his gift (1 Tim. i. 6, R. V., margin).
Repeated fillings with the Holy Spirit are necessary to continuance and
increase of power.

The question may arise, "Shall we call these new fillings with the Holy
Spirit 'fresh baptisms' with the Holy Spirit?" To this we would answer,
the expression "baptism" is never used in the Scriptures of a second
experience and there is something of an initiatory character in the very
thought of baptism, so if one wishes to be precisely Biblical, it would
seem to be better not to use the term "baptism" of a second experience but
to limit it to the first experience. On the other hand "_filled_ with the
Holy Spirit" is used in Acts ii. 4, to describe the experience promised in
Acts i. 5, where the words used are "Ye shall be _baptized with the Holy
Ghost_." And it is evident from this and from other passages that the two
expressions are to a large extent practically synonymous. However, if we
confine the expression "baptism with the Holy Spirit" to our first
experience, we shall be more exactly Biblical and it would be well to
speak of one baptism but many fillings. But I would a great deal rather
that one should speak about new or fresh baptisms with the Holy Spirit,
standing for the all-important truth that we need repeated fillings with
the Holy Spirit, than that he should so insist on exact phraseology that
he would lose sight of the truth that repeated fillings are needed, _i.
e._, I would rather have the right experience by a wrong name, than the
wrong experience by the right name. This much is as clear as day, that we
need to be filled again and again and again with the Holy Spirit. I am
sometimes asked, "Have you received _the second blessing_?" Yes, and the
third and the fourth and the fifth and hundreds beside, and I am looking
for a new blessing to-day.

We come now to the question of first practical importance, namely, WHAT
MUST ONE DO IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT? This
question is answered in the plainest and most positive way in the Bible. A
plain path is laid down in the Bible consisting of a few simple steps that
any one can take, and it is absolutely certain that any one who takes
these steps will enter into the blessing. This is, of course, a very
positive statement, and we would not dare be so positive if the Bible were
not equally positive. But what right have we to be uncertain when the Word
of God is positive? There are seven steps in this path: