The daily sentinel., 1911-12-16
PentecostS and
Conversions



HEN revival has Oh.
Ia "a {8Sp5 tained many converts
~ Ed=Sk5g we commonly call it
gssa "a E21 Pcrtceost. The three
SSs.s. SS,ss thousand converts to
Christianity were a re-
suit of what happened on that famous
hftieth day after the Great Pass
over, but they we're not an essential
OF it; nor are Peatecosts always at
tended by conversions. though they
are likely to be
The narrative Of that first Christian
Penteoost is very simple and very
wonderful The conditions were these:
A risen Christ fully apprehended in his
divine majesty, arlently 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,
ChrisCs 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 a sound
L. 4.
wind. filling all the houses where the
disciples were. What is essential in
this? The sound of the wind? We
can get 1t 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 filing 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 it again.
The essential was that they heard
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 Pentocost 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 the
| supernatural occurrences on the day
of Pentecost. 1 believe in them Who'll
ly. am not "spirltualzng 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 nine today.
Nor viii 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 a deed as TO
speak in a single breath all the tongues
OF Peutecost.