Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-15

of the Spirit that I read, Where
fore, I say unto you, All manner
of sin and blasphemy shall be for
given unto men; but the blasphemy
against the Holy Ghost shall not
be forgiven unto men, neither in
! this world nor in the world to
come" but I'd like to know where
any bunch gets any scriptural au-
thority for future probation; if you
don't settle it before the undertak-
er pumps you full Of embalming
fluid, you are all in, take it from
ME.
=
The Apostle Paul was on his
third missionary journey. Paul was
killed. browed, whitehaired gospel
veteran. He had been on the fir
ing line for Jesus Christ and he be-
a stoop-shouldered, dim-eyed, wrin-
came bullet meat for all that the
forces of hell and damnation and
blasphemy can hurl against the
cross of the Son Of God. and he
made the gospel-ignorant dip their
cOIors to the cross of Jesus Christ.
He was on his third missionary
journey. Ny friend. Russell Cal
vert of Philadelphia, says that he
imagines that man Paul talking
with the innkeeper and the COM
pany of men over in one corner,
gesticulating and going through
nominations like an InGian medi-
cine man and making gyrations
like a Dutch windmill, and Paul
said. Who is that bunch over
there?" or words to that effect. He
replied, Members of the church. ."
well, sir, that's a bum steer" he
said. Nothing doin' Members of
the church don't talk like that"
He walked over to the crowd
pretty soon, and he came back and
said, Paul, l had it right" Paul
walked over there and listened to
the conversation, and he said,
What would you call that guy?"
He said, John the Baptist"
Paul said, Did you receive the
Holy Ghost?" They said, We
haven't so much as heard whether
there will be any or not" Then
Paul asked, Under what were you
baptized?" and they said, Johns
baptism" "Oh, 1 see now"
The disciples had gone through
that country preaching about
Jesus, preaching Repent, repent,
repent" On" Paul says, You're
behind the times. This Jesus who
they preached about has been born;
He has been crucified. Jews and
Gentiles have spit in His face, they
nailed Him to the cross, they put
Him in the grave: but He burst the
bonds of death. He rose in con-
quering majesty, to stoop to death
no more"
Then Paul breathed upon him
and said, Receive ye the Holy
Ghost" He said, You've got some
thing more coming to you"
So it is my purpose to briefly
show what the Holy Spirit wants
to do with us-in the first place,
He will come to reveal God by the
physical touch of man through
creation. It's not difficult for you
and 1 to imagine God. We speak
of Him as the Father, we who be-
lieve in Jesus Christ as an issue. |
do not believe in your doctrine of
the universal fatherhood of God
and the universal brotherhood of
man, unless he has been born again
by faith in Jesus Christi is an
Internal lie.
You are a creature of God; so
is a cow eating grass in a pasture;
you are a creature OF God-yOu are
not a child of God unless you've
been born again in repentance ana
faith in Jesus Christ. l don't be-
lieve in your doctrine of the faith
erhood of God and the brotherhood
Of man unless you are a Christian
don't believe in it. l believe a
man is born, not by good works or
or charity, but by
Iaith aud repentance, faith in Jesus
Christ; and if he isn't, he will go
10 hell whether he lives in a man
sion or in a stale beer joint.
Now we speak OF Him as the
Creator; We are the objects of His
creative genius and of His power. !
We speak of Him under the smile |
If a Judge who will reward the !
righteous aud punish the wicked, |
and although we are made in the |
mage of God, although nobody has |
seen God at any time, there must |
De a medium of communication, |
here must be a darkened glass |
hat will soften the rays OF the |
heavenly bedazzlements. AS Moses |
lad to veil himself when he came |
rom the mount so the people could /
ook upon him, so there must be,
ny friends, something that will |
bind celestials to terrestials in this |
world. AS the moon reflects the |
glory of the sun, so we are reflect
ng, my friends, the power OF God.
1 do not find God coming in ply
ical contact-no, that's the work
If the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit
S the Fathers voice seeking to
vim and WOO you from the paths of
in, to those of righteousness and
# truth. He is the aurora that
hines to illuminate the pathway
hat God wants you to walk in.
nd He is the Fathers voice that
makes you open your ears and
makes you responsive to the influ-
noes that would bring you on
our knees. He is the kiss and the
incense that sweetens. the atmos-
here and perfumes your life; He
5 the love that woos with a smile;
lie is the aurora, say, that shines
D help you.
l do not find God working with
lis hands like you work with your
ands or I work with mine. When
Iod wanted to build the universe
that did He do? Oh, He spake
nd the Holy Spirit carried out
lis plans; the Holy Spirit separ-
ted the land from the sea and He
ut the mountains out on the from
ers of the universe until they
,oked like sentinels on picket