In this sermon, the speaker discusses the importance of memory, understanding, and imagination in relation to the Holy Spirit's guidance. He emphasizes that the Holy Spirit can use our memory to recall the past, our understanding to comprehend the present, and our imagination to envision the future. The speaker also expresses his belief that we are on the verge of Christ's return and urges the audience to be prepared. He references John 14:26, where Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will teach and remind believers of His teachings.

We're turning again to John, chapter 16, please, John's Gospel, chapter 16. And last Tuesday, we got through the first 11 verses. We went right down from verse 1 to the end of verse 11. And we're starting tonight at verse 12, and we're going through to verse 22, doing another 11, 11 verses this evening. And in verse 12 this evening, there is what I have called a fact for all the followers of Christ to face. And I want you to face that fact just now. The Lord Jesus is talking to his 11 apostles here on the way to Gethsemane, and he said this to them in verse 12, I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. And I want you to face this great fact, because I believe it will be a thousand pities for any follower of Christ who finds himself or herself at any time in this position. Just think of it, that the Lord Jesus Christ himself had many things to say to them, yet undesired to say many things to them. But they were not in the position to bear those things. This country, the Lord desired them to teach you something, to tell you something, to impart something to you, to say many things to you, but you not in the place where you could take it. You see, the idea was this, that the moment the Lord Jesus said in John chapter 13, the moment he said, I go, and whither I go ye cannot come, the very moment that he talked about going away from them, and the moment that he said, you cannot come with me, sorrow actually filled their hearts, my, they just got filled and filled and filled and so filled with sorrow, with disappointment that the Lord couldn't say the many things to them that he wanted to say. And the reason, I believe, that their hearts got filled with sorrow was just this. You see, they believed that he was the Messiah, and they believed right. But they also believed that he would set up the kingdom in Israel, he would take the throne of his father David, and he would reign over the house of Jacob just there and then. And he would set up his throne, and he would reign over the whole world, and they would be part and parcel of the cabinet in the new kingdom. And now he's talking about going away. And you know, they were so filled with their preconceived ideas. And these ideas were being crushed, and they were so disappointed and so distressed that the Master couldn't tell them the things he wanted to tell them. And it would be a thousand pities if you ever come to Christ's feet. So filled with disappointment and sorrow and preconceived ideas of tradition that he can't teach you the things he wants to teach you. It'll be a thousand pities. And do you know this? That even when Christ left them and went to the cross, and died on the cross, and lay in the tomb, and rose triumphant from the dead, and gathered them round him, and stayed with them for forty days in resurrection glory, and said to them at the end of the forty days, their cries were, Wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? It's all that was in their heads. Yes, this was what they wanted. They wanted the kingdom. They wanted the king on the throne. They wanted the rule of the world. They got these preconceived ideas, and they were so filled and so filled that the Lord couldn't tell them the many things that they wanted to tell them. So it's out of many things to say unto you, but you're not set to bear it, you know. I believe that the Lord Jesus wanted to tell them things like this. I believe he wanted to tell them about the substitutionary sacrifice that he was to make at Calvary. I believe he wanted to instruct them in the truth of the bodily resurrection. I believe he wanted to tell them about his glorious ascension. And then I think he wanted to tell them about the church that he would form when he would go to heaven and be the head and send the holy ghost, and about the thousands of years of gospel preaching and the dispensation of grace. But as he had mentioned, a thousand years of grace without the kingdom. My, they would have been broken-hearted all began. You see, they were so filled with their own ideas that they couldn't... I hope we'll never find ourselves there. I hope we'll always shout, and sit at Christ's feet just like Mary sat, and be prepared to listen to everything he has to say. For if you only want to hear certain things, there'll be many things you'll not be able to teach, and it'll be your loss. That's a fact for us to face this evening. But there's something more than the fact, isn't there? You know, when the Lord Jesus said to them, I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. I think you've seen something of the considerateness and the patience of our