The Holy Ghost.
LESSON XII.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
NATURE AND FORM.
ANALYSIS.
I. The Holy Ghost Distinctive in Physical Nature from the Father and
the Son.
II. Spirit Substance.
III. "Person" and "Personage" Defined.
REFERENCES.
Scripture and works cited in the body of this lesson.
_SPECIAL TEXT: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ
Jesus." (Phil. ii:5 c. f. Acts x:38.)_
DISCUSSION.
_1. As Heretofore Considered:_ I have already considered the Holy
Ghost as a member of the Trinity; as a separate Personage in that
Trinity; and have spoken to a limited extent of his special office as
a Witness of the truth. But all that has been said has been to present
a view of him in association with the other Personages of the Godhead.
It is now proposed to consider him by himself, alone--his nature, his
office, the principles upon which men may unite their lives with his
life, and thus attain perfect spiritual life.
_2. The Spirit of the Inquiry:_ Most reverently, and rather
reluctantly, do I address myself to this task. Certainly no one could
approach it lightly, much less arrogantly, as knowing all about it,
when really, after all, one knows and can know so little about it; and
that only which it has pleased God to reveal in his word, and inspired
his prophets to teach. Beyond what is of record in these revelations,
the writer may claim no knowledge of the subject. It is merely to set
forth what may be learned from these sources, grouping the facts as
they may be learned by all in that manner which appeals to him as being
most orderly and clear, and that will make for a reverent attitude
towards this holy Personage of the Godhead.
_3. Distinctions in Nature:_ It appears that the Holy Ghost
differs from the other personages of the Godhead, in this; that while
"the Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's, the Son
also;[A] * * * * the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but
is a personage of spirit. Were it not so the Holy Ghost could not dwell
in us."[B]
[Footnote A: For collected evidence of this truth, and the doctrine
that as the Son is, so is the Father, see Seventy's Year Book, No. III,
Lesson xxiii, notes 7, 8, 11.]
[Footnote B: Doc. and Cov., sec. 130:22.]
Such the declaration of Joseph, the Prophet, in some instruction given
to the Church at Ramus, Illinois, April 2nd, 1843;[A] and admitted into
the body of the Doctrine and Covenants as doctrine of the Church.
[Footnote A: Hist. of the Church--the Journal History of the
Prophet--Vol. V, p. 325.]
With this also, of course, the teaching of President Young agrees: "The
Holy Ghost is the Spirit of the Lord, and issues forth from himself,
and may properly be called God's minister to execute his will in
immensity; being called to govern by his influence and power; but he is
not a person of tabernacle as we are and as our Father in heaven and
Jesus Christ are."[A]
[Footnote A: Journal of Discourses, Vol. I, p. 50.]
_4. "Spirit," Its Substantive[A] Nature:_ To aid in a proper
understanding of the meaning of the Prophet in the passage just quoted,
it is necessary to ascertain what is meant by him in using the terms
"spirit" and "personage." At Ramus, Illinois, 17th of May, 1843, the
Prophet, "speaking of Eternal Duration of Matter," said: "There is no
such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but is more fine
or pure, [i. e. than gross matter] and can only be discerned by purer
eyes. We can not see it, but when our bodies are purified, we shall see
that it is all matter."[B] "In tracing the thing to foundation," said
the Prophet in an editorial of the Times and Seasons, April, 1842, "and
looking at it philosophically, we shall find a very material difference
between the body and the spirit; the body is supposed to be organized
matter, and the spirit, by many, is thought to be immaterial, without
substance. With this latter statement we should beg leave to differ,
and state that spirit is a substance; that it is a material, but that
it is more pure, elastic and refined matter than the body; that it
existed before the body, can exist in the body; and will exist separate
from the body, when the body will be mouldering in the dust; and will
in the resurrection, be again united with it."[C]
[Footnote A: Substantive (2) "Having substance or reality." Example
of use: "The mind is a substantive existence, possessing a uniform
structure of character, however fundamentally different from the bodily
structure." G. T. Curtis, Creation and Evolution, p. 470.]
[Footnote B: "History of the Church," Vol. V, p. 393. The passage,
except the introductory sentence, is admitted into the body of the
Doctrine and Covenants (sec. cxxxi:7, 8).]
[Footnote C: Hist. Ch, Vol. IV, p. 575.]
From this, one is justified in concluding that because the Prophet
refers to the Holy Ghost as a "spirit," he does not thereby mean an
immaterial being, or personage; a being not matter; but a being, a
personage of finer and more subtle material than flesh and bone, else
the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.[A]
[Footnote A: An important truth hinges upon this doctrine and is
considered later.]
_5. Substantive Existence of the Holy Ghost:_ Upon this line of
thought, that is, as to immateriality of spirit, the late Elder Orson
Pratt has a most enlightening passage, which I here give at length:
"Some have supposed the Holy Spirit to be merely a power or influence,
and not a substance; these are the views of Unitarians: they do not
believe that there is a substantive Holy Spirit, but that the Holy
Spirit is only a quality or attribute of the Father's substance. We
shall first show that the Holy Spirit can have no existence as a mere
attribute, or quality, without some substance to which such quality
appertains. It is an admitted principle in all sound philosophy, that
all qualities or powers must be the qualities or powers of something.
Abstract qualities or powers are inconceivable. Motion implies a
substance capable of moving or being moved. Force implies a substance
capable of exerting a power on itself, or on something external to
itself. The various colors of the prism imply a substance capable
of producing the sensations of color upon the optic nerve. Sound
implies a substance in a certain state or condition, affecting the
organ of hearing. Taste implies a substance, exciting its appropriate
sensation. As all these qualities and properties imply substance to
which they belong, so do wisdom, knowledge, power, goodness, love, and
such like qualities, imply substances to which they adhere. And as we
cannot conceive of motion, force, color, or sound existing without a
substrate, so we cannot conceive of wisdom, knowledge, goodness, or
virtue subsisting without a substantive being to which these qualities
belong.
"Some writers who have obtained a degree of celebrity among the
speculative philosophers of modern times, have advocated a theory (if
indeed, it may be called a theory), that power, forces, etc., in the
abstract constitute the whole universe. Boscovich and his disciples
maintained this idea, and contended that there was no such thing
as substance in existence--that the universe was made up, not of
substance, but of an infinitude of mathematical points, attracting,
repelling, and combining with each other according to certain laws.
According to this theory it is assumed that repulsions of a certain
degree of intensity produce solidity--that those of less intensity
produce liquidity, and that the various degrees of rarity or density
depend, not upon substance, but upon the attractions and repulsions of
points in different degrees of proximity. A celebrated writer of our
own day--Isaac Taylor--is inclined to this theory. After suggesting
the idea that substance was not necessary in the constitution of the
universe, he says, 'The visible and palpable world then, according to
this theory, is motion, constant and uniform, emanating from infinite
centres, and springing, during every instant of its continuance from
the Creative Energy.' (Isaac Taylor's Physical Theory of Another Life,
p. 238.)
"According to this theory, attractions and repulsions must exist
without anything to be attracted or rexpelled--motion must exist
without anything being moved--there must be 'a springing' from
'infinite centres' continuing 'every instant' without anything to
be sprung. Here are energies, forces, and motion, ascribed not to a
substance, but to empty space, or nothing. The latter writer, it is
true, admits a 'Creative Energy.' What he means by this is, that all
those varieties of motions were created. But if there is no substance,
there can be nothing but empty space; but space is not capable of
motion, therefore, 'Creative Energy' could not create a motion, until
there was something in space to be moved. Therefore, to speak of motion
where nothing exists is an absurdity, only equaled by the absurdity of
the notion of a 'God without body or parts.'
"As it is impossible for motion to exist without a substance, so it
is equally impossible and absurd for wisdom, knowledge, goodness,
love, power, will, or any other similar attribute or quality to exist
separate and apart from substance; hence the 'Creative Energy' itself
could not exist unless a substance existed to which it appertained. The
most eminent philosophers of modern times, with very few exceptions,
have considered substance necessary to the existence of every quality.
These were the views of that great master spirit--the renowned Sir
Isaac Newton. In the Scholium, at the end of the 'Principia,' when
speaking of God, he says, 'He is omnipresent, not by means of his
virtue alone, but also by his substance, for virtue cannot subsist
without substance.' The Holy Spirit, therefore, is a substance, and
must, like all other substances, have parts, bearing relation to space
and duration."[A]
[Footnote A: Millennial Star, Vol. XII, No. 20.]
Then as to "personage:" The Prophet used this term always in the
sense of meaning an individual, including bodily form, with all that
belongs to it; never in the subtle and vague sense of the philosophers
or school men, mediaeval or modern.[A] This is evident from use of
the term in describing his first vision: "I saw two personages whose
brightness and glory defy all description."[B] These two "personages"
were the Father and the Son, of the holy Trinity, and whom in later
years, as already seen, the Prophet declares to possess bodies of flesh
and bone as tangible as man's, and in form like man's. It follows,
then, that describing the Holy Ghost as a "personage of Spirit," means
only that the Holy Ghost differs from the other glorious personages
of the Godhead in the nature of the substance of which, for want of a
better term, we may say he subsists, but not necessarily different in
form; and of which we can only say--that is, of his substance--he is
not flesh and bone as are the tabernacles of the Father and the Son.
[Footnote A: Never, for example, as Calvin uses it: "What I denominate
a person is a subsistence of the divine essence which is related to
the others and yet is distinguished from them by an incommunicable
property." Calvin's Institutes i:13; or as the philosophers use it,
where consciousness, thought and will seem to be the essentials
of "personality," without any reference to form. (See Evolution in
Relation to Religious Thought, Dr. Jos. Le Conte, p. 339.)]
