Publication date
1/15/17
Volume
38
Number
2
The WatchTower
God's special gift to his Children
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1917/2/1917-2-1.html
 
 
 
JANUARY 
I, 
1917 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
(15-20) 
ploo.sure 
in 
seeing 
that 
they 
get 
them. 
With 
all 
best 
wishes 
I 
~ 
to 
remain 
Yours 
very 
sincerely, 
CLARENCE 
E. 
SPAYD.-Brookly,.. 
DEEM 
IT 
A 
PBIVILllGE 
TO 
COOPEJLATE 
DEAR 
BRETHREN 
IN 
CHRIST:- 
On 
this, 
the 
occasion 
of 
the 
passing 
beyond 
,the 
veil 
of 
our 
beloved 
:I\l.stor, 
we 
desire 
to 
assure 
you 
of 
our 
resolution 
to 
continue, 
by 
the 
grace 
of 
the 
Lord, 
faithful 
even 
unto 
death. 
We 
deem 
it 
the 
highest 
possible 
privilege 
at 
the 
present 
time 
to 
be 
allowed 
to 
co-operate 
with 
you 
in 
the 
further 
spreading 
of 
the 
glad 
tidings 
of 
the 
kingdom. 
We 
are 
rejoiced 
to 
know 
that 
the 
work 
of 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
DIBLE 
AND 
TRACT 
SOCIETY 
will 
continue. 
Our 
prayers 
IIhall 
aseend 
daily 
to 
the 
Throne 
of 
Heavenly 
Grace 
on 
Y(J\Ir 
behalf. 
KAMSACK 
ECCLESIA.--Scuk., 
GOA 
EAGER 
TO 
COOPEJLATE 
FULLY 
DEARLY 
BELOVED 
BRETHREN:- 
Weare 
real 
anxious 
to 
let 
you 
at 
Headquarters 
know 
of 
our 
earnest 
desire 
to 
co-opera.te 
fully 
with 
you 
in 
the 
harvest 
work 
yet 
remaining. 
The 
class 
voted 
unanimously 
on 
this 
question. 
We 
seem 
to 
be 
so 
mueh 
nearer 
now 
to 
one 
anoth~ore 
oneness 
in 
mind 
and 
spirit. 
We 
are 
80 
glad 
for 
this 
I 
We 
thank 
our 
heavenly 
Father. 
Express 
to 
us 
at 
any 
time 
even 
your 
smallest 
desires. 
CoLUMBUS 
EocLESIA.-OMo. 
BATTERING 
DOWN 
THE 
WA~ 
OF 
HELL 
"What 
Say 
the 
Scriptures 
About 
Hell" 
(Hz). 
WATClI 
TOWER 
form, 
IS 
5c 
per 
copy, 
or 
2c 
each 
in 
lots 
of 
50 
or 
mme. 
This 
WATCH 
TOWER 
continues 
to 
be 
in 
great 
demand. 
It 
treats 
every 
text 
in 
which 
is 
found 
the 
word 
hell 
and 
dispels 
the 
fear 
which 
many 
entertain 
respecting 
the 
erroneous 
dootrine 
of 
eternal 
torment, 
while 
pointing 
out 
the 
punishment 
set 
forth 
il;! 
0 
e 
Scriptures 
for 
,the 
incorrigible, 
namely, 
"The 
wages 
of 
SIn 
IS 
death; 
but 
the 
gift 
of 
God 
is 
eternal 
life 
through 
Ohrist." 
VOL. 
XXXVIII 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
JANUARY 
15, 
1917 
No.2 
WHO 
MAY 
PRAY 
J'OB 
TIm 
HOLY 
8PIBI'1' 
W,ith 
the 
thought 
of 
the 
primary 
work 
of 
the 
holly 
Spirit 
in 
II;lmd-namely, 
the 
work 
of 
spirit-begetting-Iet 
us 
now 
conSIder 
our 
text. 
Our 
Lord 
had 
been 
suggesting 
to 
his 
dis­ 
ciples 
the 
thought 
that 
a 
good 
parent, 
if 
asked 
for 
a 
fish, 
would 
not 
give 
his 
child 
a 
serpent, 
or 
if 
asked 
for 
bread, 
would 
not 
give 
& 
stone. 
