence against the Holy Spirit, to which the Christian is peculiarly liable and from the commission of which he is specially warned is that stated by Paul in the terse lan- guage " quench not the Spirit." 1 Thes. 5 : 19. In his work of purifying the soul from all cor- ruption, the Holy Spirit- can be either actively hindered or passively nulified. His work may thus be quenched ill the soul. The professing Christian may by antagonistic means overcome the influence of the Spirit upon his own soul or upon others. His daily life ; his business habits; his social relations ; his "walk" may be such as to over-power in large measure the influence of the Spirit as he seeks to purify and edify and comfort the soul. The Christian again may sim- ply be indifferent to the Spirit's influences and by leaving him alone, refusing to actively co-op- erate so render largely ineffective the Spirit's influence. The Spirit ever strives to lead the disciple to higher and holier life ; to purer and nobler purposes ; to guide into duty ; to over- 74 THE HOLY SPIRIT. come temptation; to, in fact, prosecute the great work of the Church and of Christians in the world, and whatever power the Christian may use against such influence and leading of the * o Spirit is quenching his power, and so also is the simple neglect of such holy influences. By these means the efficiency of the Spirit in the world is largly hindered. 7. A final sin against the Holy Spirit is that presented by Paul when considering the tempta- tion to which Christians are liable in speaking impure language, to using bitter and angry words against others. He says: "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption." Eph. 4 : 30. The precepts enjoined are practical. The Christian is to walk before men in an exemplary way manifesting so far as possible a Christ-like character. That the Holy Spirit is grieved when unholy actions, im- pure words, unkind statements are found in his daily walk, is but a sequence to his own holy nature and his holy work on earth. Ye are brethren and he is our elder brother who when he was reviled, reviled not again; who taught sim- plicity in manner, purity in word and thought, honesty in life everywhere, and humility in ser- vice for his sake; and it can but grieve him THE HOLY SPIRIT. 75 sorely if we walk not in his ways. He has sealed us unto the day of our redemption, when we shall be like him, for we shall see hiui as he is. Here we have set before us seven distinct sins against the Holy Spirit. Each carries with it its own penalty. To sin against God the Father has been grivous enough, since such sin ruined the race. To sin against the beloved Son who gave himself for us is still greater as it embodies enmity with deepest ingratitude. But to sin against the Holy Spirit, the convincer, and com- forter, is greater still, since it not only includes all the others but adds to these transgression against all truth. Let the soul then, whether in the depths of sin or in the way of life, learn the enormity of sinning in any way against the Holy Spirit. " Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." THE WARNINGS. The Spirit, oh sinner In mercy doeth move Thy heart so long hardened Of sin to reprove, 76 THE HOLY SPIRIT. Resist not the Spirit Nor longer delay. God's gracious entreaties May end with to-day. Defiled is the temple Its beauty laid low On God's holy altar The embers faint glow By love yet rekindled A flame may be fanned. Oh quench not the Spirit The Lord is at hand. Oh child of the kingdom From sin's service cease, Be filled .with the Spirit, With comfort and peace, Oh grieve not the Spirit Thy teacher is he, That Jesus thy Savior May glorified be. P. P. Bliss. THE HOLY SPIRIT. 77 CHAPTER VII. WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES FOR THE SINNER. Part of the work promised by tho blessed Master, as resulting from the advent of the Para- clete, was to be his influence upon the unsaved. " And he, whenhe is come, will convict the world in respect of sin and of righteousness and of judg- ment ; of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye behold me no more ; of judgment, because the prince of this world hath been judged." John 16: 8-11. There is here set forth clearly, the doctrine that the arousingof the soul to its sinful condition, of the need of righteousness, and of the certainty of the judgment, is the personal work of the Holy Spirit. Without his secret power exerted in this threefold conviction, the sinner can never come to Christ ; will never seek for salvation from s'in or its consequences. Before the sinner will either desire or seek after salvation, he must realize his true condition and seek for divine help. < 78 THE HOLY SPIRIT. Both the knowledge of this need and the power to seek for salvation is wrought in his soul by the agency of the Holy Spirit, and in the words of the Lord we have set forth the trinity of convic- tion produced in the heart of the sinner, showing him how he has offended the triune God. But this declaration of our Lord in this closing dis- course to his disciples was but the affirmation of truths already in part set forth. Earlier in his ministry he had set before them the truth that the power to receive him as Savior, and the efficiency of the Word itself, were dependent upon the direct influence of the Holy Spirit. From the analogy of the bread, he had taught them that they spiritually must be made partakers of himself, feeding upon him in order to the maintenance of spiritual life. It was one of the Lord's teachings hard to be understood without the enlightening of the Holy Spirit. The result was, many of his professed followers said: " This is a hard say- ing. . . . But Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said unto them, Doth this cause you to stumble? Wliat then if you should behold the Son of man ascending where he was before? It is the Spirit that quick- eneth ; the flesh profiteth nothing ; the words that I have spoken unto you are Spirit and are life. THE HOLY SPIRIT. 79 But there are some of you that believe not." John 6 : 60-64. Here he clearly connects the reception of spiritual life, and the knowledge of the truth and consequent salvation of the soul, with his ascension and the resulting baptism of the Holy Spirit. Genuine discipleship is here shown to be, not simply the result of hearing the truth, but the application of that truth to the inner life by the Spirit of God. This passage was his own interpretation of his other declaration that ** no man can come unto me except it be given unto him of the Father." John 6 : 64-65. These are strong words. They carry a weight of meaning not lightly to be esteemed by the sinner. Every drawing toward God is not of his own will, except as that will is moved by the Holy Spirit. Every conviction of separation from God, and need of God, every perception of the truth of God's Word, is produced in the mind and soul by the Holy Spirit. It becomes a matter of great moment when the sinner, for any reason, sets aside these impressions and convictions. He is setting aside the only power by which he can come to God and find salvation. The teachings of the apostles but add emphasis to these conclu- sions set forth from the Master's own words. Paul says: "I give you to understand that no 80 THE HOLY SPIRIT. man speaking in the Spirit of God, saith Jesus is anathema ; and no man can say, Jesus is Lord but in the Holy Spirit." 1 Cor. 12:3. Here the apostle sets forth that public confession of Christ as Lord as the soul's Lord is made by the power given by the Holy Spirit. John also says: " Hereby know ye the Spirit of God ; every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God." 1 John 4 : 2. Thus there is set forth clearly, that the sinner is dependent upon the Holy Spirit for con- viction. The three-fold conviction already con- sidered, viZj the reception and understanding of the divine word ; for the power to receive Christ as Savior ; for the power and disposition to con- fess Christ as Lord and Master before men. In other words the Scriptures plainly teach that the sinner is dependent upon the Holy Spirit in secur- ing salvation from the very first awakening to the fact that he is a lost soul and needing a Savior, until the work of grace is completed in his con- fession of the Lord Jesus as Savior. No creeds, no forms, no morality, no Church organization, no service can bring him into God's Kingdom. The Holy Spirit, operating upon his heart, some times in ceremonies, some times in forms, some times in a sound creod, always with the Word of THE HOLY SPIRIT. 81 God, always by some human voice bearing the message, awakens him to his true condition, and if he yields, works in him a full salvation. One memorable scene in the life of our Lord brings plainly before the mind this wonderful truth. The quiet night had witnessed the Savior, as was his custom, seeking the garden for prayer and meditation. A ruler of the Jews follows him Together they sit down to talk of the kingdom of God the spiritual Christ and the Rabbi, knowing but little beyond Jewish forms and ceremonies. Read the record : "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God ; for no man can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him : Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born anew, (from above) he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saithunto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water (i. e. out of water in natural birth) and the Spirit, he cannot enter in- to the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh (natural); and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born anew. The wind 82 THE HOLY SPIRIT. bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh and whither it goeth ; so is every one that is born of the Spirit." John 3 : 1-8. * It was substantially this truth that Paul sought to emphasize when he declared; " The kindness of God our Savior, and his love toward man, ap- peared, not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing (laver) of regener- ation and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which he poured out upon us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior: that being justified by his grace, we might.be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Titus 3: 4-7. The essential fact is the work of the Holy Spirit in renewing the soul, and without this there is no salvation. So forcibly is this truth declared in God's Word that * The interpretation here given to the expression " born out of water," is not vital to the argument or line of thought. It is suggested as the one adopted by the author on thewell known principle of interpretation that a figurative and literal reference is never made to the same thing in the same text. The same principle applies in Matt. 3: 11. In the passage above,the facts of natural birth, the close connection with the thought in the pre- ceeding and succeeding verses, and the well known custom of the Jews of receiving the new born child into a basin of water directly, these make the interpretation seem correct. THE HOLY SPIRIT. 