The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-10-24


financial policy might do II. \ spirit u
/ criticism might accomplish IT,
There ls All insidious disease which
! s.Ow.y and secretly turns the vital organs
OF the body TO bone. 1t begins by ossify-
! ing little fragments OF tissue here aud
there. No medical skill can arrest its pro-
| gress. Nature ls perverted from her
/ healthy process OF assimllatng and nutrl-
ton 70 the creation in the system OF moth
ing but bone. What should be life 20 mu-
| Gle and nerve and sinew and arteries,
sSurns 10 solid and hfeless bone. At length
I the heart Is reached and vital parts Of y
\ become bone, and It's beautiful work -
I pusatlon, by which life j. sent IN red
streams 70 the very tips Of the fingers.
ceases and death ensues. Such l. the
/ moral lndurat.on which the senslblhties
/ Of soul suffer, when long appealed 20 by
| the services OF religion, 70 which II wlll
! not give back throb OF responsive feel
| ing.
".
Ministers shcIic be filled Pau gives an
iii~stratlon OF one phase OF this truth:
/ ATts L.: 9l2-"Ihen saul who also i,
called Paul, ned with the Holy Ghost,
/ set MS eyes on him. and said o full OF all
suOtlhty and all mischief, thou child Of
the devil, thol enemy o. all Righteousness,
wit thou nos cease 70 Ieryert the right
ways Of the Lord: And now, behold, the
I hand OF the Lord Is upon thee, and thou
shalt be blind, not seeing the sun Tor
season. And Immediately there fell on
! him a mist and a darkness, and he went
about seeking some 10 lead him by the
hand. Then the deputy, when he saw
what was done. believed. being aston
lshed at the doctrine OF the Lord"
The Holy Ghost only fills the man whose
desire l. to honor Christ. Philosophy,
poetry, art, sociology, ethics. are well
enough IN their places, but their place is
not IN the pulpit. The Holy Ghost has
pledged Himself to witness only 20 the
story OF Jesus and the resurrection. Paul
thought this wlo.e thing out, and while
he was schoo.e1 IN all the learning OF the
day, he said:
I'VE preach Christ crucifed, unto the
Jews stumbling block. and unto the
Greeks foollshness. but unto them that
are called, Christ the power OF God and
Peter is another illustration: Acts 4: s.
Then Peter filled with the Holy Ghost,
said unto them Ge rulers OF the people
and elders OF Israel Acts II: Is, 10
And as | began to speak the Holy Ghost
fell on them, "a on us at the beginning.
Then remembered the word Of the Lord,
how that lie said, John indeed baptized
with water; out yc shall be baptized with
the Holy Ghost
] DO not know OF any one in the New
Testament Scripture furnishing Us a bet
ter argument for the use OF the word Of
the sermon at Pentecost, II you will II -
simply a string of texts OF Scripture Ii
you should ask, But is this all he said
/ answer The words OF Scripture are all
that the Holy Ghost thoughs worthy OF
record" Peters words would have passed
away with his own generation The word
OF God a6ldes forever
Stephen furnishes an illustration OF the
fact that TO be filed with the Holy Ghost
does not always mean human success;
Acts 6: to S-"And the saying pleased
the whole multitude, and they chose Ste
phen, a man full OF faith and of the Holy
Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nj
canor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nj
colas, a prOselyte OF Antioch; whom they
set before the apostles. and when they had
prayed they laid their hands on them.
And the word of God increased, and the
number of the disciples multiplied in Jeru-
salem greatly, and a great company OF the
priests were obedient 10 the faith. And
Stephen, full of faith and power, did great
wonders and miracles among the people
Acts :: 55-"But he, being full of the
Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into
heaven and saw the glory OF God, and
Jesus standing on the right hand OF
Cod"
One might b, filled with the Spirit, and
pass through the greatest disappointment
OF his life for Stephen was just as truly
filed, although he was stoned 10 death, as
refer, tne preacher OF IenleCOsl. IOu
might fill you and then test you. The
great guns which are used in the defense
of our country are always tested before
they leave the arsenal.
The position OF the minister is an exalt-
ed one. l. Peter !: l2-"Unto whom /.
was revealed that not unto themselves,
but unto us they did minister the things
which are now reported unto you by them
that have preached the gospel unto you
with the Holy Ghost sent down from heav-
en-, which things the angels desire to look
into"
used in Scripture Rev Il: l3-"And |
heard a voice from heaven saying unto me.
Write, Blessed are the dead which die in
the Lord from henceforth Yea, saith the
Spirit, that they may rest from their la.
borS; and their works do follow them"
The Rev. F. B. Meyer thinks that this is
10 be interpreted as Amen. saith the
Spirit" and that it is the SPIRITS approx
al of what we have done in the name of
Christ. 1t will be a glad day for the church
when for every pastors work the Spirit
shall breathe Amen for the service OF
every elder. deacon and trustee He shall
say again Amen when the living OF all
the saints shall live so nearly according. to
Gods will that at the close OF each day
the Spirit shall say Amen and amen"
But the filing OF the Holy Ghost is not
to he confined to those who are called
ministers of the gospel. Every deacon
ought to I've filed: Acts 6: 3, 4-"Where-
fore, brethren. look ye out among you
seven men of honest report, full OF the
Hoiv Ghost and wisdom, whom we may
appoint over this business. But we will
give ourselves continually 10 prayer, and
20 the ministry of the word
There was a time in the history of the
church when men were chosen TO fill the
church's Offices not because OF their social
position or their financial ability. but SIM
nlv because they were men filed with the
Holy Ghost so that there can be but one
real test of fitness for such an office. l
feel very sure that We should expect
Pertccostal outpouring Of the Spirit OF
God only when this principle is recognized
V.
II the Holy Ghost is the life OF the
church-as we find IN Scripture: Eph. ::
81, 32-"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and
anger. and clamor. and evil speaking, be
put away from yo1. with all malice. and
be ye kind one 90 another, tender-hearted.
forylvlug one another. even as God tor
Christ's sake hath forgiven you'-thcn we
are TO be exceedingly careful with respect
10 everything that would Vrleve Him in
the presence OF bitterness or wrath or an
ger would grieve the Spirit Such Is in.
deed the case.
The Hoy Ghost is 70 work out in us
that which Christ has accomplished for us
on the throne. There can only be one him
drance 10 the working out Of this plan OF
God and that Is found in the church II.
self There is a so'emn warning for all the
members OF the church. | Thess. 5: 10
"Ouench not the Spirit Acts :: So
But Peter said. Ananias. why hath Satan
A