The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1917-05-31
THE SPIRIT OF PENTECOST

sense. 1t is not inspired by the
Spirit of God. Neither is it inspired
by the spirit of satan. The mod
ern practice of getting under the
SPELL" and speaking in tongues" is
indescribable ignorance and fanatic
ism to be greatly pitied. The SPIRIT
of God is never the author OF con-
fusion. He instructs.
Observe that the Spirit appeared
in the form of cloven tongues OF
fire. Fire is one emblem of the
Spirit and represents his simeon
suming power. We need the ban
tism of Holy Ghost fire to burn out
of US pride. hate, stubbornness, and
at the same time to burn into US the
beautiful image of God-his holi-
ness, purity, charity, benevolence.
Look at Isaiah the prophet. He was
terribly backslidden. Preachers may
lose God out of the soul the same
as others. While Isaiah was in that
backslidden state everything went
wrong and he moped about complain
ing: 81 am a man of unclean. lips
and dwell in the midst of a people OF
unclean lips" When you hear a
preacher all the time harping on his
people it is a sure sign that ne is
backslidden. Isaiah began to pray
and that is the way out-he caught
a wonderful vision of God on
throne high and lifted up-he prayed
on until an angel came down from
heaven with a live coal of fire from
the altar and touched his lips. Then
he quit grumbling and began to look
for something to do. He could now
understand what a prophet of Goa Is
for. and what the mission OF the
Church is. He said to the Lore,
"Here am /, send me, send me-" he
got out of the blues. His troubles
we're over. Most our religious
troubles come from our backslidings.
The baptism of the Spirit of God on
our ministers and people will surely
solve the problem of the Sunday
night services-the problem of the
Sunday School-the problem of the
Epworth League and young people
poorly attended societies-it will for
ever solve the problem of worldly
amusements. There never was
Spirit-filled man or woman that
wanted to spend much time and
money with worldly amusements.
The Spirit of God points out better
things for Christians to do.
eve do hear them speak in our
tongues the wonderful works OF
God. "What wonderful things the
disciples had to tell! In his great
sermon that brought three thousand
to their knees Peter told OF the
wonderful promises of God to the
fathers and how they had beer. full
filed in Christi how he suffered
and died-how God brought him
again from the dead-how ne as as
cended-of his power to save. 81.
Peter had a wonderful gospel TO
preach. We have a wonderful Cos
pei to preach too if we will Just
preach it and let God take care tne
results. There is. absolutely no SUD
lstitute for the gospel Of Christ ana
mo substitute for the Spirit OF Pente--
cost. What different preachers and
Ipeople they were after Pentecost !!
1 Pentecost is a sure cure for towards
and disgruntled folks. If you nave
crouch, let the fire of God burn II
out. 49,.
sermon and what the people did with
/ it. What a preacher breaches is one
thing in the sight of God, and what
the people who hear do with the
sermon is another thing in the sight
of God. With the exception OF the
sermon Christ preached to the
hvnocritical Scribes and Pharisees
recorded in the 25th chapter of Mat
thew and the one st. Stephen
preached to the men that murdered
him. there never was a harder ser
mon preached than Peters on the
dav Of Pentecost. Peter was no
cringing coward now. He stood up
and hurled it. into their teeth that
tnev had murdered the Son of God
that they were wicked and rebel
us-stiff-necked and hard-hearted:
It was a terrible sermon. what u
such sermons were preached by MOD
ern ministers to modern congrega-
tions! A lot of preachers would be
asked to resign. But it is great to be
a St. Peter and know that one IS an
Apostle of God sent to preach GOD
truth. -, A..
What did the people do with the
sermon? Did they go off mad!
Did they go home and criticize the
sermon and Peter before the child
rem Dlu lilty say w
a man rave like that? He called us
everything. We will have him know
for years we have been the strong
est supporters and workers in the
Church. Who is this Peter that ne
should be condemning US all? He
cursed and denied HE Lord. ard t"'-
lowed him afar off-we are as
good as he is" Imagine some old
Jew going home after the sermon
that day and saying to his wife and
children and neighbors: "Well II
that's the kind of sermons we are to
hear I'll go back to Church no more
I'll just quit. l am done with
Peter and the Church too" .
What did they say and do!
Let God answer "Now when they
heard this, they were pricked IN
their heart, and said unto Peter and
to the rest of the apostles, Men and
brethren. what shall we do? Then
Peter said unto them, Repent, and
be baptized every one of you in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remis-
sion of sins, and we shall receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost. "They did
repent and believe and three thous-
and were gIoriously saved that day
Il l. ,,.o,,Jorf,1I what some neODle dc