s failures
and its repentances, from ascension to advent. And because the bride
of Christ is perpetually betrayed into listening to false teachers and
surrendering to the guidance of evil counsellors, the Lord is
constantly admonishing her to heed the voice of her true Teacher and
Guide, the Holy Ghost. How forcibly this admonition is introduced into
the great Apocalyptic drama! As in the opening of the successive
seals, representing the judgments of God upon apostate Christendom, the
cry is repeated, "Come"! "Come"! "Come"! "Come"! (Rev. 6)--as
though the church under chastisement would repeatedly relearn the
advent prayer which her Lord put into her mouth in the beginning: "Even
so, come, Lord Jesus," so at each stage of the church's backsliding a
voice is heard from heaven saying: "He that hath an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit saith unto the churches." It is the admonition "of him
that hath the seven spirits of God," seven times addressed to his
church throughout her earthly history, calling her to return from her
false guides and misleading teachers, and to listen to the voice of her
true Counsellor.

From this general statement of the administration of the Holy Spirit
let us now descend to the {134} particular acts and offices in which
this authority is exercised.

1. _The Holy Spirit in the ministry and government of the church_. In
speaking to the elders of Ephesus Paul says: "Take heed unto
yourselves, and to all the flock in the which the Holy Ghost hath made
you bishops, to feed the church of God" (Acts 20: 28, R. V.). Clearly
in the beginning bishops or pastors were given by the Spirit of God,
not by the suffrages of the people. The office and its incumbent were
alike by direct divine appointment. We find this distinctly set forth
in the Epistle to the Ephesians: "When he ascended on high, he led
captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. . . And he gave some to be
apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors
and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of
ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ" (Eph. 4: 8-12,
R. V.). The ascent of the Lord and the descent of the Spirit are here
exhibited in their necessary relation. In the one event Christ took
his seat in heaven as "Head over all things to his church"; in the
other the Holy Ghost came down to begin the work of "building up the
body of Christ." Of course it is the Head who di