Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1910-10-19
Pentecosts and
Conversions

NNVN we commonly call It .
MAA H Pentecost The three
@S8BH thousand converts to
Christianity were a re-
suit OF what happened on that famous
nfdeth day after the Great Pass
over, but they were not an essential
OF 1t: nor are Pentecosts always at
tended by conversions. though they
are likely to be- n
The narrative OF that first Christian
Pentecost is very simple and very
wonderful. The conditions were these:
risen Christ, fully apprehended In his
divine majesty, ardently loved for his
marvellous gifts to men. His follow
ers united in this understanding and
love-not In theological system,
since there had been no time to form
one, nor In ecclesiastical bonds. since
there was happily as yet no ecclesias-
ticism to separate them: but they
were united in love and in faith.
which alone can unite men. Finally.
Christs followers, thus united. were
all in one place. the physical basis OF
the spiritual miracle that was to fol.
low
Those conditions being granted
and they are possible anywhere where
there are Christians, If only two OF
them-what are the essentials of Pen
tecost? They are three.
First, Pentecost consisted of sound
from Heaven as OF q rushing mighty
wind, filling all the houses where the
disciples were. What is essential In
this? The sound of the wind? We
can get It any day when the wind Is
blowing. We can initiate IT any day
when the wind is not blowing. The
essential is that from Heaven" The
essential is the feeling of the other
world. OF supernatural power, of the
divine moving upon the human.
The One Essential.
Second, Pentecost consisted of the
mysterious light filling the room, cen.
tered in tongues of light flaming from
each head. What is essential here?
The actual vibrations OF the ether?
Surely not. Every living body, as the
scientists are beginning to prove.
gives out some light. What is essen
tial is the spiritual clarity, the divine
illumination. in the radiance of which
men see what they have not before
seen of themselves and God and Gods
universe.
Third, Pentecost consisted OF the
speaking with tongues. What is es-
sential in this? That each heard his
own language spoken from these
previously one-languaged men? No.
for they had heard their own Ian
guage before, and would hear 1t again.
The essential was that they heard
1.-The wonderful works of God" 1t was
what the disciples said that brought
conviction, rather than the exception
al fact that each heard 1t said in his
own tongue.
If these are the three Pentecost es-
sentials, as ! think they are, then we
can have a Pentecost In any prayer
meeting or Sunday school class or In
the church on any Sunday morning.
though only Christians are present.
and only three or thirty of these and
nowhere near three thousand. We
can have feeling OF Gods presence,
and a clear vision of divine truth.
and free utterance of our spirits in
view of Gods presence and this new
vision.
Same joys Are Ours.
am not denying the reality OF tho
supernatural occurrences on the day
of Pentecost believe in them Who'll
ly I am not "spiritualizing them
away" They may not occur to us In
the same outward form, but | do be-
lieve that everything most precious
and valuable in them occurs to us,
and that the first Pentecost is a par.
adigm of the Pentecost that may be
yours and mine today.
Nor will our Pentecost be less mar
velous than Peters and Johns. To
realize the presence OF God is more
wonderful than to hear the wind blow,
though It blow from the skies of para.
disc. To see Gods truth is more won
derful than the aura Of any saint. and
to speak of Gods wonderful works in
the English language to any set Of
Americans is as great deed as to
speak in a single breath all the tongues