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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/33341-h.zip b/33341-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d2956e4 --- /dev/null +++ b/33341-h.zip diff --git a/33341-h/33341-h.htm b/33341-h/33341-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7d665f2 --- /dev/null +++ b/33341-h/33341-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3773 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" +"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content= +"text/html; charset=us-ascii"> +<title>SECRET POWER or the Secret of Success in Christian Life +and Work</title> + +<style type="text/css"> + body {font-family:'Bookman Old Style', 'Book Antiqua', 'Garamond'; text-align:justify; margin-left:3em; margin-right:3em} + p.pnn {margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0} + p.pn {text-indent:1.5em; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0} + p.pns {text-indent:1.5em; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em} + p.p0 {margin-left:3em; text-indent:-2em; font-size:92%; line-height:1.2em; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0} + p.p0s {margin-left:3em; text-indent:-2em; font-size:92%; line-height:1.2em; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em} + p.p1 {margin-left:4em; text-indent:-2em; font-size:92%; line-height:1.2em; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0} + p.p2 {margin-left:5em; text-indent:-2em; font-size:92%; line-height:1.2em; font-size:92%; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0} + p.p3 {margin-left:6em; text-indent:-2em; font-size:92%; line-height:1.2em; font-size:92%; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0} + p.p4 {margin-left:7em; text-indent:-2em; font-size:92%; line-height:1.2em; font-size:92%; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0} + p.p4s {margin-left:7em; text-indent:-2em; font-size:92%; line-height:1.2em; font-size:92%; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em} + p.pr {text-align:right;margin-top:1.5em; margin-bottom:1em} + p.pt1 {text-align:center;margin-top:1.5em;margin-bottom:1em;font-size:125%;font-weight:normal} + p.pt2 {text-align:center;margin-top:1.3em;margin-bottom:1.3em;font-size:83%;font-weight:normal} + p.pt3 {margin-left:2.0em; text-indent:-1.5em; text-align:left;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.1em;font-size:92%;font-weight:normal} + p.pt3a {margin-left:2.0em; text-indent:-1.5em; line-height:1.1em; text-align:left;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.1em;font-size:92%;font-weight:normal} + p.pt4 {text-align:left;text-indent:2.0em; margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.2em;font-size:75%;font-weight:normal} + p.pt4a {margin-left:2.8em; text-indent:-1.2em; line-height:1.1em; text-align:left;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.1em;font-size:75%;font-weight:normal} + p.pt5 {margin-left:4.0em; text-indent:-1.5em; line-height:1.1em; text-align:left;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.1em;font-size:75%;font-weight:normal} + p.pt6 {text-align:left;margin-left:0.5em;line-height:1.0em;margin-top:0.7em;margin-bottom:0.2em;font-size:92%;font-weight:normal} + p.pt7 {text-align:left;line-height:1.2em;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.1em;margin-left:1.7em;font-size:79%;font-weight:normal} + + .sc {font-variant:small-caps} + .f11 {font-size:92%} + h1 {text-align:center;margin-top:1.5em;margin-bottom:1em;font-size:133%;font-weight:normal} + hr {margin: 0 auto} + +</style> +</head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Secret Power, by Dwight L. Moody + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Secret Power + or the Secret of Success in Christian Life and Work + +Author: Dwight L. Moody + +Release Date: August 3, 2010 [EBook #33341] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SECRET POWER *** + + + + +Produced by Keith G. Richardson + + + + + +</pre> + +<p class="pnn"><a href="#title">Title Page</a></p> +<p class="pnn"><a href="#preface">Preface</a></p> +<p class="pnn"><a href="#c1">Chapter I. POWER—ITS +SOURCE.</a></p> +<p class="pnn"><a href="#c2">Chapter II. POWER “IN” +AND “UPON.”</a></p> +<p class="pnn"><a href="#c3">Chapter III. WITNESSING IN +POWER.</a></p> +<p class="pnn"><a href="#c4">Chapter IV. POWER IN +OPERATION.</a></p> +<p class="pnn"><a href="#c5">Chapter V. POWER HINDERED.</a></p> +<hr style="margin-top:4em;margin-bottom:3.0em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:233%;letter-spacing:0.1em;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.8em"> +<a name="title" id="title">SECRET POWER</a></p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:67%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:4.5em"> +OR THE</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:100%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.6em"> +SECRET OF SUCCESS IN CHRISTIAN</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:100%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:7.8em"> +LIFE AND WORK.</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:117%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:10.8em"> +By D. L. MOODY</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:67%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.1em"> +FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:67%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.3em"> +N<span class="sc">ew York</span> : : C<span class= +"sc">hicago</span> : : T<span class= +"sc">oronto</span></p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:75%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<i>Publishers of Evangelical Literature</i></p> +<hr style="margin-top:5.5em;margin-bottom:22em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:67%;letter-spacing:0.08em;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +Copyrighted 1881, by F<span class="sc">leming H. +Revell</span>.</p> +<hr style="margin-top:22.5em;margin-bottom:4em"> +<h1 style="font-size:175%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.7em"> +<a name="preface" id="preface">PREFACE.</a></h1> +<hr style="width:4em;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<div style="font-size:92%"> +<p class="pn">One man may have “zeal without +knowledge,” while another may have knowledge without zeal. +If I could have only the one, I believe I should choose the +first; but, with an open Bible, no one need be without knowledge +of God’s will and purpose; and the object of this book is +to help others to know the source of true power, that both their +zeal and their knowledge may be of increased service in the +Master’s work.</p> +<p class="pn">Paul says, “all Scripture is given by +inspiration of God, and is profitable;” but I believe one +portion, and that the subject of this book, has been too much +overlooked, as though it were not practical, and the result is +lack of power in testimony and work. If we would work, “not +as one that beateth the air,” but to some definite purpose, +we must have this power from on high. Without this power, our +work will be drudgery. With it, it becomes a joyful task, a +refreshing service.</p> +<p class="pn">May God make this book a blessing to many. This is +my prayer.</p> +</div> +<p class="pr">D. L. MOODY. </p> +<p class="pnn f11">N<span class="sc">orthfield</span>, +M<span class="sc">ass</span>., May 1st, 1881.</p> +<hr style="margin-top:9.0em;margin-bottom:16.5em"> +<h1><a name="c1" id="c1">CHAPTER I.</a></h1> +<hr style="width:2.5em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:175%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +POWER—ITS SOURCE</p> +<hr style="margin-top:22em;margin-bottom:7em"> +<div style="font-size:92%"> +<p class="pns">In vain do the inhabitants of London go to their +conduits for supply unless the man who has the master-key turns +the water on; and in vain do we think to quench our thirst at +ordinances, unless God communicates the living water of His +Spirit.—<i>Anon</i>.</p> +<p class="pns">It was the custom of the Roman emperors, at their +triumphal entrance, to cast new coins among the multitudes; so +doth Christ, in His triumphal ascension into heaven, throw the +greatest gifts for the good of men that were ever +given.—<i>T. Goodwin</i>.</p> +<p class="pns">To unconverted persons, a great part of the Bible +resembles a letter written in cipher. The blessed Spirit’s +office is to act as God’s decipherer, by letting His people +into the secret of celestial experience, as the key and clew to +those sweet mysteries of grace which were before as a garden shut +up, or as a fountain sealed, or as a book written in an unknown +character.—<i>Toplady</i>.</p> +<p class="pn">The greatest, strongest, mightiest plea for the +Church of God in the world is the existence of the Spirit of God +in its midst, and the works of the Spirit of God are the true +evidences of Christianity. They say miracles are withdrawn, but +the Holy Spirit is the standing miracle of the Church of God +to-day. I will not say a word against societies for Christian +evidences, nor against those weighty and learned brethren who +have defended the outworks of the Christian Church. They have +done good service, and I wish them every blessing, but as to my +own soul, I never was settled in my faith in Christ by +Paley’s Evidences, nor by all the evidence ever brought +from history or elsewhere; the Holy Spirit has taken the burden +off my shoulders, and given me peace and liberty. This to me is +evidence, and as to the externals which we can quote to others, +it was enough for Peter and John that the people saw the lame man +healed, and they needed not to speak for +themselves.—<i>Spurgeon</i>.</p> +</div> +<hr style="margin-top:5em;margin-bottom:6em"> +<p class="pt1">POWER—ITS SOURCE.</p> +<hr style="width:2.5em;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p class="pns f11">“Without the soul, divinely quickened +and inspired, the observances of the grandest ritualism are as +worthless as the motions of a galvanized +corpse.”—<i>Anon</i>.</p> +<p class="pn">I <span class="sc">quote</span> this sentence, as +it leads me at once to the subject under consideration. What is +this quickening and inspiration? What is this power needed? From +whence its source? I reply: The Holy Spirit of God. I am a full +believer in “The Apostles’ Creed,” and +therefore “I believe in the Holy Ghost.”</p> +<p class="pn">A writer has pointedly asked: “What are our +souls without His grace?—as dead as the branch in which the +sap does not circulate. What is the Church without Him?—as +parched and barren as the fields without the dew and rain of +heaven.”</p> +<p class="pn">There has been much inquiry of late on the subject +of the Holy Spirit. In this and other lands thousands of persons +have been giving attention to the study of this grand theme. I +hope it will lead us all to pray for a greater manifestation of +His power upon the whole Church of God. How much we have +dishonored Him in the past! How ignorant of His grace, and love +and presence we have been? True, we have heard of Him and read of +Him, but we have had little intelligent knowledge of His +attributes, His offices and His relations to us. I fear He has +not been to many professed Christians an actual existence, nor is +He known to them as a personality of the Godhead.</p> +<p class="pn">The first work of the Spirit is to give life; +spiritual life. He gives it and He sustains it. If there is no +life, there can be no power; Solomon says: “A living dog is +better than a dead lion.” When the Spirit imparts this +life, He does not leave us to droop and die, but constantly fans +the flame. He is ever with us. Surely we ought not to be ignorant +of His power and his work.</p> +<p class="pt2">IDENTITY AND PERSONALITY.</p> +<p class="pn">In John v, 7, we read: “There are three that +bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, +and these three are one.” By the Father is meant the first +Person, Christ, the Word is the second, and the Holy Spirit, +perfectly fulfilling His own office and work in union with the +Father and the Son, is the third. I find clearly presented in my +Bible, that the One God who demands my love, service and worship, +has there revealed Himself, and that each of those three names of +Father, Son and Holy Ghost has personality attached to them. +Therefore we find some things ascribed to God as Father, some to +God as Saviour, and some to God as Comforter and Teacher. It has +been remarked that the Father plans, the Son executes, and the +Holy Spirit applies. But I also believe they plan and work +together. The distinction of <i>persons</i> is often noted in +Scripture. In Matt. iii, 16-17, we find J<span class= +"sc">esus</span> submitting to baptism, the S<span class= +"sc">pirit</span> descending upon Him, while the F<span class= +"sc">ather’s</span> voice of approval is heard saying: +“This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” +Again in John xiv, 16, we read: “I (<i>i. e.</i> Jesus) +will pray the Father, and He shall give you another +Comforter.” Also in Eph. i, 18: “Through Him (<i>i. +e.</i> Christ Jesus) we both (Jews and Gentiles) have access by +one Spirit unto the Father.” Thus we are taught the +distinction of persons in the Godhead, and their inseparable +union. From these and other scriptures also we learn the identity +and actual existence of the Holy Spirit.</p> +<p class="pn">If you ask do I <i>understand</i> what is thus +revealed in Scripture, I say “no.” But my faith bows +down before the inspired Word and I unhesitatingly believe the +great things of God when even reason is blinded and the intellect +confused.</p> +<p class="pn">In addition to the teaching of God’s Word, +the Holy Spirit in His gracious work in the soul declares His own +presence. Through His agency we are “born again,” and +through His indwelling we possess superhuman power. Science, +falsely so called, when arrayed against the existence and +presence of the Spirit of God with His people, only exposes its +own folly to the contempt of those who have become “new +creatures in Christ Jesus.” The Holy Spirit who inspired +prophets, and qualified apostles, continues to animate, guide and +comfort all true believers. To the actual Christian, the +personality of the Holy Spirit is more real than any theory +science has to offer, for so-called science is but calculation +based on human observation, and is constantly changing its +inferences. But the existence of the Holy Spirit is to the child +of God a matter of Scripture revelation and of actual +experience.</p> +<p class="pn">Some skeptics assert that there is no other vital +energy in the world but physical force, while contrary to their +assertions, thousands and tens of thousands who can not possibly +be deceived have been quickened into spiritual life by a power +neither physical or mental. Men who were dead in +sins—drunkards who lost their will, blasphemers who lost +their purity, libertines sunk in beastliness, infidels who +published their shame to the world, have in numberless instances +become the subjects of the Spirit’s power, and are now +walking in the true nobility of Christian manhood, separated by +an infinite distance from their former life. Let others reject, +if they will, at their own peril, this imperishable truth. I +believe, and am growing more into this belief, that divine, +miraculous creative power resides in the Holy Ghost. Above and +beyond all natural law, yet in harmony with it, creation, +providence, the Divine government, and the upbuilding of the +Church of God are presided over by the Spirit of God. His +ministration is the ministration of life more glorious than the +ministration of law, (2 Cor. iii, 6-10). And like the Eternal +Son, the Eternal Spirit having life in Himself, is working out +all things after the counsel of His own will, and for the +everlasting glory of the Triune Godhead.</p> +<p class="pn">The Holy Spirit has all the qualities belonging to +a person; the power to understand, to will, to do, to call, to +feel, to love. This can not be said of a mere influence. He +possesses attributes and qualities which can only be ascribed to +a person, as acts and deeds are performed by Him which can not be +performed by a machine, an influence, or a result.</p> +<p class="pt2">AGENT AND INSTRUMENT.</p> +<p class="pn">The Holy Spirit is closely identified with the +words of the Lord Jesus. “It is the Spirit that quickeneth; +the flesh profiteth nothing, the words that I speak unto you, +they are spirit and they are life.” The Gospel proclamation +can not be divorced from the Holy Spirit. Unless He attend the +word in power, vain will be the attempt in preaching it. Human +eloquence or persuasiveness of speech are the mere trappings of +the dead, if the living Spirit be absent; the prophet may preach +to the bones in the valley, but it must be the breath from Heaven +which will cause the slain to live.</p> +<p class="pn">In the third chapter of the First Epistle of Peter, +it reads, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the +just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to +death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”</p> +<p class="pn">Here we see that Christ was raised up from the +grave by this same Spirit, and the power exercised to raise +Christ’s dead body must raise our dead souls and quicken +them. No other power on earth can quicken a dead soul, but the +same power that raised the body of Jesus Christ out of +Joseph’s sepulcher. And if we want that power to quicken +our friends who are dead in sin, we must look to God, and not be +looking to man to do it. If we look alone to ministers, if we +look alone to Christ’s disciples to do this work, we shall +be disappointed; but if we look to the Spirit of God and expect +it to come from Him and Him alone, then we shall honor the +Spirit, and the Spirit will do His work.</p> +<p class="pt2">SECRET OF EFFICIENCY.</p> +<p class="pn">I can not help but believe there are many +Christians who want to be more efficient in the Lord’s +service, and the object of this book is to take up this subject +of the Holy Spirit, that they may see from whom to expect this +power. In the teaching of Christ, we find the last words recorded +in the Gospel of Matthew, the 28th chapter and 19th verse, +“Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in +the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy +Ghost.” Here we find that the Holy Spirit and the Son are +equal with the Father—are one with Him, “teaching +them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy +Ghost.” Christ was now handing His commission over to His +Apostles. He was going to leave them. His work on earth was +finished, and He was now just about ready to take His seat at the +right hand of God, and He spoke unto them and said: “All +power is given unto Me in heaven and on earth.” All power, +so then He had authority. If Christ was mere man, as some people +try to make out, it would have been blasphemy for Him to have +said to the disciples, go and baptize all nations in the name of +the Father, and in His own name, and in that of the Holy Ghost, +making Himself equal with the Father.</p> +<p class="pn">There are three things: <i>All power</i> is given +unto Me; go <i>teach all</i> nations. Teach them what? To +<i>observe all</i> things. There are a great many people now that +are willing to observe what they like about Christ, but the +things that they don’t like they just dismiss and turn away +from. But His commission to His disciples was, “Go teach +all nations to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded +you.” And what right has a messenger who has been sent of +God to change the message? If I had sent a servant to deliver a +message, and the servant thought the message didn’t sound +exactly right—a little harsh—and that servant went +and changed the message, I should change servants very quickly; +he could not serve me any longer. And when a minister or a +messenger of Christ begins to change the message because he +thinks it is not exactly what it ought to be, and thinks he is +wiser than God, God just dismisses that man.</p> +<p class="pn">They haven’t taught “all things.” +They have left out some of the things that Christ has commanded +us to teach, because they didn’t correspond with +man’s reason. Now we have to take the Word of God just as +it is; and if we are going to take it, we have no authority to +take out just what we like, what we think is appropriate, and let +dark reason be our guide.</p> +<p class="pn">It is the work of the Spirit to impress the heart +and seal the preached word. His office is to take of the things +of Christ and reveal them unto us.</p> +<p class="pn">Some people have got an idea that this is the only +dispensation of the Holy Ghost; that He didn’t work until +Christ was glorified. But Simeon felt the Holy Ghost when he went +into the temple. In 2d Peter, i, 21, we read: “Holy men of +old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” We find +the same Spirit in Genesis as is seen in Revelation. The same +Spirit that guided the hand that wrote Exodus inspired also the +epistles, and we find the same Spirit speaking from one end of +the Bible to the other. So holy men in all ages have spoken as +they were moved by the Holy Ghost.</p> +<p class="pt2">HIS PERSONALITY.</p> +<p class="pn">I was a Christian a long time before I found out +that the Holy Ghost was a person. Now this is something a great +many don’t seem to understand, but if you will just take up +the Bible and see what Christ had to say about the Holy Spirit, +you will find that He always spoke of Him as a person—never +spoke of Him as an influence. Some people have an idea that the +Holy Spirit is an attribute of God, just like mercy—just an +influence coming from God. But we find in the fourteenth chapter +of John, sixteenth verse, these words: “And I will pray the +Father, and He shall give you another Comforter that He may abide +with you forever.” That <i>He</i> may abide with you +forever. And, again, in the same chapter, seventeenth verse: +“Even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world can not receive, +because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him; but ye know Him; +for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you.” Again, in +the twenty-sixth verse of the same chapter: “But the +Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in +my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to +your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you.”</p> +<p class="pn">Observe the pronouns “He” and +“Him.” I want to call attention to this fact that +whenever Christ spoke of the Holy Ghost He spoke of Him as a +person, not a mere influence; and if we want to honor the Holy +Ghost, let us bear in mind that He is one of the Trinity, a +personality of the Godhead.</p> +<p class="pt2">THE RESERVOIR OF LOVE.</p> +<p class="pn">We read that the fruit of the Spirit is love. God +is love, Christ is love, and we should not be surprised to read +about the love of the Spirit. What a blessed attribute is this. +May I call it the dome of the temple of the graces. Better still, +it is the crown of crowns worn by the Triune God. Human love is a +natural emotion which flows forth towards the object of our +affections. But Divine love is as high above human love as the +heaven is above the earth. The natural man is of the earth, +earthy, and however pure his love may be, it is weak and +imperfect at best. But the love of God is perfect and entire, +wanting nothing. It is as a mighty ocean in its greatness, +dwelling with and flowing from the Eternal Spirit.</p> +<p class="pn">In Romans v, 5, we read: “And hope maketh not +ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by +the Holy Ghost which is given to us.” Now if we are +co-workers with God, there is one thing we must possess, and that +is love. A man may be a very successful lawyer and have no love +for his clients, and yet get on very well. A man may be a very +successful physician and have no love for his patients, and yet +be a very good physician; a man may be a very successful merchant +and have no love for his customers, and yet he may do a good +business and succeed; but no man can be a co-worker with God +without love. If our service is mere profession on our part, the +quicker we renounce it the better. If a man takes up God’s +work as he would take up any profession, the sooner he gets out +of it the better.</p> +<p class="pn">We can not work for God without love. It is the +only tree that can produce fruit on this sin-cursed earth, that +is acceptable to God. If I have no love for God nor for my fellow +man, then I can not work acceptably. I am like sounding brass and +a tinkling cymbal. We are told that “the love of God is +shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost.” Now, if we +have had that love shed abroad in our hearts, we are ready for +God’s service; if we have not, we are not ready. It is so +easy to reach a man when you love him; all barriers are broken +down and swept away.</p> +<p class="pn">Paul when writing to Titus, second chapter and +first verse, tells him to be sound in faith, in charity, and in +patience. Now in this age, ever since I can remember, the Church +has been very jealous about men being unsound in the faith. If a +man becomes unsound in the faith, they draw their ecclesiastical +sword and cut at him; but he may be ever so unsound in love, and +they don’t say anything. He may be ever so defective in +patience; he may be irritable and fretful all the time, but they +never deal with him. Now the Bible teaches us, that we are not +only to be sound in the faith, but in charity and in patience. I +believe God can not use many of his servants, because they are +full of irritability and impatience; they are fretting all the +time, from morning until night. God can not use them; their +mouths are sealed; they can not speak for Jesus Christ, and if +they have not love, they can not work for God. I do not mean love +for those that love me; it don’t take grace to do that; the +rudest Hottentot in the world can do that; the greatest heathen +that ever lived can do that; the vilest man that ever walked the +earth can do that. It don’t take any grace at all. I did +that before I ever became a Christian. Love begets love; hatred +begets hatred. If I know a man loves me first, I know my love +will be going out towards him. Suppose a man comes to me, saying, +“Mr. Moody, a certain man told me to-day that he thought +you were the meanest man living.” Well, if I didn’t +have a good deal of the grace of God in my heart, then I know +there would be hard feelings that would spring up in my heart +against that man, and it would not be long before I would be +talking against him. Hatred begets hatred. But suppose a man +comes to me and says, “Mr. Moody, do you know that such a +man that I met to-day says that he thinks a great deal of +you?” and though I may never have heard of him, there would +be love springing up in my heart. Love begets love; we all know +that; but it takes the grace of God to love the man that lies +about me, the man that slanders me, the man that is trying to +tear down my character; it takes the grace of God to love that +man. You may hate the sin he has committed; there is a difference +between the sin and the sinner; you may hate the one with a +perfect hatred, but you must love the sinner. I can not otherwise +do him any good. Now you know the first impulse of a young +convert is to love. Do you remember the day you were converted? +Was not your heart full of sweet peace and love?</p> +<p class="pt2">THE RIGHT OVERFLOW.</p> +<p class="pn">I remember the morning I came out of my room after +I had first trusted Christ, and I thought the old sun shone a +good deal brighter than it ever had before; I thought that the +sun was just smiling upon me, and I walked out upon Boston +Common, and I heard the birds in the trees, and I thought that +they were all singing a song for me. Do you know I fell in love +with the birds? I never cared for them before; it seemed to me +that I was in love with all creation. I had not a bitter feeling +against any man, and I was ready to take all men to my heart. If +a man has not the love of God shed abroad in his heart, he has +never been regenerated. If you hear a person get up in +prayer-meeting, and he begins to speak and find fault with +everybody, you may know that his is not a genuine conversion; +that it is counterfeit; it has not the right ring, because the +impulse of a converted soul is to love, and not to be getting up +and complaining of every one else, and finding fault. But it is +hard for us to live in the right atmosphere all the time. Some +one comes along and treats us wrongly, perhaps we hate him; we +have not attended to the means of grace and kept feeding on the +word of God as we ought; a root of bitterness springs up in our +hearts, and perhaps we are not aware of it, but it has come up in +our hearts; then we are not qualified to work for God. The love +of God is not shed abroad in our hearts as it ought to be by the +Holy Ghost.</p> +<p class="pn">But the work of the Holy Ghost is to impart love. +Paul could say, “The love of Christ constraineth me.” +He could not help going from town to town and preaching the +Gospel. Jeremiah at one time said: “I will speak no more in +the Lord’s name; I have suffered enough; these people +don’t like God’s word.” They lived in a wicked +day, as we do now. Infidels were creeping up all around him, who +said the word of God was not true; Jeremiah had stood like a wall +of fire, confronting them, and he boldly proclaimed that the word +of God was true. At last they put him in prison, and he said: +“I will keep still; it has cost me too much.” But a +little while after, you know, he could not keep still. His bones +caught fire; he had to speak. And when we are so full of the love +of God, we are compelled to work for God, then God blesses us. If +our work is sought to be accomplished by the lash, without any +true motive power, it will come to nought.</p> +<p class="pn">Now the question comes up, have we the love of God +shed abroad in our hearts, and are we holding the truth in love? +Some people hold the truth, but in such a cold stern way that it +will do no good. Other people want to love everything, and so +they give up much of the truth; but we are to hold the truth in +love; we are to hold the truth even if we lose all, but we are to +hold it in love, and if we do that, the Lord will bless us.</p> +<p class="pn">There are a good many people trying to get this +love; they are trying to produce it of themselves. But therein +all fail. The love implanted deep in our new nature will be +spontaneous. I don’t have to learn to love my children. I +can not help loving them. I said to a young miss some time ago, +in an inquiry meeting, who said that she could not love God; that +it was very hard for her to love Him—I said to her, +“Is it hard for you to love your mother? Do you have to +learn to love your mother?” And she looked up through her +tears, and said, “No; I can’t help it; that is +spontaneous.” “Well,” I said, “when the +Holy Spirit kindles love in your heart, you can not help loving +God; it will be spontaneous.” When the Spirit of God comes +into your heart and mine, it will be easy to serve God.</p> +<p class="pn">The fruit of the Spirit, as you find it in +Galatians, begins with love. There are nine graces spoken of in +the sixth chapter, and of the nine different graces Paul puts +love at the head of the list; love is the first thing—the +first in that precious cluster of fruit. Some one has put it in +this way: that all the other eight can be put in the word love. +Joy is love exulting; peace is love in repose; long suffering is +love on trial; gentleness is love in society; goodness is love in +action; faith is love on the battlefield; meekness is love at +school; and temperance is love in training. So it is love all the +way; love at the top; love at the bottom, and all the way along +down these graces; and if we only just brought forth the fruit of +the Spirit, what a world we would have; there would be no need of +any policemen; a man could leave his overcoat around without some +one stealing it; men would not have any desire to do evil. Says +Paul, “Against such there is no law;” you don’t +need any law. A man who is full of the Spirit don’t need to +be put under law; don’t need any policemen to watch him. We +could dismiss all our policemen; the lawyers would have to give +up practicing law, and the courts would not have any +business.</p> +<p class="pt2">THE TRIUMPHS OF HOPE.</p> +<p class="pn">In the fifteenth chapter of Romans, thirteenth +verse, the Apostle says: “Now the God of hope fill you with +all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope +through the power of the Holy Ghost.” The next thing then +is hope.</p> +<p class="pn">Did you ever notice this, that no man or woman is +ever used by God to build up His kingdom who has lost hope? Now, +I have been observing this throughout different parts of the +country, and wherever I have found a worker in God’s +vineyard who has lost hope, I have found a man or woman not very +useful. Now, just look at these workers. Let your mind go over +the past for a moment. Can you think of a man or woman whom God +has used to build His kingdom who has lost hope? I don’t +know of any; I never heard of such an one. It is very important +to have hope in the Church; and it is the work of the Holy Ghost +to impart hope. Let Him come into some of the churches where +there have not been any conversions for a few years, and let Him +convert a score of people, and see how hopeful the Church becomes +at once. He imparts hope; a man filled with the Spirit of God +will be very hopeful. He will be looking out into the future, and +he knows that it is all bright, because the God of all grace is +able to do great things. So it is very important that we have +hope.</p> +<p class="pn">If a man has lost hope, he is out of communion with +God; he has not the Spirit of God resting upon him for service; +he may be a son of God, and disheartened so that he can not be +used of God. Do you know there is no place in the Scriptures +where it is recorded that God ever used even a discouraged man. +Some years ago, in my work I was quite discouraged, and I was +ready to hang my harp on the willow. I was very much cast down +and depressed. I had been for weeks in that state, when one +Monday morning a friend, who had a very large Bible class, came +into my study. I used to examine the notes of his Sunday-school +lessons, which were equal to a sermon, and he came to me this +morning and said, “Well, what did you preach about +yesterday?” and I told him. I said, “What did you +preach about?” and he said that he preached about Noah. +“Did you ever preach about Noah?” “No, I never +preached about Noah.” “Did you ever study his +character?” “No, I never studied his life +particularly.” “Well,” says he, “he is a +most wonderful character. It will do you good. You ought to study +up that character.” When he went out, I took down my Bible, +and read about Noah; and then it came over me that Noah worked +120 years and never had a convert, and yet he did not get +discouraged; and I said, “Well, I ought not to be +discouraged,” and I closed my Bible, got up and walked down +town, and the cloud had gone. I went down to the noon +prayer-meeting, and heard of a little town in the country where +they had taken into the church 100 young converts; and I said to +myself, I wonder what Noah would have given if he could have +heard that; and yet he worked 120 years and didn’t get +discouraged. And then a man right across the aisle got up and +said, “My friends, I wish you to pray for me; I think +I’m lost;” and I thought to myself, “I wonder +what Noah would have given to hear that.” He never heard a +man say, “I wish you to pray for me; I think I am +lost,” and yet he didn’t get discouraged! Oh, +children of God, let us not get discouraged; let us ask God to +forgive us, if we have been discouraged and cast down; let us ask +God to give us hope, that we may be ever hopeful. It does me good +sometimes to meet some people and take hold of their hands; they +are so hopeful, while other people throw a gloom over me because +they are all the time cast down, and looking at the dark side, +and looking at the obstacles and difficulties that are in the +way.</p> +<p class="pt2">THE BOON OF LIBERTY.</p> +<p class="pn">The next thing the Spirit of God does is to give us +liberty. He first imparts love; He next inspires hope, and then +gives liberty, and that is about the last thing we have in a good +many of our churches at the present day. And I am sorry to say +there must be a funeral in a good many churches before there is +much work done, we shall have to bury the formalism so deep that +it will never have any resurrection. The last thing to be found +in many a church is liberty.</p> +<p class="pn">If the Gospel happens to be preached, the people +criticise, as they would a theatrical performance. It is exactly +the same, and many a professed Christian never thinks of +listening to what the man of God has to say. It is hard work to +preach to carnally-minded critics, but “Where the spirit of +the Lord is, there is liberty.”</p> +<p class="pn">Very often a woman will hear a hundred good things +in a sermon, and there may be one thing that strikes her as a +little out of place, and she will go home and sit down to the +table and talk right out before her children and magnify that one +wrong thing, and not say a word about the hundred good things +that were said. That is what people do who criticise.</p> +<p class="pn">God does not use men in captivity. The condition of +many is like Lazarus when he came out of the sepulcher bound hand +and foot. The bandage was not taken off his mouth, and he could +not speak. He had life, and if you had said Lazarus was not +alive, you would have told a falsehood, because he was raised +from the dead. There are a great many people, the moment you talk +to them and insinuate they are not doing what they might, they +say: “I have life. I am a Christian.” Well, you +can’t deny it, but they are bound hand and foot.</p> +<p class="pn">May God snap these fetters and set His children +free, that they may have liberty. I believe He comes to set us +free, and wants us to work for Him, and speak for Him. How many +people would like to get up in a social prayer-meeting to say a +few words for Christ, but there is such a cold spirit of +criticism in the Church that they dare not do it. They have not +the liberty to do it. If they get up, they are so frightened with +these critics that they begin to tremble and sit down. They can +not say anything. Now, that is all wrong. The Spirit of God comes +just to give liberty, and wherever you see the Lord’s work +going on, you will see that Spirit of liberty. People won’t +be afraid of speaking to one another. And when the meeting is +over they will not get their hats and see how quick they can get +out of the church, but will begin to shake hands with one +another, and there will be liberty there. A good many go to the +prayer-meeting out of a mere cold sense of duty. They think +“I must attend because I feel it is my duty.” They +don’t think it is a glorious privilege to meet and pray, +and to be strengthened, and to help some one else in the +wilderness journey.</p> +<p class="pn">What we need to-day is love in our hearts. +Don’t we want it? Don’t we want hope in our lives? +Don’t we want to be hopeful? Don’t we want liberty? +Now, all this is the work of the Spirit of God, and let us pray +God daily to give us love, and hope, and liberty. We read in +Hebrews, “Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter +into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.” If you will turn +to the passage and read the margin—it says: “Having, +therefore, brethren, liberty to enter into the holiest.” We +can go into the holiest, having freedom of access, and plead for +this love and liberty and glorious hope, that we may not rest +until God gives us the power to work for Him.</p> +<p class="pn">If I know my own heart to-day, I would rather die +than live as I once did, a mere nominal Christian, and not used +by God in building up His kingdom. It seems a poor empty life to +live for the sake of self.</p> +<p class="pns">Let us seek to be useful. Let us seek to be +vessels meet for the Master’s use, that God, the Holy +Spirit, may shine fully through us.</p> +<p class="p3">“Know, my soul, thy full salvation;</p> +<p class="p4">Rise o’er sin, and fear, and care;</p> +<p class="p3">Joy to find, in every station,</p> +<p class="p4s">Something still to do or bear.</p> +<p class="p3">Think what Spirit dwells within thee;</p> +<p class="p4">Think what Father’s smiles are thine;</p> +<p class="p3">Think that Jesus died to win thee:</p> +<p class="p4s">Child of heaven, canst thou repine?</p> +<p class="p3">Haste thee on from grace to glory,</p> +<p class="p4">Armed by faith, and winged by prayer,</p> +<p class="p3">Heaven’s eternal day’s before thee:</p> +<p class="p4s">God’s own hand shall guide thee there.</p> +<p class="p3">Soon shall close thy earthly mission,</p> +<p class="p4">Soon shall pass thy pilgrim days,</p> +<p class="p3">Hope shall change to glad fruition,</p> +<p class="p4s">Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.”</p> +<hr style="margin-top:5em;margin-bottom:11em"> +<p class="p1">“I <span class="sc">am</span> so weak, dear +Lord! I can not stand</p> +<p class="p4">One moment without Thee;</p> +<p class="p2">But oh, the tenderness of Thy enfolding,</p> +<p class="p2">And oh, the faithfulness of Thine upholding,</p> +<p class="p1">And oh, the strength of Thy right hand!</p> +<p class="p4s">That strength is enough for me.</p> +<p class="p1">I am so needy, Lord! and yet I know</p> +<p class="p4">All fullness dwells in Thee;</p> +<p class="p2">And hour by hour that never-failing treasure</p> +<p class="p2">Supplies and fills in overflowing measure</p> +<p class="p1">My last and greatest need. And so</p> +<p class="p4s">Thy grace is enough for me.</p> +<p class="p1">It is so sweet to trust Thy word alone!</p> +<p class="p4">I do not ask to see</p> +<p class="p2">The unveiling of Thy purpose, or the shining</p> +<p class="p2">Of future light on mysteries untwining;</p> +<p class="p1">Thy promise-roll is all my own—</p> +<p class="p4s">Thy word is enough for me.</p> +<p class="p1">There were strange soul-depths, restless, vast, and +broad,</p> +<p class="p4">Unfathomed as the sea,</p> +<p class="p2">An infinite craving for some infinite stilling;</p> +<p class="p2">But now Thy perfect love is perfect filling!</p> +<p class="p1">Lord Jesus Christ, my Lord, my God,</p> +<p class="p4">Thou, Thou art enough for me!”</p> +<hr style="margin-top:10em;margin-bottom:21em"> +<h1><a name="c2" id="c2">CHAPTER II.</a></h1> +<hr style="width:6em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:183%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +POWER “IN” AND “UPON.”</p> +<hr style="margin-top:29em;margin-bottom:20em"> +<div style="font-size:92%; line-height:1.2em"> +<p class="pn">You remember that strange, half-involuntary +“forty years” of Moses in the +“wilderness” of Midian, when he had fled from Egypt. +You remember, too, the almost equally strange years of retirement +in “Arabia” by Paul, when, if ever, humanly speaking, +instant action was needed. And pre-eminently you remember the +amazing charge of the ascending Lord to the disciples, +“Tarry at Jerusalem.” Speaking after the manner of +men, one could not have wondered if out-spoken Peter, or fervid +James had said: “Tarry, Lord! How long?” +“Tarry, Lord! is there not a perishing world, groaning for +the ‘good news?’” “Tarry! did we hear +Thee aright, Lord? Was the word not haste?” +“Nay;” “Being assembled together with them, He +commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but +wait for the promise of the Father.” (Acts +1:4.)—<i>Grosart</i>.</p> +</div> +<hr style="margin-top:20em;margin-bottom:11em"> +<p class="pt1">POWER—“IN” AND +“UPON.”</p> +<hr style="width:3.5em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p class="pn">T<span class="sc">he</span> Holy Spirit dwelling in +us, is one thing; I think this is clearly brought out in +Scripture; and the Holy Spirit upon us for service, is another +thing. Now there are only three places we find in Scripture that +are dwelling-places for the Holy Ghost.</p> +<p class="pn">In the 40th chapter of Exodus, commencing with the +33d verse, are these words:</p> +<p class="pn">“And he (that is Moses) reared up the court +round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging +of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.</p> +<p class="pn">Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, +and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.