Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you." Rom. viii. II. "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Cor. vi. 11. "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Pet. i. 21. Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas." Acts i. 16. "And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: for the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say." Luke xii. 11, 12. "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood." Acts xx. 28. "For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues; but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will." I Cor. xii. 8-11.

Surely it would be impossible intelligently to impute to an influence such definite personal acts as these; or to suppose one less than absolute Deity could perform them.

In conclusion it is enough to say that further proofs both of the personality and Deity of the Spirit may be found in the facts that it is possible to sin against Him; that He is joined on terms of perfect equality with the Father and the Son in the baptismal formula; and that in seven remarkable passages in the second and third chapters of The Revelation, we are commanded to "hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." I know of no biblical reason for believing in the Deity and personality of the Father or of the Son, which does not equally establish that of the Spirit.

The Parsonage, E. Northfield, Mass.

THE INSTITUTE BIBLE COURSE.

CONDUCTED BY WILLIAM R. NEWELL.

JUDGES: THE BOOK OF FAILURE.

The key-thought of Joshua we found to be, a land granted by grace, through promise, to be occupied by conquest, through faith. God might easily have visited His condign judgments on the inhabitants of Canaan, as upon Sodom, before Israel came into the land, and have thus given His people an inheritance undisputed by any foe, wholly free of all prior occupants. Two great reasons are at once apparent why He did not do so. First, Israel were the holy, the peculiar people of Jehovah (Deut. vii.). To maintain that character as an earthly nation involved necessarily the attitude of entire separation from, and consequent hostility to, every nation not owning the authority of Jehovah, just as for the individual Christian nowadays a godly walk in Christ absolutely involves the enmity and persecution of the world, because of his separation from it. (2 Tim. iii. 12; I Thess. iii. 3; Acts xiv. 22; John xv. 18-21; 1 Peter ii. 11, 12; iv. 1-5; 1 John iii. 12, 13: John xvi. 33; 1 John v. 4.) Inasmuch as sin is here, only in the attitude of warring against it can real deliverance from it be maintained. This is the admitted experience of every spiritual person, as well as the express teaching of the Word of God (Heb.xii. 1-4; James iv. 7); though against some kinds of sin the military tactics of the Holy Ghost are instant flight (1 Cor. vi. 18; x. 14; 1 Tim. vi. 11; 2 Tim. ii. 22). But when we remember that it is thus in the midst of a world of sin that we really come to discover our peculiar separate character as the people of God, and are trained in practical living holiness, we see the one deep reason why God does not bring at once the consummation of Rev. xx. 10-15. A great manifestation of character is going steadily on through these ages of sin and strife. The wicked are being allowed to prove themselves such; the righteous are likewise showing their real heart-choice of holiness by a voluntary separation, at the severest cost, from all iniquity. The first reason, then, that these Canaanites were left in the land was practically to prove to Israel that their entirely separate character as the people of God necessarily involved the godless world's enmity.

The second reason was to teach the people how to carry on the warfare that should be so necessary all through their history in maintaining their place as the seat of the theocracy, till Shiloh should come, to whom the obedience of the peoples should be. (Judges iii. 2; Gen. xlix. 10; Num. xxiv. 17-19.) These things take on practical importance for us immediately when we read Eph. vi. 10-18, and see that our present inheritance is also full of deadly Canaanites.

This book of Judges we have called "The Book of Failure." It is a sadly appropriate name, as we shall find. It is one long story of the persistent departure from God of the people for whom He had done so much and promised do to so much more. Utterly ignoring their calling as the people of God, and the sure blessings promised to obedience to Him, they wander from Him to the sin they love with a perpetual wandering. Neither warnings, chastenings, nor godly examples avail; and the book ends with two pictures of the iniquity of the times than which there are no darker in the Word of God. The last words of Judges are: "Every man did that which was right in his own eyes." What a revelation as to the Israel of God!

The book contains many exceedingly valuable lessons for Christians in these days-lessons not so pleasant, perhaps, as those of the book of Joshua, yet none the less needed. If Joshua shows in type the position, calling and privileges of the Church of Christ, and the manner of their realization in experience, Judges figuratively depicts, and with startling truth, the Church's terrible unfaithfulness to her calling, through all her history thus far. No spiritual mind, familiar with the pages of church history, can fail to find most searching pictures of present things in the book before us. Let us enter upon its study with a careful, yet candid heart, begging for "the anointing that teacheth," (1 John ii. 27). Surely we need men now like Daniel, who recognized his people's sin (Dan. ix.); and also like those of Issachar who came to David at Hebron in 1 Chron. xii. 32: "Men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do."' The method of God with His desperately treacherous and backsliding people Israel during these times we shall find to be exactly the same He has employed with His precisely