[Footnote B: Pearl of Great Price, Writings of Joseph Smith, ch. ii.]
LESSON XIII.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
NATURE AND FORM (Continued).
ANALYSIS.
IV. A Spiritual Personage Revealed.
V. The Holy Ghost in Person Revealed
VI. Personality of the Holy Ghost Revealed in Described Activities.
VII. The mode of Union Between the Holy Ghost and Men.
REFERENCES.
The Scriptures and works cited in the body of this lesson.
_SPECIAL TEXT: "I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet,
nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord, and he spake
unto me as a man speaketh with another." (II Nephi xi:)_
DISCUSSION.
_1. A Personage of Spirit Revealed:_ The Holy Ghost may be as the
pre-existent spirit of the Christ was, before the incarnation; and
of which we have at least one enlightening revelation in the Book of
Mormon.
The brother of Jared having by faith come into the presence of the
Christ, that spirit personage, said to him:
"Behold I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to
redeem my people; * * * and never have I showed myself unto man whom I
have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast. Seest thou
that ye are created after mine own image [likeness]. Yea, even all men
were created in the beginning after mine own image. Behold this body
which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I created
after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in
the spirit, will I appear unto my people in the flesh."[A]
[Footnote A: Book of Ether, ch. iii.]
I do not say that the spirit-personage of this passage and the
"personage of spirit," the Holy Ghost, is declared to be by the Prophet
Joseph Smith, of like essence or substance, or even that they are
similar in the nature of their substances; they may be very different.
But the passage in Ether informs us what a spirit-personage may be. He
may be as Jesus was, a spirit in the form of a man.
_2. The Holy Ghost Revealed:_ In his "Articles of Faith," Elder
James E. Talmage says:
"That the Holy Ghost is capable of manifesting himself in the true
form and figure of God, after which image man is shaped, is indicated
by the wonderful interview between the Spirit and Nephi, in which he
revealed himself to the Prophet, questioned him concerning his desires
and belief, instructed him in the things of God, speaking face to face
with the man. 'I spake unto him,' says Nephi, 'as a man speaketh; for
I beheld that he was in form of a man, yet nevertheless I knew that it
was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh to
another.'"[A]
[Footnote A: Articles of Faith, p. 164; and I Nephi xi:22. Elder Orson
Pratt refers to the same passage in 1850, and makes the following
comment: "Whether this Spirit that Nephi saw 'in the form or a man'
was the person of the Holy Spirit, or the personal Spirit of Jesus,
which, about six hundred years afterwards took upon himself flesh, is
not definitely stated. The brother of Jared, some two thousand years
before Christ, saw the personal Spirit of Christ, which was in the form
of a man. Nephi might have seen the same; but we are rather inclined to
believe from the context, that he saw the personage of the Holy Spirit;
if so, this establishes, beyond doubt, the personality of the Holy
Spirit."]
Of this evidence for the personality and even the individuality of the
Holy Ghost, in human form, it might be said that since the pre-existent
spirit of the Christ, and doubtless the spirits of all men, existed in
human form, some one of these of sufficient excellence and holiness
could by appointment have ministered unto Nephi, and be called the
"Spirit of the Lord." But a close consideration of the context of the
quoted passage will, I think, dispel that idea and leave established
the view of the author of the "Articles of Faith," and that view to
which Elder Orson Pratt more especially inclined, viz.: that on the
above occasion there was given to the Prophet Nephi a view of the
spirit-personage of the Holy Trinity, known to us in the word of God as
the Holy Ghost. The considerations which lead me to that conclusion are
that in the chapter preceding the one in which it is declared that the
"Spirit of the Lord" was "in the form of a man," Nephi had expressed
his desire to see and hear, and know of these things by the power of
the Holy Ghost, "which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently
seek him."[A] Then in a subsequent verse he remarks: "And the Holy
Ghost giveth authority that I should speak these things, and deny them
not."[B] Then follows the narrative in which occurs the statement that
the "spirit of the Lord," which conversed with Nephi, was "in the form
of a man" This juxtaposition of the terms "Holy Ghost" and the "Spirit
of the Lord," "in the form of a man," is too significant to doubt of
identity of personage.
[Footnote A: I Nephi x:17.]
[Footnote B: Ibid 18.]
_3. The New Testament on the Personality of the Holy Ghost:_ It
is also clear from the New Testament scriptures that the Holy Ghost
is a "spiritual personage" in the sense presented in this lesson, for
the reason that he is referred to as a personage, and as doing those
things which only a personage, in the sense of that personage being
an individual, would do. In these scriptures the Holy Ghost is quite
generally "HE" rather than "IT." "I will pray to the Father," said
Jesus, "and he will give you another Comforter, * * * even the Spirit
of Truth whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth _him_ not,
neither knoweth _him_; but ye know _him_, for _he_ dwelleth with you
and shall be in you."[A] "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost,
* * * _he_ shall teach you all things;"[B] "* * * _He_ shall testify
of me."[C] _He_ will guide you into all truth; for _he_ shall not
speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear that shall _he_ speak,
and _he_ will show you things to come. _He_ shall glorify me for _he_
shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you."[D] "And when _he_ is
come, _he_ will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness and of
judgment."[E]
[Footnote A: John xiv:16, 17.]
[Footnote B: John xiv:26.]
[Footnote C: John xv:26.]
[Footnote D: John xvi:13, 14.]
[Footnote E: John xvi:8.]
Moreover, as we have seen in a previous lesson, the Holy Ghost does
those things, performs those offices which may be done only by a
"person" in the sense here considered, viz. He is represented as
proceeding from the Father; as sent forth in the name of the Son; as
abiding; as teaching; as bearing witness; as reproving the world; as
guiding; and revealing.[A]
[Footnote A: See Lesson viii, this treatise where citation to scripture
for all these things is given.]
It is, however, proper that attention should be called to the fact that
in some cases the Holy Ghost is represented by the neuter pronoun "It"
and "Itself." "The spirit _itself_ beareth witness with our spirit."[A]
John calls the Holy Spirit "the anointing;" "But the anointing which ye
have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach
you; but as the same anointing teach you all things, and is truth, and
is no lie, and even as it hath taught, ye shall abide in him."[B] Here
we see that the neuter pronoun "_it_" is applied to the Spirit which
"teacheth all things."[C] "That this anointing," says Orson Pratt,
"referred to the Holy Spirit is evident, not only from its 'teaching
all things,' but the word is so applied by Peter: 'God anointed Jesus
of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power.'"[D] Elder Pratt also
cites the following instances from the Book of Mormon: "The Book of
Mormon in two places uses the neuter pronoun 'it' when speaking of
the Holy Ghost. Nephi says, 'Behold, there are many that harden their
hearts against the Holy Spirit, that it hath no place in them.' And
again, he says, 'If ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy
Ghost, it will show unto you all things what we should do.' In another
place the Book of Mormon represents the Spirit of the Lord as a person.
Nephi says of this spirit, 'I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I
beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet, nevertheless, I knew that
it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh
with another.'"
[Footnote A: Rom, viii:16.]
[Footnote B: I John ii:27.]
[Footnote C: Acts x:38.]
[Footnote D: Mill. Star, Vol. XII, p. 307.]
It is, in his described activities, however, that one may find the best
idea of the nature of the personal quality of the Holy Ghost, and these
activities can only obtain, as we hope is abundantly set forth in these
lessons, in connection with a personality, and in the sense of that
personality being an individual spirit.
_4. Mode of Union Between the Holy Ghost and Men:_ The question
will be asked, however, how the doctrine of the personality of the
Holy Ghost, in the sense of his being a spirit-personage, in the form
of man, is to be made compatible with the idea that the Holy Ghost
operates simultaneously upon the minds of many persons; in fact becomes
an indwelling influence and power in them. "Receive ye the Holy Ghost,"
is said to all those who accept the ordinances of the gospel--both the
first and second part of the Christian baptism; and the theory is that
though these become an innumerable host, such as no man can number,
there would still be for each a personal relationship with the Holy
Ghost. Each would receive him; each would be baptized of the Spirit;
and that which each would receive would be his bond of fellowship with
God, his union with the divine life, his re-established communion with
God, hitherto severed by sin. To each the Holy Ghost would be his
special source of knowledge, as we have seen, of God the Father, and
Jesus the Son;[A] the Holy Ghost would be the life of God in the life
of each; the power by which he would be conformed to the very image
and likeness of God--inducted in fact into the divine nature. How
can all this be if the Holy Ghost be regarded as a personage, in the
sense of his being an individual; and necessarily limited by the laws
of form and substance? That is to say, that as a personage, he is not
everywhere present; as a personage, not capable of being in two places
at the same moment of time; as a personage, limited as to the amount of
substance or spiritual essence of which he subsists; as a personage,
not of unlimited or inexhaustible substance, extending throughout the
universe. These conclusions are inevitable from the nature of beings,
however refined of substance or essence, or however exalted in office
and power, or however glorious, if to them we ascribe form; or if God
in his word prescribes form to them, as in this case. These conclusions
are inevitable where form is the mode of existence.
[Footnote A: No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy
Ghost. I Cor. xii:3. "I bear record of the Father, and the Father
beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father
and me." III Nephi xi:32.]
Happily the task does not devolve upon the writer to advance a positive
theory with reference to this difficulty. Frankly he confesses himself
inadequate to such a task. If the Son of God, so far the Master Teacher
in this world, felt it necessary to say, "The wind bloweth where it
listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence
it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the
Spirit"[A]--if the Master Teacher said this, surely it is becoming in
this writer not to attempt in any positive way to give an exposition
of that which our Lord saw proper to leave in the above status. Still,
reverently, and subject to correction that may come with the further
unfolding of God's revealed word, one may without presumption suggest
how conception of the Holy Ghost as a personal spirit may not be
incompatible with effectual, personal contact with each one that shall
obey the commandment to be born both of the water and of the Spirit;
and how the Holy Ghost may become an indwelling power in each of such
persons regardless of numbers.
