G.F. Taylor

Preface

posite school. Lest we should be accused of misrepresenting

their position, we quote many of them exact.

The book has been written in much prayer and after much forethought, and we beg of all who read its pages to do so with mind and heart open to truth and to God. Accept all that is Scriptural; reject all that is erroneous.

Praying God's blessings upon all who read or circulate this book, I am,

Yours in Pentecostal glory,

G. F. TAYLOR.

DUNN, N. C., September, 1907.

INTRODUCTION.

BY REV. J. H. KING.

THE history of Christianity demonstrates that every great spiritual epoch has been productive of a literature peculiar to itself. The Holy Spirit not only moves powerfully upon human hearts, moving to intense activity on soul-saving work, but moves upon their minds simultaneously, inspiring to deeper thinking and investigation, bringing to light new truth, hitherto unknown. Divine revelation was progressive in its unfoldment, and the discovery of the meaning of the truth thus revealed is of necessity progressive in the understanding of enlightened Christendom. This progressive discovery of the meaning of truth, as we approach the ultimate completeness, implies limitation individually and dispensationally. No literature belonging to any particular epoch of the Christian Church bears the stamp of perfection. Revealed truth peculiar to each dispensation may to its adherents embrace all there is of truth, and thus present completeness in scope, but subsequent discoveries prove this to be a serious, as well as injurious, mistake. The great Protestant Reformation, and also the world-wide Methodistic movements, were mighty literature-producing epochs, setting forth precious and glorious truth, which deluged the world with blessings inestimable, but there is much that is imperfect in this literature; imperfect in nature and extent. The modern holiness movement has produced a vast volume of

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Introduction.

literature, presenting truth beyond the range of former discoveries, which has blessed the world with its fruit, notwithstanding its imperfection as well as unscripturalness in many of its aspects. It bears upon its face the claim of completeness, but further research is bringing to light the fact that it only brings its adherents into the vestibule of Pentecostal power and fulness, and not into its possession. The reducing within the range of justification and sanctification all that pertains to the fulness of grace, which is so apparent in all this literature, is positively injurious to honest souls, and serves as a barrier to their entrance into the Pentecostal experience. The second blessing does not and can not include the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, and the light of this truth, which has been gradually unfolding for a number of years, culminating in the present world-wide Pentecostal movement, is meeting with determined and desperate opposition, because it sinks the walls of limitation erected by the above literature, leading the people out into larger fields of truth, which enrich and empower the soul for better service. This movement will, like all previous ones, produce a literature peculiarly its own. This book is the first to appear on this line, and fills a very unique place in Christian literature, being the first to be written by one who has the Baptism of the Holy Ghost according to its bestowment in the Book of Acts, which characterizes the present movement. It labors to place the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in its Scriptural setting, and to show forth its peculiar accompaniment, the speaking in other tongues as evidencing its unmistakable reception. It is not an ex-

haustive treatise on this subject, but rather suggestive in its presentation of truth. Indeed, it does not claim to be anything but a primary discussion of the work of the Holy Ghost in His relation to the bridehood of Jesus, presenting the baptism as an initial preparation for membership in the same. This gives to the book an aspect of vast importance. In these closing days of gospel history, it is of momentous importance to those who are awake to the near advent of Christ to know what is the real preparation for membership in His bridehood, and a sincere perusal of this book will throw light on the question. It clearly shows that preparation to meet Christ is not ample qualification for membership in the bridehood, and the apprehension of this fact will doubtless stimulate deeper effort on the part of some to prepare for this high privilege and honor. If such efforts follow its careful reading, we are sure the author’s hopes will be realized.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

THE SPIRIT – A PERSON......................................................... 13

CHAPTER II.

SYMBOLS OF THE SPIRIT....................................................... 15

CHAPTER III.

THE SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD................................................. 19

CHAPTER IV.

THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SPIRIT.................................. 24

CHAPTER V.

OBJECTIONS ANSWERED...................................................... 39

CHAPTER VI.

THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT...................................................... 60

CHAPTER VII.

POUNDS AND TALENTS......................................................... 73

CHAPTER VIII.

THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST SUBSEQUENT TO

SANCTIFICATION........................................................ 75

CHAPTER IX.

THE EARLY AND THE LATTER RAIN................................... 90

CHAPTER X.

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT..................................................... 100

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12 Contents.

CHAPTER XI.

PAGE

BABYLON, OR THE CONFUSION OF TONGUES................... 102

CHAPTER XII.

THE JUDGMENT...................................................................... 106

CHAPTER XIII.

THE TEN VIRGINS.................................................................... 112

CHAPTER XIV.

THE BRIDE................................................................................ 119

CHAPTER XV.

THEIR UNITED CRY................................................................ 127

APPENDIX.

HOW TO OBTAIN AND RETAIN THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY

GHOST........................................................................... 131

CHAPTER I.

THE SPIRIT – A PERSON.

“THERE is one God; and there is none other but He” (Mark 12:32).

We read in Psalms 14: 1: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” The heathen believe that there are many gods. But we know “that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there be gods many, and lords many), but to us there is but one God” (I Cor. 8: 4-6). This one God is eternal. He says of Himself, “I AM THAT I AM” (Ex. 3:14). This is the One whom John saw, and the One of whom he speaks in Rev. 4: 2, “And one sat on the throne.” The apostle here mentions no name, and describes no figure, because he was looking upon “the unnameable, indescribable Godhead,” in which Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are consubstantial and the same. God, in the most hidden absoluteness of His being, in which the whole Godhead and all things stand, is indescribable; but there are embodied in this Godhead three blessed personages, each of which is indescribable, and each of which is God; and yet the three together are still the indescribable One.

We read in John 4: 24 that “God is a Spirit;” but we also read in

I Cor. 15: 44: “There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” So we find that the Scriptures speak of the different parts of the Father’s body. “The clouds are the dust of his feet” (Nah. 1 : 3); “Eyes of the Lord” (Zech. 4: 10); “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear” (Isa. 59: 1).

We know that the Son has a body, for He “was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John I: 14). “And was made in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2: 7). When He ascended to heaven He took His body with Him.

There is no Scripture which seems to teach that the Holy

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Spirit has a body; and yet He is the Personal God, and as much so as God the Father or God the Son; forming with the Father and the Son a unity in trinity and the Trinity in unity. He is as eternal as the Father and the Son; we read of him from the beginning. “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters (Gen. 1: 2). As He was one in the councils (Gen. 1: 26) of the Trinity in the eternal past, as He is now and ever will be in the advancement of God’s kingdom, so was He one with Christ during His earthly ministry. The Holy Spirit was personally at one with the Son of Man from the time of His conception throughout his whole earthly life. Listen at the wondrous annunciation made to the Virgin Mary:

“The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1: 35). At His baptism, the Holy Spirit in form like a dove came upon Him. Jesus said, “If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you” (Matt. 12: 28). Thus He clearly sets forth their entire cooperation. Jesus said again, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). So these three persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, form the Trinity in unity. The Father has a body and the Son has a body, but the Holy Spirit dwells in the body of the Father and in the body of the Son, thus uniting the Father and the Son and making One of the three.

The Spirit is not a vapor or an influence, as many suppose, but a real Person going forth from the Father and Son, and serving in their behalf. He is God himself imparted to work in his children the good pleasure of His own will, making His grace availing in them and for them, helping their infirmities, witnessing to their salvation, and carrying into effect all the divine administrations of the kingdom of grace.

Since the Holy Spirit has no body, God has to reveal Him and His work to us through material emblems, and of these we shall treat in the following chapter.

CHAPTER II.

SYMBOLS OF THE SPIRIT.

IN the Scriptures the personal work of the Holy Spirit with reference to our salvation is represented to our intellectual conception by means of symbols with which our physical senses are familiar. These symbols are God’s chosen illustrations from natural things by which he seeks to help us to understand the work of the Spirit and get a proper conception, through the physical senses, of important spiritual truths. Our intellects, accustomed to deal with material things, can by means of divinely-designated symbols more easily comprehend the real import and character of the operations of the Spirit of God in our hearts. And since the following symbols are taken from Scripture, and are therefore divinely designated, we are sure that we shall not err in the application thus made by the Holy Spirit himself.

1. Wind. “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). Other Scriptures bearing on this line are: Gen. 1: 2; 2: 7; Ezek. 37: 9, 10; Acts 2:2.

2. Water. “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7: 37-39). Other scriptures: Ps. 1: 3; Isa. 44:3, 4; Ezek. 36: 25-30; 47: 1-5; Eph. 5: 26.

3. Wine. On the day of Pentecost it was said of those who had received the Holy Ghost, “These men are full of new wine” (Acts 2: 13). The figure here lies in the effect produced.

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“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5: 18). (See Matt 9: 17).

4. Oil. “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power” (Acts 10: 38). But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him” (I John 2 : 27). (See Ps. 23:5; 92: 10; 105:15; Matt. 25: 1-3.)

5. Milk and Honey. The land of Canaan is said to be a land that flowed with milk and honey, thus making them a twofold symbol of the Holy Spirit. (See Ex. 3: 8; 33: 3; Num. 13: 27.)

6. Seal and Pledge. This twofold symbol may be found in the following Scriptures: “Ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1: 13, 14). “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Eph. 4: 30). “Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Cor. 1: 22). “A seal is the impress of the government by placing of the chosen design so as to secure the object sealed with antagonism.” It means that the object upon which it is placed has the authority and protection of the government. “An earnest is that which makes the promise secure, the forfeiture which stands for the promise until the promise is fulfilled.” Thus the operation of the Holy Spirit in our hearts is presented to us under the twofold symbol of seal and pledge.

7. Tongues of Fire. “And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire” (Acts 2: 3). Here we have another symbol of the Holy Ghost. Fire alone is never a symbol of the Spirit, but only in its connection with tongues. The principal means of communicating thought among men is by the human voice, of which the tongue is chief instrument. The gospel is God’s communication to men, and, as we have seen, is made efficient by the direct power of the Holy Ghost. So

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then, when the disciples were waiting for the eduement of power, it was a most fitting symbolism that the Holy Ghost should take the form of visible tongues like as of fire resting upon them. The Holy Spirit is not the tongue, but His power is to be felt through tongues speaking in every direction. In other words, He is to make the tongue of the divinely-chosen messenger efficient in preaching the gospel unto the uttermost parts of the earth. His power upon the disciples is then the voice of God speaking to a sinning world.

Some think that each symbol represents a particular operation of the Spirit, but I do not so understand it. The words of Jesus in John 3: 8 would lead us to believe that the Spirit regenerates under the symbol of wind; and Acts 2: 2 shows that He came as wind on the day of Pentecost. He also appeared on that occasion as tongues of fire, and as wine. Jesus, in speaking of the Baptism of the Spirit, used the symbol of water (John 7: 37-39). The symbol of oil applies to the Baptism sometimes (Matt 25: 1-13), and so does the seal and pledge. Milk and honey can be thus applied. All these symbols are used in representing the Baptism; but any symbol which represents an operation other than the baptism is interchangeable among all other operations. To map out a plan through which the Spirit uses each symbol for one particular operation would be nothing more nor less than to build theory, since such a plan would be without a Scriptural foundation. In this book we propose to build no theory, but to stand upon the Word.

At the baptism of the Lord, the Holy Spirit assumed the form of a dove and descended upon Him. This symbol was not used at any other time nor did the Spirit assume this form other than in His visible descension upon the Son of God. The reason for this may be seen in many ways. The offering of the poor was a dove. The Spirit of Christ was gentle like a dove. Thus the character and sacrifice of Christ could most fittingly be represented by the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. After the Master had rendered obedience in the fulfilling or right-

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eousness, there descended upon Him the Holy Spirit, choosing as the fitting form which to appear before men and to their natural vision, a dove—the emblem of peace—and the fitting sacrifice for peace between God and the sinning world. It is only then in the Spirit’s relationship to men either as saints or sinners. Since we propose in this book to deal with the offices of the Spirit in His relation to men, we omit this symbol from the enumeration above.

We have thus mentioned seven symbols which the Holy Ghost

has chosen to represent to us His manifold operations in our hearts. There may be other symbols, but it seems to us that these cover the ground. No one type of nature is sufficient to embody His whole ministry, therefore it is only natural that there should be just seven types setting forth His manifold operations. But let no one think for a moment that all or any of these symbols thus used are the Holy Ghost, or that the wine, the oil, the milk and honey, the seal and pledge, nor the tongues of fire, are the Holy Ghost, but each is simply a representation of the operation of the Spirit in our hearts. Just as soon as we reach the place that can comprehend the operation without the symbol, God removes the symbol, but the reality abides.

“Living as we do in a material world, and encompassed with material senses, God speaks to us through material emblems. But the time is coming when He will not speak to us in parables, but will bring our spirits into immediate vision and communion with the Father. Then the soul will be able to dispense with all secondary terms and types, and having lost itself in the ocean of divine nature, and being one with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, it will not need to be taught any more, but will see and know all things in the cloudless comprehension which the Spirit will constantly give to the glorified soul.”

Dr. Watson

CHAPTER III.

THE SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD.

IN Revelation 1: 4; 3: 1, and 4: 5, we read of the seven Spirits of God; while in Ephesians 4: 4 we are told that there is but one Spirit. Harmony exists between these Scriptures in the fact that there is one Spirit, yet the Holy Spirit, as sent forth for the illumination, comfort and edification of all the subjects of God’s redeeming grace, is represented to our finite minds by sevens. This does not infer that the Spirit is divided, but He is the one Spirit in whatever way He may operate in us.

Doctor Seiss says, “There is a sacred significance in numbers: not cabalistic, not fanciful; but proceeding from the very nature of things, well settled in the Scriptures, and universally acknowledged in all the highest and deepest systems of human thought and religion.”

Three represents the Trinity—Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Four represents humanity.

Seven is the union of three and four, hence it represents salvation, or the Christ-life in His saints. It is connected with whatever touches the covenant between God and man. It also signifies dispensational fullness. It is complete in that which is temporal. Thus we are not surprised to find that the Holy Spirit, in His offices, administrations, operations, and in whatever way He may deal with man, is presented to our minds in the number seven.

We have already seen that there are seven symbols which the Spirit uses to present to our finite minds the different ways He operates in our hearts, and now we are to see that there are seven operations of the Spirit. May the Holy Spirit help us to a proper understanding of these mighty things.

I. The Spirit Strives (Gen. 6: 3). It is the office of the Spirit to convict of sin, both actual and inbred. The Holy

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Ghost often strives with careless Christians to move them out into active service for God.

2. The Spirit Regenerates (John 3: 5-8). To be born again or from above is to receive a new heart. This change in the heart and life is wrought by and through the power of the Holy Ghost.

3. The Spirit Sanctifies (I Pet. 1: 2). Sanctification is the destruction of the old man—the taking away of the old heart—the eradication of the carnal mind. “Jesus, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate.” The Holy Ghost applies the blood of Jesus to the heart, and the heart is sanctified. The blood is the means by which we are sanctified, while the Holy Ghost is the Agent.

4. The Spirit Witnesses (I John 5: 6) He witnesses to our justification (Rom. 8: 16), to our sanctification (Heb. 10:15), to divine healing, to answer to prayer, etc.

5. The Spirit Teaches (John 14:26). The Spirit must teach the sinner how to be saved. Every saved soul realizes his need of divine guidance, of divine illumination, of that wisdom which is from above, and to every such soul there comes the blessed assurance that he will be so guided and lead. The Spirit enables him to understand the Scriptures, to perceive spiritual things, to know God’s will, and to receive divine wisdom. “For we know

not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26). Into all the details of the ministry of the gospel the Holy Spirit enters. It was by the direction of the Spirit that Philip was sent into the desert to preach to and baptize the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:29-39). The Spirit suffered not Paul and Silas to go into Bithynia when they desired of themselves to do so (Acts 16: 7). And it was the Spirit that sent Peter to preach to Cornelius (Acts 10:19 and 11:12). And so all through ministry of the apostles they were directed by the Holy Spirit.

6. The Spirit Anoints (Ps. 23:5, and Acts 4: 31). The purpose of these anointings is to prepare us for service, or to

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enable us to undergo some particular trial. Many miss all the sweetness of a trial by failing to tarry before God until He anoints them for that trial.

7. The Spirit Baptizes (Matt. 3:11). This is the culmination of the offices of the Spirit; it is the grand climax. This is the seal of the Spirit of promise, by which seal we are designated as the Bride of the Lamb.

Thus I have given the seven offices of the Holy Spirit with reference to man’s salvation. There may be others, but is seems to me that they can be enumerated under these seven. It may be that “the anointing” spoken of in I John 2: 27 is the same as the Baptism, but there is no doubt that we may several times, either before or after our Baptism, receive “an anointing” of the Spirit to prepare us for special service or trial (Acts 4: 29-31). But be all this as it may—consider that there are seven, less than seven, or more than seven operations of the Spirit, or explain “The Seven Spirits of God” as you may—it still remains a fact that “there are diversities of operations, … but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” So any arrangement you may wish to make of the operations or offices of the Spirit with reference to man’s salvation, any theory you may wish to build, will not at all affect the main truth upon which we take our position in this book.

“For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him” (John 3:34). I draw from this that the Spirit is given to no man in His full embodiment, but always by measure. I mean to say that Jesus had the Holy Ghost in all of His operations, in all of His administrations, in all of His gifts, and in all of His power as far as the relation between them existed; and therefore the symbol chosen in the case of Jesus was that of a dove: but that our capacities are too small to receive Him rather than by measure, though we may be filled with Him; hence He never comes upon us as a dove. Just as one drop of water

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contains all the fulness of water, and as much so as a barrel, and yet the barrel cannot contain all water; even so we may have all the fulness of God, or we may be filled with all the fulness of God; and yet we can receive I-Him only by measure.

Realizing then that we receive the Spirit by measure, it is

easy to see that not every one who knows the Holy Ghost has

received the Baptism; and that not every one who has the Holy Ghost in him is filled with the Spirit. I met the Holy Ghost in conviction, I learned to know Him in justification, and I have been acquainted with Him ever since.

Before the sinner will either desire or seek after salvation, he must realize his true condition and seek for divine help. Both the knowledge of this need and the power to seek for salvation are wrought in his soul by the agency of the Holy Spirit. Our Lord set before His disciples the truth that the power to receive Him as Saviour, and the efficiency of the Word itself, were dependent upon the direct influences of the Holy Spirit (John 6: 32-64). Salvation, however, is something more than being a member of God’s kingdom; it is the pledge, through the indwelling Spirit, of joint-heirship with Christ to all the glorious inheritance of God. We read in the word, “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Rom. 8: 9). But this does not argue in the least degree that all who have the Spirit have the Baptism of the Spirit; in fact, it proves the opposite. To have the Baptism of the Spirit, is to hold God’s pledge of resurrection “out from among the dead” and the entrance into the full enjoyment of being the Bride of Christ. Jesus said to his disciples, “But ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” So you see that all who have the Spirit are not baptized with the Spirit.

In passing let us call to mind the fact that some have greater capacities for containing God than others. One may have a greater measure of the Spirit than another, and yet his capacity may not be as near filled as the other’s. The Baptism of the Spirit includes or implies all other operations of the Spirit

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mentioned above, fills the spirit and soul and body of the recipient, and completely envelops the entire being with power and glory.

So having taken this survey of the operations of God’s Spirit in our hearts, let us now pass on to the manifestation. But this we must leave for the following chapter.

CHAPTER IV.

THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SPIRIT.

“AND there are diversities of operations, but it is the same

God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal” (I Cor. 12: 6, 7).

It appears to me from the above Scripture that there is a manifestation which follows each operation of the Spirit in our hearts. I also gather from other Scriptures that each operation of the Spirit includes two kinds or phases of manifestation. First, there are the invisible and internal influences or manifestation; and second, the visible and external manifestation and since there is profit in the manifestation, it is given to every man in whom the Spirit operates.

1. We know that when the Spirit strives with a man, there is an uneasiness in his soul, and a troubled look on his face (Dan. 5: 6; Acts 24: 25; Ps. 42: 5).

2. Justification brings the invisible manifestation of peace (Rom. 5: 1), and the visible manifestation of a new life (Eph. 2:1-5; Gal. 5: 22, 23; 2 Cor. 5: 17).

3. Sanctification brings the invisible manifestation of joy (Luke 24: 50-52), and the visible manifestation of fruit unto holiness (Rom. 6: 22).

4. The witness of the Spirit brings an internal manifestation of confidence towards God (I John 3: 20-22), and an external manifestation of testimony to the world (Rom. 10:10).

5. A person who is taught by the Spirit has an internal manifestation of an insight into the words of Jesus (John 14: 26), and an external manifestation of wisdom, especially in regard to the Christ-life, and the hidden things of God (Gen. 41: 37-40; Dan. 1:19, 20; Acts 4: 13; 18: 24-26).

6. A person who receives an anointing of the Spirit has an internal manifestation of an insight into God’s dealings with

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His children (Ps. 23: 5,6), and an external manifestation of boldness and liberty (Acts 4: 29-31).

7. The Baptism of the Spirit brings an invisible manifestation of living water (John 7: 37-39), and a visible or external manifestation of tongues (Acts 2: 3, 4).

There are other manifestations of the Spirit which I have not mentioned, but as far as I have gone I have tried to build upon the Word. It is possible that I have made some error in giving the manifestation following each of the first six operations; for in regard to these the Word is not so clear. I will therefore give my readers the liberty to rearrange these manifestations if they choose; but you must remember, “the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man” in whom He operates, and also your manifestation must be Scriptural. But when we come to the manifestation following the Baptism of the Spirit, we have a “thus saith the Lord.” We may think for many years that we have the manifestation of the Spirit following any or all of the first six operations, and then find out that we have been mistaken; but not so in regard to the visible manifestation of the seventh.

In proof of the above, in regard to the visible manifestation, we quote from the words of Jesus: “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” (John 15: 26, 27). How people do twist this Scripture to keep from admitting that the manifestation following the Baptism is speaking with tongues! One man, for example, after quoting the Scripture above, writes: “Now Jesus was not speaking here of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost for individual believers.

“The apostles collectively, represented the Church as a body and the promise was that He would send the Comforter, not into them, but unto them; and that He should abide, not in them, but with them forever.

“The baptism of the Holy Ghost, and the reception of the

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Spirit by individual Christians, is not in question here at all. If it were, the language would be, I will send Him upon you and He shall dwell in you forever. But instead it reads, ‘unto you,’ and ‘shall dwell with you.’