Jesus 
would 
have 
his 
disciples 
consider 
how 
they 
would 
act 
as 
parents, 
so 
that 
they 
might 
the 
better 
realize 
what 
God's 
attitude 
would 
be 
toward 
any 
whom 
he 
re­ 
ceived 
into 
his 
family 
as 
his 
children. 
Then 
the 
words 
of 
our 
text 
followed: 
'If 
ye, 
then, 
being 
evil, 
knoow 
how 
,to 
give 
good 
gifts 
unto 
your 
children, 
'how 
much 
more 
shall 
your 
heavenly 
Father 
give 
the 
Iwly 
Spirit 
to 
them 
that 
ask 
him!" 
Thlllt 
is 
to 
say, 
if 
you 
who 
are 
imperfect, 
who 
have 
largely 
lost 
the 
likeness 
of 
God 
as 
a 
race, 
still 
80 
realize 
the 
re­ 
sponsibility 
of 
parents 
to 
their 
children 
that 
y(}U 
would 
not 
do 
your 
children 
harm 
when 
they 
come 
to 
you 
for 
something 
gQOd, 
much 
more 
would 
the 
heavenly 
Father 
no,t 
do 
harm 
to 
his 
children, 
but 
good, 
when 
they 
come 
to 
him 
for 
a. 
blessing. 
Then 
our 
Lord 
Jesus 
specifies 
the 
particular 
blessing 
for 
which 
we 
should 
ask-GW'll 
holy 
Spirit-not 
using 
vain 
repeti­ 
tion, 
as 
do 
the 
Gentiles, 
those 
who 
are 
not 
the 
Lord's 
true 
children, 
and 
who 
are 
not 
instructed 
to 
pray 
to 
Jehovah. 
With 
many, 
the 
prayers 
go 
up 
in 
a 
merely 
mechanical 
way, 
as 
by 
machinery-in 
some 
nations 
by 
literal 
machinery. 
The 
Chinese 
have 
a 
praying-wheel 
which 
they 
turn 
around 
and 
around, 
and 
thus 
repeat 
the 
prayers. 
They 
are 
shrewd 
enough 
to 
know 
that 
thus 
they 
can 
say 
the 
prayer 
more 
often 
than 
with 
the 
lips. 
Such 
is 
not 
the 
kind 
of 
prayer 
that 
the 
Lord 
wiU 
receive. 
God's 
children 
have 
instructions 
from 
his 
Word 
on 
this 
subject 
of 
prayer. 
They 
are 
to 
come 
'to 
the 
Father 
according 
to 
these 
instructions, 
not 
doubting 
his 
love, 
his 
wisdom, 
and 
his 
power. 
They 
are 
to 
come 
with 
full 
confidence 
in 
him 
as 
their 
Father, 
asking 
for 
the 
things 
for 
which 
he 
has 
bidden 
them 
to 
pray. 
Their'trtlst 
in 
him 
should 
be 
so 
absolute 
that 
they 
would 
know 
that 
he 
is 
ever 
lleeking 
their 
verY 
highest 
blessing, 
that 
all 
his 
instructions 
and 
lea 
dings 
are· 
to 
this 
end, 
and 
,that 
he 
withholds 
nothing 
that 
would 
be 
for 
their 
good. 
But 
before 
anyone 
can 
come 
to 
God 
in 
the 
sense 
here 
re­ 
ferred 
to, 
he 
must 
take 
the 
definite 
step 
of 
becoming 
a 
child 
of 
God. 
The 
world 
are 
not 
children 
of 
God; 
for 
that 
re­ 
his 
lationship 
was 
lost 
when 
Adam 
beeame 
disobedient. 
By 
dis- 
[6031] 
GOD'S 
SPECIAL 
GIFT 
TO 
HIS 
CHILDREN 
"If 
ye 
then, 
being 
evil, 
know 
how 
to 
givc 
good 
gifts 
unto 
your 
children, 
how 
much 
more 
shall 
your 
heavenly 
Father 
give 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
to 
them 
that 
ask 
him 
1 
"-Luke 
11: 
13. 
Comparatively 
few 
have 
realized 
the 
value 
of 
,this 
heavenly 
family. 
Indeed, 
no 
man 
can 
come 
unless 
he 
.\Jas 
been 
invited 
gift 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit, 
and 
few 
have 
possesi>ed 
it. 
The 
be- 
by 
the 
Lord. 
