of the Holy Spirit. It may
also be said, that there are three dispensations: that of the Father,
in the earlier history of mankind; that of the Son, culminating in our
Lord's ascension; and that of the Holy Spirit, in which we are now
living. In the history of the world these were successive. In the
history of souls they may be the contemporaneous. In the same house
one member may be in the dispensation of the Father, another in that of
the Son, and a third in that of the Holy Ghost. It is highly
necessary, says the saintly Fletcher, that every good steward of the
mysteries of God should be well acquainted with this fact, otherwise he
will not rightly divide the word of life. There is peril lest we
should give the truth of one order of dispensation to those who are
living on another level of experience.

There is a remarkable illustration of this in the life of John the
Baptist, who clearly realized the distinction on which we are dwelling,
and used it with remarkable nicety, when approached by various classes
of character. When Gentile soldiers came to him, in Roman regimentals,
he merely bade them do violence to no man, and be content with their
wages. When Jews came he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" To his eagle
eye a further dispensation was unveiled to which he alluded when he
said, "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire."
Similarly they to whom inquirers address themselves should diagnose
their spiritual standing, that they may lovingly and wisely administer
the truth suitable to their condition.

_The dispensation of the Father_ includes those who hope that He has
accepted and forgiven them, but have no clear perception of the atoning
work of Christ; are governed rather by fear than love; tremble beneath
the thunders of Sinai more often than they rejoice at the spectacle of
Calvary; are tossed to and fro between hope and despair; desire the
favor of God, but hesitate to speak confidently of having attained it.
Such are to be found in churches where the Gospel is veiled beneath
heavy curtains of misconception and formalism. In the same class we
might put men like Cornelius, who in every nation fear God and work
righteousness.

_The dispensation of the Son_ includes those who clearly perceive His
Divine nature, and rejoice in His finished propitiation; they know that
they are accepted in the Beloved; they receive His teachings about the
Father; they submit to the rule of life which H