</p> +<p class="pn">And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of +the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory +of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”</p> +<p class="pn">The moment that Moses finished the work, the moment +that the tabernacle was ready, the cloud came, the Shekinah glory +came and filled it so that Moses was not able to stand before the +presence of the Lord. I believe firmly, that the moment our +hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and +self-seeking, and everything that is contrary to God’s law, +the Holy Ghost will come and fill every corner of our hearts; but +if we are full of pride and conceit, and ambition and +self-seeking, and pleasure and the world, there is no room for +the Spirit of God; and I believe many a man is praying to God to +fill him when he is full already with something else. Before we +pray that God would fill us, I believe we ought to pray Him to +empty us.</p> +<p class="pn">There must be an emptying before there can be a +filling; and when the heart is turned upside down, and everything +is turned out that is contrary to God, then the Spirit will come, +just as He did in the tabernacle, and fill us with His glory. We +read in 2d Chronicles, 5th chapter and 13th verse: “It came +even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one to make +one Sound, to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and +when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and +instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, For He is +good; for His mercy endureth forever; that then the house was +filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord. So that the +priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud, for +the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.”</p> +<p class="pt2">PRAISING WITH ONE HEART.</p> +<p class="pns">We find, the very moment that Solomon completed +the Temple, when all was finished, they were just praising God +with one heart—the choristers and the singers and the +ministers were all one; there was not any discord; they were all +praising God, and the glory of God came and just filled the +Temple as the Tabernacle. Now, as you turn over into the New +Testament, you will find, instead of coming to Tabernacles and +Temples, believers are now the Temple of the Holy Ghost. When, on +the day of Pentecost, before Peter preached that memorable +sermon, as they were praying, the Holy Ghost came, and came in +mighty power. We now pray for the Spirit of God to come, and we +sing:</p> +<p class="p3">“Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly dove,</p> +<p class="p4">With all thy quickening power;</p> +<p class="p3">Kindle a flame of heavenly love</p> +<p class="p4s">In these cold hearts of ours,”</p> +<p class="pn">I believe, if we understand it, it is perfectly +right; but if we are praying for Him to come out of heaven down +to earth again, that is wrong, because He is already here; He has +not been out of this earth for 1800 years; He has been in the +Church, and He is with all believers; the believers in the Church +are the called-out ones; they are called out from the world, and +every true believer is a Temple for the Holy Ghost to dwell in. +In the 14th chapter of John, 17th verse, we have the words of +Jesus:</p> +<p class="pn">“The Spirit of Truth, whom the world can not +receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him; but ye +know Him, for He dwelleth in you.”</p> +<p class="pn">“Greater is He that is in you than He that is +in the world.” If we have the Spirit dwelling in us, He +gives us power over the flesh and the world, and over every +enemy. “He is dwelling with you, and shall be in +you.”</p> +<p class="pn">Read 1st Corinthians iii, 16: “Know ye not +that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God +dwelleth in you?”</p> +<p class="pn">There were some men burying an aged saint some time +ago, and he was very poor, like many of God’s people, poor +in this world, but they are very rich, they have all the riches +on the other side of life—they have them laid up there +where thieves can not get them, and where sharpers can not take +them away from them, and where moth can not corrupt—so this +aged man was very rich in the other world, and they were just +hastening him off to the grave, wanting to get rid of him, when +an old minister, who was officiating at the grave, said, +“Tread softly, for you are carrying the temple of the Holy +Ghost.” Whenever you see a believer, you see a temple of +the Holy Ghost.</p> +<p class="pn">In 1 Cor. vi, 19, 20, we read again: “Know ye +not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in +you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own for ye are +bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in +your spirit, which are God’s.” Thus are we taught +that there is a divine resident in every child of God.</p> +<p class="pn">I think it is clearly taught in the Scripture that +every believer has the Holy Ghost dwelling in him. He may be +quenching the Spirit of God, and he may not glorify God as he +should, but if he is a believer on the Lord Jesus Christ, the +Holy Ghost dwells in him. But I want to call your attention to +another fact. I believe to-day, that though Christian men and +women have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, yet He is not +dwelling within them in power; in other words, God has a great +many sons and daughters without power.</p> +<p class="pt2">WHAT IS NEEDED.</p> +<p class="pn">Nine-tenths, at least, of the church members never +think of speaking for Christ. If they see a man, perhaps a near +relative, just going right down to ruin, going rapidly, they +never think of speaking to him about his sinful course and of +seeking to win him to Christ. Now certainly there must be +something wrong. And yet when you talk with them you find they +have faith, and you can not say they are not children of God; but +they have not the power, they have not the liberty, they have not +the love that real disciples of Christ should have. A great many +people are thinking that we need new measures, that we need new +churches, that we need new organs, and that we need new choirs, +and all these new things. That is not what the Church of God +needs to-day. It is the old power that the Apostles had; that is +what we want, and if we have that in our churches, there will be +new life. Then we will have new ministers—the same old +ministers renewed with power; filled with the Spirit. I remember +when in Chicago many were toiling in the work, and it seemed as +though the car of salvation didn’t move on, when a minister +began to cry out from the very depths of his heart, “Oh, +God, put new ministers in every pulpit.” On next Monday I +heard two or three men stand up and say, “We had a new +minister last Sunday—the same old minister, but he had got +new power,” and I firmly believe that is what we want +to-day all over America. We want new ministers in the pulpit and +new people in the pews. We want people quickened by the Spirit of +God, and the Spirit coming down and taking possession of the +children of God and giving them power.</p> +<p class="pn">Then a man filled with the Spirit will know how to +use “the sword of the Spirit.” If a man is not filled +with the Spirit, he will never know now to use the Book. We are +told that this is the sword of the Spirit; and what is an army +good for that does not know how to use its weapons? Suppose a +battle going on, and I were a general and had a hundred thousand +men, great, able-bodied men, full of life, but they could not one +of them handle a sword, and not one of them knew how to use his +rifle, what would that army be good for? Why, one thousand +well-drilled men, with good weapons, would rout the whole of +them. The reason why the Church can not overcome the enemy is, +because she don’t know how to use the sword of the Spirit. +People will get up and try to fight the devil with their +experiences, but he don’t care for that, he will overcome +them every time. People are trying to fight the devil with +theories and pet ideas, but he will get the victory over them +likewise. What we want is to draw the sword of the Spirit. It is +that which cuts deeper than anything else.</p> +<p class="pn">Turn in your Bibles to Eph. vi, 14: “Stand, +therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on +the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the +preparation of the gospel of peace; above all (or over all), +taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench +all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of +salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of +God.”</p> +<p class="pt2">THE GREATEST WEAPON.</p> +<p class="pn">The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, and +what we need specially is to be filled with the Spirit, so we +shall know how to use the Word. There was a Christian man talking +to a skeptic, who was using the Word, and the skeptic said, +“I don’t believe, sir, in that Book.” But the +man went right on and he gave him more of the Word; and the man +again remarked, “I don’t believe the Word,” but +he kept giving him more, and at last the man was reached. And the +brother added, “When I have proved a good sword which does +the work of execution, I would just keep right on using +it.” That is what we want. Skeptics and infidels may say +they don’t believe in it. It is not our work to make them +believe in it; that is the work of the Spirit. Our work is to +give them the Word of God; not to preach our theories and our +ideas about it, but just to deliver the message as God gives it +to us. We read in the Scriptures of the sword of the Lord and +Gideon. Suppose Gideon had gone out without the Word, he would +have been defeated. But the Lord used Gideon; and I think you +find all through the Scriptures, God takes up and uses human +instruments. You can not find, I believe, a case in the Bible +where a man is converted without God calling in some human +agency—using some human instrument; not but what He can do +it in His independent sovereignty; there is no doubt about that. +Even when by the revealed glory of the Lord Jesus, Saul of Tarsus +was smitten to the earth, Annanias was used to open his eyes and +lead him into the light of the Gospel. I heard a man once say, if +you put a man on a mountain peak, higher than one of the Alpine +peaks, God could save him without a human messenger; but that is +not His way; that is not His method; but it is “the sword +of the Lord and Gideon”; and the Lord and Gideon will do +the work; and if we are just willing to let the Lord use us, He +will.</p> +<p class="pt2">“NONE OF SELF.”</p> +<p class="pn">Then you will find all through the Scriptures, when +men were filled with the Holy Spirit, they preached Christ and +not themselves. They preached Christ and Him crucified. It says +in the first chapter of Luke, 67th verse, speaking of Zacharias, +the father of John the Baptist:</p> +<p class="pn">“And his father, Zacharias, was filled with +the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying: Blessed be the Lord God +of Israel, for He hath visited and redeemed His people, and hath +raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant +David. As He spake by the mouth of His Holy prophets, which have +been since the world began.”</p> +<p class="pn">See, he is talking about the Word. If a man is +filled with the Spirit, he will magnify the Word; he will preach +the Word, and not himself; he will give this lost world the Word +of the living God. “And thou, child, shalt be called the +prophet of the Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of the +Lord to prepare His ways. To give knowledge of salvation unto His +people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy +of our God, whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us. +To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of +death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And the child +grew and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the +day of his showing unto Israel.” And so we find again that +when Elizabeth and Mary met, they talked of the Scriptures, and +they were both filled with the Holy Ghost, and at once began to +talk of their Lord.</p> +<p class="pn">We also find that Simeon, as he came into the +temple and found the young child Jesus there, at once began to +quote the Scriptures, for the Spirit was upon him. And when Peter +stood up on the day of Pentecost, and preached that wonderful +sermon, it is said he was filled with the Holy Ghost, and began +to preach the Word to the multitude, and it was the Word that cut +them. It was the sword of the Lord and Peter, the same as it was +the sword of the Lord and Gideon. And we find it says of Stephen, +“They were not able to resist the spirit and wisdom by +which he spake.” Why? Because he gave them the Word of God. +And we are told that the Holy Ghost came on Stephen, and none +could resist his word. And we read, too, that Paul was full of +the Holy Spirit, and that he preached Christ and Him crucified, +and that many people were added to the Church. Barnabas was full +of faith and the Holy Ghost; and if you will just read and find +out what he preached, you will find it was the Word, and many +were added to the Lord. So that when a man is full of the Spirit, +he begins to preach, not himself, but Christ, as revealed in the +Holy Scriptures.</p> +<p class="pn">The disciples of Jesus were all filled with the +Spirit, and the Word was published; and when the Spirit of God +comes down upon the Church, and we are anointed, the Word will be +published in the streets, in the lanes, and in the alleys; there +will not be a dark cellar nor a dark attic, nor a home where the +Gospel will not be carried by some loving heart, if the Spirit +comes upon God’s people in demonstration and in power.</p> +<p class="pt2">SPIRITUAL IRRIGATION.</p> +<p class="pn">It is possible a man may just barely have life and +be satisfied; and I think that a great many are in that +condition. In the 3d chapter of John we find that Nicodemus came +to Christ and that he received life. At first this life was +feeble. You don’t hear of him standing up confessing Christ +boldly, and of the Spirit coming upon him in great power, though +possessing life through faith in Christ. And then turn to the 4th +chapter of John, and you will find it speaks of the woman coming +to the well of Samaria, and Christ held out the cup of salvation +to her and she took it and drank, and it became in her “a +well of water springing up into everlasting life.” That is +better than in the 3d chapter of John; here it came down in a +flood into her soul; as some one has said, it came down from the +throne of God, and like a mighty current carried her back to the +throne of God. Water always rises to its level, and if we get the +soul filled with water from the throne of God it will bear us +upward to its source.</p> +<p class="pn">But if you want to get the best class of Christian +life portrayed, turn to the 7th chapter and you will find that it +says he that receiveth the Spirit, through trusting in the Lord +Jesus, “out of him shall flow rivers of living +water.” Now there are two ways of digging a well. I +remember, when a boy, upon a farm, in New England, they had a +well, and they put in an old wooden pump, and I used to have to +pump the water from that well upon wash-day, and to water the +cattle; and I had to pump and pump and pump until my arm got +tired, many a time. But they have a better way now; they +don’t dig down a few feet and brick up the hole and put the +pump in, but they go down through the clay and the sand and the +rock, and on down until they strike what they call a lower +stream, and then it becomes an artesian well, which needs no +labor, as the water rises spontaneously from the depths +beneath.</p> +<p class="pn">Now I think God wants all His children to be a sort +of artesian well; not to keep pumping, but to flow right out. +Why, haven’t you seen ministers in the pulpit just pumping, +and pumping and pumping? I have, many a time, and I have had to +do it, too. I know how it is. They stand in the pulpit and talk +and talk and talk, and the people go to sleep, they can’t +arouse them. What is the trouble? Why, the living water is not +there; they are just pumping when there is no water in the well. +You can’t get water out of a dry well; you have to get +something in the well, or you can’t get anything out. I +have seen these wooden pumps where you had to pour water into +them before you could pump any water out, and so it is with a +good many people; you have to get something in them before you +can get any out. People wonder why it is that they have no +Spiritual power. They stand up and talk in meeting, and +don’t say anything; they say they haven’t anything to +say, and you find it out soon enough; they need not state it; but +they just talk, because they feel it is a duty, and say +nothing.</p> +<p class="pn">Now I tell you when the Spirit of God is on us for +service, resting upon us, we are anointed, and then we can do +great things. “I will pour water on him that is +thirsty,” says God. O, blessed thought—“He that +hungers and thirsts after righteousness shall be +filled!”</p> +<p class="pt2">OUTFLOWING STREAMS.</p> +<p class="pn">I would like to see some one just full of living +water; so full that they couldn’t contain it; that they +would have to go out and publish the Gospel of the grace of God. +When a man gets so full that he can’t hold any more, then +he is just ready for God’s service.</p> +<p class="pn">When preaching in Chicago, Dr. Gibson remarked in +the inquiry meeting, “Now, how can we find out who is +thirsty?” Said he, “I was just thinking how we could +find out. If a boy should come down the aisle, bringing a good +pail full of clear water, and a dipper, we would soon find out +who was thirsty; we would see thirsty men and women reach out for +water; but if you should walk down the aisle with an empty +bucket, you wouldn’t find it out. People would look in and +see that there was no water, and say nothing.” So said he, +“I think that is the reason we are not more blessed in our +ministry; we are carrying around empty buckets, and the people +see that we have not anything in them, and they don’t come +forward.” I think that there is a good deal of truth in +that. People see that we are carrying around empty buckets, and +they will not come to us until they are filled. They see we +haven’t any more than they have. We must have the Spirit of +God resting upon us, and then we will have something that gives +the victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil; something +that gives the victory over our tempers, over our conceits, and +over every other evil, and when we can trample these sins under +our feet, then people will come to us and say, “How did you +get it? I need this power; you have something that I +haven’t got; I want it.” O, may God show us this +truth. Have we been toiling all night? let us throw the net on +the right side; let us ask God to forgive our sins, and anoint us +with power from on high. But remember, He is not going to give +this power to an impatient man; He is not going to give it to a +selfish man; He will never give it to an ambitious man whose aim +is selfish, till first emptied of self; emptied of pride and of +all worldly thoughts. Let it be God’s glory and not our own +that we seek, and when we get to that point, how speedily the +Lord will bless us for good. Then will the measure of our +blessing be full. Do you know what heaven’s measure is? +Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. If +we get our heart filled with the Word of God, how is Satan going +to get in? How is the world going to get in, for heaven’s +measure is good measure, full measure, running over. Have you +this fullness? If you have not, then seek it; say by the grace of +God you will have it, for it is the Father’s good pleasure +to give us these things. He wants us to shine down in this world; +He wants to lift us up for His work; He wants us to have the +power to testify for His Son. He has left us in this world to +testify for Him. What did He leave us for? Not to buy and sell +and to get gain, but to glorify Christ. How are you going to do +it without the Spirit? That is the question. How are you to do it +without the power of God?</p> +<p class="pt2">WHY SOME FAIL.</p> +<p class="pn">We read in John xx, 22: “And when He had said +this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the +Holy Ghost.”</p> +<p class="pn">Then see Luke xxiv, 49: “And, behold, I send +the promise of my Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of +Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high.”</p> +<p class="pn">The first passage tells us He had raised those +pierced and wounded hands over them and breathed upon them and +said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” And I +haven’t a doubt they received it then, but not in such +mighty power as afterward when qualified for their work. It was +not in fullness that He gave it to them then, but if they had +been like a good many now, they would have said, “I have +enough now; I am not going to tarry; I am going to +work.”</p> +<p class="pn">Some people seem to think they are losing time if +they wait on God for his power, and so away they go and work +without unction; they are working without any anointing, they are +working without any power. But after Jesus had said +“Receive ye the Holy Ghost,” and had breathed on +them, He said: “Now you tarry in Jerusalem until you be +endued with power from on high.” Read in the 1st chapter of +Acts, 8th verse: “But ye shall receive power, after that +the Holy Ghost is come upon you.”</p> +<p class="pn">Now, the Spirit had been given them certainly or +they could not have believed, and they could not have taken their +stand for God and gone through what they did, and endured the +scoffs and frowns of their friends, if they had not been +converted by the power of the Holy Ghost. But now just see what +Christ said:</p> +<p class="pn">“Ye shall receive power after that the Holy +Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in +Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the +uttermost parts of the earth.”</p> +<p class="pn">Then, the Holy Spirit <span class="sc">in us</span> +is one thing, and the Holy Spirit <span class="sc">on us</span> +is another; and if these Christians had gone out and went right +to preaching then and there, without the power, do you think that +scene would have taken place on the day of Pentecost? Don’t +you think that Peter would have stood up there and beat against +the air, while these Jews would have gnashed their teeth and +mocked him? But they tarried in Jerusalem; they waited ten days. +What! you say. What, the world perishing and men dying! Shall I +wait? Do what God tells you. There is no use in running before +you are sent; there is no use in attempting to do God’s +work without God’s power. A man working without this +unction, a man working without this anointing, a man working +without the Holy Ghost upon him, is losing his time after all. So +we are not going to lose anything if we tarry till we get this +power. That is the object of true service, to wait on God, to +tarry till we receive this power for witness-bearing. Then we +find that on the day of Pentecost, ten days after Jesus Christ +was glorified, the Holy Spirit descended in power. Do you think +that Peter and James and John and those apostles doubted it from +that very hour? They never doubted it. Perhaps some question the +possibility of having the power of God now, and that the Holy +Spirit never came afterward in similar manifestation, and will +never come again in such power.</p> +<p class="pt2">FRESH SUPPLIES.</p> +<p class="pn">Turn to Acts iv, 31, and you will find He came a +second time, and at a place where they were, so that the earth +was shaken, and they were filled with this power. The fact is, we +are leaky vessels, and we have to keep right under the fountain +all the time to keep full of Christ, and so have a fresh +supply.</p> +<p class="pn">I believe this is a mistake a great many of us are +making; we are trying to do God’s work with the grace God +gave us ten years ago. We say, if it is necessary, we will go on +with the same grace. Now, what we want is a fresh supply, a fresh +anointing and fresh power, and if we seek it, and seek it with +all our hearts, we will obtain it. The early converts were taught +to look for that power. Philip went to Samaria, and news reached +Jerusalem that there was a great work being done in Samaria, and +many converts; and John and Peter went down, and they laid their +hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost for service. I +think that is what we Christians ought to be looking +for—the Spirit of God for service—that God may use us +mightily in the building up of His Church and hastening His +glory. In Acts xix we read of twelve men at Ephesus, who, when +the inquiry was made if they had received the Holy Ghost since +they believed, answered: “We have not so much as heard +whether there be any Holy Ghost.” I venture to say there +are very many, who, if you were to ask them, “Have you +received the Holy Ghost since you believed?” would reply, +“I don’t know what you mean by that.” They +would be like the twelve men down at Ephesus, who had never +understood the peculiar relation of the Spirit to the sons of God +in this dispensation. I firmly believe that the Church has just +laid this knowledge aside, mislaid it somewhere, and so +Christians are without power. Sometimes you can take one hundred +members into the Church, and they don’t add to its power. +Now that is all wrong. If they were only anointed by the Spirit +of God, there would be great power if one hundred saved ones were +added to the Church.</p> +<p class="pt2">GREEN FIELDS.</p> +<p class="pn">When I was out in California, the first time I went +down from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and dropped into the Valley +of the Sacramento, I was surprised to find on one farm that +everything about it was green—all the trees and flowers, +everything was blooming, and everything was green and beautiful, +and just across the hedge everything was dried up, and there was +not a green thing there, and I could not understand it; I made +inquiries, and I found that the man that had everything green, +irrigated; he just poured the water right on, and he kept +everything green, while the fields that were next to his were as +dry as Gideon’s fleece without a drop of dew; and so it is +with a great many in the Church to-day. They are like these farms +in California—a dreary desert, everything parched and +desolate, and apparently no life in them. They can sit next to a +man who is full of the Spirit of God, who is like a green bay +tree, and who is bringing forth fruit, and yet they will not seek +a similar blessing. Well, why this difference? Because God has +poured water on him that was thirsty; that is the difference. One +has been seeking this anointing, and he has received it; and when +we want this above everything else God will surely give it to +us.</p> +<p class="pn">The great question before us now is, <i>Do</i> we +want it? I remember when I first went to England and gave a Bible +reading, I think about the first that I gave in that country, a +great many ministers were there, and I didn’t know anything +about English theology, and I was afraid I should run against +their creeds, and I was a little hampered, especially on this +very subject, about the gift of the Holy Spirit for service. I +remember particularly a Christian minister there who had his head +bowed on his hand, and I thought the good man was ashamed of +everything I was saying, and of course that troubled me. At the +close of my address he took his hat and away he went, and then I +thought, “Well, I shall never see him again.” At the +next meeting I looked all around for him and he wasn’t +there, and at the next meeting I looked again, but he was absent; +and I thought my teaching must have given him offense. But a few +days after that, at a large noon prayer meeting, a man stood up +and his face shone as if he had been up in the mountain with God, +and I looked at him, and to my great joy it was this brother. He +said he was at that Bible reading, and he heard there was such a +thing as having fresh power to preach the Gospel; he said he made +up his mind that if that was for him he would have it; he said he +went home and looked to the Master, and that he never had such a +battle with himself in his life. He asked that God would show him +the sinfulness of his heart that he knew nothing about, and he +just cried mightily to God that he might be emptied of himself +and filled with the Spirit, and he said, “God has answered +my prayer.” I met him in Edinburgh six months from that +date, and he told me he had preached the Gospel every night +during that time, that he had not preached one sermon but that +some remained for conversation, and that he had engagements four +months ahead to preach the Gospel every night in different +churches. I think you could have fired a cannon ball right +through his church and not hit any one before he got this +anointing; but it was not thirty days before the building was +full and aisles crowded. He had his bucket filled full of fresh +water, and the people found it out and came flocking to him from +every quarter. I tell you, you can’t get the stream higher +than the fountain. What we need very specially is power. There +was another man whom I have in my mind, and he said, “I +have heart disease, I can’t preach more than once a +week,” so he had a colleague to preach for him and do the +visiting. He was an old minister, and he couldn’t do any +visiting. He had heard of this anointing, and said, “I +would like to be anointed for my burial. I would like before I go +hence to have just one more privilege to preach the Gospel with +power.” He prayed that God would fill him with the Spirit, +and I met him not long after that, and he said, “I have +preached on an average eight times a week, and I have had +conversions all along.” The Spirit came on him. I +don’t believe that man broke down at first with hard work, +so much as with using the machinery without oil, without +lubrication. It is not the hard work breaks down ministers, but +it is the toil of working without power. Oh, that God may anoint +His people! Not the ministry only, but every disciple. Do not +suppose pastors are the only laborers needing it. There is not a +mother but needs it in her house to regulate her family, just as +much as the minister needs it in the pulpit or the Sunday-school +teacher needs it in his Sunday-school. We all need it together, +and let us not rest day nor night until we possess it; if that is +the uppermost thought in our hearts, God will give it to us if we +just hunger and thirst for it, and say, “God helping me, I +will not rest until endued with power from on high.”</p> +<p class="pt2">MASTER AND SERVANT.</p> +<p class="pn">There is a very sweet story of Elijah and Elisha, +and I love to dwell upon it. The time had come for Elijah to be +taken up, and he said to Elisha, “You stay here at Gilgal, +and I will go up to Bethel.” There was a theological +seminary there, and some young students, and he wanted to see how +they were getting along; but Elisha said, “As the Lord +liveth, and thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.” And so +Elisha just kept close to Elijah. They came to Bethel, and the +sons of the prophets came out and said to Elisha, “Do you +know that your master is to be taken away?” And Elisha +said, “I know it; but you keep still.” Then Elijah +said to Elisha, “You remain at Bethel until I go to +Jericho.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord liveth and my +soul liveth, I will not leave thee.” “You shall not +go without me,” says Elisha; and then I can imagine that +Elisha just put his arm in that of Elijah, and they walked down +together. I can see those two mighty men walking down to Jericho, +and when they arrived there, the sons of the prophets came and +said to Elisha, “Do you know that your master is to be +taken away?” “Hush! keep still,” says Elisha, +“I know it.” And then Elijah said to Elisha, +“Tarry here awhile; for the Lord hath sent me to +Jordan.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord liveth and my +soul liveth, I will not leave thee. You shall not go without +me.” And then Elisha came right close to Elijah, and as +they went walking down, I imagine Elisha was after something; +when they came to the Jordan, Elijah took off his mantle and +struck the waters, and they separated hither and thither, and the +two passed through like giants, dry-shod, and fifty sons of the +prophets came to look at them and watch them. They didn’t +know but Elijah would be taken up right in their sight. As they +passed over Jordan, Elijah said to Elisha, “Now, what do +you want?” He knew he was after something. “What can +I do for you. Just make your request known.” And he said, +“I would like a double portion of thy Spirit.” I can +imagine now that Elijah had given him a chance to ask; he said to +himself, “I will ask for enough.” Elisha had a good +deal of the Spirit, but, says he, “I want a double portion +of thy Spirit.” “Well,” says Elijah, “if +you see me when I am taken up, you shall have it.” Do you +think you could have enticed Elisha from Elijah at that moment? I +can almost see the two arm in arm, walking along, and as they +walked, there came along the chariot of fire, and before Elisha +knew it, Elijah was caught up, and as he went sweeping towards +the throne, the servant cried, “My Father! My Father! The +chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof!” Elisha saw him +no more. He picked up Elijah’s fallen mantle, and returning +with that old mantle of his master’s, he came to the Jordan +and cried for Elijah’s God, and the waters separated hither +and thither, and he passed through dry-shod. Then the watching +prophets lifted up their voices and said, “The Spirit of +Elijah is upon Elisha;” and so it was, a double portion of +it.</p> +<p class="pn">May the Spirit of Elijah, beloved reader, be upon +us. If we seek for it we will have it. Oh, may the God of Elijah +answer by fire, and consume the spirit of worldliness in the +churches, burn up the dross, and make us whole-hearted +Christians. May that Spirit come upon us; let that be our prayer +in our family altars and in our closets. Let us cry mightily to +God that we may have a double portion of the Holy Spirit, and +that we may not rest satisfied with this worldly state of living, +but let us, like Sampson, shake ourselves and come out from the +world, that we may have the power of God.</p> +<hr style="margin-top:5em;margin-bottom:20.5em"> +<h1><a name="c3" id="c3">CHAPTER III.</a></h1> +<hr style="width:4.5em; margin-top:2.3em; margin-bottom:2.0em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:183%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +WITNESSING IN POWER.</p> +<hr style="margin-top:27em;margin-bottom:13.5em"> +<div style="font-size:92%"> +<p class="pns f11">A man may as well hew marble without tools, or +paint without colors or instruments, or build without materials, +as perform any acceptable service without the graces of the +Spirit, which are both the materials and the instruments in the +work.—<i>Alleine</i>.</p> +<p class="pn f11">If we do not have the Spirit of God, it were +better to shut the churches, to nail up the doors, to put a black +cross on them, and say, “God have mercy on us!” If +you ministers have not the Spirit of God, you had better not +preach, and you people had better stay at home. I think I speak +not too strongly when I say that a church in the land without the +Spirit of God is rather a curse than a blessing. If you have not +the Spirit of God, Christian worker, remember that you stand in +somebody else’s way; you are as a tree bearing no fruit +standing where another fruitful tree might grow. This is solemn +work; the Holy Spirit or nothing, and worse than nothing. Death +and condemnation to a church that is not yearning after the +Spirit, and crying and groaning until the Spirit has wrought +mightily in her midst. He is here; He has never gone back since +He descended at Pentecost. He is often grieved and vexed, for He +is peculiarly jealous and sensitive, and the one sin never +forgiven has to do with His blessed person; therefore let us be +very tender towards Him, walk humbly before Him, wait on Him very +earnestly, and resolve that about us there should be nothing +knowingly continued which should prevent Him dwelling in us, and +being with us henceforth and for, ever. Brethren, peace be unto +you and your spirit!—<i>Spurgeon</i>.</p> +</div> +<hr style="margin-top:11.5em;margin-bottom:11em"> +<p class="pt1">WITNESSING IN POWER.</p> +<hr style="width:4em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p class="pn">T<span class="sc">he</span> subject of +witness-bearing in the power of the Holy Ghost is not +sufficiently understood by the Church. Until we have more +intelligence on this point we are laboring under great +disadvantage. Now, if you will take your Bible and turn to the +15th chapter of John and the 26th verse, you will find these +words: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send +unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which +proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of me; and ye also +shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the +beginning.” Here we find what the Spirit is going to do, or +what Christ said He would do when He came; namely, that He should +testify of Him. And if you will turn over to the second chapter +of Acts you will find that when Peter stood up on the day of +Pentecost, and testified of what Christ had done, the Holy Spirit +came down and bore witness to that fact, and men were convicted +by hundreds and by thousands. So then man can not preach +effectively of himself. He must have the Spirit of God to give +ability, and study God’s Word in order to testify according +to the mind of the Spirit.</p> +<p class="pt2">WHAT IS THE TESTIMONY?</p> +<p class="pn">If we keep back the Gospel of Christ and do not +bring Christ before the people, then the Spirit has not the +opportunity to work. But the moment Peter stood up on the day of +Pentecost and bore testimony to this one fact, that Christ died +for sin, and that He had been raised again, and ascended into +heaven—the Spirit came down to bear witness to the Person +and Work of Christ.</p> +<p class="pn">He came down to bear witness to the fact that +Christ was in heaven, and if it was not for the Holy Ghost +bearing witness to the preaching of the facts of the Gospel, do +you think that the Church would have lived during these last +eighteen centuries? Do you believe that Christ’s death, +resurrection and ascension would not have been forgotten as soon +as His birth, if it had not been for the fact that the Holy +Spirit had come? Because it is very clear, that when John made +his appearance on the borders of the wilderness, they had +forgotten all about the birth of Jesus Christ. Just thirty short +years. It was all gone. They had forgotten the story of the +Shepherds; they had forgotten the wonderful scene that took place +in the temple, when the Son of God was brought into the temple +and the older prophets and prophetesses were there; they had +forgotten about the wise men coming to Jerusalem to inquire where +He was that was born King of the Jews. That story of His birth +seemed to have just faded away; they had forgotten all about it, +and when John made his appearance on the borders of the +wilderness it was brought back to their minds. And if it had not +been for the Holy Ghost coming down to bear witness to Christ, to +testify of His death and resurrection, these facts would have +been forgotten as soon as His birth.</p> +<p class="pt2">GREATER WORK.</p> +<p class="pn">The witness of the Spirit is the witness of power. +Jesus said, “The works that I do shall ye do also, and +greater works than these shall ye do because I go to the +Father.” I used to stumble over that. I didn’t +understand it. I thought, what greater work could any man do than +Christ had done? How could any one raise a dead man who had been +laid away in the sepulcher for days, and who had already begun to +turn back to dust; how with a word could he call him forth? But +the longer I live the more I am convinced it is a greater thing +to influence a man’s will; a man whose will is set against +God; to have that will broken and brought into subjection to +God’s will—or, in other words, it is a greater thing +to have power over a living, sinning, God-hating man, than to +quicken the dead. He who could create a world could speak a dead +soul into life; but I think the greatest miracle this world has +ever seen was the miracle at Pentecost. Here were men who +surrounded the Apostles, full of prejudice, full of malice, full +of bitterness, their hands, as it were, dripping with the blood +of the Son of God, and yet an unlettered man, a man whom they +detested, a man whom they hated, stands up there and preaches the +Gospel, and three thousand of them are immediately convicted and +converted, and become disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, and are +willing to lay down their lives for the Son of God. It may have +been on that occasion that Stephen was converted, the first +martyr, and some of the men who soon after gave up their lives +for Christ. This seems to me the greatest miracle this world has +ever seen. But Peter did not labor alone; the Spirit of God was +with him; hence the marvelous results.</p> +<p class="pn">The Jewish law required that there should be two +witnesses, and so we find that when Peter preached there was a +second witness. Peter testified of Christ, and Christ says when +the Holy Spirit comes He will testify of Me. And they both bore +witness to the verities of our Lord’s incarnation, +ministry, death, and resurrection, and the result was that a +multitude turned as with one heart unto the Lord. Our failure now +is, that preachers ignore the Cross, and veil Christ with sapless +sermons and superfine language. They don’t just present Him +to the people plainly, and that is why, I believe, that the +Spirit of God don’t work with power in our churches. What +we need is to preach Christ and present Him to a perishing world. +The world can get on very well without you and me, but the world +can not get on without Christ, and therefore we must testify of +Him, and the world, I believe, to-day is just hungering and +thirsting for this divine, satisfying portion. Thousands and +thousands are sitting in darkness, knowing not of this great +Light, but when we begin to preach Christ honestly, faithfully, +sincerely and truthfully; holding Him up, not ourselves; exalting +Christ and not our theories; presenting Christ and not our +opinions; advocating Christ and not some false doctrine; then the +Holy Ghost will come and bear witness. He will testify that what +we say is true. When He comes He will confirm the Word with signs +following. This is one of the strongest proofs that our Gospel is +Divine; that it is of Divine origin; that not only did Christ +teach these things, but when leaving the world He said, “He +shall glorify Me,” and “He will testify of Me.” +If you will just look at the second chapter of Acts—to that +wonderful sermon that Peter preached—the thirty-sixth +verse, you read these words: “Therefore let all the house +of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom +ye crucified, both Lord and Christ.” And when Peter said +this the Holy Ghost descended upon the people and testified of +Christ—bore witness in signal demonstration that all this +was true. And again, in the fortieth verse, “And with many +other words did He testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves +from this untoward generation.” With many other words did +He testify, not only these words that have been recorded, but +many other words.</p> +<p class="pt2">THE SURE GUIDE.</p> +<p class="pn">Turn to the sixteenth chapter of John, in the +thirteenth verse, and read: “Howbeit, when He, the Spirit +of Truth is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He shall +not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear that shall He +speak; and He will show you things to come.” He will guide +you into all truth. Now there is not a truth that we ought to +know but the Spirit of God will guide us into it if we will let +Him; if we will yield ourselves up to be directed by the Spirit, +and let Him lead us, He will guide us into all truth. It would +have saved us from a great many dark hours if we had only been +willing to let the Spirit of God be our counsellor and guide.