The Pentecostal Wind and Fire

DELIVERED ON LORD'S-DAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 18, 1881,

BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.

"And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven, as of a rushing mighty
wind, and it filed all the house where they were sitting. And there
appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each
of them. And they were all filed with the Holy Spirit, and began to
speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Acts
2:2-4.

FROM the descent of the Holy Spirit at the beginning we may learn
something concerning His operations at the present time. Remember at
the outset that whatever the Holy Spirit was at the first, He is that
now, for as God, He remains forever the same–whatever He did then He
is able to do still, for His power is by no means diminished. As says
the Prophet Micah, "O you that are named the house of Jacob, is the
Spirit of the Lord straitened?" We would greatly grieve the Holy Spirit
if we supposed that His might was less, today, than in the beginning.
Although we may not expect and need not desire the miracles which came
with the gift of the Holy Spirit, so far as they were physical, yet we
may both desire and expect that which was intended and symbolized by
them–and we may reckon to see the same spiritual wonders performed
among us at this day.

Pentecost, according to the belief of the Jews, was the time of the
giving of the Law, and if when the Law was given there was a marvelous
display of power on Sinai, it was to be expected that when the Gospel
was given, whose ministration is far more glorious, there should be
some special unveiling of the Divine Presence. If at the commencement
of the Gospel we behold the Holy Spirit working great signs and
wonders, may we not expect a continuance–no, if anything, an increased
display of His power as the ages roll on? The Law vanished away, but
the Gospel will never vanish. It shines more and more to the perfect
millennial day and, therefore, I reckon that with the sole exception of
physical miracles, whatever was worked by the Holy Spirit at the first,
we may look to be worked continually while the dispensation lasts.

It ought not to be forgotten that Pentecost was the feast of first
fruits–it was the time when the first ears of ripe corn were offered
unto God. If, then, at the commencement of the Gospel harvest we see so
plainly the power of the Holy Spirit, may we not most properly expect
infinitely more as the harvest advances and, most of all, when the most
numerous sheaves shall be gathered? May we not conclude that if the
Pentecost was thus marvelous, the actual harvest will be still more
wonderful? This morning my objective is not to talk of the descent of
the Holy Spirit as a piece of history, but to view it as a fact bearing
upon us at this hour, even upon us who are called in these latter days
to bear our testimony for the Truth of God.

The Father has sent us the Comforter that He may dwell in us till the
coming of the Lord. The Holy Spirit has never returned, for He came in
accordance with the Savior's prayer to abide with us forever. The gift
of the Comforter was not temporary and the display of His power was not
to be once seen and no more. The Holy Spirit is here and we ought to
expect His Divine working among us. If He does not so work, we should
search ourselves to see what it is that hinders Him and whether there
may not be something in ourselves which vexes Him so that He restrains
His sacred energy and does not work among us as He did before.

May God grant that the meditation of this morning will increase our
faith in the Holy Spirit and inflame our desires towards Him so that we
may look to see Him fulfilling His mission among men as at the
beginning.

I. First, I shall call your attention to THE INSTRUCTIVE SYMBOLS of the
Holy Spirit which were made prominent at Pentecost. They were two.
There was a sound as of a rushing mighty wind and there were cloven
tongues, as it were, of fire. Take the symbols separately. The first is
wind–an emblem of Deity and, therefore, a proper symbol of the Holy
Spirit. Often, under the Old Testament, God revealed Himself under the
emblem of breath or wind. Indeed, as most

of you know, the Hebrew word for "wind" and "spirit" is the same, So,
with the Greek word, when Christ talked to Nicodemus, it is not very
easy for translators to tell us when He said, "spirit," and when He
said, "wind." Indeed, some most correctly render the original all the
way through by the word, "wind," while others, with much reason, have
also used the word, "spirit," in their translation.