83 there is nothing strange about the repeated emphasis laid upon the work of salvation, as being really a new creation. Not a re-modelling ; not simply a transformation, but a regeneration. As in the beginning God created the worlds, so now he recreates the soul, and as in the beginning the Holy Spirit brought order from chaos, beauty from desolation, life from death ; so now he also brings spiritual order out of the ruin of sin and imparts life where sin reigned. In Ephesians 2:10 we read: "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for [good works which God afore prepared that we should walk in them." In 2 Cor. 5: 17, we read again, "Wherefore if any man is in Christ he is a new creature." All creation is by divine decree, he speaks and it is done. Creating is not forming or making over out of old materials, it is absolutly bringing to be, that which was not. We have already seen that no life can come in any form except by divine impartation from the Holy Spirit. He it is then who comes to the soul dead in trespasses and sins, absolutely without spiritual life, and imparts the germ of the Christ life in the soul, thus destroying the old Adam in the soul, putting him to subjection in the flesh, and creating the new Adam, instead that he may reign over the 84 THE HOLY SPIRIT. whole man. Thus he creates the soul anew in Christ, thus the soul receives Christ and ' he that hath the Son hath the life, he that hath not the Son hath not the life." Uohn 5 : 12. "And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God and him whom thou didst send, Jesus Christ." John 17 : 3. If these truths be fully received we are con- fronted with the important facts that to the influ- ence and presence of the Holy Spirit the sinner is indebted for every holy desire, every awakening to his real condition as a sinner. His conscience, his judgement, his apprehension, his decisi'on, his conviction of truth and duty, are wrought through the Holy Spirit. Again and again should the church emphasize these momentous truths and before a dying, sinning world should hold the awful consequences of not heeding every influence of the Spirit, coming in mercy, and whose holy ministrations to us, in us, and for us, are part of the purchase of the Redeemer's blood. He comes to this work in us because a crucified Christ ascended up on high and sent him into the world for this purpose. As the world cannot be saved without the blood of the crucified Christ, so the world cannot come to Christ, except the Holy THE HOLY SPIRIT. 85 Spirit move upon him to awaken, convict and recreate. " Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." 86 THE HOLY SPIRIT. CHAPTER VIII. WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES FOR THE SAINT. Thus far in our studies of God's work in the world, under the dispensation of the Holy Spirit, it has become apparent that the sinner cannot be saved except as he receives the |influence of the Spirit. It would only be a natural conclusion from the texts considered, that the primary result of salvation is a proper adjustment of the saved soul to God's will through the help of the Holy Spirit; and if, as we have seen, a soul is never finally without hope until there is a complete separation from the Spirit, it may reasonably be argued that a soul is never saved until there is a complete union with the Holy Spirit. It would then follow that, as important as is the work of the Holy Spirit in securing regeneration, his work is none the less important in completing regeneration by sustaining forever the new life begun in the soul, which is sanctification. It is at this point that care shonld be specially taken THE HOLY SPIRIT. 87 to understand the meaning of the term sanctifica- tion as implying a setting apart to divine service, rather than any conformity to a fixed standard of Christian experience. Special emphasis then is laid in the New Testament on the relation of the Holy Spirit to the believer in Christ Jesus. Our blessed Lord himself in the promises given to the disciples concerning the Comforter laid special stress on this part of his mission. 1. "I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may be with you forever .... He abideth with you and shall be in you." John 14:16, 17. The same apostle who records this promise also declares : "Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he gave us. "1 John 3:24. And again: " Hereby know we that we abide in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit." 1 John 4:13. And so Paul asks: " Know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which we have from God." 1 Cor. 6:19. Thus it is set forth that the Holy Spirit dwells in and abides with believ- ers in Christ Jesus. Such a truth sets before the professor the sacredness of his new life. He is no longer alone. God, the Holy Spirit, is with him and dwells in him sacred, holy relationship. 88 THE HOLY SPIRIT. And this relationship is not a temporary one : it is not transitory, nor fluctuating. While there may be an ebb and flow in the believer's emo- tions, or even in his realization of the Spirit's presence, yet the Holy Spirit is promised as an abiding presence. The Master uses the strongest of terms forever abides, dwells in you, and these terms imply that where the relationship has become real, it is also permanent. The neces- sity for this will become more and more appar- ent as we examine the nature of the work to be accomplished by the indwelling Spirit. 2. Special emphasis is laid upon his work in purifying the heart and cleansing the soul. Various terms are used by which to designate this work, but they are largely synonymous. The work of purification is considered a transfor- mation into the likeness or image of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is to this thought Paul is directing attention, when in drawing the con- trast between the old and new dispensations, he declares that the commendation of the gospel he had preached was in the work wrought by the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the disciples ; white 'that of the old was that God had written his law on tables of stone, "Ye are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with THE HOLY SPIRIT. 89 the Spirit of the living God ; not in tables of stone, but in tables that are hearts of flesh." He then shows that it is the Spirit who makes the dead sinner to] live, and develops him into a glorious righteousness. Then he argues that while Moses, having seen the glory of the divine presence in the Mount, must needs veil his face from the people and that this veiling still con- tinues to the one who seeks to know God only through the law, that now, under the new dis- pensation and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can know God;and by the work of the Spirit when we do know him the veils of ignorance, prejudice and sinfulness are taken away, and seeing Christ, we are by the Spirit transformed into his image. "Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, (i. e., unveiled vision). But we all with unveiled face reflecting as a mirror (margin R. V.,) the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit," 2 Cor. 3 : 13-18. Thus the soul is by the Spirit enabled to discern in Christ the glory of righteousness, and by the same Spirit is enabled by gradual transformation to attain thereto, even to a likeness of Christ. It is this same truth in another form that Paul, in speaking 90 THE HOLY SPIRIT. of, the evils begotten by sin in the world, says: "And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God." 1 Cor. 6:11. And that this work might be accomplished, was set forth as the purpose of God in salvation where Paul again said: "God chose you from the beginning unto salvation in sa notification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." 2 Thes. 2:13. 3. It is the development of this spiritual life, begun in the soul and carried forward to the per- fect likeness to Christ by the Holy Spirit, that renders it essential that the Christian shall be led by the Spirit. The soul is no longer to follow his carnal desires, but the Spirit is to lead him on to complete victory over sin in every form. So Paul declares: "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh, for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit [against the flesh ; for these are con- trary the one to the other ; that ye may not do the things that ye would. But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law." Gal. 5 : 16-18. It is only another mode of presenting the same thought, when the apostle, following THE HOLY SPIRIT. 91 the promise of our blessed Lord, recognizes that the believer is taught the way of duty and service by the Holy Spirit. Christ had said : " He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14:26. And again, "He shall guide you into all the truth." John 16 : 13. 