Lord Jesus. My, he considered that you're in such a state, and you're so filled with sorrow, and you're so filled with disappointment, and you're so filled with your preconceived ideas, that I'll have to be patient and wait until the time comes when I can really teach you. How very patient he's been with the whole crowd of us. My, there's some of us, we didn't want to hear certain things long ago. I could make people stand up in this meeting who detested believers' vantages. They didn't want to hear one solitary thing about us. And for a long time the Lord couldn't talk to them. But you know, one day the Lord got them where he wanted them and talked to them. And they can see it all right now. But there is a whole crowd, and the Lord has to be very patient. And he has to consider just where we are on the road of life. And so here is a thought for all the followers of Christ to face this evening. And then we leave verse 12, and we come to verse 13. And I think it is a verse that every believer should memorize, so that you would be able to put it with your eyes shut. It's this wonderful 13th verse, and I've called it a saying. Of course it was the Savior saying, a saying for all the saints of the church. We shall take time to church it this evening. And he said, how be it, that is in spite of your state, how be it when he, the Spirit of truth is come. And we'll stop with the word he for the moment, because I think that the Lord Jesus puts it specially that way, to make us face the patronometry of the Spirit. You young people know that there is abroad a fact that doesn't believe that the Holy Ghost is a person, that Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe that the Holy Ghost is Millennial God. They're all the Russellites in the country. They just say the Holy Spirit is only an influence, abreast from God, that there is no such person as the third person of the Trinity. The Lord Jesus was very particular in his language, and he said, how be it when he, the Spirit of truth is come. He could have said, when the Spirit of truth is come. But he didn't, you know. He took his time to say, how be it when he, the Spirit of truth is come. Because he's trying to make us face the personality of the third person of the Trinity. And I tell you young people, if you ever want to face Jehovah's Witnesses on this subject, and you ever want to knock the bottom out of their boots, I'll tell you how to do it. I'll tell you three ways you can prove the Holy Ghost is a person. And the first way is by the sayings of the Savior. By the sayings of the Savior. Do you remember how he spoke in John 14? Have a look at it just for a moment now. John 14, verse 16. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter. Just think of this language. You see, our Lord Jesus Christ was the comforter of his people right down through the days, when he walked with them in the days of his flesh. Yes, it was he who put his arms round them. It was he who taught them. It was he who rebuked them. It was he who led them on. It was he who cared for them. It was he who taught them. Friends, he was their comforter. And he said, I'm going away, but I'll send you, listen to it, another comforter. And the fact that he used the word another just means that I'm sending you one precisely the same, a person. Another comforter. The language of Christ. The sayings of the Savior, you can prove the personality of the Spirit. But you know, you can go to a deeper one than that if you want to. You can prove the personality of the Spirit by the sayings of the Savior, but you can prove the personality of the Spirit by the sins of the saints. Yes, the saints sin sometimes, don't they? Watch this one, and don't forget this one. This is a classical one. This is Acts chapter 5. The Acts of the Apostles, chapter 5. I can remember tying a few Russellites up with this one, not so very many years ago, and knocked the bottom out of their boot too. And I don't mind doing it again either. Now you younger ones, this is put in especially for you. Acts of the Apostles, chapter 5, verse 1. But a certain man named Ananias, which the father of his wife, sold a possession and took back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostle's feet. But Peter, because he had the gift of discernment, he knew what was going on. If somebody brought me money and told me it was all they had, I wouldn't know any better. But Peter had a special gift. It was in the early church, it was the gift of discernment. And he knew what was going on. But Peter said, Ananias, why art Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost? I want to put it straight to you. Do you think you could lie to an influence? Supposing this house was filled mysteriously with some mighty perfume just now. An influence. Do you think you could tell lies to it? You can only tell lies to a person. Surely that would stop any talk. Now watch the person here. But Peter said, Ananias, why art Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost? Keep that part of the price of the land. Why has it remained? Was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. Because the Holy Ghost is God. That's who they lied