God has been pleased to represent the anointing of the Holy Spirit by a combination of spices and olive oil, which are peculiarly emblematic of the operation of the Spirit upon a purified soul. We have an account of the composition and uses of the anointing oil in Exodus xxx. 22-33. The Lord told Moses to take five hundred shekels of pure myrrh, and two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet cinnamon, two hundred and fifty shekels of calamus, five hundred shekels of cassia, and a hin of olive oil, and compound it into a holy anointing oil.

These various spices set forth the manifold operations of the Spirit, which correspond in our souls with the operation of these spices upon our bodies.

1. Myrrh has in it the virtue of easing pain, stopping the flow of blood from a wound, extracting the soreness from a cut or a bruise in the flesh. Corresponding with this the anointing of the Holy Spirit soothes the bruises and pains of the soul. It takes out the pangs of remorse, the bitterness of recrimination, the anguish of a rent conscience; it stops the sanguinary flow of grief, and heals the lacerated and torn feelings of a broken heart.

2. Sweet cinnamon has in it the property of a sweet, spicy fire. It is exceedingly hot and pungent, penetrating the tongue, and when swallowed, intensely heating the stomach. But the fiery sensation is sweet and pleasant. This emblematizes the pungent, fiery operation of the baptism of the Spirit upon the soul. This baptism causes a supernatural heat in the mind, a burning sensation in the affections, and a glowing warmth in the words; it searches through the whole being, with hot, lightning rapidity, like the touch of cinnamon oil on the tongue.

This burning cinnamon flavor is one of the essentials in sanctification; but please remember it is a fire delicious and agreeable to the taste.

3. Sweet calamus, commonly called flag-root, while, like the cinnamon, is noted for its spicy perfume, its special characteristic is sweetness. Its virtue is to ease inward pains in the stomach, to aid digestion, to counteract sour acids; it is very pleasant to the taste, and fragrant to the smell.

This spice typifies the inexpressible sweetness of the Holy Spirit to the inward senses of the soul, and the work of the Spirit in counteracting all sourness and mental fermentation, and in sweetening the words and putting an agreeableness in our tones and manners, and strengthening our spiritual digestion.

4. Cassia is very soothing for burns and also very nourishing; it contains the principal elements of food. This spice sets forth the marvelous nutriment in the Holy Spirit, strengthening all the interior organs, and soothing the soul when wounded by the fiery darts of Satan.

5. Olive oil has manifold virtues. It is so nourishing, that by bathing the body in it, it will sustain life a long while. It is a great lubricator, penetrating stiff joints, and giving elasticity to the muscles. It also gives a gloss and smoothness to the skin; as David says, " making the face to shine.

In all these respects, it beautifully illustrates the operation of the baptism of the Spirit upon the heart and mind. The Spirit bathes the whole inner being with strength, he lubricates all the stiff-jointed faculties, he removes the dullness and slowness from the perceptions, the understanding and the will floods the whole soul with promptness, and versatility of action in prayer, testimony, song, benevolence and self-sacrifice. This divine oil takes the rust from the hinges of all the soul's doors so that like the prison gate when the angel led Peter, they open of their own accord at the approach of God. This divine oil gives a glow to the countenance, and makes the skin shine in some measure similar to that of Moses' face. It liberates the faculties of head, and heart, and hand; it sets free latent gifts.

Who but an infinite mind could select from the vegetable kingdom five ingredients, all compounded into one ointment, that would so accurately and beautifully set forth the multiform operation of the baptism of the Spirit upon a believer's soul, and arrange them in the very order in which the effects of that baptism transpire ill our experiences.

Now, let us consider the manner of using this wonderful ointment. In the verses referred to, there are four things mentioned with regard to the use of the anointing oil. Reversing the order we find:

First. This ointment was never to be put upon a stranger; the margin says upon one who was not a priest. In either case, the thought is perfectly clear, that one must be regenerated and born in the family of God, and be no stranger, or alien, before he can receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit. And not only so, but he must be entirely consecrated, and thus put himself within the limits of the spiritual priesthood, in order to receive the full baptism of the Holy Ghost.

Jesus, referring to the gift of the Holy Spirit as the Comforter, says the "world can not receive him''; that is, an unregenerate person can not receive the Comforter till after his conversion. Hence it is utterly unscriptural to teach that persons receive the full gift of the Spirit at the time of their adoption into God's family.

Secondly. No composition of ointment for ordinary purposes was to be made like it. From this, we learn God has forever prohibited the use of the gift of the Spirit for selfish, or ecclesiastical, or secular purposes.