</p> +<p class="pn">Lot never would have gone to Sodom if he had been +guided by the Spirit of God. David never would have fallen into +sin and had all that trouble with his family if he had been +guided by the Spirit of God.</p> +<p class="pn">There are many Lots and Davids now-a-day. The +churches are full of them. Men and women are in total darkness, +because they have not been willing to be guided by the Spirit of +God. “He shall guide you into all truth. He shall not speak +of Himself.” He shall speak of the ascended glorified +Christ.</p> +<p class="pn">What would be thought of a messenger, entrusted by +an absent husband with a message for his wife or mother who, on +arrival, only talked of himself, and his conceits, and ignored +both the husband and the message? You would simply call it +outrageous. What then must be the crime of the professed teacher +who speaks of himself, or some insipid theory, leaving out Christ +and His Gospel? If we witness according to the Spirit, we must +witness of Jesus.</p> +<p class="pn">The Holy Spirit is down here in this dark world to +just speak of the Absent One, and He takes the things of Christ +and brings them to our mind. He testifies of Christ; He guides us +into the truth about Him.</p> +<p class="pt2">RAPPINGS IN THE DARK.</p> +<p class="pn">I want to say right here, that I think in this day +a great many children of God are turning aside and committing a +grievous sin. I don’t know as they think it is a sin, but +if we examine the Scriptures, I am sure we will find that it is a +great sin. We are told that the Comforter is sent into the world +to “guide us into all truth,” and if He is sent for +that purpose, do we need any other guide? Need we hide in the +darkness, consulting with mediums, who profess to call up the +spirits of the dead? Do you know what the Word of God pronounces +against that fearful sin? I believe it is one of the greatest +sins we have to contend with at the present day. It is +dishonoring to the Holy Spirit for me to go and summon up the +dead and confer with them, even if it were possible.</p> +<p class="pn">I would like you to notice the 10th chapter of 1st +Chronicles, and 13th verse: “So Saul died for his +transgression which he had committed against the Lord, even +against the Word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for +asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of +it; and inquired not of the Lord: therefore He slew him, and +turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.”</p> +<p class="pn">God slew him for this very sin. Of the two sins +that are brought against Saul here, one is that he would not +listen to the Word of God, and the second is that he consulted a +familiar spirit. He was snared by this great evil, and sinned +against God.</p> +<p class="pn">Saul fell right here, and there are a great many of +God’s professed children to-day who think there is no harm +in consulting a medium who pretends to call up some of the +departed to inquire of them.</p> +<p class="pn">But how dishonoring it is to God who has sent the +Holy Spirit into this world to guide us “into all +truth.” There is not a thing that I need to know, there is +not a thing that is important for me to know; there is not a +thing that I ought to know but the Spirit of God will reveal it +to me through the Word of God, and if I turn my back upon the +Holy Spirit, I am dishonoring the Spirit of God, and I am +committing a grievous sin. You know we read in Luke, where that +rich man in the other world wanted to have some one sent to his +father’s house to warn his five brothers, Christ said They +have Moses and the prophets, and if they will not hear them, they +will not hear one though he rose from the dead. Moses and the +prophets, the part of the Bible then completed, that is enough. +But a great many people now want something besides the Word of +God, and are turning aside to these false lights.</p> +<p class="pt2">SPIRITS THAT PEEP AND MUTTER.</p> +<p class="pn">There is another passage which reads, “And +when they shall say unto you, seek unto them that have familiar +spirits, and unto wizards that peep and mutter: Should not a +people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?” +What is that but table-rapping, and cabinet-hiding? If it was a +message from God, do you think you would have to go into a dark +room and put out all the lights? In secret my Master taught +nothing. God is not in that movement, and what we want, as +children of God, is to keep ourselves from this evil. And then +notice, the verse following, quoted so often out of its +connection. “To the law and to the testimony; if they speak +not according to this word, it is because there is no light in +them.” Any man, any woman, who comes to us with any +doctrine that is not according to the law and the testimony, let +us understand that they are from the evil one, and that they are +enemies of righteousness. They have no light in them. Now you +will find these people who are consulting familiar spirits, first +and last, attack the Word of God. They don’t believe it. +Still a great many people say, you must hear both sides—but +if a man should write me a most slanderous letter about my wife, +I don’t think I would have to read it; I should tear it up +and throw it to the winds. Have I to read all the infidel books +that are written, to hear both sides? Have I to take up a book +that is a slander on my Lord and Master, who has redeemed me with +His blood? Ten thousand times No; I will not touch it.</p> +<p class="pn">“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in +the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to +seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” 1 Tim., iv, 1. +That is pretty plain language, isn’t it? “Doctrines +of devils.” Again, “speaking lies in hypocrisy; +having their consciences seared with a hot iron.” There are +other passages of Scripture warning against every delusion of +Satan. Let us ever remember the Spirit has been sent into the +world to guide us into all truth. We don’t want any other +guide; He is enough. Some people say, “Is not conscience a +safer guide than the Word and the Spirit?” No, it is not. +Some people don’t seem to have any conscience, and +don’t know what it means. Their education has a good deal +to do with conscience. There are persons who will say that their +conscience did not tell them that they had done wrong until after +the wrong was done; but what we want, is something to tell us a +thing is wrong before we do it. Very often a man will go and +commit some awful crime, and after it is done his conscience will +wake up and lash and scourge him, and then it is too late, the +act is done.</p> +<p class="pt2">THE UNERRING GUIDE.</p> +<p class="pn">I am told by people who have been over the Alps, +that the guide fastens them, if they are going in a dangerous +place, right to himself, and he just goes on before; they are +fastened to the guide.</p> +<p class="pn">And so should the Christian be linked to His +unerring Guide, and be safely upheld. Why, if a man was going +through the Mammoth Cave, it would be death to him if he strayed +away from his guide—if separated from him, he would +certainly perish; there are pitfalls in that cave and a +bottomless river, and there would be no chance for a man to find +his way through that cave without a guide or a light. So there is +no chance for us to get through the dark wilderness of this world +alone. It is folly for a man or woman to think that they can get +through this evil world without the light of God’s Word and +the guidance of the Divine Spirit. God sent Him to guide us +through this great journey, and if we seek to work independent of +Him, we shall stumble into the deep darkness of eternity’s +night.</p> +<p class="pn">But bear in mind the <i>Words</i> of the Spirit of +God; if you want to be guided, you must study the Word; because +the Word is the light of the Spirit. In the 14th chapter of John +and 26th verse, we read:</p> +<p class="pn">“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, +whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all +things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I +have said unto you.”</p> +<p class="pn">Again in John xvi, 13:</p> +<p class="pn">“Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth is +come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of +Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and +He will show you things to come.”</p> +<p class="pn">“He will show you things to come.” A +great many people seem to think that the Bible is out of date, +that it is an old book, and they think it has passed its day. +They say it was very good for the dark ages, and that there is +some very good history in it; but then it was not intended for +the present time; that we are living in a very enlightened age, +and that men can get on very well without the old book; that we +have outgrown it. They think we have no use for it, because it is +an old book. Now you might just as well say that the sun, which +has shone so long, is now so old that it is out of date, and that +whenever a man builds a house he need not put any windows in it, +because we have got a newer light and a better light; we have +gaslight and this new electric light. These are something new; +and I would advise people, if they think the Bible is too old and +worn out, when they build houses, not to put any windows in them, +but just to light them with this new electric light; that is +something new, and this is what they are anxious for. People talk +about this Book as if they understood it; but we don’t know +much about it yet. The press gives us the daily news of what has +taken place. This Bible, however, tells us what is about to take +place. This <i>is</i> new; we have the news here in this Book; +this tells us of the things that will surely come to pass; and +that is a great deal newer than anything in the newspapers. It +tells us that the Spirit shall teach us all things; not only +guide us into all truth, but teach us all things; He teaches us +how to pray, and I don’t think there has ever been a prayer +upon this sin-cursed earth that has been indicted by the Holy +Spirit but was answered. There is much praying that is not +indicted by the Holy Spirit. In former years I was very ambitious +to get rich; I used to pray for one hundred thousand dollars; +that was my aim, and I used to say, “God does not answer my +prayer; He does not make me rich.” But I had no warrant for +such a prayer; yet a good many people pray in that way; they +think that they pray, but they do not pray according to the +Scriptures. The Spirit of God has nothing to do with their +prayers, and such prayers are not the product of His +teaching.</p> +<p class="pn">It is the Spirit who teaches us how to answer our +enemies. If a man strikes me, I should not pull out a revolver +and shoot him. The Spirit of the Lord don’t teach me +revenge; He don’t teach me that it is necessary to draw the +sword and cut a man down in order to defend my rights. Some +people say, You are a coward if you don’t strike back. +Christ says, turn the other cheek to him who smites. I would +rather take Christ’s teaching than any other. I don’t +think a man gains much by loading himself down with weapons to +defend himself. There has been life enough sacrificed in this +country to teach men a lesson in this regard. The Word of God is +a much better protection than the revolver. We had better take +the Word of God to protect us, by accepting its teaching, and +living out its precepts.</p> +<p class="pt2">AN AID TO MEMORY.</p> +<p class="pn">It is a great comfort to us to remember that +another office of the Spirit is to bring the teaching of Jesus to +our remembrance. This was our Lord’s promise, “He +shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your +remembrance.” Jno. xiv, 26.</p> +<p class="pn">How striking that is. I think there are many +Christians who have had that experience. They have been +testifying, and found that while talking for Christ the Spirit +has just brought into mind some of the sayings of the Lord Jesus +Christ, and their mind was soon filled with the Word of God. When +we have the Spirit resting upon us, we can speak with authority +and power, and the Lord will bless our testimony and bless our +work. I believe the reason why God makes use of so few in the +Church, is because there is not in them the power that God can +use. He is not going to use our ideas, but we must have the Word +of God hid in our hearts, and then, the Holy Spirit inflaming us, +we will have the testimony which will be rich, and sweet, and +fresh, and the Lord’s Word will vindicate itself in blessed +results. God wants to use us; God wants to make us channels of +blessing; but we are in such a condition He does not use us. That +is the trouble; there are so many men who have no testimony for +the Lord; if they speak, they speak without saying anything, and +if they pray, their prayer is powerless; they do not plead in +prayer; their prayer is just a few set phrases that you have +heard too often. Now what we want, is to be so full of the Word, +that the Spirit coming upon us shall bring to mind—bring to +our remembrance—the words of the Lord Jesus.</p> +<p class="pn">In 1 Cor. ii, 9, it is written: “Eye hath not +seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man +the things which God hath prepared for them that love +Him.”</p> +<p class="pn">We hear that quoted so often in prayer—many a +man weaves it into his prayer and stops right there. And the +moment you talk about Heaven, they say, “Oh, we don’t +know anything about Heaven it hath not entered into the heart of +man; eye hath not seen; it is all speculation; we have nothing to +do with it; and they say they quote it as it is written.” +“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard; neither have entered +into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them +that love Him.” What next—“but God hath +revealed them unto us by His Spirit.” You see the Lord hath +revealed them unto us: “For the Spirit searches all +things—yea, the deep things of God.” That is just +what the Spirit does.</p> +<p class="pt2">LONG AND SHORT SIGHT.</p> +<p class="pn">He brings to our mind what God has in store for us. +I heard a man, some time ago, speaking about Abraham. He said +“Abraham was not tempted by the well-watered plains of +Sodom, for Abraham was what you might call a long-sighted man; he +had his eyes set on the city which had +foundation—‘whose Builder and Maker is +God.’” But Lot was a short-sighted man; and there are +many people in the Church who are very short-sighted; they only +see things right around them they think good. Abraham was +long-sighted; he had glimpses of the celestial city. Moses was +long-sighted, and he left the palaces of Egypt and identified +himself with God’s people—poor people, who were +slaves; but he had something in view yonder; he could see +something God had in store. Again there are some people who are +sort of long-sighted and shortsighted, too. I have a friend who +has one eye that is long-sighted and the other is short-sighted; +and I think the Church is full of this kind of people. They want +one eye for the world and the other for the Kingdom of God. +Therefore, everything, is blurred, one eye is long and the other +is short, all is confusion, and they “see men as trees +walking.” The Church is filled with that sort of people. +But Stephen was long-sighted; he looked clear into heaven; they +couldn’t convince him even when he was dying, that Christ +had not ascended to heaven. “Look, look yonder,” he +says, “see Him over there; He is on the throne, standing at +the right hand of God;” and he looked clear into heaven; +the world had no temptation for him; he had put the world under +his feet. Paul was another of those long-sighted men; he had been +caught up and seen things unlawful for him to utter; things grand +and glorious. I tell you when the Spirit of God is on us the +world looks very empty; the world has a very small hold upon us, +and we begin to let go our hold of it. When the Spirit of God is +on us we will just let go the things of time and lay hold of +things eternal. This is the Church’s need to-day; we want +the Spirit to come in mighty power, and consume all the vile +dross there is in us. Oh! that the Spirit of fire may come down +and burn everything in us that is contrary to God’s blessed +Word and Will.</p> +<p class="pn">In John xiv, 16, we read of the Comforter. This is +the first time He is spoken of as the Comforter. Christ had been +their Comforter. God had sent Him to comfort the sorrowing. It +was prophesied of Him, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, +because He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He +has sent me to heal the broken-hearted.” You can’t +heal the brokenhearted without the Comforter; but the world would +not have the first Comforter, and so they rose up and took Him to +Calvary and put him to death; but on going away He said, “I +will send you another Comforter; you shall not be comfortless; be +of good cheer, little flock; it is the Father’s good +pleasure to give you the kingdom.” All these sweet passages +are brought to the remembrance of God’s people, and they +help us to rise out of the fog and mist of this world. O, what a +comforter is the Holy Spirit of God!</p> +<p class="pt2">THE FAITHFUL FRIEND.</p> +<p class="pn">The Holy Spirit tells a man of his faults in order +to lead him to a better life. In John xvi, 8, we read: “He +is to reprove the world of sin.” Now, there are a class of +people who don’t like this part of the Spirit’s work. +Do you know why? Because He convicts <i>them</i> of sin; they +don’t like that. What they want is some one to speak +comforting words and make everything pleasant; keep everything +all quiet; tell them there is peace when there is war; tell them +it is light when it is dark, and tell them everything is growing +better; that the world is getting on amazingly in goodness; that +it is growing better all the time; that is the kind of preaching +they seek for. Men think they are a great deal better than their +fathers were. That suits human nature, for it is full of pride. +Men will strut around and say, “Yes, I believe that; the +world is improving; I am a good deal better man than father was; +my father was too strict; he was one of those old Puritanical men +who was so rigid. O, we are getting on; we are more liberal; my +father wouldn’t think of going out riding on Sunday, but we +will; we will trample the laws of God under our feet; we are +better than our fathers.”</p> +<p class="pn">That is the kind of preaching which some dearly +love, and there are preachers who tickle such itching ears. When +you bring the Word of God to bear upon them, and when the Spirit +drives it home, then men will say: “I don’t like that +kind of preaching; I will never go to hear that man again;” +and sometimes they will get up and stamp their way out of church +before the speaker gets through; they don’t like it. But +when the Spirit of God is at work he convicts men of sin. +“When He comes He will reprove the world of sin, of +righteousness and of judgment; of sin”—not because +men swear and lie and steal and get drunk and +murder—“of sin because they believe not on +Me.”</p> +<p class="pt2">THE CLIMAX SIN.</p> +<p class="pn">That is the sin of the world. Why, a great many +people think that unbelief is a sort of misfortune, but do not +know, if you will allow me the expression, it is the damning sin +of the world to-day; that is what unbelief is, the mother of all +sin. There would not be a drunkard walking the streets, if it +were not for unbelief; there would not be a harlot walking the +streets, if it were not for unbelief; there would not be a +murderer, if it was not for unbelief; it is the germ of all sin. +Don’t think for a moment that it is a misfortune, but just +bear in mind it is an awful sin, and may the Holy Spirit convict +every reader that unbelief is making God a liar. Many a man has +been knocked down on the streets because some one has told him he +was a liar. Unbelief is giving God the lie; that is the plain +English of it. Some people seem to boast of their unbelief; they +seem to think it is quite respectable to be an infidel and doubt +God’s Word, and they will vainly boast and say, “I +have intellectual difficulties; I can’t believe.” Oh +that the Spirit of God may come and convict men of sin! That is +what we need—His convicting power, and I am so thankful +that God has not put that into our hands. We have not to convict +men; if we had I would get discouraged, and give up preaching, +and go back to business within the next forty-eight hours. It is +my work to preach and hold up the Cross and testify of Christ; +but it is His work to convict men of sin and lead them to Christ. +One thing I have noticed, that some conversions don’t +amount to anything; that if a man professes to be converted +without conviction of sin, he is one of those stony-ground +hearers who don’t bring forth much fruit. The first little +wave of persecution, the first breath of opposition, and the man +is back in the world again. Let us pray, dear Christian reader, +that God may carry on a deep and thorough work, that men may be +convicted of sin so that they can not rest in unbelief. Let us +pray God it may be a thorough work in the land. I would a great +deal rather see a hundred men thoroughly converted, truly born of +God, than to see a thousand professed conversions where the +Spirit of God has not convicted of sin. Don’t let us cry +“Peace, peace, when there is no peace.” Don’t +go to the man who is living in sin, and tell him all he has to do +is to stand right up and profess, without any hatred for sin. Let +us ask God first to show every man the plague of his own heart, +that the Spirit, may convict them of sin. Then will the work in +our hands be real, and deep, and abide the fiery trial which will +try every man’s labor.</p> +<p class="pns">Thus far, we have found the work of the Spirit is +to impart life, to implant hope, to give liberty, to testify of +Christ, to guide us into all truth, to teach us all things, to +comfort the believers, and to convict the world of sin.</p> +<p class="p4">“Holy Spirit, faithful guide,</p> +<p class="p4">Ever near the Christian’s side;</p> +<p class="p4">Gently lead us by the hand,</p> +<p class="p4">Pilgrims in a desert land;</p> +<p class="p4">Weary souls for e’er rejoice,</p> +<p class="p4">While they hear that sweetest voice,</p> +<p class="p4">Whisp’ring softly, wanderer come!</p> +<p class="p4s">Follow Me, I’ll guide thee home.</p> +<p class="p4">Ever present, truest Friend,</p> +<p class="p4">Ever near Thine aid to lend,</p> +<p class="p4">Leave us not to doubt and fear,</p> +<p class="p4">Groping on in darkness drear,</p> +<p class="p4">When the storms are raging sore,</p> +<p class="p4">Hearts grow faint, and hopes give o’er;</p> +<p class="p4">Whisp’ring softly, wanderer come!</p> +<p class="p4s">Follow Me, I’ll guide thee home.</p> +<p class="p4">When our days of toil shall cease,</p> +<p class="p4">Waiting still for sweet release,</p> +<p class="p4">Nothing left but heaven and prayer,</p> +<p class="p4">Wond’ring if our names were there,</p> +<p class="p4">Wading deep the dismal flood,</p> +<p class="p4">Pleading nought but Jesus’ blood;</p> +<p class="p4">Whisp’ring softly, wanderer come!</p> +<p class="p4">Follow Me, I’ll guide thee home.”</p> +<hr style="margin-top:5em;margin-bottom:16em"> +<p class="p2">“O<span class="sc">h</span>! Spirit of God, +whose voice I hear,</p> +<p class="p2">Sweeter than sweetest music, appealing</p> +<p class="p2">In tones of tenderness and love;</p> +<p class="p2">Whose comforts delight my soul, and</p> +<p class="p2">Fills the temple of my heart with joy beyond +compare.</p> +<p class="p2">I need Thee day by day, and each day’s +moment, Lord.</p> +<p class="p2">I sigh for greater likeness</p> +<p class="p2">To Him who loved me unto death, and loves me +still.</p> +<p class="p2">’Tis Thine to lead me to Him; ’tis +Thine to ope the eye,</p> +<p class="p2">To manifest His royal glories to my longing +heart;</p> +<p class="p2">’Tis Thine the slumbering saint to waken</p> +<p class="p2">And discipline this blood-touched ear</p> +<p class="p2">To hearken to my heavenly Lover’s voice,</p> +<p class="p2">And quickly speed His summons to obey.</p> +<p class="p2">Oh! Spirit of the Mighty God, uplift my faith</p> +<p class="p2">Till heaven’s precious light shall flood my +soul,</p> +<p class="p2">And the shining of my face declare</p> +<p class="p2">That I have seen the face of God.”</p> +<hr style="margin-top:20em;margin-bottom:20em"> +<h1><a name="c4" id="c4">CHAPTER IV.</a></h1> +<hr style="width:4em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:2.0em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:183%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1.8em"> +POWER IN OPERATION.</p> +<hr style="margin-top:29em;margin-bottom:20em"> +<p class="pn f11">“Ye are not your own.” “Your +bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost.” Is that an +unmeaning metaphor, or an over-worded expression? When the Holy +Spirit enters the soul, heaven enters with Him. The heart is +compared to a temple. God never enters without His attendants; +<i>repentance</i> cleanses the house; <i>faith</i> provides for +the house; <i>watchfulness</i>, like the porter, takes care of +it; <i>prayer</i> is a lively messenger, learns what is wanted, +and then goes for it; <i>faith</i> tells him where to go, and he +never goes in vain; <i>joy</i> is the musician of this temple, +tuning to the praises of God and the Lamb; and this terrestrial +temple shall be removed to the celestial world, for the trumpet +shall sound, and the dead shall be raised.—<i>Rowland +Hill.</i></p> +<hr style="margin-top:21em;margin-bottom:11em"> +<p class="pt1">POWER IN OPERATION.</p> +<hr style="width:4em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p class="pn">T<span class="sc">he</span> power we have been +considering is the Presence of the Holy Spirit. He is omnipotent. +Power in operation is the actions of the Spirit or the fruit of +the Spirit. This we shall now consider. Paul writes in Gal. v, +16, etc.:</p> +<p class="pn">“This I say then, walk in 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; and these +are contrary, the one to the other; so that ye can not do the +things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not +under the law.” * * * “But the fruit of the +Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, +faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law. And +they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the +affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk +in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vainglory, provoking one +another, envying one another.”</p> +<p class="pn">Now there is a life of perfect peace, perfect joy, +and perfect love, and that ought to be the aim of every child of +God; that ought to be their standard; and they should not rest +until having attained to that position. That is God’s +standard, where He wants all His children. These nine graces +mentioned in this chapter in Galatians can be divided in this +way: Love and peace and joy are all to God. God looks for that +fruit from each one of His children, and that is the kind of +fruit which is acceptable with Him. Without that we can not +please God. He wants, above everything else that we possess, +love, peace and joy. And then the next three—goodness, +long-suffering and gentleness—are towards man. That is our +outward life to those that we are coming in contact with +continually—daily, hourly. The next three—faith, +temperance, meekness—are in relation to ourselves; and in +that way we can just take the three divisions, and it will be of +some help to us.</p> +<p class="pn">The first thing that meets us as we enter the +kingdom of God, you might say are these first three graces,</p> +<p class="pt2">LOVE, PEACE, AND JOY.</p> +<p class="pn">When a man who has been living in sin turns from +his sins, and turns to God with all his heart, he is met on the +threshold of the divine life by these sister graces. The love of +God is shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost. The peace of +God comes at the same time, and also the joy of the Lord. We can +all put the test to ourselves, if we have them. It is not +anything that we can make. The great trouble with many is that +they are trying to make these graces. They are trying to make +love; they are trying to make peace; they are trying to make joy. +But they are not creatures of human planting. To produce them of +ourselves is impossible. That is an act of God. They come from +above. It is God who speaks the word and gives the love; it is +God who gives the peace; it is God who gives the joy, and we +possess all by receiving Jesus Christ by faith into the heart; +for when Christ comes by faith into the heart, then the Spirit is +there, and if we have the Spirit, we will have the fruit.</p> +<p class="pn">If the whole Church of God could live as the Lord +would have them live, why Christianity would be the mightiest +power this world has ever seen. It is the low standard of +Christian life that is causing so much trouble. There are a great +many stunted Christians in the Church; their lives are stunted; +they are like a tree planted in poor soil—the soil is hard +and stony, and the roots can not find the rich loamy soil needed. +Such believers have not grown in these sweet graces. Peter, in +his second epistle, 1st chapter and 5th verse, writes:</p> +<p class="pn">“And besides this, giving all diligence, add +to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge +temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience, +godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly +kindness, charity. For if these things be in you and abound, they +make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the +knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”</p> +<p class="pn">Now, if we have these things in us, I believe that +we will be constantly bringing forth fruit that will be +acceptable with God. It won’t be just a little every now +and then, when we spur ourselves up and work ourselves up into a +certain state of mind or into an excited condition, and work a +little while and then become cold, and discouraged, and +disheartened, but we shall be neither unfruitful nor barren, +bringing forth fruit constantly, we will grow in grace and be +filled with the Spirit of God.</p> +<p class="pt2">WHAT WINS.</p> +<p class="pn">A great many parents have inquired of me how to win +their children. They say they have talked with them, and +sometimes they have scolded them and have lectured them, and +signally failed. I think there is no way so sure to win our +families and our neighbors, and those about whom we are anxious, +to Christ, than just to adorn the doctrine of Jesus Christ in our +lives, and grow in all these graces. If we have peace and joy and +love and gentleness and goodness and temperance; not only being +temperate in what we drink, but in what we eat, and temperate in +our language, guarded in our expressions; if we just live in our +homes as the Lord would have us, an even Christian life day by +day, we shall have a quiet and silent power proceeding from us, +that will constrain them to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. But +an uneven life, hot to-day and cold tomorrow, will only repel. +Many are watching God’s people. It is just the very worst +thing that can happen to those whom we want to win to Christ, to +see us, at any time, in a cold, backslidden state. This is not +the normal condition of the Church; it is not God’s +intention; He would have us growing in all these graces, and the +only true, happy, Christian life is to be growing, constantly +growing in the love and favor of God, growing in all those +delightful graces of the Spirit.</p> +<p class="pn">Even the vilest, the most impure, acknowledge the +power of goodness; they recognize the fruit of the Spirit. It may +condemn their lives and cause them to say bitter things at times, +but down deep in their hearts they know that the man or woman who +is living that kind of life, is superior to them. The world +don’t satisfy them, and if we can show the world that Jesus +Christ does satisfy us in our present life, it will be more +powerful than the eloquent words of professional reformers. A man +may preach with the eloquence of an angel, but if he don’t +live what he preaches, and act out in his home and his business +what he professes, his testimony goes for naught, and the people +say it is all hypocrisy after all; it is all a sham. Words are +very empty, if there is nothing back of them. Your testimony is +poor and worthless, if there is not a record back of that +testimony consistent with what you profess. What we need is to +pray to God to lift us up out of this low, cold, formal state +that we have been living in, that we may live in the atmosphere +of God continually, and that the Lord may lift upon us the light +of his countenance, and that we may shine in this world, +reflecting His grace and glory.</p> +<p class="pn">The first of the graces spoken of in Galatians, and +the last mentioned in Peter, is charity or love. We can not serve +God, we can not work for God unless we have love. That is the key +which unlocks the human heart. If I can prove to a man that I +come to him out of pure love; if a mother shows by her actions +that it is pure love that prompts her advising her boy to lead a +different life, not a selfish love, but that it is for the glory +of God, it won’t be long before that mother’s +influence will be felt by that boy, and he will begin to think +about this matter, because true love touches the heart quicker +than anything else.</p> +<p class="pt2">POWER OF LOVE.</p> +<p class="pn">Love is the badge that Christ gave His disciples. +Some put on one sort of badge and some another. Some put on a +strange kind of dress, that they may be known as Christians, and +some put on a crucifix, or something else, that they may be known +as Christians. But love is the only badge by which the disciples +of our Lord Jesus Christ are known. “By this shall all men +know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one toward +another.”</p> +<p class="pn">Therefore, though a man stand before an audience +and speak with the eloquence of a Demosthenes, or of the greatest +living orator, if there is no love back of his words, it is like +sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. I would recommend all +Christians to read the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians +constantly, abiding in it day and night, not spending a night or +a day there, but just go in there and spend all our +time—summer and winter, twelve months in the year, then the +power of Christ and Christianity would be felt as it never has +been in the history of the world. See what this chapter says:</p> +<p class="pn">“Though I speak with the tongues of men and +of angels, and have not charity, I am become <i>as</i> sounding +brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have <i>the gift</i> of +prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and +though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and +have not charity, I am nothing.”</p> +<p class="pn">A great many are praying for faith; they want +extraordinary faith; they want remarkable faith. They forget that +love exceeds faith. The C<span class="sc">harity</span> spoken of +in the above verses, is L<span class="sc">ove</span>, the fruit +of the Spirit, the great motive-power of life. What the Church of +God needs to-day is love—more love to God and more love to +our fellow-men. If we love God more, we will love our fellow-men +more. There is no doubt about that. I used to think that I should +like to have lived in the days of the prophets; that I should +like to have been one of the prophets, to prophesy, and to see +the beauties of heaven and describe them to men; but, as I +understand the Scriptures now, I would a good deal rather live in +the thirteenth chapter of 1st Corinthians and have this love that +Paul is speaking of, the love of God burning in my soul like an +unquenchable flame, so that I may reach men and win them for +heaven.</p> +<p class="pn">A man may have wonderful knowledge, that may +unravel the mysteries of the Bible, and yet be as cold as an +icicle. He may glisten like the snow in the sun. Sometimes you +have wondered why it was that certain ministers who have had such +wonderful magnetism, who have such a marvelous command of +language, and who preach with such mental strength, haven’t +had more conversions. I believe, if the truth was known, you +would find no divine love back of their words, no pure love in +their sermons. You may preach like an angel, Paul says, +“with the tongues of men and of angels,” but if you +have not love, it amounts to nothing. “And though I bestow +all my goods to feed the poor,”—a man may be very +charitable, and give away all his goods; a man may give all he +has, but if it is not the love of God which prompts the gift, it +will not be acceptable with God. “And though I give my body +to be burned, and have not charity”—have not +love—“it profiteth me nothing.” A man may go to +the stake for his principles; he may go to the stake for what he +believes, but if it is not love to God which actuates him, it +will not be acceptable to God.</p> +<p class="pt2">LOVE’S WONDERFUL EFFECTS.</p> +<p class="pn">“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity +envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.</p> +<p class="pn">Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her +own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.”</p> +<p class="pn">That’s the work of love. It is not easily +provoked. Now if a man has no love of God in his heart, how easy +it is to become offended; perhaps with the church because some +members of the church don’t treat him just right, or some +men of the church don’t bow to him on the street, he takes +offense, and that is the last you see of him. Love is +long-suffering. If I love the Lord Jesus Christ, these little +things are not going to separate me from His people. They are +like the dust in the balance. Nor will the cold, formal treatment +of hypocrites in the church quench that love I have in my heart +for Him. If this love is in the heart, and the fire is burning on +the altar, we will not be all the time finding fault with other +people and criticising what they have done.</p> +<p class="pt2">CRITICS BEWARE.</p> +<p class="pn">Love will rebuke evil, but will not rejoice in it. +Love will be impatient of sin, but patient with the sinner. To +form the habit of finding fault constantly, is very damaging to +spiritual life; it is about the lowest and meanest position that +a man can take. I never saw a man who was aiming to do the best +work, but there could have been some improvement; I never did +anything in my life, I never addressed an audience, that I +didn’t think I could have done better, and I have often +upbraided myself that I had not done better; but to sit down and +find fault with other people when we are doing nothing ourselves, +not lifting our hands to save some one, is all wrong, and is the +opposite of holy, patient, divine love.</p> +<p class="pn">Love is forbearance; and what we want is to get +this spirit of criticism and fault finding out of the Church and +out of our hearts and let each one of us live as if we had to +answer for ourselves, and not for the community, at the last day. +If we are living according to the 13th chapter of Corinthians, we +will not be all the time finding fault with other people. +“Love suffereth long, and is kind.” Love forgets +itself, and don’t dwell upon itself. The woman who came to +Christ with that alabaster box, I venture to say, never thought +of herself. Little did she know what an act she was performing. +It was just her love for the Master. She forgot the surroundings, +she forgot everything else that was there; she broke that box and +poured the ointment upon Him, and filled the house with its odor. +The act, as a memorial, has come down these 1800 years. It is +right here—the perfume of that box is in the world today. +That ointment was worth $40 or $50; no small sum of those days +for a poor woman. Judas sold the Son of God for about $15 or $20. +But what this woman gave to Christ was everything that she had, +and she became so occupied with Jesus Christ that she +didn’t think what people were going to say. So when we act +with a single eye for the glory of our Lord, not finding fault +with everything about us, but doing what we can in the power of +this love, then will our deeds for God speak, and the world will +acknowledge that we have been with Jesus, and that this glorious +love has been shed abroad in our hearts.</p> +<p class="pn">If we don’t love the Church of God, I am +afraid it won’t do us much good; if we don’t love the +blessed Bible, it will not do us much good. What we want, then, +is to have love for Christ, to have love for His word, and to +have love for the Church of God, and when we have love, and are +living in that spirit, we will not be in the spirit of finding +fault and working mischief.</p> +<p class="pt2">AFTER LOVE, WHAT?</p> +<p class="pn">After love comes peace. I have before remarked, a +great many people are trying to make peace. But that has already +been done. God has not left it for us to do; all that we have to +do is to enter into it. It is a condition, and instead of our +trying to make peace and to work for peace, we want to cease all +that, and sweetly enter into peace.</p> +<p class="pn">If I discover a man in the cellar complaining +because there is no light there, and because it is cold and damp, +I say: “My friend, come up out of the cellar. There is a +good warm sun up here, a beautiful spring day, and it is warm, it +is cheerful and light; come up, and enjoy it.” Would he +reply, “O, no, sir; I am trying to see if I can make light +down here; I am trying to work myself into a warm feeling.” +And there he is working away, and he has been at it for a whole +week. I can imagine my reader smile; but you may be smiling at +your own picture; for this is the condition of many whom I daily +meet who are trying to do this very thing—they are trying +to work themselves into peace and joyful feelings. Peace is a +condition into which we enter; it is a state; and instead of our +trying to make peace, let us believe what God’s Word +declares, that peace has already been made by the blood of the +Cross. Christ has made peace for us, and now what He desires is +that we believe it and enter into it. Now, the only thing that +can keep us from peace is sin. God turneth the way of the wicked +upside down. There is no peace for the wicked, saith my God. They +are like the troubled sea that can not rest, casting up filth and +mire all the while; but peace with God by faith in Jesus +Christ—peace through the knowledge of forgiven sin, is like +a rock; the waters go dashing and surging past it, but it abides. +When we find peace, we shall not find it on the ground of innate +goodness; it comes from without ourselves, but into us. In the +16th chapter of John and the 33d verse we read: “These +things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have +peace.” In me ye might have peace. Jesus Christ is the +author of peace. He procured peace. His gospel is the gospel of +peace. “Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which +shall be unto all people; for unto you is born this day in the +city of David a Saviour,” and then came that chorus from +heaven “Glory to God in the highest; peace on earth.” +He brought peace. “In the world ye shall have tribulation, +but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”</p> +<p class="pn">How true that in the world we have tribulation. Are +you in tribulation? Are you in trouble? Are you in sorrow? +Remember this is our lot. Paul had tribulation, and others shared +in grief. Nor shall we be exempt from trial. But within, peace +may reign undisturbed. If sorrow is our lot, peace is our legacy. +Jesus gives peace; and do you know there is a good deal of +difference between His peace and our peace? Any one can disturb +our peace, but they can’t disturb His peace. That is the +kind of peace He has left us. Nothing can offend those who trust +in Christ.</p> +<p class="pt2">NOT EASILY OFFENDED.</p> +<p class="pn">In the 119th Psalm and the 165th verse, we find +“Great peace have they who love Thy law; and nothing shall +offend them.” The study of God’s Word will secure +peace. You take those Christians who are rooted and grounded in +the Word of God, and you find they have great peace; but it is +these who don’t study their Bible, and don’t know +their Bible, who are easily offended when some little trouble +comes, or some little persecution, and their peace is all +disturbed; just a little breath of opposition, and their peace is +all gone.