The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-11-05


| lust the same with the church.
A little th,ns at first may result IN loss
, OF power in the entire church. A wrong
| financial policy might do it. A spirit OF
criticism might accomplish it. -,
There is an insiiioas disease when
slowly and secretly turns the vital organs
OF the body to bone. 1t begins by ossiiy,,
| there. No medical skill can arrest It's pro-
gress. Nature is perverted from her
healthy process of assimilating and nutri'
| ton 20 the creation in the system OF MOTH
ing but bone. What should be life to mus
Gle and nerve and sinew and arteries,
turns to solid and hieless bone At length
the heart is reached and vital parts OF II
become bone, and its beautiful work OF
pu.sa,ion, by which life IS sent IN REQ
streams to the very tips OF the fingers,
ceases and death ensues., Such - tne
moral induraton which the sensibilities
of soul suffer, when long appealed to oy
the services Of religion, to which 1t Will
no. give back q throb of responsive teel'
ing"
Ministers shou;c De filled. Paul gives an
illustration of one phase OF this truth:
Ace l3: 9-l2-"Then Saul. (who also ID
called PAUL., filed with the Holy Ghost,
set his eyes on him, and said; U iuii 81 az
the devil, thou enemy of all Righteousness,
wilt thou not cease to pervert the right
ways OF the Lord! And now, behold, the
hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou
shalt be blind, not seeing the sun TOR q
season. And Immediately there fell on
him a mist and q darkness. and ne went
about seeking some to lead him by the
hand. Then the deputy, when he saw
what was done. believed, being aston
4 A. 1ff hn
The HOLY Ghost only fills the man whose
desire is to honor Christ. Philosophy,
poetry, art. sociology, ethics, are we'll
enough in their places. but their place u
mot in the pulpit. The Holy Ghost has
pledged Himself to witness only 10 tne
sto-y Of Jesus and the resurrection: Paul
thought this whole thing out, and while
he was schooled in all the learning OF the
day, he said:
I'VE preach Christ crucifed, unto the
Jews q stumbling block, and unto the
Greeks foolishness. but unto them thas
are called, Christ the power OF God ana
Peter is another Illustration: Acts 4: 8
"Then Peter, filed with the Holy Ghost,
said unto them: Ye rulers OF the people
and elders of Israel" Acts IL: ID; 10.
"And as I began to speak the Holy. Ghost
fell on them, as on Us at the beginning.
Then remembered ! the word OF the Loro,
how that He said, John indeed baptized
the Holy Ghost"
I do not know Of any one in the New
Testament Scripture furnishing Us pet:
ter argument for the use Of the word OF
God in preaching than Peter himself. lake
the sermon at Pentecost, il you will. 1t l.
simply q string Of texts OF Scripture. II
YOU should ask, "But is this all he said!,,,
I answer: The words of Scripture are all
that the Holy Ghost thought, worthy OF
record" Peters words would have passed
away with his own generation. Ihe word
of God sbides forever.
Stephen furnishes an illustration Of the
fact that TO be filed with the Holy Ghost
does not always mean human success:
Acts 8: S 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, q proselyte Of Antioch; whom they
set before the apostles, and when they haa
prayed they laid their hands on them:
number of the disciples multiplied in Jeru-
salem greatly, and great company OF the
priests were obedient to the faith. And
Stephen, full of faith and power, did great
wonders and miracles among the people,"
Acts !: 5t"But he, being full OF the
Hoy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into
heaven and saw the glory. Of God, and
God"
One might bc filed with the Spirit, and
pass through the greatest disappointment
Of his life, for Stephen was Just as truly
filed, although he was stoned to death; as
Peter. the preacher of Pentecost. God
might fiji you and then test you. The
great guns which are used in the defense
of our country are always tested be|ore
they leave the arsenal.
The position Of the minister is an cxalt.
ed one. !. Peter !: l2-"Unto whom 1t
wa, revealed that not unto themselves,
but unto us they did minister the things
which are now reported unto you by them
with the Holy Ghost sent down from heav-
en-, which things the angels desire to look
into"
There is q very significant expression
used in Scripture. Rev. II: l3-"And
heard q 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 Ia;
bsrs; and their works DO follow low. them; .S;a !.
to 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. It will be 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 50 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 10 not
to he confined to those who are called
ministers of the gospel. Every deacon
ought to be filed: Acts 6: 8. 4-"Where-
fore. brethren, look ye ont among. you
seven men of honest report, full OF the
Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom We may
appoint over this business. But We will
give ourselves continually to prayer, auS
to the ministry of the word"
There was q time in the history OF the
church when men were chosen to hll the
church's Offices. not because OF their social
position or their financial ability. but sim
ply because they were men filed with the
Holy Ghost: 80 that there can be but one
real test Of fitness for such an office. /
fee! very sure that We should expect
Pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit OF
God only when this principle is recognized.
v.
II the Holy Ghost is the life Of tho
church-as we find in Scripture: Eph. 4:
| 81, 32-"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and
| anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be
put away from you, with all malice, and
be ye kind one to another, tender. hearted,
| forpiyiuy one another, even az God Tor