CHAPTER XIII.

I AND II KINGS AND II CHRONICLES.

THE KINGDOM OF PEACE.

Keynote: Col. iii. 15.

THE reign of Solomon was a reign of peace. The Lord had said to David, "Behold a son shall be born to thee who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Peaceable, and I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days." The result of having by faith apprehended Christ as our King and Captain, who has fought and conquered our enemies for us, will be rest and peace. "For we which have believed do enter into rest." Solomon's peaceable kingdom was the result of the victories which David had obtained. And our peace is the fruit of Christ's victories. “The chastisement of our peace was upon Him." His legacy to us is peace, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." And the declaration of the Holy Ghost throughout the whole New 204 Testament Scriptures is always this, that the kingdom of God is "righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost."

In Psalm lxxii., called “A Psalm for Solomon,” we have a blessed picture of this kingdom of peace, which so plainly reaches beyond Solomon to the "Greater than Solomon," and His final universal kingdom, that it is headed also in our English Bibles with the words, "Messiah's reign;" and it gives us a sufficient warrant for taking this story of the kingdom under Solomon, as a type of that glorious millennial kingdom, when in very truth there shall be a King who shall have "dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth."

At the close of this lxxii. Psalm we are told that "the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended." All that he had hoped for and battled for, was fulfilled in the peaceable reign of his son, and in the spirit of prophecy he saw also, in the far future, the glorious kingdom, when Christ Himself would see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied, and when the need for His intercessions would be ended also.

This millennial kingdom is antedated and begun now, in the hearts of all those, who by faith enter into the "rest that remaineth for the people of God;" and such may therefore take the lessons of this glorious reign, as being lessons and promises to themselves, of practical and personal importance now and here.

One of Solomon's first announcements was a declaration of the peace and rest of his kingdom. He said to 205 Hiram, king of Tyre, "The Lord my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent," 1 Kings v. 4. And upon the dedication of the temple, he again declared it, "Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto His people Israel, according to all that He promised; there hath not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised by the hand of Moses His servant," 1 Kings viii. 56.

As a consequence of this rest, his kingdom was one of unexampled greatness. Power, wisdom, luxury and magnificence were its characteristics. 1 Kings iv. 21-34 describes it. "And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and three-score measures of meal, ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, besides harts, and roe-bucks, and fallow-deer, and fatted fowl. For he had dominion over all the region on this side of the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon. And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon's table, every man in his 206 month: they lacked nothing. Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the places where the officers were, every man according to his charge. And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea-shore. And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about. And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spoke of trees, from the cedar- tree that is in Lebanon, even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom."

Even the Gentiles, chapter v., emblematic of the world and its desirable things, placed themselves and their wealth at the disposal of Solomon and helped him, instead of hindering, in all that he undertook. And similarly we read concerning Christians, "All things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's," 1 Cor. iii. 21-23.

The world was attracted by the report of the riches 207 and glory of this kingdom, and the Queen of Sheba came from her far country to Jerusalem to see if all that had been told her could indeed be true. And we read in 1 Kings x. 4-9, that when she had seen "all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, and the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cup-bearers, and his ascent by which be went up into the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her." And she said to the king, "It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words until I came, and mine eyes had seen it; and behold, the half was not told me; thy wisdom and prosperity exceeded the fame which I heard."

And in the same way, we may be sure the world will be attracted by the report of Christian lives that are filled with spiritual riches, and power, and wisdom, and will gather from far and near to see if the story they have heard can indeed be a true one; and when they have seen it, and have witnessed the peace in the midst of trial, and the inward joy overpowering the outward sorrow, and the victory over temptation, and the overflowing wealth of grace, they will be forced to acknowledge that it is indeed true, that "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." And thus the saying of our Lord in the sermon on the mount will be fulfilled, that our light shall so 208 "shine before men," that they, seeing our good works, may "glorify," not us, but "Our Father which is in Heaven."