“So this evidently refers to the Holy Spirit coming to the church to take up His office work; and to convict, save, sanctify and fill each individual soul that will let Him.”

The writer then makes a few comments and quotes: “He shall testify of me.” Then he interrogates: “What will He say of me?” As an answer to his own question he quotes I John 5: 6-10, and continues:

“So we see that the Comforter’s testimony, when He came to the Church, and to any heart, is to testify to that heart of the divine Sonship of Jesus, and every Christian has this testimony in his soul: ‘For no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost’ (I Cor. 12: 3).

“So much for the beautiful promise that 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. Amen!”

On the same page of the same paper the writer, after quoting John 14: 15-17, says:

“The phrase, ‘He dwelleth with you,’ had no reference to their personal salvation, but simply to their work.

“The Holy Spirit is both with and in all regenerated people. The blessed Holy Spirit dwells with, and among all God’s people, whatever may be their degree of grace; and to say that the Holy Ghost is with regenerated people, but not in them, is a mistake.”

Again, he writes: “So the words of Jesus to the apostles: ‘For He dwelleth with you and shall be in you,’ does not deny that the Spirit is in a truly regenerated heart; but they can only mean that the apostles had not received the blessed Comforter in His glorious fulness.”

And again: “So when Jesus said to his apostles, ‘and he shall be in you,’ he no doubt referred to the baptism of the

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Holy Ghost in Matt. 3: 11, 12; which baptism was to thoroughly ‘purge his floor’ and ‘burn up the chaff,’ so they could be filled with the Holy Ghost. And all this was accomplished in the disciples on the day of Pentecost.”

The best I can understand the above quotation the writer is teaching that of all that is said in the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth chapters of John concerning the Holy Ghost, nothing refers to the Baptism of the Spirit except the expression, “And shall be in you.” That in all other cases Jesus was speaking, not of the “Baptism of the Holy Ghost for individual believers”; but He evidently refers to the Holy Spirit coming to the Church to take up His office work; and to convict, save, sanctify”--and then he adds, “Fill each individual soul that will let Him.”

Listen with care: “The Holy Spirit is both with and in all regenerated people . . . So when Jesus said to his apostles, ‘And he shall be in you,’ he no doubt referred to the Baptism of the Holy Ghost in Matt 3: 11,12. Thus he teaches that all regenerated people have the Baptism of the Holy Ghost referred to in Matt. 3: 11, 12. From the words of Jesus, “Shall be in you,” we must infer that the in- coming and in-dwelling of the Holy Ghost in his relation to the disciples was still an act of the future, and since the Holy Spirit is . . . in all regenerated people,” according to the above writer, the only logical conclusion is that the disciples at this time were not regenerated. Still, they had the Holy Ghost with them (John 15: 17), and their names were written in heaven (Luke 10: 20). When a man tries to support an unscriptural theory, he gets in a tangle.

We quote again his own words: “So when Jesus said to his apostles, ‘And he shall be in you,’ he no doubt referred to the Baptism of the Holy Ghost in Matt. 3: 11, 12”; and then commenting on John 15: 25-27, he says: “The Baptism of the Holy Ghost and the reception of the Spirit by individual Christians, is not in question here at all . . . So this evidently refers to the Holy Spirit coming to . . . fill each individual soul that will let Him.” “Which baptism was to thoroughly

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‘purge His floor’ and ‘burn up the chaff,’ so they could be filled with the Holy Ghost.” He says that the “filling” and the “baptism” are the same, and that they had to be baptized so they could be filled. Strange statements, indeed!

Again let us notice: “So this (John 15: 25-27) evidently refers to the Holy Spirit coming to the Church to take up His office work; and to convict, save, sanctify, etc.” If this be true, then the Holy Spirit never came to the Church to convict, save, and sanctify until the promise of John 15: 25-27 was fulfilled; and this (John 15: 25-27), the writer says, was a promise to “fill each individual soul that will let Him”; and that “when Jesus said to his apostles, ‘And he shall be in you,’ he no doubt referred to the Baptism of the Holy Ghost in Matt. 3: 11,12,” thus making John 15: 25-27 and Matt. 3: 11,12 one and the same. But he had just said that they had no connection.

The same writer, in another article, commenting on John 15: 26, says: “I want to warn my reader against twisting the blessed Scriptures to support certain theories and then adding what he thinks they lack.” I would advise him to take warning from his own signal!

If it is true that the Holy Spirit never had any office work in the world until Pentecost, please explain the following Scriptures: “My Spirit shall not always strive with man” (Gen. 6: 3). “I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and put it upon them” (Num. 11: 17). “The Spirit entered into me when He spake unto me” (Ezek. 2: 2). “The Spirit took me up” (Ezek. 3: 12). “The Spirit of the Lord fell upon me” (Ezek. 11: 5). “I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord” (Micah 3: 8). “And he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb” (Luke 1: 15). And then the words of Jesus: “But ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you.” Listen: “This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zech. 4: 6). “Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye” (Acts 7: 51).

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So the Scriptures seem to teach that all through the ages the Spirit has been at work in the hearts of men, but no one ever received the baptism until Pentecost. “For the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7: 39). This verse certainly refers to the Baptism, and not to the Spirit’s work in convicting, saving, and sanctifying; for “this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive.” There can be no reasonable doubt that the disciples, prior to Pentecost, received a measure of the Spirit, as had been true of others in previous periods. Some measure of spiritual light and some measure of spiritual power was theirs, as had been of holy men who lived before them; but Jesus taught them to pray for the Holy Ghost, and to seek the Baptism which had been promised by John. So we read when they came, saying. “Teach us to pray,” He, after giving to them the ideal form of prayer, taught them that the Holy Spirit Himself would come in answer to prayer. From the analogy of the earthly parent He draws the lesson “If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him” (Luke 11: 13).

I believe that the expression, “He dwelleth with you,” means that the disciples had the Holy Ghost in the same manner in which holy men had had Him in the ages past; and yet Jesus said, ”I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter.” "For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.” Here Jesus clearly teaches that the coming of the Comforter unto the disciples was yet a future event; and since the Spirit had all through the ages been with them, “His coming” must refer to the Baptism. Indeed, it would be strange that Jesus should say, “The Comforter dwelleth with you”–now, at the present time—and mean exactly the same blessing as He does in the preceding verse, when He says, “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.” I mean, it would be strange that Jesus should promise them a blessing in one verse and then tell them in the

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next verse that they already had that blessing. But this is exactly what the above quotation teaches. The same writer, commenting on John 15: 25-27, says:

“ The Baptism of the Holy Ghost, and the reception of the Spirit by individual Christians is not in question here at all. If it were, the language would be, I will send Him upon you; and He shall dwell in you forever. But instead it reads, ‘unto you,’ and ‘shall dwell with you.’” Now, the phrase, “Shall dwell with you,” I have been unable to find in this connection. I think he must refer to John 14: 16, where it is said, “Abide with you forever.” He clearly states that the promise of the Comforter to abide with them forever does not refer to the Baptism of the Spirit, but refers to the Holy Spirit coming to the Church to take up His office work; and that the phrase, “He dwelleth with you,” had no reference to their personal salvation, but to their work. Since they already had the Comforter dwelling with them, the promise in John 14: 16 was the promise of nothing more than they already had, and nothing more than the people of God had always possessed. This is certainly the teaching of the above quotation.

But He says to them, “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter; that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” “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.” “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 begin-

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ning.” “But now I go my way to Him that sent Me; and none of you asketh Me, Wither goeth thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on Me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see Me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He 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 shall glorify me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

I can see no reason for saying that none of these words refer to the Baptism of the Spirit for individuals, except the expression, “Shall be in you.” According to my understanding, all the above promises concerning the coming of the Comforter refer to the same thing. If we take the words of Jesus just as they stand, they are very simple. He, in the midst of His disciples, seems to say quietly, but positively, I am going away. Because I said this, you are sad. But it is best for you that I go away; for I cannot stay with you always; and after I am gone I will send you a Comforter, with whom you are already acquainted, for He dwelleth with you; but I am going to send Him in a greater measure; and He shall be with you for ever. There are many things I have to tell you, but you cannot understand them now. But remember, when the Comforter comes, He shall testify of Me and reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. Then He will begin to teach you about Me, and to bring to your remembrance the things I have said to you, and enable you to understand them. The above quotation teaches that these words referred, not to the Baptism, but simply to the coming of the Comforter

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to dwell with the Church; but Jesus said that the Comforter already “dwelleth with you,” but I am going to send Him unto you in a fuller measure, and when He comes He will testify, teach, etc.

Let us again note some things Jesus said the Comforter would do when He came: “He shall testify of Me; He shall glorify Me; He will reprove the world; He shall teach you; and He shall shew you things to come.”

Now, to testify and to bear witness is one and the same thing; but to testify and to teach are two different things. The above quotation says: “So we see that the Comforter’s testimony, when he came to the Church, and to any heart, is to testify to that heart of the divine Sonship of Jesus, and every Christian has this testimony in his soul: ‘For no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost’ ( I Cor. 12: 3).

Here the writer clearly teaches that the promise of the Comforter to come and testify of Jesus meant no more than to enable the disciples to say by the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Lord. It shows wisdom on the part of the writer that he adds, “Every Christian has this testimony in his soul.” It is evident that Peter had this testimony in his soul before this occasion, for when Jesus asked His disciples, Whom say ye that I am?” “Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 16: 15-17). Here we see from the words of Christ that it is the testimony of the Father that reveals the divine Sonship of Jesus; and this accords exactly with the Scripture on which the writer was commenting above, viz.: “For this (the witness to the divine Sonship of Jesus) is the witness of God (the Father) which He (the Father) hath testified of His (the Father’s) Son” (I John 5: 9). And all this accords with other Scriptures. (See Matt. 3: 17 and 17: 5.) But our brother says that the witness of the divine Sonship of Jesus is the Comforter’s testimony. And since

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Peter had this witness already, we may imagine Jesus saying to His apostles: “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter. But when the Comforter is come, He shall testify of Me”—and then turning to Peter and saying, “Simon, this promise does not include you; the Comforter has already come to you and testified of Me, since you have the witness that I am the Son of God.” STRANGE! STRANGE!

We cannot believe that Jesus would so mock His disciples; but that in all His words concerning the coming of the Comforter, He was promising them a blessing which none of them at that time had.

Again we say, to testify and to bear witness is one and the same. Jesus said, “He shall testify of Me: and ye also shall bear witness.” Two facts here are clearly seen: First, that the two testimonies should be of the same nature; and second, that the testimony of the Comforter should precede the testimony of the recipient.

Now, have all these promises of Jesus concerning the coming of the Comforter and what He would do when He came ever been fulfilled, and if so, where, when, and under what circumstances?

There can be no reasonable doubt that the beginning of the fulfillment of these promises is recorded in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. Jesus had said, “I will send the Comforter, and He shall be in you, and when He comes He shall testify of Me.” “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.” (I will send Him unto you.) “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.” (He shall be in you), and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (“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.”) The speaking with other tongues was not the testimony of the disciples—it was without an effort on their part—but the Holy Ghost, having come into

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them and having taken possession of their entire being, was giving the utterance . So instead of looking here for the fulfillment of the promise, “He shall be in you,” and then turning over to I John for the fulfillment of the promise, “He shall testify of Me,” we find it all right here in the second chapter of the Acts.

It was while the disciples were speaking with other tongues that the world rushed up and was reproved, i.e., convicted of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. Hence, there was a great stir among them and many of them added to the Church. “But,” objects some one, “hold on, brother; it was not the speaking with tongues that convicted that crowd; it was Peter’s sermon.” Wise suggestion! The text says that Peter stood up with the eleven and preached. To whom were they preaching? “Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.” Were they all of the same tongue? “How hear we every man in his tongue, wherein we were born?” Did the twelve preach to all of them, or to just that part of them who could understand the native language of the apostles? “Peter standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem.” In what college had the apostles been to learn all these languages? Let the one who suggested that it was not the speaking with tongues, but Peter’s sermon, that convicted the crowd, answer. While waiting a reply, I remain silent on the question.

“But,” says another, “I do not think that any one preached on that occasion except Peter.” Very well. Whether one, twelve, or one hundred and twenty did the preaching, the fact that they were all preached to remains true. “How do you know,” says another, “but that the whole one hundred and twenty preached, and that in this number there was a representative of each nation, and that, after all, all the preaching that was done was done by each one in his own tongue? A Parthian preaching to Parthians; a Mede preaching to Medes, etc?” “Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?”

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There is not a single Galilaean mentioned in their congregation (Acts 2: 9-11).

So, dear reader, we leave it to you to say who preached or who did not preach on this occasion; with our Bible open before us, it clearly appears from the text that conviction was brought upon that crowd by the Spirit giving utterance. How some preachers do dislike to hear this! “Tongues are no good,” they cry; “they cause confusion; it was Peter’s sermon that did the work.” May the Lord bless you, brother. You may theorize, you may preach your biggest sermon, you may sweat; but after you finish, the facts stand just as they have ever stood.

But from the words of Jesus we are taught that after the Comforter’s testimony, the disciples were to bear witness also. This, of course, refers to their testimony in their own language. After Pentecost, when they met people of their own tongue they themselves bore witness; when they met people of other tongues the Spirit gave the utterance.

Some one objects: “The disciples never spake with tongues after the day of Pentecost.” How did Peter, a Jew, ignorant and unlearned, preach to Cornelius, a man in Caesarea, a centurion of the band called the Italian band? What are you going to do with Stephen, the deacon, for talking to the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and to them of Cilicia and of Asia after Pentecost? (Acts 6: 9.) Better call Stephen up before the Church I trow, and inform him that Pentecost is a thing of the past. Now, there goes Philip down there to preach to that Ethiopian, and he will have to talk with tongues when he gets there (Acts 8: 26-39). It seems that we just can’t keep these holiness preachers straight. “Why, I thought Philip knew that talking with tongues would tear up the Church. There was our great church at Jerusalem, and we were getting on so nicely; but some of them kept speaking with tongues, until the authorities took steps against it; and now you see our Church is scattered. I told you so (Acts 8: 1-4). Philip, he started out like he might do some good; he went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to the

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people, and some of them were saved and sanctified, and he organized a church, and they are getting on nicely (Acts 8: 5-13). I do not know how he managed to preach there so the people could understand him, but they tell me he is speaking with tongues now, and I fear he will hurt the cause.”

“Well,” says another, “we grant you that some of those who were among the one hundred and twenty spake with tongues afterward, but no one ever spake with tongues when they received the Holy Ghost after Pentecost.” As a reply, we refer you to the case of Cornelius (Acts 10: 46), and to the case of the disciples at Ephesus (Acts 19: 6).

So, dismissing all theories and taking the Scriptures just as they are: the promise of Jesus that He would send the Comforter, that the Comforter would testify when He came; and then turning and finding in three different places in the Acts of the Apostles that the Comforter came, and that in each case, immediately after his arrival, those who received Him spoke with tongues; and then searching in vain to find that any other manifestation ever followed the Baptism of the Spirit; and remembering that “the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal;” we are fully persuaded that the Comforter’s testimony is the Holy Ghost taking the tongue of that one whose entire being He has filled and speaking with it a language of which the recipient of the Holy Ghost knows nothing. If the Holy Ghost should use a person’s tongue to speak a language with which that person is familiar, it would appear to be the testimony of the recipient; but since the Spirit always does His talking in another language, we must admit that it is the testimony of the Comforter. And besides, if this is not what Jesus meant when He said, “When the Comforter is come, He shall testify of Me,” there is no Scripture to prove that this promise has ever been fulfilled; for there is no case on record in which any other manifestation that can be regarded as the Comforter’s testimony ever followed the reception of the Spirit. Jesus said, “When He comes, He shall testify.” It may be that the testimony of the Comforter in-

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cludes more than this, but beyond a reasonable doubt it certainly includes this as its primary basis.

Thus I am persuaded that by the expression, “He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire,” much more is implied than either the witness to our sanctification, or the filling of the Spirit, or even both. In fact, it becomes apparent from our Lord’s own association of thought in the teaching of John, fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth chapters, with the record in the second chapter of Acts, that He included in the promise of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost not only the filling of the Spirit, but the miraculous manifestation and enduement of power which came with the filling. And the Apostle Peter evidently so understood the teaching, when in Acts 2: 39 he affirms that the blessing is continuative, abiding, and permanent. The conclusion, then, from the Master’s teaching and Peter’s statement is that the work of the Holy Spirit that was inaugurated on the day of Pentecost, and to continue unto the end of time, including both the external and internal manifestations, is the real Baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire.

When we remember that the Baptism of the Spirit must precede the preaching of the gospel in all nations, and that He was to be the active Agent with the apostles and the subsequent ministry in thus proclaiming the gospel to all nations, we can see a striking significance in these external manifestations as they appeared and formed part of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. The disciples and the Church should ever realize the importance of the filling of the Spirit but the world of unsaved would behold the external manifestation as a testimony to the physical senses that spiritual power had been given.

Here let me say that there is quite a difference between “the manifestation of the Spirit” and emotions. A person may have emotions without “the manifestation,” or he may have “the manifestation” without emotions. An emotion is caused by the spiritual overcoming the physical. But such is not the case with regard to speaking with tongues. Of course, a person may be emotional while speaking with tongues, but neither is the other, nor does either cause the other. Leaping, shouting,

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dancing, etc., are emotions, while speaking with tongues is “the manifestation.

Many people to-day are claiming the Baptism of the Spirit without the manifestation, and are advancing every theory and argument they can to convince the world that they really are baptized with the Holy Ghost; and these theories are, no doubt, satisfying thousands of people who otherwise would be seeking for and obtaining the Baptism of the Spirit. In the following chapter we wish to point out the weakness, the unscriptural teachings, of the theories with which we have come in contact on this line.

CHAPTER V.

OBJECTIONS ANSWERED.

July 3,1902, I received a definite witness that I was wholly

Sanctified. Being taught in that way, I accepted this as being the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. Fourteen months later I heard Dr. G. D. Watson preach at Falcon, N. C., through a ten-days’ camp-meeting, during which time he made it clear to me that there was a difference between the “emptying” and the “filling.” Still, I believed that I had the “filling,” and while I have spoken often since then of both being included in sanctification, yet in instructing seekers I have been careful to tell them that the blood cleansed and then the Holy Ghost filled. I did not yet understand, however, that we had to tarry for the Holy Ghost after we were sanctified. I have scores of times testified to the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, stating that I would doubt the coat on my back before I would doubt that I was baptized with the Spirit. In this I was honest, for I do yet believe that nothing could have made me doubt it but light on the Word to the contrary.

Early last autumn (1906) there appeared in the “Way of Faith” an editorial on the revival in California. My heart became hungry, and I began to beg God to send the revival into my own soul. I became hungry, not because I doubted what God had already done for me, but because I saw that there was more land ahead yet to be possessed. As but little teaching concerning the blessing or how to obtain it appeared, I was kept in the shade, and continued to beg God to baptize me with Pentecostal power. In five minutes after meeting the first person who had his Pentecost (January 15, 1907), the Holy Ghost was talking with my tongue. Three days later a certain brother said to me that he believed all who received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost would speak with tongues.

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This was a surprise to me, as it was the first time that I had ever thought on this line. I replied that I had had the Baptism of the Spirit for years, but this was Pentecostal power. He told me that I had had the witness to my sanctification, but had not had the Baptism of the Spirit. So I decided that I would find out, and at once began to pray God to teach me. The Spirit seemed to confirm what the brother had told me. But fearing lest I should be mistaken, I took my Bible, and, with my heart open to God, I began to search the Word; and to the surprise of my heart I found it the teaching of the Word that all who receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost speak with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. So I gladly yielded my former views and accepted new light on the Word. Soon I found that there was a great discussion among the people as to the evidence of Pentecost, and so it continues. The question stands: Do all who receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost speak with other tongues?

I have noticed with care the argument presented on both sides of this question, but most especially that brought forward by the supporters of the negative. I have listened with patience and a heart open to truth to those I have met who wished to give me their views on the subject. I have argued with no one. I have read every article on the negative that I have been able to find. In all such arguments with which I have so far come in contact I have detected unscriptural doctrine. Many prominent writers are crying out, “Debates are unprofitable; they confuse the people”; and yet they keep right on flooding the papers with argument on the negative. It is easy to see that it is not so much the fear which these writers have argument will confuse the people as it is the fear that they themselves will get “whipped.” Since God, in His mercy, has me to see the unscriptural teachings which are at this time appearing in the prominent holiness papers, and which are being advanced from the pulpits, and since there are thousands who are being kept in darkness and out of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost by these articles, I feel it my duty to God and to my brethren to point out the weakness, the unscriptural found-

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ations of the teachings of which I have any knowledge. Such objections as I have personally met, and also those which have become prominent in these teachings, I give in my own words; but there are many objections which I have seen given only by individual writers, and in such cases, lest I should be accused of misrepresenting the writer, I give his exact words. I shall not personate any of my brethren of the opposite school. I desire not to defame the experience of any one, but to point out the error of the teachings of the supporters of the negative of the above question.

The first theory I mention is that Pentecost was intended only for the early disciples. This is without Scriptural foundation or a shadow of reason. From the fact that the Church has been practically without Pentecost for many centuries, people conclude that it was only for the early Church, and then to be withdrawn. Brother, God never withdrew Pentecost or any of its power from the Church; but the Church withdrew from Pentecost and lost its power. But, thank God, Pentecost in all its fulness is for each of us to-day. The words of Peter prove this (Acts 2: 39).

One objection advanced by the negative is the fault they can find in the lives of those who profess the Baptism of the Spirit with Pentecostal evidence. This has always been one of Satan’s great points. HYPOCRITES! HYPOCRITES! This is the Devil’s signal. By it he has ever kept thousands out of the experiences of justification and sanctification. He sounds the same note of warning against the present movement. We give as the foundation of the affirmative, not the lives of people, but the Word. We point you, not to our good deeds, but to Pentecost. There is not a man on earth but who is found fault with by others. If you see a fault in a man, it does not prove that God sees a fault in him. If we should count all with time whom fault can be found out of the household of God, we would have none left. HYPOCRITES! That is no argument on the negative! We find them in every walk of life.

Another objection: All who speak with tongues seem to be so fixed in their way that no one can change them. Thank

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you for this point! They have become established (I Cor. 15: 58). I notice, however, that those who are accusing the Pentecostal people of being unteachable are those who have been leaders or those who are still desirous of leadership, and since this movement has no leader, they are much disturbed, and are lamenting the fact that the people will not follow them as they used to do.