</p> +<p class="pn">Sometimes I am amazed to see how little it takes to +drive all peace and comfort from some people. Some slandering +tongue will readily blast it. But if we have the peace of God, +the world can not take that from us. It can not give it; it can +not destroy it. We have to get it from above the world; it is +peace which Christ gives. “Great peace have they which love +Thy law, and nothing shall offend them.” Christ says +“blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in +Me.” Now, if you will notice, wherever there is a +Bible-taught Christian, one who has the Bible well marked, and +daily feeds upon the Word by prayerful meditation, he will not be +easily offended.</p> +<p class="pn">Such are the people who are growing and working all +the while. But it is these people who never open their Bibles, +these people who never study the Scriptures, who become offended, +and are wondering why they are having such a hard time. They are +the persons who tell you that Christianity is not what it has +been recommended to them; that they have found it was not all +that we claim it to be. The real trouble is, they have not done +as the Lord has told them to do. They have neglected the Word of +God. If they had been studying the Word of God, they would not be +in that condition. If they had been studying the Word of God, +they would not have wandered these years away from God, living on +the husks of the world. But the trouble is, they have neglected +to care for the new life; they haven’t fed it, and the poor +soul, being starved, sinks into weakness and decay, and is easily +stumbled or offended.</p> +<p class="pn">I met a man who confessed his soul had fed on +nothing for forty years. “Well,” said I, “that +is pretty hard for the soul—giving it nothing to feed +on!” And that man is but a type of thousands and tens of +thousands to-day; their poor souls are starving. This body that +we inhabit for a day, and then leave, we take good care of; we +feed it three times a day, and we clothe it, and take care of it, +and deck it, and by and by it is going into the grave to be eaten +up by the worms; but the inner man, that is to live on and on, +and on forever, is lean and starved.</p> +<p class="pt2">SWEET WORDS.</p> +<p class="pn">In the 6th chapter of Numbers and 22d verse we +read:</p> +<p class="pn">“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying: Speak +unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, on this wise ye shall bless +the children of Israel, saying unto them: The Lord bless thee and +keep thee. The Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be +gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, +and give thee peace.”</p> +<p class="pn">I think these are about as sweet verses as we find +in the Old Testament. I marked them years ago in my Bible, and +many times I have turned over and read them. “The Lord lift +up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” They +remind us of the loving words of Jesus to his troubled disciples, +“Peace, be still.” The Jewish salutation used to be, +as a man went into a house, “Peace be upon this +house,” and as he left the house the host would say, +“Go in peace.”</p> +<p class="pn">Then again, in the 14th chapter of John and the +27th verse, Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I +give unto you; not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not +your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” This is +the precious legacy of Jesus to all His followers. Every man, +every woman, every child, who believes in Him, may share in this +portion. Christ has willed it to them, and His peace is +theirs.</p> +<p class="pn">This then is our Lord’s purpose and promise. +My peace I give unto you. I give it, and I am not going to take +it away again; I am going to leave it to you. “Not as the +world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, +neither let it be afraid.” But you know, when some men make +their wills and deed away their property, there are some sharp, +shrewd lawyers who will get hold of that will and break it all to +pieces; they will go into court and break the will, and the jury +will set the will aside, and the money goes into another channel. +Now this will that Christ has made, neither devil nor man can +break it. He has promised to give us peace, and there are +thousands of witnesses who can say: “I have my part of that +legacy. I have peace; I came to Him for peace, and I got it; I +came to Him in darkness; I came to Him in trouble and sorrow; I +was passing under a deep cloud of affliction, and I came to Him +and He said, ‘Peace, be still.’ And from that hour +peace reigned in my soul.” Yes, many have proved the +invitation true, “Come unto Me all ye that labor and are +heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” They found rest +when they came. He is the author of rest, He is the author of +peace, and no power can break that will; yea, unbelief may +question it, but Jesus Christ rose to execute His own will, and +it is in vain for man to contest it. Infidels and skeptics may +tell us that it is all a myth, and that there isn’t +anything in it, and yet the glorious tidings is ever repeated, +“Peace on earth, good will to man,” and the poor and +needy, the sad and sorrowful, are made partakers of it.</p> +<p class="pn">So, my reader, you need not wait for peace any +longer. All you have to do is to enter into it to-day. You need +not try to make peace. It is a false idea; you can not make it. +Peace is already made by Jesus Christ, and is now declared unto +you.</p> +<p class="pt2">PEACE DECLARED.</p> +<p class="pn">When France and England were at war, a French +vessel had gone off on a long voyage, a whaling voyage; and when +they came back, the crew were short of water, and being now near +an English port, they wanted to get water; but they were afraid +that they would be taken if they went into that port; and some +people in the port saw them, saw their signal of distress, and +sent word to them that they need not be afraid, that the war was +over, and peace had been declared. But they couldn’t make +those sailors believe it, and they didn’t dare to go into +port, although they were out of water; but at last they made up +their minds that they had better go in and surrender up their +cargo and surrender up their lives to their enemies than to +perish at sea without water; but when they got in, they found out +that peace had been declared, and that what had been told them +was true. So there are a great many people who don’t +believe the glad tidings that peace has been made. Jesus Christ +made peace on the Cross. He satisfied the claims of the law; and +this law which condemns you and me has been fulfilled by Jesus +Christ. He has made peace, and now He wants us just to enjoy it, +just to believe it. Nor is there a thing to hinder us from doing +it, if we will. We can enter into that blessing now, and have +perfect peace. The promise is: “Thou wilt keep him in +perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee. Trust ye in the Lord +forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.” +Now, as long as our mind is stayed on our dear selves, we will +never have peace. Some people think more of themselves than of +all the rest of the world. It is self in the morning, self at +noon, and self at night. It is self when they wake up, and self +when they go to bed; and they are all the time looking at +themselves and thinking about themselves, instead of +“looking unto Jesus.” Faith is an outward look. Faith +does not look within; it looks without. It is not what I think, +nor what I feel, nor what I have done, but it is what Jesus +Christ is and has done, and so we should trust in Him who is our +strength, and whose strength will never fail. After Christ rose +from the grave, three times, John tells us, He met His disciples +and said unto them, “Peace be unto you.” There is +peace for the conscience through His blood, and peace for the +heart in His love.</p> +<p class="pt2">SECRET OF JOY.</p> +<p class="pn">Remember, then, that love is power, and peace is +power; but now I will call attention to another fruit of the +Spirit, and this too is power—the grace of <span class= +"sc">joy</span>. It is the privilege, I believe, of every +Christian to walk in the light, as God is in the light, and to +have that peace which will be flowing unceasingly as we keep busy +about His work. And it is our privilege to be full of the joy of +the Lord. We read, that when Philip went down to Samaria and +preached, there was great joy in the city. Why? Because they +believed the glad tidings. And that is the natural order, joy in +believing. When we believe the glad tidings, there comes a joy +into our souls. Also we are told that our Lord sent the seventy +out, and that they went forth preaching salvation in the name of +Jesus Christ, and the result was that there were a great many who +were blessed; and the seventy returned, it says, with great joy, +and when they came back they said that the very devils were +subject to them, through His name. The Lord seemed to just +correct them in this one thing when He said, “Rejoice not +that the devils are subject to you, but rejoice that your names +are written in heaven.” There is assurance for you. They +had something to rejoice in now. God don’t ask us to +rejoice over nothing, but He gives us some ground for our joy. +What would you think of a man or woman who seemed very happy +to-day and full of joy, and couldn’t tell you what made +them so? Suppose I should meet a man on the street, and he was so +full of joy that he should get hold of both my hands and say, +“Bless the Lord, I am so full of joy!” “What +makes you so full of joy?” “Well, I don’t +know.” “You don’t know?” “No, I +don’t; but I am so joyful that I just want to get out of +the flesh.” “What makes you feel so joyful?” +“Well, I don’t know.” Would we not think such a +person unreasonable? But there are a great many people who +feel—who want to feel—that they are Christians before +they are Christians; they want the Christian’s experience +before they become Christians; they want to have the joy of the +Lord before they receive Jesus Christ. But this is not the Gospel +order. He brings joy when He comes, and we can not have joy apart +from Him; there is no joy away from Him; He is the author of it, +and we find our joy in Him.</p> +<p class="pt2">JOY IS UNSELFISH.</p> +<p class="pn">Now, there are three kinds of joy; there is the joy +of one’s own salvation. I thought, when I first tasted +that, it was the most delicious joy I had ever known, and that I +could never get beyond it. But I found, afterward, there was +something more joyful than that, namely, the joy of the salvation +of others. Oh, the privilege, the blessed privilege, to be used +of God to win a soul to Christ, and to see a man or woman being +led out of bondage by some act of ours toward them. To think that +God should condescend to allow us to be co-workers with Him. It +is the highest honor we can wear. It surpasses the joy of our own +salvation, this joy of seeing others saved. And then John said, +He had no greater joy than to see His disciples walking in the +truth. Every man who has been the means of leading souls to +Christ understands what that means. Young disciples, walk in the +truth and you will have joy all the while.</p> +<p class="pn">I think there is a difference between happiness and +joy. Happiness is caused by things which happen around me, and +circumstances will mar it, but joy flows right on through +trouble; joy flows on through the dark; joy flows in the night as +well as in the day; joy flows all through persecution and +opposition; it flows right along, for it is an unceasing fountain +bubbling up in the heart; a secret spring which the world +can’t see and don’t know anything about; but the Lord +gives His people perpetual joy when they walk in obedience to +Him.</p> +<p class="pn">This joy is fed by the Divine Word. Jeremiah says +in chapter xv, 16: “Thy words were found, and I did eat +them; and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; +for I am called by Thy name, O Lord.”</p> +<p class="pn">He ate the words, and what was the result? He said +they were the joy and rejoicing of his heart. Now people should +look for joy in the Word, and not in the world; they should look +for the joy which the Scriptures furnish, and then go work in the +vineyard; because a joy that don’t send me out to some one +else, a joy that don’t impel me to go and help the poor +drunkard, a joy that don’t prompt me to visit the widow and +the fatherless, a joy that don’t cause me to go into the +Mission Sunday-school or other Christian work, is not worth +having, and is not from above; a joy that does not constrain me +to go and work for the Master, is purely sentiment and not real +joy.</p> +<p class="pt2">JOY IN PERSECUTION.</p> +<p class="pn">Then it says in Luke vi, 22: “Blessed are ye +when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from +their company, and shall reproach you and cast out your name as +evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day and +leap for joy, for behold your reward is great in heaven for in +like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.”</p> +<p class="pn">Christians do not receive their reward down here. +We have to go right against the current of the world. We may be +unpopular, and we may go right against many of our personal +friends if we live godly in Christ Jesus; and at the same time, +if we are persecuted for the Master’s sake, We will have +this joy bubbling up; it just comes right up in our hearts all +the while—a joy that is unceasing—that flows right +on. The world can not choke that fountain. If we have Christ in +the heart, by and by the reward will come. The longer I live the +more I am convinced that godly men and women are not appreciated +in our day. But their work will live after them, and there will +be a greater work done after they are gone, by the influence of +their lives, than when they were living. Daniel is doing a +thousand times more than when he was living in Babylon. Abraham +is doing more to-day than he did on the plain with his tent and +altar. All these centuries he has been living, and so we read, +“Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, from +henceforth; yea saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their +labors, and their works do follow them.” Let us set the +streams running that shall flow on after we have gone. If we have +to-day persecution and opposition, let us press forward, and our +reward will be great by and by. Oh! think of this; the Lord +Jesus, the Maker of heaven and earth, who created the world, +says, “Great shall be thy reward.” He calls it great. +If some friend should say it is great, it might be very small; +but when the Lord, the great and mighty God, says it is great, +what must it be? Oh! the reward that is in store for those who +serve Him! We have this joy, if we serve Him. A man or woman is +not fit to work for God who is cast down, because they go about +their work with a tell-tale face. “The joy of the Lord is +your strength.” What we need to-day is a joyful church. A +joyful church will make inroads upon the works of Satan, and we +will see the Gospel going down into dark lanes and dark alleys, +and into dark garrets and cellars, and we will see the drunkards +reached and the gamblers and the harlots come pressing into the +kingdom of God. It is this carrying a sad countenance, with so +many wrinkles on our brows, that retards Christianity. Oh may +there come great joy upon believers everywhere, that we may shout +for joy and rejoice in God day and night. A joyful +church—let us pray for that, that the Lord may make us +joyful, and when we have joy, then we will have success; and if +we don’t have the reward we think we should have here, let +us constantly remember the rewarding time will come +hereafter.</p> +<p class="pn">Some one has said, if you had asked men in +Abraham’s day who their great man was, they would have said +Enoch, and not Abraham. If you had asked in Moses’ day who +their great man was, they would not have said it was Moses; he +was nothing, but it would have been Abraham. If you had asked in +the days of Elijah or Daniel, it wouldn’t have been Daniel +or Elijah; they were nothing; but it would have been Moses. And +in the days of Jesus Christ—if you had asked in the days of +Jesus Christ about John the Baptist or the apostles, you would +hear they were mean and contemptible in the sight of the world, +and were looked upon with scorn and reproach; but see how mighty +they have become. And so we will not be appreciated in our day, +but we are to toil on and work on, possessing this joy all the +while. And if we lack it, let us cry: “Restore unto me the +joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with Thy free Spirit; then +will I teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners shall be +converted unto Thee.”</p> +<p class="pn">Again, the 15th chapter of John, and 11th verse, +reads: “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy +might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” And +in the 16th chapter and 22d verse: “And ye now therefore +have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall +rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.”</p> +<p class="pn">I am so thankful that I have a joy that the world +can not rob me of; I have a treasure that the world can not take +from me; I have something that it is not in the power of man or +devil to deprive me of, and that is the joy of the Lord. +“No man taketh it from you.” In the second century, +they brought a martyr before a king, and the king wanted him to +recant and give up Christ and Christianity, but the man spurned +the proposition. But the king said: “If you don’t do +it, I will banish you.” The man smiled and answered: +“You can’t banish me from Christ, for He says He will +never leave me nor forsake me.” The king got angry, and +said: “Well, I will confiscate your property and take it +all from you.” And the man replied: “My treasures are +laid up on high; you can not get them.” The king became +still more angry, and said: “I will kill you.” +“Why,” the man answered, “I have been dead +forty years; I have been dead with Christ; dead to the world, and +my life is hid with Christ in God, and you can not touch +it.” And so we can rejoice, because we are on resurrection +ground, having risen with Christ. Let persecution and opposition +come, we can rejoice continually, and remember that our reward is +great, reserved for us unto the day when He who is our Life shall +appear, and we shall appear with Him in glory.</p> +<hr style="margin-top:5em;margin-bottom:15em"> +<p class="p1">“T<span class="sc">he</span> Spirit, oh, +sinner,</p> +<p class="p4">In mercy doth move</p> +<p class="p3">Thy heart, so long hardened,</p> +<p class="p4">Of sin to reprove;</p> +<p class="p3"><i>Resist</i> not the Spirit,</p> +<p class="p4">Nor longer delay;</p> +<p class="p0s">God’s gracious entreaties may end with +to-day.</p> +<p class="p3">Oh, child of the kingdom,</p> +<p class="p4">From sin service cease;</p> +<p class="p3">Be filled with the Spirit,</p> +<p class="p4">With comfort and peace.</p> +<p class="p3">Oh, <i>grieve</i> not the Spirit,</p> +<p class="p4">Thy Teacher is He,</p> +<p class="p0s">That Jesus, thy Saviour, may glorified be.</p> +<p class="p3">Defiled is the temple,</p> +<p class="p4">Its beauty laid low,</p> +<p class="p3">On God’s holy altar</p> +<p class="p4">The embers faint glow,</p> +<p class="p3">By love yet rekindled,</p> +<p class="p4">A flame may be fanned;</p> +<p class="p0">Oh, <i>quench</i> not the Spirit, <i>the Lord is at +hand!</i>”</p> +<p style="text-indent:21em; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0"> +—<i>P. P. Bliss.</i></p> +<hr style="margin-top:15em;margin-bottom:20.5em"> +<h1><a name="c5" id="c5">CHAPTER V.</a></h1> +<hr style="width:4em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:2em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:183%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +POWER HINDERED.</p> +<hr style="margin-top:28em;margin-bottom:18em"> +<p class="pns f11">The strokes of the “Sword of the +Spirit” alight only on the conscience, and its edge is +anointed with a bairn to heal every wound it may +inflict.—<i>Dr. J. Harris</i>.</p> +<p class="pns f11">Every vain thought and idle word, and every +wicked deed, is like so many drops to quench the Spirit of God. +Some quench Him with the lust of the flesh; some quench Him with +cares of the mind; some quench Him with long delays, that is, not +plying the motion when it cometh, but crossing the good thoughts +with bad thoughts, and doing a thing when the Spirit saith not. +The Spirit is often grieved before He be quenched.—<i>H. +Smith</i>.</p> +<p class="pn f11">In times when vile men held the high places of +the land, a roll of drums was employed to drown the +martyr’s voice, lest the testimony of truth from the +scaffold should reach the ears of the people,—an +illustration of how men deal with their own consciences, and seek +to put to silence the truth-telling voice of the Holy +Spirit.—<i>Arnot</i>.</p> +<hr style="margin-top:15.5em;margin-bottom:12em"> +<p class="pt1">POWER HINDERED.</p> +<hr style="width:4em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p class="pn">I<span class="sc">srael</span>, we are told, +limited the Holy One of Israel. They vexed and grieved the Holy +Spirit, and rebelled against His authority, but there is a +special sin against Him, which we may profitably consider. The +first description of it is in Matthew xii, 22d verse:</p> +<p class="pt2">THE UNPARDONABLE SIN.</p> +<p class="pn">“Then was brought unto Him one possessed with +a devil, blind and dumb; and He healed him, insomuch that the +blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were +amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the +Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out +devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. And Jesus knew +their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against +itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided +against itself shall not stand. And if Satan cast out Satan, he +is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And +if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast +them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out +devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto +you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, +and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and +then he will spoil his house. He that is not with me is against +me; and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad. +Wherefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall +be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost +shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word +against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever +speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, +neither in this world, neither in the world to come.” That +is Matthew’s account. Now let us read Mark’s account +in chapter iii, 21, etc.:</p> +<p class="pn">“And when His friends heard of it, they went +out to lay hold on Him, for they said: He (that is Christ) is +beside Himself. And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem +said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth +He out devils.”</p> +<p class="pn">The word Beelzebub means the Lord of Filth. They +charged the Lord Jesus with being possessed not only with an evil +spirit, but with a filthy spirit.</p> +<p class="pn">“And He called them unto Him, and said unto +them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom +be divided against itself, that kingdom can not stand. And if a +house be divided against itself, that house can not stand. And if +Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he can not stand, +but hath an end. No man can enter into a strong man’s +house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong +man; and then he will spoil his house. Verily I say unto you, all +sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies +wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall +blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is +in danger of eternal damnation.”</p> +<p class="pn">Now, if it stopped there, we would be left perhaps +in darkness, and we would not exactly understand what the sin +against the Holy Ghost is; but the next verse of this same +chapter of Mark just throws light upon the whole matter, and we +need not be in darkness another minute if we really want light; +for observe, the verse reads: “Because they said, He hath +an unclean spirit.”</p> +<p class="pn">Now, I have met a good many atheists and skeptics +and deists and infidels, both in this country and abroad, but I +never in my life met a man or woman who ever said that Jesus +Christ was possessed of an unclean devil. Did you? I don’t +think you ever met such a person. I have heard men say bitter +things against Christ, but I never heard any man stand up and say +that he thought Jesus Christ was possessed with the devil, and +that he cast out devils by the power of the devil; and I +don’t believe any man or woman has any right to say they +have committed the unpardonable sin, unless they have +maliciously, and wilfully and deliberately said that they believe +that Jesus Christ had a devil in Him, and that He was under the +power of the devil, and that He cast out devils by the power of +the devil. Because you perhaps have heard some one say that there +is such a thing as grieving the Spirit of God, and resisting the +Spirit of God until He has taken His flight and left you, then +you have said “That is the unpardonable sin.”</p> +<p class="pt2">WHAT IT IS NOT.</p> +<p class="pn">I admit there is such a thing as resisting the +Spirit of God, and resisting till the Spirit of God has departed; +but if the Spirit of God has left any, they will not be troubled +about their sins. The very fact that they are troubled, shows +that the Spirit of God has not left them. If a man is troubled +about his sins, it is the work of the Spirit; for Satan never yet +told him he was a sinner. Satan makes us believe that we are +pretty good; that we are good enough without God, safe without +Christ, and that we don’t need salvation. But when a man +wakes up to the fact that he is lost, that he is a sinner, that +is the work of the Spirit; and if the Spirit of God had left him, +he would not be in that state; and just because men and women +want to be Christians, is a sign that the Spirit of God is +drawing them.</p> +<p class="pn">If resisting the Spirit of God is an unpardonable +sin, then we have all committed it, and there is no hope for any +of us; for I do not believe there is a minister, or a worker in +Christ’s vineyard, who has not, some time in his life, +resisted the Holy Ghost; who has not some time in his life +rejected the Spirit of God. To resist the Holy Ghost is one +thing, and to commit that awful sin of blasphemy against the Holy +Ghost, is another thing; and we want to take the Scripture and +just compare them. Now, some people say, “I have such +blasphemous thoughts; there are some awful thoughts that come +into my mind against God,” and they think that is the +unpardonable sin. We are not to blame for having</p> +<p class="pt2">BAD THOUGHTS</p> +<p class="pnn">come into our minds. If we harbor them, then we +are to blame. But if the devil comes and darts an evil thought +into my mind, and I say, “Lord help me,” sin is not +reckoned to me. Who has not had evil thoughts come into his mind, +flash into his heart, and been called to fight them!</p> +<p class="pn">One old divine says, “You are not to blame +for the birds that fly over your head, but if you allow them to +come down and make a nest in your hair, then you are to blame. +You are to blame if you don’t fight them off.” And so +with these evil thoughts that come flashing into our minds; we +have to fight them, we are not to harbor them; we are not to +entertain them. If I have evil thoughts come into my mind, and +evil desires, it is no sign that I have committed the +unpardonable sin. If I love these thoughts and harbor them, and +think evil of God, and think Jesus Christ a blasphemer, I am +responsible for such gross iniquity; but if I charge Him with +being the prince of devils, then I am committing the unpardonable +sin.</p> +<p class="pt2">THE FAITHFUL FRIEND.</p> +<p class="pn">Let us now consider the sin of “Grieving the +Spirit.” <i>Resisting</i> the Holy Ghost is one thing, +<i>grieving</i> Him is another. Stephen charged the unbelieving +Jews in the 7th chapter of Acts, “Ye do always resist the +Holy Ghost as your fathers did, so do ye.” The world has +always been resisting the Spirit of God in all ages. That is the +history of the world. The world is to-day resisting the Holy +Spirit.</p> +<p class="pn">“Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” +The Divine Spirit as a friend reveals to this poor world its +faults, and the world only hates Him for it. He shows them the +plague of their hearts. He convinces or convicts them of sin, +therefore they fight the Spirit of God. I believe there is many a +man resisting the Holy Ghost; I believe there is many a man +to-day fighting against the Spirit of God.</p> +<p class="pn">In the 4th chapter of Ephesians, in the 30th, 31st, +and 32d verses, we read:</p> +<p class="pn">“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, +whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all +bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking +be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind, one to +another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for +Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”</p> +<p class="pn">Now, mark you, that was written to the Church at +Ephesus. “Grieve not the Holy Spirit, whereby ye are sealed +unto the day of redemption.” I believe today the Church all +over Christendom is guilty of grieving the Holy Spirit. There are +a good many believers in different churches wondering why the +work of God is not revived.</p> +<p class="pt2">THE CHURCH GRIEVES THE SPIRIT.</p> +<p class="pn">I think that if we search, we will find something +in the Church grieving the Spirit of God; it may be a mere schism +in the church; it may be some unsound doctrine; it may be some +division in the Church. There is one thing I have noticed as I +have traveled in different countries; I never yet have known the +Spirit of God to work where the Lord’s people were divided. +There is one thing that we must have if we are to have the Holy +Spirit of God to work in our midst, and that is unity. If a +church is divided, the members should immediately seek unity. Let +the believers come together and get the difficulty out of the +way. If the minister of a church can not unite the people, if +those that were dissatisfied will not fall in, it would be better +for that minister to retire. I think there are a good many +ministers in this country who are losing their time; they have +lost, some of them, months and years; they have not seen any +fruit, and they will not see any fruit, because they have a +divided church. Such a church can not grow in divine things. The +Spirit of God don’t work where there is division, and what +we want to-day is the spirit of unity amongst God’s +children, so that the Lord may work.</p> +<p class="pt2">WORLDLY AMUSEMENTS.</p> +<p class="pn">Then, another thing, I think, that grieves the +Spirit, is the miserable policy of introducing questionable +entertainments. There are the lotteries, for instance, that we +have in many churches. If a man wants to gamble, he doesn’t +have to go to some gambling den; he can stay in the church. And +there are fairs—bazaars, as they call them—where they +have rafflings and grab-bags. And if he wants to see a drama, he +don’t need to go to the theater, for many of our churches +are turned into theaters; he may stay right in the church and +witness the acting. I believe all these things grieve the Spirit +of God. I believe when we bring the Church down to the level of +the world to reach the world, we are losing all the while and +grieving the Spirit of God.</p> +<p class="pn">But some say, if we take that standard and lift it +up high, it will drive away a great many members from our +churches. I believe it, and I think the quicker they are gone the +better. The world has come into the Church like a flood, and how +often you find an ungodly choir employed to do the singing for +the whole congregation; the idea that we need an ungodly man to +sing praises to God! It was not long ago I heard of a church +where they had an unconverted choir, and the minister saw +something about the choir that he didn’t like, and he spoke +to the chorister, but the chorister replied: “You attend to +your end of the church, and I will attend to mine.” You can +not expect the Spirit of God to work in a church in such a state +as that.</p> +<p class="pt2">UNCONVERTED CHOIRS.</p> +<p class="pn">Paul tells us not to speak in an unknown tongue, +and if we have choirs who are singing in an unknown tongue, why +is not that just as great an abomination? I have been in churches +where they have had a choir, who would rise and sing, and sing, +and it seemed as if they sung five or ten minutes, and I could +not understand one solitary word they sung, and all the while the +people were looking around carelessly. There are, perhaps, a +select few, very fond of fine music, and they want to bring the +opera right into the church, and so they have opera music in the +church, and the people, who are drowsy and sleepy, don’t +take part in the singing. They hire ungodly men, unconverted men, +and these men will sometimes get the Sunday paper, and get back +in the organ loft, and the moment the minister begins his sermon, +they will take out their papers and read them all the while that +the minister is preaching. The organist, provided he does not go +out for a walk—if he happens to keep awake, will read his +paper, or, perhaps, a novel, while the minister is preaching; and +the minister wonders why God don’t revive His work; he +wonders why he is losing his hold on the congregation; he wonders +why people don’t come crowding into the church; why people +are running after the world instead of coming into the church. +The trouble is that we have let down the standard; we have +grieved the Spirit of God. One movement of God’s power is +worth more than all our artificial power, and what the Church of +God wants to-day is to get down in the dust of humiliation and +confession of sin, and go out and be separated from the world; +and then see if we do not have power with God and with man.</p> +<p class="pt2">WHAT IS SUCCESS?</p> +<p class="pn">The Gospel has not lost its power; it is just as +powerful to-day as it ever has been. We don’t want any new +doctrine. It is still the old Gospel with the old power, the Holy +Ghost power; and if the churches will but confess their sins and +put them away, and lift the standard instead of pulling it down, +and pray to God to lift us all up into a higher and holier life, +then the fear of the Lord will come upon the people around +us.</p> +<p class="pn">It was when Jacob put away strange gods and set his +face toward Bethel that the fear of God fell upon the nations +around. And when the churches turn towards God, and we cease +grieving the Spirit, so that He may work through us, we will then +have conversions all the while. Believers will be added to the +Church daily. It is sad when you look over Christendom and see +how desolate it is, and see how little spiritual life, spiritual +power, there is in the Church of God to-day, many of the church +members not even wanting this Holy Ghost power. They don’t +desire it; they want intellectual power; they want to get some +man who will just draw; and a choir that will draw; not caring +whether any one is saved. With them that is not the question. +Only fill the pews, have good society, fashionable people, and +dancing; such persons are found one night at the theater and the +next night at the opera. They don’t like the +prayer-meetings; they abominate them; if the minister will only +lecture and entertain, that would suit them. I said to a man some +time ago, “How are you getting on at your church?” +“Oh, splendid.” “Many conversions?” +“Well—well, on that side we are not getting on so +well. But,” he said, “we rented all our pews and are +able to pay all our running expenses; we are getting on +splendidly.” That is what the godless call “getting +on splendidly;” because they rent the pews, pay the +minister, and pay all the running expenses. Conversions! that is +a strange thing. There was a man being shown through one of the +cathedrals of Europe; he had come in from the country, and one of +the men belonging to the cathedral was showing him around, when +he inquired, “Do you have many conversions here?” +“Many what?” “Many conversions here?” +“Ah, man, this is not a Wesleyan chapel.” The idea of +there being conversions there! And you can go into a good many +churches in this country and ask if they have many conversions +there, and they would not know what it meant, they are so far +away from the Lord; they are not looking for conversions, and +don’t expect them.</p> +<p class="pt2">SHIPWRECKS.</p> +<p class="pn">Alas! how many young converts have made shipwreck +against such churches. Instead of being a harbor of delight to +them, they have proved false lights, alluring them to +destruction. Isn’t it time for us to get down on our faces +before God and cry mightily to Him to forgive us our sins. The +quicker we own it the better. You may be invited to a party, and +it may be made up of church members, and what will be the +conversation? Oh, I got so sick of such parties that I left years +ago; I would not think of spending a night that way; it is a +waste of time; there is hardly a chance to say a word for the +Master. If you talk of a personal Christ, your company becomes +offensive; they don’t like it; they want you to talk about +the world, about a popular minister, a popular church, a good +organ, a good choir, and they say, “Oh, we have a grand +organ, and a superb choir,” and all that, and it suits +them; but that don’t warm the Christian heart. When you +speak of a risen Christ and a personal Saviour, they don’t +like it; the fact is, the world has come into the church and +taken possession of it, and what we want to do is to wake up and +ask God to forgive us for “Grieving the Spirit.”</p> +<p class="pn">Dear reader, search your heart and inquire, Have I +done anything to grieve the Spirit of God? If you have, may God +show it to you to-day; if you have done any thing to grieve the +Spirit of God, you want to know it to-day, and get down on your +face before God and ask Him to forgive you and help you to put it +away. I have lived long enough to know that if I can not have the +power of the Spirit of God on me to help me to work for Him, I +would rather die, than live just for the sake of living. How many +are there in the church to-day, who have been members for fifteen +or twenty years, but have never done a solitary thing for Jesus +Christ? They can not lay their hands upon one solitary soul who +has been blessed through their influence; they can not point +to-day to one single person who has ever been lifted up by +them.</p> +<p class="pt2">QUENCH NOT.</p> +<p class="pn">In 1st Thessalonians, 5th chapter, we are told not +to Quench the Spirit. Now, I am confident the cares of the world +are coming in and quenching the Spirit with a great many. They +say: “I don’t care for the world;” perhaps not +the <i>pleasures</i> of the world so much after all as the +<i>cares</i> of this life; but they have just let the cares come +in and quench the Spirit of God. Anything that comes between me +and God—between my soul and God—quenches the Spirit. +It may be my family. You may say: “Is there any danger of +my loving my family too much?” Not if we love God more; but +God must have the first place. If I love my family more than God, +then I am quenching the Spirit of God within me; if I love +wealth, if I love fame, if I love honor, if I love position, if I +love pleasure, if I love self, more than I love God who created +and saved me, then I am committing a sin; I am not only grieving +the Spirit of God, but quenching Him, and robbing my soul of His +power.</p> +<p class="pt2">EMBLEMS OF THE SPIRIT.</p> +<p class="pn">But I would further call attention to the emblems +of the Holy Spirit. An emblem is something that represents an +object; the same as a balance is an emblem of justice, and a +crown an emblem of royalty, and a scepter is an emblem of power; +so we find in the 17th chapter of Exodus and 6th verse, that +water is an emblem of the Holy Spirit. You find in the Smitten +Rock, in the wilderness, the work of the Trinity illustrated.</p> +<p class="pn">“Behold, I will stand before thee there upon +the rock in Horeb; and thou shall smite the rock, and there shall +come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did +so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.”</p> +<p class="pn">Paul declares, in Corinthians, that the rock was +Christ; it represented Christ. God says: “I will stand upon +the rock,” and as Moses smote the rock the water came out, +which was an emblem of the Holy Spirit; and it flowed out along +through the camp; and they drank of the water. Now water is +cleansing; it is fertilizing; it is refreshing; it is abundant, +and it is freely given; and so the Spirit of God is the same: +cleansing, fertilizing, refreshing, reviving, and He was freely +given when the smitten Christ was glorified. Then, too, fire is +an emblem of the Spirit; it is purifying, illuminating, +searching. We talk about searching our hearts. We can not do it. +What we want is to have God search them. O that God may search us +and bring out the hidden things, the secret things that cluster +there and bring them to light. The wind is another emblem. It is +independent, powerful, sensible in its effects, and reviving; how +the Spirit of God revives when He comes to all the drooping +members of the Church. Then the rain and the +dew—fertilizing, refreshing, abundant; and the dove, +gentle—what more gentle than the dove; and the +lamb?—gentle, meek, innocent, a sacrifice. We read of the +wrath of God; we read of the wrath of the Lamb, but nowhere do we +read of the wrath of the Holy Spirit—gentle, innocent, +meek, loving; and that Spirit wants to take possession of our +hearts. And He comes as a voice, another emblem—speaking, +guiding, warning, teaching; and the seal—impressing, +securing, and making us as His own. May we know Him in all His +wealth of blessing. This is my prayer for myself—for you. +May we heed the words of the grand Apostle: “My speech and +my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, +but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power: that your faith +should not stand <span class="sc">in the wisdom of men, but in +the power of God</span>.”</p> +<hr style="margin-top:5em;margin-bottom:1.2em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center; font-size:133%; letter-spacing:0.2em; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0.8em;"> +WORKS BY D. L. MOODY</p> +<hr style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p class="pt3">Moody’s Anecdotes.</p> +<p class="pt3">Moody’s Stories.</p> +<p class="pt3">Men of the Bible.</p> +<p class="pt3">Weighed and Wanting.</p> +<p class="pt3">Short Talks.</p> +<p class="pt3">Latest Sermons.</p> +<p class="pt3">Thoughts for the Quiet Hour.</p> +<p class="pt3">The Overcoming Life.</p> +<p class="pt3">Sowing and Reaping.</p> +<p class="pt3">Pleasure and Profit in Bible Study.</p> +<p class="pt3">Sovereign Grace.</p> +<p class="pt3">Bible Characters.</p> +<p class="pt3">Prevailing Prayer.</p> +<p class="pt3">To the Work!</p> +<p class="pt3">The Way to God.</p> +<p class="pt3">Heaven.</p> +<p class="pt3">Secret Power.</p> +<p class="pt3">Select Sermons.</p> +<p class="pt3">Moody in Chicago; or The World’s Fair Gospel +Campaign.</p> +<p class="pt3">The Home Work of D. L. Moody.</p> +<p class="pt3">The Full Assurance of Faith.</p> +<p class="pt3">How to Study the Bible.</p> +<p class="pt3">The Way and the Word.</p> +<p class="pt3">The Second Coming of Christ.</p> +<p class="pt3">Inquiry Meetings.</p> +<p class="pt3">Gospel Booklets.</p> +<hr style="width:17em;margin-top:1.0em; margin-bottom:0.5em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:100%; letter-spacing:0.12em; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0.2em"> +F<span class="sc">leming H. Revell Company</span></p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:71%; margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.2em"> +CHICAGO NEW YORK TORONTO</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:71%; margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.5em"> +PUBLISHERS OF EVANGELICAL LITERATURE</p> +<hr style="margin-top:5em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center; font-size:133%; letter-spacing:0.2em; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1.0em;"> +WORKS BY G. 