himself'^ was coming among them. Ho was nothing more than a servant : the Coming One was the King. He himself could only '' baptize with water :" the Com- ing One could '^ baptize with the Holy Ghost/' take away sins, and would one day judge the world.
This again is the very teaching that human nature requires. We need to be sent direct to Christ. We are all ready to stop short of this. We want to rest in our union with the church, regular use of the sacraments, and dilio:ent attendance on an established ministrv. We ought to be told the absolute necessity of union with Christ Himself by faith. He is the appointed fountain of mercy, grace, life, and peace. We must each have personal dealings with Him about our souls. What do we know of the Lord Jesus ? What have we got from Him ? These are the questions on which our salvation hinges.
John the Baptist spoke plainly about the Holy Ghost. He preached that there was such a thing as the baptism of the Holy Grhost. He taught that it was the special office of the Lord Jesus to give it to men.
This again is a teaching which we greatly require. We need to be told that forgiveness of sin is not the only thing necessary to salvation. There is another thing yet ; and that is the baptizing of our hearts by the Holy Ghost. There must not only be the work of Christ for us, but the work of the Holy Ghost in us. There must not only be a title to heaven by the blood of Christ, but a preparedness for heaven wrought in us by the Spirit of Christ. Let us never rest till we know something by experience of the baptism of the Spirit. The baptism of