to. They lied to God. God, the Holy Ghost, the third passion of the Trinity. And by the sins of the saints you can prove the personality of the Spirit. But you can not only prove the personality of the Spirit by the sayings of the Savior, and you not only prove the personality of the Spirit by the sins of the saints, but you can prove the personality of the Spirit by the sin of sin. What's the sin of sin? The unpardonable sin. Who is it committed against? The Holy Ghost. My dear friend, don't dare to say that the Holy Ghost is just an influence. When brought to me against the Holy Ghost in the days of Christ brought the unpardonable sin. Surely that will prove that he's a divine person when such a sin can be committed against him when Jesus Christ was on earth. So there we are proving the personality of the Holy Spirit. I'm just doing that for the younger ones. Let's get back to our chapter. And at that, verse thirteen. Now, notice the whole verse that we're searching into. How be it when he, the Spirit of truth. I want you to stop there, too. You see, the Lord Jesus didn't only use this masculine gender, but he also used this wonderful title, the Spirit of truth. You know, sometimes you can go through your Bible and pick out all the titles of the Holy Ghost. I've picked on them here once. I must not take the time to go over them again. Sometimes he's called the Holy Spirit. That just brings forth his purity. His purity. He's the Holy Spirit. Or if you like, he's the Spirit of holiness. That brings forth the unsullied purity of the person. In this book he's called the Eternal Spirit. That brings forth his deity. Sometimes he's called the Spirit of Christ. That brings forth his ability. He's able to reproduce Christ in you. And only the Holy Ghost can do it. No college can do it. No church can do it. No creed can do it. No imitation can do it. Cuneism can't do it. Only the power of the Holy Ghost in you can do it. He's the Spirit of Christ. But when you talk about the Holy Spirit, that's his purity. When you talk about the Eternal Spirit, that's his deity. When you talk about the Spirit of Christ, that's his ability. When you talk about the Comforter, that's his advocacy. He's beside you to help you. But when you talk about the Spirit of Truth, that's his responsibility. He's always been responsible for bringing the truth to this world. That's what he's responsible for. That's a wonderful title. It's touching his responsibility. You see, this book, lay from beginning to end, this book is produced by the Spirit of God. This is not just a volume out of the library, you know. This is the eternal, everlasting, unchanging, impregnable, unalterable, eternal Word of the Living God, produced by the Spirit of God. That's why it's the first book in the land. It's the Word of God, produced by the Spirit of God. He has produced the truth. And in between Genesis and Revelation, we have all the truth that God wants us to know. Nothing can be put to, and where is there a man that takes anything from? Oh, that's what the modernists are doing. They're taking something from. That's what we see from one side, modernism. They'll take a bit out of the book. And on the other side, we see Romanism. They'll put a bit to the book. What the Roman popes have, that goes for the Word of God for them. No, we are here bowing before the Spirit of truth. He has produced the truth. Then he will illumine the truth. He'll guide you into all truth. That's his responsibility, would I. Now, let's get that phrase correctly. Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. Now, I don't want you young ones to get that wrong, so I'll take my time and be patient here. It doesn't say that he will guide you into all truth. No, it doesn't say any such thing, nor does it mean it either. Look, friends, you see that? That's the truth, isn't it? That's the truth. And no matter who you are, or where you come from, or what school you've been to, or what educates in your heart, you can open that book anywhere and put it out and say, My Lord Jesus, I'm reading this reportion before I go to bed, and I want you by thy Spirit to lead me into the truth of it. This can be well. He leads you into all truth. Now, don't get this mixed up and think that'll make you a preacher, for it'll not, you know. You see, he doesn't only lead me the way he leads you, but he has given me a gift. I've got a gift, you know. I'm not a clever fellow, don't ever get that idea. In fact, I've said this a thousand times, perhaps the biggest dupe in this place tonight is the man on the platform. It isn't cleverness, you know, it's just the Lord saved me twenty-seven years ago, and he gave me a gift. I've got the gift of teaching. And I'm able to open up the passage and break it up and tidy it up so that you get to bed. And then I'm not only able to do it, but I'm able to preach it. But that's all gifts. And just because you sit down and read your reportion and see a thing or two, don't be coming out here asking to preach, because they'll catch you on. We've caught a whole lot of them on, you know. They come out, you'd think they were the Lord Almighty themselves, and then they get stuck in the middle of it. And you know rightly they can teach none. My, it's terrible hard to get the wee fellows who don't know anything about it to catch themselves on. So just go to the Lord as a humble believer, open the book and ask him to lead you into all truth, and he'll do it. He'll bless your soul. You'll see things in the book. But unless you're absolutely sure that your sense has a picture, don't be trying it on with the congregation, because you'll only make a fool of yourself. So that's his responsibility. We've got that bit out of the text, haven't we? We have got his deity, we have got his personality, we have got his responsibility. Now here's another wee thing in the text. Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself. Now let's get that bit clear. I believe that the true interpretation of the phrase is this. He shall not speak independently of the Father and Son. It doesn't mean that he'll never say anything about himself. Why, the book is full of certain things about the Holy Ghost. And the Holy Ghost has given us all his titles in the book. And the Holy Ghost has given us a whole lot of his work in the book. We saw his work world-wide last week, and now it seems worldwide tonight, and in Christ's word after this. And the book is full of a whole lot of things about the Holy Ghost. It doesn't say that he won't ever say a word about himself, but it says this, that he will never speak independently of the Father and the Son. Whatever the Father has said, whatever the Son has taught, the Holy Ghost will be behind it. Here you see the unity that the Spirit has with the Father and the Son. When the Lord said he, that proves his personality. When he said the Spirit of truth who will guide you into all truth, that shows you his responsibility. When he said he shall not speak of himself, or he shall not speak independently of the other two, that shows you his unity. Now here's a lovely little bit, and I want the younger ones to get this. Albeit when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak. Now this is the tightest bit of the text. It's a very important bit. I'll have to take this collar off, because this is getting too hot for me. If you won't mind, I'm sure, the Baptists are not too worried about these collars. I heard a man trying to vindicate a poopy collar the other night, and he tried to vindicate it after he had already admitted that it made him look like a Roman Catholic priest in one of the shops. And I thought that was pretty silly. After you say the thing makes you look like a Roman Catholic priest, there's no use in trying to vindicate it after that. That would be perfectly silly. No, let's get down to this. Now here's something you younger ones want to get the hold of. It's this. That the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, he will guide you into all truth, in the book. But he does something more to you. He speaks to you. Oh, that's a wee bit that some of you never saw. The Holy Ghost actually speaks to believers. Tell me. Now, I'm not talking about being guided into truth. I'm talking about him speaking to you. Because it's two things in this text. The first one is, he will guide you into all truth. And then the second one is, whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak. Do you ever hear the Spirit speaking to you? You know, it's a wonderful thing. It thrills you to your toes that this third person of the Trinity has drawn near to a little thing like you, and he has actually spoken to you. It's amazing. You know, when God drew near in the Old Testament and escaped to Elijah, he wrapped his mantle around his head. And Gibrahan put down in the dust. Now, he speaks to you. Do you know how he speaks? Now, listen and I'll teach you. You see, if you come to any portion of God's Word, any phrase of God's Word, any text of God's Word, there is just one interpretation. That's one. There can never be more. That's where the trouble comes in. So many people try to interpret certain things in different ways. And therefore, we're at Texas in Texas. My battle all the time is that I'll get the right interpretation, the very sense that God meant, out of the text. I battle for that all the time. And there is only one interpretation. There can only be one. But wait a minute. This book is so wonderful that while the text may have one interpretation, it can have a thousand applications, so that the Holy Ghost can teach something that is said to Abraham, or Isaac, or Jacob, and he can bring it down, and he can come close, and he can speak to you. Did you ever hear him do it? Well, I'll show you it being done. Perhaps the greatest illustration that I can take is the illustration of the time when I was called to this church. You know, over nine years ago, nine blessed years as far as I'm concerned, in this very building, it was a small place then, a bunch of people sat one night, and I might tell you there were not many of them. But thank God for them. They were just a wee nucleus. And they sat here, and they were thinking of bringing a leader to this place, thinking of calling a man to feed the flock, thinking of calling a pastor. And they got their hearts together, and I could