Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-11
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR HOUR
Conducted by
GRACE LIVINGSTON HILL.
H.. 1,,I,, 10


John, xvi:5-15.
8. But now 1 go away to him that sent
me; and none of you asketh me, Wither
goest thou?
G. But because I have said these th'nes
unto YOU, sorrow hath filled your heart.
Z. Nevertheless tell you the truth; 1t is
expedient for you that 1 go away; for If l
go not away, the Comforter will not come
unto you; but If l depart will send Him
unto you.
8. And when He is come, He will reprove
the world of sin, and of righteousness and
of judgment:
o. Of SIM because they believe not on me;
10. OF Righteousness because I go unto
my Father, and We see me no more;
H. OF judgment, because the prince OF
this world is judged.
12 1 have yet many things to say unto
YOU but We cannot bear them now.
49, Howbeit when He. the Spirit OF
Truth is come He will guide you INTO an
truth; for He shall not speak OF Himself put
whatsoever He shall hear, that shal he
speak, and He will show you Things 10
come.
H. He shall glorify me, for He shall re-
ceive of mine and shall show it unto you.
10 All things that the Father hath are
mine; therefore. said I. that he shall take
of mine, and shall show 1t unto you.
The Lesson.
Manv people are afraid to talk or think
about the Holy Spirit. The idea OF Deine
willing to have their hearts filled with the
spirit" is aneawfM one. Even many Chris
tians, who think they know and love the
Lord Jesus Christ are unacquainted with
the Comforter. They speak the name HOLY
Spirit" with awe and haste and quickly
change the subject. 1t Is an unpleasant
mystery which they have no desire to solve.
And vet to be filled with the Spirit of God
is the birthright of the child OF GOO. Alas'
To how many it Is an unappreclated siit'
laid away carefully in drawer. 1t Is true,
for the sake of the Giver, but never cared
for never used, as it was meant TO pc
never even understood!
Now let us look for a little at what the
Holy Spirit can do for you and me- and
try If we can, to understand why Jesus
thought this so important Tor US that IL
was even necessary for Him to go away
from earth in order that He might SEM
Him.
In the first place. Jesus said the Spirit
was to reprove of sin. Is 1t possible that 1
do not want to be reproved; that am
harboring in my heart some sweet, secret
sin which fear to have brought to light,
and I do not want this searching. reprov-
ing Spirit to live with me lest He Will md
1t and tell my conscience?
And the great sin that the Holy Spirit is
to convince of is unbelief in Christ. Is 1t
possible that faint Of that awful sin.
from which you and l thought ourselves
free has crept even into our hearts? Is 1t
possible that the reason OF my constant
SHINING in spite of my will to do better is in
part caused by not fully believing in Christ
and His saving power?
Marcus Dods says: Christ, knowing tnat
men were about to put Him to death be-
cause He had tried to convict them OF sin,
confidently predicts that His servants would
by His Spirits aid convince the world of
sin. and of this In particular. that they
had not believed in Him. That very death
which chiefly exhibits human sin has, in
fact become the chief instrument in max
Ing men hate sin. There is no considera-
ton from which the deceitfulness OF sin
will not escape, nor any fear which the
recklessness of sin will not brave. nor any
authority of sin which self-will cannot
override. but only this: Christ has died for
ming still not regarding His blood, not
meeting His purpose.
The Spirit, then, is to convince us Of our
sin and of any unbelief which may be
lurking in our hearts.
But He is to also convince of righteous
ness II we admit the Spirit into our hearts
we can no longer go on comfortable in the
thought that we are doing about we'll as
we can in a world of wickedness. about as
we'll as any one else The Spirit will con-
vince of the possibility of righteousness and
Of the saving power of Christ.
Furthermore. the Spirit has power to
keenness of the coming judgment. wherein
wrong will never wear the semblance of
right. nor ever slip into heaven in a garb
Of light or excuses.
AS II that is not enough for the dear Lord
to send to us when He lett us alone in a
world of sin this Spirit is to go before us.
down the misty path of right. and show us
every step of the way. so that there may
be no uncertainty. no hesitation, no mis-
takes to a lifetime. He will guide US
into al truth. Even the unexplained things
of the hereafter. which words have failed
to make clear to us. shall be unveiled to
our hearts the need shall come. in time
of trouble, or doubt or failing hope. And
most blessed of all this Spirits name is
"Comfo-ter." Does He now seem some
awful presence from which we shrink AM,
turn away? Do not we every one need
this Comforter, this Guide-yes, even this
stern convicter of sin, and right, and judg-
ment?
The honest heart cannot admit all this
and yet not ask to be filled with the Holy
Spirit.
Applied Truth.
IF hear my little girl of three years
cid crying piteously for a piece of bread,
knowing that she must be very hungry
and having the bread by me, would tell
her to cry on for another hour and then 1
might attend to her wants? How much
more! oh. how much more will your heav-
emily Father give the holy spirit to them
H.,
crying and of my Offering she would not
take the bread l offered, but still went on
with her crying, Father! OH Fathert do
give me piece of bread 1 am so hungry
You silly child! Oh, how many silly chill
dren has the Father in His family. CRYING
year In and year out, Give, g.ver and
Father all the while yearning over them
and saying, Take. take, my child! Let
some of US give over crying and set to
work receiving. Take and thank! Re-
ce.ve and thank! That we might receive
the promise of the spirit through faith
Rev. John MacNe!l. In the Spirit-alled
Life. !.
How to help the leader-Speak of yo,rr
own thought of the Holy spirit and the part
He has had in your Christian DEVELOPMENT.
or II you feel you do not understand this.
pray in the meeting that Christ will helm
you to yield yourself to the Spirits guild
ance.
Parallel ssages-Ezekiel. xxxyi:27:
Isaiah, xxx:21; Nehemiah, ix:2o; John.
xiv:16. II. &c; John. xv:25; Romans x.5.
Romans. XVIII; 1 Corinthians, ii:9. 10:
Revelation, xxi:17.
Hints to the Leader.
Christian Endeavor Hymns, 35, Al. 90,
1s3 PA: the Endeavor Hymnal IS, "a, 100.
ia. 1919. In preparation read the Spirit
filled Life by Rev. John MacNe;l, found in
the Moody Colportage library, at very
little cost. Recommend this to members