[Footnote A: St. John iii:8.]
In Lesson II of this treatise I discussed the immanence of God in the
world, and developed the thought, I trust clearly, that there was
both with human and divine persons an influence radiating forth from
them. And that so far as divine persons were concerned, since they had
attained to participation in the divine nature, which is essentially
one, their influence was one, with others likewise so developed,
and divine; and that so blended into one spiritual atmosphere this
influence or "Spirit of God" became the Immanent Deity, the Light which
lighteth every man that cometh into the world, and through which God
is everywhere present and a power in his creations, throughout the
immensity of space.[A]
[Footnote A: It is suggested that the student refresh his mind by
reading again Lesson II.]
The point to be made here by reference to the discussion in Lesson
II is, that if other Divine Intelligences radiate a spiritual
influence and power, is it not conformable to reason to think that
the Holy Ghost will also radiate a spiritual influence and power from
himself that will be all sufficient to bring him in personal contact
with the soul of every man who obeys the gospel--the conditions
essential to fellowship with the Holy Ghost? And may it not be, and
indeed from the nature of the revealed knowledge we have of this
Spirit, are we not under the necessity of believing that such is his
peculiar nature--wholly spiritual, as we have seen--that he acts more
immediately, and more powerfully upon the consciousness and soul of
man than any other spiritual power whatsoever? And is not this the
explanation of the fact that he who sins against the testimony which
union with the Holy Ghost gives, is under greater condemnation than for
any other sin whatsoever?[A]
[Footnote A: "He that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never
forgiveness." (St. Mark iii:28.) "It is impossible for those who were
once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made
partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and
the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them
again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God
afresh, and put him to an open shame." (Hebrew vi:6).]
_Illustration; Analogy:_ Let us see if analogy will not help us
here. We know that self-luminous bodies send forth vibrations that
in turn produce light waves; and these acting upon the organs of
sight render visible the objects from which the vibrations proceed.
The sun is such a luminous body; and though its material body is
some 92,000,000 of miles distant, yet to us men it is a glorious
earth-presence, this sun, flooding the earth with light and warmth and
life-giving power, without which all life would languish and die. And
it is possible, and to this writer's thought very probable, that not
only to the planet earth of our solar system, but to some of the other
major planets of the system, though by many hundreds of millions of
miles more distant from the sun than our earth, the sun may perform
the same kindly office for them, not only in the matter of giving them
light, which we know to be the case, but also the warmth and vital
energy essential to their forms of life. But with this we need not
concern ourselves now.
The analogy I suggest is this, and I press it no further than
illustration: If a physical, luminous body can send forth from its
presence an energy into such immense space depths, as we know our sun
does, and conveys its essential qualities of light and heat and vital
force to planets at least so distant as our earth is from the sun; may
it not be that a spirit of such dignity and power as we have a right
from what is revealed of him to believe the Holy Ghost is, cannot he,
more abundantly, and even to infinity, give forth spiritual energy that
shall unite to himself all those who are born again--those who obey the
gospel? And as one may not separate the ray of light from the luminous
object whence it proceeds, so one may not, or so it would seem--fail to
be completely united with the spirit-personage of the Holy Ghost by the
direct spiritual energy proceeding forth from his divine presence.
This conclusion is not given, be it remembered, as a positive dictum
as to the mode of union of man with God through the fellowship or
possession of the Holy Ghost. It is only a tentative suggestion as to a
possible mode of that union, to meet the question as to how it can be
possible to regard the Holy Ghost as a spirit-personage in the sense
of his being an individual--a conclusion forced upon the understanding
by the revelations of God which present him to us--and at the same
time accept the notion--also forced upon the understanding by what
is revealed of the Holy Ghost--that he is in conscious union with
unnumbered millions of minds who have been brought into fellowship with
God through the spiritual birth. But for the matter itself, as to any
dogmatizing about it--"The wind bloweth where it listeth, * * * * ye
know not whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth: so is every one that
is born of the Spirit."
LESSON XIV.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
OFFICES (I. E., FUNCTIONS) OF THE HOLY GHOST.
ANALYSIS
I. Chief Office--Witness for Father and the Son.
II. Comforter.
III. Teacher.
IV. Remembrancer.
REFERENCES.
The Scripture passages cited in the body of this lesson.
_SPECIAL TEXT: "When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you
from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the
Father, he shall testify of me." (St John xv.26.)_
DISCUSSION.
_1. Review of Former Statement:_ It has already been pointed out
in Lesson X, when considering the Holy Ghost in association with the
Father and the Son in the Godhead, that his chief office, in the sense
of function, is to be a witness for the two other divine personages of
the Godhead, and for the truth of God--for the whole volume of it. That
description of his office, however, was merely incidental, as explained
in a footnote at the time, and followed only so far as was necessary to
indicate merely the chief work of this divine Spirit.
_2. Chief Function of the Holy Ghost--Witness for God:_ It was
there emphasized, however, that the chief function of the Holy Ghost
was to be Witness for God the Father, and for Jesus Christ:
"Ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and of
the Son."[A] "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy
Ghost"[B]
[Footnote A: II Nephi xxxi:18.]
[Footnote B: I Cor. xii.]
"But when the Comforter is come ... he shall testify of me."[A]
[Footnote A: St. John v;26.]
These passages were relied upon to emphasize that conclusion; and to
these the following may be added: "I bear record of the Father," said
Jesus to the Nephites, "and the Father beareth record of me, and the
Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me." "Whoso believeth in
me, believeth in the Father also, and unto him will the Father bear
record of me: for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost.
And thus will the Father bear record of me and the Holy Ghost will bear
record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I and the
Holy Ghost are one."[A]
[Footnote A: III Nephi xi:32-36.]
This chief office of the Holy Ghost established, we may now proceed to
the consideration of other functions of this Divine Personage.
_3. Comforter:_ As the time drew near for Jesus to make his
great sacrifice, and then depart from the immediate presence of his
disciples, he manifested a great desire to comfort them, and this he
did by promising to send to them from the Father, the Holy Ghost, that
he (the Holy Ghost) might abide with them forever.
"If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and
he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for
ever; even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because
it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth
with you, and shall be in you."[A]
[Footnote A: St. John xiv:16, 17. It will doubtless be of interest to
note in this connection another promise following immediately upon
this one relative to the Holy Ghost as a Comforter, and very generally
overlooked even by Christians, namely, a promise that both the Father
and Son would also take up their abode with those who keep the
commandments. "I will not leave you comfortless," said the Christ in
the verse following the one given in the text above, "I will come unto
you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me:
because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am
in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments,
and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall
be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to
him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt
manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and
said unto him. If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father
will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with
him." When Orson Hyde gave a "spiritual interpretation" to the last
statement, to the effect that it is "our privilege to have the Father
and Son dwelling in our hearts," the Prophet Joseph answered: "When the
Savior shall appear, we shall see him as he is. We shall see that he is
a man like ourselves, and that the same sociality which exists among us
here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal
glory, which glory we do not now enjoy. The appearing of the Father
and the Son, in that verse (John xiv:23) is a personal appearance; and
the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man's heart is an old
sectarian notion, and is false." (Doc. and Cov., Sec. cxxx.)]
_4. The Holy Ghost as Teacher:_ Continuing his discourse on the
Comforter, Jesus said:
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send
in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."[A]
[Footnote A: John xiv:26.]
In continuation of his remarks on this subject, to the disciples, he
told them he had many things to say unto them, but they could not bear
them at that time. "Howbeit," said he, "when he, the Spirit of Truth,
is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of
himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will
show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of
mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are
mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it
unto you."[A]
[Footnote A: John xvi:13-15.]
From these passages four important things are learned respecting the
powers of the Holy Ghost:
(1) That he will teach all things; and, what is equivalent, "guide
into all truth." (2) He will bring all things to remembrance, that is,
whatsoever things have been stored in the mind. (3) He will show things
to come. (4) He will take of the things of God and reveal them unto men.
Of the excellence and importance of these several powers it is scarcely
needful to speak, since their excellence is evident upon the mere
enumeration of them, yet one cannot refrain from looking at them more
in detail. How excellent a thing it is to have a teacher competent to
teach "all things," and "guide into all truth." In view of the fact
that the saints possessed the Holy Ghost, and that the Holy Ghost has
these powers, one can understand the reasonableness of John's remarks
to the saints, in which he says:
"But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. * *
* The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye
need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you
of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught
you, ye shall abide in him."[A]
[Footnote A: John ii;20, 27.]
Moreover, to the extent that a man is guided into all truth, he is
preserved from all error. There is no danger of his being deceived,
or led astray by every wind of doctrine, or the cunning craftiness of
false teachers, so long as he is in possession of that Spirit which
guides into all truth. So taught Isaiah, who, in speaking of the time
when the house of Israel should possess this Spirit, said:
"And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of
affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any
more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers;
"And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way,
walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the
left."[A]
[Footnote A: Isaiah xxx:20, 21.]
_5. The Holy Ghost as Remembrancer:_ As to the second power
enumerated, viz.: the power to bring all things to remembrance; it is
a most practical and important function, as it would be impossible
for man to live the law of the Gospel without some such grace being
conferred upon him by the Lord. The law of the Gospel requires men not
only to do good to those who do good to them, but to do good to those
who despitefully use them; not only to lend to those who lend to them,
but to lend to those of whom they may not hope to receive anything in
return; to revile not those who may revile them--in a word, the law of
the Gospel is summed up in this: "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome
evil with good."[A]
[Footnote A: Romans xii:21. See also Matt. v, vi.]