Dear reader, are these things the characteristics of the kingdom in which thou art dwelling now? And is the out- side world so attracted by the report of thy riches and thy spiritual power, as to come to thee to learn if what they have heard be indeed true, and to discover if possible the secret of it? Do thy children see in thee such sweetness under provocation, and such patience under trial, as to be won, by the power of these, to love and to serve thy God, who does so much for thee? Do thy servants, or thy work-people, or thy friends, have cause to know from the outward peace of thy daily life, that the God of peace reigns within, and are their hearts attracted to His service?

Alas! I am afraid that the reverse is too often the case, and that one great cause of the small number of conversions in a church or a community is to be found in the poor and meagre sort of religion that exists there; and that far oftener than we think, husbands, or wives, or children, are kept outside the fold, by what they see in those nearest them, who profess to belong to this fold. I feel sure that if we who are Christians, all lived in this kingdom of spiritual peace and of abounding spiritual plenty, we should find hundreds flocking to the church, where now there is one. How can a husband think it is a desirable thing to be a Christian, when he sees his wife with a sort of Christianity that seems only 209 to make her uncomfortable and gloomy; or how can children be attracted to a religion, which is professed by a cross or unreasonable father? A gentleman of learning who was an unbeliever, said something to me once, which I have never forgotten. We were talking together on the subject of Christianity, and I was urging its claims upon him, when he said, with marked emphasis and yet sadness, "If you Christians want the outside world to believe in your religion, you must have a better kind. Most of you seem to carry your religion as a man carries a headache. He does not want to get rid of his head, but he is forced to confess that it causes him a great deal of discomfort and suffering. You would not I suppose want to give up your religion, but you must acknowledge it often makes you mightily uncomfortable." It was, alas, too true a criticism to be treated lightly, and I inwardly prayed then and there that the Lord would enable Christians everywhere, and myself among them, to have a better sort of religion than this. A dear old preacher used to say that when buyers went to a shop, they wanted a good article, and that sinners equally wanted a good religion, if they undertook to get any at all. And I believe this is far truer than we know. Let us then seek to realize in our own individual experience, each one of us, all the fullness of our glorious salvation, that we may attract the world around us, by the beauty and blessedness of our lives, to come, taste and see that the Lord is good, and that He does indeed fulfill His promises.

But it is not for this reason only that we need to have the reign of peace established in our hearts. Solomon's greatest work was the building of the temple. In fact he seems to have been raised up especially for this purpose. David says concerning him in 1 Chron. xxviii. 5, 6 "And of all my sons (for the Lord hath given me many sons), He hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. And He said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts; for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his Father.  . . . Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong and do it."

This temple was to be to Israel what the tabernacle had been up to this time, the dwelling-place of the Lord in their midst. While they travelled, dwelling only in tents, it was necessary that their God should travel with them, and dwell also in a "tent and a tabernacle." "For," He said, "I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another. Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars?" 1 Chron. xvii. 1-6, and 2 Sam. vii. 1-13.

But now that their journeyings were over, and the Israelites were settled in their own land, and dwelling in their own houses, we cannot be surprised that "as 211 David sat in his house," the thought should arise with wonder, "Lo! I dwell in a house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord remaineth under curtains!" Nor that he should "set his affections" to a house for his God, and should desire greatly to build it.

The Lord Himself also, through the mouth of David, had recorded His own desire for a House to be built for Him to dwell in, "For the Lord hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for His habitation. This is my rest forever; here will I dwell; for I have desired it." "This is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the Lord will dwell in it forever," Ps. cxxxii. 13, 14; lxviii. 16. And in Deut. xii. 9-11, He said to His people through the mouth of Moses, "Ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the Lord your God giveth you. But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the Lord your God giveth you to inherit, and when He giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety; then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose, to cause His name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt-offerings and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and the peace-offerings of your hand, and your choice vows which ye vow unto the Lord. . . . Take heed to thyself, that thou offer not thy burnt-offerings in every place that thou seest; but in the place which the Lord shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt-offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee."