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Cloth, +$1.00.</p> +<p class="pt6">W<span class="sc">herein Have We Robbed +God</span>?</p> +<p class="pt7">M<span class="sc">alachi’s Message to the +Men of Today</span>.</p> +<p class="pt7">12mo, cloth, 75 cents.</p> +<p class="pt6">G<span class="sc">od’s Perfect +Will</span>.</p> +<p class="pt7">16mo, cloth, 50 cents.</p> +<p class="pt6">L<span class="sc">ife Problems</span>.</p> +<p class="pt7">L<span class="sc">ittle Books Series</span>.</p> +<p class="pt7">Long 16mo, 50 cents.</p> +<p class="pt6">T<span class="sc">he Ten Commandments</span>.</p> +<p class="pt7">S<span class="sc">tudies in the Law of Moses and +the Law of Christ</span>.</p> +<p class="pt7">12mo, cloth, 50 cents.</p> +<p class="pt6">D<span class="sc">iscipleship.</span></p> +<p class="pt7">L<span class="sc">ittle Books Series</span>.</p> +<p class="pt7">Long 16mo, cloth, 50c.</p> +<p class="pt6">T<span class="sc">he Hidden Years at +Nazareth</span>.</p> +<p class="pt7">Q<span class="sc">uiet Hour Series</span>.</p> +<p class="pt7">18mo, cloth, 25 cents.</p> +<p class="pt6">T<span class="sc">he True Estimate of +Life</span>.</p> +<p class="pt7">12mo, paper, 15 cents.</p> +<p class="pt7">Cloth, 75 cents, net.</p> +<p class="pt6">“A<span class="sc">ll Things +New</span>”</p> +<p class="pt7">A M<span class="sc">essage to New +Converts</span>.</p> +<p class="pt7">16mo, paper, 10 cents.</p> +<hr style="width:17em;margin-top:1.0em; margin-bottom:0.5em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:100%; letter-spacing:0.12em; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0.3em"> +F<span class="sc">leming H. Revell Company</span></p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:71%; margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0"> +PUBLISHERS</p> +<hr style="margin-top:5em;margin-bottom:1.0em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:158%;letter-spacing:0.23em; margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.1em"> +THE RED LIBRARY</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:96%; letter-spacing:0.1em; margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1.0em"> +16MO, CLOTH, EACH, NET, 30 CTS.</p> +<hr style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1.0em"> +<p class="pt3a">Weighed and Wanting.</p> +<p class="pt3a">Men of the Bible.</p> +<p class="pt3a">Bible Characters.</p> +<p class="pt3a">Select Sermons.</p> +<p class="pt3a">Moody’s Anecdotes.</p> +<p class="pt3a">The Overcoming Life.</p> +<p class="pt3a">The Way to God.</p> +<p class="pt3a">Thoughts for the Quiet Hour.</p> +<p class="pt3a">Moody’s Latest Sermons</p> +<p class="pt3a">Short Talks by D. L. Moody.</p> +<p class="pt3a">Pleasure and Profit in Bible Study. Sowing and +Reaping.</p> +<p class="pt3a">Heaven.</p> +<p class="pt3a">Moody’s Stories.</p> +<p class="pt3a">To the Work!</p> +<p class="pt3a">Sovereign Grace.</p> +<p class="pt3a">Prevailing Prayer.</p> +<p class="pt3a">Secret Power.</p> +<p style= +"margin-left:2.0em; text-indent:-1.5em; font-size:79%; line-height:1.2em; margin-top:0.4em; margin-bottom:0.5em"> +<i>The above eighteen volumes are all by D. L. Moody, and are +published as “The Moody Library,” in boxed set, net, +$5.40.</i></p> +<p class="pt3a">The True Estimate of Life.</p> +<p class="pt4">By G. C<span class="sc">ampbell Morgan</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3a">All of Grace.</p> +<p class="pt4">By C. H. S<span class="sc">purgeon</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3a">According to Promise.</p> +<p class="pt4">BY C. H. S<span class="sc">purgeon</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3a">John Ploughman’s Talks.</p> +<p class="pt4">By C. H. S<span class="sc">purgeon</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3a">John Ploughman’s Pictures.</p> +<p class="pt4">By C. H. 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Revell Company</span></p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:71%; margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.2em"> +CHICAGO NEW YORK TORONTO</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:71%; margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.5em"> +PUBLISHERS OF EVANGELICAL LITERATURE</p> +<hr style="margin-top:5em;margin-bottom:1.0em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:158%; letter-spacing:0.2em; margin-top:0.2em; margin-bottom:0.1em"> +WORKS BY HANNAH</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:158%; letter-spacing:0.38em; margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.4em"> +WHITALL SMITH</p> +<hr style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p class="pt6">T<span class="sc">he Christian’s Secret of a +Happy Life</span></p> +<p class="pt5">No. 02. Cloth. 75c.</p> +<p class="pt5">No. 03. Cloth, gilt edges. $1.00</p> +<p class="pt5">No. 04. White cloth, boxed. $1.25</p> +<p class="pt5">Popular edition. 12mo, cloth. 50 cents.</p> +<p class="pt4a">T<span class="sc">he Handy Classic +Edition</span>. 16mo.</p> +<p class="pt5">No. 3. Cloth, gilt edges. 85 cents.</p> +<p class="pt4a">No. 3½. Decorated white vellum, gilt +edges.</p> +<p class="pt5">No. 4. French morocco seal. $1.50.</p> +<p class="pt5">No. 12. Best German calf, embossed. $2.25.</p> +<p class="pt5">No. 14. Best German calf, padded. $2.50.</p> +<p class="pt5">Nos. 4, 12 and 14 are gilt edges, round corners, +boxed.</p> +<p class="pt4a">S<span class="sc">wedish Edition</span>.</p> +<p class="pt5">12mo, cloth. 75 cents,</p> +<p class="pt4a">D<span class="sc">anish-Norwegian</span>.</p> +<p class="pt5">12mo, cloth. 75 cents.</p> +<p class="pt4a">G<span class="sc">erman Edition</span>.</p> +<p class="pt5">12mo, cloth. 75 cents.</p> +<p class="pt6">H. W. S. 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Revell Company</span></p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:71%; margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.2em"> +CHICAGO NEW YORK TORONTO</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:71%; margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.5em"> +PUBLISHERS OF EVANGELICAL LITERATURE</p> +<hr style="margin-top:5em;margin-bottom:1em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:158%;letter-spacing:0.2em; margin-top:0.2em;margin-bottom:0.1em"> +THE SPIRIT-FILLED</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:158%; margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.4em"> +<span style="letter-spacing:0.64em">LIFE SERIE</span>S.</p> +<hr style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p class="pt3">The Spirit-Filled Life.</p> +<p class="pt4">By J<span class="sc">ohn MacNeil</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">Kept for the Master’s Use.</p> +<p class="pt4">By F<span class="sc">rances Ridley +Havergal</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">A Castaway,</p> +<p class="pt4">and other addresses.</p> +<p class="pt4">By F. B. M<span class="sc">eyer</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">Light on Life’s Duties.</p> +<p class="pt4">By F. B. M<span class="sc">eyer</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">The Secret of Guidance.</p> +<p class="pt4">By F. B. M<span class="sc">eyer</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">In Christ.</p> +<p class="pt4">By A. J. G<span class="sc">ordon</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">Heaven on Earth.</p> +<p class="pt4">By A. C. D<span class="sc">ixon</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">Absolute Surrender.</p> +<p class="pt4">By A<span class="sc">ndrew Murray</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">Meet for the Master’s Use.</p> +<p class="pt4">By F. B. M<span class="sc">eyer</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">Addresses.</p> +<p class="pt4">By H<span class="sc">enry Drummond</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">The Power of Pentecost.</p> +<p class="pt4">By T<span class="sc">hos. Waugh</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">The Overcoming Life.</p> +<p class="pt4">By D. L. M<span class="sc">oody</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">Back to Bethel.</p> +<p class="pt4">By F. B. M<span class="sc">eyer</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life.</p> +<p class="pt4">By H. W. S<span class="sc">mith</span>.</p> +<p style= +"text-align:left;text-indent:0.7em; font-size:75%;margin-top:1.0em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +12mo, decorated cloth, each, net, 30 cents.</p> +<hr style="width:17em;margin-top:1.0em; margin-bottom:0.5em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:100%; letter-spacing:0.12em; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0.2em"> +F<span class="sc">leming H. Revell Company</span></p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:71%; margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.2em"> +CHICAGO NEW YORK TORONTO</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:71%; margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.5em"> +PUBLISHERS OF EVANGELICAL LITERATURE</p> +<hr style="margin-top:5em;margin-bottom:0.8em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:158%; letter-spacing:0.77em; margin-top:0.1em; margin-bottom:0.1em"> +THE QUIET</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:158%;letter-spacing:0.46em;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.4em"> +HOUR SERIES</p> +<hr style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p class="pt3">A Life for a Life.</p> +<p class="pt4">By H<span class="sc">enry Drummond</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">Peace, Perfect Peace.</p> +<p class="pt4">By F. B. M<span class="sc">eyer</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">Money.</p> +<p class="pt4">By A<span class="sc">ndrew Murray</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">Jesus Himself.</p> +<p class="pt4">By A<span class="sc">ndrew Murray</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">Love Made Perfect.</p> +<p class="pt4">By A<span class="sc">ndrew Murray</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">The Ivory Palaces of the King.</p> +<p class="pt4">By J. W<span class="sc">ilbur Chapman</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">Christ Reflected in Creation.</p> +<p class="pt4">By D.C. M<span class="sc">cMillan</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">How the Inner Light Failed.</p> +<p class="pt4">N<span class="sc">ewell Dwight Hillis</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">The Man Who Wanted to Help.</p> +<p class="pt4">By J. S. K. M<span class="sc">cCclure</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">Young Men in History.</p> +<p class="pt4">By F. W. G<span class="sc">unsaulus</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">St. Paul. An Autobiography.</p> +<p class="pt3">Faith Building.</p> +<p class="pt4">By W<span class="sc">m. P. Merrill</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">The Dearest Psalm and the Model Prayer.</p> +<p class="pt4">By H<span class="sc">enry Ostrom</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">The Life Beyond.</p> +<p class="pt4">By M<span class="sc">rs. Alfred Gatty</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">Mountain Tops with Jesus.</p> +<p class="pt4">T<span class="sc">heodore L. Cuyler</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">The Hidden Years of Nazareth.</p> +<p class="pt4">G. C<span class="sc">ampbell Morgan</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">Where He Is.</p> +<p class="pt4">C<span class="sc">leland B. McAfee</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">Environment.</p> +<p class="pt4">By J. G. K. M<span class="sc">cClure</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">Nutshell Musings.</p> +<p class="pt4">By A<span class="sc">mos R. Wells</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">I Go a Fishing.</p> +<p class="pt4">By W<span class="sc">m. E. Barton</span>.</p> +<p class="pt3">Upon the Sunroad.</p> +<p class="pt4">By B<span class="sc">ishop Hurst</span>.</p> +<p style= +"text-align:left;text-indent:0.8em; font-size:75%;margin-top:1.5em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<i>18mo, cloth, each, 25 cents</i>.</p> +<hr style="width:17em;margin-top:1.0em; margin-bottom:0.5em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:100%; letter-spacing:0.12em; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0.2em"> +F<span class="sc">leming H. Revell Company</span></p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:71%; margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.2em"> +CHICAGO NEW YORK TORONTO</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:71%; margin-top:0;margin-bottom:3.5em"> +PUBLISHERS OF EVANGELICAL LITERATURE</p> + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Secret Power, by Dwight L. Moody + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SECRET POWER *** + +***** This file should be named 33341-h.htm or 33341-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/3/3/4/33341/ + +Produced by Keith G. Richardson + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Secret Power + or the Secret of Success in Christian Life and Work + +Author: Dwight L. Moody + +Release Date: August 3, 2010 [EBook #33341] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SECRET POWER *** + + + + +Produced by Keith G. Richardson + + + + + + + +SECRET POWER + + +OR THE + + +SECRET OF SUCCESS IN CHRISTIAN + +LIFE AND WORK. + + +By D. L. MOODY + + +FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY + +NEW YORK : : CHICAGO : : TORONTO + +_Publishers of Evangelical Literature_ + + + +Copyrighted 1881, by FLEMING H. REVELL. + + + +PREFACE. + + +One man may have "zeal without knowledge," while another may have +knowledge without zeal. If I could have only the one, I believe I +should choose the first; but, with an open Bible, no one need be +without knowledge of God's will and purpose; and the object of this +book is to help others to know the source of true power, that both +their zeal and their knowledge may be of increased service in the +Master's work. + +Paul says, "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is +profitable;" but I believe one portion, and that the subject of this +book, has been too much overlooked, as though it were not practical, +and the result is lack of power in testimony and work. If we would +work, "not as one that beateth the air," but to some definite purpose, +we must have this power from on high. Without this power, our work +will be drudgery. With it, it becomes a joyful task, a refreshing +service. + +May God make this book a blessing to many. This is my prayer. + + +D. L. MOODY. + + +NORTHFIELD, MASS., May 1st, 1881. + + + +CHAPTER I. + + +POWER--ITS SOURCE + + +In vain do the inhabitants of London go to their conduits for supply +unless the man who has the master-key turns the water on; and in vain +do we think to quench our thirst at ordinances, unless God +communicates the living water of His Spirit.--_Anon_. + +It was the custom of the Roman emperors, at their triumphal entrance, +to cast new coins among the multitudes; so doth Christ, in His +triumphal ascension into heaven, throw the greatest gifts for the good +of men that were ever given.--_T. Goodwin_. + +To unconverted persons, a great part of the Bible resembles a letter +written in cipher. The blessed Spirit's office is to act as God's +decipherer, by letting His people into the secret of celestial +experience, as the key and clew to those sweet mysteries of grace +which were before as a garden shut up, or as a fountain sealed, or as +a book written in an unknown character.--_Toplady_. + +The greatest, strongest, mightiest plea for the Church of God in the +world is the existence of the Spirit of God in its midst, and the +works of the Spirit of God are the true evidences of Christianity. +They say miracles are withdrawn, but the Holy Spirit is the standing +miracle of the Church of God to-day. I will not say a word against +societies for Christian evidences, nor against those weighty and +learned brethren who have defended the outworks of the Christian +Church. They have done good service, and I wish them every blessing, +but as to my own soul, I never was settled in my faith in Christ by +Paley's Evidences, nor by all the evidence ever brought from history +or elsewhere; the Holy Spirit has taken the burden off my shoulders, +and given me peace and liberty. This to me is evidence, and as to the +externals which we can quote to others, it was enough for Peter and +John that the people saw the lame man healed, and they needed not to +speak for themselves.--_Spurgeon_. + + +POWER--ITS SOURCE. + + +"Without the soul, divinely quickened and inspired, the observances of +the grandest ritualism are as worthless as the motions of a galvanized +corpse."--_Anon_. + +I QUOTE this sentence, as it leads me at once to the subject under +consideration. What is this quickening and inspiration? What is this +power needed? From whence its source? I reply: The Holy Spirit of God. +I am a full believer in "The Apostles' Creed," and therefore "I +believe in the Holy Ghost." + +A writer has pointedly asked: "What are our souls without His grace?--as +dead as the branch in which the sap does not circulate. What is the +Church without Him?--as parched and barren as the fields without the +dew and rain of heaven." + +There has been much inquiry of late on the subject of the Holy Spirit. +In this and other lands thousands of persons have been giving +attention to the study of this grand theme. I hope it will lead us all +to pray for a greater manifestation of His power upon the whole Church +of God. How much we have dishonored Him in the past! How ignorant of +His grace, and love and presence we have been? True, we have heard of +Him and read of Him, but we have had little intelligent knowledge of +His attributes, His offices and His relations to us. I fear He has not +been to many professed Christians an actual existence, nor is He known +to them as a personality of the Godhead. + +The first work of the Spirit is to give life; spiritual life. He gives +it and He sustains it. If there is no life, there can be no power; +Solomon says: "A living dog is better than a dead lion." When the +Spirit imparts this life, He does not leave us to droop and die, but +constantly fans the flame. He is ever with us. Surely we ought not to +be ignorant of His power and his work. + + +IDENTITY AND PERSONALITY. + + +In John v, 7, we read: "There are three that bear record in heaven, +the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one." By +the Father is meant the first Person, Christ, the Word is the second, +and the Holy Spirit, perfectly fulfilling His own office and work in +union with the Father and the Son, is the third. I find clearly +presented in my Bible, that the One God who demands my love, service +and worship, has there revealed Himself, and that each of those three +names of Father, Son and Holy Ghost has personality attached to them. +Therefore we find some things ascribed to God as Father, some to God +as Saviour, and some to God as Comforter and Teacher. It has been +remarked that the Father plans, the Son executes, and the Holy Spirit +applies. But I also believe they plan and work together. The +distinction of _persons_ is often noted in Scripture. In Matt. iii, +16-17, we find JESUS submitting to baptism, the SPIRIT descending upon +Him, while the FATHER'S voice of approval is heard saying: "This is my +Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Again in John xiv, 16, we +read: "I (_i. e._ Jesus) will pray the Father, and He shall give you +another Comforter." Also in Eph. i, 18: "Through Him (_i. e._ Christ +Jesus) we both (Jews and Gentiles) have access by one Spirit unto the +Father." Thus we are taught the distinction of persons in the Godhead, +and their inseparable union. From these and other scriptures also we +learn the identity and actual existence of the Holy Spirit. + +If you ask do I _understand_ what is thus revealed in Scripture, I say +"no." But my faith bows down before the inspired Word and I +unhesitatingly believe the great things of God when even reason is +blinded and the intellect confused. + +In addition to the teaching of God's Word, the Holy Spirit in His +gracious work in the soul declares His own presence. Through His +agency we are "born again," and through His indwelling we possess +superhuman power. Science, falsely so called, when arrayed against the +existence and presence of the Spirit of God with His people, only +exposes its own folly to the contempt of those who have become "new +creatures in Christ Jesus." The Holy Spirit who inspired prophets, and +qualified apostles, continues to animate, guide and comfort all true +believers. To the actual Christian, the personality of the Holy Spirit +is more real than any theory science has to offer, for so-called +science is but calculation based on human observation, and is +constantly changing its inferences. But the existence of the Holy +Spirit is to the child of God a matter of Scripture revelation and of +actual experience. + +Some skeptics assert that there is no other vital energy in the world +but physical force, while contrary to their assertions, thousands and +tens of thousands who can not possibly be deceived have been quickened +into spiritual life by a power neither physical or mental. Men who +were dead in sins--drunkards who lost their will, blasphemers who lost +their purity, libertines sunk in beastliness, infidels who published +their shame to the world, have in numberless instances become the +subjects of the Spirit's power, and are now walking in the true +nobility of Christian manhood, separated by an infinite distance from +their former life. Let others reject, if they will, at their own +peril, this imperishable truth. I believe, and am growing more into +this belief, that divine, miraculous creative power resides in the +Holy Ghost. Above and beyond all natural law, yet in harmony with it, +creation, providence, the Divine government, and the upbuilding of the +Church of God are presided over by the Spirit of God. His ministration +is the ministration of life more glorious than the ministration of +law, (2 Cor. iii, 6-10). And like the Eternal Son, the Eternal Spirit +having life in Himself, is working out all things after the counsel of +His own will, and for the everlasting glory of the Triune Godhead. + +The Holy Spirit has all the qualities belonging to a person; the power +to understand, to will, to do, to call, to feel, to love. This can not +be said of a mere influence. He possesses attributes and qualities +which can only be ascribed to a person, as acts and deeds are +performed by Him which can not be performed by a machine, an +influence, or a result. + + +AGENT AND INSTRUMENT. + + +The Holy Spirit is closely identified with the words of the Lord +Jesus. "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing, +the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life." +The Gospel proclamation can not be divorced from the Holy Spirit. +Unless He attend the word in power, vain will be the attempt in +preaching it. Human eloquence or persuasiveness of speech are the mere +trappings of the dead, if the living Spirit be absent; the prophet may +preach to the bones in the valley, but it must be the breath from +Heaven which will cause the slain to live. + +In the third chapter of the First Epistle of Peter, it reads, "For +Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that +He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but +quickened by the Spirit." + +Here we see that Christ was raised up from the grave by this same +Spirit, and the power exercised to raise Christ's dead body must raise +our dead souls and quicken them. No other power on earth can quicken a +dead soul, but the same power that raised the body of Jesus Christ out +of Joseph's sepulcher. And if we want that power to quicken our +friends who are dead in sin, we must look to God, and not be looking +to man to do it. If we look alone to ministers, if we look alone to +Christ's disciples to do this work, we shall be disappointed; but if +we look to the Spirit of God and expect it to come from Him and Him +alone, then we shall honor the Spirit, and the Spirit will do His +work. + + +SECRET OF EFFICIENCY. + + +I can not help but believe there are many Christians who want to be +more efficient in the Lord's service, and the object of this book is +to take up this subject of the Holy Spirit, that they may see from +whom to expect this power. In the teaching of Christ, we find the last +words recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, the 28th chapter and 19th +verse, "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the +name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Here we +find that the Holy Spirit and the Son are equal with the Father--are +one with Him, "teaching them in the name of the Father, and of the +Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Christ was now handing His commission +over to His Apostles. He was going to leave them. His work on earth +was finished, and He was now just about ready to take His seat at the +right hand of God, and He spoke unto them and said: "All power is +given unto Me in heaven and on earth." All power, so then He had +authority. If Christ was mere man, as some people try to make out, it +would have been blasphemy for Him to have said to the disciples, go +and baptize all nations in the name of the Father, and in His own +name, and in that of the Holy Ghost, making Himself equal with the +Father. + +There are three things: _All power_ is given unto Me; go _teach all_ +nations. Teach them what? To _observe all_ things. There are a great +many people now that are willing to observe what they like about +Christ, but the things that they don't like they just dismiss and turn +away from. But His commission to His disciples was, "Go teach all +nations to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." And +what right has a messenger who has been sent of God to change the +message? If I had sent a servant to deliver a message, and the servant +thought the message didn't sound exactly right--a little harsh--and +that servant went and changed the message, I should change servants +very quickly; he could not serve me any longer. And when a minister or +a messenger of Christ begins to change the message because he thinks +it is not exactly what it ought to be, and thinks he is wiser than +God, God just dismisses that man. + +They haven't taught "all things." They have left out some of the +things that Christ has commanded us to teach, because they didn't +correspond with man's reason. Now we have to take the Word of God just +as it is; and if we are going to take it, we have no authority to take +out just what we like, what we think is appropriate, and let dark +reason be our guide. + +It is the work of the Spirit to impress the heart and seal the +preached word. His office is to take of the things of Christ and +reveal them unto us. + +Some people have got an idea that this is the only dispensation of the +Holy Ghost; that He didn't work until Christ was glorified. But Simeon +felt the Holy Ghost when he went into the temple. In 2d Peter, i. 21, +we read: "Holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." +We find the same Spirit in Genesis as is seen in Revelation. The same +Spirit that guided the hand that wrote Exodus inspired also the +epistles, and we find the same Spirit speaking from one end of the +Bible to the other. So holy men in all ages have spoken as they were +moved by the Holy Ghost. + + +HIS PERSONALITY. + + +I was a Christian a long time before I found out that the Holy Ghost +was a person. Now this is something a great many don't seem to +understand, but if you will just take up the Bible and see what Christ +had to say about the Holy Spirit, you will find that He always spoke +of Him as a person--never spoke of Him as an influence. Some people +have an idea that the Holy Spirit is an attribute of God, just like +mercy--just an influence coming from God. But we find in the +fourteenth chapter of John, sixteenth verse, these words: "And I will +pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter that He may +abide with you forever." That _He_ may abide with you forever. And, +again, in the same chapter, seventeenth verse: "Even the Spirit of +Truth, whom the world can not receive, because it seeth Him not, +neither knoweth Him; but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you and +shall be in you." Again, in the twenty-sixth verse of the same +chapter: "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father +will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all +things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you." + +Observe the pronouns "He" and "Him." I want to call attention to this +fact that whenever Christ spoke of the Holy Ghost He spoke of Him as a +person, not a mere influence; and if we want to honor the Holy Ghost, +let us bear in mind that He is one of the Trinity, a personality of +the Godhead. + + +THE RESERVOIR OF LOVE. + + +We read that the fruit of the Spirit is love. God is love, Christ is +love, and we should not be surprised to read about the love of the +Spirit. What a blessed attribute is this. May I call it the dome of +the temple of the graces. Better still, it is the crown of crowns worn +by the Triune God. Human love is a natural emotion which flows forth +towards the object of our affections. But Divine love is as high above +human love as the heaven is above the earth. The natural man is of the +earth, earthy, and however pure his love may be, it is weak and +imperfect at best. But the love of God is perfect and entire, wanting +nothing. It is as a mighty ocean in its greatness, dwelling with and +flowing from the Eternal Spirit. + +In Romans v, 5, we read: "And hope maketh not ashamed, because the +love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is +given to us." Now if we are co-workers with God, there is one thing we +must possess, and that is love. A man may be a very successful lawyer +and have no love for his clients, and yet get on very well. A man may +be a very successful physician and have no love for his patients, and +yet be a very good physician; a man may be a very successful merchant +and have no love for his customers, and yet he may do a good business +and succeed; but no man can be a co-worker with God without love. If +our service is mere profession on our part, the quicker we renounce it +the better. If a man takes up God's work as he would take up any +profession, the sooner he gets out of it the better. + +We can not work for God without love. It is the only tree that can +produce fruit on this sin-cursed earth, that is acceptable to God. If +I have no love for God nor for my fellow man, then I can not work +acceptably. I am like sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. We are +told that "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy +Ghost." Now, if we have had that love shed abroad in our hearts, we +are ready for God's service; if we have not, we are not ready. It is +so easy to reach a man when you love him; all barriers are broken down +and swept away. + +Paul when writing to Titus, second chapter and first verse, tells him +to be sound in faith, in charity, and in patience. Now in this age, +ever since I can remember, the Church has been very jealous about men +being unsound in the faith. If a man becomes unsound in the faith, +they draw their ecclesiastical sword and cut at him; but he may be +ever so unsound in love, and they don't say anything. He may be ever +so defective in patience; he may be irritable and fretful all the +time, but they never deal with him. Now the Bible teaches us, that we +are not only to be sound in the faith, but in charity and in patience. +I believe God can not use many of his servants, because they are full +of irritability and impatience; they are fretting all the time, from +morning until night. God can not use them; their mouths are sealed; +they can not speak for Jesus Christ, and if they have not love, they +can not work for God. I do not mean love for those that love me; it +don't take grace to do that; the rudest Hottentot in the world can do +that; the greatest heathen that ever lived can do that; the vilest man +that ever walked the earth can do that. It don't take any grace at +all. I did that before I ever became a Christian. Love begets love; +hatred begets hatred. If I know a man loves me first, I know my love +will be going out towards him. Suppose a man comes to me, saying, "Mr. +Moody, a certain man told me to-day that he thought you were the +meanest man living." Well, if I didn't have a good deal of the grace +of God in my heart, then I know there would be hard feelings that +would spring up in my heart against that man, and it would not be long +before I would be talking against him. Hatred begets hatred. But +suppose a man comes to me and says, "Mr. Moody, do you know that such +a man that I met to-day says that he thinks a great deal of you?" and +though I may never have heard of him, there would be love springing up +in my heart. Love begets love; we all know that; but it takes the +grace of God to love the man that lies about me, the man that slanders +me, the man that is trying to tear down my character; it takes the +grace of God to love that man. You may hate the sin he has committed; +there is a difference between the sin and the sinner; you may hate the +one with a perfect hatred, but you must love the sinner. I can not +otherwise do him any good. Now you know the first impulse of a young +convert is to love. Do you remember the day you were converted? Was +not your heart full of sweet peace and love? + + +THE RIGHT OVERFLOW. + + +I remember the morning I came out of my room after I had first trusted +Christ, and I thought the old sun shone a good deal brighter than it +ever had before; I thought that the sun was just smiling upon me, and +I walked out upon Boston Common, and I heard the birds in the trees, +and I thought that they were all singing a song for me. Do you know I +fell in love with the birds? I never cared for them before; it seemed +to me that I was in love with all creation. I had not a bitter feeling +against any man, and I was ready to take all men to my heart. If a man +has not the love of God shed abroad in his heart, he has never been +regenerated. If you hear a person get up in prayer-meeting, and he +begins to speak and find fault with everybody, you may know that his +is not a genuine conversion; that it is counterfeit; it has not the +right ring, because the impulse of a converted soul is to love, and +not to be getting up and complaining of every one else, and finding +fault. But it is hard for us to live in the right atmosphere all the +time. Some one comes along and treats us wrongly, perhaps we hate him; +we have not attended to the means of grace and kept feeding on the +word of God as we ought; a root of bitterness springs up in our +hearts, and perhaps we are not aware of it, but it has come up in our +hearts; then we are not qualified to work for God. The love of God is +not shed abroad in our hearts as it ought to be by the Holy Ghost. + +But the work of the Holy Ghost is to impart love. Paul could say, "The +love of Christ constraineth me." He could not help going from town to +town and preaching the Gospel. Jeremiah at one time said: "I will +speak no more in the Lord's name; I have suffered enough; these people +don't like God's word." They lived in a wicked day, as we do now. +Infidels were creeping up all around him, who said the word of God was +not true; Jeremiah had stood like a wall of fire, confronting them, +and he boldly proclaimed that the word of God was true. At last they +put him in prison, and he said: "I will keep still; it has cost me too +much." But a little while after, you know, he could not keep still. +His bones caught fire; he had to speak. And when we are so full of the +love of God, we are compelled to work for God, then God blesses us. If +our work is sought to be accomplished by the lash, without any true +motive power, it will come to nought. + +Now the question comes up, have we the love of God shed abroad in our +hearts, and are we holding the truth in love? Some people hold the +truth, but in such a cold stern way that it will do no good. Other +people want to love everything, and so they give up much of the truth; +but we are to hold the truth in love; we are to hold the truth even if +we lose all, but we are to hold it in love, and if we do that, the +Lord will bless us. + +There are a good many people trying to get this love; they are trying +to produce it of themselves. But therein all fail. The love implanted +deep in our new nature will be spontaneous. I don't have to learn to +love my children. I can not help loving them. I said to a young miss +some time ago, in an inquiry meeting, who said that she could not love +God; that it was very hard for her to love Him--I said to her, "Is it +hard for you to love your mother? Do you have to learn to love your +mother?" And she looked up through her tears, and said, "No; I can't +help it; that is spontaneous." "Well," I said, "when the Holy Spirit +kindles love in your heart, you can not help loving God; it will be +spontaneous." When the Spirit of God comes into your heart and mine, +it will be easy to serve God. + +The fruit of the Spirit, as you find it in Galatians, begins with +love. There are nine graces spoken of in the sixth chapter, and of the +nine different graces Paul puts love at the head of the list; love is +the first thing--the first in that precious cluster of fruit. Some one +has put it in this way: that all the other eight can be put in the +word love. Joy is love exulting; peace is love in repose; long +suffering is love on trial; gentleness is love in society; goodness is +love in action; faith is love on the battlefield; meekness is love at +school; and temperance is love in training. So it is love all the way; +love at the top; love at the bottom, and all the way along down these +graces; and if we only just brought forth the fruit of the Spirit, +what a world we would have; there would be no need of any policemen; a +man could leave his overcoat around without some one stealing it; men +would not have any desire to do evil. Says Paul, "Against such there +is no law;" you don't need any law. A man who is full of the Spirit +don't need to be put under law; don't need any policemen to watch him. +We could dismiss all our policemen; the lawyers would have to give up +practicing law, and the courts would not have any business. + + +THE TRIUMPHS OF HOPE. + + +In the fifteenth chapter of Romans, thirteenth verse, the Apostle +says: "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in +believing, that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy +Ghost." The next thing then is hope. + +Did you ever notice this, that no man or woman is ever used by God to +build up His kingdom who has lost hope? Now, I have been observing +this throughout different parts of the country, and wherever I have +found a worker in God's vineyard who has lost hope, I have found a man +or woman not very useful. Now, just look at these workers. Let your +mind go over the past for a moment. Can you think of a man or woman +whom God has used to build His kingdom who has lost hope? I don't know +of any; I never heard of such an one. It is very important to have +hope in the Church; and it is the work of the Holy Ghost to impart +hope. Let Him come into some of the churches where there have not been +any conversions for a few years, and let Him convert a score of +people, and see how hopeful the Church becomes at once. He imparts +hope; a man filled with the Spirit of God will be very hopeful. He +will be looking out into the future, and he knows that it is all +bright, because the God of all grace is able to do great things. So it +is very important that we have hope. + +If a man has lost hope, he is out of communion with God; he has not +the Spirit of God resting upon him for service; he may be a son of +God, and disheartened so that he can not be used of God. Do you know +there is no place in the Scriptures where it is recorded that God ever +used even a discouraged man. Some years ago, in my work I was quite +discouraged, and I was ready to hang my harp on the willow. I was very +much cast down and depressed. I had been for weeks in that state, when +one Monday morning a friend, who had a very large Bible class, came +into my study. I used to examine the notes of his Sunday-school +lessons, which were equal to a sermon, and he came to me this morning +and said, "Well, what did you preach about yesterday?" and I told him. +I said, "What did you preach about?" and he said that he preached +about Noah. "Did you ever preach about Noah?" "No, I never preached +about Noah." "Did you ever study his character?" "No, I never studied +his life particularly." "Well," says he, "he is a most wonderful +character. It will do you good. You ought to study up that character." +When he went out, I took down my Bible, and read about Noah; and then +it came over me that Noah worked 120 years and never had a convert, +and yet he did not get discouraged; and I said, "Well, I ought not to +be discouraged," and I closed my Bible, got up and walked down town, +and the cloud had gone. I went down to the noon prayer-meeting, and +heard of a little town in the country where they had taken into the +church 100 young converts; and I said to myself, I wonder what Noah +would have given if he could have heard that; and yet he worked 120 +years and didn't get discouraged. And then a man right across the +aisle got up and said, "My friends, I wish you to pray for me; I think +I'm lost;" and I thought to myself, "I wonder what Noah would have +given to hear that." He never heard a man say, "I wish you to pray for +me; I think I am lost," and yet he didn't get discouraged! Oh, +children of God, let us not get discouraged; let us ask God to forgive +us, if we have been discouraged and cast down; let us ask God to give +us hope, that we may be ever hopeful. It does me good sometimes to +meet some people and take hold of their hands; they are so hopeful, +while other people throw a gloom over me because they are all the time +cast down, and looking at the dark side, and looking at the obstacles +and difficulties that are in the way. + + +THE BOON OF LIBERTY. + + +The next thing the Spirit of God does is to give us liberty. He first +imparts love; He next inspires hope, and then gives liberty, and that +is about the last thing we have in a good many of our churches at the +present day. And I am sorry to say there must be a funeral in a good +many churches before there is much work done, we shall have to bury +the formalism so deep that it will never have any resurrection. The +last thing to be found in many a church is liberty. + +If the Gospel happens to be preached, the people criticise, as they +would a theatrical performance. It is exactly the same, and many a +professed Christian never thinks of listening to what the man of God +has to say. It is hard work to preach to carnally-minded critics, but +"Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." + +Very often a woman will hear a hundred good things in a sermon, and +there may be one thing that strikes her as a little out of place, and +she will go home and sit down to the table and talk right out before +her children and magnify that one wrong thing, and not say a word +about the hundred good things that were said. That is what people do +who criticise. + +God does not use men in captivity. The condition of many is like +Lazarus when he came out of the sepulcher bound hand and foot. The +bandage was not taken off his mouth, and he could not speak. He had +life, and if you had said Lazarus was not alive, you would have told a +falsehood, because he was raised from the dead. There are a great many +people, the moment you talk to them and insinuate they are not doing +what they might, they say: "I have life. I am a Christian." Well, you +can't deny it, but they are bound hand and foot. + +May God snap these fetters and set His children free, that they may +have liberty. I believe He comes to set us free, and wants us to work +for Him, and speak for Him. How many people would like to get up in a +social prayer-meeting to say a few words for Christ, but there is such +a cold spirit of criticism in the Church that they dare not do it. +They have not the liberty to do it. If they get up, they are so +frightened with these critics that they begin to tremble and sit down. +They can not say anything. Now, that is all wrong. The Spirit of God +comes just to give liberty, and wherever you see the Lord's work going +on, you will see that Spirit of liberty. People won't be afraid of +speaking to one another. And when the meeting is over they will not +get their hats and see how quick they can get out of the church, but +will begin to shake hands with one another, and there will be liberty +there. A good many go to the prayer-meeting out of a mere cold sense +of duty. They think "I must attend because I feel it is my duty." They +don't think it is a glorious privilege to meet and pray, and to be +strengthened, and to help some one else in the wilderness journey. + +What we need to-day is love in our hearts. Don't we want it? Don't we +want hope in our lives? Don't we want to be hopeful? Don't we want +liberty? Now, all this is the work of the Spirit of God, and let us +pray God daily to give us love, and hope, and liberty. We read in +Hebrews, "Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the +holiest by the blood of Jesus." If you will turn to the passage and +read the margin--it says: "Having, therefore, brethren, liberty to +enter into the holiest." We can go into the holiest, having freedom of +access, and plead for this love and liberty and glorious hope, that we +may not rest until God gives us the power to work for Him. + +If I know my own heart to-day, I would rather die than live as I once +did, a mere nominal Christian, and not used by God in building up His +kingdom. It seems a poor empty life to live for the sake of self. + +Let us seek to be useful. Let us seek to be vessels meet for the +Master's use, that God, the Holy Spirit, may shine fully through us. + + "Know, my soul, thy full salvation; + Rise o'er sin, and fear, and care; + Joy to find, in every station, + Something still to do or bear. + + Think what Spirit dwells within thee; + Think what Father's smiles are thine; + Think that Jesus died to win thee: + Child of heaven, canst thou repine? + + Haste thee on from grace to glory, + Armed by faith, and winged by prayer, + Heaven's eternal day's before thee: + God's own hand shall guide thee there. + + Soon shall close thy earthly mission, + Soon shall pass thy pilgrim days, + Hope shall change to glad fruition, + Faith to sight, and prayer to praise." + + + "I AM so weak, dear Lord! I can not stand + One moment without Thee; + But oh, the tenderness of Thy enfolding, + And oh, the faithfulness of Thine upholding, + And oh, the strength of Thy right hand! + That strength is enough for me. + + I am so needy, Lord! and yet I know + All fullness dwells in Thee; + And hour by hour that never-failing treasure + Supplies and fills in overflowing measure + My last and greatest need. And so + Thy grace is enough for me. + + It is so sweet to trust Thy word alone! + I do not ask to see + The unveiling of Thy purpose, or the shining + Of future light on mysteries untwining; + Thy promise-roll is all my own-- + Thy word is enough for me. + + There were strange soul-depths, restless, vast, and broad, + Unfathomed as the sea, + An infinite craving for some infinite stilling; + But now Thy perfect love is perfect filling! + Lord Jesus Christ, my Lord, my God, + Thou, Thou art enough for me!" + + + +CHAPTER II. + + +POWER "IN" AND "UPON." + + +You remember that strange, half-involuntary "forty years" of Moses in +the "wilderness" of Midian, when he had fled from Egypt. You remember, +too, the almost equally strange years of retirement in "Arabia" by +Paul, when, if ever, humanly speaking, instant action was needed. And +pre-eminently you remember the amazing charge of the ascending Lord to +the disciples, "Tarry at Jerusalem." Speaking after the manner of men, +one could not have wondered if out-spoken Peter, or fervid James had +said: "Tarry, Lord! How long?" "Tarry, Lord! is there not a perishing +world, groaning for the 'good news?'" "Tarry! did we hear Thee aright, +Lord? Was the word not haste?" "Nay;" "Being assembled together with +them, He commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, +but wait for the promise of the Father." (Acts 1:4.)