However fine this may be in theory, to carry it practically into
the affairs of life is difficult. When reviled it seems but natural
to answer railing with railing, blows with blows, and for injury
inflicted, return as much in kind as is within one's power to inflict.
And unless in possession of this grace bestowed by the Holy Ghost,
viz., having brought to one's recollection the things of Christ's
Gospel, being reminded in the very moment of temptation of these
laws--when smarting under a sense of injustice, or suffering under
wrongs heaped upon one--it would be difficult if not impossible to
live up to these heaven-given precepts. But by having the Holy Spirit
as one's prompter in the moments of temptation, and by cultivating the
Christian virtue of patience, this law of the Gospel, so contravening
the natural disposition of man, may be complied with, and the follower
of Christ, like his Master, may be able to say for those who inflict
injury upon him, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."
_6. President Brigham Young on the Same:_ Along this line of
thought the late President Brigham Young left on record, in a discourse
delivered on the 28th of August, 1852, [Journal of Discourses, Vol. I],
a very choice deliverance, in which he urged righteousness upon the
ministry of the Church everywhere and at all times, through constant
possession of the Holy Ghost. The passage follows:
"When I heard the brethren exhorting those who are going on missions,
I wished them to impress one thing upon the minds of the elders, for
it is necessary that it should be uppermost there, which may be the
means of preserving them from receiving stains on their characters
from which very probably they may never recover. If we get a blight
on our characters before the Lord, or in other words, lose ground and
backslide by transgression, or in any other way, so that we are not up
even with the brethren, as we are now, we never can come up with them
again. But this principle must be carried out by the elders wherever
they go, whatever they do, or wherever they are. One thing must be
observed and be before them all the time in their meditations, and in
their practice, and that is, clean hands and pure hearts, before God,
angels, and men. If the elders cannot go with clean hands and pure
hearts, they had better stay here, and wash a little longer; don't go
thinking when you arrive at the Missouri river, at the Mississippi, at
the Ohio, or at the Atlantic, that then you will purify yourselves, but
start from here with clean hands and pure hearts, and be pure from the
crown of your heads to the soles of your feet, then live so every hour.
Go in that manner, and in that manner labor, and return again as clean
as a piece of pure, white paper. This is the way to go, and if you do
not do that, your hearts will ache.
"How can you do it? Is there a way? Yes! Do the elders understand that
way? They do. You cannot keep your hands clean, and your hearts pure,
without the help of the Lord; neither will he keep you pure without
your own help. Will you be liable to fall into temptation and be
overtaken in sin? Yes, unless you live so as to have the revelation of
Jesus Christ continually, not only to live in it today, or while you
are preaching in a prayer meeting, or in a conference; but when you
are out of the meetings. You must have the Holy Spirit all the time,
on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and every day through the week, and from
year to year, from the time you leave home until you return, so that
when you come back, you may not be afraid if the Lord Almighty should
come into the midst of the Saints and reveal all the acts and doings
and designs of your hearts in your missions, but be found clean like a
piece of white paper; that is the way for the elders to live in their
ministry at home and abroad."
LESSON XV.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
OFFICE (I. E., FUNCTIONS) OF THE HOLY GHOST (Continued).
ANALYSIS.
V. The Revealer: The Spirit of Prophecy.
VI. Miscellaneous Gifts and Powers.
VII. Personal Graces Imparted.
REFERENCES.
The works and Scripture passages cited in the body of the lesson.
_SPECIAL TEXT: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he
will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but
whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you
things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and
shall shew it unto you." (St. John xvi:13, 14.)_
DISCUSSION.
_1. The Holy Ghost the Spirit of Prophecy and of Revelation:_ "He
will show you things to come." In other words, the Holy Ghost is the
spirit of prophecy, for by it the future has been unfolded to the minds
of the prophets; and by it the scriptures were given. In proof of this
I quote the apostle Peter: "Prophecy came not in old time by the will
of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved upon by the Holy
Ghost."[A] And that which they spake was written and became scripture.
[Footnote A: II Peter i:21.]
When an angel visited John on Patmos and that apostle fell at his feet
to worship him, the angel said: "See thou do it not. I am they fellow
servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus [which is
the Holy Ghost]: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit
of prophecy."[A]
[Footnote A: Rev. xix:10. These facts will exhibit the inconsistency,
nay, I may say, the absolutely erroneous position of those who insist
that while the Holy Ghost has continued with men, prophecy and
revelation have ceased.]
The very fact, as stated in the fourth item taken from these passages
under consideration [Lesson XIV, subdivision 4], viz., that the Holy
Ghost will take of the things of the Lord and show them unto men, also
proves that this Spirit is one of revelation, and is in harmony with
the scripture which saith:
"But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for
them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit;
for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For
what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is
in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of
God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit
which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given
to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's
wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual
things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of
the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he
know them, because they are spiritually discerned."[A]
[Footnote A: I Cor. ii:9-14.]
_2. Joseph Smith on the "Spirit of Revelation:"_ The spirit of
revelation is in connection with these blessings [i. e. receiving the
Holy Ghost, see context of discourse]. A person may profit by noticing
the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when
you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden
strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the
same day or soon; [i. e.] those things that were presented unto your
minds by the Spirit of God will come to pass; and thus by learning the
Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of
revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus.[A]
[Footnote A: Joseph Smith in a discourse to the Twelve, 27th June,
1839, History of the Church, Vol. III, p. 381.]
He also teaches, in the same discourse, that there are two comforters:
one the Holy Ghost, whom he calls the First Comforter; the other, Jesus
Christ, whom he calls the Second Comforter, in explanation of St. John
xiv:12-23. (See also note e, Lesson XIV.)
"There are two comforters spoken of. One is the Holy Ghost, the same
as given on the day of Pentecost, and that all Saints receive after
faith, repentance and baptism. Their First Comforter or Holy Ghost
has no other effect than pure intelligence. It is more powerful in
expanding the mind, enlightening the understanding, and storing the
intellect with present knowledge, of a man who is of the literal seed
of Abraham, than one that is a Gentile, though it may not have half as
much visible effect upon the body; for as the Holy Ghost falls upon one
of the literal seed of Abraham, it is calm and serene; and his whole
soul and body are only exercised by the pure spirit of intelligence;
while the effect of the Holy Ghost upon a Gentile, is to purge out the
old blood, and make him actually of the seed of Abraham. That man that
has none of the blood of Abraham [naturally] must have a new creation
by the Holy Ghost. In such a case, there may be more of a powerful
effect upon the body, and visible to the eye, than upon an Israelite,
while the Israelite at first might be far before the Gentile in pure
intelligence.[A]
[Footnote A: The Other Comforter: This subject, in part, was treated
in footnote e, in Lesson XIV. I quote what the Prophet said further
upon the subject in this foot note: "The Other Comforter spoken of is
a subject of great interest, and perhaps understood by few of this
generation. After a person has faith in Christ, repents of his sins,
and is baptized for the remission of his sins and receives the Holy
Ghost, by the laying on of hands, which is the first Comforter, then
let him continue to humble himself before God, hungering and thirsting
after righteousness, and living by every word of God, and the Lord
will soon say unto him, Son, thou shalt be exalted. When the Lord
has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is determined to
serve Him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and his
election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the other
Comforter, which the Lord hath promised the Saints, as is recorded in
the testimony of St. John, in the 14th chapter, from the 12th to the
27th verses. * * * Now what is this other Comforter? It is no more
nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ himself; and this is the sum and
substance of the whole matter; that when any man obtains this last
Comforter, he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or
appear unto him from time to time, and even he will manifest the Father
unto him, and they will take up their abode with him, and the visions
of the heavens will be opened unto him, and the Lord will teach him
face to face, and he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of
the Kingdom of God; and this is the state and place the ancient Saints
arrived at when they had such glorious visions--Isaiah, Ezekiel, John
upon the Isle of Patmos, St. Paul in the three heavens, and all the
Saints who held communion with the general assembly, and the Church of
the First Born." (History of the Church, Vol. III, pp. 380-1).]
_3. Miscellaneous Gifts and Powers Imparted by the Holy Ghost:_
In addition to these special powers of the Holy Ghost, there are a
number of gifts and powers enumerated, as one may say, in mass in the
scriptures, and yet of highest importance. Paul says:
"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you
ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles carried away unto these dumb
idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that
no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and
that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there
are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are
diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all
in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to
profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to
another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by
the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another
discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another
the interpretation of tongues; but all these worketh that one and the
selfsame spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. For as
the body is one, and hath many members and all the members of that one
body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For by one Spirit
are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles,
whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one
Spirit."[A]
[Footnote A: I Cor. xii:1-13.]
_4. President Young on the Effect of the Holy Ghost Upon the Mind of
Man:_ "The Holy Ghost takes of the Father, and of the Son, and shows
it to the disciples. It shows them things past, present, and to come.
It opens the vision of the mind, unlocks the treasures of wisdom, and
they begin to understand the things of God; their minds are exalted
on high; their conceptions of God and His creations are dignified,
and "Hallelujah to God and the Lamb in the highest," is the constant
language of their hearts. They comprehend themselves and the great
object of their existence. They also comprehend the designs of the
wicked one, and the designs of those who serve him; they comprehend the
designs of the Almighty in forming the earth; and mankind upon it, and
the ultimate purpose of all His creations. It leads them to drink at
the fountain of eternal wisdom, justice, and truth; they grow in grace,
and in the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus Christ, until they
see as they are seen and know as they are known."[A]
[Footnote A: Journal of Discourses, Vol. I, p. 241.]