4. Every saved soul realizes his need of divine direction, of divine illumination, of that wisdom which is from above, and to every such soul there comes, in the words -of the blessed Master, an assurance that he shall be so guided and led. The Spirit within him enables him to perceive spiritual things, to know God's will and to receive divine wisdom. This spiritual illumin- ation is by Paul put into contrast with the nat- ural powers, when quoting from the prophet he says : " Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not, and which entered not into the heart of man, Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him. But unto us God revealed them through the Spirit : for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the Spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God. But we received, not the Spirit of the 92 THE HOLY SPIRIT. world, but the Spirit which is from God ; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God, which things we also speak not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth : comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God : for they are foolishness unto him ; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged. But he that is spiritural judgeth all things, and he himself is judged of no man." 1 Cor. 2 : 9- 15. No language can express more clearly the wonderful blessings opened to the believer by the Holy Spirit than this language of Paul, in which he recognized not only the fact of the abode of the Spirit within the soul of the believer; but that he is there to enable him to become Christlike, and to lead and teach him in the mysteries of the way of life, of discharge of duty, and to know spiritural things. 5. But the Scriptures assure us that all this is that the believer may have assurance of the eternal blessedness that is to be his, and so em- phasis is laid upon the fact, that the Spirit thus in the soul of the believer is also a seal of the Christian's adoption into God's family, and THE HOLY SPIRIT. 93 pledge of his future inheritance. So Paul declares: "Now he that establisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God ; who also sealed us, and gavews the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts'." 2 Cor. 1:22. And again, "we who hoped in Christ, having heard the word of the truth having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God's own possession, unto the praise of his glory." Eph. 1:13, 14. In these and similar passages the Apostle recognizes that the Spirit, dwelling in the Christian, is a seal, or witness to the soul's salvation. God has, in giving the Christian the Spirit, given to him such an im- press of divine life and character that he is rec- ognized as belonging to God's kingdom. Here is the test or evidence of divine proprietorship in the redeemed soul ; and the indwelling Spirit, thus stamping the divine likeness upon the believer's character, gives to him also the pledge of final redemption and perfect glory. Thus the work of Christ in redemption is made perfect by the Spirit abiding forever in the soul. And no soul has any hope for eternal life to whom the Spirit has not come and does not in the very transformation of character into the Christ- 94 THE HOLY SPIRIT. image, thereby, give the seal of divine possession, and the pledge of eternal glory." Vide ICor. 15:45. 6. But such a Christian, looking forward by faith with assurance to the coming glory, to the victory over sin and death, over the world, the flesh and the devil and the triumphs of the resur- rection, realizes his own weakness by nature while in the flesh, and constantly cries out for deliverance, for guidance, for wisdom, for strength, for power, and it is to such an one conies the assurance, that by this same indwell- ing Spirit, he shall receive the needed blessings. Such was the burden of Paul's prayer for Chris- tians as he declares : "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man;" Eph. 3:14-16. The result of this blessing would be that the Christian thus "strengthened through the Spirit" would be "rooted and grounded in love" and would comprehend the measure of the love of Christ and be "filled with all the fullness of God." Such were the possibilities which Paul realized opened before every believer. THE HOLY SPIRIT. 95 7. For this he prayed. For this he taught othera to pray ; and while he prayed he realized that no prayer would find "access to God" except the heart had indited it and so had taught the saved soul how to present to the Heavenly throne of grace an acceptable prayer. It is thus that he intends to teach, that Jew and Gentile "both have access in one Spirit unto the Father." Eph. 2:18. These passages set forth clearly that the Christian life is anew life; that he is a new crea- tion. Spiritually he has become the temple of the Holy Spirit, in whom the Spirit is to dwell forever, by whose power victory is to be attained over the carnal nature, by whose leadings he is to be guided into all truth, to whose witness in the seal or impress of the divine nature, there is given a pledge or earnest of the eternal glory beyond ; by whom here the Christian is strength- ened and through whose power he attains access to God. Such is the Christian. Not some Christians, but all. Without this work- wrought * O in the soul of the believer no one is a Christian. Such a life is a saved life. Such a life is ready for time or for eternity. Such a life is eternally t)lessed. " Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and 96 THE HOLY SPIRIT. to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." HOLY SPIRIT FAITHFUL GUIDE. "Holy Spirit faithful guide Ever near the Christian's side, Gently lead us by the hand, Pilgrims in a deserted land, Weary souls fore'er rejoice, While they hear that sweetest voice, Whispering softly, wanderer, come! Follow me, I'll guide thee home. Ever present, truest Friend, Ever near thine aid to lend, Leave us not in doubt and fear, Groping on in darkness drear. When the storms are raging sore Hearts grow faint and hopes give o'er, Whispering softly, wanderer, come! Follow me, I'll guide thee home. When our days of toil shall cease, Waiting still for sweet release, Nothing left but heaven and prayer, Trusting that our names are there : Wading deep the dismal flood, Pleading nought but Jesus' blood, Whispering softly, wanderer, come: Follow me, I'll guide thee home." THF HOLY SPIRIT. 97 CHAPTER IX. THE DOCTRINE IN ROMANS EIGHTH CHAPTER. The analysis made in the previous section is based upon the order used by the apostle in the eighth chapter of Paul's epistle to the Roman Church. The truths we have been considering are brought out in a most forcible manner in that chapter and for this reason it should be studied carefully as an entire section. This eighth chap- ter of Romans treats of the Spirit's influence upon the life of the justified soul, and shows in a for- cible manner what he does for the Christian. The study of this chapter will then be more than a recapitulation of the proceeding ; it will be a study of the apostle's own argument in his own order and from his own plan and purpose. In the seventh chapter the apostle had been consider- ing the conflict between the two natures in the Christian the carnal or fleshly nature and the spiritual or regenerated nature. This conflict will consummate in the victory of the spiritual through 98 THE HOLY SPIRIT. Christ Jesus our Lord, when the Christina hns been delivered from " this fleshly body of death." The spiritual nature he considers as the new nature and as constituting, the real person, and so, while he recognizes this war in the soul be- tween the two natures, he boldly announces in the opening of the eighth chapter "that there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life ia Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and death." Rom. 8:1, 2. He then shows that the Christian is always a person who walks not after the flesh but after the Spirit. He draws the dividing line between saint and sinner just where our blessed Lord himself drew it at the new birth, or regeneration. He knows no Chris- tian but one who minds the things of the Spirit. He recognizes no justification but for the soul in subjection to the law of God through the life and peace imparted by the Spirit. And while he re- cognizes the frailties and sinful propensities of the carnal nature, he proceeds step by step to show the regenerated soul how, by and through the Holy Spirit, he shall overcome sin and at last come off more than conqueror. This argument is then the apostle's battle cry by which he en- THE HOLY SPIRIT. 99 courages the Christian to move forward to an assured victory. 1. He recognizes the reality of the Lord's promise of an abiding Comforter as the funda- mental condition of success. " Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin ; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall quicken also your mortal bodies through his spirit that dwelleth in you." Verses 9-11. Here the apostle emphatically re- cognizes that all reality in the Christian life and all hope for the Christian in this life, or in the resurrection, turns upon the other fact that the Spirit which dwelt in f ulfillness in the Son of Man dwells also in the believer. The home, the abiding place of the Spirit, is in the believer. Thus the evidence of being a Christian as well as the condition of success, as a Christian, turns upon whether or not the body has become the home-place of the Spirit. There seems to be no appeal from the apostle's emphatic statement that * if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ he 100 THE HOLY SPIRIT. is none of his." And the Master declared that this possession was a permanent one. 2. The logic then of the apostle is irresistible, that if this conflict between the fleshly or carnal and spiritual natures exists, and the reality of the Christian life is only assured by the fact of the Holy Spirit dwelling in the believer, he must put to death the deeds of the body, and so over- come sinfulness. " So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh ; for if ye live after the flesh ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds (or do- ings) of the body, ye shall live." Verses 12, 13. This putting to death of the doings of the fleshly nature is then the first thing wrought in the soul by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. And the Christian should recognize this truth set forth here as vital. The whole logic of the Chris- tian life is the supremacy of the Holy Spirit in the soul over the influences of sin, from whatever source they may emanate. Victory over sin is God's purpose for the Christian ; it must become his purpose for himself. 