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inflowing of divine influence; but you did not recognize it as such.
Instead of drinking copiously of the streams of salvation, so freely
offered through the influence of the Holy Spirit, you turned to common
sewers, and tried to satisfy your soul-thirst with the polluted waters
of human science. The result has been parched hearts in the school
and in the church. Those who are satisfied with little spirituality have
gone far in unfitting themselves to appreciate the deep movings of the
Spirit of God. But I hope the teachers have not yet passed the line
where they are given over to hardness of heart and blindness of mind.
If they are again visited by the Holy Spirit, I hope they will not call
righteousness sin, and sin righteousness.
There is need of heart conversions among the teachers. A genuine
change of thoughts and methods of teaching is required to place them
where they will have a personal relation to a living Saviour. It is one
thing to assent to the Spirit’s work in conversion, and another thing to
accept that Spirit’s agency as a reprover, calling to repentance. It is
necessary that both teachers and students not only assent to truth, but
have a deep, practical knowledge of the operations of the Spirit. Its
cautions are given because of the unbelief of those who profess to be
Christians. God will come near to the students because they are misled
by the educators in whom they put confidence; but both teachers and
students need to be able to recognize the voice of the Shepherd.
You who have long lost the spirit of prayer, pray, pray, earnestly,
“Pity Thy suffering cause; pity the church; pity the individual believers,
Thou Father of mercies. Take from us everything that defiles, deny us
what Thou wilt; but take not from us Thy Holy Spirit.”
There are and ever will be persons who do not move wisely, who
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will, if words of doubt or unbelief are spoken, throw off conviction
and choose to follow their own will; and because of their deficiencies
Christ has been reproached. Poor finite mortals have judged the rich
and precious outpouring of the Spirit, and passed sentence upon it, as
the Jews passed sentence upon the work of Christ. Let it be understood
in every institution in America that it is not commissioned to you
to direct the work of the Holy Spirit, and tell how it shall represent
itself. You have been guilty of doing this. May the Lord forgive you,
is my prayer. Instead of being repressed and driven back, as it has
been, the Holy Spirit should be welcomed and its presence encouraged.
When you sanctify yourself through obedience to the word, the Holy