ciation of sin and our acceptance of Jesus Christ. After

220 The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

with God, had given up the thing which had always come up when he got nearest to God, then he contin-

4 Brethren, I have received a more definite

ued and said,

5 " Just such an experience is waiting many another, both min-

experience than I had when I was converted.

ister and layman, just as soon as he will judge his sin,

just as soon as he will put away the thing that is a mat-

ter of controversy between him and God, no matter how small the thing may seem. If any one sincerely

desires the baptism with the Holy Spirit, he should go alone with God and ask God to search him and bring

to light anything in his heart or life that is displeasing

to Him, and when He brings it to light, he should put

it away. If after sincerely waiting on God, nothing is

brought to light, then we may proceed to take the other

steps. But there is no use praying, no use going to

conventions, no use in reading books about the baptism

with the Holy Spirit, no use in doing anything else,

until we judge our sins.

3. The third step is an open confession of our renun-

ciation of sin and our acceptance of Jesus Christ. After

telling his hearers to repent in Acts ii. 38, Peter con-

tinues and tells them to be u baptized every one of you

in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your

sins." Heart repentance alone was not enough. There

must be an open confession of that repentance, and

God's appointed way of confession of repentance is

baptism. None of those to whom Peter spoke had

ever been baptized, and, of course, what Peter meant

in that case was water baptism. But suppose one has

already been baptized, what then ? Even in that case,