The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 153

— THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY

SPIRIT

113

—

Third, How could the apostles having already confessed the good confession, forsaking all, following Jesus, and upon whom He had Dreathed, saying, " Receive ye the Holy Ghost "—receive the Holy Spirit only on the tenth day after the ascension?

Fourth,

How

we

are

to explain the mysterious signs that

accomThere are no angels praising God, but a sound is heard like that of a rushing, mighty wind the glory of the Lord does not appear, but tongues of fire hover over their heads, there is no theophany, but a speaking in peculiar and uncommon sounds, understood, however, by those present.

pany the outpouring?

,

With reference to the ^rsf difficulty : How to explain the fact that, while the Holy Spirit was poured out only on Pentecost, the saints of the

Old Covenant were already partakers of His

put this in the concrete:

How

Let us

gifts.

are the following passages to be

I am with you, saith the Lord of Hosts, and My Spirit remaineth among you, fear ye not" (Hag. ii. 4, 5) and " This spake He of the Holy Spirit which they that believe should receive for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified" (John vii. 39).

reconciled?—"

;

,

Scripture evidently seeks to impress us with the two facts, that

the Holy Spirit

came only on the day of Pentecost, and that the same Spirit had wrought already for centuries in the Church of the Old Covenant. Not only does St. John declare definitely that the Holy Spirit was not yet given, but the predictions of the prophets and of Jesus and the whole attitude of the apostles show that this

may not in the least be weakened. Let us first examine the prophecies. Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Joel bear undeniable witness to the fact that this was the expectation of fact

the prophets. Isaiah says

:

"

The

the city shall be left

palaces shall be forsaken, the multitudes of until the Spirit shall be poured upon us from on

high ; then the wilderness shall be a fruitful

field, and the fruitful be counted for a forest; then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field." This prophecy evidently refers to an outpouring of the Holy Spirit

field shall

that shall effect a

with the promise

and the

:

work "

of salvation on a large scale, for

And

effect of righteousness, quietness,

(Isa. xxxii.

In like 8

it

closes

the work of righteousness shall be peace,

and assurance forever"

14-17).

manner did Ezekiel prophesy

:

"

Then

will

I

sprinkle

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