_5. Personal Graces Imparted by the Holy Ghost:_ In addition to
these several spiritual gifts enumerated by Paul, he also gives--in
his letter to the Galatians--in like mass, an enumeration of what I
think may be called "personal graces," as the "fruit of the Spirit,"
having references to the Holy Ghost, since he is directing his remarks
to those who have accepted the Gospel of Christ.[A] The enumeration of
these "graces"--"fruit of the Spirit"--will gain something in beauty
and strength if placed, as the apostle himself places it, in contrast
with the "works of the flesh."
[Footnote A: See the Epistle to the Galatians, passim.]
"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty
for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all
the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: Thou shalt love they
neighbor as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed
that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, walk in the
Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh
lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these
are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that
ye would. But i. ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred,
variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings,
murders, drunkenness, revellings and such like: of the which I tell you
before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such
things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there
is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the
affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the
Spirit."[A]
[Footnote A: Gal. v:13-25.]
LESSON XVI.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
THE PROMISE OF THE HOLY GHOST.
ANALYSIS.
I. The Holy Ghost Promised by the Forerunner of the Christ.
II. Promised by Messiah.
III. Promised by Apostolic Authority Universal.
IV. The Insignia of the Holy Ghost--"The Sign of a Dove."
REFERENCES.
The works and Scriptures cited in the body of the lesson.
_SPECIAL TEXT: "Wait for the Promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye
have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be
baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."--Jesus (Acts 1:4-5.)_
DISCUSSION.
_1. John the Baptist's Promise of the Holy Ghost:_ When John the
Baptist came with his message of "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is
at hand"; he also said:
"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh
after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he
shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire."[A]
[Footnote A: Matt. iii:11; also Mark i:7-9.]
Afterwards John bore record that Jesus of Nazareth was he of whom he
spake. "I saw," said he, "the Spirit descending from heaven like a
dove, and it abode upon him (Jesus). And I knew him not: but he that
sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou
shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he
which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bear record that
this is the Son of God."[A]
[Footnote A: John i:32-34, in connection with verse 29-31.]
_2. The Premise of the Christ:_ Jesus himself made frequent
allusion to this baptism of the Holy Ghost; and, as we have seen in
previous lessons, expounded 'the functions and powers of that Spirit.
Finally, after his death and resurrection, and just previous to his
departure from among his disciples in Judea, he said to them:
"Wait for the promise of the Father, which * * * ye have heard of me.
For John, truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the
Holy Ghost not many days hence."[A]
[Footnote A: Acts i:4, 5.]
The reference to the promise made through John the Baptist is obvious;
and the disciples who had anxiously looked for its accomplishment were
now informed that its fulfillment was not many days hence.
The promise was fulfilled, for in about seven days[A] after the
Messiah's ascension, on the day of Pentecost, the disciples being
assembled with one accord, in one place, "Suddenly there came a sound
from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house
where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues
like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were filled
with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the
Spirit gave them utterance."[B]
[Footnote A: Pentecost came fifty days after the Passover, (reckoning
from the second day of the Passover--the 16th of the Month Nisan)
on which day the Lord Jesus was crucified. Allowing that he laid
three days in the tomb, and was with his disciples forty days after
his resurrection (Acts i:3), forty-three days of the fifty between
Passover and Pentecost was accounted for, leaving but seven between his
ascension and the day of Pentecost, when the promise of the baptism of
the Spirit was fulfilled.]
[Footnote B: Acts ii 2-4.]
Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, so abundantly given
to himself and companions on that day, preached a discourse which
convinced thousands that Jesus was both Lord and Christ, the Savior of
the world; and in answering the question of the multitude as to what
they should do, after telling them to repent, and to be baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins, he added: "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."[A]
[Footnote A: Acts ii:38,39.]
I call attention to the universality of this promise. It was made to
those who were listening to the apostles; but not to them alone, it
extended to their children, to them also that were afar off--to those
who were a hundred years off, or five hundred, or five or ten thousand
years off; the promise was to them; and as if this was not sufficiently
universal, the apostle adds, "even to as many as the Lord our God shall
call"--call to what? to as many, of course, as are called to yield
obedience to the gospel--to all such the promise extends.
_4. Special Promise of the Holy Ghost in the New Dispensation of the
Gospel:_ As the promise made by John was repeated and emphasized by
the Savior, so, likewise, has this general promise made by the Apostle
Peter been repeated and emphasized by the Lord, in restoring the gospel
to the earth in this dispensation in which we live. To the first elders
of the Church in our day, he said:
As I said unto mine apostles, even so I say unto you, for ye are mine
apostles. * * * Therefore, * * * I say unto you again, that every soul
who believeth on your words, and is baptized by water for the remission
of sins, shall receive the Holy Ghost.[A]
[Footnote A: Dov. and Cov. Sec. lxxxiv:65, 64.]
So to those who have faith in the revelations which the Lord has given
through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the promise of the Holy Ghost is
repeated, and assurance is made doubly sure.
_5. Sign of the Holy Ghost:_ The descent of the Holy Ghost upon
Jesus and its abiding with him, was to be John's sign that he it was
who would baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire. He knew not who
that divine person was in Israel until this sign should be given to
him. Hence we have him saying, after the sign had designated Jesus as
the one who would baptize with the Holy Ghost--"I knew him not; but he
that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, 'Upon whom
thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same is
he which baptized with the Holy Ghost; and I saw and bear record that
this is the Son of God."[A]
[Footnote A: St. John i:32, 34.]
In the Holy Ghost thus designating Jesus of Nazareth, we are informed,
according to John's testimony, that he "saw the Spirit descending from
heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him";[A] and to this the other
evangelists agree, except that St. Luke emphasizes the account by
adding "in bodily form." "The Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape
like a dove upon him."[B] The incident has been the occasion of much
and varied comment. Can it be that the Holy Ghost takes on varied
and really physical forms? And is that "spiritual personage," such
as we have represented the Holy Ghost to be in these Lessons, really
a permanent, personal spirit-personage, or is he an evanescent one?
Appearing now in this form, now in that? Now, perhaps, as "burning
bush"; now as a "dove"; now as "cloven tongues as of fire"; and now
"in form of a man?" It is more in keeping with the dignity of this
Divine Personage, as I conceive the revelations describing him, to
think of him as a spirit-personage, permanent as to his spirit,
individual form; which would lead us necessarily to the conclusion
that these other forms of "dove" and "cloven tongues as of fire," were
but manifestations of his presence only, not really he, himself; these
other forms were but insignia of him.
[Footnote A: St. John i:32.]
[Footnote B: St. Luke iii:22. The International Revision Commentary
on the New Testament, says of the passage: "This statement, in which
all four evangelists agree, is to be understood literally. A temporary
embodiment of the Holy Spirit occurred to inaugurate our Lord as the
Messiah."
"In bodily shape;" "that is," says the Commentary of
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, on the passage in Matthew iii:16--"that is,
the blessed Spirit, assuming the corporeal form of a dove, descended
thus upon his sacred head." "And in this form because the emblem of
chastity, purity, meekness, gentleness, beauteousness," Dummelow's
Commentary says: "As he (the Christ) rises from the baptismal waters,
the Holy Ghost, the living bond of love and unity in the Godhead
descends. The appearance of the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove was a
symbolic vision, and, as spiritual things are spiritually discerned,
the vision was probably seen only by our Lord and the Baptist. The dove
is the type of the Spirit because of its innocence, gentleness and
affection. (Dummelow Commentary, p. 632).]
To this conclusion one is helped by the teaching of the Prophet of
the New Dispensation. Joseph Smith, in a discourse at the Nauvoo
Temple, on the 29th day of January, 1843, said--and his remarks were
especially prepared as he was answering some doctrinal questions
about the mission of John, the Baptist, the greatness of it--"He was
entrusted with the important mission to baptize the Son of Man," said
the Prophet; "Whoever had the honor of doing that? Whoever had so great
a privilege and glory? Whoever led the Son of God into the waters of
baptism, and had the privilege of beholding the Holy Ghost descend in
the form of a dove, or rather in the sign of the dove, in witness of
that administration? The sign of the dove was instituted before the
creation of the world, a witness for the Holy Ghost, and the devil
cannot come in the sign of a dove. The Holy Ghost is a personage, and
is in the form of a personage. It does not confine [conform?] itself to
the form of a dove, but in sign of the dove. The Holy Ghost cannot be
transformed into a dove; but the sign of a dove was given to John to
signify the truth of the deed, as the above is an emblem or token of
truth and innocence."[A]
[Footnote A: History of the Church, Vol. V, pp. 260, 261.]
That exposition, as it excels all other attempts at exposition in
beauty and rationality, so does it make it possible to hold to
the thought of the Holy Ghost as a Spirit-Personage in form like
man--nay, rather, like his two associates of the holy Trinity as to
form--the most perfect in beauty and stately grandeur of all forms
living--although differing in substantive nature, as spirit matter
differs from spirit matter united with tabernacles of flesh and bone.
LESSON XVII.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
WHO MAY RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST.
ANALYSIS.
I. Preparation for Union.
II. Holy Temples for Indwelling Holy Spirit.
III. The World and Holy Spirit Incompatible.
IV. The Case of Cornelius.
REFERENCES.
Works and the Scriptures cited in the body of the lesson.
_SPECIAL TEXT: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the
Spirit of God dwelleth in yon? If any man defile the temple of God, him
shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."
(Doc. and Cov. iii:16, 17.)_
DISCUSSION.
_1. Preparation for Union With the Holy Ghost:_ It will be
remembered that John the Baptist was sent to preach repentance and
baptism before the coming of him who was to baptize with the Holy
Ghost. It will also be observed, in the teachings of Peter on the
day of Pentecost, after his arguments and the power of the Spirit by
which he spake had aroused belief in the minds of the people, that he
required them to repent and to be baptized for the remission of their
sins before he gave them the promise of the Holy Ghost.[A]
[Footnote A: Acts ii:38.]
