Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-12-13
fOriglnal.J
"PROMISE OF THE FATHER"
Luke "a: 20,


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forginall
"PROMIsE OF THE FATHER"
Luke, A:29.
When Jesus was apprehended, his disciples
were all scattered and when he was crucifed,
we'll nigh all their hopes, for the time, died.
Clearly, from the whole history of the life OF
Jesus, as related in the Scriptures, his follow
ers never, for moment, calculated that things
would come to so gloomy an end. Whatever
may have been their notions Of Jesus and his
work, one thing is certain, they did not think
that to die and to be raised again from the
dead, was part Of the great work which he
had voluntarily undertaken.
When, by his own power, Jesus rose from
the dead and showed himself to his heart
broken disciples, they we're astonshed. Luke
24:22. They did not believe that Jesus
would die by the hands of his enemies, and
when this did take place, they we're not pre-
pared to believe that he would ever again be
seen on earth. He did, however, rise from
the dead and appear to his disciples. First,
he was seen after his resurrection by Peter !;
then by the twelve. Again, he was seen by
more than Eve hundred persons. At another
time, he appeared to James, and last, Gf we
except PauD he was seen by all the apostles.
Corinthians, Is. On this last occasion, he
directed the apostles to tarry at Jerusalem
until they would be endued with power from
on high. This enduing them with power
from on high, is explained in Acts, Ia to be
the baptism of the Holy Ghost. In the
prophecies of Joel. 2nd chapter and 2Sth
verse, we find these words: "And it shall
come to pass afterward, that / will pour out
my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and
your daughters shall prophesy your old men
shall dream dreams, and your young men
shall see visions"
Before his cruci6xion, our Saviour told his
disciples that he would "pray the Father, and
he shall give you another comforter" John,
ID: Is. In the 26th verse of this same chap
ter, they are told that this promised comforter
is the Holy Ghost. John the Baptist, told
his hearers and followers that he, whom he
had come to announce, would haptize them
with the Holy Ghost. Matt. 3: II. 1t is
evident that what the prophets Joel and
Isaiah meant by God pouring out his Spirit,
is the same thing that John the Baptist de-
notes by baptizing with the Holy Ghost.
When Jesus chose his twelve apostles
(Luke 6: 13) and afterward seventy disciples,
(Luke TO-: ~ they received this baptism of
the Holy Ghost in part. They were selected
and endowed with the power of working mir
acles. By the express command of the Sa-
viour, they were forbidden to make any pro-
vision for the journey. In one word, they
we're commanded to 60 out, not to preach the
gospel in the ordinary sense of that word, but
to proclaim that the kingdom of God is come
nigh unto you. Luke 1919. Their mission
was to work miracles. To prove to those
whom they might visit that the fixed time
which God had set for actually making an a.
tenement for sinners was nigh at hand, they
were endowed with power to heal the sick, to
cleanse the lepers, to raise the dead and to
cast out devils. Matt. 1913. The report
which these disciples made on their return to
the Saviour, is in these Words "Lord, even
the devils are subject unto us through thy
name." Luke 10:17.
This miraculous power which Christ be.
slowed upon his disciples, was literal fulfil
ment of Old Testament prophecies. God
poured out his spirit upon them. In other
words, they were baptized with the Holy
Ghost. But it was not complete; for al
though chosen to work miracles, they were
not set apart and fitted for the work Of New
Testament ministers. The Lamb of God
had not been sacrificed. No atonement had,
as yet been made. 1t, was still only prom
ise. When Jesus died upon the cross, the
long promised atonement, to which the Old
Testament saints looked forward, was made,
and the resurrection of Jesus demonstrated
that God had accepted the sacrifice which he
offered for sin.
Why, it may be asked, we're not his disci.
Piles, so soon as he arose from the grave, fully
baptized with the Holy Ghost? Why were
they told to tarry at Jerusalem There is a
reason but before we give it, let US notice
what the disciples needed. The attentive
reader of the Scriptures can not have failed
to see that when Jesus rose from the grave,
having triumphed over death, he had no dis.
ciple that was prepared to preach Christ and
him crucifed. 1t is true, they had spent a
large part of three years in receiving instruc-
ton from the Saviour himself. Still, he says,
after his resurrection, that they were "fools and
slow of heart to believe all that the prophets
had spoken" Luke d: rs. The disciples
needed their understandings to be opened,
that they might understand the Scriptures.
Until they we're enlightened so that they could
understand that Jesus fought to have suffer-
ed," or that Jesus suffered in accordance with
the teachings of the Scriptures, they were unfit
to preach Christ and him cruci6ed. This
knowledge Jesus bestowed upon them after
his resurrection. See Luke 24:45. They
had previously received miraculous power by
which they were enabled to demonstrate to all
with whom they came in contact, that the
kingdom of God was come nigh. So soon as
Jesus died, or perhaps before he died, this
miraculous power was withdrawn, because no
longer needed. A special baptism of the
Holy Ghost they now, after the resurrection
of Jesus, needed to be able to demonstrate
that the kingdom of God had not only come