similar people of the Christian Church in the present dispensation. He first permits Israel's bondage to the sin they allow or follow, according to the law of John viii. 34, R. V., which is an excellent text for the book of Judges: "Every one that committeth sin is the bond-servant of sin." Their slavery at last brings the wretched nation to cry to Him for deliverance; though, be it sadly noted, they do not cry for restoration to the pristine times of Joshua, but only for present relief. God then raises up some man of faith through whom He sets them free, that they may heartily repent and return fully to Him-which they never do. Just so the Church, distressed by her enemies, has cried for help in her trouble, and time and again through the centuries, God has sent some man of His own choosing to bring her some succor; but she has never with one heart cried to Him to restore the grace and testimony of the Pentecostal days. And for just the same reason in both cases: the backsliding people of God have ever shunned the complete separation and consecration that a full return to Him must always involve. This is too sad to write, but too true to omit. That many in these days are ready to deny present apostacy, and boastfully point to the great Christian "movements" and societies and man-invented methods of our generation is even sadder still, and reveals a spiritual deadness and blindness that proclaim the Laodicean stage upon us. See Rev. iii. 14-18.

LESSON XXVI.

JUDGES I.-XXI.-THE HISTORY.

The best plan will be to take the whole book for the first lesson, thoroughly to master its contents and construction; then to study its lessons later. Indeed, this is the ideal plan with any book of the Bible; for only after the material has been surveyed as a whole can the particular lessons be studied in their full relations and meaning.

I. Read seven times over, or once every day for a week, this book of Judges. This need not be regarded as a severe task. In from one to two hours it can be done with ease; and many people spend more than that time over their daily newspaper these days. We beg you again, do not neglect this fundamental work. Nothing will pay as great dividends as reading the Bible.

III. Go over to yourself these stories of Judges till their details are familiar. Then get some friend to listen while you narrate in order the events of the whole book. You will find this a delightful and profitable exercise; and as you do it, the history and lessons of the book will fairly glow before you.

IV. Fix in memory the various bondages and the names of the successive judges; using, if need be, some simple arrangement as that of forming the names or initials into a word or sentence.

V. Note the general plan of the book of Judges. 1 The general statement of Israel's failure to conquer the land, their apostacy from Jehovah, and His method of dealing with their persistent wickedness: chapters i.-iii. 4. 2. The narrative of the judges: iii. 5-xvi. 3. Two tales of the times, revealing the real moral condition of the people during these times. xvii. -xxi.

LESSON XXVII.

JUDGES: SPIRITUAL LESSONS OF THE BOOK. It should ever be our aim in the study of the Word to get at those lessons or truths that instruct and feed the spiritual life. Mere acquisition of the facts of the Bible, however necessary, will never satisfy the heart-hunger of the child of God, or enable him to minister real blessing to others. There must be spiritual understanding, application and appropriation. These things only the Holy Spirit can give; but the Holy Spirit is ever ready to open up the Word, when He is humbly relied upon. It is our privilege not only, but our duty, to be taught of Him; indeed, there can be no reading or

study of the Word of God that is truly acceptable to God, except in the Holy Ghost. And just here is the damning error of the rationalistic critics; they neglect the Holy Spirit and "lean upon their own understanding." Does any one know a "higher critic" who is baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire? This question would be laughed out of court by many of these "thinkers," but to the Spirit-taught saint of God, it is the only question at issue, and its answer settles everything, regarding any would-be teacher of the oracles of God.

I. First, let us look at the more general spiritual lessons-those which concern the great fundamental themes.

I.

Study carefully the desper ate wickedness of the human heart, as set forth in Judges. a. Its independence of God, turning quickly from Him to lean upon other help. See, e. g., i. 3, 24; ii. 11-13, 17, 19; iii. 5-7 viii. 27, 33-35; x. 6; xvii.-xviii. Idolatry must always follow departure from God, for the creature must seek dependence somewhere. Note the recurrence of the phrase "forsook the Lord," ii. 12, etc. This is ever the first step toward all iniquity. b. Its ingratitude. ii. 10, 17, 19; iii. 7; iv. 1; vi. 1, 10; viii. 33-35: x. 6; xiii. 1. c. Its folly: seeking the peoples and the gods that were doomed by Jehovah, and against which they had been warned. Read in this light the passages that tell of their sins. d. Its incurable stubbornness: persisting in iniquity after each chastening, just as before. ii., iii. 1-7; iv. 1; vi. 1, etc. e. Its real love of sin: the only explanation of the story of the Judges. Study if it is not so. £ Its universal depravity: utterly unfaithful toward God and man. Illustrated particularly in the two awful narratives of chapters xvii.-xxi.

