The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1906-11-16
THE PULPIT.
A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
REV w. HENDERSON
Subject: The Holy Spirit.

Brooklyn, y. Preaching at the
Irving Square Presbyterian Church
on the theme, The Holy Spirit" the
Rev. l. ". Henderson, pastor, took
AS his text Jno. 14:16-17. He said
II the course OF his sermon:
As We read this and the two sue
ceedins chapters OF this good news
of the Beloved Disciple, we appre-
ciate, more and more, the vital, force
ful influence OF the Holy Spirit upon
the lives OF those who love and serve
! God. u was at the close Of the Last
! Supper that Christ uttered these
words. A few hours and the cross
claimed Him. Philip had asked
Lord, SheW rs the Father. Our
text portion OF Christ's answer.
We are told by the commentators
! that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter
! Is also an advocate, Il helper. Liter
! ally translated the Greek means:
"One who is called to another's side
/ TO aid him" To our side, an ever
! present aid through all eternity, the
/ Holy Spirit has been called by Christ.
/ Comforter, advocate, teacher, helper,
! guide and eternal friend, such is the
! Holy Spirit OF the new dispensation
as granted to us by our Heavenly Fa-
| ther.
The position OF the Holy Spirit
| with reference TO us is clearly shown
| by the propositions used in the
verses. And | will pray the Father,
| and He shall give you another Com
| fOrter, that He may abide with you
| forever, even the spirit of truth
whom the world cannot receive be-
cause it seeth Him not, neither know
eth Him, but ye know Him, for He
abideth by you and shall be in you"
With you, by YOU, in you. With you,
'in the fellowship of His everlast-
ing presence" BY you, lin His per-
sOnal presence In you, "as an abid-
ing personal energy" With you, by
you, in you, in all the eternal ON
impotence, love and wisdom of the
very God Himself. The Holy Spirit
is the presence Of Almighty God and
Of His son Jesus Christ, with you, by
you, in you. The pronouns, as the
propositions, are of prime import
'ance. lie is God, with, by and in
man.
The Holy Spirit who is in our
hearts to-day has been the dynamic
in the lives of consecrated men and
women since time was. In his jour
ney up from bondage il was the spir-
it of God that sustained Moses. He
is the spirit Of which Isaiah wrote:
And thine ears shall hear word be-
hind thee saying, This is the way,
walk ye in it" And again we read in
Ezekiel: And / will put my spirit
within YOU and cause you to walk in
Ny statutes, and ye shall keep My
judgments and dothem." The spirit Of
Samuel and of jeremiah is the Spirit
DpC Of To IN l,,t oh
how much more full. He brings to
us not merely the wealth of asso-
citation that crowds about the ma
tional life Of the chosen people Of
God. To us, He comes as a consum-
nation and memorial of the power,
majesty and all-embracing love of
God and Of His Son our Saviour,
Jesus, the Christ.
The Holy Spirit influences and di-
rects every good and great movement
that emanates from the hearts and
souls of Christian men. God work
| ing in His Holy Spirit fills the heart
of Henry Ward Beecher 18th an over
whelming love for the Southern
slave, and the inspired words Of that
virile Christian speed the breaking
| of a million shackles. The auction OF
| the slave girl in the pulpit OF Ply
mouth Church was God in His Spirit
moving Henry Ward Beecher to de-
Cisive action. The Holy Spirit enters
| the heart of Florence Nightingale and
| soldiers on every ruddy field know
| the touch of a loving hand and the
| consolation of a sympathizing heart.
| The Comforter strikes hidden, mex
! haustible springs in the souls Of ID.
l.. Moody, of General Crittenden, of
| Jerry McAulay, and myriads Of out
| cast men and fallen women feel the
! power Of the sheltering, upbearing
| arm of Almighty God. Tennyson
hears the voice of God within and to
us are given the immortal lines of
"In Memoriam' and OF Crossing the
| Bar"
The his ory of the presence of
| the Christ in the lives Of nations lies
! in the work Cousummated by His
| Holy Spirit All the great reforms,
| all the great movements that have
| bettered humanity have had their in
ception in the minds of Spirit-flled
men. Who can say but that the hand
and the Spirit OF God have been with
this land, as it was with Israel. in her
! phenomenal success. To be sure We
| have made our mistakes. We are a
| far cry from the Christ ideal. But
did we. nationally, Tevere Him more
| did We but let His Holy Spirit dwell
| deeper and more lastinsly in our ma
tional heart, H would bless us far
beyond our fondest expectations.
| God is the God Of nations. Christ
came to take away the sins OF the
! orld. of nations, rs Of individuals.
The Holy Spirit can fill nations
heart if it's people will but do Gods
| will
The most vital necessity in the life
OF the Christian and OF the church il
| the Holy Spirit as He descends, con-
stantly frcshenCd and refreshing.
from the throne OF God. Having ac-
cepted Christ and His plan for our
redemption. He is the first thing thar
we must gain. The apostles. men OF
God and with Christ as they were.
| could do uaught in the work OF the
| evaugeiization of the world and Of
III e Il .Nf Il,