The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1909-02-25

S:4.c5-Goldcn Text, Acts $50
Commit Verses II, 15-Com-
= mentary on the Lesson.
T1ME.-G5-S7 A. d. PLACE
Samaria.
ENPoSITION.-I. Baptized With
the Holy Ghost as We'll as With Wat
or. 1917. The apostles gladly re-
celVed the intelligence that the de-
spised Samaritans had received the
Word of God. They sent their very
best men to foster the work. Peter
and John on their arrival found that
none Of the converts had received the
Holy Spirit. Certainly among this
company OF baptized believers there
were some regenerate persons, but we
are distinctly told that las yet the
Holy Spirit had fallen upon none of
them. They were precisely in the
position OF many in the church to-
day. They had believed the truth
concerning the kingdom of God and
the name of Jesus Christ, and had
been baptized, but they had not re-
ceived the Holy Spirit as a distinct
and definite personal experience So
important did the apostles regard 1t
that believers should receive the Holy
Spirit that the first thing they attend
ed to was this. They evidently
thought that the way to obtain the
Holy Spirit was by prayer ". Is; CT.
Luke lib. 1t WAS how years after
Pentecost. and still we find the apos-
ties praying for the Holy Ghost. We
cannot improve upon their method.
The reception Of the Holy Spirit by
these Samaritan converts was some
thing so very definite and marxed
that Simon saw it. Il has been ar
gued from the fact that the apostles
laid their hands upon them that the
Holy Ghost can only be given by the
laying on OF an apostles hands, and
as the apostles are no longer with
us the gift Of the Holy Ghost is not
for to-day" This is strange logic
and contTadicts plain Scripture teach
ing, Tor 1T was not an apostle, but
merely "a certain disciple" who laid
hands on Saul when he received the
Holy Ghost (Acts 9:1O, 1I. The
household Of Cornelius received the
Holy Ghost without the laving on of
any ones hands (ch. 1O:44). The
samaritan believers did not have to
spend weeks waiting for their PEN
tecost 1t came the moment the
conditions were fulfilled. 1t was so
everywhere in Acts after Acts 2:1.
III. Baptized With Water, but Cn-
reSenerate, 1925. Simon desired to
buy the power of imparting the Holv
Spirit. His heart was so thoroughly
corrupt with selfishness and covet-
BUSINESS that he woIid turn Gods gift
into a way OF unholy gain. This
DrouEht stern rebuke and awful
warning. Jt is all very solemn. Are
there not to-day those VINO are long
ing and praying for the baptism with
the Holy Spirit for their own aggran-
d1zement or gain? An evangelist
once spoke on the baptism with the
Holy Spirit. A pastor as he walked
nome with him said. THAT Is Just
what 1 need must have the bap-
tism with the Holy Spirit. am now
getting $1,000 a year. If I had this
baptism with the Holy Spirit believe
l could get $1,000" That was fright
1nl. but this pastor only put into
piain words what manv another has
olmly felt and for this reason has
longed and prayed for the gift. Let
all such ponder the solemn words in
vs. 2O-2S. Such a view of the matter
reveals an irreverence toward God
anu seiiisnness SO profound as to
make pardon almost impossible ".
20. The one who thinks that Gods
gifts can be purcha assd with money
does not know God nor the methods
or His grace. All of Gods gifts are
gifts indeed. They are not to be pur-
chased. but received lis. SSH: Rom.
6:23; Eph. 2:S: Rom. 11:6). Simon
mad believed PhiliD's doctrine and
had been baptized with water ". 13).
put ne was an unregenerate man, his
neart was not right in the sight of
COO, and he had no part nor lot in
this matter. The only one who has
part or lot in the matter of the Gift
OF the Holy Ghost is the one whose
neart is right in the sight Of God (cf.
Heb. 1:9: Acts 5:32). 1t matters
little whether our hearts are right in
the sight OF man, the question is. are
our hearts right in the sight of God.
we need forgiveness not only for our
outward acts, but also for the
thoughts OF our heart. Simon was in
the visible church. but nevertheless
he was ''in the gall OF bitterness and
the bond of iniuuity" There is no
gail SO bitter as the gall OF sin. There
~ no bond go strong as the bond of
lniduity John S:34j. Simon did not
want to draw near to God himself so
asked Peter to pray to the Lord for him.
He does not appear to have been so
sorry Tor his sin as he was frightened
at the possible penalty. According to
tradition Simon did not repent, hut
became an enemy to the Gospel. The
apostles did two tnings-they testf-
fed of what they themselves knew of
the Lord (cf. Luke 24:48: Acts 1881
and preached the Word of the Lord {"
The word translated preach" means
spoke" They did not preach SER
mons. but just talked the Word of
the lord. Notice carefully what IL
was they talked. not their own ideas,
but the Word Of the Lord. On their
way back home they took opportunity
or declaring the good tidings in the
villages of the Samaritans through
which they passed. Their urejudices
Mera hrea ling dnurra