2. The Longsuffering of God. It is in His dealings with His own rebellious people, whom He has crowned with His best blessings and upon whom He has lavished His tender love, that the infinite patience of God is ever best studied. The book of Judges, consequently, is an excellent place to discover the forbearance of our God. a. His patient waiting at Gilgal, through the years of Israel's increasing unfaithfulness, for their fulfillment of their covenant with Him. ii. 1. b. The unwavering tenderness of His manner and words toward them, when at last their failure is appar

ent. ii. 1-3. c. His pity for their sin-begotten wretchedness. ii. 18; x. 16. d. His constant readiness to respond to the least sign of penitence in them. iii. 9, 15; iv. 3-7; vi. 6-12; x. 15, 16. e. His ever-repeated though neverappreciated mercies in delivering them from their enemies. f. The infinite holy yearning of every message to them, through all their sin. ii. 1-3; vi. 8-10; x. 11, 12. Pore over these things; it will draw you nearer God.

3. The Inflexible Law of Indulged Sin: Slavery. "And the children of Israel forsook the Lord and served." ii. 13; John viii. 34. Note, 1. Sin's varied, attractive and delusive aspects, as illustrated in the different forms of idolatry and iniquity of the various nations round about Israel. 2. Sin's common character, as shown in its one absolute consequence -the bondage of the sinner. 3. The hopelessness of sin's bondage, as illustrated in Israel's helplessness when given over to her mercies. Sin brings a bondage from which only God can redeem.

4. The Resources of God's Government and Providence. a. Of His government, as seen in His ready use of the godless nations to fulfil His purpose of chastening Israel; and of Israel again, and even of the forces of nature, to punish these nations, when Israel's attitude toward Him permitted Him to favor His people once more. b. Of His providence, as seen in the readiness and apparent ease with which He brings forth His chosen deliverers, when the time is ripe. Study this carefully. Also His perfect management of the details of each deliverance to the accomplishment of His purpose.

These lines of study will be found very helpful to faith. Faith in God grows as we come to know God. "The people that know their God shall be strong and do exploits." Dan. xi. 32. And it is in considering thus God's "wonderful works to the children of men" that our hearts learn, almost unconsciously, to take hold on Him for themselves. And this is faith.

II. We shall find this book of Judges full of practical spiritual lessons, or those directly applicable to our every-day lives as Christians. We will notice a few, hoping to suggest lines that will be followed out more fully than we can present them here.

In Judg. i. 1, God's designation of Judah, whose name means "Praise," as the one into whose hands the land was delivered, teaches

us what many Christians are beginning to realize (the Pentecostal church all knew it) that the spirit of praise is that which gets the victory all along the line in our lives in the heavenly places. (See Ps. 1. 23, R. V.,marg.; xxxiv. 1; xviii. 3; cxlviii. 14; lxxi. 14; Jer. xvii. 14; 2 Chron. xx. 21, 22; Isa. lxi. 3; Luke xxiv. 53; Acts ii. 47; Rom. v. 2, 3, 11, R. V., marg.; Eph. v. 18-20; Phil. iv. 4; Col. ii. 7; iii. 16, 17; I Thess. v. 16-18; Heb. xiii. 15; 1 Cor. xv. 58; Isa. lxiv. 5.)

But the failure of Judah is already foreseen in the third verse, where we see him leaning for help on Simeon, his brother, whom God had not mentioned at all. Brief success, and then dire failure follow. Verse 19, in its first part sees Judah relying on God and victorious, but in the latter half of the verse self-strength does not prevail, and God is not mentioned; while the obstacles, the "chariots of iron," are prominent. That Jehovah was not overmatched by these little chariots, see Ps. xlvi. 8, 9. But Judah got his eyes off God upon the difficulties, so "they could not" drive out their enemies. Unbelief brings spiritual paralysis always. See Matt. xiv. 30; xvii. 1420; Heb. iii. 19. And it hinders God's power from working in our behalf. See Mark vi. 5, 6. "Looking unto Jesus is the conquering attitude of the soul." The successive failures of Benjamin, Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher and Naphtali follow; while in Dan's case advance is turned into retreat. Praise failing, universal unbelief sets in, and total failure follows.

The

The touching scene of chapter ii. 1-5, shows how faithful God is-tarrying all these years at Gilgal, for the people He loved to prove their fidelity to Him! Compare Joshua v. 2-9. And we see here also how faithless is man. people cry hysterically, but are really impenitent, for note verse II: "The children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord." "True repentance means to do so no more." Many think that tears always signify real penitence, but this is far from There is a sorrow that worketh naught but death. See 2 Cor. vii. 10.

true.