3. To this end the apostle quickly adds : * ' For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." Verse 14. This leading is not such as would be secured by a slavish sub- THE HOLY SPIRIT. 101 jection to a tyrannical power, but it is the leading of a willing surrender to divine love, which has secured the confidence of the believer. It implies the willing surrender of the soul to divine con- trol ; but this surrender carries with it the high- est use of all the intellectual and moral faculties. The soul having turned from the bondage of sin stands forth in the liberty of the sons of God, and gladly follows the divine direction, thereby obtain- ing the mastery of the carnal nature and the high- est possible conformity to the divine will ; no longer slaves of sin, but sons of God. 4. And so Paul declares : " Ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear ; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry: Abba, Father. The Spirit himself beareth wit- ness with our spirit that we are the children of God." Verses 15, 16. The spirit in the believer, working his transformation into the likeness of Christ, is the testimony to his own soul that he is God's child. This testimony to the adoption is found in the experience of the believer where- by he perceives his love for the Christ to whom he is being conformed, and in the consciousness of peaceful fellowship, with God. The sense of harmony, of fellowship and communion, is how- ever a result of his Christ-likeness, rather than a 102 THE HOLY SPIRIT. co-ordinate experience begotten independently, or separately. There is nothing in this language to imply that the witness of the Spirit is other than a realization of fellowship with Christ, and of childship with the Father, because of the work wrought in the soul by the Spirit in mortifying the deeds of the body and attaining to the high standard of Christian life exampled in our Lord. The witness of the Spirit may beget yea, will beget emotions of love, joy and peace, but these are the results ; they are not the witnesses them- selves. The witness of the Spirit is in the desire to overcome sin. To attain victory over the carnal nature and in the consciousness that this work, as it is accomplished, brings the believer into hallowed fellowship with Christ. Enmity in the heart is taken away. The conflict is not be- tween the soul and God, but between the spiritual and carnal natures in the believer. The enmity is not between the saint and his heavenly Father, but between the old and new man. Herein is found the witness of the Spirit, when the saved soul can look up and realize and recognize God as Father. The family relationship is established, the name has been accepted, and like Thomas he exclaims: " My Lord and my God." This the apostle declares is the witness of the Spirit. THE HOLY SPIRIT. 103 5. But the Christian realizes that if he is God's child, there are implied results growing out of this relationship. Childship means something. And so the apostle argues : "If children, then heirs ; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him." He then proceeds to argue that the -whole creation is waiting for the redemption of the body from the grave ; or in other words that " the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead, will also raise up our moral bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you." And until that glorious work is accom- plished the whole creation, both material and spiritual, is waiting. "And not only so but our- selves also which have the first fruits of tne Spirit, groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to-wit, tho redemption of our body. Verses 17-23. Salvation, then, is something more than being a member of God's kingdom; it is the pledge, through the indwelling Spirit, of joint heirship with Christ to all the glorious inheritance of God. To be a child of God, is to hold God's pledge of resurrection from the dead and the entrance into the full enjoyment of being God's own beloved children. So then there becomes not only the 104 THE HOLY SPIRIT. soul's redemption from sin through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, but there is also the re- demption of the body from the grave through the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in the believer. And this redemption of the body is the pledge of an abundant entrance into all the riches and glory of God's eternal kingdom. 6. From the doctrine of the resurrection and its consequent blessings, the apostle proceeds to draw a valuable conclusion for the present. The Christian realizes his own weakness and the dangers, conflicts, temptations and perils of his life, and he seeks for help in these and he realizes that unless God helps him he must fail ; and so while the apostle has encouraged him for the future, he will also encourage him for the present. And he declares: "And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity." Verse 26. Thus, while the Christian, in his present estate, finds himself environed with difficulties, he has in the indwelling Spirit an omnipotent helper. It is no mysterious promise then that divine "grace is sufficient for us" in every emergency. The Holy Spirit forever abiding with the believer grants him the aid of the same potent energy by which all grace and glory has ever been given, not only in the beginning, but now and evermore THE HOLY SPIRIT. 105 he is our helper ; not more, nor less, than an Al- mighty helper. This implies that every energy, every faculty of the believer must be exercised to overcome sin and weakness and temptation. And at the point where human endeavor would fail at the hour of sinking weakness at the time of possible surrender the soul is lifted, strengthen- ed, helped by the Almighty Spirit. 7. Beyond this the apostle leads us one step. All Christian success is conditioned on prayer. But where is the Christian who has not sometimes wondered if the things he asked for were the O things he ought to ask for, or to receive ? And here again the Spirit is our helper. We know not how to pray as we ought ; but the Spirit him- self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered ; and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints ac- cording to the will of God." Verse 26 and 27. So then the believer has two intercessors. One the Lord Jesus, at the throne of mercy. The other, the Holy Spirit within his own soul. How can he fail who comes thus in prayer for forgive- ness, mercy, grace and strength? It is not pos- sible. God is his eternal deliverer. No wonder that from such a study the apostle should ask : 106 THE HOLY SPIRIT. " Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's chosen ones?" If God has justified, if Christ Jesus has died for us, if the Holy Spirit is the ever present helper, then surely is it true that no power is able "to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." The saved soul, justified freely by his grace, is kept by the same grace. The whole enginery of per- dition may be placed in battle array; but he will come off more than conqueror, because the Holy Spirit has not only made him spiritually a new creature, but he has taken up his abode within him, to abide forever, to enable him to conquer the old nature, to lead him in the right way, to witness to his adoption in God's family, to give him the sure hope of the resurrection, to strength- en him in every infirmity, to intercede for him that he may pray for such things as he ought; and herein is triumphant victory. "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." COMFORTER DIVINE. Holy Spirit, infinite ! Shine upon our natures' night, THE HOLY SPIRIT. 107 With thy blessed inward light, Comforter Divine. We are sinful ; cleanse us, Lord, We are faint ; thy strength afford ; Lost until by thee restored, Comforter Divine. In us, for us, intercede, And with voiceless groaning plead Our unutterable need, Comforter Divine. In us "Abba Father." cry, Earnest of our bliss on high, Seal of immorality, Comforter Divine. Search for us the depths of God, Bear us up the starry road, To the height of thine abode, Comforter Divine, Gf. Rawson. 108 THE HOLY SPIRIT. CHAPTER X. THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT AND HIS GIFTS. In the last conversation which our Lord held with his disciples before his death, he insisted upon the necessity of a vital union between him- self and the believer or disciple. The relation- ship between Christ and his disciples was not to be a mechanical nor a conditional union. It was not to be a temporary nor optional union. It was to be as vital as exists between the vine and the branches. Indeed this is the illustration he uses and by which he also enforces this truth. They must possess a common ^life, flowing from a common source, permeating all parts and pro- ducing results in conformity to the essential and inherent nature thus communicated from the Christ center stem, to the remotest disciple branch, and so he argues that the branch without this vitality received from the stem is dead and of no value, except to be burned, but that with this vital life communicated and used, fruit will be THE HOLY SPIRIT. 