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PROBATION。
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AFTER THE PLAN OF SALVATION HAD BEEN DEVISED； GOD； AS WE HAVE SEEN； COULD
STILL； THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF HIS SON AND THE HOLY ANGELS； COMMUNICATE WITH
MEN ACROSS THE GULF WHICH SIN HAD MADE。 SOMETIMES HE SPOKE FACE TO FACE WITH
THEM； AS IN THE CASE OF MOSES； BUT MORE FREQUENTLY BY DREAMS AND VISIONS。
INSTANCES OF SUCH COMMUNICATION ARE EVERYWHERE PROMINENT UPON THE SACRED
RECORD； COVERING ALL DISPENSATIONS。 ENOCH THE SEVENTH FROM ADAM LOOKED
FORWARD IN THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY TO THE SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST IN POWER
AND GLORY； AND EXCLAIMED； 〃BEHOLD； THE LORD COMETH WITH TEN THOUSANDS OF HIS
SAINTS。〃 JUDE 14。 〃HOLY MEN OF GOD SPAKE AS THEY WERE MOVED BY THE HOLY
GHOST。〃 2 PETER 1：21。 IF THE OPERATION OF THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY HAS AT
TIMES SEEMED ALMOST TO DISAPPEAR； AS THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE PEOPLE WANED；
IT HAS NEVERTHELESS MARKED ALL THE GREAT CRISES IN THE EXPERIENCE OF THE
CHURCH； AND THE EPOCHS WHICH WITNESSED THE CHANGE FROM ONE DISPENSATION TO
ANOTHER。 WHEN THE ERA MARKED BY THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST WAS REACHED； THE
FATHER OF JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT； AND PROPHESIED。
LUKE 1：67。 TO SIMEON IT WAS REVEALED THAT HE SHOULD NOT SEE DEATH TILL HE
HAD SEEN THE LORD； AND WHEN THE PARENTS OF JESUS BROUGHT HIM INTO THE TEMPLE
THAT HE MIGHT BE DEDICATED； SIMEON CAME BY THE SPIRIT INTO THE TEMPLE； TOOK
HIM INTO HIS ARMS； AND BLESSED HIM WHILE HE PROPHESIED CONCERNING HIM。 AND
ANNA； A PROPHETESS； COMING IN THE SAME INSTANT； SPAKE OF HIM TO ALL THEM
THAT LOOKED FOR REDEMPTION IN JERUSALEM。 LUKE 2：26； 36。
THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHICH WAS TO ATTEND THE PREACHING OF THE
GOSPEL BY THE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST WAS ANNOUNCED BY THE PROPHET IN THESE
WORDS： 〃AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS AFTERWARD； THAT I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT
UPON ALL FLESH； AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY； AND YOUR
OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS； YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS： AND ALSO UPON
THE SERVANTS AND UPON THE HANDMAIDS IN THOSE DAYS WILL I POUR OUT MY SPIRIT。
AND I WILL SHOW WONDERS IN THE HEAVENS AND IN THE EARTH； BLOOD； AND FIRE；
AND PILLARS OF SMOKE。 THE SUN SHALL BE TURNED
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INTO DARKNESS； AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD； BEFORE THE GREAT AND THE TERRIBLE
DAY OF THE LORD COME。〃 JOEL 2：28…31。
PETER； ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST； QUOTED THIS PROPHECY IN EXPLANATION OF THE
WONDERFUL SCENE WHICH THEN OCCURRED。 CLOVEN TONGUES LIKE AS OF FIRE SAT UPON
EACH OF THE DISCIPLES； THEY WERE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT； AND SPAKE WITH
OTHER TONGUES。 AND WHEN THE MOCKERS CHARGED THAT THEY WERE FILLED WITH NEW
WINE； PETER ANSWERED； 〃THESE ARE NOT DRUNKEN； AS YE SUPPOSE； SEEING IT IS
BUT THE THIRD HOUR OF THE DAY。 BUT THIS IS THAT WHICH WAS SPOKEN BY THE
PROPHET JOEL。〃 THEN HE QUOTES THE PROPHECY SUBSTANTIALLY AS FOUND IN JOEL
（QUOTED ABOVE）； ONLY HE PUTS THE WORDS 〃IN THE LAST DAYS；〃 IN THE PLACE OF
〃AFTERWARD；〃 MAKING IT READ； 〃AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THE LAST DAYS；
SAITH GOD； I WILL POUR OUT OF MY SPIRIT；〃 ETC。
IT IS EVIDENT THAT IT WAS THAT PART OF THE PROPHECY ONLY WHICH RELATES TO
THE OUTPOURING OF THE SPIRIT； THAT BEGAN TO BE FULFILLED ON THAT DAY； FOR
THERE WERE NO OLD MEN THERE DREAMING DREAMS； NOR YOUNG MEN AND MAIDENS
SEEING VISIONS AND PROPHESYING； AND NO WONDERS OF BLOOD AND FIRE AND PILLARS