Whoever 
has 
received 
the 
Word 
'of 
truth 
intelli­ 
getting 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit, 
which 
first 
ca.me 
on 
Pentecost 
to 
gently, 
and 
is' 
drawn 
by 
it, 
has 
an 
invitation. 
Ii 
he 
responds 
those 
who 
were 
to 
constitute 
the 
church, 
is 
necessary 
in 
order 
during 
his 
"acceptable 
time," 
if 
he 
accepts 
Jesus 
as 
his 
ransom 
that 
we 
may 
become 
children 
of 
God. 
One 
cannot 
become 
and 
presents 
himself 
fully 
to 
God, 
he 
is 
begotten 
of 
the 
a 
Christian 
by 
the 
mere 
study 
of 
the 
Bible. 
Indeed, 
we 
must 
holy 
Spirit. 
Then 
he 
is 
to 
grow 
through 
"eating" 
the 
truth, 
be 
begotten 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
before 
we 
shall 
be 
II:ble 
to 
under- 
through 
studying 
the 
truth, 
through 
applying 
it 
to 
his 
own 
stand 
the 
Bible, 
to 
apprehend 
the 
deep 
things 
of 
God. 
The 
life. 
We 
should 
store 
our 
minds 
with 
the 
Scriptures, 
so 
that 
begetting 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
is 
something 
that 
we 
cannot 
in 
each 
of 
our 
experiences 
these 
Words 
of 
Life 
will 
be 
there 
explain, 
something 
that 
nobody 
can 
explain. 
If 
God 
had 
to 
give 
us 
in 
increased 
measure 
the 
Spirit 
of 
the 
truth, 
that 
wished 
us 
to 
understand 
this 
miracle 
of 
grace, 
doubtle!ls 
he 
we 
mfty 
grow 
strong 
in 
the 
Lord 
as 
the 
various 
trials 
of 
life 
would 
have 
made 
it 
sufficiently 
plain 
in 
the 
Bible. 
come 
to 
us, 
and 
thus 
we 
may 
be 
sustained 
by 
the 
Spirit 
of 
But 
we 
know 
from 
the 
testimony 
of 
the 
Word, 
corroborated 
the 
truth. 
by 
our 
own 
exp€ll'ience, 
that 
there 
is 
a 
begetting 
of 
the 
Spint, 
a 
supernatural 
start 
of 
a 
new 
life 
in 
those 
who 
consecraJt:e 
themselves 
to 
God. 
In 
referring 
to 
this 
beginning 
of 
the 
new 
nature, 
the 
Lord 
uses 
a 
figure 
of 
speech, 
illulltra.ting 
the 
lIJRt­ 
ter 
by 
something 
that 
is 
well 
known 
to 
the 
human 
family. 
We 
know 
that 
it 
is 
not 
a 
mental 
power 
in 
man 
that 
begets 
II; 
human 
iife, 
but 
th8lt 
it 
requires 
a 
direct 
impa.rtation 
of 
the 
spirit 
of 
life 
originally 
received 
from 
the 
Creator, 
before 
an 
individual 
life 
can 
begin. 
And 
so 
it 
is 
with 
the 
spiritual 
child 
of 
God. 
There 
must 
be 
a 
direct 
impartation 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
to 
start 
the 
new 
heavenly 
life. 
Weare 
not 
to 
think 
of 
this 
start 
as 
being 
something 
great 
or 
large 
in 
amount; 
for 
as 
a 
matter 
of 
fact, 
the 
beginning 
of 
the 
new 
life 
is 
small. 
But 
it 
must 
be 
there. 
The 
Christian 
may' 
not 
be 
able 
to 
point 
back 
to 
anything 
l'ike 
an 
electric 
cha'rge 
as 
the 
beginning 
of 
his 
Christian 
life. 
A 
few 
people 
have 
toade 
such 
claims, 
but 
we 
think 
this 
is 
a 
mere 
hallucina­ 
tion 
of 
the 
mind. 
God 
used 
a 
special 
outward 
manifestation 
at 
the 
begetting 
of 
the 
Lord 
Jesus 
with 
the 
holy 
Spirit, 
in 
order 
that 
J01l.n 
the 
Baptist 
might 
make- 
a 
declara.tIOn 
of 
what 
he 
saw 
in 
the 
case 
of 
the 
first 
member 
of 
the 
church, 
and 
that 
we 
might 
know. 