The original word signified either the one or the other, or both. Wind
is, of all material things, one of the most spiritual in appearance. It
is invisible, ethereal, mysterious and, therefore, men have fixed upon
it as being nearest akin to spirit. In Ezekiel's famous vision, when he
saw the valley full of dry bones, we all know that the Spirit of God
was intended by that vivifying wind which came when the Prophet
prophesied and blew upon the withered relics till they were quickened
into life. "The Lord has His way in the whirlwind," thus He displays
Himself when He works. "The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind,"
thus He reveals Himself when He teaches His servants.

Observe that this wind, on the day of Pentecost, was accompanied with a
sound–a sound as of a mighty rushing wind, for, albeit the Spirit of
God can work in silence, yet in saving operations He frequently uses
sound. I would be the last to depreciate meetings in which there is
nothing but holy silence, for I could wish that we had more reverence
for silence and it is in stillness that the inner life is nourished.
Yet the Holy Spirit does not work for the advancement of the kingdom of
God by silence, alone, for faith comes by hearing. There is a sound as
of a mighty rushing wind when the Word of God is sounded forth
throughout whole nations by the publishing of the Gospel. If the Lord
had not given men ears or tongues, silent worship would have been not
only appropriate, but necessary–but inasmuch as we have ears, the Lord
must have intended us to hear something–and as we have tongues, He
must have meant us to speak.

Some of us would be glad to be quiet, but where the Gospel has free
course there is sure to be a measure of noise and stir. The sound came
on this occasion, no doubt, to call the attention of the assembly to
what was about to occur–to awaken them and to fill them with awe!
There is something indescribably solemn about the rush of a rising
tempest. It bows the soul before the sublime mystery of Divine power.
What more fitting as an attendant upon Divine working than the deeply
solemn rush of a mighty wind? With this awe-inspiring sound as of a
mighty wind, there was clear indication of its coming from Heaven.
Ordinary winds blow from this or that quarter of the skies, but this
descended from Heaven itself–it was distinctly like a down-draft from
above.

This sets forth the fact that the true Spirit, the Spirit of God,
neither comes from this place nor that–neither can His power be
controlled or directed by human authority–His working is always from
above, from God Himself! The work of the Holy Spirit is, so to speak,
the breath of God, and His power is always, in a special sense, the
immediate power of God. Coming downward, therefore, this mysterious
wind passed into the chamber where the disciples were assembled and
filled the room. An ordinary rushing mighty wind would have been felt
outside the room and would probably have destroyed the house or injured
the inhabitants if it had been aimed at any one building–but this
heavenly gust filled, but did not destroy the room–it blessed, but did
not overthrow the waiting company!

The meaning of the symbol is that as breath, air, wind is the very life
of man, so is the Spirit of God the life of the spiritual man! By Him
are we quickened at the first. By Him are we kept alive afterwards. By
Him is the inner life nurtured, increased and perfected. The breath of
the nostrils of the man of God is the Spirit of God. This holy breath
was not only intended to quicken them but to invigorate them! What a
blessing would a breeze be, just now, to us who sit in this heavy
atmosphere! How gladly would we hail a gust from the breezy down, or a
gale from the open sea! If the winds of earth are so refreshing, what
must a wind from Heaven be?

That rushing mighty wind soon cleared away all earth–it engendered
damps and vapors–it awakened the disciples and left them braced up for
the further work of the Lord. They took in great drafts of heavenly
life! They felt animated, awakened and bestirred. A sacred enthusiasm
came upon them because they were filled with the Holy Spirit! And, girt
with that strength, they rose into a nobler form of life than they had
known before. No doubt this wind was intended to show the irresistible
power of the Holy Spirit, for simple as the air is, and mobile and
apparently feeble, yet set it in motion and you feel that a thing of
life is among you! Make that motion more rapid and who knows the power
of the restless giant who has been awakened!

