The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-01-07
DESCENT OF THE
HOLY SPIRIT
Sunday School Lesson for Jan. 10. 1909
Specially Arranged for This Paper


ever; even the Spirit of Truth."-John
l4:16. L.
TIME.-May q or %, A D. 30. on a
Saturday or Sunday morning The {
of Pentecost. 30 days after the Passo
at which Christ was crucitied The mo-
ern Whitsunday
CONNECTION.-Ten days after the last
lesson, the Ascension, were spent in
prayer and waiting
PLACE.-Jerusalem. 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" tits source) "as of a
rushing mighty wind" More clearly
in the revisions, "as of the rushing Of
a mighty wind" 1t does not say that
there was any wind, but only a sound
as of a wind No "whirlwind shook
the building" The audible sign fill.
ing the room announced the power
represented by it as doing the same"
Prof. Hovey. 1T (the sound) filled
all the house" and was heard beyond
its walls by the multitudes ". g..
CD V. 3. The manifestation to the
ear was followed by its manifestation
to the eye. "Cloven tongues" not
each tongue cleft into two parts,
forked. but "the fire was in the form
of tongues which distributed them.
selves over the company, a tongue
settling upon the head of each one"
-Rackam. Like as of fire." 1t was
not real fire, as an organ of destruc-
ton. but with the appearance and
brightness of fire, like that of the
burning bush which Moses saw
3D. The third manifestation was
through the gift of tongues.
The Significance of the Symbols of
the Spirit-the Symbol of the Wind
The Greek word, as the Hebrew word.
for spirit" is the same as that for
wind which is a natural metaphor
to represent the spirit. Jesus himself
so uses it in John 3: s.
/. 1t is an invisible power of which
no one knows whence it cometh or
whittier it goeth." But you cannot
tell the causes, which are beyond our
reach. Even to-day, when we have
daily reports from the weather bureau.
no one knows where and when storm
Will arise. We see the storm and it's
direction, and can tell with great
probability to what place 1t is going
and when it will get there But for
beginning and end we know not
whence it cometh nor whittier it goet
2. But we recognize it by its
fects, in sound, in music, in force, in
life.
). 1t is essential to life.
4. 1t is all-pervasive.
5. 1t is very powerful The air Is so
powerful that even free dynamite smit.
ing against it on one side brushes the
rocks on the other The other dav the
ar from an explosion of dynamite
swept away nearly a whole village.
6. Yet it is very gentle and delicate.
breathing around the rose, and gently
touching the little child.
The Symbol of the Flame and Light.
i 1t is mysterious in nature. in
efably glorious, everywhere present,
swift winged, indebted, and unde-
filable.
?. 1t represents the healing power
OF the Holy Spirit, changing night into
day.
3. 1t expresses this purifying power.
1t is a disease destroyer, a refiner of
gold.
4. 1t symbolized the comfort,
warmth, cheer, fresh life, joy, peace,
which the Holy Spirit imparts.
5. Fire is the symbol of intense en-
ergy and zeal. The Holy Spirit fills
the soul With glowing enthusiasms and
unconquerable energy and zeal
6. Light convinces the world of dust,
of dirt, Of thousand evil things I'M
known in the darkness For examples.
a ray of light in a dusty room, and
Tyndall's 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 we'll as to adults. 1t
is said of the boy Jesus that the
grace of God" was upon him. while
he "waXed strong, advanced in wis
dom and stature. and in favor with
God and man" John the Baptist also
was filled with the Holy Spirit even
from his birth.
Children need the Holy Spirit to
help them to be good, and enable them
to 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
pointer to the means. "The human
tongue, Illuminated and sancitified by
fire from the inner sanctuary. was
about to be the instrument of the Cos
pers advancement"
The Transformation of the APOSTLE
One effect of this gift of the Hoi
Spirit upon the apostles was a wonder
full change in them. 1t was almost a
transformation experience.
This is the power we need for our
own growth in grace, and in every
good word and work.