the realization of his `blessed hope'. What abiding joy and confidence this should give,

specially when we remember our own frailty and failing.

The great redemptive purpose of God which embraces all things in heaven and earth

does not rest upon any created being, but upon God's own almightiness, foreknowledge

and wisdom. If one of these was only partial or if it rested upon us in any way, we could

have no real assurance that God would attain His glorious goal. Truly we can say with

Paul "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How

unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!" (Rom. 11: 33).

In the Old Testament we find truth set forth in picture form or types. Particularly is

this so with regard to redemption and atonement which are set forth by animal sacrifice.

There are many types of Christ which foreshadow His Person and His work and with

some of these are blended types of the Holy Spirit. The sweet savour offerings are apart

from the sin offerings, in that they do not portray the Lord Jesus as the sin-bearer, but set

forth the perfection of His Person and His service.

In the meal offerings of Lev. 2: 1-6 we see Christ foreshadowed in His sinlessness.

There were to be no lumps; its consistency must be prefect. But with it was blended oil,

and oil was also poured upon it. Oil was used for healing, for comfort, for illuminating

and anointing for specific purposes. Likewise the Holy Spirit heals, comforts, illuminates

and consecrates. With consecration in view, before the Lord Jesus commenced His

public ministry, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him as a dove, which is another picture

of the Spirit of God (Matt. 3: 16, 17).

It was as the perfect Man He was sustained all through His life and witness by the

Holy Spirit and it is important to realize that the Spirit was given to the Lord in an

unlimited way, "without measure". In John 3: 34 we read: "For He Whom God hath

sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him". As

God He needed no strengthening, but as Man He rendered all His service and witness by

the power of the Spirit. This is what made the action of the Pharisees and Sadducees so

terrible in asserting that He performed His miracles by the power of Beelzebub or Satan

(Matt. 12: 24-32).

The Lord Jesus declared that this is the one sin that cannot be forgiven, for it should

be obvious that anyone who declares that God accomplishes His work by the power of

Satan, the liar and the prince of darkness, puts himself outside the realm of salvation and

forgiveness. Satan is no Saviour! but God's greatest enemy. Some in this age have been

tormented with the thought that they have sinned terribly and committed the unforgivable