name the man because I looked at the minutes. An old man in this meeting now, who stood up and said, Brethren, I believe if we asked Mr. Mullen, who's at Bloomfield, he might come, and he would be the man for this place. And so the whole little assembly was unanimous about this. And then a few days later, three men came from this assembly. They're here now. Mr. Russell's in the front seat. There's Mr. McGill, and Mr. Clowns is in the other room with the recorder. And these three men, and thank God they're with us tonight, they came to our house, our mansions at Bloomfield. And remember I was having great times there. We had the church baths, and people saved every night, and things were on the upgrade. We had a room at the back of the church still, sometimes 700 people. And I was feeling that the Lord was in the thing. And these three men arrived at the month. Mr. McGill said to me, We've come from the church at Lurden, and we've come with a unanimous call to you. And while we're just a lot of simple country folk down yonder, we would like you to come down and take charge of your own place, and be the Lord's servant among us. Told me a lot of details about the church and so on. And Mr. Kearns and Mr. Russell assured me that they were all behind this. And I said, Now gentlemen, leave this with me. And I'll ask the Lord about it. And if the Lord speaks to me, I'll certainly do what He says. And so we bid each other good night. And as soon as we went out, I went into the little room, and I knelt down and I said, Lord, you hear what these fellows have said? I'll meet you here at this spot each night at half-past five. And I'll wait till half-past six. And I'll meet you each night until you really talk to me about this thing, and whatever you say I'll do. And I kept that. You know, I knew I could meet the Lord at half-past five every night, all right. And I went in and met the Lord. And I'll tell you what's more, I met Him for five weeks too. Knelt every night at half-past five, and stayed till half-past six. Know nothing. And Mr. McGill had rung me up three or four times. Thought I'd forgotten all about this, you know, but he was going to keep me in mind of the whole thing. And then one night I'd just got in, you know, and I'd just got down. And here's what happened. Now watch it. This is the spirit speaking. Come with me to X10. Now I'm doing this for the younger ones. It's good for them, just to know how to go about getting guidance. And I'd just get down on my knees when I felt that God had said to me, Read X10. And I got down at X10, and I opened it, and I started to read at verse 19. That's the place my eye fell upon. Now here's what it says there. While Peter thought on the vision, the spirit said unto him, Behold three men secretly. Arise, therefore, and get thee down, and go with them. Don't say nothing, for I have sent them. You wouldn't want them to talk to you any thinner than that, would you? Now I want you to get this, my dear young children. Do you see those two verses in X? X10, 19, and 20. Now the true interpretation of these is this, that the spirit was speaking to Peter, yes, away 1,900 years ago. And he was calling Peter to go down to the house of Cornelius because God had sent him. That's the true interpretation. But the Holy Ghost can take any portion, and He can draw nigh to your heart, and He can speak. In the meeting, we must speak to the exposition and interpretation. In your private devotion, the Holy Ghost can talk to you. Speak to him. You ever hear him speak? My, I could spend the rest of the night telling you stories of how the Lord speaks. Yes. You see, He knew the mind of the Father and the Son about what I should do in coming to Morgan. Look at the whole verse now in John 16. He is hardly, albeit when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth for He shall not speak of Himself. Now, here's the bit. But whatsoever He shall heal, heal from whom? Surely He's not listening in to anybody lower than Himself. He's listening in to the Father and the Son. And the Father and the Son said, Yes, the wee church was right. That's the man I want at Lurgan. And the Holy Ghost heard the news and He draws an eye to me and He speaks to me. Three men seek me. Arise and go with them. Doubting nothing. I have sent them. He was speaking to me. And thank God for a day when I responded. You know, sometimes He speaks to you, but you don't respond. You think it would cost you too much, don't you? Might you start to look at your circumstances. I'm in Belfast. I've got a big church. I've got plenty of people. I'm doing extraordinarily well. I don't run away to a week's load in the country. God forbid that I would ever think like that. I would never do it. And I plead with you, if the Spirit speaks to you, whatsoever He says unto you, do it. Man is only guiding you. So that you can see here His ability. That's the bit I'm at. You see, when the Lord Jesus touched the word He, He touched His personality. When He touched the Spirit of Truth who will guide you into all truth, He touched His responsibility. When He touched He shall not speak of Himself, He touched His unity. When He touched He whatsoever, He