sh oil.'

I desire to confess with deep shame that Thy Spirit has been sorely
grieved and dishonoured. How often the fleshly mind has usurped His
place in Thy worship! How much the fleshly will has sought to do His
work! O my Father! let Thy light shine through me to convince me very
deeply of this. Let Thy judgment come on all that there is of human
willing and running.

Blessed Father! grant me, according to the riches of Thy glory, even now
to be strengthened with might by Thy Spirit in the inner man. Strengthen
my faith to believe in Christ for a full share in His anointing. Oh,
teach me day by day to wait for and receive the anointing with fresh
oil!

O my Father! draw me and all Thy children to see that for the abiding in
Christ we need the abiding anointing. Father! we would walk humbly, in
the dependence of faith, counting upon the inner and ever-abiding
anointing. May we so be a sweet savour of Christ to all. Amen.

1. I think I know now the reason why at times we fail in the
abiding. We think and read, we listen and pray, we try to
believe and strive to look to Jesus only, and yet we fail. What
was wanting was this: 'His anointing teacheth you; _even as_ it
taught you, ye abide in him;' so far, and no farther.

2. The washing always precedes the anointing: we cannot have the
anointing if we fail in the cleansing. When cleansed and
anointed we are fit for use.

3. Would you have the abiding anointing? Yield yourself wholly
to be sanctified and made meet for the Master's use: dwell in
the Holiest of all, in God's presence: accept every
chastisement as a fellowship in the way of the rent flesh: be
sure the anointing will flow in union with Jesus. 'It is like
the precious ointment upon the head of Aaron, that went down to
the skirts of his garments.'

4. The anointing is the Divine eye-salve, opening the eyes of the
heart to know Jesus. So it teaches to abide in Him. I am sure
most Christians have no conception of the danger and
deceitfulness of a thought religion, with sweet and precious
thoughts coming to us in books and preaching, and little power.
The teaching of the Holy Spirit is in the heart first; man's
teaching in the mind. Let all our thinking ever lead us to
cease from thought, and to open the heart and will to the
Spirit to teach there in His own Divine way, deeper than
thought a