Yet in how many thousands of cases people have sought the baptism of the Spirit with a secret, selfish motive of becoming brilliant or successful, or for churchly aggrandizement, or getting some advantage not purely for the glory of God. But all such motives are utterly spurned from the mercy-seat.

This Scripture also interdicts all counterfeit compositions to imitate the Holy Spirit. In how many instances, church devotees have taken a little learning, and elocution, and poetry, and pathos, and oratory, and sentimentalism, and dulcet music, and a few human tears, and some high-wrought emotions, mingled with a touch of earthly sorrow, and compounded all these elements into a sort of ointment, which is poured forth on the heads of sensational preachers and fashionable congregations, as a substitute for that real anointing of the Holy Ghost, which alone heals the sin-sick soul, and empowers it through and through with supreme natural grace. Anything that counterfeits the Holy Spirit is an abomination to the Lord.

All these human elements aforementioned are natural and may be appropriate in their place, but when put in the place of the blessed Spirit, they are an offence to God. Woe be to the counterfeiters of the Holy Spirit.

Third. "Upon man's flesh this anointing oil shall not be poured." It was poured upon the hair of Aaron's head, and upon his garments, and the furniture of the tabernacle. Pure olive oil could be poured upon the flesh, but this compound anointing oil could not be so used. The flesh here is a type of the carnal mind, from which we learn that no one can receive the full anointing of the Spirit, except on condition that the heart is previously cleansed from all sin, both actual and original. This point is worthy of note, and is the uniform teaching of Scripture that the Holy Spirit can not fill a believer while he has the carnal mind. There are a number of religious teachers who deny the destruction of the sinful nature in this life, and who teach that believers can receive the full baptism of the Spirit merely for special service, while at the same time their hearts are unholy. There is no Scripture to sanction such teaching. That would be pouring the anointing oil on man's flesh. All the Scriptures setting forth the fulness of the Spirit are in connection with the most thorough cleansing as a condition for such fulness. See Psalm li. 12, in which you notice the creation of a clean heart precedes the gift of the Holy Spirit. Also Ezekiel xxxvi. 25-27, in which the "stony heart,"� which is original sin, is taken away before the Holy Spirit is planted within. With this agrees all the Scriptures. Hence all such teaching about an anointing for service, while denying heart-cleansing, is fruitless in leading souls into the real baptism of the Spirit.

Our thorough purification from all sinful desires and tempers and words is a thousand times more essential to us than even the great effusion of the' gifts and graces of the Spirit, however glorious and needful they may be. The old saints in the middle ages spoke of this two- fold work of the Spirit as the purgative and illuminative, and they often complained that persons wanted to skip the purgative process, and get out into the illuminative prematurely. This has been the trouble in all ages, that so many want to skip the complete breaking, and melting, and cleansing from the self-life, and get into the region of power and of great service, half prepared. But the Holy Spirit can not be bribed; the carnal mind must go before he fills. "On man's flesh the anointing shall not be poured."

Fourth. This anointing was for the purpose "that they may minister unto the Lord in the priest's office."� We see here that being converted and cleansed from the carnal mind, and then covered with the anointing oil, all put together, was not the final end, but that " to minister unto God,"� to serve him in holiness, is the ultimate design of the whole process. God is always our last end, the boundless sea in which all the rivers of our life and experience find their last repose. The more thoroughly we are anointed with the Holy Spirit, the more truly we are the bondservants of Jesus Christ, and as such are to pour ourselves out in a constant libation for the pleasing of Christ, and the helping, saving, sanctifying and building up of his children wherever he may provide the opportunity.

What a false notion many have of being ministers. Instead of receiving titles, and honors, and offices, and emoluments, and places of dignity, and ease, and church authority, which has been the utter ruin of millions of preachers, the true Bible idea is that of being the servant of all. God's ministers in the Holy Ghost are the spiritual cooks, waiters, laundrymen, hand-maids, coach-drivers, nurses, sheep- tenders and farm-hands in the kingdom of grace.

We are to prepare the rich, spiritual viands, spread the table with Bible exegesis, pass around the dishes to God's children; be gentle and obsequious with them, sacrificing ourselves for their welfare, and yearning a thousand times more for their complete sanctification, than for salary or a church office.

A sanctified Romish priest once wrote:

"O Lord, that I could waste my life for others,

     With no ends of my own;

That I could pour myself into my brothers,

     And live for them alone."

This is the design for which God proposes to cleanse and pour all over our being the healing, burning, sweetening, melting and lubricating anointing of the Holy Ghost.

When all those sweet spices pervade our whole spirit, it will be our inexpressible joy to be a burning sacrifice every day, and in self-renunciation and lowly love to empty ourselves for the welfare of others. This anointing is costly, but is worth all it costs us.