of the Holy Ghost within that ideal realm called "the
apostolic age," however convenient it may be as an escape from fancied
difficulties, may be the means of robbing believers of some of their
most precious covenant rights.[4] Let us {73} transfer this incident
of the Ephesian Christians to our own times. We need not bring forward
an imaginary case, for by the testimony of many experienced witnesses
the same condition is constantly encountered. Not only individual
Christians, but whole communities of disciples are found who have been
so imperfectly instructed that they have never known that there is a
Holy Spirit, except as an influence, an impersonal something to be
vaguely recognized. Of the Holy Ghost as a Divine Person, dwelling in
the church, to be honored and invoked and obeyed and implicitly
trusted, they know nothing. Is it conceivable that there could be any
deep spiritual life or any real sanctified energy for service in a
community like this? And what should a well-instructed teacher or
evangelist do, on discovering a church or an individual Christian in
such a condition? Let us turn to another passage of the Acts for an
answer: "Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that
Samaria had received the word of God they sent unto them Peter and
John, who when they were come down prayed for them that they might
receive the Holy Ghost; for as yet he had fallen upon none of them;
only they were baptized in the name {74} of the Lord Jesus. Then laid
they their hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost" (Acts 8:
14-17).

Here were believers who had been baptized in water. But this was not
enough. The baptism in the Spirit, already bestowed at Pentecost, must
be appropriated. Hear the prayer of the apostles "that they might
receive the Holy Ghost." Such prayer we deem eminently proper for
those who today may be ignorant of the Comforter. And yet such prayer
should be followed by an act of believing acceptance on the part of the
willing disciple: "O Holy Spirit, I yield to thee now in humble
surrender. I receive thee as my Teacher, my Comforter, my Sanctifier,
and my Guide." Do not testimonies abound on every hand of new lives
resulting from such an act of consecration as this, lives full of peace
and power and victory among those who before had received the
forgiveness of sins but not the enduement of power?

We conceive that the great end for which the enduement of the Spirit is
besto