“Well, I think it is time,” says another, “for them to become established. Many of them have claimed the Baptism of the Holy Ghost for years, and some of them the baptism of fire, and now here they go after this ‘tongue movement.’” Yes, thousands have claimed the Baptism of the Holy Ghost for years, and were honest in their profession. Honest, because they have been walking in the light which these leaders have been instrumental in giving; but now greater light has come, and it is clearly showing who have been honest and who are willing to sacrifice theory in order to go every step of the way. A person without the light may honestly profess the Baptism of the Spirit without Pentecostal evidence for years, and then find that he is mistaken; but we have met something now which makes its own profession, and which men do not profess under a mistake very long. But after a person is thoroughly established in Pentecost, the Spirit having manifested Himself with His tongue, you cannot make him doubt it.

Many are hung up on such men as John Fletcher, William Bramwell, Charles G. Finney, Jonathan Edwards, and Hudson Taylor. “How can you say that they did not have the Baptism of the Holy Ghost?” That sounds just like anti-holiness doctrine. So many people were hung up on this same peg a few years ago in regard to sanctification. “What has become of those who never heard of holiness?” has been asked by thousands. We would say, however, in regard to the above that they, with many others, were great and good men, and were wonderfully used of God in their day; but unless they had the Bible evidence of Pentecost, we can not Scripturally say that they had the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. Besides, I want to say, Fletcher, Bramwell, nor no other man is my

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standard; I am building on the Word. When God gives light, I have no right to ask if others walked in it or are walking in it until I walk in it myself.

Again the negative speaks: “Many of the great holiness preachers and leaders are on our side.” Of course, the ideas of great and good men have their weight; but it is a fact the greatest teachers we have differ among themselves concerning the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. One of the greatest teachers on the Holy Ghost that I have ever seen did not claim to be sanctified. He did not teach sanctification as a second work of grace, and yet he claimed the Baptism of the Spirit. I heard him preach through a week’s meeting, and he preached on the Holy Ghost each time. I never came near him without feeling the power of God. What are you going to do with that? Some claim that all of us receive the Baptism at conversion; some say after we are converted; some at the time we are sanctified; others after we are sanctified; some say that all who receive the Baptism speak with tongues; others say that they do not. All believe that they can prove their position by the Word. Now, who among this crowd has the Bible evidence of Pentecost separate and distinct from the evidence of any and all other degrees of grace?

Some say that those who are now obtaining their Pentecost and speaking with tongues are for the most part those who have never before been settled in their religious experiences. No doubt those who say this are honest, but they are surely mistaken. On the other hand, I know it to be a fact that the most pious and deeply spiritual people of the land, who have been true to God for years, have been the first to receive their Pentecost; while all Masonic and tobacco-chewing preachers of whom I have any knowledge have so far fought the present movement.

We are referred to those who have received their Pentecost, spoke with tongues, and yet say that all who receive the Baptism will not speak with tongues. Let me ask a question: How many people have been led into the light of Pentecost, made hungry for

the Baptism, sought for and obtained the

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Holy Ghost with Pentecostal evidence under such teaching? Very few, I trow. Those who do, as a rule, are those who have heard of the revival and been made hungry from another source. The majority of people are prejudiced against “tongues” anyway, and when they hear such teaching as that they are consoled and say, “Oh, well, I have the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, and I have no need of the ‘tongue.’” And so they get farther away from the present revival than ever. I have met many who firmly believed that they had the Baptism, but after hearing the truth preached, decided that they were mistaken, sought and obtained the Baptism with Pentecostal evidence. If the negative of the above question had been preached to them, they never would have been convinced that they did not have the baptism. I know some who received their Pentecost and spoke with tongues, but took their stand on the negative, and they have so far been failures getting others into the experience. Oh, how we should present the truth in such a way as to make the people hungry for Pentecost!

We are told that the presentation of the affirmative is calculated to hurt the cause, but facts prove the contrary. Bro. G. B. Cashwell tells me that while the Pentecostal meeting was going on at Dunn, N. C. (January, 1907), he received an urgent letter to go to High Point, N. C., at once. On reaching the place, he found that Pentecost had struck there, and people had been receiving the Baptism of the Spirit with Bible evidence; but certain ones had crept in and began to teach thus: “Brethren, this movement is of God, but you are making a great mistake to teach that speaking with other tongues is the evidence of the Baptism of the Spirit.” Those who had been made hungry and had been seeking the Baptism ceased to come to the altar, confusion followed. The meeting was given over to Brother Cashwell. He presented the affirmative, and confusion was cleared away and the people came back into the unity of the Spirit. While here, Brother Cashwell received a telegram to go to Danville, Va., at once. On reaching the place, he found the same condition of affairs that he had found at High Point. He took charge and began to preach the truth.

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The result was the same as that at High Point, N. C. Many other similar cases could be mentioned. So I am persuaded that if all of us should preach the negative, the revival would stop. There are but few who preach the negative except those who in their hearts want it to stop.

A preacher tells me that a sister with whom I am acquainted came to his meeting and seemed to be hungry for Pentecost, and so expressed herself to him; but in a few days she heard a sermon on the negative of the question; and when through, the preacher asked all who had the Baptism of the Holy Ghost to stand up, and among others who stood was this same woman.

I am well acquainted with the people in a certain small town in which a Pentecostal meeting was held soon after this revival first came to the Atlantic coast. A few received the Holy Ghost in this meeting, and the close of it left others seeking and the town somewhat stirred. Soon afterwards a holiness preacher came to this town and preached to a full congregation, in which were represented all the denominations of the town—Methodist, Baptist, Universalist, and Holiness. Writing of the service, he himself says “Here we had a fine congregation in which all denominations were well represented; and all seemed to enjoy the services equally well.” After this I visited the town, and learned that the preacher’s own statement is about correct. I was told that a certain man in the town, whom I know to be bitter against holiness, gave the preacher five dollars, and told some one the next day that that was the best sermon he ever heard. Another, whom I am told is almost an infidel, said that he would not have taken five dollars for that sermon. The Universalist seemed to have enjoyed it equally well. But what could he have preached about to create such widespread approval? The burden of his message was that all who receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost do not speak with tongues. Did any one receive the baptism that day? I await a reply.

We are told that we exalt the “gifts” above the “Giver.” This is entirely a misrepresentation of the present revival. We tell people to seek for the Holy Ghost, and that when He

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comes He will testify; and therefore to tarry until the Spirit manifests Himself with their tongue. And then to covet earnestly the best gifts, and God will add them as He sees proper.

Some say that the evidence of Pentecost is the fruit of the Spirit, quoting for proof Matt. 7: 20: “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Shall know who? Those who are baptized with the Holy Ghost? Not at all. Nothing is said here of the Baptism of the Spirit. Fruit is the evidence of justification, and every justified man bears fruit. This fruit is made perfect in sanctification. It is no evidence of Pentecost. Nowhere do we read: “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to bear fruit.”

Many ask: Is not some other Pentecostal manifestation as much an evidence of the Baptism as that of speaking with tongues? What other manifestation did they have on the day of Pentecost? Not a word is said about the impartation of the gift of wisdom, knowledge, faith, etc. Look up all the accounts given in Scripture of any receiving the Baptism, and you will not find any other manifestation mentioned on that occasion without the manifestation of tongues. One man says that he knows he has the Baptism, because God has enabled him to believe His Word. Evidently he has forgotten that the devils do more than that, for they believe and tremble (James 2: 19).

One says: “About two years ago He sanctified me, giving me the witness of it weeks later. I have gone on in this life from one degree of grace to another, and have found the way glorious, testifying to being saved, sanctified and filled with the Spirit.” She then tells that she heard of the California revival and became hungry. She found out that she never had the Baptism of the Spirit, and so began to seek for Him. On a certain date, while pouring out her prayers to God, she began to laugh, which, she says, was a new experience to her, and she laughed and laughed till she finished. She says when she ceased to laugh she realized that her hunger was gone, and thanked God then and there for the abiding Holy Ghost. The only manifestation she gives is that of laughing. Is laugh-

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ing a Bible evidence of Pentecost? Show us that Scripture that says, “They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to laugh, or to cry, or to believe the Word.” Show us any other Scriptural manifestation, and we will accept it. Show us one account of an apostolic service of which the Book says, “They were filled with the Holy Ghost, but did not speak with tongues,” and we will show you a dozen such reports which have recently appeared in the holiness papers. If we claim the Baptism one time without the Bible evidence, and find that we are mistaken, are we not likely to be mistaken if we claim Him the second time without the Bible evidence?

“Suppose a man has the gift of wisdom, or faith, or interpretation, can we say that he has not the Baptism?” Bring up your man, and then we will talk about it. I leave the discussion of the gifts for the next chapter. However, I suppose if some one should receive one of the best gifts they would be greatly persecuted by the majority of holiness people.

One says: “Seven years ago I received definitely the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. But I am now eagerly, yea, hourly, expecting another baptism.” The Word says there is but one Baptism.

Some advise: “When you speak with tongues in service, never let more than two or three speak at a time; it causes confusion.” If such people had been present on the day of Pentecost they would have accused the Spirit for talking through too many at one time.

One writes: “In the Epistles, tongues are not once mentioned as a distinctive evidence of the filling of the Spirit. This is the more suggestive when we remember that the Epistles, above all other portions of the Word, are given to guide the Church during this dispensation. Hundreds of times is the gracious Holy Spirit mentioned in these Epistles. If the tongues were a necessary evidence of the Baptism of the Spirit, surely that fact would be frequently stated. It is not mentioned once.”

Taking the above just as it stands, we must conclude that there is no evidence of Pentecost; for nowhere in the Epistles can we find any evidence given. I never knew before that it

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would not do for the Church to follow any Scripture unless it could be found in the Epistles.

But the same writer, who thinks that we should follow the Epistles more than any other portion of the Word, continues “If this gift is necessary as an evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, how do we know that Jesus had the Holy Ghost, for we search in vain for any evidence of His ever having exercised this gift. We have joy in believing that all that is really essential for us was in Christ, our Pattern. The absence of any record of the gift of tongues manifested in Christ is therefore very significant.”

As a reply to the above, we give a quotation from S. D. Kinne, in “The Apostolic Evangel.” “Even Jesus, who never went among the Gentiles to need their tongues, or went to school, knew letters, and could read the Hebrew law (John 7: 15; Luke 4: 17). This book of the law was written in Hebrew, but Jesus’ native language was Syriac. There were no books in the houses of the common people, no printing press, no opportunity to learn to read the Hebrew, except among the rich and the priests and the scribes. Jesus talked to the ignorant fallen Samaritan woman at the well, doubtless in her own dialect. So, too, of the Syrophenician woman and the Gadarenes. True, the Scriptures do not have the word ‘tongues’ in these incidents. They were not written to satisfy curiosity, else John supposes the world would not contain books enough to record the things Jesus did. Nor are they written to meet the reasoning of the learned, or the cavils of the unbelieving, but they are written for the poor, the unlearned, the simple, child-like believer who seeks to know the mystery which is hidden from the wise and prudent and revealed unto babes.”

Somebody says that John the Baptist never spake with tongues, though he was filled with the Holy Ghost from birth. Is this true? It was said of him, “He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb”; but he did not have the Baptism of Pentecost, “for the Holy Ghost was not yet given.”

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We have before us an article headed: HE FOLLOWETH NOT

“US”! In it the writer laments the fact that there is such great division among the holiness people, and then continues: “The tongue’s movement, from its lofty pinnacle, thanks God for the real Bible evidence of the baptism with the Holy Ghost; others have only a theoretical evidence. Jesus prayed for the sanctification and unity of all His disciples, so that the world might behold and know God had sent Him as its Saviour.

“Time was when the holiness people lamented the lack of unity and brotherly love in the nominal churches and exhorted to holiness as the panacea for these ills; but alas, among us, brethren, is clearly seen zeal for our movement, our church, or our shibboleth, which transcends zeal for God.”

In the above the spirit of the promoters of the present revival is compared to the Spirit manifested in James and John concerning the one they saw casting out demons (Mark 9: 38). He teaches that it would be better to lay aside the light we have received rather than to cause a division among the holiness people. So, rather than divide the crowd, the wise virgins had better not get oil in their vessels, but do all they can to keep in unity with the foolish. Brethren, shall we who have received a share in the benefits of the revival now sweeping the world, for the tender feeling which we have for our brethren of the opposite school, try to preserve unity in the holiness ranks by failing to present the whole truth? Or shall we, for the love which we have for Christ, do all in our power to carry on this revival and publish the gospel to every creature? It appears to me that our brother has taken the position of James and John, while the Pentecostal people are casting out devils.

I have read after several speaking about this way: “It is all right for my neighbor to have to speak with tongues as the evidence of his Pentecost. The people never did believe he had the Baptism of the Spirit. As for me, thank the Lord, I did not have to speak with tongues.” Stopping here, but clearly im-

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plying that their works prove that they have Him. Thus counting their works greater than the testimony of the Spirit.

One writes: “One of our most intelligent contributors, a successful revival worker, who believes in the Pentecostal revival and the gift of tongues, informs us of some deaf mutes who have recently received the Pentecostal baptism, but spake in no tongue at all. And yet no one present questioned the reality of their experience.”

These people, no doubt, received a measure of the Spirit, but there is nothing to prove that they received the Baptism. I believe that when any mute receives the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit will manifest Himself with the tongue. Some one says, “Do you dare to discount the experience of these poor mute creatures?” I reply, I had rather discount any one’s experience than to discount the Holy Ghost by saying He came to a heart and failed to do what Jesus said He would do, viz., testify.

Some one quotes an account of a service in Topeka, Kan., January 4, 1900, in which it is said there occurred not only the speaking with tongues, but the cloven tongues of fire were seen. Then the writer comments thus: “If outward signs are to be in all cases the evidence of the Pentecostal baptism, then many of us who have spoken in tongues are yet short of the full blessing of Pentecost.”

Now listen. Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16: 15). This, from a human standpoint, is a great undertaking, even impossible. Jesus said again, “But ye shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1: 8, margin). It is clear that the “power” which Jesus said would accompany the Baptism of the Spirit is the power to preach the gospel to every creature; and this power the one hundred and twenty received, not at college, but on the day of Pentecost, symbolized by the tongues of fire sitting upon them. As we have said before, as soon as we can grasp the reality, God

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removes the symbol. The tongues of fire on this occasion, symbolizing power imparted by the Holy Ghost to preach the gospel to every creature, proves to my mind, beyond a doubt, that whosoever afterwards should receive the Baptism of the Spirit would also receive power to witness in any part of the earth to which God should call him. The tongues of fire which sat upon them was the symbol of the power of the Spirit; the speaking with tongues is the abiding reality.

I have heard some say that the speaking with other tongues meant the disciples stopped cursing and began to praise God. This needs no reply. With the facts before us, nothing but ignorance will cause an honest man to make such a statement.

Now we come to Mark 16: 17, 18. Dean Alford and other noted commentators say, “There is doubt of its genuineness as a work of the evangelist Mark.” Very well. If you wish to leave it out, we have an abundance of other Scriptures to prove our position. If you wish to take it in, it is in perfect accord with our teaching and the other Scriptures. Somebody says that this teaches that converted people—all who believe—as well as any, shall speak with tongues. Jesus said, “He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified”) (John 7: 38,39). Here it is stated that they who believe shall receive the Holy Ghost, and Mark states that they who believe shall speak with new tongues. Do you see any connection? A word to the wise is sufficient!

Some say that many claim to talk with tongues, but to them it is only a babble. They seem to forget that “there are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world” (said to be about four thousand), “and none of them is without signification” (I Cor. 14: 10). There are few refined languages, but there are thousands of languages in the jungles of the dark lands and upon the islands of the sea, which, if you were to hear, would be only a babble to you; and yet these are languages spoken by branches of the human family.

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“There is an intense hatred exhibited towards this work of God on the part of the unbelievers generally. At Whittier, a near-by town, the leader, while at family worship, praised the Lord too loudly to suit a neighbor, who brought him before the magistrate, who gave him thirty days at hard labor on a chain-gang with twelve Mexicans. God gave him the tongue, so that he could pray for them and speak in their own language.”---W. C. Dumble, in “Way of Faith,” November 1, 1906.

Here is a booklet written by a man in Ohio, in which he says: “Evidences of genuine tongues are lacking. At this point I shall confine my positive statements to local conditions which have been within observation. Reports which come to us concerning tongues in the literature which is being circulated dare not be credited in full, for we have positive knowledge that any strange sounds produced by the vocal organs are without hesitancy pronounced genuine tongues, and frequently such tongues are named.”

This man says it will not do to trust reports which come to us through literature. If this be true, why did he write his book? If we can’t trust others, how shall we trust him? He tries to convey the impression that he and those who agree with him only can be trusted on this question. After saying that he cannot trust reports and will confine his positive statements to local conditions which have come tinder his observation, he says: “We are told, however, upon good authority that of a goodly number of cases in Los Angeles, none proved to be a real language. Doctor Godbey also tells of several cases which he tested without finding evidences of genuine language.” You see he can trust reports as long as they accord with his own views; it is only those reports which contradict his statements which he cannot afford to trust.

On our table lie several well-authenticated letters giving accounts of those who spake with other tongues and were under-stood by men of those tongues. But such accounts can be found from time to time in the apostolic papers, so I will not give space to them here.

Here is an article headed, “THE GIFT OF TONGUES—AND

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WHY?” The writer speaks of the disciples on the day of Pentecost, of Cornelius and his household, and of the disciples at Ephesus, and says the reason that all these spake with tongues when they received the Holy Ghost was that people of other tongues were present. He clearly implies that when no one of other tongues is present the person receiving the Holy Ghost according to Scripture does not speak with tongues, and that the “gift of tongues” is of little value even when people of other tongues are present. On the same page he admits that this present movement is of God, and says, “Some are receiving the Holy Ghost, and speaking in tongues.” Remembering that all of us here (especially in the rural districts where this revival is greatly spreading) speak the same language,. he leaves us in the dark as to why some are speaking with tongues when they receive the Holy Ghost here. Later, the same writer says that he, while praying alone in the woods, spake in an unknown language. He says that this was no special evidence to him of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, as he had received Him a few weeks before. Then He adds: “Just why God dealt with me thus is not clearly revealed to me yet.” Now, he gave what he called a Bible reason for the speaking with tongues on the day of Pentecost, at the house of Cornelius, at Ephesus; and so, if he did give a Bible reason in these three cases, he ought to be able to give a Bible reason in his own case. In the first article he teaches that there is no Scriptural reason for tongues except in the presence of people of other tongues, or as a sign to unbelievers; and since he spake with tongues while alone in the woods, we wait patiently for the Bible reason which applies to his own case.

Now we come to the Corinthian Church. Many are saying that here was a church that had tongues in abundance; and yet they all were carnal, even babes in Christ. Many a poor, unlearned man will stumble over this argument and decide, Surely, to speak with tongues is no evidence of Pentecost. But those who are acquainted with the Scriptures know that part of the truth concerning the condition of this church is here kept back. If the whole truth was told, it would prove

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a strong point in favor of the affirmative. Five facts, if properly considered, will throw great light on the condition of this church.

1. They had been converted from heathenism, and therefore needed teaching. Doctor Godbey says: “You must remember that the larger per cent. of the Corinthian membership were Gentiles, having been so recently converted out of heathenism, that the material was somewhat gross and crude. There were also many Jews in the Corinthian church. It was really a mammoth mongrel of all nationalities, who, as well as the Jews, had concentrated at this great Grecian metropolis. They were, with few exceptions, very poor, belonging to the lower classes of society and converted out of the slums.”

2. “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife” (I Cor. 5: 1). These were surely sinners. Paul says they were worse than the unconverted heathen.

3. “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ'” (I Cor. 3: 1).

4. “Paul, . . . unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus” (I Cor. 1: 1, 2). “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified” (I Cor. 6: 11).

5. “What? 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” (I Cor. 6 : 19)?

A statement before us reads thus: “Surely, the gift of tongues could not have been the evidence of Pentecost among these people, who were not even sanctified, to say nothing about the incoming and indwelling of the Holy Ghost.”

Why did he not say that they were not even converted? He had just as much proof that they were all sinners as he did that those who spoke with tongues were not sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost.

Some think that the thirteenth chapter of I Corinthians de-

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nies the above statement. We will Study this in our next chapter.

Now we come to an account of Pentecost which a great many rest upon as settling the question. I speak of the case of the Samaritans (Acts 8:5-25). When we look at this record we find that it is not stated that they spake with tongues neither can we find any statement that they did not speak with tongues. Looking at the record honestly as it stands, two theories may be drawn and either as reasonably and as legitimately as the other:

1. They did not speak with tongues.

2. They did speak with tongues.

If by a careful search we can find a Scriptural foundation for one of these theories, then that one is no longer a theory, but an established Bible truth; and since the two theories contradict each other, the other theory must be pronounced unscriptural. If you are honest, you must agree with me so far.

Now read: “Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost” (Acts 8: 17-19).

The Greek which expresses Simon’s act of seeing is “Idon de ho Simon.” The Greek “Idon” literally means to know, to perceive through any of the senses. It is a stronger word than our word “see”. It indicates that Simon not only saw, but heard some miraculous power of a peculiar nature. Simon perceived, was made to know that Pentecost had been repeated in the case of these Samaritans. He saw that this miraculous power followed the laying on of the apostles’ hands, therefore he offered them his money that he might also have this power. In the wonderful revival which Philip had conducted there was miraculous power manifested (ver. 7), and also great joy (ver. 8) but Simon did not offer his money for these things. Here Simon saw something for which he was willing to give

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his money. What was it? The following is from Dean Alford. I copy it from J. H. King in “The Apostolic Evangel:”

“The only analogous chapter is 19: 5, 6, in which we must observe that there it is distinctly asserted that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit followed the laying on of Paul’s hands, and that by the expression ‘idon’ in verse 18, which must be taken literally, the same is implied here. Its effects were therefore visible, and consequently the effect of the laying on of the apostles’ hands was not the inward but the outward miraculous gifts of the Spirit.”

Now why should Dean Alford write in this way? He was not trying to prove that “All who receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost speak with other tongues.” Yet he says that from the Greek we must conclude that the same manifestation which came with the Baptism of the Ephesians, also came with the Baptism of the Samaritans. In the case of the Ephesians, we must remember that it is distinctly stated, “they spake with tongues” (Acts 19: 6).