The neglect of the oft-repeated command of the Lord to the parents of Israel carefully to nstruct their children in His law, His ways, and His past works in their behalf, is seen in its legitimate fruit in Judg. ii. 10-13. Study this

passage in the light of Ex. xii. 25-27; xiii. 8, 14-16; Deut. vi. 6-9, 20-25; xi. 19-21.

The vital connection between thorough selfjudgment and restoration to God's favor and help is seen again and again in this book. "He judged Israel; and he went out to war, and the Lord delivered,'' is what we read of Othniel, the first judge, in chapter iii. 10. Trace this throughout Judges. Compare Joshua vii.; 1 Sam. vii.; 2 Chron. xxx.-xxxii. Trace illustrations of God's delight in the use of "the weak things to confound the mighty" (1 Cor. i. 26-29) in the stories of lefthanded Ehud (chap. iii.); the four women, Deborah and Jael of chap. iv., and their unnamed sisters of chaps. ix. 53 and xiii.; humble Gideon (chap. v.); the ox-goad of Shamgar; Gideon's little pitcher-armed band, and the jaw-bone used by Samson. Arrange these in your Bible opposite that passage in Corinthians, for a Bible reading. Find in the career of Abimelech (chaps. ix.,x.) an example of the complementary truth that God will abase the self-exalted. Luke xviii. 14; Jas. iv. 6; Prov. xvi. 5; xviii. 12. And compare Judg. ix. 56, 57 with Gal. vi. 7.

One of the most direct and striking Bible illustrations of a Bible text in the whole Word is discovered on comparing Judg. viii. 1-3 and xii. 1-6, and then turning to Proverbs XV. I. Why should preachers have difficulty in securing homiletical material, when the Book is full of such as this? But do not forget to apply this illustration, while noting its aptness.

How many dear children of God are like Gideon in misinterpreting their experience. See Judges viii. 22-27. He nobly refused the crown (vs. 22, 23); but he thought apparently that God's asking him to offer sacrifice (at the beginning of his career, in chap. vi. 25-27), meant that he was to be the priest of the people; so he made the ephod (viii. 27) that became such a snare to Israel, and defeated, largely, the good his life had done. How often Satan thus destroys the fruit of a noble career, by leading it into blind fanaticism. Let us ever test our course by the Word. Gideon was no Levite. See Ex. xxviii.; Lev. viii.; Num. xvi.

Note most carefully and prayerfully the connection of the Holy Ghost with the work of the servants of God, all through this book of Judges. Othniel-"the Spirit of the Lord

came upon him," iii. 10: Gideon-"the Spirit of the Lord clothed Himself with him,'' vi. 34, Heb.; Jephthah-"the Spirit of the Lord came upon him," xi. 29; Samson-"the Spirit of the Lord began to move him, " xiii. 25; "the Spirit of the Lord came mightly upon him."' xiv. 6; xv. 14; everywhere we see the secret of the power of these men to have been the enduement of the Holy Spirit. If Israel's heroes needed the Holy Spirit to lead that earthly people to earthly victory, how much more do the leaders of the heavenly people, the Church, need the baptism of the Holy Ghost and of fire to lead her to victory against the hosts of darkness that swarm the heavenly places to oppose her every move (Eph. vi. 10-18). To try to preach the gospel without Holy Ghost power is not only folly, but presumptuous disobedience, after the command of Eph. v. 18; the promises of Luke xi. 13; John vii. 38,39, and the examples of Matt. iii. 15-17, and Luke xxiv. 49; Acts i. 12-14; ii. 4.

Finally, the sad story of Samson should be most deeply pondered by every one of us, as the great Bible example of the abuse and loss of the power of God, by one who had known it in wonderful fulness in his life and service.

What marvelous advantages he had! Parental and natal circumstances like those of the great Baptist. Compare Judges xiii. and Luke i, especially verses 5 and 25 of the one, with 15 and 80 of the other. Early experience of God's presence, blessing and power, xiii. 24,25. Constant divine interposition and deliverance. Yet he began to fail as soon as he began his work, and his life went out in a dungeon, the prisoner of the very foes over which he had once had such overcoming power. And the reason of it all is right on the surface. Samson himself reveals the secret of all his life in his vehement words of unreason to his expostulating father in xiv. 3: "Get her for me; for she pleaseth ME well." His life was selfish; his will was not laid down; he never chose to say as John did, "I must decrease," John iii. 30; he would not deny himself, and take up the cross, that God might be glorified fully in him. And so self increased, till finally he left utterly the place of separation (xvi. 19, 20) with which he had been long out of sympathy: and "the Lord departed from him." Oh, sad consummation! irreparable loss! unutterable shame! Next to the loss of heaven most dread