The relation of Jesus the Pre-eminent One, the Supreme One, the All-glorious One, in the dispensation of grace to the Holy Spirit, can only be safely explained in inspired language.

Jesus is the word- -the Word- - and He was present at creation when the Holy Spirit brooded over primeval waters and garnished the heavens: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth; and the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters; and God said, Let there be light: and there was light (Gen., I: 1-3)." Again: "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him and he is before all things, and by him all things consist (Col., 1: 16, 17)."

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When the Holy Spirit unfolded the will of God through the prophetic ages, He- the word-was also there: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation; for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (II. Pet., I: 20, 21)." Again: "The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy (Rev., 19: 10)."

The Holy Spirit came to Him upon Him in visible bodily form: "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matt., 3: 16, 17)."

The Holy Spirit came on Him without measure: "For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him (Jno., 3: 34)."

The Holy Spirit was, and is, the instrument of Jesus

in teaching the apostles "all things" and in refreshing their memories as to what He had previously taught them: "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, 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 (Jno., 14: 26)."

The Holy Spirit took the things of Jesus and showed them to the apostles: "If ye love me, keep my commandments; and I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 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; yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also; at that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you(Jno., 14:15-20)."

The coming of the Holy Spirit into the world to convict it of sin was subject to the departure of Jesus: "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 the world is judged (Jno., 16:7-11).”

The coming of the Holy Spirit into the world was subject to the glorification of Jesus: "In the last day, the 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 Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified) (Jno., 7: 37-39)."

The coming of the Holy Spirit into the world was subject to the prayer of Jesus: "If ye love me, keep my commandments; and I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever (Jno., 14: 15, 16);" and the power of Jesus: "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses; therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear (Acts, 2:32, 33)."

Jesus gave His apostles His- their! - world-wide Commission through the Holy Spirit: "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Spirit had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen (Acts, I: 1, 2).”

By the Holy Spirit in the truth, and by the truth, He makes known the deep things of the Almighty to men: "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God (I. Cor., 2: 10)."

Through the Holy Spirit's presence and power He keeps His words the apostles' words -- alive, and will so keep them to the end: "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life (Jno., 6:63).”

CHAPTER XII.

The Holy Spirit and the Great Commission. Beginning with the introduction of Jesus the Christ to the world, to Israel particularly, and extending through His entire ministry, even the superficial student must see that both His life and teaching were gradually and certainly ascending to a glorious climax. Much of His teaching was prophetic. Take two of the most important examples: First, the establishment of His church; in acknowledgement of Peter's Good Confession He said: "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church;"- this was certainly in the future" and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matt., 16: 13-19)." Second, the introduction of the gospel to and the bringing in of the Gentiles: "And other sheep have I which are not of this fold; them also I must bring,”- future work" and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold," still future" and

one shepherd (Jno., 10: 16)."

Why it was so we can not fully comprehend, but it is a fact that God had so fixed it that the gospel could not be world-wide in its application and all-embracing as to the human family until the Law of Moses, the middle wall of separation set up by the Almighty Himself, should be removed, and according to God's eternal purpose it could only be done by the death of His Son on the Cross. As fully proving this I introduce the testimony of Paul: "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 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 that 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)." Again: "Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ, for he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby (Eph., 2:11-16)." Again: "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross (Col., 2: 13, 14)."

The resurrection of Jesus was a profound necessity both intellectual and spiritual. He claimed to have power to forgive sin (Mark, 2:1-12)." Nothing short of the resurrection from the dead could establish, and command the faith of men, such a claim as this. If he lived and died and perished He can not forgive sin or in any way influence the mind of God. If he arose He has the power to do all He promised to do.

Life, death, resurrection from the dead; these were the