Looking back to Pentecost, we find Peter said, “This is that” (Acts 2: 16). The word “that” refers to the prophecy which Peter then quotes. In verse 33, we have the word “this” explained: “This which ye now see and hear.” Verse 7 tells us what they saw, “Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?” Verse 11 tells us what they heard, “We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.” Then according to Peter’s explanation, it takes just this to fulfill the prophecy of Joel. “This which ye now see and hear is that.” Simon was convinced that the Samaritans had received the Holy Ghost, because he (idon) saw and heard. Have you reached the Samaritans’ experience?

Now we come to Paul’s case. We are told that nothing is said of “tongues” in connection with his Pentecost. Neither can we find it anywhere stated that he received the Holy Ghost. He never testified that he received the Holy Ghost in relating the narrative recorded in Acts 9: 1-19. “But,” you say, “it is implied from the statement of Ananias in verse 17, that he did receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.” And

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since we have to infer that he received the Holy Ghost, we may just as legitimately infer that he received Him with the full manifestations of Pentecost; and especially so, since Paul himself says, “I speak with tongues more than ye all” (I Cor. 14: 18).

Much has been written trying to prove that all do not receive the same gift. This no one that we have seen denies. We do not teach that all will receive the gift of tongues, but we do teach that “the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal,” and that, if the Scriptures are to be our guide, the manifestation following Pentecost always is the speaking with other tongues. So all that has been written trying to prove that we all do not receive the gift of tongues does not effect our position at all, and therefore needs no reply from us here.

We are accused of teaching that to speak with tongues is an infallible evidence of Pentecost. If by “infallible evidence” you mean that the devil can never imitate it, I say we do not teach it; but if you mean that when the Holy Ghost takes a person’s tongue beyond his control and speaks with it a language of which that person knows nothing, I say that it is an unmistakable evidence that that person has received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.

We have before us on our table a great number of articles written by various ones stating that they know that all who receive the Baptism of the Spirit do not speak with tongues but they fail to give any argument, reason, Scripture, or any foundation for their statement, except their own knowledge. Of course such ungrounded statements need no reply.

Here are a number of articles in which the writers, trying to bend different Scriptures to prove their theory, clearly contradict themselves several times. But I need not enter into details on this line here. I believe I have fairly considered and answered about all points that are being advanced against the teaching of the present movement except a few which I withhold for subsequent chapters. If I have omitted any prominent points advanced by the negative, it is either because

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I have failed so far to see or hear them, or have unintentionally lost the reference. It has not been my purpose, in giving a whole chapter to answering objections, to simply mention a few of the less important objections to our teaching, and then leave the reader in the dark as to the main teaching of my brethren of the opposite school; but I have searched carefully for the foundation of their objections, and endeavored to bring before the reader their true position, by quoting many of their own statements.

Now let us take a little review of the present situation, and then I want to ask my brethren of the negative one question.

Here are the principal things resulting to-day from the presentation of the affirmative:

1. Many sanctified Christians are becoming hungry, seeking and obtaining the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, and speaking with other tongues.

2. Many who have been claiming sanctification for years are becoming hungry, seeking for Him, but, finding that either they never were sanctified or have backslidden, going down before God and getting pure in His sight, and then receiving the Holy Ghost, and speaking with other tongues.

3. Many who have been claiming sanctification for years are being convicted and beginning to seek for Him, finding that they will have to make right many wrongs in their lives before they receive Him, and, being unwilling to do so, they cease to seek and take a firm stand against the present revival, claiming that they already have the Baptism of the Spirit.

4. Some who claim to be holiness preachers are being located and quitting the business.

5. A few sinners are being converted, a few more sanctified; and most all of those who are being converted or sanctified are receiving the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and speaking with other tongues.

6. The world is amazed, and wondering saith, “What meaneth this?” Others, mocking, say, “These people are gone into fanaticism, they are insane, they are false teachers, they are

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being used of the devil, they should be stopped by the authorities.”

Some things resulting from the presentation of the negative, the best we have been able to learn, are:

1. Many sanctified Christians are concluding that they have the Baptism of the Spirit, though they have never spoken with other tongues.

2. Many are claiming to receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost without the Pentecostal manifestation, the very thing which the most of them have been doing for years.

3. Many who have been claiming to be sanctified for years with wrongs in their lives, chewing tobacco, members of Masonic lodges, etc., greatly rejoice to hear such preaching.

4. Many good people of the country are becoming disgusted at holiness papers and preachers who advocate the negative.

5. Nobody is being saved or sanctified under sermons of this kind. Very few are receiving the Holy Ghost and speaking with tongues.

6. The world is being pleased, infidels are rejoicing, many under conviction are becoming satisfied with their present condition, and hypocrites are saying, “That is the kind of preaching I like.”

Now, brother, with these facts before us, if you still believe that all who receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost do not speak with tongues, why do you not preach as you did before this revival started, and let this question alone? I advise you to read Acts 5: 34-40, and act accordingly.

CHAPTER VI.

THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT.

“Now, concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.”

“Now there are diversities of gifts, . . . differences of administrations, . . . diversities of operations, . . . but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal” (I Cor. 12: 1, 4-7).

Here we count: “gifts,” “administrations,” “operations,” and “the manifestation,” each of which is different, separate, and distinct from the others. We are told that there are diversities of the first three, but the fourth is in the singular number—“the manifestation.” While the Spirit distributes the first three, He always gives with each gift, with each administration, with each operation, not manifestations, but “the manifestation,” to profit withal. God has given all these things to work together in the salvation of man. The Spirit divides these among us, not with respect to persons, but as we prepare ourselves for them.. He will perform the same operation in each heart, if each will prepare for that operation. He will impart to each heart the same administration, when He sees each heart prepared for that administration. He will bestow upon any of us any gift we desire, when He sees we have reached the degree of grace where we can use that gift for the glory of God.

In a preceding chapter we spoke of seven operations of the Spirit; perhaps there are many more. We will not here give you our ideas of the administrations, hut pass on to consider the gifts. I am persuaded that much more is implied by these gifts than most sanctified people ever dreamed of. Let us approach the subject with an open heart, longing to understand the Scriptures.

Let us notice that what is said in verses 8, 9 and 10 (I Cor.

(6o)

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12), rests upon the conjunction “for” which connects these verses—not with verse 7, but with verse 4.

“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit…For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to an other discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.”

1. Wisdom. James says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (Jas. 1: 5). All Christians have wisdom, some in a greater degree than others. Who has reached that degree as that it may be said of him, he has “the gift of wisdom?” Solomon had “a gift,” but not “the gift.” I am persuaded that the manifestation of “the gift of wisdom” should far exceed Solomon’s wisdom.

2. Knowledge. This is insight into divine truth. Therefore this is the gift which we all need to understand the Bible. All have knowledge, some more than others; but who has the gift? Methodist, Baptist, Holiness, Universalist, etc., all claim it, but who has it?

3. Faith. All Christians have faith, but all have not the gift. To the one who has the gift “nothing shall be impossible.”

4. Healings. “Both of these nouns (gifts of healings) are in the plural number, because there is a diversity of gifts, as well as an infinite multiplicity of diseases to be healed.”—Godbey. The Word says, “To another’—one person—“is given the gifts of healings.” So a person who has received this should be able to heal any disease or affliction unless the healing would be contrary to God’s will. The gifts of healings are quite different from the “prayer of faith.” A person to whom has been intrusted the gifts of healings, need never pray for the sick. The power is in him (not his own power, but the power of God imparted), and he simply bids the sick, “Be whole.” Examples of the manifestation of this may be seen

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in the following Scriptures: “Silver and gold have I none: but such as I have give I thee: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise and walk” (Acts 3: 6). “Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets” (in every street, margin), “and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about ‘into Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed EVERY ONE” (Acts 5: 15, 16). “So that from his (Paul’s) body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them” (Acts 19: 12).

5. Miracles. Doctor Godbey says the Greek here is “energemata dunameon,” which means the inward workings of dynamites. He says that a more literal translation would be MANIPULATIONS OF DYNAMITES. He concludes that it refers to spiritual miracles, and not to physical. I do not know, however, but that both may be included. If it does refer only to spiritual, or only physical, or to both, it does not affect our position in this book. One thing is clear, it is a gift added after the Baptism of the Spirit; for in Acts 1: 8, the literal reading is, “You shall receive dynamite of the Holy Ghost having come on you.” So you see we receive dynamite when we receive the Holy Ghost, but the gift is manipulations of dynamites. Momentus conception!

6. Prophecy. This word originally meant to bubble up like a boiling spring or an artesian well. The application seems to be that of speaking tinder the immediate inspiration of the Holy Ghost, unfolding to men the counsels of God, especially as contained in the way of salvation through Christ, and at times unfolding future events.

7. Discerning of Spirits. This gift, I doubt not, will put us to the place where neither men nor devils can deceive us.

8. Tongues. On the day of Pentecost the one hundred and twenty spoke in other languages as the Spirit gave utterance. A person who has only the manifestation of tongues can speak

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in another language only as the Spirit gives utterance, but a person who has the gift of tongues can speak other languages at will, and, no doubt, several different languages. Neither has that person who has learned them in college the gift of languages, but the gift is imparted by the Holy Ghost independently of the human intellect.

9. Interpretation. This is quite different from translation. Translation from one language to another is accomplished by a knowledge of the vocabularies and syntax of those languages but interpretation is accomplished, while we listen to an unknown tongue, by the Holy Ghost speaking the same in our heart in a known tongue: thus we are enabled to give it out to others. All who have this gift, I doubt not, are able to understand any language which they may hear spoken under the power of the Holy Ghost, and also recognize its nativity.

I am sure that people have been claiming these gifts for years, while the manifestations have fallen far short of the Bible standard. I do not believe that anyone has ever received any of these gifts in their normal state until received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit; neither do I believe that all or any of them often come with the Baptism, but must be sought for and obtained afterwards. It is one thing to say, I have the gift of wisdom, or of knowledge, or of faith, or of prophecy; but it is another thing to really possess it. I believe when a person receives any of these gifts that he will know it that moment, and that it will so manifest itself that others will soon find it out. The Spirit has these gifts, and He has them for us. He imparts them to those whom he sees can use them for the glory of God. I believe that it is the will of God that each of us should have all these gifts, but because all of us are unable to use all or any of them properly, they are withheld otherwise God would be a respecter of persons. Then each one is exhorted to covet earnestly these gifts, and every exhortation of God to seek carries with it a promise to bestow.

At the present many are receiving the Baptism of the Spirit with Pentecostal evidence. Some are then receiving the gifts of the Spirit. This is meeting with great opposition. Eccle-

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siastical leaders are getting uneasy, and setting about to prove that they have had the Baptism of the Spirit for years. “Don’t discount your brother because he has not received the same gift that you have,” they cry. Brother, nobody is doing this; very few of us have any of these gifts; we are just getting the evidence of Pentecost. “But,” you say, “is not one gift as much an evidence as another?” Certainly. And I believe that any of these nine gifts in their normal bestowment is an evidence of Pentecost; yet no one of them is to be taken as the testimony of the Comforter, and hence is not the first evidence to be expected. “But,” says one, “suppose a person has the gift of wisdom or of faith or of healings, but has never spoken with tongues, can we say that he has not Pentecost?” Bring up your man and we will talk about it.

But still some insist that the manifestation of tongues and the gift of tongues are both the same, that the gift of tongues is the least among the nine, and that they possess far greater and more important gifts than that of tongues. You say, “I have the gift of knowledge, because I understand the Scriptures.” The Universalists and Roman Catholics claim the same gift.

Yes, I have known some to claim the gifts of healings, and pray for the sick, and yet they were not healed. They excuse themselves by saying, It wasn’t God’s will. How different from apostolic scenes! for we read, “They were healed EVERY ONE.” I have known some to claim the gift of discernment, and yet be greatly deceived by both men and demons. Some claim the gift of faith, and yet they meet with discouragements and many impossibilities. It is easy to claim the gift of wisdom or knowledge, but why don’t some of you claim the gift of interpretation? I have yet to hear of the first one interpreting a message spoken by the Holy Ghost who had not himself had a manifestation of tongues.

When greater light comes, it always meets with opposition. Those who opened the truth of justification by faith were greatly opposed. The truth of holiness had a struggle. Divine healing and the premillennial coming of the Lord have been

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denounced from the pulpit and derided by thousands of writers. The Scriptural evidence of the Pentecostal Baptism receives a greater opposition than any of the former; and now when the gifts are added, this opposition is going to ripen into Pentecostal persecution. The first man who passes through healing the sick as Peter did, will likely be treated with contempt by one-half the holiness people, and soon jailed by the authorities (Acts 5: 15-18).

Now let us approach and carefully study the thirteenth chapter of I Corinthians.

The word which rings through this chapter from beginning to end is charity. This word “charity” in the Greek is “agape,” which means Divine love, not perfect love, as many suppose. The same word is used in John 5: 42, “Ye have not the love of God in you.” So also in I John 2: 15, “The love of the Father is not in him.” "The love of God ... be with you all” (2 Cor. 13: 14). Not one time does the word “agape” alone mean perfect love. In 1 John 4: 18 the Greek is “teleia agape” This word “teleia” which means "perfect,” occurs but one time in the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians, and that is in the tenth verse.

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not Divine love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”

Some say that this verse teaches that those in the Corinthian church who were speaking with tongues were carnal Christians; and since they did not have perfect love, their speaking with tongues was of no profit. If this is the proper explanation, the same truth will hold good in the next two verses. So, then, we must conclude that there were those in this church who could speak with tongues of angels, who had the gift of prophecy, who understood ALL mysteries and ALL knowledge, who had the faith to remove mountains; that there were those who were giving ALL their goods to feed the poor, who were giving their bodies to be burned; and yet because they were unsanctified Christians, they were of no good to themselves nor to anyone else. This being true, it is impossible for those who

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are only converted to be of any service in the vineyard of the Lord. So all work done by the disciples before they were sanctified was no good. Don’t you see where we will go if we follow this teaching. The conclusions I have here drawn from verses 2 and 3, are just as legitimate as the one you have drawn from the first verse.

I cannot believe that the above conclusions are correct. With our Bible open, let us study it for the purpose of learning the truth.

It is clear that these people were looking too much at the gifts; they were magnifying them more than they were Divine love; and in all such cases the devil would be sure to take the advantage, and palm off a counterfeit upon them. For my part, I do not believe that God will bestow any gift of the Spirit upon us until we have Divine love. The gifts are distributed according as the Spirit wills, and I do not think that He wills to bestow any of these gifts upon a person who has no Divine love. If I can understand correctly, we must not only have Divine love, a thing which every Christian has, but this love must be made perfect in us, and then we must be baptized with the Holy Ghost, and covet earnestly these gifts, before God will give us any of them. However, Satan would be pleased if we should seek the gifts before we seek Divine love; and then he could impart to us the gifts of tongues, prophecy, knowledge, faith, etc. In many places in the Scripture do we read of false prophets, teachers, etc., working many signs and wonders. So Paul told the church at Corinth to covet earnestly the best gifts; and yet there was a more excellent way. This more excellent way includes not only what is spoken of in the thirteenth chapter, but the fourteenth as well. He shows them that they should first seek Divine love, and then desire the gifts. He clearly teaches that the gifts without Divine love are of no value. Since all gifts from God are valuable, if a gift is imparted before we reach Divine love, we may know it comes from the devil; and so with a manifestation. So the more excellent way is to follow after Divine love, and then desire spiritual gifts (I Cor. 14: 1).

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When Paul says for us to covet earnestly the “best gifts,”' he means all the nine mentioned above. There are many other gifts of the Spirit, but these nine are designated as the “best gifts.”

Many to-day are preaching about this way: God is in the present revival, but there is a great deal being taught that is calculated to hurt the cause. I see no difference between the manifestation and the gift. To teach that all who are baptized with the Spirit have the gift of tongues is a great mistake. All Christians should have at least one gift, but all have not the same gift. Many of us have much greater gifts than that of tongues. The gift of tongues is the least one of the nine, and of very little value. Where it is bestowed it generally does more harm than good. Paul did not mean for us to covet this gift, but the greater ones. If you get the gift of tongues, you will be likely to backslide and become bitter in your experience and harsh in your words.

Now please tell me what there is in the above teaching to cause any one to join the present movement. Most people are prejudiced against tongues anyway, and when they hear such preaching as the above they get farther away than before. And yet, people who are preaching this way, admit that there is a revival among the church, and claim to be friends to it. If it be true that the church has been all the while receiving greater gifts, and is now receiving the least gift of all, I can’t see where there is much revival. It would seem that we are retreating instead of advancing.

Those who preach that the gift of tongues is the least of the nine gifts, do so without any Scriptural foundation—they are building upon the sand. I have before me an article in which the writer says: “The most prominent objection to the present revival is the ‘gift of tongues.’ This one feature eliminated, we can scarcely see any other cause of complaint.” Another says: “We are never told to pray for the gift of tongues, although we are told to seek some of the higher gifts.” Note he says, “some of the higher gifts.” God forbid that I should

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ever so minify and depreciate any gift which the Holy Spirit sees proper to bestow upon any of God’s elect.

The only argument I have seen trying to prove that the gift of tongues is the least, and therefore not to be coveted, is that in the list above it comes next to last. Now isn’t that a point! What proof have you that this is a descending climax, and that the climax comes at number eight? Paul seems to put prophecy ahead of all the rest, and prophecy is neither at the first, nor at the last, nor in the middle, but number six. You have made a point here that is calculated to mislead thousands of poor unlearned people, but anyone who has any knowledge of debate knows that this is a snake in the grass. I am not the one to say that the gift of tongues is the least, or is not the least, since the Bible gives it neither way. Paul teaches that if one interprets what he says he is up with the one who prophesies.

As I have ready said, I do not believe that anyone has any of these gifts normally until they are baptized with the Holy Ghost.

“But what are you going to do with the prophets and men of old, who were so wonderfully used of God?” I reply, They had many of these gifts abnormally, as did the disciples before Pentecost. The prophets of old prophesied by vision, dreams, etc. (Isa. 1: 1; 8: 1; Jer. 13: 1-8; Ezek. 1: 1; Dan. 2: 19), but a person who has the gift of prophecy, I believe, will be able to prophesy any time under the immediate power of the Holy Ghost. And so with the other gifts. Before Pentecost the disciples cast out devils, though one time they tried and failed (Mark 9: 18); but we read of no failures after Pentecost, and the bestowment of the gifts.

However, one thing is worthy of notice here: While we see the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healings, miracles, prophecy, and discerning of spirits manifested to a great extent before Pentecost, yet the speaking with tongues marks the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, and stands out separate and distinct from all the rest, as a lofty mountain above a plain.

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But be sure to get your heart full of Divine love before you seek any gift.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not agapee, 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 agapee, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not agapee, it profiteth me nothing.” Why? Because without Divine love it cannot be of God. But what is this agapee, or Divine love? Verses 4-7 tell us.

“Love never falleth” (verse 8, Godbey’s translation). “Whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away.” Why? Prophecy is a spiritual gift qualifying us to help save the world. When we get to heaven we will find no lost souls to be saved, hence there will be no need of prophecy. “Whether there be tongues, they shall cease.” Why? In heaven there will be but one language, hence no need of the gift of languages. “Whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.” This does not mean that we will lose all the knowledge we have acquired in this world, and pass out into a sea of forgetfulness. The topic under discussion here is the gift of knowledge. This gift means insight into God’s revealed Word, to enable you to understand the Bible. This will be done away because we will not take our Bible to heaven. The Bible is the waybill from earth to heaven, and when we get there we will need it no more. Doubtless we shall learn more in one hour after we get to heaven than we have learned before in all our lives.

“For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” Many holiness preachers proclaim these two verses as teaching regeneration and sanctification, saying that after we are sanctified we have no need of the gifts. This is a mistake, and calculated to do harm. If verse ten is sanctification, then none of us are sanctified; for none of us have

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reached the point where we know it all. Verse nine refers to this life, while verse ten refers to the glorified state.

“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” Here we are taught that the glorified state will exceed this life as far as manhood exceeds childhood. The same contrast continues in verse twelve.

“And now abideth faith, hope, Divine love, these three but the greatest of these is Divine love.” The poet says, “Faith is lost in sight, and hope in full fruition dies;” but I had rather believe Paul, who here certifies the eternal survival of faith and hope, as well as love. Prophecy, tongues, and knowledge pass away with this life, but faith, hope, and Divine love abide forever. Heaven is not a place of inactivity, but of infinite and illimitable progress. Hope will be the pioneer and faith the engine of power in conception and execution of heavenly enterprises.

Remember that the members of the Corinthian church had been recently converted from heathenism, and therefore they had great need of teaching. So Paul devotes the fourteenth chapter to teaching. Forasmuch as they were zealous of spiritual gifts, he tells them to seek to excel to the edifying of the church (ver. 12). He teaches that prophecy is the greatest gift, because it edifies the church. He gives three ways in which the gift of tongues is profitable. First, “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh . . . unto God” (ver. 2). Second, “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself” (ver. 4). Third, “Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not” (ver. 22). He tells them that when the church is come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and the idiots or infidels come in, they will begin to criticise, and say that the church has gone crazy. Then if all begin to prophesy, these unbelievers will fall down on their faces and worship God (ver. 23-25). But if they prophesy first, if “serveth not for them which believe not, but for them which believe” (ver. 22). So when Paul wanted to teach the Christians, he had rather speak five

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words in a tongue which they could understand, then ten thousand words in an unknown tongue (ver. 19).

God was wonderfully blessing these people, as He was imparting to them the gifts of the Spirit and preparing them for missionary work. Every time they came together a great host of them had something special to deliver: a new tongue had been given to another the gift of interpretation; another has a special burning message to deliver; another a thrilling exhortation which he can carry no longer; another a sweet, new and inspiring song to sing (ver. 26). The result was their meetings were too long, wearing out the people. So Paul forbids that no more than two or three should prophesy or speak in unknown tongues at one time. While one or more was speaking in another language, another was to interpret; and if there be no one to interpret, they were to keep silent. Of course, he was speaking to those who had the gift of tongues, and could talk at will. When the Spirit takes the tongue beyond our control, one hundred and twenty speaking at once will cause no confusion. We read of a meeting in which Paul laid his hands on a company, and twelve received the Holy Ghost, and spake with tongues, and prophesied (Acts 19: 6, 7). Do you think Paul jumped up and said, “Look out, brethren, that will never do, you will get confusion in the church?” Nay, verily. Paul says, “Quench not the Spirit,” and “Despise not prophesyings.”

“Let the prophets speak two or three.” If anything be revealed to another sitting by, the order is for the leader to keep silent till the party delivers the message revealed, and so on, one giving place to another, until all prophesy.

