host life. The promise of the Father which the resurrected
Christ said he would send upon his justified disciples was no more a
promise for them than for every justified believer throughout the gospel
dispensation. Why then should any of us come short of entering into this
blessed covenant of an entire consecration and receiving the fulfillment
of the promise? Thank God it is for us and our children and to all that
are afar off.

Until the believer reaches this grace, he is not in his normal spiritual
condition, and cannot live the Christ-life in a manner that is perfectly
satisfactory to his own heart. The great need is a clean heart and the
indwelling Holy Spirit, without which there is not the power within at
all times to withstand every evil attack of the enemy with perfect
victory. Jesus knew this need in his disciples. Their usefulness in the
world could not be satisfactory until they received the fulfillment of
the promise. They had been useful in his hands and under his personal
guidance in the ministry of the gospel of the kingdom. They had already
by his help been able to bear fruit, but it was the will of the Father
that they should bear more fruit, through the power of the Spirit-filled
life; hence they were not to depart from Jerusalem until they were
endued with power from on high. "Ye shall receive power after that the
Holy Ghost is come upon you." How many of the dear people of God today
have never had their Pentecost! Some are out in the world preaching the
gospel with no deeper spiritual experience than that of the disciples
before they tarried at Jerusalem. Many have mistaken some natural
ability for the power of the Holy Ghost. Others have accepted the
doctrine of sanctification theoretically--made a formal consecration
and claimed the experience, but have never received the Holy Ghost.
Dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let us entreat you to tarry and do
not depart from your positive death bed consecration, until you are
endued with power from on high. It is the will of the Father that you
receive the Holy Spirit to possess your being--the consecrated
temple--and make your life from this moment a reproduction of the life
of Jesus. He is not here now as he was during his earthly ministry, but
the Father has designed that the Holy Spirit should dwell in the hearts
of consecrated men and women who shall go forth into the world and be
witnesses unto Jesus--representatives that will live the Christ-life