The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1909-01-09
DESCENT OF THE
HOLY SPIRIT

GOLDEN TEXT will pray the Fa-
Their. and he shall give you another Com
forter. that he may abide with you for
ever; even the Spirit of Truth. John
H:16, II.
TIME.-May q or %, A. D. 80. on
Saturday or Sunday morning. The day |
of Pentecost so days after the Passover
at which Christ was crucified- The mod |
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. I'D The sound
| from heaven" Qts source) "as OF
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 sound
as of wind. No "whirlwind shook
the building" 1.-The audible sign dll-
ing the room announced the power
represented by it as doing the same.
Prof. Hovey. 1T (the sound) filed
all the house." and was heard beyond
its walls by the multitudes ". 81.
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, tongue
settling upon the head of each one."
l-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.
(3) 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 natural metaphor
to represent the spirit. Jesus himself
so uses it in John 3: 8.
1. 1t is an invisible power of which
no one knows whence 1t cometh OF
whittier 1t goeth." But you canno'
tell the causes, which are beyond oul
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
! direction, and can tell with grea
probability to what place 1t is goini
and when it will get there. But TO
beginning and end we know no
whence it cometh nor whittier it goeth
Il 2. But we recognize it by its Ell
fects. in sound, in music. in force, +
life.
8. It is essential to life.
4. 1t is all-pervasive.
s. Il is very powerful The air is s
powerful that even free dynamite smil
ing against it on one side brushes tn
rocks on the other. The other day tn
air from an explosion of dynamit
swept away nearly whole village.
6. Yet it is very gentle and delicate
breathing around the rose, and gent
touching the little child.
The Symbol of the Flame and Ligh
II. 1t is mysterious in nature, IL
effably glorious, everywhere presen
swift winged, undefiled, and und'
filable.
2. 1t represents the healing powe
Of the Holy Spirit. changing night int
day.
g. 1t expresses this purifying powe
1t is disease destroyer, refiner {
gold.
A. 1t symbolized the comfor
warmth, cheer. fresh life, joy. peac
which the Holy Spirit imparts-
5. Fire is the symbol of intense Ell
ergy and zeal. The Holy Spirit Al
I. the soul yith glowing enthusiasms an
t unconquerable energy and zeal.
e 6. Light convinces the world OF dus
of dirt, of thousand evil things u
'e known In the darkness For example
ray of light in dusty room, an
- Tyndall's ray through the glass tub
showing seed germs that no 9th
l. process could make known. So Il
r. Spirit convinces of sin, of the evils
the heart.
The truth of this lesson applies
L boys and girls as well as to adults.
a is said of the boy Jesus that I'll
~ grace of God" was upon him. viii
9 he ''waxed strong, advanced In wi
III dom and stature, and in favor Wi
re God and man." John the Baptist al
was filled with the Holy Spirit evt
. from his birth.
l. Children need the Holy Spirit
l. help them to be good. and enable the
to be disciples Of Jesus.
Il The gift of tongues was an indorz
o1 ment of the command to disciple I
w nations, an inspiration to obey it, al