elling of
God's Spirit by which alone they could work these signs. Are these signs
in existence to-day? No thoughtful reader will so affirm. If the
manifestations of the Spirit have ceased, is it not reasonable that the
"gift" has also ceased? If not, we have the remarkable fact of the
Spirit dwelling in man and not being able to _manifest any signs_ of his
indwelling.

We are now enabled to reach two conclusions of importance: First, the
"gift of the Spirit" was a supernatural gift for the purpose of enabling
the "believers" in apostolic days to work the "signs" which Christ said
should accompany them that believe, and ceased when the signs ceased.
Second, many of the exhortations of the New Testament writers were to a
church whose members were filled with the supernatural power of the
Spirit, and should be interpreted in the light of that fact. We give a
few examples that fall under this head: "Declared to be the Son of God
with power, according to the spirit of holiness" (Rom. 1:4). "But ye are
... in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you"
(Rom. 8:9). "Ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit"
(Rom. 8:23). "My conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit"
(Rom. 9:1). "Now I beseech you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and
by the love of the Spirit" (Rom. 15:30). "Now he that wrought us for
this very thing is God, who gave unto us the earnest of the Spirit" (2
Cor. 5:5). "Ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is an
earnest of our inheritance" (Eph. 1:13, 14). "Through him we both have
our access in one Spirit unto the Father" (Eph. 2:18). "Be filled with
the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18). "If there is therefore any ... fellowship of
the Spirit" (Phil. 2:1). "Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth ...
God, who giveth his Holy Spirit unto you" (1 Thess. 4:8). "For God gave
us not a spirit, of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline"
(2 Tim. 1:7). "He saved us through the washing of regeneration and
renewing of the Holy Spirit" (Tit. 3:5). "God also bearing witness with
them, both by signs and wonders and by manifold powers, and by gifts of
the Holy Spirit" (Heb. 2:4). "Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in
us long unto envying?" (Jas. 4:5). "Ye have an anointing from the Holy
One" (1 John 2: 20). "The anointing which ye received of him abideth in
you" (1 John 2:27). "He hath given us of his Spirit" (1 John 4:13).

All the above Scriptures become clea