If we turn to the account given in the Acts of the Apostles of the
conversion of the people of Samaria, we shall find the same order
observed. Philip went down to that city, taught them the word, which
they believed, they repented of their sins, and were baptized; then
Peter and John came and conferred upon them the Holy Ghost.[A]
[Footnote A: Acts viii.]
Then, again, when Paul found a number of men in Ephesus, who claimed to
have been baptized unto John's baptism, yet had not so much as heard of
the Holy Ghost, Paul was careful to rebaptize them--since there seemed
to be some doubt as to the validity of their first baptism--before he
conferred upon them the Holy Ghost.[A]
[Footnote A: Acts xix.]
It appears from these circumstances that faith, repentance, and
baptism, precede the reception of, or the baptism of, the Holy Ghost,
and are, in fact, prerequisites to a reception of it. This order, in
respect of these principles and ordinances, is further sustained by
other passages of scripture.
The Holy Ghost dwells not in unholy temples. Therefore man, as a
prospective temple of the Holy Ghost, must receive preparatory
cleansing before he can hope to become a temple of God, temple of the
Holy Ghost.
In writing to the Corinthian Saints who had received the Holy Ghost,
Paul says: "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy
Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God."[A]
[Footnote A: I. Cor. vi:19.]
And again: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the
Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God,
him shall God destroy. For the temple of God is holy which temple ye
are."[A]
[Footnote A: I. Cor. iii:16, 17.]
From these passages this much is learned: That the man who receives
the Holy Ghost becomes a temple thereof, even the temple of God; and
since it is decreed that if a man defiles the temple of God him will
God destroy, it may be reasonably inferred that the Holy Ghost dwells
not in unholy temples; hence, through faith in God, sincere repentance
of all sins, and baptism for the remission of them, man cleanses the
prospective temple of the Holy Ghost, his body, that it may be a fit
place for the indwelling of the Divine Spirit.
_3. The World Cannot Receive the Holy Ghost:_ Just previous to his
crucifixion, Jesus said to the apostles: "I will pray the Father, and
he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for
ever; even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because
it seeth him not, neither knoweth him."[A]
[Footnote A: John xiv:16, 17.]
It is evident from this that the world cannot receive the Holy Ghost.
And now, who are the world? I answer, those who have not yet put
on Christ; or, in other words, those who have not yet entered into
the Kingdom of God, through faith in God and Christ, repentance and
baptism. They are the world; and, according to the word of the Master,
they cannot receive the Holy Ghost.
Again: When Peter and other apostles were brought before the senate of
the Jews, accused with intent to bring the blood of Messiah upon them,
Peter answered: "The God of our Fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew
and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a
Prince and a Savior for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of
sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy
Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him."[A]
[Footnote A: Acts v:30-32.]
Not, mark you, to them who have not obeyed him. This is in harmony with
the statement that the world cannot receive the Holy Ghost, and also
with the other cases we cited above where the order in presenting the
gospel to the people was faith in God and Christ, repentance, baptism
for the remission of sins, and then the reception of the Holy Ghost.
_4. Distinction Between "Immanent Spirit" and the Holy Ghost:_
At this point we may note and justify the course followed in this
treatise in making a distinction between the "Spirit" or "Light," which
"lighteth every man that cometh into the world," and the Holy Ghost.
The first "Spirit," or "light," "lighteth every man that cometh into
the world." The Holy Ghost is given to those who obey God, that is, to
those who obey the Gospel. The world cannot receive the Holy Ghost;
but the "Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world"
seems not so restricted in its contact with men and things; since
besides being the "light which lighteth every man that cometh into the
world," this "light of Christ,"[A] is also a universal, vital spirit,
that "proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity
of space. The light which is in all things; which giveth life to all
things; which is the law by which all things are governed: even the
power of God."[B] Which spirit or "light is in the sun, and the light
of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made; as also he
is in the moon, and is the light of the moon and the power thereof
by which it was made";[C] and so with reference to earth and stars.
But from what we learn in the Word of God, as already set forth in
this treatise, the Holy Ghost is a special spirit-witness for God the
Father, and of God the Son, to those who are especially prepared to
receive him by faith in, and obedience to, the gospel of Jesus Christ;
who have repented of their sins and received baptism in water for the
remission of them, thus giving evidence of faith in God and acceptance
of the Atonement of the Christ by receiving the symbols thereof.[D] To
those thus especially prepared, and to such only, is witness and union
with the Holy Ghost possible; while no such especial preparation for
contact with and even enjoyment of the all-immanent Spirit is anywhere
insisted upon; although, as we have seen in a previous lesson,[E] those
who are most in harmony with righteousness, who hunger and thirst
after it, and who seek to draw near to God, will undoubtedly, by the
great law of spiritual affinity, enjoy closer union with the Spirit of
God--the Immanent Spirit--than those who have no such longings for the
pure and the good.
[Footnote A: See Lesson II.]
[Footnote B: Doc. & Cov. lxxxviii:12, 13.]
[Footnote C: Ibid, verses 7-10.]
[Footnote D: See Seventy's Year Book IV, Lesson XXI.]
[Footnote E: See Lesson IV this treatise, topic 3 Immanence and
Manifestation.]
_5. Inter-Changeability of Words:_ It would be well to remember
also in this connection, and it may prevent some confusion in the
minds of those who read the scriptures, that by metonymy the words
"Spirit," "Holy Spirit," "Spirit of God," "Spirit of Christ," and even
"God"-are sometimes used when the "Holy Ghost" is meant. In other
words, these terms above given are used inter-changeably. And sometimes
the influence of the Spirit or his powers or even his operations are
spoken of as the Holy Ghost himself, and hence confusion in thought,
and perhaps also in what is written in some of our books. This merely
by way of parenthesis.
_6. The Case of Cornelius:_ There is an exception, however, to
this order of things in the New Testament: the case of Cornelius,
the devout Gentile,[A] and for this exception there was a special
reason. It seems that the apostles applied the narrow and contracted
views of the Jews to the Gospel. They thought it was to be confined
to the house of Israel--to those of the circumcision. They appeared
slow to understand that in Jesus Christ all the nations and peoples
of the earth were to be blessed, the Gentiles as well as the Jews.
Consequently, when the time had come to send the Gospel to the
Gentiles, the Lord opened the way by sending an angel to Cornelius
to tell him that his prayers and alms had come up for a memorial
before the Lord, and to direct him to send men to Joppa for Peter, who
would tell him what he ought to do.[B] He at once obeyed the heavenly
injunction.
[Footnote A: Some also note the case of Paul as an exception to the
rule, but I think this an error. It is true Ananias, on entering the
house where Paul was, put his hands on him and said: "The Lord, even
Jesus that appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest, hath sent
me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy
Ghost. And immediately," the historian tells us, "there fell from his
eyes as it had been scales; and he received sight forthwith, and arose
and was baptized." (Acts ix:17, 18.) But in all this I see nothing to
warrant the assumption that he received the Holy Ghost prior to his
baptism.]
[Footnote B: Acts x:1-8.]
Meantime the Lord prepared Peter to go to the Gentiles. In vision he
beheld a great net lowered down from heaven, filled with all manner
of beasts, and a voice cried unto him, "Rise, Peter, kill, and eat."
But Peter said, "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that
is common or unclean," "What God hath cleansed, that call thou not
common," said the voice.[A] This was done thrice, and before he had
wholly concluded what the vision could mean, the messengers from
Cornelius were at the gate--and the Spirit told him to go with them,
for the Lord had sent them.
[Footnote A: Acts x:9-17.]
That Peter understood the import of this vision to be that the Gospel
was for all mankind, for all races and nations, is evident from the
fact that when on the following day he went with the messengers to the
house of Cornelius, he said to him:
"Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to
keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath showed
me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore come I
unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for."[A]
[Footnote A: Acts x:28.]
Cornelius related to him his vision and expressed himself as ready to
receive the commandments of God. Then Peter preached to him Christ and
him crucified, and that whosoever believed on him should have remission
of sins. And "while Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell
on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which
believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on
the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they
heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. The answer Peter gave
was, "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized,
which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them
to be baptized in the name of the Lord."[A]
[Footnote A: Acts x:44-48.]
Afterwards, when they of the circumcision complained of Peter for going
to them who were uncircumcised, he related the whole matter to them,
and testified that as he began to speak to Cornelius and his kindred,
"the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. * * * Forasmuch
then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on
the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?"[A] When
they heard this they held their peace, and the saying went abroad that
God had also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
[Footnote A: Acts xi:15-17.]
The object for deviating from the order in which the principles and
ordinances of the Gospel follow each other is obvious--it was that the
Jews might have a witness from God that the Gospel was for the Gentiles
as well as for their own nation. But according to the scriptures, and,
I may say, according to the nature and relationship of these several
principles and ordinances of the Gospel to each other, the reception of
the Holy Ghost comes after faith, repentance, and baptism.
The Prophet Joseph, in a discourse delivered at Nauvoo, 20th of March,
1842, refers to this case of Cornelius, and offers the suggestion that
there is "a difference between the Holy Ghost and the gift of the Holy
Ghost." That is to say, judging from the whole tenor of the passage
to be quoted--a difference between the special manifestation of the
Holy Ghost in the case of Cornelius for a particular purpose, and the
permanent possession of the Holy Ghost as a gift from God coupled with
a right to the manifestations of his powers following after observance
of those laws and ordinances which make the necessary preparation for
the constant fellowship of the Holy Ghost with man. Resuming now the
quotation:
"There is a difference between the Holy Ghost and the gift of the Holy
Ghost. Cornelius received the Holy Ghost before he was baptized, which
was the convincing power of God unto him of the truth of the Gospel,
but he could not receive the gift of the Holy Ghost until after he was
baptized. Had he not taken this sign or ordinance upon him, the Holy
Ghost which convinced him of the truth of God, would have left him.