The speaking with tongues and prophesying were not the only disorder in this church. Paul also had to correct the, women for talking to their husbands during service.

Many anti-pentecostal holiness preachers are having much to say at this time about having everything done in a way to avoid confusion. They will allow as many as wish to do so to testify at one time in their testimony meetings. They will call on three or four to lead in prayer at one time. They call on

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the congregation to crowd about the altar and shake hands. But if one or two speaks with tongues, they cry out, “Avoid confusion, brethren.”

In conclusion, I advise all my readers never to depreciate any gift which the Spirit sees proper to confer on any child of God, however humble. Seek first that Divine love that never faileth; then have that love perfected in your own heart; then seek and obtain the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, with Pentecostal evidence; and then covet earnestly the best gifts; and the Spirit will give you such as He sees you can use for the glory of God.

CHAPTER VII.

POUNDS AND TALENTS.

THE purpose of this chapter is to study a few general thoughts in the parable of the talents, recorded in Matt. 25, and the parable of the pounds in Luke I9. That the parables are not the same is clear from the context. Neither one of them refer to the gifts of the Spirit treated in the preceding chapter, and this we wish to show clearly.

Open your Bible at these parables (Matt. 25: 14-30, and Luke 19: 11-27). The traveling man or the nobleman is Christ himself; the far country is heaven; the kingdom is this world; the servants are the preachers and Christian workers; the return of the nobleman is the second coming of Christ; the pounds and talents is capital. So far these two parables are alike. In fact, the main point of difference lies in the quality and distribution of the capital. In the parable of the talents, one servant receives more capital than another; in the parable of the pounds, each servant receives the same amount of capital.

You will notice in the parable of the talents that the capital is given to each one according to his ability. This ability is capacity. The talent is a special gift of God to qualify us to do His service. Some have greater capacities than others, hence God gives them more talents. The talent is natural ability. To possess a talent is to have the genius to do a certain thing; e.g., to sing, to speak in public, to write a theme or a song.

Every sinner has the ability, and therefore a talent for something, but his talent is used in the service of the devil. After he is saved, we see him with the same talent as before, but it is used by him in quite a different way. When Jesus comes, He will reckon with His servants as to how they have used the talents given them.

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You will notice in the parable of the pounds that the capital is given to each one, not according to his ability, but to each one alike. The pound is God’s Word and the Holy Ghost. A person who has a talent for a certain work, and this talent intensified by the Holy Ghost, and then co-operated with the Word of God, will be able to accomplish something in the Master’s vineyard, provided he sets to work. The Nobleman will one day return and require interest on the capital.

A great many people think that they have one or more of the special gifts of the Spirit, when in reality they have only a natural talent—as a talent for singing, speaking in public, teaching, writing, etc.—intensified by the Spirit, and perhaps accompanied by some knowledge of the Word. All Christians have this; but the nine gifts are bestowed normally after the Baptism of the Spirit.

Let us be careful to distinguish between talents, pounds, and the gifts of the Spirit.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST SUBSEQUENT TO SANCTIFI-

CATION.

SANCTIFICATION is the eradication of the carnal mind; while the Baptism of the Holy Ghost is a filling: the one takes place at Calvary; while the other occurs at Pentecost. They are distinct and separate the one from the other, and never take place at the same time. The heart must be cleansed from all sin before the Holy Ghost will come in to abide forever. He may come in shortly after the heart is purified, or it may be many years afterwards, or He may never come in. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost does not naturally follow the crucifixion of the old man, but He must be sought after the Spirit has borne witness to sanctification.

We shall now undertake to prove the above statements from

Scripture.

Let us first study the case of the apostles and disciples. In Luke 10:20 we learn that their names were written in heaven. Afterwards Jesus said, “All ye shall be offended because of me this night.” “Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended, . . . Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples” (Matt. 26: 31-35). But Jesus told him that he would deny Him, and that he would have to be converted again (Luke 22: 32). When the crisis came, “They all forsook Him, and fled” (Mark 14: 50). After His resurrection He appeared unto them, and “breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost” (John 20: 22). This established them in the justified experience. After this we read, “And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them” (Luke 24: 50). How do we know what this blessing included? The result of it was, “They worshiped him, and returned to

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Jerusalem with great joy: and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God” (ver. 52, 53). That sounds like a sanctified crowd. That is the exact grounds upon which sanctification put me. And this accords with Hebrews 13: 12-15. “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. (He led them out.) For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (They were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.)” See!

Once more. In the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of John, Jesus promised to send the Comforter. Before they could receive Him they must become of one accord. So in the seventeenth chapter He prayed, “Sanctify them through thy truth… That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. . . I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.” Here we are clearly taught that it requires the blessing of sanctification to make us perfect in one. So we read in Acts 1: 12-15: “Then (after the blessing at Bethany) returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about hundred and twenty).” Think of it! An hundred and twenty of one accord! How different from the apostles at the passover supper (Luke 22:24). Something must have taken place. What could have brought them in one accord? Jesus, after seeing such discord among them at supper, went out and prayed,

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Sanctify them that they all may be one. Therefore, they must have been sanctified before Pentecost. Praise the Lord!

Luke says at the supper, “There was also strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.” This is just like conferences, conventions, etc., held by carnal Christians to-day. Each one wants to preach the biggest sermon, or get the best appointment. But sanctification brings us of one accord, and puts us to praising God continually. Not only did the disciples come together of one accord, but they continued of one accord: “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all of one accord in one place.” I must conclude then that they were sanctified before the Holy Ghost came; and especially, since we find Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the crowd seeking for her Pentecost.

If we claim that conversion puts people of one accord, and therefore the disciples were only converted before Pentecost, we put the standard higher than Jesus puts it, for He prayed that they might be sanctified to make them one. Paul addressed a certain class as “Brethren,” and yet there was division among them because they were carnal. If we say that it takes the Baptism of the Holy Ghost to purify the heart and bring us of one accord, we minify the efficacy of the blood and lower the standard of Pentecost.

There is no Scripture to teach that the disciples were sanctified on the day of Pentecost. There is not a word said about cleansing, purifying, nor sanctifying in the whole account. We know that it takes consecration to put us in order for sanctification. Not a word here that would seem to even intimate consecration.

To consecrate means to set apart for a sacred use. When we instruct people to consecrate to be sanctified, we mean for them to lay themselves, together with all that they possess, with all that they are or expect ever to possess or be, unreservedly on God’s altar, to be used of Him for His glory at His own discretion. Did the disciples ever consecrate? and if so, when ?

“He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the

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Holy Ghost” (John 20: 22). This established them in the justified experience. Still they were not consecrated, for we see them afterwards going back to their fishing nets (John 21: 3). If they had been consecrated they would not have gone a fishing while Jerusalem was in such a stir over their Lord. After this Jesus appeared: “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24: 45-47).

“Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.” Our going forth unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach, is our consecration. There never has been a time when there was more reproach to following Jesus without the camp than at the time Jerusalem was in such a stir over His resurrection.

“Remembering this, let us return to the twenty-fourth chapter of Luke, and continue our study. “And he led them out as far as to Bethany.” Their willingness to go with Jesus out to Bethany at this particular time, thus bearing His reproach, signifies their consecration. They left their nets, their friends, their reputation, and laying their all upon God’s altar, they were ready to follow Jesus anywhere. Hence, “He lifted up His hands”—His hands that were torn and pierced by the nails. Why were His hands so torn? “Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood.” When he lifted up His hands, the disciples were put under the blood. Hence, they were blessed—sanctified. This blessing brought to them great joy.

In this connection Jesus said, “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.” “But ye shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jeru-

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salem, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8). So the disciples were not to stay in one place long at a time (for here we have no continuing city), but were to scatter and witness in all Judea, and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. However, “He commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father.” “But tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem (not to their fishing nets, as they did before,) with great joy: and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.” How wonderfully the Scriptures do harmonize! Do you see?

In the upper room they continued of one accord, praising and blessing God, in prayer and supplication, until the day of Pentecost was fully come. Not one word is said here to intimate consecration. We are not told that they were praying for sanctification. Why do preachers contend that they were, when not a word is said to intimate such a thing? Jesus put them under the blood at Bethany, and then told them to go to Jerusalem and tarry, not until they were sanctified, but until they were endued with power from on high. “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Not one word to intimate sanctification!

Some holiness preachers teach that one prong of the cloven tongue represented regeneration, one prong sanctification, while the fire represented the purifying power of the Holy Ghost. If this be correct, then these hundred and twenty were all regenerated, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost at one and the same time; for it is clear that the cloven tongues of fire were symbolic of the real blessing that God was pouring upon

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them. Others teach that one prong represented the fire of heaven, while the other represented the fire of hell. If this be true, this crowd was baptized with heavenly fire and hell fire at the same time. Now, the fire is not symbolic of “the sanctifying Baptism of the Holy Ghost,” for fire alone is never a symbol of the Holy Spirit, but only as it is connected with cloven tongues. When we speak of “the sanctifying Baptism of the Holy Ghost,” we use a term entirely unscriptural.

Some connect Matt. 3: 11 with Mal. 3: 1-3, to try to prove that the Baptism of the Spirit purifies. There is absolutely no connection between them, as I can see. Let us take our Bible and read, not to support theory, but to understand the Scripture.

“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.” Not one word said here about the Baptism of the Holy Ghost but the reference is to the coming of Christ himself. He is called “The Messenger of the Covenant.” Neither does it refer to Christ’s first advent into the world. It says, He shall SUDDENLY come to His TEMPLE. Was this fulfilled when Jesus came the first time? Nay. He was incarnated, then born in a manger, and never began any work in the temple till He was twelve years old. Let us continue: “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth?” Do you think this refers either to the Baptism of the Holy Ghost or to the first coming of Christ? Then read on: “For he (Christ) is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: and he (Christ) shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he (Christ) shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Then (immediately afterwards) shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years. And I will come near to you to judgment, etc.” It is clear that this refers neither to the Baptism of the Holy Ghost nor to Christ’s first

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advent, but entirely to the second coming of the Lord. “But does not the messenger coming before Christ refer to John the Baptist?” Not at all (John 1: 21-23). “To whom then?” To Elijah the prophet (Mal. 4: 5, 6).

Now turn to Matt. 3: 11. “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire” (R.. V.).

Some teach that the baptism of fire is separate from the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. This is an error. I notice that Matthew and Luke use the word “fire,” while Mark omits it, clearly involving the conclusion that the fire normally inheres in the Holy Ghost, i.e., is inseparable from Him. Therefore, when you receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, you receive the baptism of fire. To teach two baptisms is to antagonize Eph. 4: 5, where Paul certifies that there is but one Baptism in the gracious economy. The ordinance with water is not intrinsically a baptism, but symbolically typifies the real Baptism of the Holy Ghost.

Now, does this fire purify? If so, then there must be no difference between the cleansing and the filling, that is, the filling is the cleansing and the cleansing is the filling, for there is but one baptism. But if both—the cleansing and the filling—are included in the phrase, “Baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire,” and the “fire” does the cleansing, and the Holy Ghost does the filling, then according to the statement, “Holy Ghost and fire,” the filling must take place before the cleansing. And this would accord exactly with the day of Pentecost; for we read, “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. (Symbolical of the filling.) And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. (Symbolical of the cleansing.)” So I hope you can see where this explanation of the fire will lead to.

Now, I do not believe that the cleansing and the filling are one and the same; neither can I see from the Scriptures that the filling takes place before the cleansing; neither do I see that

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the “fire” is symbolic of “the sanctifying Baptism of the Holy Ghost.” For my part, I can see no difference between those who teach the Baptism of the Spirit and the baptism of fire as separate and distinct the one from the other, except the latter follow the Bible order more closely than the former. And especially so, since the former say, that one prong of the cloven tongue represents regeneration and the other sanctification. And if this be true, the “fire” not only purifies, but regenerates; and so we may invent another new phase, viz., “The regenerating Baptism of the Holy Ghost.” I trust you can see the great error in these unscriptural theories. Let us not build theories, and then try to make the Scriptures support them; but let us take the Scriptures as they are, and then draw conclusions.

“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it (the sound) filled all the house where they were sitting.”

Since nothing is said in the whole account about regeneration nor sanctification; since we have seen from Scripture that they had already been established in regeneration, and put under the blood—sanctified; since Jesus never gave them any instructions to go up to Jerusalem to seek regeneration or sanctification, but to wait for the Holy Ghost; and since they seem to have been waiting for the very blessing which had been promised them: I take this sound filling all the house where they were sitting, as a symbol of the Holy Ghost filling them who were sitting in the house.

“And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.”

Since Jesus not only promised the Comforter, but said, “Ye shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you,” and since this power was to enable them, and without any farther education or training, to witness for Jesus unto the uttermost part of the earth: I conclude that the cloven tongues like as of fire which came upon them was symbolical of the power given by the Holy Ghost to witness to every creature.

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The above conclusions accord exactly with the next verse, which gives us the reality symbolized in verses two and three. “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave utterance.” “He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire.” Or connecting Matt 3:11 with Acts 1:8, we might say, He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and power (Luke 24:49). The phrase, “baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire,” seems to me to include both the cleansing and filling, but both the internal and external manifestations.

“But what about the next verse? Does it touch that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost purges the floor?”

Now notice. Here are three verses together, each ending with the word “fire” (ver. 10, 11 and 12). It is obvious that it is not the same fire in every case. John was preaching repentance and baptizing the people in Jordan. A momentous crisis had come to the Jews with the ministry of John. Hitherto they could be saved by the excarnate Christ, under the ministry of the law and prophets. Now that He has come in human flesh, they must receive Him, or grieve away the Holy Ghost and take the final plunge into reprobacy and damnation. “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees.” It was a judgment come to the house of God—

the Jewish church. The axe symbolizes Divine retribution; the tree each member of the church, including all Jews. “Therefore every tree which bringeth forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” What fire? The answer can only be hell fire.

“I indeed baptize you (all who repent) with water unto repentance (this brings judgment to your door): but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, WHOSE shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptized you (those who have repented) with the Holy Ghost and fire.” What fire? Not hell fire as above. “He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire.” The word “you” in this statement is the second person, plural number, and absolutely inseparable. Therefore the very same, identical people, whom John had baptized with water, should be baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire. The Saviour’s

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disciples were in this crowd, coming to Him through John’s ministry, who actually received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire on the day of Pentecost.

“WHOSE fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” The pronouns “whose,” “his” and “he” do not refer to the Holy Ghost, but to Christ himself. The Spirit does not hold His fan in His hand and thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; neither does He burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. This work is all assigned to Christ himself. John says, I indeed do this, but “He” (Christ) shall not only baptize “you” with the Holy Ghost and fire, but with “His” fan in “His” hand, “He” shall thoroughly purge “His” floor, and gather “His” wheat into the garner; but “He” will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. The “threshing-floor” is the visible church; at the time John spoke, the Jewish church. The fan separates the chaff from the wheat while both are on the floor; the wheat is then gathered into the “garner”—the kingdom of God on earth, ready for the Lord’s mill, and a grand festival among angels and archangels the chaff is blown out and burned with unquenchable fire. The visible Jewish church underwent a thorough purgation in the ministry of Christ, the Omnipotent Fan coming like a tornado from heaven, and blowing out of it the multitudes of weak, easy-going, coin promising chaff, the leading clergy and officials, cutting down the membership to the pure wheat, who were gathered into the “garner,” and baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire; while the chaff was blown out of the church and cast into the lake of unquenchable fire.

In verse 10, the symbol is an orchard representing the church, in which each tree is a member; in verse 12, the symbol is a threshing-floor representing the church, in which the good and bad, the fruitful and the unfruitful, comprising the entire membership, are represented by the wheat and the chaff. Some holiness preachers think that the chaff is depravity in the individual heart; but if this be true, then the unfruitful tree in

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verse 10 refers to it. Each is no good, and each is cast into the fire. I can’t see that either verse 10 or 12 refers to the Baptism of the Holy Ghost for individual believers; but rather to the judgment of the visible church. The judgment was brought to the Jewish church—the axe was laid at the root of the trees—by the preaching of John; the floor was purged—the wheat separated from the chaff—through the ministry of. Christ; the wheat was gathered into the “garner,” and baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire; the chaff—the bon ton church members—was purged out and burned. The judgment of verse 10 is brought to the visible church to-day through the present movement; the judgment of verse 12, which is only a continuation of the judgment of verse 10, will occur at the second coming of Christ. Some say that the phrase, “burn up,” proves that the chaff is depravity, and not the ungodly church members; but in Mal. 4: 1 we have the same phrase, and here it is plainly stated that it refers to the wicked; and yet it is clearly brought out in either passage that the wicked are not annihilated. From Mal. 4: 3, we learn that after the wicked are “burned up,” they will be ashes under the feet of the righteous. Matt. 3: 12, says the chaff will be burned with unquenchable fire—fire that will never go out.

Someone wants to know if verse 11 does not teach repentance and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit are the only two works of grace. I reply, sin has but two phases, actual and inbred. Hence there are two and only two distinct works of grace; or in other words, two works of grace do away with the sin question: but neither repentance nor the Baptism of the Spirit is a work of grace. Besides, the two works of grace are not in the question here at all. John is simply contrasting his baptism with water with Christ’s Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

So having by a careful and prolonged study investigated the Scriptures concerning the Baptism promised by John and corroborated by Jesus, and also the fulfillment of that promise in the case of the apostles and disciples on the day of Pentecost, let us now proceed to make farther investigations. We will take the case of Cornelius (Acts 10).

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The Word says that Cornelius was “A devout ma, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.” There are not many sanctified people living above this man. In Peter’s vision, he “saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” What did these “fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air” represent? Surely it was Cornelius and his household. If God had told Peter to go to Cornelius’s before he had this vision, Peter would have said, I can’t do that, Lord, he is a Gentile, he is unclean. But God had told Peter not to call that man common for He had cleansed him. “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common,” So Cornelius and his household were cleansed—sanctified—before Peter ever went down there.

“But what are you going to do with that Scripture in which Peter declares that he and the rest of the apostles were sanctified on the day of Pentecost, and that Cornelius and his household were sanctified while he was preaching to them?” Well, bring it up, and we will see about it. “Very well, here it is in Acts 15: 7-9.” Read it please. “I will do so with pleasure.” “And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago, God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.” The Greek here rendered “purifying” is not the present participle “katharion,” but the aorist participle "katharisas," which, when correctly rendered, is “having purified.” So we read: “And put no difference between us and them, having purified their

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hearts by faith.” This establishes forever the fact that Cornelius and his household were sanctified before Peter went there and since it is plainly stated that their case was parallel with that of the disciples on the day of Pentecost, we are thus brought face to face with the fact that the disciples were sanctified before Pentecost. Thank you for this Scripture.

We are told that Acts 2: 38 teaches that the Baptism of the Spirit and sanctification are the same. Let us read: “Repent for the remission of sins, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Now, if we take this verse of Scripture as involving the whole plan of salvation then all one needs to do to be sanctified and receive the Baptism of the Spirit is to repent, for not one word is said about consecration. “But we have to infer that Peter meant for them to consecrate in order to be sanctified.” Certainly. And since we have infer that consecration is understood, we may just as legitimately infer that sanctification is understood.

Taking the disciples at Ephesus (Acts 19: 1-6), we find nothing is said of their sanctification neither before nor at the time of their Baptism. There is no proof that they were sanctified on this occasion. If this was the time when they were sanctification, then the evidence of sanctification is speaking with tongues. “And they spake with other tongues and prophesied.”

The Baptism of the Spirit has nothing to do with the sin question, but is an enduement of power for service. We are sanctified at Calvary. Where did Jesus suffer to sanctify the people? Outside the gate—at Calvary. In Eph. 2: 16, we learn that enmity—carnality—was slain at the cross, and not at Pentecost. Jesus that He might sanctify the people suffered without the gate—“He led them out” (Luke 24: 50). He went to His Father that He might send the Comforter. The disciples received the Holy Spirit within the gate. We are sanctified with the blood. “If we walk in the light, as he is one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin” (I John 1: 7). There are many passages which teach this, but no a single pas-

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sage teaches that we are sanctified at Pentecost. Sanctification is just as separate from the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as Calvary is from Pentecost—as subtraction is from addition. At Calvary the old man dies; at Pentecost you are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus had no sin, and yet He had to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit before He entered upon His ministry. This Baptism is for service. Jesus needed it to heal the sick, to raise the dead; He needed it in Gethsemane, and at Calvary. If Jesus, who had no sin, needed the Baptism, surely you need it also.

I believe nearly all forms of religion teach sanctification in some way, i.e., they all teach that we must be sanctified to get to heaven. But the teachings of different ones differ as to when and where the cleansing takes place. The Presbyterians and Baptists teach that we are sanctified at death; the Roman Catholics in purgatory; many Holiness churches at Pentecost. Where does God say that we are sanctified? “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.” Where did He suffer? On Calvary. What did He do for the people? Sanctified them with His own blood. Yes, but hold up; the Presbyterians, the Baptists, the Roman Catholics, the great Holiness churches, teach differently.” Now, who will you believe, God or these churches? The reason many holiness people teach that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is sanctification, is they have made salvation two blessings, first and second, and thus far will they go and no farther; and they twist the Scripture to fit their doctrine.

Now, if the Baptism of the Holy Spirit sanctifies, no one was ever sanctified until Pentecost, for no one was ever baptized with the Spirit until then. That no one was ever sanctified until Pentecost, we know to be untrue. Read David’s experience in the twenty-third Psalm. Note the command to Abraham, “Walk before me, and be thou perfect” (Gen. 17: 1). Listen: “And ye shall be holy men unto me” (Ex. 22: 31). “Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy” (Lev.

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19:2). So holiness or sanctification was required of the Jews long before the era of Christianity was ushered in.

Observe the real experience of a true Hebrew: He possessed clean hands and a pure heart;” was “an Israelite in whom is no guile.” Listen at David: “Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Ps. 51: 2, 7).

“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil” (Job 1: 1). “And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless” (Luke 1: 6).

Sanctification is a dedication; the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is an empowerment. The one is entirely (as to its second phase) a subtraction; the other is wholly an addition. Sanctification has to do with sin; the Baptism of the Holy Spirit has to do only with the saint.

We hope that all who read these lines will be able to distinguish between sanctification and the Baptism of the Spirit. To count them as one and the same is to mix up the Scriptures.

CHAPTER IX.

THE EARLY AND THE LATTER RAIN.