From all these passages we see, that only when Israel were at rest in their land, could this temple be built. The Lord could accompany His people in a tent throughout all their wanderings, and in all their wars, but He could not take up His rest among them, until they had first found rest themselves. This is in the very nature of things. The mother cannot go to rest at night, until all her little ones are securely tucked in their cribs. The shepherd cannot lie down to repose, until his flock is safely folded. A king cannot rest from war, until his people do. A captain must not secure his own safety, until the last of his crew are saved. Here as everywhere, ownership and control have their responsibilities. And the Lord Himself says, "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth," Is. lxii. 1.

The temple, therefore, could not be built in David's reign, because it was a reign of conflict, and the Lord can dwell only in a "peaceable habitation and a quiet resting place." David must hand the conquered kingdom over to Solomon, whose name is Peaceable, before the Lord's house could be built, as we read in 1 Chron. xxviii. 7-9. "And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God: but the word of the Lord came to me saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the 213 earth in my sight. Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days. He shall build an house to my name." And after David's death, Solomon sent to Hiram and said, "Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the Lord his God, for the wars which were about him on every side, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. But now the Lord my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent. And behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God," 1 Kings v. 3, 4.

The building of the Temple is described to us in 1 Kings vi.-viii.; and 2 Chron. ii.-vii. It was indeed, as David had declared it must be, "exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries," and was made after the pattern that had been given to David "by the Spirit," 1 Chron . xxii. 5, 12. When it was finished, Solomon "assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes and the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David." . . . "And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto His place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims," 2 Chron. v. 1-7. The staves, by which the ark had been carried through all 214 the wanderings of the Israelites, were "drawn out," as a symbol that now at last the Lord had entered into His resting-place; and the Priests and Levites were appointed to their rightful positions; and then we read, that "it came to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good; for His mercy endureth forever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God. Then said Solomon, The Lord hath said that He would dwell in the thick darkness. But I have built an house of habitation for Thee, and a place for Thy dwelling forever. . . . . Now, my God, let I beseech Thee, Thine eyes be open, and let Thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. Now therefore arise, O Lord God, into thy resting-place, Thou, and the ark of thy strength; let Thy priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let Thy saints rejoice in goodness. . . . Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt-offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house." 2 Chron. v. 13, 14; vi. 1, 2, 40, 41: vii. 1, 2.

All this is, I believe, typical of that which took place on the day of Pentecost, when the disciples were "all filled with the Holy Ghost." And of that, also, which takes place in every believing heart now, when it is emptied of self, and the door is opened, and Christ comes in to take up His abode there, and ills it with His manifested presence. It is a picture, in short, of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. "What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which dwelleth in you?" "For ye are the temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them." "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" 1 Cor. vi. 19; iii. 16, and 2 Cor. vi. 16.

This is in a sense true of all Christians, for on the day of Pentecost the Holy Ghost came to the Church, "which is the house of God," to abide in her midst forever. But in individual experience, the power of it is not always known, and each soul needs to come to its own Pentecost. The conscious presence of the abiding Comforter is not realized by every Christian. All of course must have the Spirit, because the new birth is impossible without His presence and power. But to some souls, there comes at a certain stage in their progress, a wonderful experience, which they seem instinctively to call the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and which lifts them up into a region of spiritual life that is as far above their former level, as the mountain top is above the valley, and from which but few ever descend. This baptism 216 does for souls now, just what it did for the disciples on the day of Pentecost. It purifies; it transforms; it endues with power from on high; it satisfies; it comforts; it inspires; it controls. It bestows upon those who receive it, that "well of water springing up into everlasting life," for the soul's own comfort, and those "rivers of living water" flowing out for the blessing of others, which our Lord promised to all who should believe on Him.

