a ing connected with anything which could be seen or heard, but was like it in that it enabled the recipient to speak with tongues. This gift, as before shown, was only imparted by the apostles. We have but two examples of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, one at Jerusalem, the other at Cæsarea. There were two instances of the apostles conferring the gift by laying on of hands, one at Samaria, by Peter and John, the other at Ephesus by Paul. This gift was conferred after baptism and was conferred on Christians only. Third, there is another gift of the Holy Spirit promised to all who obey the gospel. This is the more important, being promised to all as a blessing in connection with the remission of sins. Many scriptures refer to this great blessing. Peter promised it in the opening speech of the gospel age when he said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." It will be observed that the baptism of the Holy Spirit in both instances was miraculous. In the one the disciples alone were the subjects, in the other the unbelieving Gentiles. In view of the modern teaching in regard to the Holy Spirit too much stress can not be placed upon the fact that there is only this single instance of baptism given in which the persons receiving it were unbelievers. The use that was made of this was to convince the Jews of the reception of the Gentiles, and there is no reference made to the effect it had or was intended to have upon the Gentiles or those who were the subjects a Acts xix. 6. of it. Aside from this single instance there is no example-no promise that any other persons had received or would receive any gift of the Holy Spirit before obedience to the gospel. This then was a special case a miracle performed on one class for a specific purpose, and witnessed by another class. It was of such a nature as to be both seen and heard. For Peter says, "It fell on them as it did on us at the beginning." And at the beginning, speaking of Jesus, he said, "He hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear." It is not reasonable, therefore, to expect another demonstration of the same kind, unless we find all the circumstances the same. If God had another Gentile world to be converted by the preaching of the gospel, and other apostles who did not yet understand that the gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles, but considered them "common and unclean," no doubt there would be given such a vision as Peter witnessed and such a baptism as overwhelmed Cornelius, "his kinsmen, and near friends." It has been stated that miracles were confined to the first age of the Church and connected with its establishment, and were for the confirmation of the testimony, to prove the facts of the gospel and confirm its establishment for all time and then were to cease. They could not reasonably continue confirming facts which had transpired ages past and become history. We may therefore conclude, and correctly, too, that the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gift of the Spirit conferred by the laying on of the apostles' hands, both being miraculous, ceased also. These gifts fulfilled their end and passed away. Now abideth the gift of the Holy Spirit promised by Peter on the day of Pentecost to those who witnessed the baptism of the Holy Spirit. These were commanded to repent and be baptized in order to receive remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. This gift was exclusively promised to the obedient as the Scriptures abundantly testify. с In closing this investigation we will direct attention to some of this testimony. Peter says: "We are his witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Spirit whom God hath given to them that obey him.” a Paul, writing to Christians, says: "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us." Again, speaking of God, "Who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit." Again, addressing the Corinthian Christians, he says: "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God?"d To Titus he says, speaking of the love of God, our Savior, "According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit." John, speaking of those who kept His commandments "We know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us." Again, Paul says to the Galatian Christians, "Because ye are sons God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father." This was not to make them sons, but because they were sons. How shall we know then that Christians have the Spirit? By their fruits ye says, a Acts v. 32. f e shall know them. "Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles?" The fruits of the Spirit are fully described by Paul in Galatians. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law."a From these passages and many more we find that it was clearly taught that the Holy Spirit was given to those who obeyed; that it was given because they were saints, and that none but baptized persons are ever said to possess it-to be partakers of the Holy Spirit or addressed as being the temple of the Holy Spirit. How widely does this differ from much of the preaching heard to-day. In fact, many preach and pray more about the Holy Spirit than they do about Jesus Christ. They preach about and pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, through which they expect the pardoning mercy of God, and this, too, in the face of the scriptural facts which show that pardon never was conferred in this way. In fact, the whole order of the gospel is reversed. They preach the Holy Spirit and promise Christ, but the divine plan was to preach Jesus Christ and promise the Holy Spirit. Having called attention thus fully to the various gifts of the Holy Spirit, endeavoring to confine our statement strictly to the historical view of this important subject as given in the Scriptures, and the abuse which is made of it in modern times, and the proper place it occupies in the system of pardon or forgiveness, we now return to the closing scene at the a Gal. v. 22, 23. house of Cornelius. We are told that the Jews who came with Peter were astonished "Because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit, for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days." Finally, we learn many important lessons from this case of Cornelius. First, that the angel appeared to him to direct him to send for Peter, and not to pardon him. That the vision was to show Peter that the Gentiles were not unclean, and that in addition to this the Holy Spirit directed him to go with the messengers, nothing doubting. That the baptism of the Holy Spirit convinced the Jewish witnesses, and doubly assured Peter that the Gentiles were accepted. That Peter preached in order to produce faith in Christ and lead them to repentance. That when they heard these words by which they were to be saved they were baptized. We may then conclude that this outpouring of the Holy Spirit was confined to this particular time and occasion, so far as the Gentiles were concerned, and for the specific purpose assigned by Peter, to show their acceptance. This is evident from the fact that hereafter in all the history of Gentile conversions we have no such wonderful miracle wrought, but "it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." a The lessons thus learned a I Cor. i. 21. |