--_Grosart_. + + + +POWER--"IN" AND "UPON." + + +THE Holy Spirit dwelling in us, is one thing; I think this is clearly +brought out in Scripture; and the Holy Spirit upon us for service, is +another thing. Now there are only three places we find in Scripture +that are dwelling-places for the Holy Ghost. + +In the 40th chapter of Exodus, commencing with the 33d verse, are +these words: + +"And he (that is Moses) reared up the court round about the tabernacle +and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses +finished the work. + +Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of +the Lord filled the tabernacle. + +And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, +because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the +tabernacle." + +The moment that Moses finished the work, the moment that the +tabernacle was ready, the cloud came, the Shekinah glory came and +filled it so that Moses was not able to stand before the presence of +the Lord. I believe firmly, that the moment our hearts are emptied of +pride and selfishness and ambition and self-seeking, and everything +that is contrary to God's law, the Holy Ghost will come and fill every +corner of our hearts; but if we are full of pride and conceit, and +ambition and self-seeking, and pleasure and the world, there is no +room for the Spirit of God; and I believe many a man is praying to God +to fill him when he is full already with something else. Before we +pray that God would fill us, I believe we ought to pray Him to empty +us. + +There must be an emptying before there can be a filling; and when the +heart is turned upside down, and everything is turned out that is +contrary to God, then the Spirit will come, just as He did in the +tabernacle, and fill us with His glory. We read in 2d Chronicles, 5th +chapter and 13th verse: "It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and +singers were as one to make one Sound, to be heard in praising and +thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the +trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, +saying, For He is good; for His mercy endureth forever; that then the +house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord. So that the +priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud, for the +glory of the Lord had filled the house of God." + + +PRAISING WITH ONE HEART. + + +We find, the very moment that Solomon completed the Temple, when all +was finished, they were just praising God with one heart--the +choristers and the singers and the ministers were all one; there was +not any discord; they were all praising God, and the glory of God came +and just filled the Temple as the Tabernacle. Now, as you turn over +into the New Testament, you will find, instead of coming to +Tabernacles and Temples, believers are now the Temple of the Holy +Ghost. When, on the day of Pentecost, before Peter preached that +memorable sermon, as they were praying, the Holy Ghost came, and came +in mighty power. We now pray for the Spirit of God to come, and we +sing: + + "Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly dove, + With all thy quickening power; + Kindle a flame of heavenly love + In these cold hearts of ours," + +I believe, if we understand it, it is perfectly right; but if we are +praying for Him to come out of heaven down to earth again, that is +wrong, because He is already here; He has not been out of this earth +for 1800 years; He has been in the Church, and He is with all +believers; the believers in the Church are the called-out ones; they +are called out from the world, and every true believer is a Temple for +the Holy Ghost to dwell in. In the 14th chapter of John, 17th verse, +we have the words of Jesus: + +"The Spirit of Truth, whom the world can not receive, because it seeth +Him not, neither knoweth Him; but ye know Him, for He dwelleth in +you." + +"Greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world." If we +have the Spirit dwelling in us, He gives us power over the flesh and +the world, and over every enemy. "He is dwelling with you, and shall +be in you." + +Read 1st Corinthians iii, 16: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of +God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" + +There were some men burying an aged saint some time ago, and he was +very poor, like many of God's people, poor in this world, but they are +very rich, they have all the riches on the other side of life--they +have them laid up there where thieves can not get them, and where +sharpers can not take them away from them, and where moth can not +corrupt--so this aged man was very rich in the other world, and they +were just hastening him off to the grave, wanting to get rid of him, +when an old minister, who was officiating at the grave, said, "Tread +softly, for you are carrying the temple of the Holy Ghost." Whenever +you see a believer, you see a temple of the Holy Ghost. + +In 1 Cor. vi, 19, 20, we read again: "Know ye not that your body is +the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, +and ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price, therefore +glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." Thus +are we taught that there is a divine resident in every child of God. + +I think it is clearly taught in the Scripture that every believer has +the Holy Ghost dwelling in him. He may be quenching the Spirit of God, +and he may not glorify God as he should, but if he is a believer on +the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost dwells in him. But I want to +call your attention to another fact. I believe to-day, that though +Christian men and women have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, yet He +is not dwelling within them in power; in other words, God has a great +many sons and daughters without power. + + +WHAT IS NEEDED. + + +Nine-tenths, at least, of the church members never think of speaking +for Christ. If they see a man, perhaps a near relative, just going +right down to ruin, going rapidly, they never think of speaking to him +about his sinful course and of seeking to win him to Christ. Now +certainly there must be something wrong. And yet when you talk with +them you find they have faith, and you can not say they are not +children of God; but they have not the power, they have not the +liberty, they have not the love that real disciples of Christ should +have. A great many people are thinking that we need new measures, that +we need new churches, that we need new organs, and that we need new +choirs, and all these new things. That is not what the Church of God +needs to-day. It is the old power that the Apostles had; that is what +we want, and if we have that in our churches, there will be new life. +Then we will have new ministers--the same old ministers renewed with +power; filled with the Spirit. I remember when in Chicago many were +toiling in the work, and it seemed as though the car of salvation +didn't move on, when a minister began to cry out from the very depths +of his heart, "Oh, God, put new ministers in every pulpit." On next +Monday I heard two or three men stand up and say, "We had a new +minister last Sunday--the same old minister, but he had got new +power," and I firmly believe that is what we want to-day all over +America. We want new ministers in the pulpit and new people in the +pews. We want people quickened by the Spirit of God, and the Spirit +coming down and taking possession of the children of God and giving +them power. + +Then a man filled with the Spirit will know how to use "the sword of +the Spirit." If a man is not filled with the Spirit, he will never +know now to use the Book. We are told that this is the sword of the +Spirit; and what is an army good for that does not know how to use its +weapons? Suppose a battle going on, and I were a general and had a +hundred thousand men, great, able-bodied men, full of life, but they +could not one of them handle a sword, and not one of them knew how to +use his rifle, what would that army be good for? Why, one thousand +well-drilled men, with good weapons, would rout the whole of them. The +reason why the Church can not overcome the enemy is, because she don't +know how to use the sword of the Spirit. People will get up and try to +fight the devil with their experiences, but he don't care for that, he +will overcome them every time. People are trying to fight the devil +with theories and pet ideas, but he will get the victory over them +likewise. What we want is to draw the sword of the Spirit. It is that +which cuts deeper than anything else. + +Turn in your Bibles to Eph. vi, 14: "Stand, therefore, having your +loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of +righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel +of peace; above all (or over all), taking the shield of faith, +wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the +wicked. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, +which is the Word of God." + + +THE GREATEST WEAPON. + + +The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, and what we need specially +is to be filled with the Spirit, so we shall know how to use the Word. +There was a Christian man talking to a skeptic, who was using the +Word, and the skeptic said, "I don't believe, sir, in that Book." But +the man went right on and he gave him more of the Word; and the man +again remarked, "I don't believe the Word," but he kept giving him +more, and at last the man was reached. And the brother added, "When I +have proved a good sword which does the work of execution, I would +just keep right on using it." That is what we want. Skeptics and +infidels may say they don't believe in it. It is not our work to make +them believe in it; that is the work of the Spirit. Our work is to +give them the Word of God; not to preach our theories and our ideas +about it, but just to deliver the message as God gives it to us. We +read in the Scriptures of the sword of the Lord and Gideon. Suppose +Gideon had gone out without the Word, he would have been defeated. But +the Lord used Gideon; and I think you find all through the Scriptures, +God takes up and uses human instruments. You can not find, I believe, +a case in the Bible where a man is converted without God calling in +some human agency--using some human instrument; not but what He can do +it in His independent sovereignty; there is no doubt about that. Even +when by the revealed glory of the Lord Jesus, Saul of Tarsus was +smitten to the earth, Annanias was used to open his eyes and lead him +into the light of the Gospel. I heard a man once say, if you put a man +on a mountain peak, higher than one of the Alpine peaks, God could +save him without a human messenger; but that is not His way; that is +not His method; but it is "the sword of the Lord and Gideon"; and the +Lord and Gideon will do the work; and if we are just willing to let +the Lord use us, He will. + + +"NONE OF SELF." + + +Then you will find all through the Scriptures, when men were filled +with the Holy Spirit, they preached Christ and not themselves. They +preached Christ and Him crucified. It says in the first chapter of +Luke, 67th verse, speaking of Zacharias, the father of John the +Baptist: + +"And his father, Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Ghost, and +prophesied, saying: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He hath +visited and redeemed His people, and hath raised up an horn of +salvation for us in the house of His servant David. As He spake by the +mouth of His Holy prophets, which have been since the world began." + +See, he is talking about the Word. If a man is filled with the Spirit, +he will magnify the Word; he will preach the Word, and not himself; he +will give this lost world the Word of the living God. "And thou, +child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest; for thou shalt go +before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways. To give knowledge of +salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins, through the +tender mercy of our God, whereby the day-spring from on high hath +visited us. To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the +shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And the +child grew and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the +day of his showing unto Israel." And so we find again that when +Elizabeth and Mary met, they talked of the Scriptures, and they were +both filled with the Holy Ghost, and at once began to talk of their +Lord. + +We also find that Simeon, as he came into the temple and found the +young child Jesus there, at once began to quote the Scriptures, for +the Spirit was upon him. And when Peter stood up on the day of +Pentecost, and preached that wonderful sermon, it is said he was +filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to preach the Word to the +multitude, and it was the Word that cut them. It was the sword of the +Lord and Peter, the same as it was the sword of the Lord and Gideon. +And we find it says of Stephen, "They were not able to resist the +spirit and wisdom by which he spake." Why? Because he gave them the +Word of God. And we are told that the Holy Ghost came on Stephen, and +none could resist his word. And we read, too, that Paul was full of +the Holy Spirit, and that he preached Christ and Him crucified, and +that many people were added to the Church. Barnabas was full of faith +and the Holy Ghost; and if you will just read and find out what he +preached, you will find it was the Word, and many were added to the +Lord. So that when a man is full of the Spirit, he begins to preach, +not himself, but Christ, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. + +The disciples of Jesus were all filled with the Spirit, and the Word +was published; and when the Spirit of God comes down upon the Church, +and we are anointed, the Word will be published in the streets, in the +lanes, and in the alleys; there will not be a dark cellar nor a dark +attic, nor a home where the Gospel will not be carried by some loving +heart, if the Spirit comes upon God's people in demonstration and in +power. + + +SPIRITUAL IRRIGATION. + + +It is possible a man may just barely have life and be satisfied; and I +think that a great many are in that condition. In the 3d chapter of +John we find that Nicodemus came to Christ and that he received life. +At first this life was feeble. You don't hear of him standing up +confessing Christ boldly, and of the Spirit coming upon him in great +power, though possessing life through faith in Christ. And then turn +to the 4th chapter of John, and you will find it speaks of the woman +coming to the well of Samaria, and Christ held out the cup of +salvation to her and she took it and drank, and it became in her "a +well of water springing up into everlasting life." That is better than +in the 3d chapter of John; here it came down in a flood into her soul; +as some one has said, it came down from the throne of God, and like a +mighty current carried her back to the throne of God. Water always +rises to its level, and if we get the soul filled with water from the +throne of God it will bear us upward to its source. + +But if you want to get the best class of Christian life portrayed, +turn to the 7th chapter and you will find that it says he that +receiveth the Spirit, through trusting in the Lord Jesus, "out of him +shall flow rivers of living water." Now there are two ways of digging +a well. I remember, when a boy, upon a farm, in New England, they had +a well, and they put in an old wooden pump, and I used to have to pump +the water from that well upon wash-day, and to water the cattle; and I +had to pump and pump and pump until my arm got tired, many a time. But +they have a better way now; they don't dig down a few feet and brick +up the hole and put the pump in, but they go down through the clay and +the sand and the rock, and on down until they strike what they call a +lower stream, and then it becomes an artesian well, which needs no +labor, as the water rises spontaneously from the depths beneath. + +Now I think God wants all His children to be a sort of artesian well; +not to keep pumping, but to flow right out. Why, haven't you seen +ministers in the pulpit just pumping, and pumping and pumping? I have, +many a time, and I have had to do it, too. I know how it is. They +stand in the pulpit and talk and talk and talk, and the people go to +sleep, they can't arouse them. What is the trouble? Why, the living +water is not there; they are just pumping when there is no water in +the well. You can't get water out of a dry well; you have to get +something in the well, or you can't get anything out. I have seen +these wooden pumps where you had to pour water into them before you +could pump any water out, and so it is with a good many people; you +have to get something in them before you can get any out. People +wonder why it is that they have no Spiritual power. They stand up and +talk in meeting, and don't say anything; they say they haven't +anything to say, and you find it out soon enough; they need not state +it; but they just talk, because they feel it is a duty, and say +nothing. + +Now I tell you when the Spirit of God is on us for service, resting +upon us, we are anointed, and then we can do great things. "I will +pour water on him that is thirsty," says God. O, blessed thought--"He +that hungers and thirsts after righteousness shall be filled!" + + +OUTFLOWING STREAMS. + + +I would like to see some one just full of living water; so full that +they couldn't contain it; that they would have to go out and publish +the Gospel of the grace of God. When a man gets so full that he can't +hold any more, then he is just ready for God's service. + +When preaching in Chicago, Dr. Gibson remarked in the inquiry meeting, +"Now, how can we find out who is thirsty?" Said he, "I was just +thinking how we could find out. If a boy should come down the aisle, +bringing a good pail full of clear water, and a dipper, we would soon +find out who was thirsty; we would see thirsty men and women reach out +for water; but if you should walk down the aisle with an empty bucket, +you wouldn't find it out. People would look in and see that there was +no water, and say nothing." So said he, "I think that is the reason we +are not more blessed in our ministry; we are carrying around empty +buckets, and the people see that we have not anything in them, and +they don't come forward." I think that there is a good deal of truth +in that. People see that we are carrying around empty buckets, and +they will not come to us until they are filled. They see we haven't +any more than they have. We must have the Spirit of God resting upon +us, and then we will have something that gives the victory over the +world, the flesh, and the devil; something that gives the victory over +our tempers, over our conceits, and over every other evil, and when we +can trample these sins under our feet, then people will come to us and +say, "How did you get it? I need this power; you have something that I +haven't got; I want it." O, may God show us this truth. Have we been +toiling all night? let us throw the net on the right side; let us ask +God to forgive our sins, and anoint us with power from on high. But +remember, He is not going to give this power to an impatient man; He +is not going to give it to a selfish man; He will never give it to an +ambitious man whose aim is selfish, till first emptied of self; +emptied of pride and of all worldly thoughts. Let it be God's glory +and not our own that we seek, and when we get to that point, how +speedily the Lord will bless us for good. Then will the measure of our +blessing be full. Do you know what heaven's measure is? Good measure, +pressed down, shaken together, and running over. If we get our heart +filled with the Word of God, how is Satan going to get in? How is the +world going to get in, for heaven's measure is good measure, full +measure, running over. Have you this fullness? If you have not, then +seek it; say by the grace of God you will have it, for it is the +Father's good pleasure to give us these things. He wants us to shine +down in this world; He wants to lift us up for His work; He wants us +to have the power to testify for His Son. He has left us in this world +to testify for Him. What did He leave us for? Not to buy and sell and +to get gain, but to glorify Christ. How are you going to do it without +the Spirit? That is the question. How are you to do it without the +power of God? + + +WHY SOME FAIL. + + +We read in John xx, 22: "And when He had said this, He breathed on +them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost." + +Then see Luke xxiv, 49: "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father +upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued +with power from on high." + +The first passage tells us He had raised those pierced and wounded +hands over them and breathed upon them and said, "Receive ye the Holy +Ghost." And I haven't a doubt they received it then, but not in such +mighty power as afterward when qualified for their work. It was not in +fullness that He gave it to them then, but if they had been like a +good many now, they would have said, "I have enough now; I am not +going to tarry; I am going to work." + +Some people seem to think they are losing time if they wait on God for +his power, and so away they go and work without unction; they are +working without any anointing, they are working without any power. But +after Jesus had said "Receive ye the Holy Ghost," and had breathed on +them, He said: "Now you tarry in Jerusalem until you be endued with +power from on high." Read in the 1st chapter of Acts, 8th verse: "But +ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." + +Now, the Spirit had been given them certainly or they could not have +believed, and they could not have taken their stand for God and gone +through what they did, and endured the scoffs and frowns of their +friends, if they had not been converted by the power of the Holy +Ghost. But now just see what Christ said: + +"Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; +and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, +and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth." + +Then, the Holy Spirit IN US is one thing, and the Holy Spirit ON US is +another; and if these Christians had gone out and went right to +preaching then and there, without the power, do you think that scene +would have taken place on the day of Pentecost? Don't you think that +Peter would have stood up there and beat against the air, while these +Jews would have gnashed their teeth and mocked him? But they tarried +in Jerusalem; they waited ten days. What! you say. What, the world +perishing and men dying! Shall I wait? Do what God tells you. There is +no use in running before you are sent; there is no use in attempting +to do God's work without God's power. A man working without this +unction, a man working without this anointing, a man working without +the Holy Ghost upon him, is losing his time after all. So we are not +going to lose anything if we tarry till we get this power. That is the +object of true service, to wait on God, to tarry till we receive this +power for witness-bearing. Then we find that on the day of Pentecost, +ten days after Jesus Christ was glorified, the Holy Spirit descended +in power. Do you think that Peter and James and John and those +apostles doubted it from that very hour? They never doubted it. +Perhaps some question the possibility of having the power of God now, +and that the Holy Spirit never came afterward in similar +manifestation, and will never come again in such power. + + +FRESH SUPPLIES. + + +Turn to Acts iv, 31, and you will find He came a second time, and at a +place where they were, so that the earth was shaken, and they were +filled with this power. The fact is, we are leaky vessels, and we have +to keep right under the fountain all the time to keep full of Christ, +and so have a fresh supply. + +I believe this is a mistake a great many of us are making; we are +trying to do God's work with the grace God gave us ten years ago. We +say, if it is necessary, we will go on with the same grace. Now, what +we want is a fresh supply, a fresh anointing and fresh power, and if +we seek it, and seek it with all our hearts, we will obtain it. The +early converts were taught to look for that power. Philip went to +Samaria, and news reached Jerusalem that there was a great work being +done in Samaria, and many converts; and John and Peter went down, and +they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost for +service. I think that is what we Christians ought to be looking for--the +Spirit of God for service--that God may use us mightily in the +building up of His Church and hastening His glory. In Acts xix we read +of twelve men at Ephesus, who, when the inquiry was made if they had +received the Holy Ghost since they believed, answered: "We have not so +much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost." I venture to say there +are very many, who, if you were to ask them, "Have you received the +Holy Ghost since you believed?" would reply, "I don't know what you +mean by that." They would be like the twelve men down at Ephesus, who +had never understood the peculiar relation of the Spirit to the sons +of God in this dispensation. I firmly believe that the Church has just +laid this knowledge aside, mislaid it somewhere, and so Christians are +without power. Sometimes you can take one hundred members into the +Church, and they don't add to its power. Now that is all wrong. If +they were only anointed by the Spirit of God, there would be great +power if one hundred saved ones were added to the Church. + + +GREEN FIELDS. + + +When I was out in California, the first time I went down from the +Sierra Nevada Mountains and dropped into the Valley of the Sacramento, +I was surprised to find on one farm that everything about it was +green--all the trees and flowers, everything was blooming, and +everything was green and beautiful, and just across the hedge +everything was dried up, and there was not a green thing there, and I +could not understand it; I made inquiries, and I found that the man +that had everything green, irrigated; he just poured the water right +on, and he kept everything green, while the fields that were next to +his were as dry as Gideon's fleece without a drop of dew; and so it is +with a great many in the Church to-day. They are like these farms in +California--a dreary desert, everything parched and desolate, and +apparently no life in them. They can sit next to a man who is full of +the Spirit of God, who is like a green bay tree, and who is bringing +forth fruit, and yet they will not seek a similar blessing. Well, why +this difference? Because God has poured water on him that was thirsty; +that is the difference. One has been seeking this anointing, and he +has received it; and when we want this above everything else God will +surely give it to us. + +The great question before us now is, _Do_ we want it? I remember when +I first went to England and gave a Bible reading, I think about the +first that I gave in that country, a great many ministers were there, +and I didn't know anything about English theology, and I was afraid I +should run against their creeds, and I was a little hampered, +especially on this very subject, about the gift of the Holy Spirit for +service. I remember particularly a Christian minister there who had +his head bowed on his hand, and I thought the good man was ashamed of +everything I was saying, and of course that troubled me. At the close +of my address he took his hat and away he went, and then I thought, +"Well, I shall never see him again." At the next meeting I looked all +around for him and he wasn't there, and at the next meeting I looked +again, but he was absent; and I thought my teaching must have given +him offense. But a few days after that, at a large noon prayer +meeting, a man stood up and his face shone as if he had been up in the +mountain with God, and I looked at him, and to my great joy it was +this brother. He said he was at that Bible reading, and he heard there +was such a thing as having fresh power to preach the Gospel; he said +he made up his mind that if that was for him he would have it; he said +he went home and looked to the Master, and that he never had such a +battle with himself in his life. He asked that God would show him the +sinfulness of his heart that he knew nothing about, and he just cried +mightily to God that he might be emptied of himself and filled with +the Spirit, and he said, "God has answered my prayer." I met him in +Edinburgh six months from that date, and he told me he had preached +the Gospel every night during that time, that he had not preached one +sermon but that some remained for conversation, and that he had +engagements four months ahead to preach the Gospel every night in +different churches. I think you could have fired a cannon ball right +through his church and not hit any one before he got this anointing; +but it was not thirty days before the building was full and aisles +crowded. He had his bucket filled full of fresh water, and the people +found it out and came flocking to him from every quarter. I tell you, +you can't get the stream higher than the fountain. What we need very +specially is power. There was another man whom I have in my mind, and +he said, "I have heart disease, I can't preach more than once a week," +so he had a colleague to preach for him and do the visiting. He was an +old minister, and he couldn't do any visiting. He had heard of this +anointing, and said, "I would like to be anointed for my burial. I +would like before I go hence to have just one more privilege to preach +the Gospel with power." He prayed that God would fill him with the +Spirit, and I met him not long after that, and he said, "I have +preached on an average eight times a week, and I have had conversions +all along." The Spirit came on him. I don't believe that man broke +down at first with hard work, so much as with using the machinery +without oil, without lubrication. It is not the hard work breaks down +ministers, but it is the toil of working without power. Oh, that God +may anoint His people! Not the ministry only, but every disciple. Do +not suppose pastors are the only laborers needing it. There is not a +mother but needs it in her house to regulate her family, just as much +as the minister needs it in the pulpit or the Sunday-school teacher +needs it in his Sunday-school. We all need it together, and let us not +rest day nor night until we possess it; if that is the uppermost +thought in our hearts, God will give it to us if we just hunger and +thirst for it, and say, "God helping me, I will not rest until endued +with power from on high." + + +MASTER AND SERVANT. + + +There is a very sweet story of Elijah and Elisha, and I love to dwell +upon it. The time had come for Elijah to be taken up, and he said to +Elisha, "You stay here at Gilgal, and I will go up to Bethel." There +was a theological seminary there, and some young students, and he +wanted to see how they were getting along; but Elisha said, "As the +Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee." And so +Elisha just kept close to Elijah. They came to Bethel, and the sons of +the prophets came out and said to Elisha, "Do you know that your +master is to be taken away?" And Elisha said, "I know it; but you keep +still." Then Elijah said to Elisha, "You remain at Bethel until I go +to Jericho." But Elisha said, "As the Lord liveth and my soul liveth, +I will not leave thee." "You shall not go without me," says Elisha; +and then I can imagine that Elisha just put his arm in that of Elijah, +and they walked down together. I can see those two mighty men walking +down to Jericho, and when they arrived there, the sons of the prophets +came and said to Elisha, "Do you know that your master is to be taken +away?" "Hush! keep still," says Elisha, "I know it." And then Elijah +said to Elisha, "Tarry here awhile; for the Lord hath sent me to +Jordan." But Elisha said, "As the Lord liveth and my soul liveth, I +will not leave thee. You shall not go without me." And then Elisha +came right close to Elijah, and as they went walking down, I imagine +Elisha was after something; when they came to the Jordan, Elijah took +off his mantle and struck the waters, and they separated hither and +thither, and the two passed through like giants, dry-shod, and fifty +sons of the prophets came to look at them and watch them. They didn't +know but Elijah would be taken up right in their sight. As they passed +over Jordan, Elijah said to Elisha, "Now, what do you want?" He knew +he was after something. "What can I do for you. Just make your request +known." And he said, "I would like a double portion of thy Spirit." I +can imagine now that Elijah had given him a chance to ask; he said to +himself, "I will ask for enough." Elisha had a good deal of the +Spirit, but, says he, "I want a double portion of thy Spirit." "Well," +says Elijah, "if you see me when I am taken up, you shall have it." Do +you think you could have enticed Elisha from Elijah at that moment? I +can almost see the two arm in arm, walking along, and as they walked, +there came along the chariot of fire, and before Elisha knew it, +Elijah was caught up, and as he went sweeping towards the throne, the +servant cried, "My Father! My Father! The chariot of Israel and the +horsemen thereof!" Elisha saw him no more. He picked up Elijah's +fallen mantle, and returning with that old mantle of his master's, he +came to the Jordan and cried for Elijah's God, and the waters +separated hither and thither, and he passed through dry-shod. Then the +watching prophets lifted up their voices and said, "The Spirit of +Elijah is upon Elisha;" and so it was, a double portion of it. + +May the Spirit of Elijah, beloved reader, be upon us. If we seek for +it we will have it. Oh, may the God of Elijah answer by fire, and +consume the spirit of worldliness in the churches, burn up the dross, +and make us whole-hearted Christians. May that Spirit come upon us; +let that be our prayer in our family altars and in our closets. Let us +cry mightily to God that we may have a double portion of the Holy +Spirit, and that we may not rest satisfied with this worldly state of +living, but let us, like Sampson, shake ourselves and come out from +the world, that we may have the power of God. + + + +CHAPTER III. + + +WITNESSING IN POWER. + + +A man may as well hew marble without tools, or paint without colors or +instruments, or build without materials, as perform any acceptable +service without the graces of the Spirit, which are both the materials +and the instruments in the work.--_Alleine_. + +If we do not have the Spirit of God, it were better to shut the +churches, to nail up the doors, to put a black cross on them, and say, +"God have mercy on us!" If you ministers have not the Spirit of God, +you had better not preach, and you people had better stay at home. I +think I speak not too strongly when I say that a church in the land +without the Spirit of God is rather a curse than a blessing. If you +have not the Spirit of God, Christian worker, remember that you stand +in somebody else's way; you are as a tree bearing no fruit standing +where another fruitful tree might grow. This is solemn work; the Holy +Spirit or nothing, and worse than nothing. Death and condemnation to a +church that is not yearning after the Spirit, and crying and groaning +until the Spirit has wrought mightily in her midst. He is here; He has +never gone back since He descended at Pentecost. He is often grieved +and vexed, for He is peculiarly jealous and sensitive, and the one sin +never forgiven has to do with His blessed person; therefore let us be +very tender towards Him, walk humbly before Him, wait on Him very +earnestly, and resolve that about us there should be nothing knowingly +continued which should prevent Him dwelling in us, and being with us +henceforth and for, ever. Brethren, peace be unto you and your +spirit!