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of God." (Exod. viii. 19.) All that I would avow to the world is, that God's government is a spiritual one; His nature is a spiritual one; "God is a Spirit ;" and by that "finger" He wrote the Bible. That Spirit remains in it.

Perhaps we can have no greater proof of this, than that John the Baptist, the first representative of the spiritual Theocracy, was prophesied of. (Isa. xl. 3.) The new covenant writers were prophesied of. (Ezek. ix. 2; Zech. i. 20, 21, vi. 1, 3, 5.) "These are the spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of the whole earth." (Verse 5.) Did I say, we can have no greater proof than these?" He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself."

But this brings me to glance for a moment at the Inspiration of the New Testament writings. The writings of the four Evangelists are rooted in the words of Christ, and they were of the indwelling Father: "The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself. Believe me that I am in the

Father, and the Father in me."

And His remarkable words

set the subject of the vitality of Revelation at rest for ever, "The words that I speak unto you are spirit, and they are life." And hence came the sacred volume of the New Testament. "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." And when Peter confessed Christ, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed

art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." So that we see the very Spirit of truth and of revelation dwelt in him. And Christ said that same Spirit of truth who inspired, was to abide with us for ever to teach, but that the world could not receive Him.

After His resurrection, "He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost." So, whichever way we turn, however we reason, we find that the nature of God is in Revelation, presented to us as the ethereous air we breathe; it is a volume of life, unique in its spirituality, in its life-giving power. We may read other books, and catch the mind and spirit of the writer. Some will profit, some will defile. "The Spirit of truth" alone can inspire within us the nature of God -holiness, light, wisdom, fear, love, knowledge, a sanctified conscience, God. St. Peter understood this truth, and thus it was that he was able to unfold it to us so lucidly. "Grace and wisdom be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature."

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101

CHAPTER V.

THE SPIRIT OF GOD, THE INTERNAL EVIDENCE OF "THE WORD.”—“ JUSTIFIED IN THE SPIRIT.'

SECONDLY, the nature of God in Revelation is represented to us under the symbol of fire. But I would particularly note here, that I think this symbol almost entirely signifies the prophetic Spirit, and hence the distinction, "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire." (Matt. iii. 11.) "There appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy." (Acts ii. 3, 4, 16, 17.) And so I shall now trace the nature of God in Revelation, as set forth under this symbol,—fire; because Revelation and the day of Pentecost were alike visible manifestations of God, palpable demonstrations of that Invisible Power, God, who is always operating in us, round and about us.

The first time that we read of this prophetic fire is in Gen.

xv. 17, although there can be no doubt that God signified to Abel His acceptance of his prophetic offering by a descent of fire, and that Cain was wroth because no such sign of Divine approval was made to him." (iv. 4, 5.) This was the manner in which God afterwards signified His acceptance of sacrifice, which were purely typical, prophetic types. (Lev. ix. 24; Judges xiii. 19, 20; 2 Chron. vii. 1; 1 Kings xviii. 38.)

But the first instance literally recorded is when Abrant prophesied of the slavery of Israel in Egypt; an evening oblation of an heifer, a she-goat, a ram, a turtle dove, and a young pigeon was prepared. "And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a lamp of fire "-correct translation, "passed between those pieces." This fire passing between all the pieces of sacrifice, symbolized the Spirit of God in Christ that had revealed to Abram the four hundred years of slavery. The lamp signified light, fire, judgment.

The thunderings and lightnings, the thick cloud, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud of Sinai in the giving of the law, were symbols of judgment for transgression. "All the people that were in the camp trembled. And Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire." (Exod. xix.) This was the prophetic fire of judgment for transgression of the law, for the covenant of works which God made with His people has never been annulled. Christ came not to destroy the law, but to purchase back the Holy Ghost to enable us to fulfil it. "Till

heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." And thus it was that Moses, in rehearsing the law, always proclaimed most faithfully the judgments that would follow upon the transgression of the law. (Deut. xxvii.) "The Lord thy God is a

consuming fire." (iv. 24.)

When Isaiah was inaugurated a prophet of the Lord to proclaim judgment, and a glorious salvation to those who would receive it, we read, "Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar." (Isa. vi. 6.) This live coal symbolized "The spirit of prophecy,"-metaphor rooted in Lev. vi. 9, 13, "The fire shall be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out." It symbolized there the eternal Spirit of God, purchased back to our world by Christ, to burn upon the altar of our hearts, to speak from hence, whether of judgment or of blessing, it is never to go out: "I will strengthen them in the name of the Lord; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the Lord." (Zech. x. 12.) "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." (Matt. xxiii. 39.)

And so when Jeremiah was to go forth in the name of the Lord, we read, "The Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth." (Jer. i. 9.) This act symbolized the communication of "the spirit of prophecy," which God then communicated: "Behold, I will make my words in thy

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