on that
the Holy Spirit's work is directly and immediately on or in the heart of
the unbeliever, without the intervention or agency of the Christian
whatever. To hear what is said in the sermons, or sung in the hymns, or
prayed in the prayers of many Christians, one might believe that the
Holy Spirit is sent directly to the unbelieving sinner, to strive with
him, to show him his sin, and to point him to, the Saviour; and that
therefore the Christian preacher or teacher has rather to wait the
results of this work of the Spirit, than to be the instrument or the
avenue of this work. Many a Christian seems to think that the Holy
Spirit's work is that of a _revival preacher_, in moving sinners to
repentance by a _direct appeal_ to their consciences and understandings,
instead of stirring up Christians to appeal, in the power of the Spirit,
to unbelievers to believe and turn to God. It is true that, in this
present dispensation of the Spirit, all power in the evangelizing of the
world, and in the swaying of the hearts of men toward Christ and in the
service of Christ, is primarily with the Holy Spirit. But it is also
true that the Holy Spirit, according to the Bible teachings, works _in
and by and through_ believers in Jesus. Hence if one who is not a
believer in Jesus is to be won to discipleship, the question is not,
'Will the Holy Spirit work on his mind immediately, or will the Holy
Spirit work through one who already believes?' for that question _the
Bible has already answered_. The Holy Spirit can use the written words,
like the spoken words, of a chosen messenger of God to an unbelieving
soul. But in every case _the Spirit reaches the believer mediately, not
immediately_."

Now, these theories are directly contradictory. If one is true, the
other can not be. The only question to decide is as to which one is
true. Let us examine these theories in the light of reason, revelation
and experience. If the Holy Spirit works directly and immediately on the
heart of man, surely there should be some tangible evidence of it given
in such a striking way as to demonstrate the truth of the theory. But
the experience of Christendom for nineteen centuries fails to furnish a
single unquestioned evidence of it. The proof of the theory is made to
hinge upon far-fetched inferences drawn from Scripture statements, and
even these fail to furnish the evidence sought. Let us notice some of
the Scriptures that are relied upon to prove a direct