Chapter XV

giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ Jno. 14: 1-3, 27., pae‘Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.’’ Jno. 13:7. “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the eathen, I will be exalted in the earth.’’ Ps. 46: 10. I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” Rev. 14: 13.

“And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I “said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child ‘may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.’’ 2 Satin: 12: 22, 23.

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have

,y°”né hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so

them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we

. /vsty, unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and reniain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’’ 1 Thess. 4: 13-18.

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(I have found this the most comforting of any single passage in the Word of God.)

‘““Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (for we walk by faith, not by sight:) we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.’’ 2 Cor. 5: 6-8.

»“I am in astrait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to lbe with Christ; which is far better.’’ Phil. 1: 23.

890 also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption: it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power: it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There isa natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

“‘And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

‘‘For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

“So when this corruptible shaM have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is hot in vain in the Lord.’’ 1 Cor. 15: 42-44, 49, 53, 54-58.

The worker must make a study of each individual case, and decide which of the passages given above will be most helpful in the specific case. Sometimes it will be found well to use them all. They should not be merely read, but dwelt upon, and their meaning explained and applied, wherever necessary. In all the reading and the explanation and the application, we must depend upon the Holy Spirit for His wisdom and power. A~ 2

X. Christians who have not received the Holy Spirit.

There are many professing Christians in our day who have not definitely received the Holy Spirit. They have not entered into the fulness of joy and peace and power that there is for us in Christ. They are practically in the same condition that the disciples in Ephesus were in until Paul came and put to them the question, “‘Have ye received the Holy Ghost?’’ (Acts 19:2) and the position that the believers in Samaria were in until Peter and John came down and “prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: for as yet He was fallen upon none of them,’’ (Acts 8:15, 16). There are many to-day who are inquiring what they must do that they may receive the Holy Ghost, and there are others that ought to be asking this question. The personal worker should know how to show any one who has not received the Holy Spirit, just what he must do that he may receive the Holy Spirit. The following are the steps that should be pointed out:

1. The one who would receive the Holy Ghost must depend far)

his acceptance before God upon the finished w work of frist alone, and not upon anything he himself. has done or can do.

To make this point clear to the inquirer use Gal. 3: 2:

“This only would I learn of you, Recedved ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

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