Orange County observer., 1902-10-30

| the Lord. "4'u Tie return OF
It is this that gives one the passion for
G;Jh,wl4hhlng n;shes mn IT is this thought that fur
slonary The church is called-ouf body. I
ano M the missionary is sent to Africa. t.
Cnina, TO Japan, that he may work in the
Ienowshlp OF the Holy Ghost in leading
spuls TO Christ; God speed the day when
| found! oous suoii Do
rhe Ia church = is enlightened by the Spirit.
The Spirit is the breath Of God IN the
body OF His church. If His rule IS not fo.-
owed 1t naturally results that His life is
smut out. Thus it comes to be like man
suffering from pneumonia-one rnaccur.
t3lned to such scenes declares that what
she man needs Is more air, but in point oi
TACT 1T is not more air he needs at all, but
| more lung to be filled with air. We dc
not want more of the Holy Ghost, hut
the Holy Ghost ought to have more Of the
church. And sometimes, because His rule
| Is not followed, He in measure withdraws
Himself, and allows the forms to stay, but
| the power Is departed. The oil is gone.
but the lamp is there. There are churches
where prayer is offered. and the Bible
read, and church-going religlously kept up,
bance Of power. They are described in
the words of Scripture as having a name
to live, but being dead" They remind
one Of the guard found in the excavated
city OF PomDeii. He stood with his hel-
met and his armor on, and his bony finger
! clasping his spear. and yet not living 1t Is
| just the same with the church.
"A little thing 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 insidious disease which
1 tlVy :I,l
of the body to bone. 1t begins by ossify-
ing little fragments of tissue here and
there. No medical skill! can arrest it's pro-
gress: Nature is perverted from her
healthy process of assimilating and nutri-
ton, to the creation in the system of moth
Gle and nerve and sinew and arteries,
turns to solid and lifeless bone. At length
the heart is reached and vital parts Of it
BECOME bone. and it's. beautiful work OF
pu.sation. by which life is sent in red
streams to the very lips of the fingers,
ceases and death ensnes. Such is the
moral indHration which the sensibilities
of a soul suffer. when long appealed to by
the services of religion, to which it will
not give back a throb Of responsive feel.
ing"
- IF the church is to be governed by the
Spirit. every office-heare in the church
Ministers should be filled. Paul gives an
illustration of one phase of this truth:
Acts l3: 9-l2-'"Then Saul, (who also is
called PAUL., filled with the Holy Ghost,
set his eyes on him, and said. o full of ali
subtility and all mischief, thou child of
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 for 4
season. And Immediately there fell on
him mist and a darkness. and he went
about seeking some to lead him by the
hand. Then the deputy, when he saw
what was done, believed, being aston
ished at the doctrine of the Lord"
The Holy Ghost only fills the man whose
desire is to honor Christ Philosophy,
poetry, art. sociology, ethics, are well
enough in in their places, but their place is
pledged Himself to witness only to the
story Of Jesus and the resurrection. Paul
thought this whole thing out, and while
he was schoo,ed in all the learning of the
day. he said:
I'VE preach Christ crucifed, unto the
Jews stumbling block, and unto the
Greeks foolish?ess; but unto them that
the wisdom of God"
Peter is another illustrations: Acts 4: s.
"Then Peter, filed with the Holy Ghost,
said unto them: Ye rulers of the people
and elders of Israel" Acts IL: Is. 10
fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
Then remembered the word of the Lord,
how that He said, John indeed baptized
with water; but ye 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
Cod IN preaching than Peter himself. Take
the sermon at Pentecost, if you will. It is
simply string of texts Of Scripture. If
you should ask, "But is this all he said ?"
! answer: "The words of Scripture are all
record" Peters words would have passed
| away with his own generation. The word
of God a5ides forever
Stephen furnishes an illustration of the
fact that to be filled with the Holy Ghost
does not always mean human success.
the whole multitude. and they chose Ste
phen. man fn'l of faith and of the Holy
| Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nj
canor, and Timon, and Parrlenas, and Nj
co!as a proselyte of Antioch; whom they
set before the apostles and when they had
And the word of God increased. and the
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 7: 55-'tBut 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
God"
One might be 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 fill you and then test you. The
great guns which are used in the defense
of our country are always tested before
tbev leave the arsenal %
The position of the minister is an cSalt-
ed one. I. Peter /: 12-"Unto whom it
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 .ook
| into"
There is not an angel in the skies to-day
but who would leave his post of honor to
take your place and mine in the preaching
| Nf M