The Wilmington daily Republican., 1902-01-08

vision OF the Christian life, cleani
ing by the blood, and hallowing b
the oil-justilicatiou In Christ, ane
tification in fhe Spirit, Thi
amounting Of the Holy Spirit Is th
gift Of the Holy Spirit himself.
Another figure. more importan
than any Of these. 10 the figure q
fire. The Holy Spirit, like as float
ing tongues OF fire. sat upon eacl
OF the waiting disciples in Jerusa a
lem. John baptized with water
but the baptism Of fire is a mightie
baptism. The breathing Of th,
wind may show to US the mystery
OF the organ Of spiritual life; til,
oil, the act OF special amounting
for a special official service; the
water, the cleansing efficacy of the
operations of the blessed third per
son in the Trinity. but only the fire
reveals the purifying power, fresl1
from Contact with which we are tc
60 forth in the work OF God.
Water may sweep over the Chris
tian's life and leave it full Of RAJ
vines and gulIles, that will need a
constant inflow and overflow, lest
they become menace TO the spir-
itual health; but fire will reduce to
aAhes the worthless stubble IN hu.
man lives. leave no sediment as a
reminder Of its work, dry up the
worthless sap Of worldly ambition
and leave all lives purer for its
blistering touch.
The average Christian, cremated,
would not AXE cuptul OF ashes.
but the ashes Of a Christian, so re-
duced by the fire Of the Holy Spirit
is worth. more 10 God than 200
pounds OF unpurged flesh aud
homes.
III. The purpose oil power. Ana
yet we are not satisfied that we
have found the definition Of power.
Could we do better than TO define
its power by noticing its effects?
The Acts o! the Apostles gives to
us the record of the practical use
and intent Of Holy Spirit power.
Turning to it, therefore, we find
that it meant power to speak. The
tongues OF flame set other tongues
going for now they speak with
other tongues as the spirit, gave
them utterance. Happy the man.
who, fired by the Spirit. speaks
with tongue OF flame.
II meant power to work miracles.
a demonized Toy is too much Tor the
disciples at the loot of the glory
mount. but a lame man at the q Gate
Beautiful, may be made to run and
leap and walk at the Apostles
wor,s- after pentecost.
1t mean! power to be on terms of
closest intimacy with the Holy
Spirit. The Apostolic declarations
OF Acts 5, s. aud II, 2S. would be
asPhemous csotism unless spoken
under the spell OF the SPIRITS pow
er.
1t meant power to preserve the
sanctlly of the church. When An
an'as aud Sapphira sold their piece
OF ground and kept back part of
the price, they paid the penalty OF
their deception with their lives,
their sentence OF doom being pro-
nounced by Peter. This would
have been murder before pentecost;
after Pentecost it is the proof of
power.
1t meant also the power to suffer
and 10 die. The first Christian
martyr was deacon OF the early
church-not an apostle which by
the sway is an Illustration OF the
tact that apostolic power was not
confined TO twelve men. Stephen
Is stoned. Paul Imprisoned. James
beheaded and from the first cen
turv 10 the twentieth, noble souls |
in all .ands have died ior the truth
wl,hou, renounclng it, that they
mlght show TO all the world the
true meaning OF Spiritual power
It meant full evidence Of apos-
tJilc revival. The revival that I'M
menlalelv succeeded Pentecost ex-
cecded ii. Acts 4. i, beats Acts ;,
Al, by 2010, ior it tells us 5000 men
were saved. Before we have read
SIX chapters OF the wonderful rec
ORD, We tind church with 10000 !
members, 1000 OF whom were say
cd a!tcr Pentecost. Acts ,, Al IS
instructive in that it tells us that
souls were added daily, Ought we
to ooa Tor daily additions and large
add tons to the church to-day! In
God 5 namc. yes. The church with
400 members that doesn't have con-
versions every week, ought TO d,t.
band. 1t has lost apostolic power.
1t meant apostolic benevolence.
At first they had all things common.
A common spirit and common
purse. They gave up al to the
church. This is not TO be followed
literally, uut the spIritof that prlm.
tive bcnevolence must be revived
I We expect to CLEAN that primi.
I've power. The church OF God is
'tlngy and mean. We have money
or books that enrich the mind; We
avishly spend money 10 make our
ZONES beautiful; we fling our mon-
y iuto the whrling waters OF So
,ial lie and see 1t sink without a
Ugh, and then deny God fof that
which rightly belongs to HIM. God
orgive US and help us mole and
more 10 see the JOY and dignity of
rue apostolic benevolence.
And lastly. apostolic power will
'e seen in a succession OF true
lPostollc missionary endeavor. The
l'scipes OF the carly church went
very where proclaimns the word.
ne very genius OF christianity is
he missionary spirit. The Chris