Evening star., 1917-05-26
THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HIS
WORK (Pentecost Lesson).
John, 15.26-16.24.
Golden Text: HE shall teach
you all things."-John, 1926
By Rev. n. T. Stevenson.

This weeks study is drawn from the
sayings Of Jesus to His disciples in the
upper room. The Christian imagina-
ton has always loved to linger in that
hallowed place and listen to the Mas
ter as he ate and talked with His Sc
lective service men on the night before
He died. He had warned them that His
for their persecution. Jesus sought to
safeguard the spiritual interests Of
those whom He loved by announcing
the coming Of His divine successor. who
would open up His temporal mission by
sustaining the apostles in the work
Christ had committed unto them to do
in the face of martyrdom.
Christ's assurance OF the Comforters 8
coming was given so that they might
understand that the Paraclete's pres
would sustain through the Masters s
death. The Holy Spirit would come to
walk along with and beside each one
of the disciples. The mission of the
cate, helping them to witness for
Christ. whom He would represent, be-
Ing His other self in the mysterious
unity Of the Godhead. He would aid
the apostles by His sustaining power.
The Lord Jesus indicated by the use
ent, that He. too. was called upon to
suffer. for the Greek word means to
bear together for good. Behind every
cloud can be found the sunshine. God
good. 1t was so with the terror
stricken apostles whom Jesus sought to
comfort and fill with courage by pre-
dieting the advent of the Holy Spirit
whose ministry was to cover all this
age. The era in which we live is DOM
mated by the Holy Spirit. He alone
can reveal Christ unto men. In His
Anal commands to His church. outlin-
ing their mission in the world, Jesus
had promised that He would be with
them unto the end of this dispensation
Christ evidently was referring then to
the Holy Spirits presence being one
with Him.
The Comforter, whose coming was
dependent upon Christ's going, was te
guide the apostles into all truth. He
the Inauguration of His divine mission
among men at Pentecost, fifty days
after the Master had promised that the
Comforter would come. The photograph
may have been impressed upon the Aim
but not until 1t has been passed through
the developing bath will the film re
veal the picture. The character o,
Jesus had been impressed upon tn.
apostles minds and hearts. but it wa.
not until after they were baptized will
disciples understood and proclaimed
with power the gospel Of the riser
Christ
The Holy Spirit revealed unto th
apostles the principles, purpose an.
power Of the Lord The mysteriou
elements in the Masters earthly caree
and character the Comforter made clea
to the apostles. He leads men to com
prehend the marvels Of grace in tn,
universe that is filled with the glor,
of the creative work of the Christ. TIL,
very heart of Christ's farewell mLs
sage was the promised gift Of the spiri
Of truth under whose ministry men ar,
now living. The Comforter makes th
Christian conscious Of Christ's pres
ence, revealing how Jesus, raised nov
above the limitations Of localized ex
istence, the dream of kingdom O
force proved vain, can be with Hi
people always in every part OF tn,
world. 1t Is due to the Holy Spirit
presence among men that there exist
today a vital Christianity.
II one had only three minutes on tn,
battlefield to deal with "a dying maj