of the Spirit.

In Mark 16:17, 18 Jesus concludes the commission as follows: "And these
signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out
demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they
shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Here is clearly
the promise of supernatural power which he calls "signs." Signs of what?
There is but one answer that can be given: signs of the indwelling of
God's Spirit by which alone they could work these signs. Are these signs
in existence to-day? No thoughtful reader will so affirm. If the
manifestations of the Spirit have ceased, is it not reasonable that the
"gift" has also ceased? If not, we have the remarkable fact of the
Spirit dwelling in man and not being able to _manifest any signs_ of his
indwelling.

We are now enabled to reach two conclusions of importance: First, the
"gift of the Spirit" was a supernatural gift for the purpose of enabling
the "believers" in apostolic days to work the "signs" which Christ said
should accompany them that believe, and ceased when the signs ceased.
Second, many of the exhortations of the New Testament writers were to a
church whose members were filled with the supernatural power of the
Spirit, and should be interpreted in the light of that fact. We give a
few examples that fall under this head: "Declared to be the Son of God
with power, according to the spirit of holiness" (Rom. 1:4). "But ye are
... in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you"
(Rom. 8:9). "Ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit"
(Rom. 8:23). "My conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit"
(Rom. 9:1). "Now I beseech you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and
by the love of the Spirit" (Rom. 15:30). "Now he that wrought us for