of God to neglect this source of strength which our Lord
Himself has provided.

In harmony with the word of God, His Spirit was to continue its work
throughout the period of the gospel dispensation. During the ages while
the Scriptures of both the Old and the New Testament were being given, the
Holy Spirit did not cease to communicate light to individual minds, apart
from the revelations to be embodied in the Sacred Canon. The Bible itself
relates how, through the Holy Spirit, men received warning, reproof,
counsel, and instruction, in matters in no way relating to the giving of
the Scriptures. And mention is made of prophets in different ages, of
whose utterances nothing is recorded. In like manner, after the close of
the canon of Scripture, the Holy Spirit was still to continue its work, to
enlighten, warn, and comfort the children of God.

Jesus promised His disciples, "The Comforter, which is 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."
"When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth:
... and He will show you things to come." John 14:26; 16:13. Scripture
plainly teaches that these promises, so far from being limited to
apostolic days, extend to the church of Christ in all ages. The Saviour
assures His followers, "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the
world." Matt. 28:20. And Paul declares that the gifts and manifestations
of the Spirit were set in the church "for the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till
we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of
Christ." Eph. 4:12, 13.

For the believers at Ephesus the apostle prayed, "That the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the _Spirit of wisdom
and revelation_ in the knowledge of Him: _the eyes of your understanding
being enlightened_; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and
... what is the _exceeding greatness_ of His power to us-ward who
believe." Eph. 1:17-19. The ministry of the divine Spirit in enlightening
the understanding and opening to the mind the deep things of God's holy
word, was the blessing which Paul thus besought for the Ephesian church.

After the wonderful manifestation of the Holy Spirit on the