109 borne that will become an evidence of the inter- nal nature in due season ; so that the fruit borne by the disciples becomes an evidence of the divinity of their religion. Following out this figure used by our blessed Lord in the light of the truths he also set forth in that same conversation concerning the Comfor- ter, we can see that the means by which this life is imparted from Christ to the disciple is by the operation of the indwelling Spirit. We need attempt no solution of any mystery involved ; all life is a mystery. It comes as the divine gift through divinely designated channels, and mys- tery shrouds its impartation, its nature, its opera- tion. In fact life is a mystery whether it be in its simplest or most complex forms. None the less is it true concerning spiritual life. The important truth for us to consider now, is, what is the fruit of this spiritual life which becomes the primary test of real disciple- ship? Two results are secured by fruit, viz., nourishment and increase, or food and seed. In nature the food finds its divine purpose in the sustenance of the seed, or in maintaining and secureing the perpetuation and development of the seed in its future life. It ia only a secondary purpose of fruit that it 110 THE HOLY SPIRIT. ever contributes to the sustenance of other life than its own. This analysis will help us now to clasify the results as they are found in the devel- opment of the spiritual life found in the Chris- tian, or to determine the nature and character of the fruit of the Spirit. We are not now to study the nature of the stem, nor need of the branch. We are not to enquire as to its ability to endure the various vicissitudes of climate, weather, storm, frost, heat, or drought. We are not even to consider the form of leaf, with which it is outwardly adorned. Thesje we have already considered when we studied the divine life of the Son of Man, and what the Holy Spirit does for the sinner in regeneration, and for the saint in justification. We come now to inquire for such results growing therefrom as tend to the perpet- uation of this spiritual life in the soul and to secure its nourishment and growth when the seed having died that it may live again, sinks to the earth to await the operation of God's appointed means to bring it forth again. In other words we come now to enquire what are the spiritual characteristics given to the soul by the Holy Spirit, which will endure the shock of death and constitute the eternal glory of the believer. THE HOLY SPIRIT. Ill What elements of spiritual life are brought forth by the Holy Spirit which will endure, and which will form a basis of the eternal glory toward which the soul looks as one result of the redemption in Christ Jesus and upon which it can eternally secure development? If, in the bringing forth of these fruits, other souls are nourished or blessed, so much the bet- ter. Nay, we may be sure that part of the result of bringing forth the fruit of the Holy Spirit will be that we shall be enabled to bless others. Richly developed Christian character is the surest means of imparting spiritual nourishment to other souls, but let us not mistake the effect for the cause. Let us not mistake the blessings which may flow from fruit bearing, with fruit bearing itself . We may go a step further; and see that soul-saving will be a necessary result of strong, rich, Christian development. That no true, earnest, spiritual Christian can fail to lead souls to Christ and eternal life ; but let it be ever fixed in the mind that devel- oped Christian graces in the disciple, and not souls saved is the fruit of the Spirit and the evidence of vital union between the Savior and the believer. This becomes apparent when we examine the teachings of the apostles. Paul 112 THE HOLY SPIRIT. puts the works of the flesh andthe fruit of the Spirit in sharp contrast when he says: "Now the works of the flesh are manifested which are these, fornication, uncleannesslasciviousness, idol- atry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, heresies, envyings, drunken- ness, revelings, and such like. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, tem- perance : against such there is no law." Gal. 5:19-23. This is not the enumeration of so many differ- ent kinds of fruit, but of the different character- istics of the one common result of the indwelling Spirit and so, taken as a whole, constitutes the fruit of the Spirit. It requires no long argument to show that these characteristics developed in the soul are not natural but spiritual. Hence there devolves upon the Christian the twofold responsibility of recognizing first that these characteristics are begotten by the Holy Spirit and secondarily that he is as a disciple to seek their development, using such means as may be granted by the Spirit to make them to abound more and more. Nor can any one fail to recognize the blessed state of that soul in which these characteristics THE HOLY SPIRIT. 113 abound. It is a heavenly state. This passage quoted above is a comprehensive grouping of the results of the Spirit's work* that are set forth singly in various other passages and are worthy of consideration here. Paul in the various con- ditions of blessing in the Christian life declares that all things are for our benefit, " because the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us." Rom. 5 : 5. And again when arguing in favor of abstinence for a brother's sake, he says: ' The kingdom of God is not eating and drink- ing, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." Rom. 14:17. And because Paul believed this he could make it his prayer for Christians, " Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may sbound in hope in the power of the Holy Spirit." Rom. 15 : 13. In these passages the recognition is that all the results of the Christian life are by the "power of the Holy Spirit" which has "been shed abroad in our hearts." And these are the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes a dwarfed and imperfect development only is secured, sometimes the development is hindered, but if the Holy Spirit has taken up his abiding place in the soul, then in greater or less power of 114 THE HOLY SPIRIT. development will this fruit be found and it be- comes the Christian's great care to see that noth- ing hinders their growth, since the world needs to feel the power of their highest, development. In Paul's first epistle to the Corinthian church, he enumerates what he calls special gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are not properly fruit and yet because they are direct results of the Spirit upon the believer they may be fitly considered here. From the twelfth to the fourteenth chap- ters inclusive he has these gifts under considera- tion ; an outline of the thought is all that may be necessary here. Having announced in chapter twelve that he purposes to discuss the question of spiritual gifts, he declares the fundamental truth that no man can be a Christian except by the Holy Spirit. "No man can say, Jesus is Lord but in the Holy Spirit." 1 Cor. 12:3. He then proceeds to consider these various gifts. He gives the enumeration under two forms : first of results and secondly of persons through whom the results are secured. "Now there are diversities of gifts 'but the same Spirit. * * * * But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal. For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of THE HOLY SPIRIT. 115 knowledge, according to the same Spirit : to another faith, in the same Spirit ; and to another gifts of healing, in the same Spirit; and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy ; and to another discerning of spirits; and to another divers kinds of tongues ; and to another the interpreta- tion of tongues ; but all these worketh the one and the self same Spirit, dividing to every one severally even as he will.". 1 Cor. 12:411. And then in the closing verses he designates the officers: "God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, gov- ernments, divers kinds of tongues." 1 Cor. 12 : 28. The argument all the way through these three chapters is, that while there are diversities of gifts and differences of titles, that there is but one Spirit producing them, and they are all for one common purpose the strengthing and estab- lishing of the church. Then he shows that the highest gift of the Holy Spirit is Christian love the excellence of which gift is clearly set forth in the thirteenth chapter. The question may be raised how many of these gifts are bestowed in the church to-day and how many of these offices are permanent in the church? Im 116 THE HOLY SPIRIT. other words has the church the power from the Holy Spirit to exercise any of these gifts? If not, why not? and if not all, why not all? The question of the cessation of all miraculous power with the apostles has been long a contro- verted point. In Heb. 2 :3, 4 the writer declares that "The word was confirmed unto us (Chris- tians) by them that heard ; God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will." These words very reasonably imply some gifts were bestowed upon the apostles and not on others. So that a distinction may be made between mir- aculous gifts and spiritual, fitting and enduring for permanent service in the kingdom. A distinc- tion also is clearly made between all of these gifts and the fruit of the Spirit. Every Chris- tian must have in some degree and should have in large degree the fruit of the Spirit, constantly brought forth in his soul, but only such gifts as the Holy Spirit sees he can and will use to the glory of God. The apostle declares in this connection that "prophecies shall be done away " "tongues shall cease" and "knowledge shall be done away." 1 Cor. 13 : 8. He seems to refer to a present THE HOLY SPIRIT. 