There 
was 
'also 
an 
outward 
demonstra­ 
tion 
!Vt 
Pentecost, 
and 
in 
the 
case 
of 
Oomelius 
and 
hh 
family, 
the 
first 
Gentiles 
to 
be 
received 
into 
the 
church. 
But 
these 
were 
for 
a 
very 
special 
purpose, 
as 
heretofore 
shown. 
AiJ" 
respects 
all 
the 
others 
.l)f 
God's 
f"'lOU"" 
we 
are 
inducted 
into 
the 
body 
of 
Christ, 
which 
is 
the 
church, 
without 
any 
outward 
manifestation. 
But 
when 
we 
have 
met 
the 
conditions, 
we 
do 
not 
doubt 
our 
accep1:4nce. 
We 
receive 
it 
all 
by 
faith 
in 
the 
Lord's 
Word. 
JtBCESSlfi 
OJ' 
J'BBDING 
'UPOJI' 
um 
WORD 
This 
begetting 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit, 
then, 
which 
~as 
a 
small 
beginning, 
shortly 
after 
manifests 
itself 
as 
the 
new 
creature 
feeds, 
j\1~t 
as 
the 
germ 
of 
life 
in 
the 
human 
being 
must 
be 
fed, 
must 
gn-adually 
grow, 
develop 
and 
become 
stronger, 
and 
thus 
manifest 
its 
individual 
life. 
It 
the 
new 
creature 
does 
not 
feed 
upon 
the 
Word 
of 
the 
Lord, 
it 
will 
grow 
weak 
and 
sickly, 
and 
eventually 
will 
die. 
We 
have 
known 
some 
who 
have 
been 
for 
twenty 
years 
consecrated 
to 
the 
Lord, 
and 
who 
are 
still 
babes 
in 
Christ. 
because 
they 
have 
been 
stunted 
in 
their 
development 
through 
insufficient 
or 
improper 
feeding 
and 
exercise. 
God 
did 
not 
wait 
for 
us 
to 
come 
voluntarily 
into 
January 1, 1917 pleasure in seeing that they get them. With all best wishes I to remain ours very sincerely, CLARENCE E, Spayp.—Brooklyn, DEEM IT A PRIVILEGE TO COOPERATE DEAR BRETHREN IN CHEIST:— On this, the occasion of the passing beyond the veil of our beloved Pastor, we desire to assure you of our resolution to continue, by the grace of the Lord, faithful even unto death. We deem it the highest possible privilege at the present time to be allowed to co-operate with you in the further spreading of the glad tidings of the kingdom. We are rejoiced to know that the work of THE WatTcH Towrr BIBLE AND Tracr Sociery will continue. Our prayers THE WATCH TOWER (15-20) shall ascend daily to the Throne of Heavenly Grace on your behalf. Kamsack Ecciesia.—Sask., Can. EAGEE TO COOPERATE FULLY DEARLY BELOVED BRETHREN :— We are real anxious to let you at Headquarters know of our earnest desire to co-operate fully with you in the harvest work yet remaining. The class voted unanimously on this question. We seem to be so much nearer now to one another—more onenegs in mind and spirit. We are so glad for this! We thank our heavenly Father. Express to us at any time even your smallest desires. CoLumMBus Eccirsia.—Ohio, BATTERING DOWN THE WALLS OF HELL “What Say the Scriptures About Hell” (Hz), Watcu Tower form, is 5¢ per copy, or 2e each in lots of 50 or more. This WarcH Towes continues to be in great demand. It treats every text in which is found the word hell and dispels the fear which many entertain respecting the erroneous doctrine of eternal torment, while pointing out the punishment set forth in the Scriptures for the incorrigible, namely, “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ.” Vout. XXXVIT BROOKLYN, N. Y., JANUARY 15, 1917 No. 2 GOD'S SPECIAL GIFT TO HIS CHILDREN ‘If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him?’’—~Luke 11:13. Comparatively few have realized the value of this heavenly gift of the holy Spirit, and few have possessed it. ‘The begetting of the holy Spirit, which first came on Pentecost to those who were to constitute the church, is necessary in order that we may become children of God. One cannot become a Christian by the mere study of the Bible. Indeed, we must be begotten of the holy Spirit before we shall be able to understand the Bible, to apprehend the deep things of God. The begetting of the holy Spirit is something that we cannot explain, something that nobody can explain. If God had wished us to understand this miracle of grace, doubtless he would have made it sufficiently plain in the Bible. But we know from the testimony of the Word, corroborated by our own experience, that there is a begetting of the Spirit, @ supernatural start of a new life in those who consecrate themselves to God. In referring to this beginning of the new nature, the Lord uses a figure of speech, illustrating the matter by something that is well known to the human family. We know that it is not a mental power in man that begets a human life, but that it requires a direct impartation of the spirit of life originally received from the Creator, before an individual life ean begin. And so it is with the spiritual child of God. There must be a direct impartation of the holy Spirit to start the new heavenly life. We are not to think of this start as being something great or large in amount; for as a matter of fact, the beginning of the new life is small. But