nnals of the Lollards, and of the
Lutherans, and of the Wesleyans, and of the Salvationists bear
harmonious witness on this point, and are deeply instructive.

3. _The Holy Spirit in the Missions of the Church_. In the Gospels
which contain the story of Christ's earthly life we have the record of
the giving of the Great Commission: "Go ye into all the world and
preach the gospel to every creature." In the Acts, which contains the
story of the life of the Spirit, we have the promise of the coming of
the Executor of that Commission: "But ye shall receive power when the
Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be my witnesses, both in
Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the
earth" (Acts 1: 8, R. V.). Nowhere is the hand {160} of the Spirit
more distinctly seen than in the origination and superintendence of
missions. The field is the world, the sower is the disciple, and the
seed is the word. The world can only be made accessible through the
Spirit--"When he is come he will convict the world of sin"; the sower
is energized only through the Spirit--"Ye shall receive the power of
the Holy Ghost coming upon you"; and the seed is only made productive
through the quickening of the Spirit--"He that soweth unto the Spirit
shall of the Spirit reap eternal life" (Gal. 6: 8, R. V.). In the
simple story of the primitive mission, as recorded in the thirteenth of
Acts, we see how every step in the enterprise was originated and
directed by the presiding Spirit. We observe this:

(1) In the selection of missionaries: "_The Holy Ghost_ said, Separate
me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" (13: 2).

(2) In their thrusting forth into the field: "So they, being sent forth
by the _Holy Ghost_, departed unto Seleucia" (13: 4).

(3) In empowering them to speak: "Then Saul, who also is called Paul,
filled with the _Holy Ghost_, said" (13: 9).

(4) In sustaining them in persecution: "And the disciples were filled
with joy and with the _Holy Ghost_" (13: 52).

(5) In setting the Divine seal upon their {161} ministry among the
Gentiles: "And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving
_them the Holy Ghost_, even as he did unto us" (15: 8).

(6) In counseling in difficult questions of missionary policy: "It
seemed good _to the Holy Ghost_ and to us" (15: 28).

(7) In restraining the missionaries from entering into fields not yet
appointed by the Lord: They "were for