Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1909-01-09
DESCENT OF THE
HOLY SPIRIT
Sunday School Lesson for Jan. 10. 1909
Specially Arranged for This Paper

verses -
GOLDEN TENT will pray the Fa-
Their. and he shall give you another Com
torter, that he may abide with YOU for
ever even the Spirit OF Truth."-John
TIME.-May q or %. A. ID. 90 on
Saturday or Sunday morning. The day
or Peutecost. 50 days after the Passover
at which Christ was crucided- The mod
ern Whitsu1day
CONNECTION.-Ten DAYS after the last
lesson. the Ascension. were spent in
prayer and waiting.
PLACE-JerusslCm IN. Perhaps the oft
mentioned upper room. perhaps one Of
the rooms in the temple courts.
Comment and Suggestive Thought
Three outward manifestations OF the
Holy Spirits presence.-V. 2. And
suddenly" AS they were praying So
the lightning breaks forth suddenly
from the cloud. but the electricity that
prepared for It had been gathering
silently for hours. a. The Sound
from heaven" its source) as of a
rushing mighty wind" More clearly
In the revisions. as OF the rushing OF
mighty wind" I; does not say that
there was any wind but only sound
as Of a wind No "whirlwind shook
the building" "The audible sign fill.
ing the room announced the power
represented by IL as doing the same"
Prof Hovey. 1t (the sound) filled
all the house. aud was heard beyond
its walls by the muldtudes ". g..
CD V. 3. The manifestation to the
ear was followed by it's manifestation
TO the eve "Cloven tongues" not
each tongue cleft into two parts.
forked. but "'he f1 was In the form
OF tongues which distributed them
selves over the company. tongue
settling upon the head OF each one"
-Rackam. Like as OF FIRE" Il was
not real fire. as an organ OF dostruc-
ton, but with the appearance and
Brightness of FIRE. Ike that Of the
burning bush which Moses saw.
CD The third manifestation was
through the eift OF tongues.
The Sign ,Gcaucc OF the Symbols OF
the Spirit--tae symbol OF the Wind
The Greek word. as the Hebrew word.
for spirit" is the same as that for
wind. which Is natural metaphor
TO represent the spirit. Jesus himself
so uses 81 IN John 3: s.
1. 1t is an invisible power OF which
no one knows whence n cometh or
whittier Il goeth" But YOU cannot
tell the causes. which are beyond our
reach. Even to-day. when we have
daily reports from he weather bureau.
no one knows whore and when a storm
VIII arise. We see ihe storm and its
direction and can tell with great
probability 10 what place IL is going
and when IL viii get there. But for
beginning and end we know not
whence IL cometh nor whittier Il goeth.
2 But we recognize It by its ef.
fects. In sound. IN music. in force. in
life.
j. IL Is essential 10 life.
T. II is all-pervasive
8 II is very powerful The air is so
powerful that even free dynamite smlt.
Ing against 10 on one side crushes the
rocks on the other. The other day the
air from an explosion Of dynamite
swept away nearly whole village.
o. Yet il is very gentle and delicate.
breathing around the rose. and e. lily
touching the liitle chgd.
The symbol Of the Flame and Light.
Il Il is mysterious in nature. in
enably glorious. everywhere present.
swift winged. undefled and unde-
flable
2. IL represents the healing power
of the Holy Spirit, changing night into
day.
3. 1t expresses this purifying power.
II is a disease destroyer a refiner of
gold.
4. II symbolized the comfort
warmth. cheer. fresh life Joy. peace.
which the Holy Spirit lmparts.
5. Fire is the symbol OF intense en-
ergy and zeal The Holy Spirit fills
the soul With elowing eathus.asras and
unconquerable energy and zeal.
8. Light convinces the word of dust
OF dirt. OF thousand evil things un-
known In the darkness. For examples.
ray of light in a dusty room. and
Tyndalls ray through the glass tube
showing seed germs that no other
process could make known. So the
Spirit convinces of sin. OF the evils in
the heart
The truth of this lesson applies to
boys and girls as wen as 10 adults II
Is said OF the boy Jesus that "the
grace OF God" was upon him. While
be waved strong. advanced in wis
dom and stature. and in favor with
God and MAN. John tho Baptlst also
was filled WITH the Holy Spirit even
from his birth
Children need the Holy Spirit TO
help them 10 be good. and enable them
10 be disciples OF Jesus
The gift OF tongues was an indorse-
ment OF the command to disciple all
nations, an inspiration to obey it. and
a pointer TO the means THE human
tongue. illuminated and sancitified by
IRE from the inner sanctuary. was
about 10 be the instrument OF the COS.
pers advancement"
The Transformation OF the Apostles.
One effect of this gift OF the Holy
Spirit upon the apostles was a wonder
fui change In them. II was almost a f,
TRANSPORTATION experience.
This IS the power we need for our