ful service.

CHAPTER XVIII.

_MAY ONE LOSE THE BLESSING?_

The question trembles from many a lip--If I get the blessing, may I lose
it? Most certainly. But, glory be to God! He has made ample provision for
failure. There is no reason why we _should_ fail; God has made ample
provision _against_ failure; we must not expect to fail; _but_ in case we
do fail, provision has been made. The most prolific cause of loss is
disobedience--disobedience either to one of God's written commands, or to
the inward promptings of His Holy Spirit. "The Holy Ghost whom God hath
given to them that obey Him" (Acts v. 32). This all-glorious gift is not
only obtained but retained in connection with obedience. It is absolutely
necessary to maintain the attitude of complete self-surrender, for the
slightest act of disobedience--that is, the asserting of our own will in
opposition to His will--may cost us the loss of the blessing, such as,
neglecting to speak to a man about the great salvation, or, refusing to
give a tract to some one when we _knew_ God wanted us to do so. We must
learn to be obedient to the promptings of the Spirit. "Mine eyes are ever
toward the Lord" (Ps. xxv. 15) must be our constant attitude.

If we possess the blessing, and desire to retain it, there is another
matter of the last importance that must be attended to, viz., letting
"the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom" (Col. iii. 16).
The Spirit-filled man will be a Word-filled man. A neglected Bible is
responsible for much of the lost blessing from which many of God's
children are suffering to-day. If we would retain the blessing in its
fullness and freshness, we must feed _daily_ and feed _much_ upon Christ
as He is revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures. It is the function of the
indwelling Spirit to take of the things of Christ, and to show them unto
us (John xvi. 14). He does not speak from Himself or of Himself, but of
Jesus; and so He will be continually drawing us to the Word, that He may
have the opportunity of drawing our attention to fresh beauties in
Immanuel. There is much so-called reading of the Bible that is not
"searching the Scriptures" (John v. 39), not "delighting in the law of
the Lord," not "meditating in it day and night" (Ps. i. 2), not "letting
the Word of Christ _dwell in you richly_." You cannot live a Spirit-filled
life, and be content with a shallow, meager acquaintance with the Divine
Word. The Spirit-filled man gives G