shall hear that shall He speak. He touched His ability. And the Holy Ghost will do more than that. He will show you things to come. And you know the only one who can show us things to come of truth is God. Why one should never question the deity of the Spirit of God after that, should they? Who knows the end from the beginning? Only God. And I'll tell you this, if you keep in close touch and meet at His feet and listen to His word and have your heart open for teaching and you haven't any preconceived ideas so that He can't talk to you, then you'll know more than all the politicians that ever was. He'll show you things to come. That's why I'm pretty sure tonight that we're on the verge of the Lord's coming. Friend, I know we are. I'm positive about it. I believe that in the secret place with the Spirit of God is my guiding picture. This thing's opened up. We're on the verge of Christ's return. I'm sure of it. It lives in my bones. My dear friends, it's one of the things that has urged me on. When I've been hardly able to stand, the Lord will come one of these days. He will show you things to come. Isn't it wonderful how the Lord unfolds what the Spirit will do? Go back to John 14 and watch this one. The Lord Jesus is preaching, verse 26, but the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you. You see, the Holy Ghost can take your memory. Ah, this is a wonderful thing. Some people say to me, you know, you have a wonderful memory, stored full of the Word of God. You can go through the whole meeting without a nod. You can turn to the passage. You can find it right away. Friend, I believe this, that if the Holy Ghost has control of your memory, it will become a good one. Money can make you remember things that you learned in the past. I've proved it. I just lay back in bed sometimes and I've planned the whole message and I've let the Holy Ghost take me back into the things that are past. He can remind me of the whole thing. Now watch this. That's the Holy Ghost taking your memory. Go back to the text that we're at now. He will guide you into all truth. You see, that truth for the present, He can use your understanding. Do you see the last part of our text? He will show you things to come. That's truth for the future. That's using your imagination. You see, your mind is built of these three tonight. You've got a memory. You've got an understanding. You've got an imagination. And He can use that memory to gather up the things of the past. He can use this understanding to show you things of the present. He can use this imagination to paint the future. Ah, but I want you to get the whole of this. Not unless you're filled and constantly filled until your whole memory and understanding and imagination and heart and soul and affections and will are controlled by the Spirit of God. Filled with the Spirit of God. Friends, that's a saying that's worth searching, isn't it? Now we go still deeper. We're at verse 14 now. See the first four words? He shall glorify me. Oh, I preached here one Sunday morning on those four words, and I pointed out the He. The He at the beginning of the text is the Holy Ghost. And the me at the end of the text is the Lord Jesus. And the glory is in between. You see, here's the whole truth. That whatever begins by the Spirit of God begins with He. It will end with me, the Christ of God. It will end with the Christ of God being glorified. Ah, that's how you know if the Spirit's really controlling. Because of the Spirit's controlling, it will not be a place that will be exalted. It will not be a party that will be exalted. It will not be a preacher that will be exalted. It will be the blessed Lord Jesus that will be exalted. It's quite easy to see that. Whatever the Holy Ghost begins ends with the glory of Christ. Here's another illustration. There's the old book. Who penned the book? Spirit of God. Spirit of God. Who's seen in the book? Every type, and shadow, and parallel, and picture, and prophet, and prophecy, and promise. Every one of them speak of Christ. To Him give all the prophets witness. All the types, and shadows, and parallels, and pictures, and offerings. They all speak of Christ. The Holy Ghost began with Him. Who's seen Christ? Glory to God. Here's a far greater example. Turn to Genesis chapter 1. I think this is a lovely one. Genesis 1 and verse 1. In the beginning. And nobody knows when that was. That's a dateless past. Nobody knows when that in the beginning was. