een in accord with apostolic practice in this respect? The only
possible answer is in the negative. Have we improved then on the
apostolic method? Scarcely. But our modern method is very largely
responsible for the large percentage of backsliding that one meets with
in the Church to-day. Many of these backsliders were soundly converted to
God, but unfortunately for them, no Peter or John, no Ananias or Paul,
met them in the beginning of their Pilgrimage to compel their attention
to the "one thing needful" for the people of the Pilgrimage; so they
started out but ill provided, and after a longer or shorter time they
became thoroughly dispirited; and then asking, "Is this all that is in
it?" they threw their profession overboard; and one can scarcely wonder
at it. Prevention is better than cure. Let our young converts be fully
instructed and fully equipped with the glorious Fullness provided for
them by the gracious Father, and we will hear less about backsliding. Do
you know why Peter and John, Ananias and Paul, spake of the Fullness of
the Spirit? Because _they_ possessed and enjoyed the blessing themselves,
and they could not _but_ speak of the blessing that had done so much for
them. Do you know why we have not spoken of it to our converts and young
Christians? Because _we_ did not know of it ourselves! If we "receive"
the Spirit we will "minister" the Spirit; and if we do not "minister,"
why is it?--but because we have not "received."

CHAPTER VII.

_HOW LONG BETWEEN?_

It is often asked what time must elapse between the regenerating by the
Spirit and the filling with the Spirit? for be it remembered the Filling
is as real and distinct and definite a blessing as the regenerating. Many
people know the moment of their new birth; they were conscious of the
change; so also many know when they were "filled with the Holy Ghost;" it
was a blessed, bright, conscious experience, and it is as impossible to
argue them out of the one experience as out of the other. On the other
hand, some people do not know the time when they were born "again;" they
simply have come to know by many infallible signs that the great change
has taken place; so in like manner some do not know when the Fullness
came to them, but they have been gently awaked to the fact that "Jesus
came, He filled my soul;" and such people may be as truly "filled with
the Spirit" as those who can tell when and where and how the blessing
came to them. Now as t