117 and temporal cessation rather than a cesssation in eternity. Two things however are clear ; one is, that if there is any fault for their cessation it is not the Spirit's fault. The other is that so far as the church has need of such gifts, the Holy Spirit will bestow them, if the church will use them. Be this as it may, it is clear that when the church in her membership shall realize more f ullythe need of perfect co-operation with the Holy Spirit already abiding in her member- ship and will seek for such co-oporation, then will the power of the church be vastly multiplied, and such gifts as the church needs to glorify God and secure the salvation of souls, thereby build- ing up his kingdom, will be vouchsafed to her. All needed spiritual blessings are ready to be bestowed upon Christians either as individuals or as churches when realizing their high calling of God they are ready to use them. Till then God waits " Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." 118 THE HOLY SPIRIT. CHAPTEK XI. THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE MINISTRY. When our blessed Lord would give to his chosen apostles their commissions to begin the work of preaching the gospel to all nations, he assured them and their successors in the Christian ministry that he would be with them always, even unto the end of the world. And in order that they might realize the divine presence as well as secure the fitness they needed for this glorious work, they were especially enjoined from enter- ing upon it until they were " endued with power from on high." How they were to receive this enduement and the special character of it are not difficult problems to solve. If every Christian is dependent upon the Holy Spirit for the new life implanted within his soul and also for the development of this life into en- during character, none the less must the Christian ministry be dependent upon the Spirit for the special fitness and direction he needs in his work. THE HOLY SPIRIT. 119 He must, in an emphatic sense, recognize his abso- lute dependence upon the Holy Spirit in order to success. For three years, or nearly that, the apostles had listened to the divine Teacher as he spake the truths that are potent factors in the world's redemption, they had stood by him when he wrought the mfghtest works ever achieved among men, and yet Jewish prejudice, personal ambition, carnal pride and natural blindness to spiritual things had such an all-mastering influence over them that they were able to comprehend no higher purpose for Christ, then the establishment of an earthly kingdom, the wearing of a crown made of earth's metals and decked with earthly jewels and that they might themselves become his chief ministers of state in such an earthly kingdom. It required the same Holy Spirit that ushered light into the natural darkness at the creation, to break up their mental and spiritual darkness and give the light of eternal things. On the first evening after the morning of the resurrection the Lord came into the room where the disciples were gathered and said unto them : " Peace be unto you ; as the Father had sent me even so send I you. And when he had said this he breathed on them and saith unto them, Receive 120 THE HOLY SPIRIT. ye the Holy Spirit. Whosesoever sins ye forgive they are forgiven unto them and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained." John 20: 21-23. Thus by prophetic symbol repeating and em- phasizing the doctrine already taught them, that *' the Spirit of truth when he is come shall guide you into all the truth, for he shall not speak of him- self, but whatsoever he shall hear shall he speak and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you." John 16:13, 14. Again when he stood with the disciples but a short time before his ascension and, they asked: "Lord wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" Acts 1:6, he emphasizes that the " enduement of pow- er," " the promise of the Father," must precede their preparation for the work to which he had assigned them and for this they must wait. Uutil this power and enlightenment should be received, neither the ministry, nor the organized Church, nor yet the inspired Word would be effective in turning the world to Christ and in establishing his kingdom in the world. The Holy Spirit which was to abide in the be- liever forever was to be the one supreme agency f orcarrying on and completing the work begun by Christ. For this the designated ministry was to THE HOLY SPIRIT. 121 wait. Ten days were passed by the disciples in prayer and waiting before the promise of the Father was poured out, when lo ! the transforma- tion is not seen in the miraculous tokens, but in the blind, stupid children of earth and sense being such no longer. They are now " the sons of light" walking in light. They now comprehend spiritual truth by spiritual power in spiritual light. They are now no longer satisfied to" look at the things which are seen, but rather at the things which are not seen." Paul emphasizes the fact that God by the Holy Spirit calls his ministers into their special work and directs and aids them in the details of that work. He went not forth to his own work until so called. It may be well to notice that after Paul's conversion he continued in prayer and the acquirement of the knowledge of Christ until such times as the Church was called by the Holy Spirit to set him apart to the gospel ministry. We are told that there were"in the church at Antioch certain prophets and teachers and as they minis- tered to the Lord and fasted the Holy Spirit said, separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. Then when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away. So they, being sent 122 THE HOLY SPIRIT. forth by the Holy Spirit, went." Acts 13 : 1-4. That Paul recognizes the same holy call for others is apparent from the emphatic language he uses in that memorable address to the elders of the church at Ephesus, when he enjoins upon them to " take heed unto themselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the Church of God which he purchased with his own blood." Acts 20 : 28. Again he impresses upon Timothy the necessity of guarding the gifts thus bestowed upon him when he says : " That good thing which was com- mitted unto thee, guard, through the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in us." 2 Tim. 1:14. And so he recognized that the Holy Spirit calls and en- due all ministers for their work. We have already considered the question of special gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit upon the ministry as set forth in Paul's first epistle to the Corinthian church. It is only necessary here to note that while he admits a variety in the ministry and a variety of gifts, he recognizes that all are called by the same Holy Spirit, and be- stowed by him. "But all these workeththat one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." 1 Cor. 12:1-11. The one important truth necessary to recognize is that THE HOLY SPIRIT. 123 whatever office the minister may be called to and whatsoever gifts he may possess, the Holy Spirit is the author and without such authority, received by himself and recognized by the Church, he should have no part in the ministry. Into all the details of this ministry the Holy Spirit enters. It was by the direction of the Holy Spirit that Philip was sent into the desert to preach to and baptize the Ethiopian eunuch. Acts 8: 29-39. It was the Holy Spirit who suffered not Paul and Silas to go into Bythynia when they desired of thenlselves so to do. Acts 16:7. And it was the Holy Spirit that sent Peter to Joppa to preach to Cornelius. Acts 10: 19, and 11 : 12. And so all through their ministry the apostles were direct- ed by the Holy Spirit. The apostles recognized also that it was by the Holy Spirit that they comprehended the truth; that he imparted to them wisdom and knowledge- So Paul declares that " the [mystery in Christ, which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been re- vealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit." Eph. 3: 5. Likewise Peter says : " Con- cerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched dilligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you ; searching what time 124 THE HOLY SPIRIT. or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did point unto, when it testified be- forehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow them. To whom it was re- vealed, that not unto themselves but unto you, did they minister . . . through those who preached the gospel unto you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven." 1 Pet. 1 : 10-12. But Paul recognizes not simply the spiritual enlightenment, but he declares the most thorough co-operation of the Spirit in all his successes. So to the church at Thessolonica he writes : "'Our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much as- surance. And ye ... received the word V . . with joy of the Holy Spirit." 1 Thes. 1:5, 6. And to the church at Corinth : " My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power ; that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." 1 Cor. 2:4, 5. Also to the church at Rome he writes: "I will not dare to speak of any things save those which Christ wrought through me, for the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in THE HOLY SPIRIT. 125 the power of the Holy Spirit." Rom. 15: 18, 19. Thus do the apostles recognize that the Holy Spirit not only saves them as others are saved and sanctifies them as others are sanctified, but that beyond these he calls them into the ministry. He directs them in their work. He gives power to the word preached. He imparts all needed grace and strength. He controls in the organiza- tion and development of the Church, and makes the ministry the power of salvation to a dying world. Is the ministry in doubt, or peril, or trouble? The Holy Spirit is the divine helper. He opens the way when dark. He directs in the way and the work. From the above passage quoted it will be seen that this co-operation of the Holy Spirit with the gospel ministry was not to cease with the death of the apostles, but was to continue unto the end of the world. But it does not follow that the Holy Spirit will or does co-operate with any who either do not seek his aid or recognize it when given. Hence the vital importance to the Church and the world, that the ministry shall be a minis- try of the Holy Spirit ; that the ministry shall recognize their need of his full co-operation; that the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ will accom- 126 THE HOLY SPIRIT. plish the Holy purpose for which they were call- ed unlo the work only when they realize that no other power can fit them for the work. *' Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." THE HOLY SPIRIT. 