The Holy Spirit Brings Blessings
The men that should have been years in advance of what they are, who should have learned of God, humbling their hearts before him, catching the Spirit of Christ, raising their voices in warning, and giving the trumpet a certain sound, have no cause to triumph now. God will hold them responsible for the good they might have done had they kept pace with the messages God has given and did not do. If they had day by day been imbued by his Spirit, they might have done the very work that has been done by their brethren whom they have criticized and condemned. That which is essential for the promulgation of truth is the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is to guide and lead and to keep the soul from Satan's deceptive power in these last days of snare and delusion. The Holy Spirit must do a work for human intelligences that is scarcely yet comprehended by human minds. New aspects of truth are to be opened to our view. O the riches of the word of God are but dimly appreciated. Unless the Holy Spirit shall do its office work upon the human heart, the character will not be developed after the divine similitude.
The Lord will enrich the minds of those who are searching for the hidden treasures of truth. What promise did our Lord Jesus Christ make to his disciples to furnish them with consolation in view of his departure from them? It was the promise of the Holy Spirit of God. The divine influence of the Holy Spirit was to co-operate with the human mind and bring to their remembrance whatsoever Christ had spoken unto them. The great need of this time of peril is the Holy Spirit; for it will bring to the receiver all other blessings in its train. The truth believed will transform the character. In the light of the truth that is shining in our day, we are reproved for the dearth of the Holy Spirit. This lack is an evidence that there is not an abundance of that faith which works by love and purifies the soul. As long as individuals are content with a theory of truth, and are yet lacking in the daily operation of the Spirit of God upon the heart, which is manifested in outward transformation of character, they are cutting themselves off from the qualification that would fit them for greater efficiency in the Master's work. Those who are devoid of the Holy Spirit cannot be faithful watchmen upon the walls of Zion; for they are blind to the work that ought to be done, and do not give the trumpet a certain sound.
The baptism of the Holy Ghost as on the day of Pentecost will lead to a revival of true religion.