Look, it becomes a storm, a tempest, a hurricane, a tornado, a cyclone!
Nothing can be more potent than the wind when it is thoroughly roused
and so, though the Spirit of God is despised among men so much so that
they do not even believe in His existence, yet let Him work with the
fullness of His power and you will see what He can do! He comes softly,

breathing like a gentle zephyr which fans the flowers, but does not
dislodge the insect of most transparent wings, and our hearts are
comforted. He comes like a stirring breeze and we are quickened to a
livelier diligence–our sails are hoisted and we fly before the gale!
He comes with yet greater strength and we prostrate ourselves in the
dust as we hear the thunder of His power bringing down, with a crash,
false confidences and refuges of lies! How the firm reliances of carnal
men, which seemed to stand like rocks, are utterly cast down! How men's
hopes, which appeared to be rooted like oaks, are torn up by the roots
before the breath of the convincing Spirit! What can stand against Him?
Oh, that we did but see in these latter days something of that mighty
rushing wind which breaks the cedars of Lebanon and sweeps before it
all things that would resist its power!

The second Pentecostal symbol was fire. Fire, again, is a frequent
symbol of Deity. Abraham saw a burning lamp and Moses beheld a burning
bush. When Solomon had built his holy and beautiful house, its
consecration lay in the fire of God descending upon the sacrifice to
mark that the Lord was there, for when the Lord had dwelt before in the
Tabernacle, which was superseded by the Temple, He revealed Himself in
a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. "Our God is a
consuming fire." Hence the symbol of fire is a fit emblem of God the
Holy Spirit. Let us adore and worship Him! Tongues of flame sitting on
each man's head symbolized a personal visitation to the mind and heart
of each one of the chosen company.

The fires came not to consume them, for no one was injured by the
flaming tongue–to men whom the Lord has prepared for His approach,
there is no danger in His visitations. They see God and their lives are
preserved. They feel His fires and are not consumed. This is the
privilege of only those who have been prepared and purified for such
fellowship with God. The intention of the symbol was to show them that
the Holy Spirit would illuminate them as fire gives light. "He shall
lead you into all truth." From then on they were not to be untrained
children, but to be teachers in Israel, instructors of the nations whom
they were to disciple unto Christ–and, therefore, the Spirit of the
Light of God was upon them!

But fire does more than give light–it inflames–and the flames which
sat upon each showed them that they were to be ablaze with love,
intense with zeal, burning with self-sacrifice and that they were to go
forth among men to speak not with the chill tongue of deliberate logic,
but with burning tongues of passionate pleading, persuading and
entreating men to come to Christ that they might live! The fire
signified Inspiration. God was about to make them speak under a Divine
influence, to speak as the Spirit of God should give them utterance.
Oh, blessed symbol! Would God that all of us experienced its meaning to
the fullest and that the tongue of fire sat upon every servant of the
Lord! May a fire burn steadily within to destroy our sin–a holy
sacrificial flame to make us whole burnt offerings unto God–a
never-dying flame of zeal for God and devotion to the Cross!

Note that the emblem was not only fire, but a tongue of fire, for God
meant to have a speaking Church. Not a Church that would fight with the
sword–with that weapon we have nothing to do–but a Church that should
have a sword proceeding out of its mouth, whose one weapon should be
the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! I think, from what I
know of some preachers, that when they had their Pentecost, the
influence put upon them was in the form of tongues of flowers. But the
Apostolic Pentecost knew not flowers, but flames! What fine preaching
we have nowadays! What new thoughts and poetical turns! This is not the
style of the Holy Spirit!

Soft and gentle is the flow of smooth speech which tells of the dignity
of man, the grandeur of the century, the toning down of all punishment
for sin and the probable restoration of all lost spirits, including the
arch-fiend, himself. This is the Satanic ministry, subtle as the
serpent, bland as his seducing words to Eve. The Holy Spirit calls us
not to this mode of speech! Fire, intensity, zeal, passion as much as
you will–but as for aiming at effect by polished phrases and brilliant
periods–these are fitter for those who would deceive men than for
those who would tell them the message of the Most High! The style of
the Holy Spirit is one which conveys the Truth of God to the mind in
the most forcible manner–it is plain, but flaming, simple but
consuming! The Holy Spirit has never written a cold period throughout
the whole Bible and never did He speak by a man a lifeless Word–He
always gives and blesses the tongue of fire.