127 CHAPTER XII. THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE CHURCH. We have seen that the religion that Jesus gave to the world is a new life, begun in the soul and carried on into likeness to the founder, in every one who will receive the blessed ministry of the Holy Spirit. In a church then this religion be- comes a life common to all, diffused through many members,emanating from a common source and tending toward a common result. Every student recognizes that all life manifests itself through organization. Common natures tend to- ward union in form,as well as unity in principle. When then we have found that the Christian life is secured through the creating anew of the soul by the Holy Spirit, and continued and perfected by the indwelling of the same Holy Spirit, we have found the central fact around which such Christian lives will tend to cluster and upon which they may be expected to take organic f of- niation. Nothing was more natural then than 128 THE HOLY SPIRIT. when Christians began to multiply in numbers and in various locations as they believed the word preached, that they should, whether few or many in each locality, cluster into organic form and that with progress in numbers and power the organization should become effective in car- rying forward the general purposes of Christian life. And so this very organization would be- come a means of blessing. The history of the church reveals just this natural result as the one which did actually occur. As we shall see, it was the purpose of the Lord through the Holy Spirit to secure such a result. To direct and control the various fe.atures of the organization and so make the church a part of the great gospel scheme for the salvation of the world. The Scriptures recognize this presence and control of the Holy Spirit not only in the formation of the churches, but in their subsequent history and de- velopment. And so at Jerusalem when the time came to choose the first officers of the church the apostles, under the direction now of the Holy Spirit, enjoined the disciples to " Look ye out therefore brethren, from among you, seven men of good report full of the Spirit and of wisdom." Acts 6 : 3. And as we have seen in the designat- ing of the ministry in calling them to new THF HOLY SPIRIT. 129 fields to preach and when churches were planted the Holy Spirit was the recognized leader and di- rector. It is said " that the churches had peace, being edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit." Acts. 9 : 31. Instruction and direction in duty and order were under the control of the Holy Spirit, and were so recognized by the apostles. In the relation of the Jews to the Gentiles said the apostles, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things." Acts 15:28. And Paul emphasizes that the elders of the church at Ephesus were given the oversight of the church by the Holy Spirit. " Take heed unto your- selves and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops." Acts 20:28. Paul again recognizes this intimate relationship when he declares that not only the Christian as an individual but the body of Christians com- posing the church are a 'temple of the Holy Spirit. " Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. If any man destroy eth the temple of God him shall God destroy for the temple of God is holy which temple ye are." 1 Cor, 3: 16,17. 130 THE HOLY SPIRIT. By the church as the Temple of the Holy Spirit, Paul here evidently means the local church. The spiritual affinity and interdependence of these local churches is unfolded in Paul's letter to the Ephesian church where he says " so then ye are no more strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow citizens with the saints and of the house- hold of God, being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner-stone : in whom each sev- eral building fitly framed together; groweth into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit." Eph. 2 : 19-22. Here Paul is look- ing forward to the completion of Christ's work when the Holy Sanctuary shall descend with the new heavens and the new earth; but at the same time he is looking at each local church, (out of which ultimatly the Holy Sanctuary will come,) as a present temple of the Spirit, made of living members, each of whom is also a temple of the Holy Spirit. It is in recognition of such unity in the church that he says: " For as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of the body being many are one body, so also is Christ. For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body THE HOLY SPIRIT. 131 whether Jews or Greeks whether bond or free and were all made to drink of one Spirit." 1 Cor. 12 : 12, 13. He here recognizes the or- ganic union of the church and the purpose of the two ordinances in symbolizing this union. Bap- tism stands as the confession of a common Lord through the Holy Spirit, and all were so baptized. The cup stands as the token of his redeeming blood through the Holy Spirit and all have drank of it. This same thought is made more emphatic when he enjoins the Ephesians by " Giving dili- gence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit even as also ye were called in one hope of your call- ing one Lord one faith one baptism one God and Father of all who is over all, and through all and in all." Eph. 4: 3-5. And so it is on this same principle of a spiritual unity that he says to the Philippian church * ' Jf there is any fellowship of the Spirit fulfill ye my joy, that ye be of the same mind, having the same love being of one accord of one mind." Phil. 2:1,2. Thus does the apostle recognize that through the Holy Spirit there is a visible union of the church. That the Holy Spirit im- parts the life which forms the basis of this union. That the ordinances are a visible representation 132 THE HOLY SPIRIT. of the basis of this union committed to the church as an organization. The church express- ing this spiritual life through its united member- ship is entrusted with the ordinances and by them together with the word is to witness to this spiritual life. The apostle recognizes this power of the church through the Holy Spirit to witness to Christ. And indeed it had been promised by the Lord when he said : " When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father, the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall bear witness of me : And ye also shall bear witness because ye have been with me from the beginning." John 15: 26,27. Now put this in connection with the in- structions given just before his ascension. " And ye shall receive power when the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and ye shall be my witnesses." Acts 1 : $. In this we see the direct relationship sustained between the Holy Spirit and the church as they witness for the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Savior of men. We have already seen how the apostle recognizes the disciples as baptized into one name, sitting at the table spread with the emblems of their Lord's suffering; but this union should characterize the whole range of church work, or else the Holy Spirit and the THE HOLY SPIRIT. 133 church will not be able to bear testimony to the value of Christ's work as the Savior such as the world in sin most needs. The apostle John sig- nificantly combines these witnesses to Christ as the Savior of men when he declares. " Jesus Christ came by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three who bear witness. The Spirit and the water and the blood, and the three agree in one." 1 John 5 : 6-8. The Holy Spirit dwelt in Christ. He now dwells in Christ's churches, and the ordinances are part of the church service. Thus the in- dwelling Spirit witnesses by baptism and the Lord's supper for Christ to the believer and through him to the world. Thus there is estab- lished that the Holy Spirit utilizes the Holy or- dinance of the church by which to witness to Christ Jesus as the Redeemer. The first chapters of the Book of Revelation containing the messages to the seven churches of Asia set forth that not only is Christ watching his people, but the Holy Spirit is concerned for their welfare ;and the seven times repeated " He that hath ears to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches " is but another em- 134 THE HOLY SPIRIT. phatic testimony to the necessity for most hearty co-operatien between them. Thus do the Scriptures set forth that the Holy Spirit controlled the primary inauguration of the church as an organization ; led and directed in the choice of her officials; directed her advance missionary m ovements ; gave to her membership comfort in times of distress ; edification in times of doubt and uncertainty ; makes her ordinances and the preached word witnesses to Christ. They also set forth that he warns, entreats and helps ; that he forms the condition of union in her membership ; that he blesses her ministers in preaching; and that he abides within her body. Making thus the church to be Holy in her calling, work and mission. No wonder that the apostle recognizing this relationship, as he looked by prophetie vision upon the history of the church through all time until her Lord shall come, should see such a union of purpose in their work that he could ex- claim : "The Spirit and the bride say, come. And let him that heareth say, come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life fre ely." Rev. 22 : 17. Without the Holy Spirit the church could do nothing and with the Holy Spirit the church THE HOLY SPIRIT. 