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THE OIL OF GLADNESS

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Feb 15, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 7.

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THE OIL OF GLADNESS.

By H. A. St. John

BY H. A. ST. JOHN.
JESUS was anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows. The oil of gladness is undoubtedly synonymous with the Holy Spirit. The Lord gave not His Spirit by measure unto His beloved Son.
The reason assigned by the apostle for the anointing of Christ above His fellows with the oil of gladness, was because he “loved righteousness and hated iniquity.” Jesus hated all kinds of iniquity. He lived from infancy to manhood in a world, a country, a city, where iniquity of every kind abounded, and yet Jesus was never tainted by it even in the smallest degree. Nothing caused the Lord Jesus greater suffering than to behold, or to be tempted with, iniquity. Undoubtedly the measure of our anointing with the oil of gladness will be the same rule. Do we hate iniquity in all its manifestations? and do we ardently love righteousness?
In these last days the love of many waxes cold because iniquity abounds. But the abounding of iniquity in the world can not curtail, or cut off from us, the anointing with the oil of gladness unless we are in some way and to some degree tainted with that iniquity. It behooves us diligently to examine ourselves in the light of the Spirit-illuminated Word, that we discover these iniquitous taints, and have them all washed away in the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness, and accessible to all. Like David, we should earnestly pray the Lord to wash us thoroughly from all iniquity, and cleanse us from all sin. Following, a clean heart will come a right spirit, and the joys of salvation, and our tongues will sing of God’s righteousness, sinners will be taught His way and be converted to God.
The crying need of the world to-day is a church of Christ whose members are anointed with the oil of gladness above their fellows; so manifestly above their fellows in Christian character and joy, that the world will be constrained to say, “They have been with Jesus, and learned of Him.” Then hungering and dying souls everywhere will come to the brightness of their rising, and the very earth will be lighted with the glory of God, as revealed in and through His church and children.
May this glorious anticipation soon change to realization. Then as God’s last message is proclaimed to the world and the consummation comes, may we be ready for that glad day and share in that glorious salvation.