22, Gal. iii. 14.
Floods of light will be thrown upon the whole subject if we grasp clearly
the full force of this expression, "receive." "Receiving" is the
correlative of "The Gift." A gift will not profit one until it is
received. It is just here, at the _appropriating_, that we have come
short. God has not failed in His "giving," but we have failed in our
taking, in "receiving." "Receiving" is a distinct, definite act on our
part. Have we "received"? If not, why not? God is "giving."

_7. "Falling."_

"For as yet he was fallen upon none of them" (Acts viii. 16). See also
Acts x. 44, Acts xi. 15. From this expression may we not learn the
"_suddenness_" with which the blessing sometimes comes, and comes
consciously, too? Compare Acts ii. 2, "And suddenly there came from
heaven a sound."

_8. "Coming."_

"The Holy Ghost came on them" (Acts xix. 6). See also Acts i. 8, John xv.
26. John xvi. 7, 8, 13. From this expression may we not learn the
_personality_ of the Holy Ghost? "Christ Jesus _came_ into the world,"
and "the Holy Ghost _came_ on them," are two parallel expressions. If
Christ is here a person, why should the Holy Ghost be a mere influence?

_9. "Sealed."_

"Ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise" (Eph. i. 13). See also
2 Cor. i. 22. This "sealing" in Eph. i. 13, is the "receiving" of Acts
xix. 2; the "coming on them" of Acts xix. 6; for here, in this epistle,
Paul is evidently referring to the incident related in Acts xix. 1-7. In
Eph. i. 13, "In Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of
truth, the gospel of your salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed,
ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise," we see the successive
stages through which the Ephesians passed in their spiritual history. (1)
There was a time when they had not heard the Gospel; they were living in
the darkness of heathenism. (2) Then came the day when they "heard the
word." (3) Then they "believed." (4) Succeeding this they were "sealed,"
"_after_ that ye believed ye were sealed;" a very distinct and definite
blessing this for the Ephesians, as definite as their salvation when they
believed. And yet, in face of this, some will affirm that there is no
such thing as a Christian receiving a new distinct blessing after his
conversion! If these Ephesians had this experience, why may not believers
still?

When a Christian is "sealed" by the Holy Ghost, "sealed" as the property
of his Master, there will