God fashioned the land of Palestine to be the model land of all lands, to contain the products of all zones and climes, to be a miniature world in itself, and so He arranged the coming and going of its rain clouds on a spiritual pattern, to beautifully adumbrate the movements of the Holy Spirit. So just what rain is to the earth, the Holy Spirit is to the soul. God arranged the showers of rain in the land of Canaan, as a type of the operations of grace. Many Scriptures allude to the early anti the latter rain, and these rains are used as types of the Holy Spirit (Deut. 11: 14; Jer. 5: 24; Hos. 6: 3; Joel 2: 23, and Jas. 5: 7).

The land of Canaan received two special rains each year. One in the early spring to give the earth a good soaking, and cause the seed, just planted, to sprout. The soil of that land is very fine and heavy, and so a rain will last three times as long as in land of which the soil is lighter. After the early rain, there came a dry spell of several weeks, allowing ample time of bright clear weather for the cultivation of the crops. Then there came another copious rain, the latter rain, just in time to re-enforce the exhausted forces of the grains and fruits with abundance of sap. The latter rain then passed away, leaving the bright warm sunshine to mature and mellow all the grain, and giving beautiful cloudless days for the reapers to work in.

Now let us make a spiritual application of these rains as they concern the church at large. The early rain came at Pentecost, and immediately the seed which Jesus and His disciples had sown sprang up. This early rain continued for more than a hundred years, during which time the church was kept inundated with mighty floods of salvation. But when the church became popular and was formed into a great hierarchy, the long drought began, interspersed with a local shower of gra-

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cious revival now and then through the middle ages. Under the reformations, the latter rain began to be foreshadowed. The holiness revivals which have been going on in our land for the last few years are the preliminary showers of this rain. They have been glorious and wonderful: so much so that many have taken them for the latter rain itself. But we know that these revivals, though gracious, have fallen far short of the apostolic revivals—the early rain. The Scriptures seem to teach that the latter rain is to be far greater than the former. The most of Old Testament prophecy is two-fold, i.e., it has two fulfillments, the first being the shadow of the second. Joel’s prophecy quoted by Peter (Joel 2: 28-32 and Acts 2: 17-20) was partially fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, but that its greater fulfillment is still future appears from Joel 2: 30-32. So we may expect the latter rain to be much greater and more powerful than the apostolic revivals.

The early rain began on the day of Pentecost, and the first manifestation was speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance, and then followed the healing of the sick, casting out devils, etc. So it would only be natural to expect that in the latter rain Pentecost should be repeated and followed by the same manifestation.

Let us not forget that the Spirit has always been in the world. It requires only a careful study of the world’s moral and spiritual development to see that it was the Holy Spirit that led the world by successive stages, through patriarch, law-giver, priest, judge, and prophet up to Christ, who prepared His people for the Baptism of the Spirit—the early rain. It required four thousand years to do this work, but under the Spirit’s direction the soil was finally prepared, the seed sown, and then the early rain came.

From the tenor of the Scriptures it becomes evident that there were in the Old Testament times limitations to the efficiency of the Holy Spirit. Limitations, not made by any difference in His nature, but in the conditions of men themselves. Special emphasis is laid in the Old Testament prophecies upon the blessings to follow the Saviour’s advent in the enlarged

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and intensified presence and power of the Holy Spirit. That which had been in measure, was then to be in abundance. That which had been limited, was then to become unlimited. New and glorious blessings were to follow the coming of the Christ, because of the increased activity of the Holy Spirit in the world. Joel’s prophecy reveals that neither race, age, nor condition are to be unblessed by its fulfillment. John, filled as the prophets of old, by the Holy Spirit, and yet in a greater degree than any of them, stood and declared: “But he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire.” It is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit upon the church at large that was typified by the annual rains in Canaan.

During the long drought of the middle ages a few saints received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and spake with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Over two hundred years ago, the Huguenots, in France, who were so persecuted by the Roman church, had quite a number among them that received the Holy Spirit, and spake with other tongues. About one hundred years ago, when Irving, of London, was preaching on the pre-millennial coming of the Lord, a number of persons spake with other tongues. We read of a number of people in Topeka, Kansas, who spake with tongues about the beginning of the year 1900. There were a number of people at West Union, S. C., who were baptized with the Holy Spirit, and spake with tongues a few years ago. I am personally acquainted with a certain sister, living near Magnolia, N. C., who has had the Bible evidence of Pentecost for some time before she came in contact with the present revival. While in Birmingham, Alabama, in May of this year (1907), I met two brothers, Smith and Dixion, who had their Pentecost. After talking with them a short while, I interrogated “How long have you had your Pentecost?” “Four years last December,” replied Brother Smith. “We had been sanctified for a number of years when we met a man who had his Pentecost. We saw the light, and went down and received the Baptism of the Spirit and spake with tongues.” They were

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still enjoying the Baptism with Pentecostal evidence. I left Birmingham and came to Greenville, S. C., and here I found others who had been in the experience two years. So you see there have been some scattered along all the while who have had the real Pentecostal evidence to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. But they have been few in number, and the latter rain has been withheld until now. It seems to have had its starting point in the year 1906. I here give a few sketches as to the opening of the present revival, and its starting point in Los Angeles, Cal.

“As my home is in Los Angeles, I am impressed to write to you concerning our Lord's workings in marked ways…Early in this year (1906) God sent three humble saints from Texas to Los Angeles, and on their arrival, with a very few others, they met to seek for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. They sought earnestly to know God’s will by daily searching His Word, yielding themselves up to Him for His fulness for service. But few were favorable to what they called new teaching, so this little band had to move their place of meeting; but with one purpose in view, they unceasingly sought the Lord for the promise of the Father. So earnest became this little band that, with much fasting, they almost continued day and night for some days, till, indeed, their day had fully come, and as suddenly as on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit fell upon them and filled them, and all began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance. But this speaking in other languages was not all, for, indeed, they were filled with all the fulness of God, and all the characteristics of the first Pentecost was manifest. Can any unbiased man doubt as to the source of this strange power, when these humble children of God were waiting only upon Him, seeking for Himself. This was, indeed, the day of small things, and only so in comparison to the promise, that the latter rain is to be much more abundant than the former. . . . In these few months from the time the praying, fasting few received the long-sought-for rending of the heavens, and Jesus did baptize them with His Spirit, up till now (October 15, 1906), this work has spread

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till its influence has reached half around the world. Many of all ages and races, from varied conditions and abilities, from the very young to the octogenarian, those learned and of no education, each alike has received a definite Baptism of the Spirit. From here God has sent those living witnesses for Him up the coast for hundreds of miles across the continent into China, India, Africa and Jerusalem—each able to speak in any language to whom God sends, using the language thus given of God with absolute perfection.”—A. H. Post, in “Way of Faith,” November 8, 1906.

“The center of this work is an old wooden Methodist church, marked for sale, partly burned out, recovered by a flat roof and made into two flats by a floor. It is unplastered, simply whitewashed on the rough boarding. Up stairs is a long room, furnished with chairs and three California redwood planks, laid end to end on backless chairs. This is the Pentecostal ‘upper room,’ where sanctified souls seek Pentecostal fulness, and go out speaking in new tongues and calling for the old-time references to ‘new wine.’ There are smaller rooms where hands are laid on the sick and ‘they recover’ as of old. Below is a room 40 x 60 feet, filled with odds and ends of chairs, benches, and backless seats, where the curious and the eager sit for hours listening to strange sounds and songs and exhortations from the skies. In the center of the big room is a box on end, covered with cotton, which a junk man would value at about 15 cents. This is the pulpit from which is sounded forth what the leader, Brother Seymour, calls old-time repentance, old-time pardon, old-time sanctification, old-time power over devils and diseases, and the old-time ‘Baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire.’

“Meetings begin at 10 o’clock every morning and are continued until near midnight. There are three altar services daily. The altar is a plank on two chairs in the center of the room, and here the Holy Ghost falls on men and women and children in old Pentecostal fashion as soon as they have a clear experience of heart purity. Proud preachers and laymen with great heads, filled and inflated with all kinds of theories and

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beliefs, have come here from all parts, have humbled themselves and got down, not ‘in the straw, but ‘on’ the straw matting, and have thrown away their notions, and have wept in conscious emptiness before God and begged to be ‘endued with power from on high,’ and every honest believer has received the wonderful incoming of the Holy Spirit to fill and thrill and melt and energise his physical frame and faculties, and the Spirit has witnessed to His presence by using the vocal organs in the speaking forth of a ‘new tongue.’” –Article in “Way of Faith, October 11, 1906.

In this way, and in this humble place this movement had its beginning. Every great epoch in the history of the church has been brought about through humble instrumentality. The great preachers are always set aside when a reformation sets in. Indeed, it has been true through the history of the ages, that the leaders always reject greater light. I know but very few great holiness leaders who have accepted this revival. How they do dislike to give up the lines to others! They would gladly hail this movement if they could continue to hold the reins, but, oh, how they dislike to recognize a movement so humble But do what they may, they are loosing their hold on the people. Those who reject light must go down. This movement has no leader except the Holy Spirit. It started with a few saints in Los Angeles, but they are not recognized as the leaders. Some have tried to make themselves leaders, but the movement will not be led by them. Every one whom I have known to try to take the lead of the movement in a prayer meeting, church, community, or country has been defeated. It will not be led by man. Thank God! The Spirit attends to His work. It is true, there are many who are being greatly used of God to spread this revival, but none of them are leaders; we are following the Holy Spirit. Last November (1906), Rev. G. B. Cashwell, of Dunn, N. C., went across the continent to California to seek his Pentecost. He received Him, and came back to his home at Dunn and began a meeting in this town December 29, 1906, which continued near a month, during which time scores of people in the South received their

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Pentecost. From here they scattered in every direction, and began to spread the fire. And so it still continues to spread up to date. Praise God! Praise Him! Praise Him!

So a great revival is now upon us, and it is sweeping the world. This is the latter rain. Many missionaries have already gone from this movement to foreign fields. Never did any movement spread so fast and so wide. Not many sinners are being saved at this time. The latter rain is, not to bring up seed, but to ripen the fruit. So we need not expect many sinners saved in Christendom these days. “Be glad, then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given yon the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month” (Joel 2: 23). This Scripture teaches that lands upon which the early rain has never fallen, i.e., the heathen fields will receive both the early and latter rain during this revival. So I am expecting millions of souls saved, sanctified, and filled with Holy Spirit on foreign fields.

After the latter rain there was a dry spell, during which the grain matured and mellowed, and then came the harvest, and then the winter. So it will be at the end of this revival. After this great outpouring of Pentecost, there will come another dry spell, in which severe trials will mellow the saints and mature them for the harvest, and then will set in the wintry storms of the Great Tribulation, to be ended only by the millennial spring morning, when Christ and his glorified saints shall “return from the wedding to take charge of the world.”

Jesus said, “When the Comforter comes He shall testify of me.” During the early rain the Holy Spirit, when giving utterance through a person, spake of the sufferings, death, and resurrection of the Lord; in these days of the latter rain the burden of the messages is the second coming of the Lord, the marriage and the marriage supper of the Lamb.

The holiness people have been for years praying for a general revival. God has sent it. But because it has brought greater light on the Word, and different from the old theory, and not exactly through the same old channels and leaders,

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and not in exact accord with the numerous holiness books scattered over our land, one-half the holiness people have turned their backs upon it.

The higher you climb, the harder the devil will fight you. The faster you run, the more dust you will raise, the more noise you will make, the more stock you will kill; and still it is wonderfully true, the more passengers you will haul. The other railroad men who cannot make the same schedule time will talk of danger and disaster that must overtake those who patronize the lightning express, and thus help advertise to the world that there is a lightning express—and thus keep her cars packed. Yet the slow-scheduled trains get a great many passengers. Some people like to ride all day for a dollar, even though they pay regular car fare.

I believe in progressive theology, in aggressive effort, in agitation, in conflict, in conquest, and ill crowns. There can be no movement without friction, no battle without issue, no issue without the drawing of lines. The devil has rights in this world, but they are the rights of conquest; and only by that right does he hold it, and never will he surrender an inch of his ground until it is covered with blood. The lines have never been drawn at any time that those who were loyal to God did not take a stand for truth and right; and God fought with them, and through Him they did valiantly, for He himself said: “One can chase a thousand, and two can put ten thousand to flight.”

The greatest triumphs of the cross ever witnessed by man have been when the roar of cannon and the rattle of musketry and smoke of guns almost drowned the voice of God and hid His face; and yet when the din and smoke of battle blew away, we saw that God was with us and the angels had pitched their tents about us. The Scriptures have much to say of warfare, and we sing of “soldiers of the cross.” We are truly in a warfare now, and while victory means crowns and palms and harps, it also means scars and hardships, but the command is “Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto

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the saints,” “Fight the good fight of faith,” and “Lay hold on eternal life.”

The apostles had a great fight in preaching Jesus and putting forth the plan of salvation. Then came the long drought of the Middle Ages, during which the whole truth was lost sight of. A few centuries ago God raised up Martin Luther to lay the foundation of the gospel which is justification by faith; and you remember what a revolution it produced, and how he was opposed in preaching this wonderful truth. How he did stir Europe and shake the world! Why so? Because he brought new light on God’s truth, and God’s Spirit was behind it.

After this truth was accepted, God raised up John Wesley to turn on more light by presenting the great doctrine of entire sanctification by faith. He, like Luther, was opposed, but the world received another great shaking, the Holy Spirit confirming the truth proclaimed in signs and wonders.

Then came the truths of Divine healing and the pre-millennial coming of the Lord. Each of these were fought by the powers of darkness. Now since the truths of justification, sanctification, Divine healing, and the pre-millennial coming of the Lord have been accepted by many, God is turning on more light, and the fight is now on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the evidence of Pentecost.

All things are culminating—coming to a head. Shall not the children of God be as wise? Has not God the right to impart new light to His children from time to time as He may choose? General principles remain the same, but there are sovereign principles at work, not so clearly defined even in the Scriptures, though always in harmony with them. We have in mind the fact that since the days of the apostasy of the early church we have been groping our way slowly back to God as faith could grasp the thought, as we could receive the light. Up through the restoration, justification sighted and re-established, though greatly fought at the time. It was fought by the professed church, as is always the case. It seems in general to be her quarrel, a quarrel within herself, her own worst enemy every time. Then sanctification came, another long lost bless-

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ing. Fagots and stones and dogs and howling mobs and criticisms have been the price. The synagogues have always blindly led in this resistance of their own best good.

Now light has come; the latter rain is falling, the command to go forward is upon us. What shall we do? If we have been “satisfied wholly” under the best light we have had, shall that hinder us from receiving greater light and inspiration of God to-day? When a person is first converted, he is '”satisfied wholly” for the time being; but if he means to go all the way with God, as soon as he sees God wants to eradicate the carnal mind he becomes hungry for sanctification and so on from one degree of grace to another. So many are afraid and ashamed to confess that they have been in the dark, and preached in the dark. Oh, brethren, break away from this bondage, limitations of men to God. We must move forward. We are coming back to God, to the theory of the Spirit dispensation. The Bible has been our chart for direction, but by the Spirit it is unfolding, returning to apostolic light. We are drawing out of the woods, objects become clearer as we approach them. Before they were hazy, telescoped. Now we can see them differently and understand.

CHAPTER X.

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.

OUR Lord in talking to His disciples just before His death, insisted upon the necessity of a vital union between Himself and the believer or disciple. The relationship between Christ and His disciples was not to be a mechanical, conditional, temporary, nor an optional union, but was to be as vital as exists between the vine and the branches. Indeed, such is the illustration He uses and by which He also enforces this truth. And so He argues that the branch without the vitality of the vine is dead and no value, except to be burned; but that with this vital life communicated and used, fruit will be borne that will become an evidence of the internal nature in due season; so that the fruit borne by the disciples becomes, not an evidence of a certain degree of grace, but an evidence of their discipleship (John 15: 1-8).

The important truth we wish to consider now is, what if the fruit of the spiritual life which becomes the test of real discipleship? Two results are secured by fruit, viz., nourishment and increase, or food and seed. The natural primary purpose of fruit is the sustenance of the seed, and to maintain and secure the perpetuation and development of the seed in its future life. It is only a secondary purpose that it ever contributes to the sustenance of other life than its own. We do not purpose now to study the nature of the stem, nor the need of the branch, nor to enquire as to its ability to endure the various vicissitudes of climate, weather, storm, frost, heat or drought. We are not even to consider the form of leaf with which it is outwardly adorned. But we come now to enquire after results growing therefrom that perpetuate the spiritual life in the soul and secure its nourishment and growth when the seed having died that it may live again. In other words, we come now to enquire what are the spiritual characteristics

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given to a soul by the Spirit, which will endure the shock of death, and which will form a basis of the eternal glory of the believer.

Of course, we know that richly developed Christian character is the surest means of imparting spiritual nourishment to other souls but let us not mistake the effect for the cause, nor the blessings which flow from fruit bearing for the fruit itself. So let us ever remember that developed Christian graces in the believer, is the fruit of the Spirit and the evidence of discipleship.

Paul says: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Gal. 5: 22, 23). This is not the enumeration of so many kinds of fruit. There are diversities of gifts, but there is only one fruit. These are the different characteristics of the one common result of union with Christ, and so, taken as a whole, constitute the fruit of the Spirit. Every Christian bears this fruit, whatever may be his degree of grace; not simply one or more of the characteristics, but all of them—the fruit of the Spirit—at one and the same time, and at all times.

These characteristics of fruit, while begotten by the Holy Spirit, are developed in the soul, not naturally, but spiritually. Hence there devolves upon the Christian the responsibility to seek their development, using such means as may be granted by the Spirit to make them to abound more and more. Sometimes the development may be dwarfed and imperfect, sometimes the development is hindered, but if we will remove all obstacles and let the Holy Spirit take up His abiding place in our soul, then in greater or less power of development will this fruit be found. It is our Christian duty to see that nothing hinders the growth of these characteristics, since the world so much needs to feel the power of their highest development.

Nor can we fail to recognize the blessed state of that soul in which these characteristics abound. It is the heavenly state. Oh, may we all seek to abound more and more in these graces.

CHAPTER XI.

BABYLON, OR THE CONFUSION OF TONGUES.

IT is wonderful to note how everything in the Bible, every line of truth, every development of error, every phase of natural and church history, has its beginning in the book of Genesis. Here we have the account of the creation of heaven and earth, with all that in them is. The whole world must have been an Eden, while the garden was a select spot for the habitation of the first pair in their innocence. This was a pure, holy, happy, sinless, and unsuffering world. Here we see how sin entered the world; and here we have the first promise of the Redeemer. In Genesis we see how step by step man wandered farther and farther away from God; in Revelation we see all things brought back to God and renewed. Each step which man has taken away from God has brought a great gulf between him and God; and between man and man, which man has been able to bridge and recross only by the redeeming grace and salvation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

If you will read in Genesis the eleventh chapter, you will find the account of the first organization on earth for the purpose of opposing the church of God. Although man had strayed far away from God, and sin had divided the families of the earth into nations, yet the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. The children of men said, “Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto Heaven and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” This city was called Babel, which, in the language of the time, means The Gate of God; of course, not the God of Noah, for the whole proceeding was in known and intended antagonism to the true God and His will and commands. God came down and there confounded their language, that they could not understand one another’s speech. “So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon

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the face of the earth: and they left off to build the city.” On

account of this confounding of language, the word Babel or

Babylon now means “confusion” or the “city of misunderstand-

ing.”

Great and deep was the gulf that Babylon, or the confusion of languages, excavated between man and man. Rivers can be bridged, oceans can be crossed; but after we are on the other shore, the lines which Babylon drew are still between us and our fellow-man. Grammars and rhetorics may be mastered and dictionaries wore out by study; but after putting all our intellectual powers to the task for a lifetime, man can hope to bridge only a few chasms, and to speak imperfectly only a few dialects.

The question of sin, as far as our relationship to God is concerned, is completely done away at Calvary; but all the effects of sin, as far as the world as a whole is concerned, will never be removed—the chasms will never be completely filled—until the earth is renewed. In the renewed earth, as all vestiges of Babylon will have been destroyed, the whole human race will be of one language. The Saviour, who was promised to the world after its fall into sin, was not only to save His people from farther sin, but the primary purpose of His advent into the world was to undo that which sin had already done. While, as we have said, the question of sin as far as individuals are concerned, was not simply bridged over, but completely done away at Calvary; yet many of the effects of sin, many chasms, will continue until the complete redemption of the earth.

If, after our heart is cleansed from all sin at Calvary, we go on in the grace and power of God, He will bridge and enable us to cross many chasms into which others fall. While the “confusion of language” will never be completely done away until the “restoration of all things,” yet this chasm was bridged at Pentecost. The bridging of Babylon is contained in the promise of Jesus himself: “But ye shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Jesus had just said,

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“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16: 15). What a task! From a human standpoint impossible. The chasms are too many and too great to cross. When can we learn all the different languages? Why, says He, the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you will build bridges from you in Jerusalem unto all Judea, and unto Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Whatever may be his degree of grace, to whatever heights he may have attained, whatever work he may have accomplished for God, that person who receives his Pentecost will cross a bridge over which he has never passed before. That person who has received the gift of tongues has a bridge from him across Babylon to every creature on earth.

Why do men minify the gift of tongues? The other eight special gifts are grand, and are numerated among “the best,” but not one of them will bridge Babylon. Is it a great thing to be able to preach the gospel to every creature with whom we meet? Then the gift of tongues is just that great.

Oft and anon assemble here and there great convocations of scholarly clergymen and high-steeple officials, with tall plug hats, sleek coats, toothpick shoes and golden-headed canes, with long faces and lugubrious countenances and deep sighs, consulting one with another, “How to reach the masses”. They are nineteen centuries behind the times. That problem was solved at Pentecost. Come down from your “lofty pinnacles” and tarry at Jerusalem until you receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, and immediately you can cross over to the other shore, and the masses will reach you.

For centuries we have been trying to preach the gospel in all nations and reach every creature with the glad proclamation of salvation. God has blessed the means used and the efforts put forth as best He could. The progress has been slow. God is now augmenting the spread of the gospel by bridging and enabling His children to cross at once the chasms which they hitherto have had to cross by years of study and practise. I believe as soon as many receive the gifts of the Spirit, persecutions will arise that will scatter us to every

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corner of the earth, and thus the gospel will be preached to every creature.