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Now do you see your next verse? And the earth was without fault and void. God never created it like that, did He? Sure God wouldn't make something in a chaotic state. You see, something happened between verse 1 and verse 2. Whenever God created the heaven and the earth, it was perfect. Absolutely perfect, without a flaw. God couldn't create anything in a chaotic state without form and voice. Whatever God does is perfect. Therefore in verse 1, who created the heaven and the earth, perfect. Ah, but in between verse 1 and verse 2 came the rebellion of the devil. It's not, it's not put down in revelation for us here. And because the devil said, well, I'll keep the heavens and I'll keep the earth, God just turned them upside down and threw them into darkness and said, go ahead, fix it. And the devil wasn't able to fix it. And it lay for God only knows how long. And until the devil was absolutely sure he was defeated, God let it alone. And then in the second verse, here's what happened. And the earth, that word was, there's an old Hebrew word which means became. And the earth became without form and voice. And darkness was upon the face of the deep. And here's the first move. And the spirit of God moved. That's the spirit beginning something, isn't it? He's beginning to deal with this darkness that's on the face of the earth. And he's beginning to deal with this chaotic state. And he's beginning to take things in his hand and he's beginning to reform and remodel and re-beautify. Tell me, what will the end of this thing be? I'll tell you. It will be this, when the glory of our Lord covers the earth like the waters cover the sea. That'll be the end. He'll never give in. The Holy Ghost will never give in until the whole earth lies at the feet of the Lord Jesus. And every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord. And Jesus shall reign where'er the sand of its successive journeys rust. And the whole earth is the Lord. What a day it'll be. Why, whenever the Holy Ghost begins, will end with the glorifying of Christ and the devil can't stop it either. Who began your salvation dear? What made the young woman bow her head and sob on Sunday night? What made her rise in terror and come in and shake and say, I want to be saved? I'll tell you. The Holy Ghost. Holy Ghost. She began to realize she was a sinner. Who made her realize she was a sinner? The Holy Ghost. It will take the Holy Ghost to be working in the meeting. Well, the Holy Ghost convicted her. And then the Holy Ghost led her through the story of the gospel to the cross. The Holy Ghost showed to her and revealed to her the Savior. The Holy Ghost brought her in repentance and faith to Christ. Who began this work? The Holy Ghost. How will it end? It may end like this when each believer is like Christ. That's what I'm heading for. Think of it. Oh, the thrill of it tonight that I will be like Jesus. Perfectly like Him. For all eternity. Sometimes I pray in the secret place, Oh Lord, if I could only walk in this town and talk in this town like my son. But I don't, you know. I do so many things that aren't like him. But one day bless God one day, I shall be like Him. I come for all eternity. That's how the thing will end. And if the Holy Ghost begins a thing, the end of it will be the glorifying of Christ. But if the Holy Ghost doesn't begin it, the end of it, no matter about the religious activity and the works and all the rest of the labors, the end of it will be nothing. It will just be wood to hay and stubble and it will be burned up and it will be nothing. So much religious activity and the Holy Ghost is not in it. It's nothing. Party they're working for. The place. The people. God pities them. Friends, I say to you with all my heart, never work for a party. Work! Work for Christ! That's what I say. I wouldn't work for a party for all the money in the world. But I would work day and night for the Lord Jesus. Friends, the Holy Ghost will only be with you when you're working for Christ. Now, I want you to get this. I will look at it again. John 16. We're very slow tonight, but I can't help it. John 16 and he said this. He shall glorify me. For he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you. This is the way he'll do it. All things that the Father hath of mine, therefore said I, that he shall take of mine and shall show it unto you. You know what I believe? I believe that one of the greatest ways of ministry in this world is to take the things of Christ and show them to the people. I believe that that's soul ministry. That's really what the Holy Ghost longs to do, most of all. I believe, you know, that the Spirit of God does things like this. Sometimes he takes the kingdom of Christ, the coming kingdom, when the Lord Jesus will reign for a thousand years, wherever the sun doth its successive journeys run. And he shows us all the nations being brought into a place of peace where the land war no more. What a wonderful day it will be. And he shows us the lion down with the lamb. What a wonderful thing when the animal kingdom is such, when the national kingdom is such. He'll show us the desert blooming and blossoming as a rose when the vegetable kingdom is such. He'll show us men living for a thousand years, longer than the food. My, that'll be the physical kingdom such. And he takes the kingdom and he shows you the glory of the Lord. Sometimes he takes the power of the Lord. My, what power the Lord has. It's a great subject. You remember when he stepped out of the grave, Luke Brown and his disciples, he said, All power is given unto me in heaven. My, they really think they have some power, you know, over in Russia at this moment. They let off something the other day that scared the world. Our Lord's got it all, you know. Our Lord has all power. All royal power, all physical power, all atomical power. It belongs to him. Sometimes