--_Spurgeon_. + + + +WITNESSING IN POWER. + + +THE subject of witness-bearing in the power of the Holy Ghost is not +sufficiently understood by the Church. Until we have more intelligence +on this point we are laboring under great disadvantage. Now, if you +will take your Bible and turn to the 15th chapter of John and the 26th +verse, you will find these words: "But when the Comforter is come, +whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, +which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of me; and ye also +shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning." +Here we find what the Spirit is going to do, or what Christ said He +would do when He came; namely, that He should testify of Him. And if +you will turn over to the second chapter of Acts you will find that +when Peter stood up on the day of Pentecost, and testified of what +Christ had done, the Holy Spirit came down and bore witness to that +fact, and men were convicted by hundreds and by thousands. So then man +can not preach effectively of himself. He must have the Spirit of God +to give ability, and study God's Word in order to testify according to +the mind of the Spirit. + + +WHAT IS THE TESTIMONY? + + +If we keep back the Gospel of Christ and do not bring Christ before +the people, then the Spirit has not the opportunity to work. But the +moment Peter stood up on the day of Pentecost and bore testimony to +this one fact, that Christ died for sin, and that He had been raised +again, and ascended into heaven--the Spirit came down to bear witness +to the Person and Work of Christ. + +He came down to bear witness to the fact that Christ was in heaven, +and if it was not for the Holy Ghost bearing witness to the preaching +of the facts of the Gospel, do you think that the Church would have +lived during these last eighteen centuries? Do you believe that +Christ's death, resurrection and ascension would not have been +forgotten as soon as His birth, if it had not been for the fact that +the Holy Spirit had come? Because it is very clear, that when John +made his appearance on the borders of the wilderness, they had +forgotten all about the birth of Jesus Christ. Just thirty short +years. It was all gone. They had forgotten the story of the Shepherds; +they had forgotten the wonderful scene that took place in the temple, +when the Son of God was brought into the temple and the older prophets +and prophetesses were there; they had forgotten about the wise men +coming to Jerusalem to inquire where He was that was born King of the +Jews. That story of His birth seemed to have just faded away; they had +forgotten all about it, and when John made his appearance on the +borders of the wilderness it was brought back to their minds. And if +it had not been for the Holy Ghost coming down to bear witness to +Christ, to testify of His death and resurrection, these facts would +have been forgotten as soon as His birth. + + +GREATER WORK. + + +The witness of the Spirit is the witness of power. Jesus said, "The +works that I do shall ye do also, and greater works than these shall +ye do because I go to the Father." I used to stumble over that. I +didn't understand it. I thought, what greater work could any man do +than Christ had done? How could any one raise a dead man who had been +laid away in the sepulcher for days, and who had already begun to turn +back to dust; how with a word could he call him forth? But the longer +I live the more I am convinced it is a greater thing to influence a +man's will; a man whose will is set against God; to have that will +broken and brought into subjection to God's will--or, in other words, +it is a greater thing to have power over a living, sinning, God-hating +man, than to quicken the dead. He who could create a world could speak +a dead soul into life; but I think the greatest miracle this world has +ever seen was the miracle at Pentecost. Here were men who surrounded +the Apostles, full of prejudice, full of malice, full of bitterness, +their hands, as it were, dripping with the blood of the Son of God, +and yet an unlettered man, a man whom they detested, a man whom they +hated, stands up there and preaches the Gospel, and three thousand of +them are immediately convicted and converted, and become disciples of +the Lord Jesus Christ, and are willing to lay down their lives for the +Son of God. It may have been on that occasion that Stephen was +converted, the first martyr, and some of the men who soon after gave +up their lives for Christ. This seems to me the greatest miracle this +world has ever seen. But Peter did not labor alone; the Spirit of God +was with him; hence the marvelous results. + +The Jewish law required that there should be two witnesses, and so we +find that when Peter preached there was a second witness. Peter +testified of Christ, and Christ says when the Holy Spirit comes He +will testify of Me. And they both bore witness to the verities of our +Lord's incarnation, ministry, death, and resurrection, and the result +was that a multitude turned as with one heart unto the Lord. Our +failure now is, that preachers ignore the Cross, and veil Christ with +sapless sermons and superfine language. They don't just present Him to +the people plainly, and that is why, I believe, that the Spirit of God +don't work with power in our churches. What we need is to preach +Christ and present Him to a perishing world. The world can get on very +well without you and me, but the world can not get on without Christ, +and therefore we must testify of Him, and the world, I believe, to-day +is just hungering and thirsting for this divine, satisfying portion. +Thousands and thousands are sitting in darkness, knowing not of this +great Light, but when we begin to preach Christ honestly, faithfully, +sincerely and truthfully; holding Him up, not ourselves; exalting +Christ and not our theories; presenting Christ and not our opinions; +advocating Christ and not some false doctrine; then the Holy Ghost +will come and bear witness. He will testify that what we say is true. +When He comes He will confirm the Word with signs following. This is +one of the strongest proofs that our Gospel is Divine; that it is of +Divine origin; that not only did Christ teach these things, but when +leaving the world He said, "He shall glorify Me," and "He will testify +of Me." If you will just look at the second chapter of Acts--to that +wonderful sermon that Peter preached--the thirty-sixth verse, you read +these words: "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly +that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye crucified, both Lord and +Christ." And when Peter said this the Holy Ghost descended upon the +people and testified of Christ--bore witness in signal demonstration +that all this was true. And again, in the fortieth verse, "And with +many other words did He testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves +from this untoward generation." With many other words did He testify, +not only these words that have been recorded, but many other words. + + +THE SURE GUIDE. + + +Turn to the sixteenth chapter of John, in the thirteenth verse, and +read: "Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of Truth is come, He will guide +you into all truth; for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever +He shall hear that shall He speak; and He will show you things to +come." He will guide you into all truth. Now there is not a truth that +we ought to know but the Spirit of God will guide us into it if we +will let Him; if we will yield ourselves up to be directed by the +Spirit, and let Him lead us, He will guide us into all truth. It would +have saved us from a great many dark hours if we had only been willing +to let the Spirit of God be our counsellor and guide. + +Lot never would have gone to Sodom if he had been guided by the Spirit +of God. David never would have fallen into sin and had all that +trouble with his family if he had been guided by the Spirit of God. + +There are many Lots and Davids now-a-day. The churches are full of +them. Men and women are in total darkness, because they have not been +willing to be guided by the Spirit of God. "He shall guide you into +all truth. He shall not speak of Himself." He shall speak of the +ascended glorified Christ. + +What would be thought of a messenger, entrusted by an absent husband +with a message for his wife or mother who, on arrival, only talked of +himself, and his conceits, and ignored both the husband and the +message? You would simply call it outrageous. What then must be the +crime of the professed teacher who speaks of himself, or some insipid +theory, leaving out Christ and His Gospel? If we witness according to +the Spirit, we must witness of Jesus. + +The Holy Spirit is down here in this dark world to just speak of the +Absent One, and He takes the things of Christ and brings them to our +mind. He testifies of Christ; He guides us into the truth about Him. + + +RAPPINGS IN THE DARK. + + +I want to say right here, that I think in this day a great many +children of God are turning aside and committing a grievous sin. I +don't know as they think it is a sin, but if we examine the +Scriptures, I am sure we will find that it is a great sin. We are told +that the Comforter is sent into the world to "guide us into all +truth," and if He is sent for that purpose, do we need any other +guide? Need we hide in the darkness, consulting with mediums, who +profess to call up the spirits of the dead? Do you know what the Word +of God pronounces against that fearful sin? I believe it is one of the +greatest sins we have to contend with at the present day. It is +dishonoring to the Holy Spirit for me to go and summon up the dead and +confer with them, even if it were possible. + +I would like you to notice the 10th chapter of 1st Chronicles, and +13th verse: "So Saul died for his transgression which he had committed +against the Lord, even against the Word of the Lord, which he kept +not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to +inquire of it; and inquired not of the Lord: therefore He slew him, +and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse." + +God slew him for this very sin. Of the two sins that are brought +against Saul here, one is that he would not listen to the Word of God, +and the second is that he consulted a familiar spirit. He was snared +by this great evil, and sinned against God. + +Saul fell right here, and there are a great many of God's professed +children to-day who think there is no harm in consulting a medium who +pretends to call up some of the departed to inquire of them. + +But how dishonoring it is to God who has sent the Holy Spirit into +this world to guide us "into all truth." There is not a thing that I +need to know, there is not a thing that is important for me to know; +there is not a thing that I ought to know but the Spirit of God will +reveal it to me through the Word of God, and if I turn my back upon +the Holy Spirit, I am dishonoring the Spirit of God, and I am +committing a grievous sin. You know we read in Luke, where that rich +man in the other world wanted to have some one sent to his father's +house to warn his five brothers, Christ said They have Moses and the +prophets, and if they will not hear them, they will not hear one +though he rose from the dead. Moses and the prophets, the part of the +Bible then completed, that is enough. But a great many people now want +something besides the Word of God, and are turning aside to these +false lights. + + +SPIRITS THAT PEEP AND MUTTER. + + +There is another passage which reads, "And when they shall say unto +you, seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that +peep and mutter: Should not a people seek unto their God? for the +living to the dead?" What is that but table-rapping, and cabinet-hiding? +If it was a message from God, do you think you would have to +go into a dark room and put out all the lights? In secret my Master +taught nothing. God is not in that movement, and what we want, as +children of God, is to keep ourselves from this evil. And then notice, +the verse following, quoted so often out of its connection. "To the +law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it +is because there is no light in them." Any man, any woman, who comes +to us with any doctrine that is not according to the law and the +testimony, let us understand that they are from the evil one, and that +they are enemies of righteousness. They have no light in them. Now you +will find these people who are consulting familiar spirits, first and +last, attack the Word of God. They don't believe it. Still a great +many people say, you must hear both sides--but if a man should write +me a most slanderous letter about my wife, I don't think I would have +to read it; I should tear it up and throw it to the winds. Have I to +read all the infidel books that are written, to hear both sides? Have +I to take up a book that is a slander on my Lord and Master, who has +redeemed me with His blood? Ten thousand times No; I will not touch +it. + +"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some +shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and +doctrines of devils." 1 Tim., iv, 1. That is pretty plain language, +isn't it? "Doctrines of devils." Again, "speaking lies in hypocrisy; +having their consciences seared with a hot iron." There are other +passages of Scripture warning against every delusion of Satan. Let us +ever remember the Spirit has been sent into the world to guide us into +all truth. We don't want any other guide; He is enough. Some people +say, "Is not conscience a safer guide than the Word and the Spirit?" +No, it is not. Some people don't seem to have any conscience, and +don't know what it means. Their education has a good deal to do with +conscience. There are persons who will say that their conscience did +not tell them that they had done wrong until after the wrong was done; +but what we want, is something to tell us a thing is wrong before we +do it. Very often a man will go and commit some awful crime, and after +it is done his conscience will wake up and lash and scourge him, and +then it is too late, the act is done. + + +THE UNERRING GUIDE. + + +I am told by people who have been over the Alps, that the guide +fastens them, if they are going in a dangerous place, right to +himself, and he just goes on before; they are fastened to the guide. + +And so should the Christian be linked to His unerring Guide, and be +safely upheld. Why, if a man was going through the Mammoth Cave, it +would be death to him if he strayed away from his guide--if separated +from him, he would certainly perish; there are pitfalls in that cave +and a bottomless river, and there would be no chance for a man to find +his way through that cave without a guide or a light. So there is no +chance for us to get through the dark wilderness of this world alone. +It is folly for a man or woman to think that they can get through this +evil world without the light of God's Word and the guidance of the +Divine Spirit. God sent Him to guide us through this great journey, +and if we seek to work independent of Him, we shall stumble into the +deep darkness of eternity's night. + +But bear in mind the _Words_ of the Spirit of God; if you want to be +guided, you must study the Word; because the Word is the light of the +Spirit. In the 14th chapter of John and 26th verse, we read: + +"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send +in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to +your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." + +Again in John xvi, 13: + +"Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth is come, He will guide you into +all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall +hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come." + +"He will show you things to come." A great many people seem to think +that the Bible is out of date, that it is an old book, and they think +it has passed its day. They say it was very good for the dark ages, +and that there is some very good history in it; but then it was not +intended for the present time; that we are living in a very +enlightened age, and that men can get on very well without the old +book; that we have outgrown it. They think we have no use for it, +because it is an old book. Now you might just as well say that the +sun, which has shone so long, is now so old that it is out of date, +and that whenever a man builds a house he need not put any windows in +it, because we have got a newer light and a better light; we have +gaslight and this new electric light. These are something new; and I +would advise people, if they think the Bible is too old and worn out, +when they build houses, not to put any windows in them, but just to +light them with this new electric light; that is something new, and +this is what they are anxious for. People talk about this Book as if +they understood it; but we don't know much about it yet. The press +gives us the daily news of what has taken place. This Bible, however, +tells us what is about to take place. This _is_ new; we have the news +here in this Book; this tells us of the things that will surely come +to pass; and that is a great deal newer than anything in the +newspapers. It tells us that the Spirit shall teach us all things; not +only guide us into all truth, but teach us all things; He teaches us +how to pray, and I don't think there has ever been a prayer upon this +sin-cursed earth that has been indicted by the Holy Spirit but was +answered. There is much praying that is not indicted by the Holy +Spirit. In former years I was very ambitious to get rich; I used to +pray for one hundred thousand dollars; that was my aim, and I used to +say, "God does not answer my prayer; He does not make me rich." But I +had no warrant for such a prayer; yet a good many people pray in that +way; they think that they pray, but they do not pray according to the +Scriptures. The Spirit of God has nothing to do with their prayers, +and such prayers are not the product of His teaching. + +It is the Spirit who teaches us how to answer our enemies. If a man +strikes me, I should not pull out a revolver and shoot him. The Spirit +of the Lord don't teach me revenge; He don't teach me that it is +necessary to draw the sword and cut a man down in order to defend my +rights. Some people say, You are a coward if you don't strike back. +Christ says, turn the other cheek to him who smites. I would rather +take Christ's teaching than any other. I don't think a man gains much +by loading himself down with weapons to defend himself. There has been +life enough sacrificed in this country to teach men a lesson in this +regard. The Word of God is a much better protection than the revolver. +We had better take the Word of God to protect us, by accepting its +teaching, and living out its precepts. + + +AN AID TO MEMORY. + + +It is a great comfort to us to remember that another office of the +Spirit is to bring the teaching of Jesus to our remembrance. This was +our Lord's promise, "He shall teach you all things, and bring all +things to your remembrance." Jno. xiv, 26. + +How striking that is. I think there are many Christians who have had +that experience. They have been testifying, and found that while +talking for Christ the Spirit has just brought into mind some of the +sayings of the Lord Jesus Christ, and their mind was soon filled with +the Word of God. When we have the Spirit resting upon us, we can speak +with authority and power, and the Lord will bless our testimony and +bless our work. I believe the reason why God makes use of so few in +the Church, is because there is not in them the power that God can +use. He is not going to use our ideas, but we must have the Word of +God hid in our hearts, and then, the Holy Spirit inflaming us, we will +have the testimony which will be rich, and sweet, and fresh, and the +Lord's Word will vindicate itself in blessed results. God wants to use +us; God wants to make us channels of blessing; but we are in such a +condition He does not use us. That is the trouble; there are so many +men who have no testimony for the Lord; if they speak, they speak +without saying anything, and if they pray, their prayer is powerless; +they do not plead in prayer; their prayer is just a few set phrases +that you have heard too often. Now what we want, is to be so full of +the Word, that the Spirit coming upon us shall bring to mind--bring to +our remembrance--the words of the Lord Jesus. + +In 1 Cor. ii, 9, it is written: "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, +neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath +prepared for them that love Him." + +We hear that quoted so often in prayer--many a man weaves it into his +prayer and stops right there. And the moment you talk about Heaven, +they say, "Oh, we don't know anything about Heaven it hath not entered +into the heart of man; eye hath not seen; it is all speculation; we +have nothing to do with it; and they say they quote it as it is +written." "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard; neither have entered into +the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love +Him." What next--"but God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit." +You see the Lord hath revealed them unto us: "For the Spirit searches +all things--yea, the deep things of God." That is just what the Spirit +does. + + +LONG AND SHORT SIGHT. + + +He brings to our mind what God has in store for us. I heard a man, +some time ago, speaking about Abraham. He said "Abraham was not +tempted by the well-watered plains of Sodom, for Abraham was what you +might call a long-sighted man; he had his eyes set on the city which +had foundation--'whose Builder and Maker is God.'" But Lot was a +short-sighted man; and there are many people in the Church who are +very short-sighted; they only see things right around them they think +good. Abraham was long-sighted; he had glimpses of the celestial city. +Moses was long-sighted, and he left the palaces of Egypt and +identified himself with God's people--poor people, who were slaves; +but he had something in view yonder; he could see something God had in +store. Again there are some people who are sort of long-sighted and +shortsighted, too. I have a friend who has one eye that is long-sighted +and the other is short-sighted; and I think the Church is full of this +kind of people. They want one eye for the world and the other for the +Kingdom of God. Therefore, everything, is blurred, one eye is long and +the other is short, all is confusion, and they "see men as trees +walking." The Church is filled with that sort of people. But Stephen +was long-sighted; he looked clear into heaven; they couldn't convince +him even when he was dying, that Christ had not ascended to heaven. +"Look, look yonder," he says, "see Him over there; He is on the throne, +standing at the right hand of God;" and he looked clear into heaven; +the world had no temptation for him; he had put the world under his feet. +Paul was another of those long-sighted men; he had been caught up and +seen things unlawful for him to utter; things grand and glorious. I tell +you when the Spirit of God is on us the world looks very empty; the +world has a very small hold upon us, and we begin to let go our hold of +it. When the Spirit of God is on us we will just let go the things of +time and lay hold of things eternal. This is the Church's need to-day; +we want the Spirit to come in mighty power, and consume all the vile +dross there is in us. Oh! that the Spirit of fire may come down and +burn everything in us that is contrary to God's blessed Word and Will. + +In John xiv, 16, we read of the Comforter. This is the first time He +is spoken of as the Comforter. Christ had been their Comforter. God +had sent Him to comfort the sorrowing. It was prophesied of Him, "The +Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach +the Gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted." +You can't heal the brokenhearted without the Comforter; but the world +would not have the first Comforter, and so they rose up and took Him +to Calvary and put him to death; but on going away He said, "I will +send you another Comforter; you shall not be comfortless; be of good +cheer, little flock; it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the +kingdom." All these sweet passages are brought to the remembrance of +God's people, and they help us to rise out of the fog and mist of this +world. O, what a comforter is the Holy Spirit of God! + + +THE FAITHFUL FRIEND. + + +The Holy Spirit tells a man of his faults in order to lead him to a +better life. In John xvi, 8, we read: "He is to reprove the world of +sin." Now, there are a class of people who don't like this part of the +Spirit's work. Do you know why? Because He convicts _them_ of sin; +they don't like that. What they want is some one to speak comforting +words and make everything pleasant; keep everything all quiet; tell +them there is peace when there is war; tell them it is light when it +is dark, and tell them everything is growing better; that the world is +getting on amazingly in goodness; that it is growing better all the +time; that is the kind of preaching they seek for. Men think they are +a great deal better than their fathers were. That suits human nature, +for it is full of pride. Men will strut around and say, "Yes, I +believe that; the world is improving; I am a good deal better man than +father was; my father was too strict; he was one of those old +Puritanical men who was so rigid. O, we are getting on; we are more +liberal; my father wouldn't think of going out riding on Sunday, but +we will; we will trample the laws of God under our feet; we are better +than our fathers." + +That is the kind of preaching which some dearly love, and there are +preachers who tickle such itching ears. When you bring the Word of God +to bear upon them, and when the Spirit drives it home, then men will +say: "I don't like that kind of preaching; I will never go to hear +that man again;" and sometimes they will get up and stamp their way +out of church before the speaker gets through; they don't like it. But +when the Spirit of God is at work he convicts men of sin. "When He +comes He will reprove the world of sin, of righteousness and of +judgment; of sin"--not because men swear and lie and steal and get +drunk and murder--"of sin because they believe not on Me." + + +THE CLIMAX SIN. + + +That is the sin of the world. Why, a great many people think that +unbelief is a sort of misfortune, but do not know, if you will allow +me the expression, it is the damning sin of the world to-day; that is +what unbelief is, the mother of all sin. There would not be a drunkard +walking the streets, if it were not for unbelief; there would not be a +harlot walking the streets, if it were not for unbelief; there would +not be a murderer, if it was not for unbelief; it is the germ of all +sin. Don't think for a moment that it is a misfortune, but just bear +in mind it is an awful sin, and may the Holy Spirit convict every +reader that unbelief is making God a liar. Many a man has been knocked +down on the streets because some one has told him he was a liar. +Unbelief is giving God the lie; that is the plain English of it. Some +people seem to boast of their unbelief; they seem to think it is quite +respectable to be an infidel and doubt God's Word, and they will +vainly boast and say, "I have intellectual difficulties; I can't +believe." Oh that the Spirit of God may come and convict men of sin! +That is what we need--His convicting power, and I am so thankful that +God has not put that into our hands. We have not to convict men; if we +had I would get discouraged, and give up preaching, and go back to +business within the next forty-eight hours. It is my work to preach +and hold up the Cross and testify of Christ; but it is His work to +convict men of sin and lead them to Christ. One thing I have noticed, +that some conversions don't amount to anything; that if a man +professes to be converted without conviction of sin, he is one of +those stony-ground hearers who don't bring forth much fruit. The first +little wave of persecution, the first breath of opposition, and the +man is back in the world again. Let us pray, dear Christian reader, +that God may carry on a deep and thorough work, that men may be +convicted of sin so that they can not rest in unbelief. Let us pray +God it may be a thorough work in the land. I would a great deal rather +see a hundred men thoroughly converted, truly born of God, than to see +a thousand professed conversions where the Spirit of God has not +convicted of sin. Don't let us cry "Peace, peace, when there is no +peace." Don't go to the man who is living in sin, and tell him all he +has to do is to stand right up and profess, without any hatred for +sin. Let us ask God first to show every man the plague of his own +heart, that the Spirit, may convict them of sin. Then will the work in +our hands be real, and deep, and abide the fiery trial which will try +every man's labor. + +Thus far, we have found the work of the Spirit is to impart life, to +implant hope, to give liberty, to testify of Christ, to guide us into +all truth, to teach us all things, to comfort the believers, and to +convict the world of sin. + + "Holy Spirit, faithful guide, + Ever near the Christian's side; + Gently lead us by the hand, + Pilgrims in a desert land; + Weary souls for e'er rejoice, + While they hear that sweetest voice, + Whisp'ring softly, wanderer come! + Follow Me, I'll guide thee home. + + Ever present, truest Friend, + Ever near Thine aid to lend, + Leave us not to doubt and fear, + Groping on in darkness drear, + When the storms are raging sore, + Hearts grow faint, and hopes give o'er; + Whisp'ring 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, + Wond'ring if our names were there, + Wading deep the dismal flood, + Pleading nought but Jesus' blood; + Whisp'ring softly, wanderer come! + Follow Me, I'll guide thee home." + + + "OH! Spirit of God, whose voice I hear, + Sweeter than sweetest music, appealing + In tones of tenderness and love; + Whose comforts delight my soul, and + Fills the temple of my heart with joy beyond compare. + I need Thee day by day, and each day's moment, Lord. + I sigh for greater likeness + To Him who loved me unto death, and loves me still. + 'Tis Thine to lead me to Him; 'tis Thine to ope the eye, + To manifest His royal glories to my longing heart; + 'Tis Thine the slumbering saint to waken + And discipline this blood-touched ear + To hearken to my heavenly Lover's voice, + And quickly speed His summons to obey. + Oh! Spirit of the Mighty God, uplift my faith + Till heaven's precious light shall flood my soul, + And the shining of my face declare + That I have seen the face of God." + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + +POWER IN OPERATION. + + +"Ye are not your own." "Your bodies are the temples of the Holy +Ghost." Is that an unmeaning metaphor, or an over-worded expression? +When the Holy Spirit enters the soul, heaven enters with Him. The +heart is compared to a temple. God never enters without His +attendants; _repentance_ cleanses the house; _faith_ provides for the +house; _watchfulness_, like the porter, takes care of it; _prayer_ is +a lively messenger, learns what is wanted, and then goes for it; +_faith_ tells him where to go, and he never goes in vain; _joy_ is the +musician of this temple, tuning to the praises of God and the Lamb; +and this terrestrial temple shall be removed to the celestial world, +for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised.--_Rowland +Hill._ + + +POWER IN OPERATION. + + +THE power we have been considering is the Presence of the Holy Spirit. +He is omnipotent. Power in operation is the actions of the Spirit or +the fruit of the Spirit. This we shall now consider. Paul writes in +Gal. v, 16, etc.: + +"This I say then, walk in 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; and these are contrary, the one to the +other; so that ye can not do the things that ye would. But if ye be +led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." * * * "But the fruit of +the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, +faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law. And they +that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and +lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let +us not be desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one +another." + +Now there is a life of perfect peace, perfect joy, and perfect love, +and that ought to be the aim of every child of God; that ought to be +their standard; and they should not rest until having attained to that +position. That is God's standard, where He wants all His children. +These nine graces mentioned in this chapter in Galatians can be +divided in this way: Love and peace and joy are all to God. God looks +for that fruit from each one of His children, and that is the kind of +fruit which is acceptable with Him. Without that we can not please +God. He wants, above everything else that we possess, love, peace and +joy. And then the next three--goodness, long-suffering and gentleness--are +towards man. That is our outward life to those that we are coming +in contact with continually--daily, hourly. The next three--faith, +temperance, meekness--are in relation to ourselves; and in that way we +can just take the three divisions, and it will be of some help to us. + +The first thing that meets us as we enter the kingdom of God, you +might say are these first three graces, + + +LOVE, PEACE, AND JOY. + + +When a man who has been living in sin turns from his sins, and turns +to God with all his heart, he is met on the threshold of the divine +life by these sister graces. The love of God is shed abroad in his +heart by the Holy Ghost. The peace of God comes at the same time, and +also the joy of the Lord. We can all put the test to ourselves, if we +have them. It is not anything that we can make. The great trouble with +many is that they are trying to make these graces. They are trying to +make love; they are trying to make peace; they are trying to make joy. +But they are not creatures of human planting. To produce them of +ourselves is impossible. That is an act of God. They come from above. +It is God who speaks the word and gives the love; it is God who gives +the peace; it is God who gives the joy, and we possess all by +receiving Jesus Christ by faith into the heart; for when Christ comes +by faith into the heart, then the Spirit is there, and if we have the +Spirit, we will have the fruit. + +If the whole Church of God could live as the Lord would have them +live, why Christianity would be the mightiest power this world has +ever seen. It is the low standard of Christian life that is causing so +much trouble. There are a great many stunted Christians in the Church; +their lives are stunted; they are like a tree planted in poor soil--the +soil is hard and stony, and the roots can not find the rich loamy soil +needed. Such believers have not grown in these sweet graces. Peter, in +his second epistle, 1st chapter and 5th verse, writes: + +"And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and +to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance +patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly +kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be +in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor +unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." + +Now, if we have these things in us, I believe that we will be +constantly bringing forth fruit that will be acceptable with God. It +won't be just a little every now and then, when we spur ourselves up +and work ourselves up into a certain state of mind or into an excited +condition, and work a little while and then become cold, and +discouraged, and disheartened, but we shall be neither unfruitful nor +barren, bringing forth fruit constantly, we will grow in grace and be +filled with the Spirit of God. + + +WHAT WINS. + + +A great many parents have inquired of me how to win their children. +They say they have talked with them, and sometimes they have scolded +them and have lectured them, and signally failed. I think there is no +way so sure to win our families and our neighbors, and those about +whom we are anxious, to Christ, than just to adorn the doctrine of +Jesus Christ in our lives, and grow in all these graces. If we have +peace and joy and love and gentleness and goodness and temperance; not +only being temperate in what we drink, but in what we eat, and +temperate in our language, guarded in our expressions; if we just live +in our homes as the Lord would have us, an even Christian life day by +day, we shall have a quiet and silent power proceeding from us, that +will constrain them to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. But an uneven +life, hot to-day and cold tomorrow, will only repel. Many are watching +God's people. It is just the very worst thing that can happen to those +whom we want to win to Christ, to see us, at any time, in a cold, +backslidden state. This is not the normal condition of the Church; it +is not God's intention; He would have us growing in all these graces, +and the only true, happy, Christian life is to be growing, constantly +growing in the love and favor of God, growing in all those delightful +graces of the Spirit. + +Even the vilest, the most impure, acknowledge the power of goodness; +they recognize the fruit of the Spirit. It may condemn their lives and +cause them to say bitter things at times, but down deep in their +hearts they know that the man or woman who is living that kind of +life, is superior to them. The world don't satisfy them, and if we can +show the world that Jesus Christ does satisfy us in our present life, +it will be more powerful than the eloquent words of professional +reformers. A man may preach with the eloquence of an angel, but if he +don't live what he preaches, and act out in his home and his business +what he professes, his testimony goes for naught, and the people say +it is all hypocrisy after all; it is all a sham. Words are very empty, +if there is nothing back of them. Your testimony is poor and +worthless, if there is not a record back of that testimony consistent +with what you profess. What we need is to pray to God to lift us up +out of this low, cold, formal state that we have been living in, that +we may live in the atmosphere of God continually, and that the Lord +may lift upon us the light of his countenance, and that we may shine +in this world, reflecting His grace and glory. + +The first of the graces spoken of in Galatians, and the last mentioned +in Peter, is charity or love. We can not serve God, we can not work +for God unless we have love. That is the key which unlocks the human +heart. If I can prove to a man that I come to him out of pure love; if +a mother shows by her actions that it is pure love that prompts her +advising her boy to lead a different life, not a selfish love, but +that it is for the glory of God, it won't be long before that mother's +influence will be felt by that boy, and he will begin to think about +this matter, because true love touches the heart quicker than anything +else. + + +POWER OF LOVE. + + +Love is the badge that Christ gave His disciples. Some put on one sort +of badge and some another. Some put on a strange kind of dress, that +they may be known as Christians, and some put on a crucifix, or +something else, that they may be known as Christians. But love is the +only badge by which the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ are known. +"By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love +one toward another." + +Therefore, though a man stand before an audience and speak with the +eloquence of a Demosthenes, or of the greatest living orator, if there +is no love back of his words, it is like sounding brass and a tinkling +cymbal. I would recommend all Christians to read the thirteenth +chapter of First Corinthians constantly, abiding in it day and night, +not spending a night or a day there, but just go in there and spend +all our time--summer and winter, twelve months in the year, then the +power of Christ and Christianity would be felt as it never has been in +the history of the world. See what this chapter says: + +"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not +charity, I am become _as_ sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And +though I have _the gift_ of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, +and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove +mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." + +A great many are praying for faith; they want extraordinary faith; +they want remarkable faith. They forget that love exceeds faith. The +CHARITY spoken of in the above verses, is LOVE, the fruit of the +Spirit, the great motive-power of life. What the Church of God needs +to-day is love--more love to God and more love to our fellow-men. If +we love God more, we will love our fellow-men more. There is no doubt +about that. I used to think that I should like to have lived in the +days of the prophets; that I should like to have been one of the +prophets, to prophesy, and to see the beauties of heaven and describe +them to men; but, as I understand the Scriptures now, I would a good +deal rather live in the thirteenth chapter of 1st Corinthians and have +this love that Paul is speaking of, the love of God burning in my soul +like an unquenchable flame, so that I may reach men and win them for +heaven. + +A man may have wonderful knowledge, that may unravel the mysteries of +the Bible, and yet be as cold as an icicle. He may glisten like the +snow in the sun. Sometimes you have wondered why it was that certain +ministers who have had such wonderful magnetism, who have such a +marvelous command of language, and who preach with such mental +strength, haven't had more conversions. I believe, if the truth was +known, you would find no divine love back of their words, no pure love +in their sermons. You may preach like an angel, Paul says, "with the +tongues of men and of angels," but if you have not love, it amounts to +nothing. "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,"--a man +may be very charitable, and give away all his goods; a man may give +all he has, but if it is not the love of God which prompts the gift, +it will not be acceptable with God. "And though I give my body to be +burned, and have not charity"--have not love--"it profiteth me +nothing." A man may go to the stake for his principles; he may go to +the stake for what he believes, but if it is not love to God which +actuates him, it will not be acceptable to God. + + +LOVE'S WONDERFUL EFFECTS. + + +"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity +vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. + +Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily +provoked, thinketh no evil." + +That's the work of love. It is not easily provoked. Now if a man has +no love of God in his heart, how easy it is to become offended; +perhaps with the church because some members of the church don't treat +him just right, or some men of the church don't bow to him on the +street, he takes offense, and that is the last you see of him. Love is +long-suffering. If I love the Lord Jesus Christ, these little things +are not going to separate me from His people. They are like the dust +in the balance. Nor will the cold, formal treatment of hypocrites in +the church quench that love I have in my heart for Him. If this love +is in the heart, and the fire is burning on the altar, we will not be +all the time finding fault with other people and criticising what they +have done. + + +CRITICS BEWARE. + + +Love will rebuke evil, but will not rejoice in it. Love will be +impatient of sin, but patient with the sinner. To form the habit of +finding fault constantly, is very damaging to spiritual life; it is +about the lowest and meanest position that a man can take. I never saw +a man who was aiming to do the best work, but there could have been +some improvement; I never did anything in my life, I never addressed +an audience, that I didn't think I could have done better, and I have +often upbraided myself that I had not done better; but to sit down and +find fault with other people when we are doing nothing ourselves, not +lifting our hands to save some one, is all wrong, and is the opposite +of holy, patient, divine love. + +Love is forbearance; and what we want is to get this spirit of +criticism and fault finding out of the Church and out of our hearts +and let each one of us live as if we had to answer for ourselves, and +not for the community, at the last day. If we are living according to +the 13th chapter of Corinthians, we will not be all the time finding +fault with other people. "Love suffereth long, and is kind." Love +forgets itself, and don't dwell upon itself. The woman who came to +Christ with that alabaster box, I venture to say, never thought of +herself. Little did she know what an act she was performing. It was +just her love for the Master. She forgot the surroundings, she forgot +everything else that was there; she broke that box and poured the +ointment upon Him, and filled the house with its odor. The act, as a +memorial, has come down these 1800 years. It is right here--the +perfume of that box is in the world today. That ointment was worth $40 +or $50; no small sum of those days for a poor woman. Judas sold the +Son of God for about $15 or $20. But what this woman gave to Christ +was everything that she had, and she became so occupied with Jesus +Christ that she didn't think what people were going to say. So when we +act with a single eye for the glory of our Lord, not finding fault +with everything about us, but doing what we can in the power of this +love, then will our deeds for God speak, and the world will +acknowledge that we have been with Jesus, and that this glorious love +has been shed abroad in our hearts. + +If we don't love the Church of God, I am afraid it won't do us much +good; if we don't love the blessed Bible, it will not do us much good. +What we want, then, is to have love for Christ, to have love for His +word, and to have love for the Church of God, and when we have love, +and are living in that spirit, we will not be in the spirit of finding +fault and working mischief. + + +AFTER LOVE, WHAT? + + +After love comes peace. I have before remarked, a great many people +are trying to make peace. But that has already been done. God has not +left it for us to do; all that we have to do is to enter into it. It +is a condition, and instead of our trying to make peace and to work +for peace, we want to cease all that, and sweetly enter into peace. + +If I discover a man in the cellar complaining because there is no +light there, and because it is cold and damp, I say: "My friend, come +up out of the cellar. There is a good warm sun up here, a beautiful +spring day, and it is warm, it is cheerful and light; come up, and +enjoy it." Would he reply, "O, no, sir; I am trying to see if I can +make light down here; I am trying to work myself into a warm feeling." +And there he is working away, and he has been at it for a whole week. +I can imagine my reader smile; but you may be smiling at your own +picture; for this is the condition of many whom I daily meet who are +trying to do this very thing--they are trying to work themselves into +peace and joyful feelings. Peace is a condition into which we enter; +it is a state; and instead of our trying to make peace, let us believe +what God's Word declares, that peace has already been made by the +blood of the Cross. Christ has made peace for us, and now what He +desires is that we believe it and enter into it. Now, the only thing +that can keep us from peace is sin. God turneth the way of the wicked +upside down. There is no peace for the wicked, saith my God. They are +like the troubled sea that can not rest, casting up filth and mire all +the while; but peace with God by faith in Jesus Christ--peace through +the knowledge of forgiven sin, is like a rock; the waters go dashing +and surging past it, but it abides. When we find peace, we shall not +find it on the ground of innate goodness; it comes from without +ourselves, but into us. In the 16th chapter of John and the 33d verse +we read: "These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might +have peace." In me ye might have peace. Jesus Christ is the author of +peace. He procured peace. His gospel is the gospel of peace. "Behold I +bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be unto all people; +for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour," and +then came that chorus from heaven "Glory to God in the highest; peace +on earth." He brought peace. "In the world ye shall have tribulation, +but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." + +How true that in the world we have tribulation. Are you in +tribulation? Are you in trouble? Are you in sorrow? Remember this is +our lot. Paul had tribulation, and others shared in grief. Nor shall +we be exempt from trial. But within, peace may reign undisturbed. If +sorrow is our lot, peace is our legacy. Jesus gives peace; and do you +know there is a good deal of difference between His peace and our +peace? Any one can disturb our peace, but they can't disturb His +peace. That is the kind of peace He has left us. Nothing can offend +those who trust in Christ. + + +NOT EASILY OFFENDED. + + +In the 119th Psalm and the 165th verse, we find "Great peace have they +who love Thy law; and nothing shall offend them." The study of God's +Word will secure peace. You take those Christians who are rooted and +grounded in the Word of God, and you