The manifestation of writing which many are having in these days is, no doubt, a means by which God is going to augment the spread of the gospel among the heathen. Scores of pages are often written in another language with one hand under the power of the Spirit in a short time. The manifestation of singing and instrumental music in foreign dialects and tunes will also, no doubt, be greatly used of God in spreading the gospel.

Thus we see that the great inanity brought between the nations of the earth by the “confusion of tongues” is spanned over, and is spanned over only by Pentecost.

CHAPTER XII.

THE JUDGEMENT.

“FOR the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (I Pet. 4: 17, 18.)

There are some things in the Bible which we may not under-stand; but there are many things which are too plain to be misunderstood. And one among others is the fact that “God hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained” (Acts 17: 31). As to just how, or the circumstances under which this judgment is to take place, however, there is a diversity of opinion, and may be room for discussion.

I used to think of heaven as one great auditorium with a platform on one side, while just before the door was a stand. I thought at the judgment Christ would sit in the door, while upon this platform would be gathered all nations and peoples: an angel would call the roll, beginning with the first man that ever lived, and continuing throughout Adam’s race; each one as His name was called taking his place upon the stand, and, bowing His knee, would give an account of his life to God; the Judge setting the one on His right hand and the other on His left, according as his works had been. Then He would say to those on the right hand, “Come,” and to those en the left, “Depart.” I had this idea of the judgment, not because my heart was not open to the truth, but because to me the truth had never been presented; and I was unable from a mere study of the Word, to get hold of the facts in the case. Later I saw the light, and found that these ideas of the judgment are erroneous. While I may not have given above your exact ideas

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of the judgment, yet the majority of Christians do think of it just about as I did.

An erroneous idea arises from the fact that many misunderstand the purpose of the Resurrection and Translation. They are not something which precedes nor introduces the judgment, but they are a part of the judgment, or better still, they are a result of the judgment already past.

The Word declares “that judgment must begin at the house of God,” and that Christ “is ready to judge the quick and the dead” (I Pet. 4 :5). Now, if words have any meaning, “quick” means quick, and “dead” means dead; “quick” cannot mean dead, neither can “dead” mean quick. Christ is ready to judge the “quick” as quick, i.e., men in this life; He is also ready to judge the “dead” as dead, i.e., men who have passed out of this life. If, as some teach, at the close of this age all the dead are to be resurrected and brought, together with all the quick, upon one common platform to judgment, then Christ is the judge of the quick and not of the dead; and if, as others teach, all the quick are to be “struck dead” and brought, together with all the dead upon one common platform to judgment then He is the judge of the dead, and not of the quick; and so this Scripture, which we have woven into our creeds for centuries, and upon which we base our hope, falls to pieces. But God’s Word must stand; in the face of opposition, contrary to the ideas and theories of men, “One jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matt. 5: 18).

So let us lay down all erroneous theories, and with an open heart ask God to help us to harmonize and understand the Scriptures.

The fact is, the judgment sets in before Jesus comes to catch away His own. In the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew we learn the circumstances under which the Resurrection and Translation will take place. “Then shall two be in the field the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” Luke says, “In that night there shall be two men in one

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bed; the one shall be taken, and the other left” (Ch. 17: 34). These two in the field, at the mill, and in bed are both Christians. They are both occupied alike; but the one is taken, and the other is left. These are caught away, not to be judged, but to receive the rewards of the judgment ready past. How could there be a discrimination without a judgment? Here we see the dividing line has already been drawn—the judgment has already taken place with these two; and as a result of this judgment, the one is taken, and the other is left.

Immediately after the bride is gone, The Great Tribulation will set in, during which many of the “left ones” will go up by companies to join the band in the air (Rev. 6: 9; 7: 9-17; 14: 1,13-16). Just before the close of these awful days we hear a company called to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19: 9). Then Jesus comes down from the Supper, lays hold on the devil, and binds him a thousand years, and casts him into the bottomless pit, and shuts him up, and sets a seal upon him. He then sets up His throne at Jerusalem, and reigns on earth a thousand years, during which time He and His saints are engaged in judging the nations then living on the earth. “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.” After going out and deceiving many Gentiles who have been saved during the millennium, and getting them to believe if they will follow and obey him they can capture the King and take the world for their own, Satan compasses the camp of the saints about and the beloved city: then fire comes down from God out of heaven, and devours him and all his crowd. Then the devil that deceived them is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. From the time of the sounding of the trump of God (I Thes. 4: 16) up till now the saints have been gathering on the right hand of the Judge (Matt. 25:33). Now takes place “the great white throne” judgment, in which John says, “I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in

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the books, according to their work. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20: 12-15). Thus ends the last judgment scene.

“'For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God.”

This day is this Scripture fulfilled among us. The judgment has begun. Where did it begin? At the house of God. Among the elect. It is clearly drawing the line. Many are crying aloud and lamenting the great division that judgment has brought, but still the judgment goes on. “Oh let us get together,” they cry; “how long shall this division continue? Unity is what we need.” But still they continue to declare their position, and beg all of us to step back over on their side of the line. It is a true saying, “Misery loves company.” Shall we recant? or shall we go forward? These are perilous times these are judgment days. Where do you stand? Which side of the line are you on? This line is not a local affair, neither is this division temporarily; but the line is universal, and the result is eternal destiny. Every creature must meet the issue, and each soul must take his stand. No one can remain neutral long; God, men, and devils demand that we take a stand on the one side or the other. You may run from it awhile, but it will tree you before you go far. You are not compelled to take one certain side, but you must take the one side or the other. If the movement is hell-born, thou take issue against it; if it is from God, then fall in line with it. All may hold themselves aloof from this movement that can afford it; all may dabble around the edge and stir snakes and leaves, trying to convey the impression that they are the great leaders and mighty factors of the revival, without the evidence that they have even drank of the fountain themselves, that wish to do so: but as for me, I do not wish to be the fly that sat on the

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axle of a chariot wheel, and said, “What a dust I do raise;” neither could I ever afford to hold my own poor soul from beneath the showering blessings of the latter rain, nor refrain from taking my position in full fellowship with the true promoters of the present movement.

At least every saint on earth must come face to face with the movement. Those who see the light, but wilfully resist it, will likely apostatize. God holds us to a strict account for all light given us. Many, however, who fail to get in the bridehood, will reach the shores of everlasting bliss in other companies. But judgment must begin at us, and if part of the church apostatize, so that scarcely the righteous are saved, where will the sinner and the ungodly appear?

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (for he is faithful that promised); and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses; of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite to the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10: 22-31).

These words carry a terrible word of warning to the soul that knows his duty and will not do it; and to the soul that in the full light of Pentecost, turns by force of will away from

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the blessing which God offers to all. Verse 22 tells us that this Scripture applies to those of us who have our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Therefore let us hold fast the profession of our faith—hold to the ground we have—and press on, since “ye see the day approaching.” Let us not minify the blood of Jesus, wherewith we are sanctified, by counting it an unholy thing, and therefore cannot cleanse from sin, nor let us do despite to the Holy Spirit in any way; “for if we sin wilfully after that we have received a knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” What is meant by adversaries? Those just mentioned, who count the blood wherewith they were sanctified, an unholy thing, and do despite unto the Spirit. Therefore let us draw nigh and tarry until we be endued with power from on high.

God holds both Calvary and Pentecost sacred. He expects men to hold them sacred. The soul that turns under the light of Divine truth away from Calvary or Pentecost turns from God’s final offer of salvation and power, and turns to eternal woe.

To sin against God the Father is grievous enough, since such sin ruined the human race. To sin against the Son of God who gave Himself for us is still greater, as it embodies enmity with deepest ingratitude. But to sin against the Holy Spirit, the Convincer, the Teacher, and the Comforter is greater still, since it not only includes all the others, but adds to them transgression against all truth and light. Let each soul then, whether in the depths of sin, or in the way of life, or whatever may be his degree of grace, learn the enormity of sinning in any way against the Holy Ghost.

“Whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age, neither in the age to come.”

CHAPTER XIII.

THE TEN VIRGINS.

THE parable of the ten virgins recorded in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew has long been a subject of much discussion, and greatly diversified have been the theories drawn from it.

So many are the explanations offered, that he who would honestly enquire after truth hardly knows whom to follow or what to believe. I have carefully studied the parable from childhood for the sole purpose of knowing the truth. I have eagerly and with an open heart read any and all explanations on the subject that I have been able to find, and taken special pains to hear others advance their ideas and thoughts. My heart is still open for information and truth: gladly will I hear you on the subject. By all that I have seen and heard, I have been helped more or less; but still, though greatly diversified have been the explanations, none of them has satisfied me, as has the one which has come to me while praying and waiting before God.

Below I give you the thoughts which are most strikingly impressed on my mind after many years of careful study.

Let us bear in mind that this is a parable. To speak a parable is to draw a spiritual truth from an historical fact. The best way to understand the parables spoken by our Lord, is to first note the facts from which He drew them.

“The details given in this parable of the ten virgins are in full accord with the customs in the East to the present day, and from as important a part of the wedding ceremonies as they did in ancient times. The Jewish custom was for the bridegroom, accompanied by his friends, to go to the house of the bride and carry her with pomp and ceremony to his own home. She was accompanied from her father’s house by her young friends and companions; while others, like the virgins of the parable, at some convenient place met and joined the proces¾

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sion and entered with the rest of the bridal company into the festal hall.

“Marriages in the East always take place at night, and, according to rabbinical authority, when the bride was conducted to her future home ten lamps were carried on the top of staves before the procession. Ten is the number always mentioned by the Jews in connection with public solemnities, it being considered a sacred number. Thus it was a rule that wherever there were ten Jews living in one place there was a congregation, and there a synagogue ought to be built.

“The Jewish lamp consisted of a shallow vessel filled with oil, the wick floating on the oil. . . In the marriage procession these lamps were placed on sticks, and thus converted into torches. In separate vessels oil was carried with which to replenish the lamps.”—M. B. Chapman, D. D.

There is no doubt that Jesus drew this parable from the common Jewish custom of weddings, as we have given in the quotation above. I have found this little sketch of their custom a great help to understand the true import of the parable. Let us study it in this light.

It is clear that whoever the virgins may be, they all go forth to meet the bridegroom, who is no other than Jesus himself. If we lay aside all our former ideas, and come with an open mind and heart to learn the truth, whether it conflict with former views or not, from the custom from which the parable was spoken, together with certain phrases in the parable it clearly appears that none of these virgins s the bride. She is in her chamber dressing for the marriage, when these virgins are leaving their homes and going forth to await, at some point on the road, the coming of the bridegroom. When the bridegroom comes, they that are ready go in with Him to the marriage. But it seems to me that they are only attendants, and not the bride herself. “They went in with Him to the marriage,” but were not married to him themselves. This may be new, but let us go on.

I am convinced that the whole parable is a tribulation scene. In the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew we read: “The dis-

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ciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age?” Here are two questions: When shall the temple be destroyed? (see ver. 1 and 2) and what shall be the sign of His coming at the end of the age? Jesus then proceeds to answer both of them. He shows that the destruction of Jerusalem is a type, a foreshadowing of The Great Tribulation. A few verses in this chapter apply wholly to the former; others, wholly to the latter; while others apply to both. The chapter closes by saying, “Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing. ‘Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.” There is the bride. But if a servant fails to watch, and thus goes back to sin; the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and shall cut him off, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. That is, he will be left to go through The Great Tribulation. The expression “cast into outer darkness” is not here as in Matt. 8: 12, and 25: 30. In the last named verses the weeping, etc., is in “outer darkness’ or hell of which The Great Tribulation is only a type. This evil servant is not “'cast,” but simply “appointed his portion.”

“Then”—after the bride is gone to her chamber—“shall the kingdom of heaven”—not the kingdom of Satan nor of the world nor of darkness—“be likened unto ten virgins.” They were all virgins; virginity means purity. They were all sanctified. If they had had carnality, they would not have been virgins, because sin would have made them unclean. As these virgins were pure, free from sin, they were sanctified, for purity and sanctification are synonymous. “Do you mean to tell me that the sanctified people will not be in the bridehood?” That is what this parable teaches, and I purpose to stick to the Word, though the heavens fall; though it comes in contact with all the man-made creeds in the world.

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no

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flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matt. 24: 21, 22). The Greek word for “elect” is eklektos, which signifies a double outness: therefore the “elect” are the sanctified. We are told, except the Tribulation days should be shortened, there should no one live through them but for the sake of the sanctified—the virgins—those days shall be shortened. How much clearer can words be but, to teach us that the elect will be here during the Tribulation? It is comical to see the modern teachers of sanctification twist this parable to fit their theology. Let us look the Scriptures “square in the face.”

All the virgins have lamps, vessels, oil, and lights. They are alike in every respect except one, viz., the supply of oil. The lamp is the heart, the wick is the mind, the vessel is the body, the oil is the Holy Spirit, the light is the love of God. Every lamp is clean; every light is perfect. The purpose of the light at this particular time is not so much to give light to other souls, but to lighten their own way through the darkness of the Tribulations. We can be a light to ourselves or to others only as our intellectual powers float on the Holy Ghost and the love of God burns in our hearts, and causes to shine forth the Holy Spirit through us. As the oil must impart itself to the fire through the wick, so the Holy Spirit must use our intellectual powers to shine through us. The Holy Spirit dwells in the heart of every sanctified soul, He uses their mental powers; but He dwells in the body of only those who have received the Baptism of the Spirit. Then the difference between the wise and the foolish virgins is, the former have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the latter have not.

The ten virgins are virgins—sanctified—before the bride is called into her chamber; but they fail to obtain the Baptism of the Spirit, hence are among the “left ones.” Finding to their surprise they are left out of the bridehood, and being greatly aroused and alarmed by the fact, immediately they take their lamps and go forth to live for Jesus, determined to be true, and with the hopes of going in with Him to the marriage. Five of them are wise, from the fact that, seeing on account of their

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negligence to receive the Baptism of the Spirit they have missed the bridehood, they now tarry until their vessels are filled with the Holy Spirit, and then go forth to meet the bridegroom. Five of them are foolish, from the fact that, although they see that it is on account of their negligence to receive the Baptism of the Spirit they have missed the bridehood, yet they believe they can go in with Him to the marriage without the Baptism and so they take their lamps, but take no oil in their vessels with their lamps.

The bridegroom tarries; the Tribulations darken; they all slumber and sleep. This refers not to literal sleep, but to a cessation from work. Why do they sleep? It is all they can do. God’s judgments are in the world. No need to work now. “The night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9: 4). If the judgments of God will not touch the hearts of men, nothing can. “And at midnight”—when the Tribulations have reached their climax—“there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.”

If you will study the different companies in the book of Revelation, you will find that our teaching is in exact accord with that book. In the fourth chapter we see the bride and a company of attendants perhaps taken into her chamber, and the saints taking their places as “beasts”—living ones—and “elders.” Both of these companies remain distinct and separate throughout the book. The Great Tribulation sets in, during which several companies go up to join the band around the throne (Rev. 6: 9; 7: 9-17; 14: 1-5, 13-16). When the last vial of wrath is poured out into the air, “There comes a great voice out of the temple of heaven, saying, It is done” (Rev. 16: 17). Just before this Jesus says, ‘Behold, I come as a thief” (ver. 15). In what sense does He come just here as a thief? It is midnight; the Tribulations are reaching their climax; the virgins are slumbering. It is a call to them to awake, watch, and pray. “Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”

“Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.”

“The Jewish hand lamps were quite small, and the supply of oil would not last many hours. Even the lamps used at a festival, which would be larger, needed to be replenished if kept burning long into the night. Hence the ‘trimming’ implied not only the removal of whatever had gathered around and was clogging the wick, but also the pouring in of fresh oil. For the purpose of removing whatever debris had gathered around the wick, a small pointed instrument often hung by a slender chain from the lamp itself.”—Chapman.

How perfectly all this custom fits in this explanation of this parable; and how perfectly this explanation fits in the other Scriptures! This small pointed instrument, not a part of the lamp, but chained to the lamp, and with which debris was removed from the wick, corresponds to the Scriptures, which every virgin should have bound to the heart; and this each virgin should use daily, yea hourly, to remove the unscriptural debris that may clog in the mind while in “slumber and sleep,” or otherwise engaged. When these ten virgins start out through the tribulations to meet the bridegroom, they each make sure to take with them a copy of the Word. No doubt, at intervals they stop and study the Scriptures, and then their lights burn brighter, and then are encouraged to wait on till He comes. But towards midnight they all slumber and sleep. Suddenly they hear the cry, “Behold, I come as a thief.” They all arise and seize their Bibles; and then they pray. The wise virgins have oi1 in their lamps and in their vessels—they are filled with the Holy Ghost, Spirit, soul, and body. Immediately their lights burn brightly, and as they hear the “Hallelujahs” of the coming bridal party (Rev. 19: 1-6) they begin to sing and shout. The foolish virgins at this crisis see from the Bible that they are unprepared to go in with the bridegroom to the marriage. As they hear the “Hallelujahs” of the coming bridal party, and realize that the time is short, they rush to the wise virgins and say, “Do lay your hands on us that we may receive the Baptism of the Spirit right now.” “For our lamps are burning low.'” The phrase “are gone out” is a mistranslation. But the wise answer, “Not so.” “We have no power to give

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you the Holy Ghost.” “Lest there be not enough for us and you.” “While we are praying with you we may get left ourselves. We must watch and be ready. We cannot afford to be left now. Go tarry for yourselves, until ye be endued with the Holy Ghost from on high.” And while they are gone to tarry for the oil, the bridegroom comes; and they that are ready go in with him to the marriage: and the door is shut. “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.” (Rev. 19: 6).

The foolish virgins having neglected to seek the Baptism of the Spirit before the bride was called into her chamber to make herself ready, and after missing the bridehood, having blindly supposed that they could go into the marriage without the Baptism, how at this extreme moment go off to tarry for their Pentecost. They dare not return until they receive Him. After they are baptized, they come and say, “Lord, Lord, open to us.” That is, they will beg God to take them up into the air to the marriage. But the bridegroom answers, “Verily I say unto you, I know you not.” He does not say, “I never knew you, depart from me, ye workers of iniquity,” as He would do if they were sinners (Matt. 7: 23), but simply, “'I know you not.” That is, I do not recognize you as worthy to enter upon the ceremonies of the marriage.

After the marriage is over, John says, “And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the lamb.” (Rev. 19: 9). Doubtless the foolish virgins will get into the marriage supper.

Thus I have given an explanation to the parable of the ten virgins as I see it. Perhaps you disagree with me. But I beg of you an honest, candid consideration of these thoughts before you set them aside. I can find no other explanation of the parable that will explain all its phrases. Every other application breaks down somewhere. In this explanation of the parable, I have not twisted the Scriptures to fit my, former views, but have faced the facts open hearted, and endeavored to learn the truth.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE BRIDE.

THE importance of the subject upon which we now enter cannot be too greatly emphasized. As Abraham sent Eliezer his servant into a distant land to seek a wife for his only son Isaac, so God has sent the Holy Spirit into the world to seek a wife for His only Son Jesus. Who shall be the bride? That it is left to the will and choice of every human soul to-day to become members of the bridehood of Christ is apparent from the Scriptures; though it is just as apparent from them that unless the necessary preparations are made by us we shall in no wise become members of that body. Therefore it should be a question of the highest concern to us, what qualifications are necessary to designate us as the bride of Christ? The general ideas that all are saved are members of the bride, that we are married to Christ in this life, are unscriptural. So diverse are the theories of men on this subject, and so furiously will our position be attacked by the enemy, that we wish to go slow and give a scriptural foundation for each stand we take. May God help us to a proper consideration of this all important subject.

From numerous passages it appears that all saints will not receive the same reward. To one He says, “Have thou authority over ten cities”; to another, “Be thou also over five.” (Luke 19: 17, 19). “Every man in his own order.” “For one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead.” (I Cor. 15: 23, 41, 42). There are seven distinct rewards promised to “overcomers” in the second and third chapters of Revelation. (Chap. 2: ver. 7, 11, 17, 26. Chap. 3: ver. 5, 12, 21). “Thou hast made us unto our God kings and priests.” Other passages will be given as we move on.

The Transfiguration of Christ, which is a type of His second

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coming, if carefully studied, will throw much light on this subject. The persons whom Jesus gathered about Him on this occasion were samples of that company of saints who will be gathered to Him at His second coming. Out of the twelve apostles and the great number of disciples, Jesus selected only three to witness His majesty. Moses comes to represent that class who will be raised from the dead at the coming of the Lord, and Elijah comes to represent that class who will be translated and glorified without passing through death. It is easy to see that Moses and Elijah have a closer relationship to Jesus than the others have. Yet, while Peter, James, and John witness the Transfiguration, the great body of disciples are at the foot of the mountain. From this we see at least three orders of saints—those who are joined to Him, those who witness the scene, and those who are at the foot of the mountain.

“Know ye not, brethren (for I speak to them that know the law), how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress but if her husband be dead, she is free from the law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.” (Rom. 7: 1-4).

The husband here does not represent the law, as some think, for he is under the law and held in bondage to the law; and is what holds the wife under law. He is the “old man,” while the wife is the “new man.” The spiritual mind is in bondage by the law to the carnal mind as long as the carnal mind is there. We can never be the bride of our Lord, nor designated as His bride until the old man is dead, for that would be spiritual adultery. The death of the old man does not marry us to Jesus, nor mark

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us as His bride, but simply liberates us from the bondage of the law, and makes us free to be married to another if we choose. The woman whose husband has died may live single if she chooses. After the death of the old man—after sanctification—the real courtship between Christ and the saint begins. If that saint yields to all the wooings of the spirit, Christ will place upon that one “the seal”—the engagement ring—which is no other than the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. (Eph. I: 13, 14). Just as it is expected that a man should first make love to the maiden whom he loves, so the Son of God begins to court that saint whose heart has been made pure. I say not that the justified man does never feel the love of Christ pulling the love cords of his heart, but the real courtship and the proposals to marriage begin after the old man is dead. The Songs of Solomon is a love letter, in which is portrayed the mutual love of Christ and His bride after the engagement has been made. Just as the maiden is aware of the fact that she is engaged the moment she says yes to her beloved, so we know the moment when we fully decide to become the bride of Christ. Our God is a jealous God. When we consent to become the bride of our Lord, He wants to put upon us His mark, that all who meet us will recognize us as one set apart, “A peculiar people.” (Tit. 2: 14). Many would like to become the bride, but they do not want to wear the ring. They are willing to take the ring, wrap it up in a napkin, put it in their pocket, or keep it in their bosom; but they do not like for it to be visible. “Lord give it to me, but let me look at it only when I am alone, do not let anyone else see it, it will do them no good.” Brother, do you wish to be in the bridehood? Slay the old man, say yes to Christ, receive the seal. Let the world know that you are engaged by the ring you wear. “Oh, yes, I have the seal, but I just testify and let the people know I am engaged.” Suppose I should bring you a certain document upon the safety of which year life depended. On looking over the instrument you failed to see the Governor’s seal and anxiously inquire why it has been neglected. I will tell you that the seal is there, but it is invisible. Would this satisfy you? But so many think they have the seal of the spirit, when they have no visible evidence.

