The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-07-31
THOUGHTS EpR THE
~ IrM~
NaEg
QUIET -FOUR
The Secret Of Power.

We ought to be careful about pray
ing for the operation of the Holy
Spirit upon our work, and upon our
people. We should be in such a.
frame Of mind as should prepare u.s.
for Him when He zones. Often we
drive the Spirit out Of our lives and
out of our churches by our refusing
to bend ourselves before Him.
Two things about Pentecost must
be noted. 1t was CD foretold by
the prophets Joel 2~:2S-30), and (2}F'
promised by Christ duke 24:49)..
The prophets had, SO far al they
could, prepared the world for the
coming Of the Day Of Pentecost, and
Jesus Himself before He left earth
prepared + disciples for this day.
and through His disciples all man
kind.
The disciples were simply tod to-
tarry at Jerusalem till this endue-
ment came. They did not require
anyone to tell them when the Day
of Pentecost arrived, and you will
not need anyone to tell you when
the promise .dlflled in your Hfe,
neither will you need a teacher to tn-
terpret its meaning.
1t is significant that Jesus arranged
that this meeting should take place
exactly when the people were as
sembling at Jerusalem from every
quarter of the known world. On the
one hand we have the waiting disci-
pies, tarrying for the fulfllment OF
the promise with expectation and tes-s
timony; on the other, there Is a vast
company of people moving from
every part of the earth to one centre
Jerusalem.
1t is just like the Holy Spirit tor
arrange things in this way, for He
never works at one end Of the line
only. Was it not so with Philip and
the eunuch? Philip was preaching
to crowds Of people in q place where
it seemed a preacher was most need
ed. The Holy Ghost appeared and
directed him to leave the sphere OF
successful labor and go along the
road toward GAIA, where one would
not expect to find many people to,
whom he could preach. The same
Spirit was moving in the heart OF the
eunieh when he started away from
his home, and that same Spirit moved
the man to be reading the passage.
in the Scriptures when Philip came
on the scene which he was to ex-
pound. He preached the Gospel, and
the eunuch believed, and was bap--;
tized.
Another remarkable thing about.
Pentecost to me is the fact that Peter
was chosen to preach the sermon.
He had denied Christ and had sworn
about it. But that experience In the
upper room had changed all this, and
Peter-once the coward-is schosens
to give that memorable discourse.
People to-day would have said: Ss0hs
you get behind the door, Peter, and
keep a back seat; you dfsgraced our
cause"
The. sermon was remarkable for
the amount of the Old Testament it
contained and for the conviction OF
sin which it wrought. We rarely
have any conviction of sin to-day
But when the Holy Spirit takes POSE
session of individuals and churches
there will be real conviction Of sin.
The sermon was also remarkable
In that it brought forth from the-
people questions that must be an
swered. I am afraid there are few
question marks about our churches
to-day. We a explain all our OPP
erations. Where, there is q church
that is a great question mark that
the world cannot answer, there you
have a church with power. When
you find a church v e which the
Holy Ghost presides, you find a.
church whose operations are so mys-
terious that they cannot be Z
planned, for the Holy Spirit works
along supernatural lines.
1 do not believe this world will
ever be won from scepticism to.
Christ b. preaching science, logic Nor-
philosophy. You talk science, and
the sceptic talks science back; you
talk logic, and the sceptic replies.
with logic; you talk philosophy, and
the sceptic gives you philosophy In
return. But If you live the Spirit
filled life you confront the world
with an argument that cannot be an
swered.-Dr. Len G. Broughten, In
London Christian.