OF SMOKE THEN APPEARED； AND THE SUN WAS NOT DARKENED AND THE MOON WAS NOT
TURNED TO BLOOD AT THAT TIME； AND YET WHAT WAS THERE WITNESSED WAS IN
FULFILLMENT OF THE PROPHECY OF JOEL。 IT IS EQUALLY EVIDENT THAT THIS PART OF
THE PROPHECY CONCERNING THE OUTPOURING OF THE SPIRIT WAS NOT EXHAUSTED IN
THAT ONE MANIFESTATION； FOR THE PROPHECY COVERS ALL DAYS FROM THAT TIME ON
TO THE COMING OF THE GREAT DAY OF THE LORD。
BUT THE DAY OF PENTECOST WAS IN FULFILLMENT OF OTHER PROPHECIES BESIDES THAT
OF JOEL。 IT FULFILLED THE WORDS OF CHRIST HIMSELF AS WELL。 IN HIS LAST
DISCOURSE TO HIS DISCIPLES BEFORE HIS CRUCIFIXION； HE SAID TO THEM： 〃I WILL
PRAY THE FATHER； AND HE SHALL GIVE YOU ANOTHER COMFORTER； 。 。 。 EVEN THE
SPIRIT OF TRUTH。〃 JOHN 14：16； 17。 〃BUT THE COMFORTER； WHICH IS THE HOLY
GHOST； WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME； HE SHALL TEACH YOU ALL THINGS。〃
VERSE 26。 〃HOWBEIT WHEN HE； THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH； IS COME； HE WILL GUIDE
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YOU INTO ALL TRUTH。〃 CHAPTER 16：13。 AND AFTER CHRIST HAD RISEN FROM THE
DEAD； HE SAID TO THE DISCIPLES； 〃BEHOLD； I SEND THE PROMISE OF MY FATHER
UPON YOU： BUT TARRY YE IN THE CITY OF JERUSALEM； UNTIL YE BE ENDUED WITH
POWER FROM ON HIGH。〃 LUKE 24：49。
ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST THE DISCIPLES WERE THUS ENDUED WITH POWER FROM ON
HIGH。 BUT THIS PROMISE OF CHRIST'S WAS NOT； ANY MORE THAN THE PROPHECY OF
JOEL； CONFINED TO THAT OCCASION。 FOR HE GAVE THEM THE SAME PROMISE IN
ANOTHER FORM BY ASSURING THEM THAT HE WOULD BE WITH THEM ALWAYS； EVEN TO THE
END OF THE WORLD。 MATTHEW 28：20。 MARK TELLS US IN WHAT SENSE AND WHAT MANNER
THE LORD WAS TO BE WITH THEM。 HE SAYS； 〃AND THEY WENT FORTH； AND PREACHED
EVERYWHERE； THE LORD WORKING WITH THEM； AND CONFIRMING THE WORD WITH SIGNS
FOLLOWING。〃 MARK 16：20。 AND PETER； ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST； TESTIFIED
CONCERNING THE PERPETUITY OF THIS OPERATION OF THE SPIRIT WHICH THEY HAD
WITNESSED。 WHEN THE CONVICTED JEWS SAID UNTO THE APOSTLES； 〃WHAT SHALL WE
DO？〃 PETER ANSWERED； 〃REPENT； AND BE BAPTIZED EVERY ONE OF YOU IN THE NAME
OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS； AND YE SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF
THE HOLY GHOST。 FOR THE PROMISE IS UNTO YOU； AND TO YOUR CHILDREN； AND TO
ALL THAT ARE AFAR OFF； EVEN AS MANY AS THE LORD OUR GOD SHALL CALL。〃 ACTS
2：37…39。 THIS CERTAINLY PROVIDES FOR THE OPERATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE
CHURCH； EVEN IN ITS SPECIAL MANIFESTATIONS； TO ALL COMING TIME； AS LONG AS
MERCY SHALL INVITE MEN TO ACCEPT THE PARDONING LOVE OF CHRIST。
TWENTY…EIGHT YEARS LATER IN HIS LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS； PAUL SET BEFORE
THAT CHURCH A FORMAL ARGUMENT ON THE QUESTION。 HE SAYS （1 CORINTHIANS 12：1）；
〃NOW CONCERNING SPIRITUAL GIFTS； BRETHREN； I WOULD NOT HAVE YOU
IGNORANT〃SO IMPORTANT DID HE DEEM IT THAT THIS SUBJECT SHOULD BE
UNDERSTOOD IN THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH。 AFTER STATING THAT THOUGH THE SPIRIT IS
ONE IT HAS DIVERSITIES OF OPERATION； AND EXPLAINING WHAT THOSE DIVERSITIES
ARE； HE INTRODUCES THE FIGURE OF THE HUMAN BODY； WITH ITS VARIOUS MEMBERS；
TO SHOW HOW THE CHURCH IS CONSTITUTED WITH ITS DIFFERENT OFFICES AND GIFTS。
AND AS THE BODY HAS ITS VARIOUS MEMBERS； EACH HAVING ITS
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PARTICULAR OFFICE TO FILL； AND ALL WORKING TOGETHER IN UNITY OF PURPOSE TO
CONSTITUTE ONE HARMONIOUS WHOLE； SO THE SPIRIT WAS TO OPERATE THROUGH
VARIOUS CHANNELS IN THE CHURCH TO CONSTITUTE A PERFECT RELIGIOUS BODY。 PAUL
THEN CONTINUES IN THESE WORDS： 〃AND GOD HATH SET SOME IN THE CHURCH； FIRST
APOSTLES； SECONDARILY PROPHETS； THIRDLY TEACHERS； AFTER THAT MIRACLES； THEN
GIFTS OF HEALING； HELPS； GOVERNMENTS； DIVERSITIES OF TONGUES。〃
THE DECLARATION THAT GOD HATH SET SOME IN THE CHUR