ss to God. With strong emphasis he dwelt upon the
presiding presence of the Blessed Spirit in all assemblies of saints,
and upon the duty and privilege of leaving the whole conduct of such
assemblies to His divine ordering; and in perfect accord, with such
teaching he showed that the Holy Spirit, if left free to administer all
things, would lead such brethren to speak, at such times and on such
themes as He mighty please; and that, whenever their desires and
preferences were spiritual and not carnal, such choice of the Spirit
would always be in harmony with their own.

These views of the Spirit's administration in the assemblies of
believers, and of His manifestation in all believers for common profit,
fully accord with scripture teaching. (1 Cor. xii., Romans xii., Ephes.
iv., etc.) Were such views practically held in the church of this day, a
radical revolution would be wrought and a revival of apostolic faith and
primitive church life would inevitably follow. No one subject is perhaps
more misunderstood, or less understood, even among professed believers,
than the person, offices, and functions of the Spirit of God. John Owen,
long since, suggested that the practical test of soundness in the faith,
during the present gospel age, is _the attitude of the church toward the
Holy Spirit._ If so, the great apostasy cannot be far off, if indeed it
is not already upon us, for there is a shameful ignorance and
indifference prevalent, as to the whole matter of His claim to holy
reverence and obedience.

In connection with this visit to Germany, a curious misapprehension
existed, to which a religious periodical had given currency, that Mr.
Muller was deputed by the English Baptists to labour among German
Baptists to bring them back to the state church. This rumour was of
course utterly unfounded, but he had no chance to correct it until just
before his return to Britain, as he had not until then heard of it. The
Lord had allowed this false report to spread and had used it to serve
His own ends, for it was due in part to this wrong impression of Mr.
Muller's mission that he was not molested or interfered with by the
officers of the government. Though for months openly and undisguisedly
teaching vital gospel truths among believers who had separated from the
established church, he had suffered no restraint, for, so long as it was
thought that his mission in Germany was to reclaim to the fold of the
state church those who had wand