CHAPTER V.

The Pentecostal Endowment Permanent in its Essentials.

Was the Pentecostal endowment of the Spirit designed solely for the Apostolic age, or intended in its substantial elements for the Christian Church down

through the entire Messianic? Was the promise of the gift made to us as well as to the Apostles and their brethren? Is the gift within our reach as truly as within theirs? Questions of immense practical importance! They concern us personally. They concern the Church of God, and they deeply concern a world lying in wickedness. If the gift is for us, how sinful to live without it! If it is only in part for us, we need to know what our portion is, and to rise up and take quick possession! It is the settled belief of the writer that when the Holy Spirit came to take the place of the departed Jesus, he came to abide with the Church down through the ages, its Sanctifier, its Inspirer and Helper in converting the world to Christ. Indeed, what less can we make of Christ's words, "I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter-that he may abide with you forever!" And when that Comforter came, he came not empty handed, but with

gifts rich and manifold. Thus Paul enumerates them, in 1 Cor. 12 Chap. "To one is given the word of wisdom, to another knowledge, to another faith, to another gifts of healing, to another miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another divers tongues, to another interpretation of tongues by the same Spirit." In another place, Gal. 5:23, he tells us "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentfeness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." The sum of all this long enumeration of the gifts the Spirit bestows, is that the gifts he imparts are as varied as the wants of believers were at that time, or would be down to the end of time. And if that is so, it follows that some of them would be specially adapled to their times, and incidental to the introduction of the New Testament, its verification as the word of God, but not needed after that work was done, and therefore subsequently to be withheld. Such we believe was the power to work miracles, to write inspired books, to speak with tongues, and in some cases to forecast the future. We do not see how the Apostles could have transmitted to us the Gospels and the Epistles as writings divinely inspired, unless the Holy Ghost had confirmed them by miracles. But

when the word was verified as Divine, and the world had received evidence sufficient to convince honest and earnest men that the New Testament is God's Book, then it was eminently fit that this feature of the Baptism should be withdrawn, or eliminated from the gifts bestowed. For the laws of nature as we call them, are all the laws of God, they are all very dear to Him, since they were enacted in infinite wisdom and love, and necessary for the highest welfare of His children. If, therefore, He sets any of them aside, it must be temporarily, and at spaces few and far between. And even then only as few laws as possible, must feel the interference. The vast importance of the verification of the New Testament, alone warranted and demanded the bestowment upon its writers of miraculous powers. But when that end was answered, reason says they should be withdrawn, and history shows they were. But surely the withdrawal of them did not involve those other all-important gifts which were needed still and will be down to the enl of time. We shall all admit that the great value of the latter day outpouring of the Spirit-the Pentecostal Baptism, lay in its power to convert sinners and sanctify Christians. This done universally, or even generally, the millennium will have come, and the earth

will be but a vestibule of heaven! But miracles have very little direct influence in bringing about either sanctification or conversion. Much less than the masses of people think. Let us look at a few examples. The raising of Lazarus from the dead did not convert the Jewish Sanhedrim, though its members well knew of its occurrence, they resisted its influence and sought to kill Lazarus to put his testimony out of the way! Judas had been an eye witness to Christ's miracles from the first, yet they did not change his wicked heart, but he continued a hypocrite and a thief, and finally, betrayed his Lord for 30 pieces of silver! The officers and soldiers, who were sent to apprehend Jesus, so felt the stroke of his power when he advanced to meet them and said "I am he," that "they went backward and fell on the ground!" Yet they rose and rallied against him! And when a few moments after, they saw Jesus heal with a touch the right ear of Malchus, which Peter had cut off, still, unchanged in heart, they proceeded to bind Jesus and lead him away to Annas and Caiaphas for condemnation and crucifixion! And when the whole multitude uttered the hoarse cry "crucify! crucify him!" Doubtless their voices were lifted up with the rest and probably that of Malchus too.

Need we go back to Sinai and see the people worshiping a golden calf, crying these be thy Gods, O! Israel which led thee out of Egypt," while yet the towering mountain before them trembled at the presence of Him, who had but a few days before, uttered with a voice two millions could hear, the ten commandments? Need we recur to this as a proof that in all ages miracles have had no direct power to convert and sanctify men, and often very little that is indirect? What a startling example in this line were the people of Is-. rael in all their journey from Egypt to the promised land! Did they not stand for half a year in Goshen and behold the ten dire plagues fall upon Egypt? Did they not hear the midnight wail which went up from every Egyptain house, when the startled family arose and found their first born dying or dead? Did they

not see the waters divide and allow them to pass over into the Arabian peninsula dry shod, while Pharaoh's host was overwhelmed and drowned? And when their little store of food was spent, were they not for years fed with the manna which fell from heaven? Bnt did all these and many other miracles, the multitude? Far, far from it! penitent; they rebelled and vexed

convert or sanctify They continued imhis Holy Spirit so