These, then, are the two symbols, and I should like you to carefully
observe how the Holy Spirit teaches us by them. When He came from the
Father to His Son, Jesus, it was as a dove. Let peace rest on that dear
Sufferer's soul through all His days of labor and through the passion
which would close them. His anointing is that of peace–He needed no
tongue of flame, for He was already all on fire with love. When the
Holy Spirit was bestowed, by the Son of God, upon His disci-

ples it was as breath–"He breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy
Spirit." To have life more abundantly is a chief necessity of servants
of the Lord Jesus and, therefore, the Holy Spirit visits us.

Now that we have the Holy Spirit from Christ as our inner life and
quickening, He also comes upon us with the intent to use us in blessing
others–and this is the manner of His visitation–He comes as the wind
which wafts the words we speak, and as fire which burns a way for the
Truths of God we utter. Our words are now full of life and flame! They
are borne by the breath of the Spirit and they fall like sparks and set
the souls of men blazing with desire after God. If the Holy Spirit
shall rest upon me or upon you, or upon any of us, to qualify us for
service, it shall be after this fashion–not merely of life for
ourselves, but of fiery energy in dealing with others! Come on us even
now, O rushing mighty wind, and tongue of fire, for the world has great
need! It lies stagnant in the malaria of sin and needs a healing wind!
It is shrouded in dreadful night and needs the flaming torch of the
Truth of God! There is neither health nor light for it but from You, O
blessed Spirit! Come, then, upon it through Your people!

Now put these two symbols together, only mind what you are doing. Wind
and fire together! I have kept them separate in my discourse up to now
and you have seen power in each one–what are they together? Rushing
mighty wind, alone–how terrible! Who shall stand against it? See how
the gallant ships dash together and the monarchs of the forest bow
their heads. And fire alone! Who shall stand against it when it devours
its prey? But set wind and fire to work in hearty union! Remember the
old city of London? When first the flames began, it was utterly
impossible to quench them because the wind fanned the flame and the
buildings gave way before the torrent! Set the prairie on fire. If a
rain shower falls and the air is still, the grass may, perhaps, cease
to burn–but let the wind encourage the flame and see how the de-vourer
sweeps along while the tall grass is licked up by tongues of fire!

We have lately read of forests on fire. What a sight! Hear how the
mighty trees are crashing in the flame! What can stand against it! The
fire sets the mountains on a blaze. What a smoke blackens the skies–it
grows dark at noon! As hill after hill offers up its sacrifice, the
timid imagine that the great Day of the Lord has come. If we could see
a spiritual conflagration of equal grandeur it were a consummation
devoutly to be wished! O God, send us Your Holy Spirit in this
fashion–give us both the breath of spiritual life and the fire of
unconquerable zeal–till nation after nation shall yield to the sway of
Jesus!

O You who are our God, answer us by fire, we pray You! Answer us both
by wind and fire and then shall we see You to be God, indeed. The
kingdom comes not and the work is flagging. O that You would send the
wind and the fire! You will do this when we are all of one accord–all
believing, all expecting, all prepared by prayer. Lord, bring us to
this waiting state!

II. Secondly, my Brothers and Sisters, follow me while I call your
attention to THE IMMEDIATE EFFECTS of this descent of the Holy Spirit,
for these symbols were not sent in vain. There were two immediate
effects–the first was filling and the second was the gift of
utterance. I call special attention to the first, namely, filling–"It
filled all the house where they were sitting." But it did not merely
fill the house, but the men–"They were all filled with the Holy
Spirit." When they stood up to speak, even the ribald mockers in the
crowd noticed this, for they said, "These men are full," and though
they added, "with new wine," yet they evidently detected a singular
fullness about them.