135 shall go on in her work winning souls to Christ, breaking down the bulwarks of sin and building up all righteousness until the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." 136 THE HOLY SPIRIT. CHAPTER XIII. CO-OPERATION WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. Our study, so far, has been to ascertain what the Holy Spirit does from the time when the first impression is made upon the mind of the sinner through all the stages- of Christian development in life and work. We have endeavored to follow this line of thought through every phase of Chris- tian life, and in the light of the divine word we have seen how the Holy Spirit is the one power without which nothing can be accomplished. But the gospel recognizes that in every stage of the Holy Spirit's operation upon the soul, there must be response to, and co-operation with the Holy Spirit's influences. Men are not recognized as blocks of marble, to be taken from the quarry and in the artist's hand transformed into a divine likeness or Christ-like image. They are not machines in the hands of the engineer to be made of service by moving so many levers. They are not lumps of clay in the hand of the potter molded without THE HOLY SPIRIT. 137 their volition. They are " not dumb, driven cattle" coming and going at the owner's will. In some sense all or any of these illustrations may be fitting, but not in the complete sense not absolutely. Men are made a little lower than the angels, endowed with reason, will, judgment, memory : faculties implying intelligence and nat- ural power of action, plan, purpose and desire. And the Holy Spirit recognizes this in all his deal- ings with men, and lays upon them the responsi- bility of co-operation with his work and response to his holy influences. We have already consid- ered the negative side of the question in the chap- ter on sins against the Holy Spirit. We shall now consider the positive side as it relates to the duties and obligations laid upon the Christian. Recognizing that" if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his," Rom. 8 :9, and that "if any man be in Christ he is a new creat- ure," AVe shall enquire how is this regenerated soul to co-operate with, or respond to the influ- ences of the Holy Spirit. (a) The first injunction is implied in Paul's statement: "They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit." Rom. 8 : 5. Here the teaching is that in obeying the 138 THE HOLY SPIRIT. Spirit we develop spiritual mindedness, or come to know and possess the mind of the Holy Spirit. The argument is conclusive. The Christian, having been born anew, will realize that in all his mental processes he shall be subject to the will of God. He must seek to know and do God's will ; and this implies that he possesses'the mind of the Spirit which dwells in him. The danger, however, is, that because of the conflict between the fleshly and spiritual natures he will be led at times to obey the impulses of the flesh and so hinder, not only the work of God in his own soul, but his power over the souls of others. But seeking to know the plans and purposes of the Spirit for him, the Christian will realize his own weakness, and thereby his dependence upon the Spirit and his need of a stronger, higher, holier life.. Having learned from the Spirit the life which is in Christ Jesus, he will seek to grow in grace and become more and more Christ-like. The very lowest possible condition of Christian life admits of won- derous possibilities. Can there be such a thing as a Christian life where the soul does not seek to know the mind of the SDiritand to do the divine will thus revealed I (6) One of the most difficult problems pre- sented to the Christian is to do God's will ; move THE HOLY SPIRIT. 139 steadily on and l>y faith grasp the promises. Or in other words, to wait for God to work out his own plans for us and in us. So repeated injunctions lay upon us the necessity of patience in our work. The apostle recognizes that the Spirit will do his own work in his- own way and at his own time and it is ours to bide his time, doing our part faith- fully. And so Paul declares that " we through the Spirit by faith wait for the hope of right- eousness." Gal. 5:5. It sometimes requires more grace to do our duty and wait for the Spirit to reward than in almost any other line of Chris- tian service. One of the striking characteristics of the apostles in their labors was their willing- ness to wait on the Holy Spirit to direct, to con- trol and to reward. Very much of the force of the eighth chapter of Romans turns on this Chris- tian duty of waiting on the Holy Spirit to do his own will and to bring to us the consummation of Christian hope in the glorious resurrection from the dead. Shall the church, or the ministry, or the believer in any position be less vigilant, or earnest or zealous, or make less sacrifices, or en- dure less burdens because the Spirit waits the con- trol of the eternal mind rather than of our finite plans? Nay, it is ours to serve, waiting for his wisdom to determine the times and seasons for 140 THE HOLY SPIRIT. harvest and the nature and character of the re- ward. (c) As we have seen the Holy Spirit is the in- tercessor at the throne of our hearts in prayer. It becomes the Christian to recognize this and in seeking to do God's will make his petitions known at the great throne of mercy under the control of the Spirit. Hence the injunction to pray in the spirit: "With all prayer and supplication, praying at all seasons in the Spirit and watching thereunto." Eph.fi: 18. Again: "But ye, be- loved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." Jude 20:21. This same doctrine in recognized by Paul when he says: "We are the circumcision who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus." Phil. 3:3. This language is emphatic and plain. TheChris- tian who would approach the author of all blessings must come in the Spirit, led by him, controlled by him, inspired by him, taught by him. Here is the condition of successful prayer. Here is the con- dition of power with men and power with God. The heart under the control of the ever-present Spirit has power to send its petitions to the throne THE HOLY SPIRIT. 141 of the Eternal and will receive answers from him. (cZ) One of the chief blessings of the Holy Spirit to the world has been in the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures ; but this implies that the Christian must use them. The inspired revela- tion of God would be of little value, either to saint or sinner, shut up in cloisters. The sinner may realize his condition as lost. The Christian may know his own need of direction and comfort and they will remain unblessed so long as the Bible remains a closed book. But the open Bible, proclaimed, enforced, taught, is the giant power in the hands of Christians for the destruction of sin. The world calls preaching foolishness, and it is,to them that perish not to the saved. The power of evil may ask, what is the Church going to do with the Bible? But, stripling though she seems to be, she can sever the giant's head. "The Word of God is quick and powerful ; sharper than any two-edged sword." Hear inspiration then in the command to the Christian, that in his conflict with the organized forces of evil he must " take the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God." Eph. 6:17. The disciples of the Lord Jesus must recognize their obligation to use this weapon of God which he has put into their 142 THE HOLY SPIRIT. hands and without which their best endeavors will be but significant failures. (e) Step by step we are led to see that the religion of the Lord Jesus is a practical religion. While much of mystery gathers around the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration and Christian growth, yet the practical duties are so plainly en- forced as to leave but little room for doubt as to their importance. The disciple of the Lord Jesus is to recognize the divine Master as an en- sample in every phase of life, and if to this end he is " led by the Spirit " and " strengthened by the Spirit," it follows that he must yield obe- dience to the Spirit. Hence the injunction to the disciple: "But I say, walk by the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh." Gal. 5: 16, 17. " If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk." Gal. 5 : 25. " For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that theordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. 8 :3, 4. Thus the conflict of the dual natures is made an assured victory by the subjection of the THE HOLY SPIRIT. 143 believer to the Holy Spirit's control, so that in all things the master- force in the soul is not the carnal nature, but the Spirit, under whos.e hallow- ed influences the whole way of life is walked. (f) But again, the Christian is confronted with the fact that not only his feet are to be directed by the Holy Spirit, but the doing of his hands are likewise to recognize the supremacy of the Holy Spirit over his entire life. The busi- ness of life, the investments of power, whether that power be in gold and silver, or education, or social influence, or habits of life, or decisions, or plans, or endeavor, or whatever it be which calls for effort, in this also he must recognize his al- legiance to God. Hence the warning : " Be not deceived ; God is not mocked ; f or whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth unto his own flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption ; but he that soweth unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life." Gal. 6 : 7, 8 How forcible the apostle's conclusion : " So then as we have opportunity, let us work that which is good toward all men." This means then the whole life consecrated to the divine will, and since God has consecsated so much to us, why should not the disciple be thus fully consecrated. ( .' A' '! I III! I I I I I 001 009 469 6