The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-09-09
A FINE, SERMON.
continued from first page

HOLY Ghost bore witness to their state of
heart. Antecedent to anything that this
baptism effects in the heart and life, it is
to be valued as evidencing the existing
Christian character of those who re-
cei,ed. 1t was never promised in script
ure to anybody but believers and it was
never received in Bible history by any.
body but Christians. After PETERS Wis
ion he was enabled to perceive "that God
had accepted these people, (and that be,
fore they were baptized either with water
or with the Holy Ghost, mark YOU'D, and
now he il arguing that others may per-
ceive the same things, namely, that the
bestowal of the gift of the Holy Ghost by
God, which knoweth the hearts. is proof
conclusive that said persons are in a
state of evangelical acceptance with God.
He in giving the Holy Ghost bare them
witness
If then, for nothing else than it's cor
roborative effects upon previous evidences
of Christian acceptance, we urge you to
seek the gift of the spirit. 1t will cure
your doubts concerning your conversion.
1t will remove the unsteadiness of your
"witness to your ado ption." 1t will re-
Quire Satan to move up peg in assault
ing and accusing you. He will now con-
cede your conversion and go about con-
testing your specification; but l would
he glad of anything that would cause the
enemy to acknowledge th:t l am con-
vert2d.
But the evidential effect Of the baptism
with the Holy Ghost is more than con-
tradiction of former testimonies to con-
version. Remembering, rs we must, that
this baptism is conditional upon entire
conservation and upon n perfect faith, in
perfect Christ, for IL perfect salvation.
it will plainly appear that these are the
things which God that knoweth the
hearts, takes into cognizance when He
bestowes this gift. Doubts, hesitancies,
qualifications above entire conservation
are all resolved and removed by this gift;
for not by inference only or deduction by
direct testimony the spirit certities the
completeness of ones conservation, the
acceptance of his faith, and the conclu-
sion of his cleansing.
That bishop and that theologian were
wrongful wrong, as thousand con.
sciousnesses will DECLARE who said that
the witnessing Office of the spirit was
confined to the single fact of adoption"
Not SO, beloved. Not so. Adoption had
not yet dawned upon my realization till
the spirit had directly witnessed that
s'my sins were forgiven Nor had
been Christian long until knew fact
which no man can know but by the wiz
ness of tn, spirit, that | was. called and
set apart of God to preach the Gospel.
Later still, after processes and prepare
tions, when presented my body n living
sacrifice unto God the spirit bare me wit
ness both 10 the entirety ami the accept
ance of the Offering, and then when my
faith appropriates the atoning blood for
my cleansing the spirit then, as He does
now, testifies "Now are we clean"
But must close here, simply summal-
ing a few points gathered from this text
and the narration involved with it.
/. The gift of the Holy Ghost has evil
Dental value, both effectively and sub
jectively.
2. What Cornelius and his house re-
ceived while Peter was preaching is the
room at Jerusalem.
g. Both ate identified by Peter as what
Christ called the baptism with the Holy
Ghost
All scriptural teaching, testimony,
and instances agree that the bestowal of
this gift is evidence of an antecedent
Christian experience possessed by those
who received the same.
The witnessing Office of the Holy
Ghost is not limited to adoption but eX-
tends to justification, sanctification and
divine union.
Yesterdays SERVICES.
An Eloquent Address by the Rev. Perry
r. Nugert, of Richmond
Salem Va, Sept. Special. The
sun WAS burning hot in Salem yesterday,