the essence of obedience is the surrender of the
will to God. It is going to God our heavenly Father and saying, "Heavenly
Father, here I am. I am Thy property. Thou hast bought me with a price. I
acknowledge Thine ownership, and surrender myself and all that I am
absolutely to Thee. Send me where Thou wilt; do with me what Thou wilt;
use me as Thou wilt." This is in most instances the decisive step in
receiving the baptism with the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament types it
was when the whole burnt offering was laid upon the altar, nothing kept
back within or without the sacrificial animal, that the fire came forth
from the Holy Place where God dwelt and accepted and consumed the gift
upon the altar. And so it is to-day, in the fulfillment of the type, when
we lay ourselves, a whole burnt offering, upon the altar, keeping nothing
within or without back, that the fire of God, the Holy Spirit, descends
from the real Holy Place, heaven (of which the Most Holy Place in the
tabernacle was simply a type), and accepts the gift upon the altar. When
we can truly say, "My _all_ is on the altar," then we shall not have long
to wait for the fire. The lack of this absolute surrender is shutting many
out of the blessing to-day. People turn the keys of almost every closet in
their heart over to God, but there is some small closet of which they wish
to keep the key themselves, and the blessing does not come.

At a convention in Washington, D. C., on the last night, I had spoken on
How to Receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit Himself was
present in mighty power that night. The chaplain of one of the houses had
said to me at the close of the meeting, "It almost seemed as if I could
see the Holy Spirit in this place to-night." There were many to be dealt
with. About two hours after the meeting closed, about eleven o'clock, a
worker came to me and said, "Do you see that young woman over to the right
with whom Miss W---- is speaking?" "Yes." "Well, she has been dealing with
her for two hours and she is in awful agony. Won't you come and see if you
can help?" I went into the seat back of this woman in distress and asked
her her trouble. "Oh," she said, "I came from Baltimore to receive the
baptism with the Holy Spirit, and I cannot go back to Baltimore until I
have received Him." "Is your will laid down?" I asked. "I am afraid not."
"Will you lay it down now?" "I cannot." "Are you willing that God should
lay it down for you?"