SUNDAY READING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 36, 5 August 1911, Page 9

SUNDAY READING.

PENTECOST. (Extracts from Sermon preached bv Rev. R. J. Liddell in the Queen Street Primitive Methodist Church). "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. . . . and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost."— Acts 2, 14. Wo often think, talk, pray and sing about Pentecost, but what is it? Pentecost really means fifty or fiftieth. To the Jew it was one of the three great annual festivals, a kind of harvest thanksgiving service when all the wheat and barley had been cut and gathered. Put it had a deeper meaning to the Jewish heart. There had been a day when their forefathers had been sheltering behind the sprinkled blood of Egypt, a dav on which the yoke of the taskmaster had been broken, and they left Egyptian bondage to find that land flowing with milk and honey. Fifty days after they reached the Mount of God where Moses received a copy of the Law. So in ■subsequent ages the Jew remembered the giving of the Law as well as the harvest thanksgiving when he celebrated the feast of Pentecost. To { Christians Pentecost means something. It was that stupendous event fifty days after the Resurrection of Christ when the Holy Spirit was bestowed upon the disciples' which gave them power for service.

This Pentecost is an interesting study even from an historic, point of view. The ten days' devotional meetings in the upper room, the sound of the rushing wind conveying the idea of inspiration, the cloven tongues of fire resting upon the worshippers, the sudden and accurate acquisition of foreign languages, the great ingathering of souls, and the deep, awesome feeling of emotion that swept over the multitude like a mighty tidal wave. The thought of these things stretches every fibre of our being to its utmost tension and melts our souls to their deepest depths. Now this Pentecost touches us, has a meaning for us, and awakens this question: Have you been in a Pentecost? Has the breath of God, like some mighty wind, swept round your souls? Has the fire of God entered your hearts, burning up everything unlike Himself? Only a Pentecost can do this. On that memorable day of Pentecost we see

A WAITING BAND OF CHRISTIANS. Just look at what characterised that mooting. There wlis wonderful expectancy there. Their Master was 110 longer at 'their head. lie had gone in the chariot of the cloud, but they had His promise ringing in their ears, "Tarry until ye be endued with power from on high."' There was a strong conviction in each heart that they would see triumphs in the near future. But the days wear away. A week passes, still they wait; and although there was an absence of encouragement faith held on and was triumphant. There was also wonderful unanimity there. There had not been a great amount of unanimity among the disciples previous to Pentecost. There had been exhibitions of jealousy, and much bickering. But now they were unanimous. They were all with one accord, of one mind, in one place waiting for the fulfilment of Christ's promise. Again we sec in that upper room wonderful prayerfulness. They continued with one accord in prayer and supplication. This was the first time they had prayed in the name of the risen Christ. Oh! the joy of that first prayer in His name as the eye of the soul peered into the gloom and centred on the throne! How burning their petitions would be as they put the Lord in remembrance of His promises. "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name He shall give unto you." "Ask wiiat ye will and it shall be done unto you." So they continued praying for ten days. Then came the wonderful result—the sound of the rushing mighty wind, the cloven tongues like as of fire, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. If ever the Church needed a Pentecost it is to-day, and the experience is to be had only on the old lines. In the Church let there be wonderful expectancy, unanimity and prayerfulness, and there will come such a baptism of power that will be felt by the whole community. Let us now notice some of the developments of Pentecost.

EYES OPENED. , I Pentecost opened their eyes to see ' [ tilings not discovered before. You have | read Peter's address? How ever was he ' able to preach such a sermon that went to the people's hearts and brought reformation into their lives? Where did lie get such views of Christ and His work? Look at him in Christ's company. He was narrow, selfish, ambitious and short-sighted. Now all these things has disappeared he saw Christ, not in dim shadow, but in His divine completeness. He saw the work of Christ not in indistinct outline hut in all his clear-cut fullness. See him grip Old Testament truth and apply it to Christ with amazing accuracy. Christ said in reference to the Holy Spirit, "He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance." Then this wonderful change, these enlarged views, these correct ideas were the result of the outpouring of the I-loly Spirit. It was Pentecost that opened their eyes. So it is now. Our spiritual discernment is not the result of intellectual investigation, not the out-growth of some reasoning process, but the enlightening of the Holy Spirit. A Pentecost of spiritual enlightenment is the remedy for scepticism, agnosticism and pessi--1 mism.

MADE COURAGEOUS. Pentecost inspired these men with courage. At first we have a slight difficulty in supposing these men to be the same who occupied a very different and by no means so noble a position seven weeks before. They are still in Jerusalem surrounded by Christ's enemies those who put Him to death and tried to kee? Him in the grave. But listen to Petef he looks these men in the face and suys, "Let all the house of Israel know •that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ." Look at Peter seven -weeks previously, skulking away from Christ, mixing with His enemies, asserting that lie never Him, and backing up his lying assertion with oaths and curses. Look at him at the fire in the High Priest's hall and then under the fire of Pentecost, then mark the difference. Seven weeks ago you have Peter the coward, now you have Peter the brave, then Peter the liar, now Peter uttering sublime truths. Seven weeks ago you have Peter saying, "I was afraid." Now you have him saying, "In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid of what man can do unto me." What wonderful power had brought about this change which made him as brave as a lion and as firm as a rock? It was the result, of the Holy Spirit operating rm his heart.

Where do you find true courage today? Courage to deny ourselves, to pursue a right path, to confess Christ, not merely bv word but by life and practice? You find it in those who have been in a Pentecostal baptism of fire. Paul was more courageous after his conversion than ever he was before. He would never have braved for Phariseeism what he braved for Christ.

AX ALL-ROUND SYMPATHY. Pentecost developed sympathy for each other and for the world at large. "And all that believed were .together and had all things common." They were together not merely as a society or company, but together ill sympathy, in purpose, object and aim. A temporary arrangement was made for helping each other. This did not continue, was not intended to continue; it was an expedient to meet a state of things then and there existing. But the spirit that gave rise to it still lives, and will never die if men get near a Pentecostal atmosphere. All our benevolent institutions, our hospitals and asylums are the outcome directly or indirectly of the day of Pentecost. MAGNETIC POWER.

Pentecost made their lives specially attractive, "praising God and having favor with ail the people." What made Naomi attractive to Ruth? Her goodness. What made Jonathan attractive tp David? His goodness. So with these men, their joyous graces, their generous living, their noble lives made Uiem attractive to the people. They draw people after them and to them; so much so that more than 3000 went out to hear Peter's first sermon, and 3000 were converted to God. If we would attract men and influence men for good we must get into a Pentecost. THE CHURCH'S NEED. Do we need these Pentecostal surroundings now? Yes; as individual Christians, and as churches, we shall fail of the divine purpose without them. Wo may have beautiful buildings, artistic music, charming singing, an eloquent ministry, but if we know nothing of Pentecostal surroundings all these things become a lie, an imposition, a sign of self-idolatorv. Our 'splendid buildings will be life ornamented mausoleums; our artistic music will be like the clashing of discordant cymbals; our charming singing nothing but a voice with no soul in it; our eloquent pulpits will be as fascinating nothings, and, like Samson, shorn of his locks, we shall be weak like other men. The great need of the twentieth century church is not splendid bazaars, and splendid concerts, and splendid entertainments, but a splendid baptism of the Holy Ghost:

Oh, that it now from Heaven might fall And all our sins consume, Come, Holy Ghost, for thee we call, Spirit of burning, come!