We are poor, empty things by nature, and useless while we remain so–we
need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Some people seem to believe in
the Spirit of God giving utterance, only, and they look upon
instruction in Divine things as of secondary importance. Dear, dear me!
What trouble comes when we act upon that theory! How the empty vessels
clatter, rattle and sound! Men in such case utter a wonderful amount of
nothing and even when that nothing is set on fire it does not come to
much. I dread a revival of that sort, where the first thing and the
last thing is everlasting talk. Those who set up for teachers ought to
be, themselves, taught of the Lord–how can they communicate that which
they have not received? Where the Spirit of God is truly at work, He
first fills and then gives utterance–that is His way. Oh that you and
I were at this moment filled with the Holy Spirit!

"Full!" Then they were not cold, dead and empty of life as we sometimes
are. "Full." Then there was no room for anything else in any one of
them! They were too completely occupied by the heavenly power to have
room for the desires of the flesh! Fear was banished; every minor
motive was expelled! The Spirit of God, as it flooded their very
beings, drove out of them everything that was extraneous. They had many
faults and many infirmities, before, but that day, when they

were filled with the Spirit of God, faults and infirmities were no more
perceptible! They became different men from what they had ever been
before–men full of God are the reverse of men full of self!

The difference between an empty man and a full man is something very
wonderful. Let a thirsty person have an empty vessel handed to him.
There may be much noise in the handing, but what a mockery it is as it
touches his lips. But fill it with refreshing water and, perhaps, there
may be all the more silence in the passing of it, for a full cup needs
careful handling, but oh, what a blessing when it reaches the man's
lips! Out of a full vessel he may drink his full. Out of a full Church
the world shall receive salvation, but never out of an empty one! The
first thing we need, as a Church, is to be filled with the Holy Spirit!
The gift of utterance will then come as a matter of course.

They ask me, "May the sisters speak anywhere? If not in the assembly,
may they not speak in smaller meetings?" I answer, yes, if they are
full of the Holy Spirit. Shall this Brother or that be allowed to
speak? Certainly, if he is filled, he may flow. May a layman preach? I
know nothing about laymen except that I am no cleric, myself–let all
speak who are full of the Holy Spirit! "Spring up, O well." If it is a
fountain of living water, who would restrain it? Who could restrain it?
Let him overflow who is full, but mind he does not set up to pour out
when there is nothing in him–for if he counts it his official duty to
go pouring out, pouring out, pouring out at unreasonable length and yet
nothing comes of it–I am sure he acts not by the Holy Spirit, but
according to his own vanity.

The next Pentecostal symbol was utterance. As soon as the Spirit of God
filled them, they began to speak at once. It seems to me that they
began to speak before the people had come together. They could not help
it–the inner forces demanded expression and they must speak! So when
the Spirit of God really comes upon a man, he does not wait till he has
gathered an audience of the size which he desires, but he seizes the
next opportunity! He speaks to one person. He speaks to two. He speaks
to three–to anybody–he must speak, for he is full and must have vent!
When the Spirit of God fills a man, he speaks so as to be understood.
The crowd spoke different languages and these Spirit-taught men spoke
to them in the language of the country in which they were born. This is
one of the signs of the Spirit's utterance.

If my friend over yonder talks in a Latinized style to a company of
fruit sellers, I will guarantee you the Holy Spirit has nothing to do
with him! If a learned Brother fires over the heads of his congregation
with a grand oration, he may trace his elocution, if he likes, to
Cicero and Demosthenes–but do not let him ascribe it to the Holy
Spirit–for that is not after His manner! The Spirit of God speaks so
that His words may be understood–and if there is any obscurity, it
lies in the language used by the Lord, Himself.

The crowd not only understood, but they felt. There were lancets in
this Pentecostal preaching and the hearers "were pricked in the heart."
The Truth of God wounded men and the slain of the Lord were many, for
the wounds were in the most vital part. They could not understand
it–they had heard speakers before, but this was quite a different
thing. The men spoke fire flakes and one hearer cried to his fellow,
"What is this?" The preachers were speaking flame and the fire dropped
into the hearts of men till they were amazed and confused! Those are
the two effects of the Holy Spirit–a fullness of the Spirit in the
ministry and the Church–and next, a fire ministry and a Church on
fire, speaking so as to be felt and understood by those around!