Until he obeyed these ordinances and received the gift of the Holy
Ghost, by the laying on of hands, according to the order of God, he
could not have healed the sick or commanded an evil spirit to come out
of a man, and it obey him; for the spirits might say unto him, as they
did to the sons of Sceva: "Paul we know, and Jesus we know, but who are
ye?"[A]
[Footnote A: History of the Church, Vol. IV, p. 555.]
LESSON XVIII.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
SPIRIT BAPTISM.
ANALYSIS.
I. Birth into the Kingdom: Water and Spirit Baptism.
II. The Testimony of Enoch.
III. Purification by Spirit Baptism.
REFERENCES.
The works and Scripture passages cited in the body of the lesson.
_SPECIAL TEXT: "Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of
heaven. * * * Except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit he
cannot enter the kingdom of God." (St. John iii:3,5.)_
DISCUSSION.
_1. The Birth of Water and of the Spirit:_ "There, cometh one
mightier than I after me," said John the Baptist. "I have baptized you
with water," he continued, "but he shall baptize you with the Holy
Ghost."[A] Jesus said to Nicodemus: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God." At this
the Pharisees marveled, and enquired, "How can a man be born again when
he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and
be born?" Then answered Jesus in way of explanation--"Except a man be
born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom
of God."[B] This in plain allusion--it is universally conceded--to
the baptism of water and of the Spirit essential to entrance into the
Kingdom of God--into the Church of Christ.
[Footnote A: St. Mark i:7, 8.]
[Footnote B: St. John iii:3-5.]
_2. The Testimony of Enoch to the Necessity of Water and Spirit
Baptism:_ In the Pearl of Great Price occurs a very remarkable
testimony of the necessity of water and spirit baptism; and indeed, of
the whole Gospel plan of man's redemption, including an exposition of
the Atonement and the relationship of the symbols of water and spirit
baptism to the natural birth into the world. I quote it in extenso--the
testimony is that of the Prophet Enoch, the seventh from Adam:
"And he said unto them [i. e., the people to whom he was preaching],
Because that Adam fell, we are; and by his fall came death; and we are
made partakers of misery and woe.
"Behold Satan hath come among the children of men, and tempteth them to
worship him; and men have become carnal, sensual, and devilish, and are
shut out from the presence of God.
"But God hath made known unto our fathers that all men must repent.
"And he called upon our father Adam by his own voice, saying: I am God;
I made the world, and men before they were in the flesh.
"And he also said unto him: If thou wilt turn unto me, and hearken
unto my voice, and believe, and repent of all thy transgressions, and
be baptized, even in water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who
is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name which
shall be given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the
children of men, ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, asking
all things in his name, and whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be given
you.
"And our father Adam spake unto the Lord, and said: Why is it that men
must repent and be baptized in water? And the Lord said unto Adam:
Behold I have forgiven thee thy transgression in the Garden of Eden.
"Hence came the saying abroad among the people, That the Son of God
hath atoned for original guilt, wherein the sins of the parents cannot
be answered upon the heads of children, for they are whole from the
foundation of the world.
"And the Lord spake unto Adam, saying: Inasmuch as thy children are
conceived in sin, even so when they begin to grow up, sin conceiveth in
their hearts, and they taste the bitter, that they may know to prize
the good.
"And it is given unto them to know good from evil; wherefore they are
agents unto themselves, and I have given unto you another law and
commandment.
"Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must
repent, or they can in no wise inherit the Kingdom of God, for no
unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the
language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only
Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who
shall come in the meridian of time.
"Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely
unto your children saying:
"That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth
death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood,
and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul,
even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and
of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only
Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words
of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come,
even immortal glory;
"For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are
justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified;
"Therefore it is given to abide in you; the record of heaven; the
Comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all
things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all
things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all power, according to
wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment.
"And now, behold, I say unto you: This is the plan of salvation unto
all men, through the blood of mine Only Begotten, who shall come in the
meridian of time.
"And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created
and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and
things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and
things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and
things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things
bear record of me.
"And it came to pass, when the Lord had spoken with Adam, our father,
that Adam cried unto the Lord, and he was caught away by the Spirit of
the Lord, and was carried down into the water, and was laid under the
water, and was brought forth out of the water.
"And thus he was baptized, and the Spirit of God descended upon him,
and thus he was born of the Spirit, and became quickened in the inner
man.
"And he heard a voice out of the heaven, saying: Thou art baptized with
fire, and with the Holy Ghost. This is the record of the Father, and
the Son, from henceforth and forever.
"And thou art after the order of him who was without beginning of days
or end of years, from all eternity to all eternity.
"Behold, thou art one in me, a son of God; and thus may all become my
sons. Amen."[A]
[Footnote A: Book of Moses (Pearl of Great Price), ch. vi:48-68.]
_3. One Faith and One Baptism--But Two Ordinances:_ The foregoing
scriptures at once establish the absolute necessity for both water and
Spirit baptism--being really but two phases of one fact--one baptism,
but both phases essential to the one fact, the one baptism.[A] Without
this baptism of water and of Spirit, it is evident, first, one cannot
enter into the kingdom of heaven; and of course, outside of the kingdom
of heaven there can be no salvation, nor perfect happiness; second, its
necessity appears from the very nature of things.
[Footnote A: Eph. iv:4-6. "One Lord, one faith, one baptism." "I
further believe in the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of
hands. . . . . You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not
done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost.
Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without
the other half--that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost." (Joseph
Smith's Discourse at Nauvoo, July 9th, 1843, History of the Church,
Vol. V, p. 499.)]
Through water baptism is obtained a remission of past sins; but even
after the sins of the past are forgiven, the one so pardoned will
doubtless feel the force of sinful habits bearing heavily upon him.
He who has been guilty of habitual untruthfulness, will at times find
himself inclined, perhaps, to yield to that habit. He who has stolen
may be sorely tempted, when opportunity arises, to steal again. While
he who has indulged in licentious practices may again find himself
disposed to give way to the seductive influence of the siren. So with
drunkenness, malice, envy, covetousness, hatred, anger, and in short,
all the evil dispositions that flesh is heir to.
There is an absolute necessity for some additional sanctifying grace
that will strengthen poor human nature, not only to enable it to resist
temptation, but also to root out from the heart concupiscence--the
blind tendency or inclination to evil. The heart must be purified,
every passion, every propensity made submissive to the will, and the
will of man brought into subjection to the will of God.
_4. Insufficiency of Man's Strength--Need of God's Grace:_ Man's
natural powers are unequal to this task; so, I believe, all will
testify who have made the experiment. Mankind stand in some need
of a strength superior to any strength they possess of themselves
to accomplish this work of rendering pure our fallen nature. Such
strength, such power, such a sanctifying grace is conferred on man in
being born of the Spirit--in receiving the Holy Ghost. Such, among
other things, is its office, its work.
I do not draw such a conclusion directly from any one passage of
scripture, but from the whole tenor of the teachings of the servants of
God, in both ancient and modern times.
We have seen that it is this spirit which reproves the world of sin, of
righteousness, and judgment,[A] that guides into all truth, takes of
the things of the Father and reveals them unto the children of men,
and testifies that Jesus is the Christ. These things increase knowledge
and faith; and as the foundations of knowledge and faith are broadened
and deepened so are the powers to work righteousness increased.
[Footnote A: John xvi:8-11.]
We have seen also that the fruits of the Spirit are goodness,
righteousness, truth, love, joy, peace, and gentleness;[A] and as
these things are increased in the soul, viciousness and impurity are
rooted out, until the whole man is changed and in very deed becomes a
new creature in Christ Jesus--is numbered among the pure in heart, and
"blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see and dwell with God."
[Footnote A: Gal. v:22.]
LESSON XIX.
(Scripture Reading Exercises continued.)
SPIRIT BAPTISM (Continued.)
ANALYSIS.
IV. Manner of Spirit Baptism:
(a) In the Apostolic Church;
(b) In the Church of Post Apostolic days;
V. Spirit Baptism in the New Dispensation.
VI. Philosophy in the Manner of Spirit Baptism.
REFERENCES.
The works and Scripture cited in the body of the lesson.
_SPECIAL TEXT: "Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard
that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter
and John: who, when they were come dozen, prayed for them, that they
might receive the Holy Ghost: (for as yet he was fallen upon none of
them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid
they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost." (Acts
viii:14-17.)_
DISCUSSION.
_1. The Manner of Spirit Baptism:_ The manner in which the saints
under the teachings of the apostles received the baptism of the Holy
Ghost was through the laying on of hands. In proof of this I call
attention once more to the labors of Philip in the city of Samaria.
It is already known how he taught them the gospel, how they believed it
and were baptized; then we are informed that "when the apostles which
were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they
sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed
for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost (for as yet he was
fallen on none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus). Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy
Ghost."[A]
[Footnote A: Acts viii:14-17.]
Previous to the labors of Philip among the Samaritans one Simon Magus,
a magician, had given it out that he himself was some great one, and
his influence among the people was considerable. But he, too, became
converted to the teachings of Philip, and was astonished at the power
which attended his administrations, for the sick were healed, the
lame were cured, and unclean spirits were cast out of those who were
possessed of them. Afterwards, when the apostles Peter and John, came
and conferred the Holy Ghost upon those whom Philip had baptized, Simon
was present:
"And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the
Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this
power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast
thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money."[A]
[Footnote A: Acts viii:18-20.]