To some this "promise of the Father" comes as a mighty and overwhelming power, so that their very bodies are prostrated under it; to others He comes as the tender and gentle presence of love. But whether in one way or the other, He always makes His presence manifest; and "at that day," whenever it comes, the words of our Lord which He spoke to His disciples concerning this wondrous gift, are invariably fulfilled, "At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you." We may have believed it before, because God says it is so in the Scriptures, but then and from thenceforth we know it, by the testimony of an inward consciousness, that is unassailable by any form of questioning or doubt. The Israelites had believed the Lord was in their midst all along in their wanderings, and in their years of bondage, even when no sign of His presence was to be seen among them; but now that the temple was built, when they all "saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house," they KNEW it; and we cannot wonder that at once, without the need of any command from Solomon, "they bowed themselves 217 with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good; for His mercy endureth forever."

But as the temple could not be built, until the land had rest from its enemies all around about, and the reign of peace had begun; so neither can the heart know this conscious indwelling of Christ, and this being "filled with the Spirit," until it has "entered into rest," and has been made more than conqueror through Him. As long as our Christian life is only one of conflict, without settled peace of soul, we cannot know this experience of being "filled with all the fulness of God." The interior life of conscious communion can only exist where peace reigns. The Comforter manifests His abiding presence only to those who have overcome the world by faith, and whose hearts are at rest. The Lord goes with us in all our wanderings, and is beside us in every battle, to fight and conquer our enemies for us; but He does not take up His abode in our hearts in conscious presence, until the kingdom of peace is established there. He cannot. He is the Prince of Peace, and His kingdom is and must be always a peaceable kingdom. If therefore we would know that experience, which answers to the building of the temple, and the Lord coming in to fill it with His glory, we must advance beyond the reign of conflict into the reign of peace, and must know what it is to have the peace of God which passeth all understanding, keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus continually.

And this can be only by faith. The Israelites entered into the enjoyment of their peaceable kingdom only by faith. David had conquered their enemies, and at the close of his reign he announced this to all the princes of Israel, saying, "Is not the Lord your God with you? and hath He not given you rest on every side? For He hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand: and the land is subdued before the Lord, and before His people." The princes believed the word of David, that it was indeed as he had said, and they at once crowned Solomon, whose name means peaceable, to be their king, and began to rejoice in the peace of his kingdom. "And they did eat and drink before the Lord on that day with great gladness, and they made Solomon the son of David, king the second time, and anointed him unto the Lord to be the chief governor, and Zadok to be priest. And Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his father, and all Israel obeyed him. And the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king David submitted themselves unto Solomon the king. And the Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel," 1 Chron. xxix. 22-25.

Had any of these princes or mighty men doubted the word of David, and refused to believe that their enemies were conquered, they might, I question not, have continued a skirmishing warfare, and would doubtless have 219 hesitated to submit themselves to the reign of the peaceable king. But they believed, and consequently they "entered into rest."

To Christians also is the announcement made by their David, that He has met and conquered their enemies for them, and that the land is all subdued before Him. "Be of good cheer," He says, "I have overcome the world." Not I will overcome it, but I have. "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." "My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." But unless they believe this, and by faith enter into the rest which He has conquered for them, they will fail to submit themselves to the reign of the Prince of Peace, and will miss of the gladness and the royal majesty of His kingdom of peace. Their hearts, which were meant to be His temple, and in which He desires to dwell, will be closed against His glorious fulness, and the sweetness of His conscious and abiding presence will be unknown.

But, dear friends, this need not be. The promise is sure that He will keep that man in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him, because he trusteth in Him. And if we will but trust unceasingly and without any reserves, we shall find ourselves dwelling "in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting-places." Let us crown Him then, as our Prince of peace, and let us so utterly submit ourselves unto His peaceable control, as that the peace of God shall reign unrivalled throughout all our inward kingdom. And then we also, like Solomon, can build a house for the 220 Lord, even the temple of our surrendered hearts, at the doors of which He is knocking, knocking ever, for admittance. "Behold I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me," Rev. iii. 20.