the Holy Ghost takes the glory of the Lord. What a subject. When all heaven bows at his feet, and ten thousand times, ten thousand and thousands of thousands, a number that no man can number, and they threw their crowns at his feet, and they glorified his holy name, and they sang unto him who loved him. For what glory will be his? You know, the old devil took him up into the mountain and he showed him the kingdoms of the world, and the power and the glory. He said, I'll give you all these, sir, that belong to him. The kingdom and the power and the glory is his! That's the sort of thing the Holy Ghost longs to do, to take the things that belong to Christ and to show them to the saints, because that really glorifies him. And there are ten thousand times ten thousand things that belong to him. He's never run out of subjects, you know. How did you get that? You see, that's a doing for disciples to delight in. And when the Holy Ghost has all of you, your mind and memory and soul and heart and hands and feet and eyes and ears, he'll glorify Christ in you. Now when the Lord Jesus had said all this to them, he changed it. See how it changes in verse 16. He just looked at them and he said, A little while, ye shall not see me. And again, a little while, ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us? A little while, and ye shall not see me. And again, a little while, and ye shall see me, and because I go to the Father. They said therefore, What is this that he saith? A little while. We cannot tell what he said. Now Jesus knew, you see the knowledge of the Lord again, that all this comes out in John's Gospel. Much of what chapter you're in, the wonderful knowledge of the Lord is always there. You see, nobody could come and tell them because they were really ashamed to come and say they didn't know what he was talking about. It's a great pity when you're afraid to go to the Lord and say, I don't know. Many a time I get the text and I just go and say, Lord, I don't know. The Holy Ghost will need to lead me into the true interpretation of this text. Oh, don't be afraid to say you don't know, sure you're only a wee thing anyway. Friends, they were ashamed. But you know, we knew what was going on as he was gone. Now Jesus knew that they would desire us to ask him and said unto them, Do you inquire among yourselves of what I said a little while? And ye shall not see me, and again a little while, and ye shall see me? Verily, verily, I say unto you that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice. And ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. Now it is an illustration. A woman when she is in, to reveal her sorrow. Because her hour is come. But as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow. But I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man in that day is the idea. Take it from you. You know, it's this little phrase, A little while. It's seven times there in five verses. A little while. It's a period. He's talking about a period. And he's saying to them, you know, I'm going away. And you'll not see me. And then a little while. And I will see you. Now friends, we want to be careful with it. The Lord has been away from His pilgrims down here for over 1900 years. Now how could He honestly call 1900 years a little while? Well you see He's looking from God's standpoint. And do you know what time is to God? God is the eternal. And here's how God measures time. A thousand years to God is as one day. So actually He hasn't been two days gone yet. It's the little while. I'm positively sure that the little while. Look, if Jesus Christ said 1900 years ago, a little while and I'll see you. 1900 years have gone so it must be a long time. I'm positively sure that we're at the end of the year. Friends, one of these days we'll see Him again. And the little while will be over. Will you go home tonight? And will you put your head on the pillow tonight? And will you close your eyes? Will you do this for me? Will you say, Lord just a very very, very little while and it will be all over. And if I don't pray my friends in, in this very, very, very little while, we'll be lost. Make you think. You may not sleep the way you should, but good for you. Friends, here we are. We're at the end of the age. And as I see it, you know, there's so many quizzes. They have got no rights and no help and no pictures. And some of us are just about beat. We can't do it. When Bob and I were in Manchester, I felt and he felt you could preach for a month and people would get saved every night. And you have to run away. This is my place. I have no doubts about it. But friends, the harvest, harvest's ripe, you know. Young fellows and lasses, if God's talking to you, it's time to work for you. The whole big world is perishing. And if you can't preach dear, you can pray. You old men and women, get back to prayer. Pray like you've never prayed before. You've only a little while, dear. A very very very very little while. And we'll see him again. Yet although I feel the burden and the vision of this horrible thing, I have to lift my head and hand and say even so, I would love to make it. I feel I've done all I could. Have you?