Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-05-25

revival was 20 me an exact duplication
of the days preceding Pentecost.
In the Upper Chamber.
Come. let ME take you TO the upper
chamber in Jerusalem. 1t Is the wear
30 4. ID. IL is about the LIST OF Juno
or the beginning Of summer All the
hillsides about Jerusalem are covered
with flowers. AS we come to this up-
per chamber. which was supposed TO
belong to the Evangelist Mark. who
was one of the blographers of Jesus.
we find that these disciples had been
abiding there for nearly ten days. or
ever since the ascension. hear n
woman's sweet voice lifted in prayer.
Ii is the voice OF Mary. the mother of
Christ. The voice goes something like
this: 30 Lord Jesus, cared for thee
when thou vert child. / am thy
mother, but thou art my Lord. Send
thy spirit into our midst. Come quick
ly with thy power. Come and cleanse
us from all sim" Then as the prayer
died away I'm pleading sobs methinlzs I
hear voice starting q song rs we
sometimes hear in n Methodist gather.
Ing, but instead OF n Methodist hymn
the voice leads the little gathering
through the noble melodies of the
grand old Twenty-thrd Psalm of Da-
vid, which is promise in music. And
rs the climax Is reached strange
spiritual Influence sweeps over the room
when the voices chorus that last grand
verse. Surely goodness and mercy
shall follow me all the days OF my
life. and I will dwell In the house of
the Lord forever"
Then for little while silence reigns.
Why. 1t is SO still that you can almost
hear each heart beat. Then another
Sob Then Peter arises and says: "Oh,
brethren, why did deny him? Why
did desert him at the saddest moment
OF his life? l can now see him turning
his great loving eyes upon me. 1 de-
MED him not only once, but twice and
thrice But, though the cock crew to
remind me. he never reproached me.
He surely forgives II we come and ask
his forgiveness" Then another silence.
Then searching of the Scriptures.
Then sobbing voice says: at am
Thomas. the doubter. But he forgiyes
me. even me-" Then the prayer and
the applications and the confessions
go on. But on the tenth day. while
they were still praying. suddenly each
man and woman and child turned to-
ward the others and cried: Look
Look! See the flames! 1t is the mani
festation of the Holy Spirit" And. oh.
my friends. IL we come to God beliey-
ing that he would bless us If we asked
him and If we would only meet and
pray and agoniZe and consecrate our
selves TO his service as the disciples of
old did on the day of Pentecost do you
not believe Christ would give to us the
higher power of gospel life? He will.
VIII you not therefore here and now
start forth to seek your Pentecost and
begin to plead and to consecrate your
whole life to the Masters service?
Came When Most Needed.
But / cannot close without just one
thought more. This baptism Of the
power of the Holy Spirit came to the
disciples OF old in the days when they
felt their greatest need of the promis-
ed comforter or supernatural power
The crucifixion was over. Yes. The
resurrection had come. Yes. But one
day less than two weeks before sud
denly Christ had again departed. Up
from the Mount of Ascension he went; |
higher and higher until his body dis
appears behind the clouds; higher and |
higher until in bodily presence he was ,
gone forever. Oh, the unutterable lone |
illness and helplessnessl Christ gone,
upon whom Were they to lean? Then |
came the power OF the Holy Spirit. |
That power is ready to descend upon
you If you only prepare yourself for
Gods gift.
Friend. you need this higher power.
You need it now. Let me see; how |
long ago did she die-she who was so
much to your spiritual life? You need |
this higher power You need it now.
Last Sunday as a preacher you deliv-
cred a sermon which was In a literary
sense poetic gem. But after you fin
lshed you knew as a messenger OF
Christ that 1t rang false all through.
You need this power In the home. In
your own strength you cannot rear