May Paul's prayer for Timothy be answered in you: "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things (II. Tim., 2:7)."

"Let there be light:" God's purpose is an eternal purpose, involving all men, and all ages of the world, and underlying it are principles fixed, stable and eternal. First, His purpose was, and is, to bring all things into unity: "That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him (Eph., 1: 10)." Second, His purpose was and is to inake known through the church the manifold wisdom of God: "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Eph., 3:8-11).”

The object of the revelation addressed to the human understanding is manifold: To bring the mind, heart, and conscience of the world in touch with God as revealed in Christ; to deliver men from sin, its guilt, dominion, and consequences by the knowledge thus communicated, to establish, extend, and perpetuate a kingdom founded upon the knowledge of the Divine Being, which shall be the instrument in the hand of God in filling the whole world with the knowledge of His Person and His Will.

This revelation is complete in all its details and wisely adapted to the end the Divine Mind had in view, and the power of the Holy Spirit is in it inherently.

Moses is dead, but his words -- the words of the Holy Spirit still live, yea, and will live.

The prophets are dead, but their words the words of the Holy Spirit still live, yea, and will live.

Jesus is dead, yea, risen and exalted, and His wordsthe words of the Holy Spirit - still live!

The apostles are dead, but their words the words of the Holy Spirit - still live, and will live forever.

All the Divinely inspired instruments are dead, but the Spirit of God fully spoke His Mind through them while they lived, and therefore the Holy Spirit still speaks speaks the truth, as it appears in the records.

The Holy Spirit came into the world to abide perpetually; said Jesus to the apostles: "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever (Jno., 14:16)." He still works, speaks, testifies. His resources are infinite, but He told all He had to tell in this dispensation to and through the apostles. To them Jesus said: "Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matt., 18: 18)." To them He said: "Go * * * and lo, I am with you alway, even to the end (Matt., 28: 16-20)." To them He said: "I have chosen you and ordained you * * that your fruit should remain (Jno., 15: 16)." Again, and this shows that believers were to be made during the lives of the apostles, and through all the ages through their word-message: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word (Jno., 19:17-20).” Thus I have believed and do believe!

*

There is, there can be, but one conclusion: The Holy Spirit used the apostles while they lived, speaking and working through them His final and complete revelation to the world present day agencies are numerous and effective — whoever through the printed page or by the living voice brings the truth of God in contact with the human mind makes it possible for the Holy Spirit to work; yea, makes it impossible for the Holy Spirit not to work!

Here is a grain of wheat small, unpromising, insignificant. Look at it closely. It has life in it, but you can not see the life, and no human eye can see it until it is

planted and begins to grow. Look closer; marvel of marvel, wonder of wonders, it not only has life but it has in it the power to transmit and perpetuate life. This little grain required the infinite resources of Jehovah Himself in its creation; how the angels of God must have watched to see the first grain of wheat come up! Look again; it is apparently dead, but plant it and lo! the life within it lifts many times its weight in coming through the soil that covered it, and even gravitation itself can not hold it down. Now that God has made the grain and put life into it, any one can plant it; even the birds of the air can plant it; and once planted it must grow God has so ordered it! Here is “a kingdom-seed "the word of God. It too seems insignificant. Examine it with care. It seems dead. It has life in it, but your eye can not penetrate to its heart, but the Might, the Power, the Personality, of the Holy Spirit is behind it, in it; plant it! It has life in it! It has in it four thousand years of Divine history. Jehovah, Angels, Men, Prophets, Son of God, Apostles, have watched its growth. The Infinite One has put Himself in its very heart; He has attested this by mighty "wonders, miracles, and signs," but it is seed now, life and power to give life are in it, and any one saint, sinner, demon may plant it! Planted, it will grow it must grow. It can, like the Author of it, lift a world and do it in the face of demons and men. Amen, let it be planted, let it grow!

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Hear Paul: Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will. The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my bonds: but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether of pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice (Phil., 1: 15-18).”

The Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of the Holy Spirit: "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit; for

he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men (Rom., 14:17, 18).”

The Holy Spirit uses the same old truth. We can not influence His action without sowing His "seed;" when the "seed" is sown no power can keep Him from working. We can, as present day agencies, inspired only by truth which has in it the Holy Spirit, influence His action, by preaching, by teaching, through the printed page or in any other way that will make the truth apparent to the understanding of

men.

No theory of the Holy Spirit's work in conversion or transformation that eliminates the fact that God has spoken, that His words are on record, that He has already told us, specifically and in detail, what we must do to be saved, that this plan of salvation revealed and recorded is recognized and ratified in heaven, and that the Holy Spirit, living, tireless, persistent, uses the truth already revealed in carrying forward the conquest of the world, can be true.

CHAPTER IX.

The Holy Spirit in Conversion--Method and Means. The whole subject of Divine revelation - the ministration and work of the Holy Spirit through the ages may be summed up in the statement that it is the Divine effort in co-operation with human effort to bring the Divine Mind and the human mind understandingly together. God has spoken, God speaks in order that men may know His will and do it.

No theory of the Holy Spirit in conversion that eliminates the Divine Mind and the human mind as the active agencies, can possibly be true.

Revelation from the beginning has involved as a means of communication between the Divine Mind and the human mind, language, which man is able to comprehend.

No theory of the work of the Holy Spirit in conversion that eliminates language as a medium of communication between the Divine Mind and the human mind, can possibly be true.

Revelation through all the ages to its close, at the death of the last apostle, has invariably involved human beings as the medium of communication between the Divine Mind and the human mind.

No theory of the work of the Holy Spirit in conversion that eliminates human beings as God's agents for the publication of the good news, can possibly be true.

Revelation in all the ages, through Moses and the prophets, through Jesus and the apostles, has proceeded upon the fact of man's ability and accountability-ability to understand, believe and obey, and accountability to God for failure.