The  new  dispensation  is,  once  more,  the  dis
pensation  of  the  Spirit,  because  now  the  mode  of
the  administration  of  God's  Kingdom  has  be
come  spiritual.  This  is  in  accordance  with  its
new  extent  and  its  new  object,  and  is  intended  to
secure  and  to  advance  its  universality  and  its
rapid  progress.  In  the  old  dispensation,  the
Kingdom  of  God  was  in  a  sense  of  this  world;
it  had  its  relation  to  and  its  place  among  earthly
states;  it  was  administered  by  outward  ordinances
and  enactments  and  hierarchies.  In  the  new  dis
pensation  the  Kingdom  of  God  is  not  of  this
world;  it  has  no  relation  to  or  place  among  earthly
states;  it  is  not  administered  by  external  or
dinances.  The  Kingdom  of  God  now  is  within
you;  its  law  is  written  on  the  heart;  it  is  admin
istered  by  an  inward  force.  Where  the  Jewish
ordinances  extended,  there  of  old  was  the  King
dom  of  God;  where  men  were  circumcised  on  the


THE  OUTPOURING  OF  THE  SPIRIT     143

eighth  day,  where  they  turned  their  faces  to  the
Temple  at  the  hours  of  sacrifice,  and  whence  they
went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  the  annual  feasts.  A
centralized  worship  we  say;  for  the  Temple  at
Jerusalem  was  the  place  where  God  might  be
acceptably  worshipped  and  they  were  of  the
Kingdom  who  owned  its  sway.  Now,  "where
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is,  there  is  the  Church" —
as  Tertullian  and  Irenseus  and  Ignatius  tell  us;
wherever  the  Spirit  works — and  He  works  when
and  where  and  how  He  will — there  is  the  Church
of  God.  We  are  freed  from  the  outward  ordi
nances,  Touch  not,  taste  not,  handle  not;  and  are
under  the  sway  of  the  indwelling  Spirit  alone.
