s to become one of the children
of God, and then you may enquire as to your inheritance. If you _are_
born again, ask that you may read with the anointed eye and with an
unprejudiced mind, for the amount of prejudice that exists against this
subject is saddening in the extreme. In nothing that he ever wrote does
John Bunyan's masterful genius flash forth more clearly than when, in
"The Holy War," he places that old churl, Mr. Prejudice, with sixty deaf
men under him, as warder of Eargate. Nothing that even Emmanuel may say
can reach Mansoul while Prejudice and his deaf men keep that gate. "There
is nothing about this in the Standards of our Church." "I have not met
with this truth in my favorite authors." "It is quite new to me, and I
never will believe it," etc., etc. These and such like, are illustrations
one meets with of how well Prejudice keeps his ward! In the name of the
Lord let us displace him, and determine to give what of God's truth may
be set forth in the following pages a fair field, no favor being asked
for. Deep-rooted prejudice is one of the causes of the appalling
spiritual poverty that abounds--yes, appalling when we consider the
treasures within our reach!

CHAPTER II.

_EVERY BELIEVER'S BIRTHRIGHT._

On every hand a lack of _something_ is being felt and expressed by God's
people. Their Christian experience is not what they expected it would be.
Instead of expected victory, it is oft-recurring, dreaded defeat; instead
of soul satisfaction, it is soul hunger; instead of deep, abiding heart
rest, it is disquiet and discontent; instead of advancing, it is losing
ground. Is this all Christ meant when He said, "Come unto Me"? Is this
life of constant disappointment the normal life of the Bible Christian?
To these sad questionings the Divine Word answers with an emphatic "No,"
and the testimony of an ever-increasing number of God's children answers
"No."

For this widely felt, though sometimes inarticulate demand, the Divine
supply is _the fullness of the Spirit_; and this Fullness is the
birthright of _every_ believer, his birthright by virtue of his new birth.
Sometimes we hear it said that to be filled with the Spirit is the
Christian _privilege_; but _birthright_ is a stronger word. Reader, it is
your birthright to be filled with the Spirit, as Peter was filled, as
Stephen was filled, as the one hundred and twenty men and women in the
upper room were filled (Acts ii. 4, and i. 14, 15), as t