another divers kinds of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the self same Spirit dividing to each one severally as he will."*

In addition to this splendid array of powers and gifts of the Holy Ghost, we are told that its fruit "is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance." Indeed we may say, in the language of Apostle Parley P. Pratt, the Holy Spirit adapts itself to all the organs and attributes of man. "It quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections; and adapts them by the gift of wisdom to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and feature. It tends to health, vigor, animation and social feeling. It develops and invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, invigorates and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being."‡ Such is the Holy Ghost and its sanctifying influence such is the Spirit given to those who

* I. Cor. xii: 4-22. † Gal. vi: 22, 23. Key to Theology, p. 102.

accept the gospel, who believe in God and Jesus Christ, who repent of their sins and are baptized for the remission of them-then follows the baptism of the Spirit, in other words, the reception of the Holy Ghost through the laying on of hands. Then is developed one or more of its spiritual gifts, and its general purifying influences; enlarging the understanding, ennobling every thought, making pure the heart; in short, it draws man into a nearer relationship with his God, and begins that spiritual education necessary to prepare him for the glorious presence of his Creator-his Father.

SO

CHAPTER XXX.

AUTHORITY.

HAVE now considered, at some length, the doctrines and ordinances which constitute the First Principles of the Gospel of Christ. In connection with these principles, however, there is another matter which must claim the reader's attention; viz.: the important fact that the gospel must be preached and its ordinances administered by those having authority from God; or the administrations will have no binding force in heaven or on earth, in time or in eternity.

We are informed in the scriptures that the Lord wrought special miracles by the hands of

Paul, whom he had called to be his servant. The sick were healed, aud evil spirits were cast out of those who were possessed. "Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you, by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons, of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit know, and Paul I

answered and said, Jesus I know, but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house, naked and wounded. "* These men presumptuously took it upon themselves to act as those who had authority, and the result was that not even the devils would respect their administrations, much less the Lord.

There is a principle of great moment associated with this incident. The question is, if these men, when acting without authority from God could not drive out an evil spirit, would their administration be of force, or have any virtue in it, had they administered in some other ordinance of the Gospel, say baptism for the remission of sins, or laying on hands for imparting the Holy Ghost? Manifestly it would not. And hence we rightly come to the conclusion, so well expressed in one of our articles of faith, that "A

Acts xix: 13-16.

man must be called of God, by prophecy and by the laying on of hands, by those who are in authority to preach the gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof."

Such a conclusion as this could reasonably be drawn also from the words of Paul in Hebrews where he says: "Every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: * * * And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God as was Aaron."* The manner in which Aaron was called to the priest's office is recorded in the writings of Moses as follows: "Take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons."†

It may be objected that this was the law relating to the calling of high priests alone, but if high priests are to be called in this manner, is it not reasonable to conclude that all who administer in "things pertaining to God" must be called in the same way that is, of God? So far as the scriptures are concerned, and on subjects of this character their authority is conclusive, wherever we have an account of men administering in the things pertaining to God, and their

*Heb v. 1, 5. † Ex. xxviii, 1.

administrations are accepted of him, they have either been called directly by revelation from him, or through inspiration in those who already had authority from God to act in his name; and to be called by a legitimate, divinely established authority is to be called of God.

On the other hand, whenever men have taken it upon themselves to act in the name of God, so far as any such instance is recorded, it has been followed by some manifestation of displeasure from him.

As an example of this statement, I call attention to the case of Uzza. The Lord appointed Aaron and his sons to take special charge of the ark of the covenant and all the holy things belonging to it. When it became necessary for the camp to move, after all things had been arranged by Aaron and his sons, then the sons of Kohash were to come to bear it; "but," said the Lord, "they shall not touch any holy thing. lest they die."* Some generations after this, King David undertook to move the ark from Baalah,-called also Kirjathjearim, where it had remained many years. Uzza and Ahio drove the

cart on which the ark and its furniture were placed, and when the company engaged in this pious work reached Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to steady the ark, for the oxen stumbled, but in doing so he broke the law which had been

*Num. iv: 15.