Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1903-09-16

words of our text:
Verify, verify.
say unto you. He that believeth on Me.
the works that do shall he do also; and
greater works than these shall he do;
because 90 unto Ny Father" Greater
works! Even the faith of Peter must
have staggered at that. Even John. who
understood his Lord SO well, must have
been perpleXed and troubled. Greater
works! There swiftly pass before the
vision Of the disciples the scenes of tri-
umph Of that ministry The multitudes
gathered in the streets of Capernaum.
The sick. the crippled, the demon-pos-
sessed are brought and He healed them
every one" Again and again did they
witness His hand stretched forth to
neal. The company of weeping friends
is gathered before the tomb of Lazarus.
He has been dead three days, but Jesus
bids him come forth and he obeys the
summons. and the home at Bethany is
changed from one Of sorrow to happy.
rejoicing one. Twice they beheld the
vast mul Ltudes gathered out on the
mountain side and saw the few loaves
and fishes multiply under the touch of
large quantities Of food remain. They
heard Him during those three years
preaching and teaching. The truth OF
God was unfolded. The hypocrisies and
false teachings OF Scribes and Pharisees
were laid bare. The seeker after truth
was always satisfied, the critic was al
ways answered. So marvellous and clear
and scriptural were the teachings that it
was declared that never man spake as
this man. The marvelously great works
OF Jesus. and yet as parting message to
His disciples He tells them that they
shall be permitted 10 perform greater
works. Greater works!
LAD we been present with that little
L group of disciples in that upper
room on the last night before His cru
cifixion and heard the words OF our text
fall from Jesus lips we might have been
staggered by them and failed utterly to
understand their meaning. Our faith
would hardly have carried us to the
sublime heights of Divine triumph in
their fulfillment, but with 10 centuries
OF triumph and glory OF the Gospel with
the marvellous work Of the early church
as related by Luke in the book OF the
Acts, We must exclaim: Behold. what
God hath wrought" Read the book OF
Acts and you must admit that what
Jesus declared should be the fruitage of
His disciples ministry was literally full
filled in the mighty Operation of the
Holy Spirit through them, first at Je-
rusatem. then Judea and Samaria. and
then to the uttermost part of the earth.
These words need no explanation ex-
cept that which is furnished by the story
OF the growth and spread OF the GOSPEL
after the descent OF the Holy Spirit on
the day Of Pentecost up TO the present
day. Jesus meant. ] believe. lust what
lie said. His words need no interpre-
fer except hearing ears. seeing eyes and
hearts that will understand. The open
ing sentence Of the Acts is significant
Luxe is writing after the disciples have
gone everywhere preaching the Word
AFTER PauIs mighty trinInphs in the
gospel IN Asia and Europe and looking
PACK ON IT all and contrasting il with the
results 'of Jesus ministry which he re-
forde in one Of the Gospels. he saws.
The former treatise have I made q
Thecphilus. Of all that Jesus began both
10 90 and teach. until the day in which
lie WAS taken up" And on that day lie
encouraged the disciples with this prom
Use We shall receive power. after ,bat
The Holy Ghost is come upon ycu~
TIE second chapter nnfo,5s sAe
wGnderful fulnllment Of .ba4 r,ron-
ice when on the day Of Pentecost t1,o
Holy spirit descended and flied them
SO that they all began TO proclaim tho
Gospel message And altbo,gb a..
were mostly uneducated GsliJeea,s
they sp1lSo in all the different to1,,,y,,s
OF The Ee1id The rnultife,des S...ro
amazed and marveled. saying o4,s A.
another, Behold are not Ali 49,
which spestk Galileeans? And t,ry 49,
"e every mbn in our OWE t,r,o,,o
wherein Ve were born? Psyfniaus
and Medes. aud Elamites. and tbs
dwellersin 4esopotamia, and in J,,des
and CappadOcia. in Pontus. and Asis
Phrygia, and PSmphylia. in Egypf sod
IN the parts of Libya about Cvre,,o
and strangers q Rene. Jews ard
pIoselytes, Crefes aud Arabians We ~,
hear them speak in our Tongues tn
wohderful works Of God" Greater
works. surely! And following tbts
after the multitudes have gathered
Peter sands up and breaches aud 600
FOULS arc converted. more in one dav
after one sermon than Jesus had been
ahla To wiz furfpo IT,