it must be there. The Christian may not be able to point back to anything Tike an electric charge as the beginning of his Christian life. A few people have made such claims, but we think this is a mere hallucination of the mind. God used a special outward manifestation at the begetting of the Lord Jesus with the holy Spirit, in order that Jolin the Baptist might make a declaration of what he saw in the case of the first member of the church, and that we might know. There was dlso an outward demonstration at Pentecost, and in the case of Cornelius and his family, the first Gentiles to be received into the church. But these were for a very special purpose, as heretofore shown. Ag respects all the others of God’s family, we are inducted into “the body of Christ, which is the church, without any outward manifestation. But when we have met the conditions, we do not doubt our acceptance. We receive it all by faith in the Lord’s Word. NECESSITY OF FEEDING UPON THE WORD This begetting of the holy Spirit, then, which has a small beginning, shortly after manifests itself as the new creature feeds; jyst as the germ of life in the human being must be fed, must pradually grow, develop and become stronger, and thus manifest its individual life. It the new creature does not feed upon the Word of the Lord, it will grow weak and sickly, and eventually will die. We have known some who have been for twenty years consecrated to the Lord, and who are still babes in Christ, because they have been stunted in their development through insufficient or improper feeding and exercise, God did not wait for us to come voluntarily into his family. Indeed, no man can come unless he has been invited by the Lord. Whoever has received the Word of truth intelligently, and is drawn by it, has an invitation. If he responds during his “acceptable time,” if he accepts Jesus as his ransom and presents himself fully to God, he is begotten of the holy Spirit, Then he is to grow through “eating” the truth, through studying the truth, through applying it to his own life. We should store our minds with the Scriptures, so that in each of our experiences these Words of Life will be there to give us in increased measure the Spirit of the truth, that we may grow strong in the Lord as the various trials of life come to us, and thus we may he sustained by the Spirit of the truth. WHO MAY PRAY FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT With the thought of the primary work of the holy Spirit in mind—namely, the work of spirit-begetting—let us now consider our text. Our Lord had been suggesting to his disciples the thought that a good parent, if asked for a fish, would not give his child a serpent, or if asked for bread, would not give a stone. Jesus would have his disciples consider how they would act @s parents, so that they might the better realize what God’s attitude would be toward any whom he received into his family as his children. Then the words of our text followed: ‘If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him!” That is to say, if you who are imperfect, who have largely lost the likeness of God as a@ race, still so realize the responsibility of parents to their children that you would not do your children harm when they come to you for something good, much niore would the heavenly Father not do harm to his children, but good, when they come to him for @ blessing. Then our Lord Jesus specifies the particular blessing for which we should ask—-God’s holy Spirit—not using vain repetition, as do the Gentiles, those who are not the Lord’s true children, and who are not instructed to pray to Jehovah. With many, the prayers go up in a merely mechanical way, as by machinery—in some nations by literal machinery, The Chinese have a praying-wheel which they turn around and around, and thus repeat the prayers. They are shrewd enough to know that thus they can say the prayer more often than with the lips, Such is not the kind of prayer that the Lord wil! receive, God’s children have instructions from his Word on this subject of prayer. They are to come'to the Father according to these instructions, not doubting his love, his wisdom, and his power. They are to come with full confidence in him as their ather, asking for the things for which he has bidden them to pray. Their trust in him should be so absolute that they would know that he is ever seeking their very highest blessing, that all his instructions and leadings are to this end, and that he withholds nothing that would be for their good. But before any one can come to God in the sense here referred to, he must take the definite step of becoming a child of God. The world are not children of God; for that relationship was lost when Adam became disobedient. By dis [6031]

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