4. The fourth step is _absolute surrender to God_. This comes out in what has been already said, namely, that we _must accept Jesus as Lord_ as well as Saviour. It is stated explicitly in Acts v. 32, “And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also _the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him_.” That is the fourth step, “obey Him,” obedience. But what does obedience mean? Some one will say, doing as we are told. Right, but doing how much that we are told? Not merely one thing or two things or three things or four things, but all things. The heart of obedience is in the will, the essence of obedience is the surrender of the will to God. It is going to God our heavenly Father and saying, “Heavenly Father, here I am. I am Thy property. Thou hast bought me with a price. I acknowledge Thine ownership, and surrender myself and all that I am absolutely to Thee. Send me where Thou wilt; do with me what Thou wilt; use me as Thou wilt.” This is in most instances the decisive step in receiving the baptism with the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament types it was when the whole burnt offering was laid upon the altar, nothing kept back within or without the sacrificial animal, that the fire came forth from the Holy Place where God dwelt and accepted and consumed the gift upon the altar. And so it is to-day, in the fulfillment of the type, when we lay ourselves, a whole burnt offering, upon the altar, keeping nothing within or without back, that the fire of God, the Holy Spirit, descends from the real Holy Place, heaven (of which the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle was simply a type), and accepts the gift upon the altar. When we can truly say, “My _all_ is on the altar,” then we shall not have long to wait for the fire. The lack of this absolute surrender is shutting many out of the blessing to-day. People turn the keys of almost every closet in their heart over to God, but there is some small closet of which they wish to keep the key themselves, and the blessing does not come.
At a convention in Washington, D. C., on the last night, I had spoken on How to Receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit Himself was present in mighty power that night. The chaplain of one of the houses had said to me at the close of the meeting, “It almost seemed as if I could see the Holy Spirit in this place to-night.” There were many to be dealt with. About two hours after the meeting closed, about eleven o’clock, a worker came to me and said, “Do you see that young woman over to the right with whom Miss W—— is speaking?” “Yes.” “Well, she has been dealing with her for two hours and she is in awful agony. Won’t you come and see if you can help?” I went into the seat back of this woman in distress and asked her her trouble. “Oh,” she said, “I came from Baltimore to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit, and I cannot go back to Baltimore until I have received Him.” “Is your will laid down?” I asked. “I am afraid not.” “Will you lay it down now?” “I cannot.” “Are you willing that God should lay it down for you?” “Yes.” “Ask Him to do it.” She bowed her head in prayer and asked God to empty her of her will, to lay it down for her, to bring it into conformity to His will, in absolute surrender to His own. When the prayer was finished, I said, “Is it laid down?” She said, “It must be. I have asked something according to His will. Yes, it is done.” I said, “Ask Him for the baptism with the Holy Spirit.” She bowed her head again in brief prayer and asked God to baptize her with the Holy Spirit and in a few moments looked up with peace in her heart and in her face. Why? Because she had surrendered her will. She had met the conditions and God had given the blessing.