Paul, it will be remembered, found a number of men at Ephesus who
claimed to have been baptized unto John's baptism, but when Paul
questioned them as to the Holy Ghost, they had not heard even that
there was such a Spirit. So doubting the validity of their baptism
he rebaptized them; after which, "when Paul had laid his hands upon
them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and
prophesied."[A]
[Footnote A: Acts xix:1-6.]
The same apostle, also, in writing to Timothy, exhorts him to stir up
the gift of God which was in him, and which he had received by putting
on of his (Paul's) hands, alluding, no doubt, to the time that Paul
bestowed the Holy Ghost upon him by the laying on of hands.[A]
[Footnote A: II Tim. i:6.]
That this practice of laying on hands for the bestowal or baptism of
the Holy Ghost continued in the primitive Christian Church for a long
time--at least for three centuries--is evident from the following
testimony:
_6. Testimony of the Early Church to the Manner of Spirit
Baptism:_ Of the rites and ceremonies of the third century Mosheim
says:
"The effect of baptism was supposed to be the remission of sins: And it
was believed that the bishop, by the imposition of hands and by prayer
conferred those gifts of the Holy Spirit which were necessary for
living a holy life."
[Footnote A: Mosheim's Church History (Murdock), Vol. I, p. 189.]
In a note on the foregoing question, Murdock, the most accurate
translator of Dr. Mosheim's great work on church history, says:
This may be placed beyond all controversy by many passages from
the fathers of this century. And as it will conduce much to an
understanding of the theology of the ancients, which differed in many
respects from ours, I will adduce a single passage from Cyprian. It
is in his epistle. No. 73, p. 131: "It is manifest where and by whom
the remission of sin conferred in baptism is administered. They who
are presented to the rulers of the church, obtain by our prayers and
imposition of hands the Holy Ghost."[A]
[Footnote A: Mosheim's Church History, Vol. I, p. 189.]
In another passage Cyprian writes:
"Our practice is that those who have been baptized into the Church
should be presented, that by prayer and imposition of hands they may
receive the Holy Ghost."
While Augustine, in the fourth century, says:
"We still do what the apostles did when they laid their hands on the
Samaritans and caled down the Holy Ghost upon them."[A]
[Footnote A: Laying on hands was employed in the Church for other
purposes than imparting the Holy Ghost. It was the manner of
administering to the sick, (Mark xvi:18; Acts xxviii:8); and also of
conferring authority or priesthood on men. (See Acts vi:5, 6; viii:
17; xiii:3); but as we here are only dealing with the ordinance as
it relates to a means of imparting the Holy Ghost, I do not stop to
discuss the other purposes for which it was employed.]
In subsequent centuries, however, this part of the gospel was lost,
or neglected by some of the sects of Christendom, and when announced
among them today, it is not unfrequently regarded as a new doctrine.[A]
Yet it is not. We have seen that it was a doctrine practiced by the
apostles and their immediate successors. Indeed, it is named directly
as one of the principles of the doctrine of Christ by Paul. The
following is the passage:
[Footnote A: It is a mistake to suppose all Christendom to have
neglected the practice of this ordinance. The Catholics teach that
"Confirmation (by the laying on of hands) is a sacrament instituted by
our Lord, by which the faithful, who have already been made children
of God by baptism, receive the Holy Ghost by prayer, unction (or
anointing with holy oil called chrism), and the laying on of the
hands of a bishop, the successor of the apostles. It is thus they are
enriched with gifts, graces and virtues, especially with the virtue
of fortitude, and made perfect Christians and valiant soldiers of
Jesus Christ to stand through life the whole warfare of the world, the
flesh and the devil. The first recorded instance of confirmation being
administered to the faithful is in the eighth chapter of the Acts of
the Apostles, where St. Peter and St. John confirmed the Samaritans who
had been already baptized by St. Philip. 'They prayed for them that
they might receive the Holy Ghost. . . . Then laid they their hands on
them and they received the Holy Ghost.'" (Catholic Belief, Bruno, pp.
97, 98). The Church of England, and, of course, the Episcopal churches
in the colonies and the United States, teach practically the same
thing.]
"Therefore not leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us
go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance
from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms,
and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead and of
eternal judgment."[A]
[Footnote A: Heb. vi:1, 2.]
And here it may be well to call attention to the fact, that it is
written that "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine
of Christ, hath not God."[A] And since a large part of the religious
world has lost sight of this important doctrine of the laying on of
hands for imparting the Holy Ghost, it is one evidence, among many
others, that they have not God; for the absence of this part of the
gospel proves that they have not continued in the doctrine of Christ.
[Footnote A: II John 9.]
_7. The Manner of Spirit Baptism in the New Dispensation:_ In
restoring the gospel to earth in the present dispensation, it seems,
from the frequency with which it is mentioned, that particular
prominence is given to this doctrine and ordinance through which the
Holy Ghost is imparted. Out of the many passages in the Doctrine and
Covenants relating to the subject I select the following:
In April, 1830, the same month and year in which the Church of Christ
in this dispensation was organized, the Lord in explaining the office
and calling of an apostle, said:
"An apostle is an elder, and it is his calling to baptize. * * * And
to confirm those who are baptized into the Church, by the laying on
of hands for the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, according to the
scriptures."[A]
[Footnote A: Doc. and Cov., Sec. xx:38, 41.]
In a revelation to James Covill, given in January, 1831, calling him to
obedience to the gospel and appointing him to be God's servant, even a
minister for Jesus Christ, the Lord said:
"And this is my gospel: repentance and baptism by water, and then
cometh the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter,
which showeth all things, and teacheth the peaceable things of the
kingdom."
After calling him to be his servant, the Lord said:
"And again, it shall come to pass, that on as many as ye shall baptize
with water, ye shall lay your hands, and they shall receive the gift of
the Holy Ghost."[A]
[Footnote A: Doc. and Cov., Sec. xxxix:6, 23.]
Then in a revelation given to Sidney Rigdon, Parley P. Pratt and Lemon
Copley, through Joseph the Prophet, on the occasion of these men being
sent with the Gospel to the Shakers, the Lord said:
"Go among this people and say unto them, like unto mine apostle of
old, whose name was Peter; believe on the name of the Lord Jesus. * *
* repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, according to the
holy commandment, for the remission of sins; and whoso doeth this shall
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, by the laying on of the hands of
the elders of this Church."[A]
[Footnote A: Doc. and Cov., Sec. xlix:11-14.]
As this last is a general law, I do not consider it necessary to cite
further passages, though the revelations of the Lord contained in the
Doctrine and Covenants are replete with them. Sufficient has been said
to show that the doctrine has been made prominent in this dispensation.
_8. The Philosophy of Spirit Baptism by Laying on of Hands:_ To
my mind this ordinance is the most philosophical of any in the gospel.
On one occasion as Jesus passed through a throng of people, a woman
who had been troubled with an issue of blood for twelve years, and had
spent all her living upon physicians, but received no benefit from
them, came up behind him, saying in her heart, if I can but touch the
hem of his garment I shall be healed. And it was so, even according to
her faith; for pressing through the crowd she laid hold of his garment
and was immediately made whole. "And Jesus said, who touched me?"
When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, "Master, the
multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?"
And Jesus said, "Somebody hath touched me; for I perceive that virtue
is gone out of me."[A]
[Footnote A: Luke viii:43, 46.]
Now, what had happened? And why the expression--"Somebody hath touched
me; for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me?" My answer would be
that the person of Jesus, aye, and also the very garments he wore,
were so charged with that divine influence--the holy Spirit, that when
the woman with the issue of blood touched him, so much of that Spirit
left him to heal her that it was perceptible to him, and he exclaimed,
"Virtue is gone out of me."
So, when a servant of God, who has the companionship of the Holy Ghost,
is filled with that Spirit, and possesses authority to act in the name
of Jesus Christ, lays his hands upon one who has prepared himself
through faith, repentance, and baptism, the Holy Spirit is conferred by
the one who administers to him upon whom he lays his hands, and he is
baptized of it. These are the laws by which the Holy Ghost is received;
these are the conditions that must exist, in order that man may walk
within the circle of his influence, and in the full and free enjoyment
of his companionship. The transmission of the influence of the Holy
Ghost from one person to another by an observance of the principles
and ordinances of the Gospel we have now considered, is as natural and
philosophical in the spiritual things of the universe, as it is for
electricity or steam to perform the wonders which these forces are now
made to enact in the commercial and mechanical worlds, when the laws
upon which the manipulation of them depend are complied with; but which
they will not perform unless the conditions by which their power is
made available are complied with.
As stated by Elder Parley P. Pratt--whose language, however I slightly
modify--to impart a portion of the influence of the Holy Spirit by
the touch or by the laying on of hands; or to impart a portion of the
element of life from one animal body to another by an authorized agent
who acts in the name of God, and who is filled therewith, is as much
in accordance with the laws of nature as for water to seek its own
level; air its equilibrium; or heat and electricity their own mediums
of conveyance. . . . An agent possessed of this heavenly influence
cannot impart of the same to another, unless that other is qualified,
washed, cleansed from all his impurities of heart, affections, habits
or practices by the blood of the atonement, which is generally applied
in connection with the baptism of remission. A man who continues in his
sins, and who has no living faith in the Son of God, cannot receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit through the ministration of any agent,
however holy he may be. The impure spirit of such a one will repulse
the pure influence, upon the natural laws of sympathetic affinity, or
of attraction and repulsion.[A]
[Footnote A: Key to Theology, pp. 96, 97, 98.]
In other words, the Spirit of God will not dwell in unholy temples,
hence sincere repentance and baptism for the remission of sins go
before the baptism of the Spirit, that men may be cleansed from their
sins, justified before God, and their bodies, by these means, made fit
dwelling places for the Holy Ghost--the living temples of God.