Causes produce effects like themselves and this wind and fire ministry
soon did its work. We read that this "was noised abroad." Of course it
was, because there had been a noise as of a rushing mighty wind. Next
to that we read that all the people came together and were confounded.
There was naturally a stir, for a great wind from Heaven was rushing!
All were amazed and astonished and, while some enquired believingly,
others began to mock. Of course they did–there was a fire burning and
fire is a dividing thing–and this fire began to separate between the
precious and the vile as it always will when it comes into operation.

We may expect, at the beginning of a true revival, to observe a
movement among the people–a noise and a stir. These things are not
done in a corner. Cities will know of the Presence of God and crowds
will be attracted by the event. This was the immediate effect of the
Pentecostal marvel and I shall now ask you to follow me to my third
point, which is this–

III. The Holy Spirit being thus at work, what was THE MOST PROMINENT
SUBJECT which these full men began

to preach about with words of fire? Suppose that the Holy Spirit should
work mightily in the Church–what would our ministers preach about? We
should have a revival, should we not, of the old discussions about
predestination and free agency? I do not think so! These are happily
ended, for they tend towards bitterness and, for the most part, the
dispu-

tants are not equal to their task. We should hear a great deal about
the pre-millennial and the post-millennial advent, should we not? I do
not think so! I never saw much of the Spirit of God in discussions or
dreams upon times and seasons which are not clearly revealed. Should we
not hear learned essays upon advanced theology? No, Sir–when the devil
inspires the Church, we have modern theology–but when the Spirit of
God is among us, that rubbish is shot out with loathing!

What did these men preach about? Their hearers said, "We hear them
speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God." Their subject was
the wonderful works of God! Oh, that this might be, to my dying day, my
sole and only topic–"The wonderful works of God." For, first, they
spoke of Redemption, that wonderful work of God! Peter's sermon was a
specimen of how they spoke of it. He told the people that Jesus was the
Son of God–that they had crucified and slain Him–but that He had come
to redeem men and that there was salvation through His precious blood.
He preached Redemption! Oh, how this land will echo again and again
with, "Redemption, Redemption, Redemption, Redemption by the precious
blood!" when the Holy Spirit is with us! This is fit fuel for the
tongue of flame–this is something worthy to be blown by the Divine
wind.

"God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing
their trespasses unto them." "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleans
us from all sin." This is one of the wonderful works of God of which we
can never make too frequently mention. They certainly spoke of the next
wonderful work of God, namely, Regeneration. There was no concealing of
the work of the Holy Spirit in that primitive ministry! It was brought
to the front. Peter said, "You shall receive the Holy Spirit." The
preachers of Pentecost told of the Spirit's work by the Spirit's
power–conversion, repentance, renewal, faith, holiness and such things
were freely spoken of and ascribed to their real Author, the Divine
Spirit. If the Spirit of God shall give us, once again, a full and
fiery ministry, we shall hear it clearly proclaimed, "You must be born
again," and we shall see a people forthcoming which are born, not of
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, but of the will of God and by the
energy which comes from Heaven! A Holy Spirit ministry cannot be silent
about the Holy Spirit and His sacred operations upon the heart!

And very plainly they spoke on a third wonderful work of God, namely,
remission of sins. This was the point that Peter pushed home to
them–that on repentance they should receive remission of sins. What a
blessed message is this– pardon for crimes of deepest dye–a pardon
bought with Jesus' blood! Free pardon, full pardon, irreversible pardon
given to the vilest of the vile when they ground their weapons of
rebellion and bow at the feet that once were nailed to the Cross! If we
would prove ourselves to be under Divine influence, we must keep to the
Divine message of fatherly forgiveness to returning prodigals. What
happier word can we deliver?

These are the doctrines which the Holy Spirit will revive in the midst
of the land when He works mightily– Redemption, Regeneration,
Remission. If you would have the Spirit of God resting on your labors,
dear Brothers and Sisters, keep these three things always to the front
and make all men hear in their own tongue the wonderful works of

God!

