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.]