find they have great peace; but +it is these who don't study their Bible, and don't know their Bible, +who are easily offended when some little trouble comes, or some little +persecution, and their peace is all disturbed; just a little breath of +opposition, and their peace is all gone. + +Sometimes I am amazed to see how little it takes to drive all peace +and comfort from some people. Some slandering tongue will readily +blast it. But if we have the peace of God, the world can not take that +from us. It can not give it; it can not destroy it. We have to get it +from above the world; it is peace which Christ gives. "Great peace +have they which love Thy law, and nothing shall offend them." Christ +says "blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me." Now, if +you will notice, wherever there is a Bible-taught Christian, one who +has the Bible well marked, and daily feeds upon the Word by prayerful +meditation, he will not be easily offended. + +Such are the people who are growing and working all the while. But it +is these people who never open their Bibles, these people who never +study the Scriptures, who become offended, and are wondering why they +are having such a hard time. They are the persons who tell you that +Christianity is not what it has been recommended to them; that they +have found it was not all that we claim it to be. The real trouble is, +they have not done as the Lord has told them to do. They have +neglected the Word of God. If they had been studying the Word of God, +they would not be in that condition. If they had been studying the +Word of God, they would not have wandered these years away from God, +living on the husks of the world. But the trouble is, they have +neglected to care for the new life; they haven't fed it, and the poor +soul, being starved, sinks into weakness and decay, and is easily +stumbled or offended. + +I met a man who confessed his soul had fed on nothing for forty years. +"Well," said I, "that is pretty hard for the soul--giving it nothing +to feed on!" And that man is but a type of thousands and tens of +thousands to-day; their poor souls are starving. This body that we +inhabit for a day, and then leave, we take good care of; we feed it +three times a day, and we clothe it, and take care of it, and deck it, +and by and by it is going into the grave to be eaten up by the worms; +but the inner man, that is to live on and on, and on forever, is lean +and starved. + + +SWEET WORDS. + + +In the 6th chapter of Numbers and 22d verse we read: + +"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying: Speak unto Aaron and unto his +sons, saying, on this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, +saying unto them: The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make His +face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up His +countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." + +I think these are about as sweet verses as we find in the Old +Testament. I marked them years ago in my Bible, and many times I have +turned over and read them. "The Lord lift up His countenance upon +thee, and give thee peace." They remind us of the loving words of +Jesus to his troubled disciples, "Peace, be still." The Jewish +salutation used to be, as a man went into a house, "Peace be upon this +house," and as he left the house the host would say, "Go in peace." + +Then again, in the 14th chapter of John and the 27th verse, Jesus +said: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the +world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither +let it be afraid." This is the precious legacy of Jesus to all His +followers. Every man, every woman, every child, who believes in Him, +may share in this portion. Christ has willed it to them, and His peace +is theirs. + +This then is our Lord's purpose and promise. My peace I give unto you. +I give it, and I am not going to take it away again; I am going to +leave it to you. "Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not +your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." But you know, when +some men make their wills and deed away their property, there are some +sharp, shrewd lawyers who will get hold of that will and break it all +to pieces; they will go into court and break the will, and the jury +will set the will aside, and the money goes into another channel. Now +this will that Christ has made, neither devil nor man can break it. He +has promised to give us peace, and there are thousands of witnesses +who can say: "I have my part of that legacy. I have peace; I came to +Him for peace, and I got it; I came to Him in darkness; I came to Him +in trouble and sorrow; I was passing under a deep cloud of affliction, +and I came to Him and He said, 'Peace, be still.' And from that hour +peace reigned in my soul." Yes, many have proved the invitation true, +"Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give +you rest." They found rest when they came. He is the author of rest, +He is the author of peace, and no power can break that will; yea, +unbelief may question it, but Jesus Christ rose to execute His own +will, and it is in vain for man to contest it. Infidels and skeptics +may tell us that it is all a myth, and that there isn't anything in +it, and yet the glorious tidings is ever repeated, "Peace on earth, +good will to man," and the poor and needy, the sad and sorrowful, are +made partakers of it. + +So, my reader, you need not wait for peace any longer. All you have to +do is to enter into it to-day. You need not try to make peace. It is a +false idea; you can not make it. Peace is already made by Jesus +Christ, and is now declared unto you. + + +PEACE DECLARED. + + +When France and England were at war, a French vessel had gone off on a +long voyage, a whaling voyage; and when they came back, the crew were +short of water, and being now near an English port, they wanted to get +water; but they were afraid that they would be taken if they went into +that port; and some people in the port saw them, saw their signal of +distress, and sent word to them that they need not be afraid, that the +war was over, and peace had been declared. But they couldn't make +those sailors believe it, and they didn't dare to go into port, +although they were out of water; but at last they made up their minds +that they had better go in and surrender up their cargo and surrender +up their lives to their enemies than to perish at sea without water; +but when they got in, they found out that peace had been declared, and +that what had been told them was true. So there are a great many +people who don't believe the glad tidings that peace has been made. +Jesus Christ made peace on the Cross. He satisfied the claims of the +law; and this law which condemns you and me has been fulfilled by +Jesus Christ. He has made peace, and now He wants us just to enjoy it, +just to believe it. Nor is there a thing to hinder us from doing it, +if we will. We can enter into that blessing now, and have perfect +peace. The promise is: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind +is stayed on Thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever, for in the Lord +Jehovah is everlasting strength." Now, as long as our mind is stayed +on our dear selves, we will never have peace. Some people think more +of themselves than of all the rest of the world. It is self in the +morning, self at noon, and self at night. It is self when they wake +up, and self when they go to bed; and they are all the time looking at +themselves and thinking about themselves, instead of "looking unto +Jesus." Faith is an outward look. Faith does not look within; it looks +without. It is not what I think, nor what I feel, nor what I have +done, but it is what Jesus Christ is and has done, and so we should +trust in Him who is our strength, and whose strength will never fail. +After Christ rose from the grave, three times, John tells us, He met +His disciples and said unto them, "Peace be unto you." There is peace +for the conscience through His blood, and peace for the heart in His +love. + + +SECRET OF JOY. + + +Remember, then, that love is power, and peace is power; but now I will +call attention to another fruit of the Spirit, and this too is power--the +grace of JOY. It is the privilege, I believe, of every Christian to +walk in the light, as God is in the light, and to have that peace +which will be flowing unceasingly as we keep busy about His work. And +it is our privilege to be full of the joy of the Lord. We read, that +when Philip went down to Samaria and preached, there was great joy in +the city. Why? Because they believed the glad tidings. And that is the +natural order, joy in believing. When we believe the glad tidings, +there comes a joy into our souls. Also we are told that our Lord sent +the seventy out, and that they went forth preaching salvation in the +name of Jesus Christ, and the result was that there were a great many +who were blessed; and the seventy returned, it says, with great joy, +and when they came back they said that the very devils were subject to +them, through His name. The Lord seemed to just correct them in this +one thing when He said, "Rejoice not that the devils are subject to +you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." There is +assurance for you. They had something to rejoice in now. God don't ask +us to rejoice over nothing, but He gives us some ground for our joy. +What would you think of a man or woman who seemed very happy to-day +and full of joy, and couldn't tell you what made them so? Suppose I +should meet a man on the street, and he was so full of joy that he +should get hold of both my hands and say, "Bless the Lord, I am so +full of joy!" "What makes you so full of joy?" "Well, I don't know." +"You don't know?" "No, I don't; but I am so joyful that I just want to +get out of the flesh." "What makes you feel so joyful?" "Well, I don't +know." Would we not think such a person unreasonable? But there are a +great many people who feel--who want to feel--that they are Christians +before they are Christians; they want the Christian's experience +before they become Christians; they want to have the joy of the Lord +before they receive Jesus Christ. But this is not the Gospel order. He +brings joy when He comes, and we can not have joy apart from Him; +there is no joy away from Him; He is the author of it, and we find our +joy in Him. + + +JOY IS UNSELFISH. + + +Now, there are three kinds of joy; there is the joy of one's own +salvation. I thought, when I first tasted that, it was the most +delicious joy I had ever known, and that I could never get beyond it. +But I found, afterward, there was something more joyful than that, +namely, the joy of the salvation of others. Oh, the privilege, the +blessed privilege, to be used of God to win a soul to Christ, and to +see a man or woman being led out of bondage by some act of ours toward +them. To think that God should condescend to allow us to be co-workers +with Him. It is the highest honor we can wear. It surpasses the joy of +our own salvation, this joy of seeing others saved. And then John +said, He had no greater joy than to see His disciples walking in the +truth. Every man who has been the means of leading souls to Christ +understands what that means. Young disciples, walk in the truth and +you will have joy all the while. + +I think there is a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is +caused by things which happen around me, and circumstances will mar +it, but joy flows right on through trouble; joy flows on through the +dark; joy flows in the night as well as in the day; joy flows all +through persecution and opposition; it flows right along, for it is an +unceasing fountain bubbling up in the heart; a secret spring which the +world can't see and don't know anything about; but the Lord gives His +people perpetual joy when they walk in obedience to Him. + +This joy is fed by the Divine Word. Jeremiah says in chapter xv, 16: +"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy Word was unto me +the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Thy name, O +Lord." + +He ate the words, and what was the result? He said they were the joy +and rejoicing of his heart. Now people should look for joy in the +Word, and not in the world; they should look for the joy which the +Scriptures furnish, and then go work in the vineyard; because a joy +that don't send me out to some one else, a joy that don't impel me to +go and help the poor drunkard, a joy that don't prompt me to visit the +widow and the fatherless, a joy that don't cause me to go into the +Mission Sunday-school or other Christian work, is not worth having, +and is not from above; a joy that does not constrain me to go and work +for the Master, is purely sentiment and not real joy. + + +JOY IN PERSECUTION. + + +Then it says in Luke vi, 22: "Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, +and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall +reproach you and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's +sake. Rejoice ye in that day and leap for joy, for behold your reward +is great in heaven for in like manner did their fathers unto the +prophets." + +Christians do not receive their reward down here. We have to go right +against the current of the world. We may be unpopular, and we may go +right against many of our personal friends if we live godly in Christ +Jesus; and at the same time, if we are persecuted for the Master's +sake, We will have this joy bubbling up; it just comes right up in our +hearts all the while--a joy that is unceasing--that flows right on. +The world can not choke that fountain. If we have Christ in the heart, +by and by the reward will come. The longer I live the more I am +convinced that godly men and women are not appreciated in our day. But +their work will live after them, and there will be a greater work done +after they are gone, by the influence of their lives, than when they +were living. Daniel is doing a thousand times more than when he was +living in Babylon. Abraham is doing more to-day than he did on the +plain with his tent and altar. All these centuries he has been living, +and so we read, "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, from +henceforth; yea saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their +labors, and their works do follow them." Let us set the streams +running that shall flow on after we have gone. If we have to-day +persecution and opposition, let us press forward, and our reward will +be great by and by. Oh! think of this; the Lord Jesus, the Maker of +heaven and earth, who created the world, says, "Great shall be thy +reward." He calls it great. If some friend should say it is great, it +might be very small; but when the Lord, the great and mighty God, says +it is great, what must it be? Oh! the reward that is in store for +those who serve Him! We have this joy, if we serve Him. A man or woman +is not fit to work for God who is cast down, because they go about +their work with a tell-tale face. "The joy of the Lord is your +strength." What we need to-day is a joyful church. A joyful church +will make inroads upon the works of Satan, and we will see the Gospel +going down into dark lanes and dark alleys, and into dark garrets and +cellars, and we will see the drunkards reached and the gamblers and +the harlots come pressing into the kingdom of God. It is this carrying +a sad countenance, with so many wrinkles on our brows, that retards +Christianity. Oh may there come great joy upon believers everywhere, +that we may shout for joy and rejoice in God day and night. A joyful +church--let us pray for that, that the Lord may make us joyful, and +when we have joy, then we will have success; and if we don't have the +reward we think we should have here, let us constantly remember the +rewarding time will come hereafter. + +Some one has said, if you had asked men in Abraham's day who their +great man was, they would have said Enoch, and not Abraham. If you had +asked in Moses' day who their great man was, they would not have said +it was Moses; he was nothing, but it would have been Abraham. If you +had asked in the days of Elijah or Daniel, it wouldn't have been +Daniel or Elijah; they were nothing; but it would have been Moses. And +in the days of Jesus Christ--if you had asked in the days of Jesus +Christ about John the Baptist or the apostles, you would hear they +were mean and contemptible in the sight of the world, and were looked +upon with scorn and reproach; but see how mighty they have become. And +so we will not be appreciated in our day, but we are to toil on and +work on, possessing this joy all the while. And if we lack it, let us +cry: "Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with Thy +free Spirit; then will I teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners +shall be converted unto Thee." + +Again, the 15th chapter of John, and 11th verse, reads: "These things +have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your +joy might be full." And in the 16th chapter and 22d verse: "And ye now +therefore have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall +rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you." + +I am so thankful that I have a joy that the world can not rob me of; I +have a treasure that the world can not take from me; I have something +that it is not in the power of man or devil to deprive me of, and that +is the joy of the Lord. "No man taketh it from you." In the second +century, they brought a martyr before a king, and the king wanted him +to recant and give up Christ and Christianity, but the man spurned the +proposition. But the king said: "If you don't do it, I will banish +you." The man smiled and answered: "You can't banish me from Christ, +for He says He will never leave me nor forsake me." The king got +angry, and said: "Well, I will confiscate your property and take it +all from you." And the man replied: "My treasures are laid up on high; +you can not get them." The king became still more angry, and said: "I +will kill you." "Why," the man answered, "I have been dead forty +years; I have been dead with Christ; dead to the world, and my life is +hid with Christ in God, and you can not touch it." And so we can +rejoice, because we are on resurrection ground, having risen with +Christ. Let persecution and opposition come, we can rejoice +continually, and remember that our reward is great, reserved for us +unto the day when He who is our Life shall appear, and we shall appear +with Him in glory. + + "THE Spirit, oh, sinner, + In mercy doth move + Thy heart, so long hardened, + Of sin to reprove; + _Resist_ not the Spirit, + Nor longer delay; + God's gracious entreaties may end with to-day. + + Oh, child of the kingdom, + From sin service cease; + Be filled with the Spirit, + With comfort and peace. + Oh, _grieve_ not the Spirit, + Thy Teacher is He, + That Jesus, thy Saviour, may glorified be. + + 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!_" + +--_P. P. Bliss._ + + + +CHAPTER V. + + +POWER HINDERED. + + +The strokes of the "Sword of the Spirit" alight only on the +conscience, and its edge is anointed with a bairn to heal every wound +it may inflict.--_Dr. J. Harris_. + +Every vain thought and idle word, and every wicked deed, is like so +many drops to quench the Spirit of God. Some quench Him with the lust +of the flesh; some quench Him with cares of the mind; some quench Him +with long delays, that is, not plying the motion when it cometh, but +crossing the good thoughts with bad thoughts, and doing a thing when +the Spirit saith not. The Spirit is often grieved before He be +quenched.--_H. Smith_. + +In times when vile men held the high places of the land, a roll of +drums was employed to drown the martyr's voice, lest the testimony of +truth from the scaffold should reach the ears of the people,--an +illustration of how men deal with their own consciences, and seek to +put to silence the truth-telling voice of the Holy Spirit.--_Arnot_. + + +POWER HINDERED. + + +ISRAEL, we are told, limited the Holy One of Israel. They vexed and +grieved the Holy Spirit, and rebelled against His authority, but there +is a special sin against Him, which we may profitably consider. The +first description of it is in Matthew xii, 22d verse: + + +THE UNPARDONABLE SIN. + + +"Then was brought unto Him one possessed with a devil, blind and dumb; +and He healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and +saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of +David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth +not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. And +Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided +against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house +divided against itself shall not stand. And if Satan cast out Satan, +he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And +if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them +out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by +the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else +how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, +except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. +He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with +me, scattereth abroad. Wherefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and +blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the +Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a +word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever +speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither +in this world, neither in the world to come." That is Matthew's +account. Now let us read Mark's account in chapter iii, 21, etc.: + +"And when His friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on Him, +for they said: He (that is Christ) is beside Himself. And the scribes +which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the +prince of the devils casteth He out devils." + +The word Beelzebub means the Lord of Filth. They charged the Lord +Jesus with being possessed not only with an evil spirit, but with a +filthy spirit. + +"And He called them unto Him, and said unto them in parables, How can +Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that +kingdom can not stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that +house can not stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be +divided, he can not stand, but hath an end. No man can enter into a +strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the +strong man; and then he will spoil his house. Verily I say unto you, +all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies +wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme +against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of +eternal damnation." + +Now, if it stopped there, we would be left perhaps in darkness, and we +would not exactly understand what the sin against the Holy Ghost is; +but the next verse of this same chapter of Mark just throws light upon +the whole matter, and we need not be in darkness another minute if we +really want light; for observe, the verse reads: "Because they said, +He hath an unclean spirit." + +Now, I have met a good many atheists and skeptics and deists and +infidels, both in this country and abroad, but I never in my life met +a man or woman who ever said that Jesus Christ was possessed of an +unclean devil. Did you? I don't think you ever met such a person. I +have heard men say bitter things against Christ, but I never heard any +man stand up and say that he thought Jesus Christ was possessed with +the devil, and that he cast out devils by the power of the devil; and +I don't believe any man or woman has any right to say they have +committed the unpardonable sin, unless they have maliciously, and +wilfully and deliberately said that they believe that Jesus Christ had +a devil in Him, and that He was under the power of the devil, and that +He cast out devils by the power of the devil. Because you perhaps have +heard some one say that there is such a thing as grieving the Spirit +of God, and resisting the Spirit of God until He has taken His flight +and left you, then you have said "That is the unpardonable sin." + + +WHAT IT IS NOT. + + +I admit there is such a thing as resisting the Spirit of God, and +resisting till the Spirit of God has departed; but if the Spirit of +God has left any, they will not be troubled about their sins. The very +fact that they are troubled, shows that the Spirit of God has not left +them. If a man is troubled about his sins, it is the work of the +Spirit; for Satan never yet told him he was a sinner. Satan makes us +believe that we are pretty good; that we are good enough without God, +safe without Christ, and that we don't need salvation. But when a man +wakes up to the fact that he is lost, that he is a sinner, that is the +work of the Spirit; and if the Spirit of God had left him, he would +not be in that state; and just because men and women want to be +Christians, is a sign that the Spirit of God is drawing them. + +If resisting the Spirit of God is an unpardonable sin, then we have +all committed it, and there is no hope for any of us; for I do not +believe there is a minister, or a worker in Christ's vineyard, who has +not, some time in his life, resisted the Holy Ghost; who has not some +time in his life rejected the Spirit of God. To resist the Holy Ghost +is one thing, and to commit that awful sin of blasphemy against the +Holy Ghost, is another thing; and we want to take the Scripture and +just compare them. Now, some people say, "I have such blasphemous +thoughts; there are some awful thoughts that come into my mind against +God," and they think that is the unpardonable sin. We are not to blame +for having + + +BAD THOUGHTS + + +come into our minds. If we harbor them, then we are to blame. But if +the devil comes and darts an evil thought into my mind, and I say, +"Lord help me," sin is not reckoned to me. Who has not had evil +thoughts come into his mind, flash into his heart, and been called to +fight them! + +One old divine says, "You are not to blame for the birds that fly over +your head, but if you allow them to come down and make a nest in your +hair, then you are to blame. You are to blame if you don't fight them +off." And so with these evil thoughts that come flashing into our +minds; we have to fight them, we are not to harbor them; we are not to +entertain them. If I have evil thoughts come into my mind, and evil +desires, it is no sign that I have committed the unpardonable sin. If +I love these thoughts and harbor them, and think evil of God, and +think Jesus Christ a blasphemer, I am responsible for such gross +iniquity; but if I charge Him with being the prince of devils, then I +am committing the unpardonable sin. + + +THE FAITHFUL FRIEND. + + +Let us now consider the sin of "Grieving the Spirit." _Resisting_ the +Holy Ghost is one thing, _grieving_ Him is another. Stephen charged +the unbelieving Jews in the 7th chapter of Acts, "Ye do always resist +the Holy Ghost as your fathers did, so do ye." The world has always +been resisting the Spirit of God in all ages. That is the history of +the world. The world is to-day resisting the Holy Spirit. + +"Faithful are the wounds of a friend." The Divine Spirit as a friend +reveals to this poor world its faults, and the world only hates Him +for it. He shows them the plague of their hearts. He convinces or +convicts them of sin, therefore they fight the Spirit of God. I +believe there is many a man resisting the Holy Ghost; I believe there +is many a man to-day fighting against the Spirit of God. + +In the 4th chapter of Ephesians, in the 30th, 31st, and 32d verses, we +read: + +"And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the +day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and +clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And +be ye kind, one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, +even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." + +Now, mark you, that was written to the Church at Ephesus. "Grieve not +the Holy Spirit, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." I +believe today the Church all over Christendom is guilty of grieving +the Holy Spirit. There are a good many believers in different churches +wondering why the work of God is not revived. + + +THE CHURCH GRIEVES THE SPIRIT. + + +I think that if we search, we will find something in the Church +grieving the Spirit of God; it may be a mere schism in the church; it +may be some unsound doctrine; it may be some division in the Church. +There is one thing I have noticed as I have traveled in different +countries; I never yet have known the Spirit of God to work where the +Lord's people were divided. There is one thing that we must have if we +are to have the Holy Spirit of God to work in our midst, and that is +unity. If a church is divided, the members should immediately seek +unity. Let the believers come together and get the difficulty out of +the way. If the minister of a church can not unite the people, if +those that were dissatisfied will not fall in, it would be better for +that minister to retire. I think there are a good many ministers in +this country who are losing their time; they have lost, some of them, +months and years; they have not seen any fruit, and they will not see +any fruit, because they have a divided church. Such a church can not +grow in divine things. The Spirit of God don't work where there is +division, and what we want to-day is the spirit of unity amongst God's +children, so that the Lord may work. + + +WORLDLY AMUSEMENTS. + + +Then, another thing, I think, that grieves the Spirit, is the +miserable policy of introducing questionable entertainments. There are +the lotteries, for instance, that we have in many churches. If a man +wants to gamble, he doesn't have to go to some gambling den; he can stay +in the church. And there are fairs--bazaars, as they call them--where +they have rafflings and grab-bags. And if he wants to see a drama, he +don't need to go to the theater, for many of our churches are turned +into theaters; he may stay right in the church and witness the acting. +I believe all these things grieve the Spirit of God. I believe when we +bring the Church down to the level of the world to reach the world, we +are losing all the while and grieving the Spirit of God. + +But some say, if we take that standard and lift it up high, it will +drive away a great many members from our churches. I believe it, and I +think the quicker they are gone the better. The world has come into +the Church like a flood, and how often you find an ungodly choir +employed to do the singing for the whole congregation; the idea that +we need an ungodly man to sing praises to God! It was not long ago I +heard of a church where they had an unconverted choir, and the +minister saw something about the choir that he didn't like, and he +spoke to the chorister, but the chorister replied: "You attend to your +end of the church, and I will attend to mine." You can not expect the +Spirit of God to work in a church in such a state as that. + + +UNCONVERTED CHOIRS. + + +Paul tells us not to speak in an unknown tongue, and if we have choirs +who are singing in an unknown tongue, why is not that just as great an +abomination? I have been in churches where they have had a choir, who +would rise and sing, and sing, and it seemed as if they sung five or +ten minutes, and I could not understand one solitary word they sung, +and all the while the people were looking around carelessly. There +are, perhaps, a select few, very fond of fine music, and they want to +bring the opera right into the church, and so they have opera music in +the church, and the people, who are drowsy and sleepy, don't take part +in the singing. They hire ungodly men, unconverted men, and these men +will sometimes get the Sunday paper, and get back in the organ loft, +and the moment the minister begins his sermon, they will take out +their papers and read them all the while that the minister is +preaching. The organist, provided he does not go out for a walk--if he +happens to keep awake, will read his paper, or, perhaps, a novel, +while the minister is preaching; and the minister wonders why God +don't revive His work; he wonders why he is losing his hold on the +congregation; he wonders why people don't come crowding into the +church; why people are running after the world instead of coming into +the church. The trouble is that we have let down the standard; we have +grieved the Spirit of God. One movement of God's power is worth more +than all our artificial power, and what the Church of God wants to-day +is to get down in the dust of humiliation and confession of sin, and +go out and be separated from the world; and then see if we do not have +power with God and with man. + + +WHAT IS SUCCESS? + + +The Gospel has not lost its power; it is just as powerful to-day as it +ever has been. We don't want any new doctrine. It is still the old +Gospel with the old power, the Holy Ghost power; and if the churches +will but confess their sins and put them away, and lift the standard +instead of pulling it down, and pray to God to lift us all up into a +higher and holier life, then the fear of the Lord will come upon the +people around us. + +It was when Jacob put away strange gods and set his face toward Bethel +that the fear of God fell upon the nations around. And when the +churches turn towards God, and we cease grieving the Spirit, so that +He may work through us, we will then have conversions all the while. +Believers will be added to the Church daily. It is sad when you look +over Christendom and see how desolate it is, and see how little +spiritual life, spiritual power, there is in the Church of God to-day, +many of the church members not even wanting this Holy Ghost power. +They don't desire it; they want intellectual power; they want to get +some man who will just draw; and a choir that will draw; not caring +whether any one is saved. With them that is not the question. Only +fill the pews, have good society, fashionable people, and dancing; +such persons are found one night at the theater and the next night at +the opera. They don't like the prayer-meetings; they abominate them; +if the minister will only lecture and entertain, that would suit them. +I said to a man some time ago, "How are you getting on at your +church?" "Oh, splendid." "Many conversions?" "Well--well, on that side +we are not getting on so well. But," he said, "we rented all our pews +and are able to pay all our running expenses; we are getting on +splendidly." That is what the godless call "getting on splendidly;" +because they rent the pews, pay the minister, and pay all the running +expenses. Conversions! that is a strange thing. There was a man being +shown through one of the cathedrals of Europe; he had come in from the +country, and one of the men belonging to the cathedral was showing him +around, when he inquired, "Do you have many conversions here?" "Many +what?" "Many conversions here?" "Ah, man, this is not a Wesleyan +chapel." The idea of there being conversions there! And you can go +into a good many churches in this country and ask if they have many +conversions there, and they would not know what it meant, they are so +far away from the Lord; they are not looking for conversions, and +don't expect them. + + +SHIPWRECKS. + + +Alas! how many young converts have made shipwreck against such +churches. Instead of being a harbor of delight to them, they have +proved false lights, alluring them to destruction. Isn't it time for +us to get down on our faces before God and cry mightily to Him to +forgive us our sins. The quicker we own it the better. You may be +invited to a party, and it may be made up of church members, and what +will be the conversation? Oh, I got so sick of such parties that I +left years ago; I would not think of spending a night that way; it is +a waste of time; there is hardly a chance to say a word for the +Master. If you talk of a personal Christ, your company becomes +offensive; they don't like it; they want you to talk about the world, +about a popular minister, a popular church, a good organ, a good +choir, and they say, "Oh, we have a grand organ, and a superb choir," +and all that, and it suits them; but that don't warm the Christian +heart. When you speak of a risen Christ and a personal Saviour, they +don't like it; the fact is, the world has come into the church and +taken possession of it, and what we want to do is to wake up and ask +God to forgive us for "Grieving the Spirit." + +Dear reader, search your heart and inquire, Have I done anything to +grieve the Spirit of God? If you have, may God show it to you to-day; +if you have done any thing to grieve the Spirit of God, you want to +know it to-day, and get down on your face before God and ask Him to +forgive you and help you to put it away. I have lived long enough to +know that if I can not have the power of the Spirit of God on me to +help me to work for Him, I would rather die, than live just for the +sake of living. How many are there in the church to-day, who have been +members for fifteen or twenty years, but have never done a solitary +thing for Jesus Christ? They can not lay their hands upon one solitary +soul who has been blessed through their influence; they can not point +to-day to one single person who has ever been lifted up by them. + + +QUENCH NOT. + + +In 1st Thessalonians, 5th chapter, we are told not to Quench the Spirit. +Now, I am confident the cares of the world are coming in and quenching +the Spirit with a great many. They say: "I don't care for the world;" +perhaps not the _pleasures_ of the world so much after all as the _cares_ +of this life; but they have just let the cares come in and quench the +Spirit of God. Anything that comes between me and God--between my soul +and God--quenches the Spirit. It may be my family. You may say: "Is +there any danger of my loving my family too much?" Not if we love God +more; but God must have the first place. If I love my family more than +God, then I am quenching the Spirit of God within me; if I love wealth, +if I love fame, if I love honor, if I love position, if I love pleasure, +if I love self, more than I love God who created and saved me, then I am +committing a sin; I am not only grieving the Spirit of God, but quenching +Him, and robbing my soul of His power. + + +EMBLEMS OF THE SPIRIT. + + +But I would further call attention to the emblems of the Holy Spirit. +An emblem is something that represents an object; the same as a +balance is an emblem of justice, and a crown an emblem of royalty, and +a scepter is an emblem of power; so we find in the 17th chapter of +Exodus and 6th verse, that water is an emblem of the Holy Spirit. You +find in the Smitten Rock, in the wilderness, the work of the Trinity +illustrated. + +"Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and +thou shall smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that +the people may drink. And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of +Israel." + +Paul declares, in Corinthians, that the rock was Christ; it +represented Christ. God says: "I will stand upon the rock," and as +Moses smote the rock the water came out, which was an emblem of the +Holy Spirit; and it flowed out along through the camp; and they drank +of the water. Now water is cleansing; it is fertilizing; it is +refreshing; it is abundant, and it is freely given; and so the Spirit +of God is the same: cleansing, fertilizing, refreshing, reviving, and +He was freely given when the smitten Christ was glorified. Then, too, +fire is an emblem of the Spirit; it is purifying, illuminating, +searching. We talk about searching our hearts. We can not do it. What +we want is to have God search them. O that God may search us and bring +out the hidden things, the secret things that cluster there and bring +them to light. The wind is another emblem. It is independent, powerful, +sensible in its effects, and reviving; how the Spirit of God revives +when He comes to all the drooping members of the Church. Then the rain +and the dew--fertilizing, refreshing, abundant; and the dove, gentle--what +more gentle than the dove; and the lamb?--gentle, meek, innocent, a +sacrifice. We read of the wrath of God; we read of the wrath of the Lamb, +but nowhere do we read of the wrath of the Holy Spirit--gentle, innocent, +meek, loving; and that Spirit wants to take possession of our hearts. +And He comes as a voice, another emblem--speaking, guiding, warning, +teaching; and the seal--impressing, securing, and making us as His own. +May we know Him in all His wealth of blessing. This is my prayer for +myself--for you. May we heed the words of the grand Apostle: "My speech +and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's 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." + + + +WORKS BY + +D. L. MOODY + + +Moody's Anecdotes. + +Moody's Stories. + +Men of the Bible. + +Weighed and Wanting. + +Short Talks. + +Latest Sermons. + +Thoughts for the Quiet Hour. + +The Overcoming Life. + +Sowing and Reaping. + +Pleasure and Profit in Bible Study. + +Sovereign Grace. + +Bible Characters. + +Prevailing Prayer. + +To the Work! + +The Way to God. + +Heaven. + +Secret Power. + +Select Sermons. + +Moody in Chicago; or The World's Fair Gospel Campaign. + +The Home Work of D. L. Moody. + +The Full Assurance of Faith. + +How to Study the Bible. + +The Way and the Word. + +The Second Coming of Christ. + +Inquiry Meetings. + +Gospel Booklets. + + +FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY + +CHICAGO NEW YORK TORONTO + +PUBLISHERS OF EVANGELICAL LITERATURE + + + +WORKS BY G. + +CAMPBELL MORGAN + + +THE CRISES OF THE CHRIST. + 8vo, cloth, net, $2.00. + +THE SPIRIT OF GOD. + 12mo, cloth, $1.25. + +A FIRST CENTURY MESSAGE TO TWENTIETH CENTURY CHRISTIANS. + 12mo, cloth, net, $1.00. + +GOD'S METHODS WITH MAN! + IN TIME--PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. + With colored chart. + 12mo, paper, 50 cents. Cloth, $1.00. + +WHEREIN HAVE WE ROBBED GOD? + +MALACHI'S MESSAGE TO THE MEN OF TODAY. + 12mo, cloth, 75 cents. + +GOD'S PERFECT WILL. + 16mo, cloth, 50 cents. + +LIFE PROBLEMS. + LITTLE BOOKS SERIES. + Long 16mo, 50 cents. + +THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. + +STUDIES IN THE LAW OF MOSES AND THE LAW OF CHRIST. + 12mo, cloth, 50 cents. + +DISCIPLESHIP. + LITTLE BOOKS SERIES. + Long 16mo, cloth, 50c. + +THE HIDDEN YEARS AT NAZARETH. + QUIET HOUR SERIES. + 18mo, cloth, 25 cents. + +THE TRUE ESTIMATE OF LIFE. + 12mo, paper, 15 cents. + Cloth, 75 cents, net. + +"ALL THINGS NEW" + A MESSAGE TO NEW CONVERTS. + 16mo, paper, 10 cents. + + +FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY + +PUBLISHERS + + + +THE RED LIBRARY + +16MO, CLOTH, EACH, NET, 30 CTS. + + +Weighed and Wanting. + +Men of the Bible. + +Bible Characters. + +Select Sermons. + +Moody's Anecdotes. + +The Overcoming Life. + +The Way to God. + +Thoughts for the Quiet Hour. + +Moody's Latest Sermons + +Short Talks by D. L. Moody. + +Pleasure and Profit in Bible Study. Sowing and Reaping. + +Heaven. + +Moody's Stories. + +To the Work! + +Sovereign Grace. + +Prevailing Prayer. + +Secret Power. + +_The above eighteen volumes are all by D. L. Moody, and are published +as "The Moody Library," in boxed set, net, $5.40._ + +The True Estimate of Life. + By G. CAMPBELL MORGAN. + +All of Grace. + By C. H. SPURGEON. + +According to Promise. + BY C. H. SPURGEON. + +John Ploughman's Talks. + By C. H. SPURGEON. + +John Ploughman's Pictures. + By C. H. SPURGEON. + +Good Tidings. + +Recitation Poems. + +The Way of Life. + +Tales of Adventure from the Old Book. + +Resurrection. + +Select Poems for the Silent Hour. + +Up from Sin. + +The Revival of a Dead Church. + + +FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY + +CHICAGO NEW YORK TORONTO + +PUBLISHERS OF EVANGELICAL LITERATURE + + + +WORKS BY HANNAH + +WHITALL SMITH + + +THE CHRISTIAN'S SECRET OF A HAPPY LIFE + No. 02. Cloth. 75c. + No. 03. Cloth, gilt edges. $1.00 + No. 04. 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REVELL COMPANY + +CHICAGO NEW YORK TORONTO + +PUBLISHERS OF EVANGELICAL LITERATURE + + + +THE SPIRIT-FILLED + +LIFE SERIES. + +The Spirit-Filled Life. + By JOHN MACNEIL. + +Kept for the Master's Use. + By FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL. + +A Castaway, + and other addresses. + By F. B. MEYER. + +Light on Life's Duties. + By F. B. MEYER. + +The Secret of Guidance. + By F. B. MEYER. + +In Christ. + By A. J. GORDON. + +Heaven on Earth. + By A. C. DIXON. + +Absolute Surrender. + By ANDREW MURRAY. + +Meet for the Master's Use. + By F. B. MEYER. + +Addresses. + By HENRY DRUMMOND. + +The Power of Pentecost. + By THOS. WAUGH. + +The Overcoming Life. + By D. L. MOODY. + +Back to Bethel. + By F. B. MEYER. + +The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life. + By H. W. SMITH. + +12mo, decorated cloth, each, net, 30 cents. + + +FLEMING H. 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