The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-11

poor mans sorrow, woman's, beauty.
mans strength They shall lie down
alike in the dust and worms shall cover
them" if there be no resurrection of
the dead" But He is risen from the
dead" Shall there be no perpetuation-
no material monument to this the grand
est triumph in the worlds history? Yea,
verily-"We are buried with Him in bap-
tism and rise again to walk in newness
OF life" and we thus become, as inn
mersed believers, living monuments of
the supremcst fact in the history of the
universe. Is it strange then, that the
first command issued by the Holy Ghost
on the day and hour He began His official
ministry should be, Repent and be bap-
tized every one of you
THE PROMISES.
The grand elimination Of the day of
Pentecost was % Remission of sins. To
this focal point, flowed blood in thousands
OF streams, from thousands of affairs,
across thousands of years. 1t is in blood
and not in water that sins are RENTED.
The facts of the death and burial and
resurrection of Christ had been proclaim
ed, the commands of the Holy Spirit to
repent, believe, and be baptized had
been obeyed when the first promise to
be received the remission of sins" is an
nounced.
1t is the fact that brings the fullness
OF joy. "A British soldier had broken
every rule of the army, and on him every
form of punishment had been inflicted
without avail. He sinned again. His
commander was in despair as to what
/ should be done. A fellow officer said:
Suppose you try forgiveness" The
guilty man was SUMMONED. What have
you to say in excuse for your offence?"
He hung his head and replied Moth
! ing, except l am very sorry" We'll.
1 we have decided to forgive you" The
culprit was dazed, burst into tears,
saluted, and went out, to become one
of the best soldiers in the army" Don't
press this illustration too far. An illus
! tration, at best, can illustrate only one
side of a mystery so profound.
THE New Testament is a book that
throbs and gloWs with inexpressible
gladness. 1t is the one bright spot in
the literature of the first century. The
! Christians were the happiest people in
the world. Poor, they were rich; per-
secuted, they were exultant; martyred,
: they were victorious"
This note Of 10Y was struck at Pente-
J cost by those who had received the re-
mission of sins and late their meat with
gladness and singleness of heart"
! The peace of their pardon filled them
with unutterable joy. Rejoice and be
exceeding glad" was their watchword.
Sorrow was changed, and helped to
! "work out for them a far more exceed
| ing and eternal weight of glory" Duty
was changed, and instead of a lash driv-
| ing them to distasteful tasks it helped
| them in their labors of love. Death was
changed. Instead of a glooming terror
| at the end of all things, it became q
! bright gateway into world of light and
life They felt that they had received
a power in the inner life to become sons
of God. The spring of all their joy was
In their sense of the deHverance from
! SHIFTS power, it's STAIN it's guilt. Hear
them shout: "There is therefore. now no
condemnation to them that are in Christ
Jesus" (Rom. SD
(2.) "And we shall receive the gift of
the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:2S) He shall
come into our lives to encourage us in
our dependency, to guide us in our
ignorance; to energise us in our weak
ness, and to turn our signs into songs
Let us give Him hospitable heart-room
Come blessed Spirit and touch our
Bibles, until their pages glow like the
Shekinah and reveal the face of Jesus
in every chapter. Touch our pulpits
until they shall seem transformed into
temple courts, where He shall stand as
i on the great day of the feast and cry:
| IF any man thirst, let him come unto
Me and drink Touch our communion
tables until every crumb of bread shall
, culver like the bruised flesh of the Son
of God. and every drop of wine shall
whisper, Il died for thee" Touch our
mercy seats and hold us kneeling there
night and morning until We hear Him
say, II make intercession for thee"
{ Touch our eyes and ears until we can
, see visions of glory and hear a voice
say; Come up higher" Touch our lips
with live Goals from heavens altar, until
they burn to tell the story of His dying
I love. Touch our hands until they thrill
with longing to do the greater works"
He promised all who could receive the
! baptism of the Spirit" Touch our stub
born Wills until they cry, "Amen" to
every word of command the Master left.
Touch our conscienees until they be
the good, and to lash us on to every
. known duty. Touch our hearts until
they yearn and throb in unison with the
great unselfish heart that broke for us
on Calvary.
49, Eternal Life.-The gift of eternal
life is also coordinate with the remis-
sion OF sins 1.-THE wages of sin is DEATH
and the gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus" The "unspeakable gift
cannot be received by one dead in tres
passes and in sins" The dead can not
receive gifts. The instant a babe is
born--"quickened into new life'-it be-
comes an inheritor of the best the father
has to bestow. This being 'born from
above enabled the first disciple to re-
peat the experience and power of PEN
tecost wherever they went.
The faithful, persistent witnessing to
the experience of the new birth made
Christianity world Of religion.
changed heart uttering it's new-found
felicity is the miracle that has drawn
the attention of men century after CEN
fury and caused them to pause and pom
der the supreme personal question:
x,,;4I