vivifying, fructifying, refreshing influences of your presence? Most certainly, if John vii. 38 is your experience; in other words, if you have been "filled with the Spirit." But remember we must go through the fourth of John to get into the seventh! In John iii. we have the Indwelling, in John iv. the Infilling, and in John vii. the Overflowing. _3. "The Promise of the Father."_ "Wait for the promise of the Father" (Acts i. 4). See also ii. 33, ii. 39, Gal. iii. 14, Luke xxiv. 49. There are many promises in the Divine Word given us by the Father; but there is only one promise spoken of as "_The_ promise," giving it a pre-eminence among all the other "exceeding great and precious promises." What that "promise" was is ascertained by comparing Acts i. 4, "Wait for the promise," with Acts i. 5, "Ye shall be baptized," and Acts ii. 4, "They were all filled." To whom does "the promise" of the Father belong? surely to all the Father's children without favor or distinction. Since then "the promise is unto _you_," the question for "you" to settle is, Have you "_received_" the promise? A promise never made use of is like a check never cashed, and is of little use to the one who gets it. Have you cashed the check? If not, why not? the fault is with the child and not with the Father. _4. "Pouring Forth."_ "I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all flesh" (Acts ii. 17). See also Acts ii. 18, Joel ii. 28, 29, Isaiah xliv. 3, Acts ii. 33, Acts x. 45. From this expression we may learn still more clearly the copiousness of the blessing. _5. "The gift."_ "And ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts ii. 38). See also Acts viii. 20, Acts x. 45, Acts xi. 17. From this expression may we not learn the freeness of the blessing? In this connection ponder carefully the "how much more" of Luke xi. 13. _6. "Receiving."_ "And they received the Holy Ghost" (Acts viii. 17). See also, "Ye shall receive power" (Acts i. 8); "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" (Acts xix. 2); Acts viii. 15, John xx. 22, Gal. iii. 14. Floods of light will be thrown upon the whole subject if we grasp clearly the full force of this expression, "receive." "Receiving" is the correlative of "The Gift." A gift will not profit one until it is received. It is just here, at the _appropriating_, that we have come short. God has not failed in His "giving," but we have failed in our taking, in "receiving." "Receiving" is a distinct, definite act on our part. Have we "received"? If not, why not? God is "giving." _7. "Falling."_ "For as yet he was fallen upon none of them" (Acts viii. 16). See also Acts x. 44, Acts xi. 15. From this expression may we not learn the "_suddenness_" with which the blessing sometimes comes, and comes consciously, too? Compare Acts ii. 2, "And suddenly there came from heaven a sound." _8. "Coming."_