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My brother, the call of God to become the bride of His Son is the highest honor ever conferred upon us. Will you treat the invitation with indifference? or think that it is a small thing to be the bride of Christ? Do you consider it but a child’s play to prepare yourself for that occasion? Mere profession or church membership will not prepare you for the marriage. Neither pardon nor cleansing will designate you as the bride. You must “be filled with all the fullness of God,” which is nothing short of the full Baptism of Pentecost.

Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.” (Isa. 26: 20). When the trump of God shall sound the bride shall be caught away into her chamber. Perhaps many of her maidens will go with her. “There are three score queens, and four score concubines, and virgins without number. My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice of the one that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and concubines, and they praised her.” (Cant. 6: 8, 9). At last when the marriage of the Lamb is come the annunciation is, “His wife hath made herself ready.” (Rev. 19: 7). This refers not so much to the preparation of this life, justification, sanctification, Baptism of the Spirit, etc. But the allusion seems rather to be to something of the same sort with the putting on of the wedding garment, of which so much is made in the parable of the marriage of the King’s son. (Matt. 22: 1-14). Thus it is said in Isaiah 61: 10: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” Who knows into what grand activities the saints of God are ushered when their mortality is swallowed up of life? or with what preparations they may then be called to busy themselves for the sublime events and ceremonies that be before them in their installment into the relations and dignities of their

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everlasting estate? After the bride is fully dressed and adorned, she is carried forth to the marriage.

“The forty-fifth Psalm unmistakably refers to this subject. The qualities and doings of the King come forth from the ivory palaces, are there described with great vigor and animation. But there is also the Queen, the King’s bride standing on his right hand, in gold of Ophir, and all glorious within. It is said of her that ‘she shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework.’ But, besides the Queen the King’s bride, there is another blessed company, who are also to enter with rejoicing into the King’s palace, and to share the light of his countenance. They are called ‘the virgins,’ the ‘companions,’ associates, and bosom friends of the Queen, but plainly distinct from the Queen herself. They do not go with her when she is taken, but ‘follow her,’—come after her—and are ‘brought unto the King’ at a subsequent time, and in quite another capacity from that of the Queen and Bride. All of them belong to the general congregation of the saved. All of them are made forever happy in their Lord, the King. But the Queen is one class, and ‘the virgins her companions that follow her,’ are another class”

— Seiss.

Just at this point the bridal procession is joined by the five wise virgins. There are great diversities in the portions awarded to the saints. There are some greatest and some least in the kingdom of Heaven: some who shall be first and some who shall be last, some who get crowns and some who get none. (Rev. 4: 4 and 7: 9-17).

“Besides, princesses and queens, above all on occasions of their marriage, always have their associates, companions, maids of honor, attendants, suites, and friends, who, in a general way, are counted with them as making one and the same company, but who in fact are very distinct in honor and privilege from those on whom they find it their happiness to attend. Just as the Bridegroom comes not alone, but with attendants, companions, and a long train of rejoicing ones who make up his party, the whole of them together are called the Bridegroom’s coming, whilst, strictly speaking, there is a wide difference between him

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and those with him; so it is on the side of the Bride. She has her companions and attendants too—‘virgins which follow her.’ They make up her company and train. In coming to wed her the Bridegroom comes also into near and close relation to them. To a blessed degree they share the Bride’s honors. And in general terms we must include them when we speak of the Bride, although, in strict language, they are not all the Bride. The Bride has relations to the Bridegroom which belong to her alone, and it is only because of her and their association and companionship with her, and not because they are the Bride in actual fact, that the whole company of the saved Church of God is contemplated as the Lamb’s wife.”—Dr. Seiss.

But where does the marriage occur? An answer to this is nowhere given. Perhaps it will take place in the New Jerusalem, which Jesus has gone to prepare for His people. We have not space just here to speak of this city. Read for yourself in Revelation 21^st chapter. “He measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs (1500 miles). The length and the breath and the height of it are equal.” If possible read Dr. Seiss’s lectures on the New Jerusalem. We give you the benefit of a short sketch from him.

“It is a new city, one which never appeared before, one of which all other cities are but the poor preintimations, and one as compared with which all present cities will sing out of mind and memory. It is new in its materials, in its size, in its location, in its style, in its permanence, in its moral purity, and in everything characteristic of it. It is heaven-built; jewelled in its foundations, walls, and streets; perfected in everything that is charming and beautiful, ‘as a bride adorned for her husband;’ lighting the nations with its brilliancy, its self ever luminous with the glory of God and the Lamb; the true ‘Eternal City’—the imperishable palace of the immortal king’s of the ages.”

Perhaps it is within this clean, and pure, and holy city that the marriage of the Lamb takes place. Just what the marriage includes we do not know; we are nowhere told. John, when in the spirit did not see the marriage, neither was it explained

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to him. He only heard the heavenly rejoicing that the time for it had come, and that the bride had made herself ready. “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.” (Rev. 19: 8). When we would give you an outline of the picture which presents itself to us while reading such Scripture as this, our vocabulary fails us and we have to give up in despair. Read, meditate, and think for yourself.

“Eye hath not seen, nor heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (I Cor. 2: 9). Many people think this refers to sanctification; others, to the Baptism of the Spirit. I can see in it no reference to either. I believe it refers more to the subject now under consideration, together with many subsequent heavenly scenes. Listen at the next verse: “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” Would you learn something of the marriage? Get your Pentecost, and listen to the Spirit talk. The Lord has enabled me to understand many things said by others under the power of the Spirit, that I have been unable to put into English. (See I Cor. 2: 13).

“After the bride has been called into her chamber for the purpose of making herself ready, together with whatever attendants may or may not go in with her at that time, after many others have gone up out of The Great Tribulation to enter into her chamber, after the bridal party has been joined by the virgins, and all have gone into the marriage, and the great and long anticipated matrimonial ceremony has taken place, the outer then is to enter into the banqueting hall. Contrary to the Scriptures and all congruity many take the marriage and the marriage supper as one and the same. Marriage is the establishment of relationship and status; a marriage supper is the refreshment, the eating, and drinking, and general social joy on the part of those attending it. After the marriage, the bride and groom upon invitations step into the festival hall, the groom takes his place at the head of the table, at his right stands his newly-wedded bride. She is dressed in the gold

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of Ophir, and raiment of needle-work. “As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love” (Cant. 2: 3-5). Then there goes out the last invitation to this supper that man shall ever receive: “Blessed are they which are called into the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19: 9). So after the King and Queen have taken their places, then comes those guests who were at the marriage, together with a great number of saints out of their graves and those coming up out of The Great Tribulation. I believe all saints of all ages, of all lands, of all languages, will be present on this occasion. Everywhere in the Scriptures do we read of this feast. It is the first grand celebration in which every saint will participate together. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Elijah, Daniel, and every one who has heard of the promised seed of the woman, and believed in Him, and listened to the calls and promises of God, and directed his soul and pilgrim steps for that blest city, shall also be there, whether as bride or guest. It may be that on this occasion “the roll will be called.” Shall you be there? shall I? I want to be there, I expect to be there, I mean to be there, and by the grace of God I shall be there.

After supper, Jesus and the bride and the guests ride down from heaven on white horses. Jesus lays hold on Satan and binds him in the pit. He then sets up his throne in Jerusalem and together with the saints He judges the world, rules and reigns a thousand years. After the millennium all things are made new, the New Jerusalem comes down and hangs over the earth. This city is the home of the Bride, i.e., it is the palace, while the earth renewed will be her kingdom forever. “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5: 5). “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth” (Rev. 5: 10).

CHAPTER XV.

THEIR UNITED CRY.

“THE Spirit and the bride say, Come” (Rev. 22: 17).

In this book we have endeavored to study from a Scriptural standpoint the relation existing between the Spirit and the Bride. We have noticed such operations of the Spirit in the heart as are necessary to designate us as the Bride of Christ. We have called special attention to the fact that each operation is attended by a Scriptural manifestation. We have seen that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost is the seal, the grand climax of the operations of the Spirit, so far as concerns our personal salvation; and that it is by this we are marked as the Bride of our Lord. We have seen that there is such an inseparable, unmistakable Scriptural manifestation of “the seal” that no honest heart can be deceived long. That it is true, that all who receive the Baptism speak with tongues, the Bible nowhere denies; that there is a difference between “a gift” and “the manifestation” the Scriptures make clear. The Bible nowhere commands a person to quench the Spirit. It would be impossible to quench the Spirit more than to stop Him from speaking through a person when He himself is giving the utterance. Not one time can we find in the Bible that any other manifestation ever followed Pentecost as an evidence of the Baptism, but we do read where the manifestation of tongues convinced others of the fact that those having such a manifestation had received their Pentecost (Acts 10: 44-46). Those who came with Peter to the house of Cornelius were astonished, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. How did they know that Cornelius and his household had received the Holy Ghost? “Because they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.” This company certainly took the manifestation of tongues as the evidence of Pentecost. If they had been mistaken, Peter would have corrected them. We

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search in vain for one other manifestation that convinced anyone that the Holy Ghost had been given. We have also seen from the Bible that the gifts of the Spirit are added after the Baptism. Many claim them, but they fall far short of the Scriptural standard. We have seen that talents and pounds are not gifts and that gifts are not fruit. We have noticed how God is pouring out His Spirit to-day all over the world, and that He is selecting for His Son a bride from among the elect. We see that Christ will not take as His bride those who are married to another. The “old man” must be slain, and then there must be a decision on our part, before we receive the seal that marks us as the Bride.

Jesus held before His disciples continually the importance of one promised blessing. He taught them to pray for it, to look for its fulfillment, to realize their need of it. That promise was the coming and abiding presence of the Holy Ghost. The relationship of the Spirit and the Bride is sacred, holy, and permanent. The Master uses the strongest of terms—forever abides, dwells in you. These words evidently conveyed to the minds of those hearing them that it was a blessing never before enjoyed and one that could only be bestowed subsequent to the Master’s earthly life. As John was the forerunner of Jesus, so Jesus was the forerunner of the Holy Ghost. As John prepared his disciples for Jesus, so Jesus prepared his disciples for the Holy Ghost. No wonder then that John and the apostles came to look to this blessing as one of the most important to come as a result of our Lord's life and work. No wonder that our Saviour understanding better than they the need of this blessing, should continually seek to impress upon them this blessing, for which they were to pray and wait, even while the world was perishing.

The Baptism of the Holy Ghost establishes a permanent relationship between the Spirit and Bride. The same Spirit that dwells in the body of Christ comes and dwells in our body. It is thus that we become bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. We are united by the same Spirit; we are one. Sanctification makes us one in Him; the Baptism of the Spirit makes us one.

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with Him. “For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Eph. 5: 30-32).

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.” I am sure that the common explanation of this text is far from being correct. It is generally thought that this united cry of the Spirit and the Bride is an invitation to others to come to Christ for salvation. I do not so understand it. The whole Apocalypse points to the second coming of Christ. With the promise of the Comforter, Christ said, “He will guide you into all truth; and He will show you things to come” (John 16: 13). The Spirit is ever active and operative in and through the Bride. And in all these gracious operations there is a direct and constant reference to the things to come, to make them known, and to nurture faith in them. In all these operations therefore there is a constant looking and yearning for the fulfillment of what is thus to come. Jesus says, “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Rev. 22: 12). No wonder then that there is an unceasing calling of the Spirit and the Bride to the bright and morning star to come, as promised and foreshown—to consummate the great work by that Apocalypse to which all prophecy, all faith, all hope, and all the operative graces of the Spirit have reference. It is the very spirit, soul, and aim of divine grace to bring the great consummation which comes along through the coming of Christ: Therefore this united cry of the Spirit and the Bride is an unceasing call for the coming of the Bridegroom.

All the great epochs of divine providence and manifestations in this world have been preceded by great prayer. Just before the flood, before the destruction of Sodom and Gormorrah, before Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, before the return of the Babylonian captivity, and before the birth of Jesus, in all these cases we see examples of this truth. And so it would seem that just previous to the coming of the Lord all

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holy saints in heaven and earth will be drawn out in vehement intercessions and longings for Christ’s appearing.

The following is from Dr. G. D. Watson:

“What an era of prayer that will be when the martyred saints of all ages, in heaven are uttering one prayer, and all the blood washed hearts of earth are uttering the same prayer, when millions and millions of those who love Jesus in heaven and earth are pleading for His coming, when the very throne of God the Father is encircled with golden cords of prayer, as if to pull heaven down to earth, and, so far as we know, the myriads of sympathetic angels may be saying one grand Amen to those united prayers of all the saints; it will be in such an hour as this that the silence of the sky shall be broken with the piercing, penetrating cry, ‘Behold the Bridegroom cometh.’”

Can you say, “EVEN SO, COME, LORD JESUS”?

APPENDIX.

HOW TO OBTAIN AND RETAIN THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST.

AFTER having made a careful study of the operations, manifestation, gifts, and fruit of the Hoy Spirit in His relation to the bride, after having presented the Scriptural qualifications essential to designate us as the bride and admit us into the Divine matrimonial relation and make us a joint-heir with Jesus Christ, the author feels that this book will be incomplete without a chapter giving instruction as to how to receive and retain the Baptism of the Spirit. While throughout the book, he has endeavored to keep before the mind of the reader the unmistakable fact that heart purity must precede the Baptism, yet no specific instruction as to how to receive has been given. When the author drew the outline for this work he expected this chapter to he written by a dear friend, who is far more capable of instructing souls into the experience than I; therefore this part of the work was omitted; but after the manuscript has been prepared, the present obligation seems to fall upon the author also; therefore he joyfully submits the following appendix, trusting that some hungry soul will read and thereby be helped to enter the blessed experience of which this book has so much to say, and be so established on the Word that all the powers of hell shall not be able to move him.

You Must Be Straight in the Scriptures. I believe the man who builds upon the sand (Matt. 7: 26, 27) is he who has a desire to live right, who tries to work for God, but failing to go the Bible way, his structure is built upon the sand, and so when the storms of life assail, his building goes down, and great is the fall of it. How many cases of this kind we have seen! The greatest trials the church has had since the early centuries are still in the future perhaps, and the people need to go into the present revival the Bible way, and then they will obtain an experience that will stand the storms. Unless we go

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the Bible way we shall never obtain the real Baptism of the Holy Ghost. In order to go the Bible way we must be straight in the primary doctrines of the Bible. There are so many theories contrary to the plan of salvation! Before we can obtain the Baptism of the Spirit we must be willing to lay aside any erroneous theory, no matter how long we have believed or preached it. I do not here refer to church ordinances, or doctrines of non-essentials, but to the cardinal doctrines of salvation and the Christian’s hope; such as, justification by faith, entire sanctification subsequent to justification, Divine healing, resurrection of the dead, second coming of Christ, evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, etc. I do not mean to say that a man must understand all these, but he must have a heart open to accept any of these Bible truths when they are presented. The Holy Ghost will never come in till every door and window of the soul is open to the truth. A person may receive the Baptism with an erroneous idea concerning the truth mentioned above, but he will never receive his Pentecost while he is fighting the truth. God does not require us to understand a thing upon which we have no light, but when the light is given, He does require us to walk in it. I obtained my Pentecost before I had ever noticed that any one taught that speaking with tongues was the evidence of the Baptism of the Spirit. I thought we had to have the Baptism before we were ready for Pentecost. God soon turned on the light, and I walked in it; otherwise I should have backslid. I am personally acquainted with some who had a manifestation of tongues before they learned of the question now before the people. When this question arose among us, they took a stand on the negative, and now they are fighting the revival. God will never give us the Baptism until we surrender our ideas and let Him teach us.

You Must Be Right with God. To be straight in the Scriptures is not enough. A person may have no theory and be open to the truth, or he may be entirely straight on the Bible, and yet he may be altogether unprepared for Pentecost. You must have a straight life. You must start at repentance, and after

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you are clearly converted you must consecrate and be sanctified. You must be wholly sanctified. There are a great many people who have been claiming to be sanctified who are not. Masonic, tobacco-chewing, easy-going preachers and laymen can claim to be sanctified for years, but Pentecost is not so easy claimed. Most of such preachers fight this movement. You must get everything out of your life that is opposed to God before you are prepared to seek Pentecost. It is possible for you to work up a manifestation yourself that will very much resemble the manifestation of tongues, or the devil may give you a manifestation while your heart is impure; but you will never receive the real baptism until you are entirely cleansed from all sin.

There Is a Death Subsequent to the Death of the “Old Man.” The question of death as connected with the Christian life is a great subject indeed. I am unable to say just when or into what degree of grace a person enters before he is finally dead. There is a death prior to justification, and another death before sanctification. The sin question is done away altogether at sanctification. After all roots of bitterness are gone, there remains a self life. Just what it is, I am unable to say; but I have yet to meet the first person who manifested entire freedom from it. Sometimes I think that it must be humanity in its fallen state. We see some in every degree of grace who manifest more of the self life than others, but each one must pass through a certain death to self before obtaining the Baptism of the Spirit. Please bear in mind that this is not a death unto sin, for sin must be put away at Calvary, but a death unto self. Someone may say, “When we are dead, we cannot become more dead.” And so it is with regard to sin, but there are so many phases of the self life, that I am persuaded we must continue to pass through death after death. I know that I can never prevail with God in prayer until I pass through a death. There is a death through which we must pass in order to obtain the Baptism. As to its nature, we shall see as we pass on.

You Must Carefully Count the Cost. Your obtaining the

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Baptism of the Holy Ghost will not make the world think any more of you. You must give up all hopes of ever being called great in the holiness movement, or ever becoming a leader in the same. This movement has no human leader, and it needs none. Here is the place where many hang up. Still we must be entirely willing to go anywhere to testify of Jesus. Your obtaining the Baptism may mean for you to go to some place and preach Jesus, but never be heard of by many. It may mean for you to be forsaken by the holiness people, imprisoned by the authorities, and finally carried to the block. Have you carefully counted the cost?

You Must Look to Jesus Alone. You must take your eyes off your circumstances and surroundings, and forget the things that are going on about you. This can be done only through prayer and looking to Jesus by faith. You must not depend upon others to take you through, but look to Jesus only. Pray until your intellect is lost in God. When you begin to move along this line, you will find yourself entering a death through which you never passed before. Keep looking to Jesus, He will carry you through.

You Must Praise Him. After meeting all other requirements, you must offer praises to God. If you are actually justified, sanctified, straight on the Scriptures, having passed through a real death to self, having carefully counted the cost, with an eye fixed on Jesus, trusting only in Him, there springs up in your soul wells of joy. If there is no joy, there is trouble somewhere. A very small item will stop the joy. Ask God to search you out again. Be careful, however, to let God search you, and not the devil. You must pray until you can hear only the voice of God. You must not listen to suggestions from the devil. Surely, the witness that you are accepted of God will cause the joy to bubble up in your soul. When it begins to rise, you give vent to praises. It may even then be a task to praise God aloud, but we must offer the sacrifice of praise (Heb. 13: 15). Offer the praises continually. Avoid formality of any kind, but continue to praise. Never draw back, but accept any manifestation He may offer you. At this

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point many miss the Baptism. Never choose the language; let the Spirit attend to that part. The Spirit may offer one word to you; it may not have the sound of Greek or Latin, therefore you draw back; this grieves Him. Accept His manifestation. Continue to praise.

If these directions be followed, the soul will now realize itself sinking deep into God. Circumstances and surroundings will be forgotten, and the soul shut in with God will be able to trust Him for the baptism. Never hold up until the Spirit has manifested Himself with your tongue. He will testify when He comes. He always comes through praises, but praises is the very last step.

Having glanced at the requisites for obtaining the experience, we come now to consider what is comprehended by the real Baptism of the Holy Ghost.

“For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, this is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear” (Isa. 28: 11, 12). It is easy to see that this Scripture connects with the words of Jesus in John 7: 37-39: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” This (stammering lips and anther tongue) is the rest and the refreshing.” (“But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.”) The first evidence of the Baptism is the manifestation of tongues. This may or may not be accompanied by emotions. When a person reaches great joy, then opens his heart and mouth and lets it flow out in praises to God, the joy as it flows washes the channel wider and wider, and as the channel enlarges, God will keep it filled by a continual increase of living water,” which is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. “Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it” (Ps. 81:10). This stream is a perpetual flow. Not necessarily a flow of

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shouts and emotions, but a flow of the personal Holy Ghost. The stream seems to flow into the soul no longer, but the soul seems to contain the fountain head, and the rivers flow out in every direction. Glory! He is overflowing my soul now! Praise Him! There may be times of greater emotions than at others, but emotions do not affect the flow. Thank God!

As the Holy Ghost flows out of our innermost being in rivers, He may flow directly from the spirit, from the mind, or from the body. He sometimes flows through the arm, and manifests Himself by writing in another tongue. But this must not be confounded with the manifestation of tongues, which is the evidence of Pentecost. Oh, thank God! It is blessed.

The first time the soul stops to think after the Baptism has been received, it will find itself let down into God to a depth never realized before. Don’t get the idea that you never have another trial, for the soul being now better prepared to fight, will have greater battles than ever before. Thank God for the honor! As you fight, you can count it all joy. Each battle will carry you deeper than before.

This is the real Baptism. Have you received Him? If you have, then listen to a few words of advice from your unworthy writer.

Never listen to the devil. He will try to make you doubt your Baptism. It may be that some who receive the Baptism will never have the manifestation of tongues any more. The manifestation of tongues is sure to come with the Baptism, but it may never occur again. Jesus says when the Comforter comes, He shall testify, and then He will abide forever. He testifies to the fact that He has come in, and then we have the words of Jesus that He will abide forever. Don’t let the devil trouble you here. He will abide if we always follow Him.

The Greek expression translated, “to another divers kinds of tongues” (I Cor. 12: 10) is, “hetero gene glosson,” which literally means, “to another offsprings or nations of languages.” The word “gene” is the same word that is used in the verb form so many times in the first chapter of Matthew, and there translated “begat.” Just as the male and female are brought to-