The Lord has always sought for a dwelling-place in His people's midst. He loves them with such a yearning love, that He cannot keep away from them; and at almost the very first moment of Israel's deliverance out of Egypt, His word came to Moses, saying, "Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them." They had not asked Him to come, but He asked them to let Him. He wanted a home amongst them. He might have made this home for Himself, by coming in power, and taking forcible possession of one of their tents. But this would not have satisfied the love that wanted to be a welcomed guest. "Of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart, ye shall take my offering" for the building of the sanctuary, He had said. And similarly, He will not take forcible possession of any heart now, but knocks for admittance. "Open to me," He says to each one of us; "Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, my locks with the drops of the night," Cant. v. 2 .

Words fail in seeking to tell out the blessedness of this interior life of divine union, and the spirit stands amazed before such glorious possibilities of experience! With Solomon we exclaim, "But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!" 2 Chron. vi. 18. And the Lord answers, as He did to Solomon "in the night," after his prayer of dedication had been made, "I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice . . . Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually," 1 Chron. vii. 12-16. "If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you." "Hereby know we that we dwell in Him and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit." "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him." "At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you." These are a few of the New Testament expressions of this glorious hidden life of conscious union and communion with God.

My dear reader, is this life thine? It is surely intended for thee, for it is declared in Acts ii. 39 that the promise of this wondrous baptism is "unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many 222 as the Lord our God shall call." And it is surely needed by thee, for the Christian life without it is but poor and dwarfed, as thy soul knoweth right well. Do not be satisfied without it then for even so much as another day. The steps to reach it are very simple. First, convince thyself from the Scriptures that the baptism of the Spirit is a gift intended for thee. Then come to the Lord in simple faith to ask for it. Then, having put thy case into His hands, leave it there in childlike trust, knowing that He will attend to thy request, and that He is more willing to give thee the Holy Spirit than parents are to give good gifts to their children. Take 1 John v. 14,15, and act on it. "And this is the confidence we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." Thou art asking for that which is according to His will, therefore, thou knowest that He hears thee, and, knowing this, thou must know still more, and must believe that thou hast the petitions thou desired of Him. By faith claim it as thy present possession. Begin to praise Him for His wondrous gift. And it shall come to pass to thee, as it did to Israel, that when every power of thy being is as one "to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord," that then "the glory of the Lord will fill the house of the Lord," and thy hungry soul will be filled and satisfied with His presence.

Texts on the kingdom of peace:-- John xiv. 27; xvi. 33; Rom. xiv. 17.  Col. iii. 15.  2 Thess. iii. 16.  Rom. xv. 13.  Is. xxxii. 18; xlviii. 18; liv. 13; lxvi. 12. Jer. xxxiii. 6.  Ez. xxxiv. 25.  Haggai ii. 9.  Mal. ii 5.  Luke i. 79.  Phil. iv. 6, 7.  Eph. ii. 17.  Gal. v. 22.  Eph. iv. 3.  Is. xxvi. 3.  2 Peter iii. 14.  Matt. v. 9.

Texts on the baptism of the Spirit. Promised:-- Luke xxiv. 49.  John iv. 10, 14; vii. 38, 39; xiv. 16, 17; xvi. 7.  Acts i. 4, 5, 8; ii. 38, 39.  Eph. v. 14.  Joel ii. 28-32 with Acts ii. 16-18. Bestowed-- Acts ii. 1-4; v. 32; viii. 14-17; x . 44-47; xi . 15-17; xv. 8 , 9; xix. 1-6.  2 Cor. i . 22; v . 5; iii. 16; vi. 19.  Eph. i. 13, 14; iv. 30; v. 18, 19.  Rom. viii. 9; v. 5.  Gal. iv. 6.  1 John ii. 20, 27; iii. 24; iv. 13.  1 Cor. xii. 13.  Titus iii. 4-6.  2 Tim. i. 14.  1 Thess. iv. 8. How to be obtained-- Luke xi. 1-13.