The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-19
W OF THE SPIRIT.
Mrs. L. O.. Robinson's Informal Talk Before
the Methodist Ministers Association.

Mrs. L. O. Robinson, the evangelist, spoke at
tie Methodist ministers meeting, at Meridian
street Church. yesterday morning, her subject
being the Power of the Holy Spirit" On step
ping upon the platform she remarked that it had
been given out that she would deliver an ad-
dress. This she said, she was unable to do, and
what she said would take the form Of a simple
talk, in which she asked the Lords help. She
said that, as all there were Methodists, it was
not necessary to spend any time in going over
the ground to s~ubstantiate the belief in the
holy Ghost. We start from that vantage
ground. We are all genuine o.d-fashioned Wes-
leyan Methodists. and believe in the work of
heart-purifcation, the baptism Of the Holy
Ghost, which comes like the refner's fire to burn
away the dross in our souls. Believing this,
why do we not have the refining fret I believe,
and You believe, that God held back the CHOLERA
from our coast another year that we may have
this winter to win souls to Christ. We long to
see them come to Jesus; we long to save even the
vilest of the vile. We read of that day when the
baptism of the Holy Ghost came upon the apos-
ties, and they went out and talked to sinners. and
brought them in by the thousand.
The people want the Holy Ghost. Did you
ever try to quiet q babe the night
after its dear mother had been taken
awaya Everything about the house likely
to amuse it is brought to it; you tell it
stories. you sing to it. For a moment its sob
bling would stop and then its little head
would drop on your shoulder, and with a little
heart-broken sob it would cry II want my
mammal" We have a like need. We want the
baptism Of the Holy Ghost above everything.
1t is the great hungry cry of the heart. This
only will satisfy the ~longings of the heart. The
Bibb says in the day you seek me / will be
found by you. Is there not danger that We are
leaning upon other things than We die In the
earlier days of Methodism, now that we are rich
and have fine churches2 Have we the same life
and enthusiasm in the work of the gospel we
once haat God has given us wealth. education,
fine schools and colleges, culture-he has been
SO good to us-is there not a little danger that
we have begun tolean upon some of these things!
just as sure as we do we shall be shorn Of our
strength. Do you not see that in our churches
it is getting to be as hard for US to kneel down
as it ia for the Presbyterians2 We must have
communion with the heart if we want the bap-
tism of the Holy Ghost. Do we really want it
or are we willing to be satisfied with something
else-asthetic culture, sympathetic music and the
like, or as that child do we sob out that we want
the Holy Ghost. There is no danger Of your
getting cleansing and full salvation until you are
SO hungry, so determined, that you will not be
put off with anything else. We should be like
the importunate widow who knocked and
knocked at the door of the judge, and would not
go away without an answer to her prayer. AZ
other thing to be taken into account is whether
you are willing TO undergo the discipline. the
sitting. the testing, the trying. Moses was aux
ious to lead his people out of bondage; to do this
he had to give up his association with culture and
refinement, and come Town from his seat among
the nobility OF the land and take his place
among slaves and be their leader. But without
the baptism of the Holy Ghost he was not fit to
lead bis people, and it took forty years of dis
cipline to fit him for the work. Let us be right
with God, and then we can risk everything in
the way of criticism or ridicule, placing our
selves in the hands of the Father.
The power of God does not always appear in
fine words. We can save souls to Christ though
our words may seem weak, if they have the
power of the Holy Spirit in them. Elijah's man
tie that divided the waters Of Jordan was old
and ragged.
The religious exercises closed with singing
Nearer my God to Thee" after which the work
Of the weekly meeting of ministers was taken up.