IV. I shall close by noticing, in the fourth place, what were the
GLORIOUS RESULTS of all this. Have patience with me if you find the
details somewhat long. The result of the Spirit coming as wind and
fire, filling and giving utterance, was, first, in the hearers' deep
feeling. There was never in the world, perhaps, such a feeling excited
by the language of mortal man as that which was awakened in the crowds
in Jerusalem on that day! You might have seen a group here, and a group
there, all listening to the same story of the wondrous works of God and
all stirred and affected, for the heavenly wind and fire went with the
preaching and they could not help feeling its power.

We are told that they were pricked in the heart. They had painful
emotions. They felt wounds which killed their enmity. The Word of God
struck at the center of their being–it pierced the vital point. Alas,
people come into our places of worship nowadays to hear the preacher
and their friends ask them on their return, "How did you like him?" Was
that your errand, to see how you liked him? What practical benefit is
there in such a mode of using the servants of God? Are we sent among
you to give opportunities for criticism? Yet the mass of men seem to
think that we are nothing better than fiddlers or actors who come upon
the stage to help you while away an hour!

O my Hearers, if we are true to our God and true to you, ours is a more
solemn business than most men dream! The objective of all true
preaching is the heart–we aim at divorcing the heart from sin and
wedding it to Christ! Our ministry has failed and has not the Divine
seal set upon it unless it makes men tremble, makes them sad and then
soon brings

them to Christ and causes them to rejoice! Sermons are to be heard by
the thousands and yet how little comes of them all because the heart is
not aimed at, or else the archers miss the mark! Alas, our hearers do
not present their hearts as our target, but leave them at home and
bring us only their ears, or their heads! Here we need Divine aid. Pray
mightily that the Spirit of God may rest upon all who speak in God's
name, for then they will create deep feeling in their hearers!

Then followed an earnest enquiry. "They were pricked in their heart and
they said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, 'Men and brethren,
what shall we do?'" Emotion is, of itself, but a poor result unless it
leads to practical action. To make men feel is well enough, but it must
be a feeling which impels them to immediate movement, or at least to
earnest enquiry as to what they should do. O Spirit of God, if You will
rest on me, even me, men shall not hear and go their way and forget
what they have heard! They will arise and seek the Father and taste His
love! If You would rest on all the brotherhood that publish Your Word,
men would not merely weep while they hear and be affected while the
discourse lasts, but they would go their way to ask, "What must we do
to be saved?"

This is what we need! We do not require new preachers, but we need a
new anointing of the Spirit. We do not require novel forms of service,
but we need the fire Spirit, the wind Spirit to work by us till
everywhere men cry, "What must we do to be saved?" Then came a grand
reception of the Word. We are told that they gladly received the Word
of God and they received it in two senses–first, Peter bade them
repent and they did. They were pricked to the heart from compunction on
account of what they had done to Jesus–and they sorrowed after a godly
sort and quit their sins. They also believed in Him whom they had slain
and accepted Him as their Savior, then and there, without hesitancy.
They trusted in Him whom God had set forth to be a Propitiation and
thus they fully received the Word of God. Repentance and faith make up
a complete reception of Christ and they had both of these. Why should
we not see this Divine result today? We shall see it in proportion to
our faith.

But what next? Why, they were baptized directly! Having repented and
believed, the next step was to make confession of their faith–and they
did not postpone that act for a single day–why should they? Willing
hands were there! The whole company of the faithful were all glad to
engage in the holy service and that same day they were baptized in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! If the Holy
Spirit were fully with us, we should never have to complain that many
Believers never confess their faith, for they would be eager to confess
the Savior's name in His own appointed way! Delay to be baptized comes
too often of fear of persecution, indecision, love of ease, pride, or
disobedi-ence–but all these vanish when the heavenly wind and fire are
doing their sacred work! Sinful diffidence soon disappears! Sinful
shame of Jesus is no more seen! Hesitancy and delay are banished
forever when the Holy Spirit works with power!

Furthermore, there was not merely this immediate confession, but, as a
result of the Spirit of God, there was great steadfastness. "They
continued steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine." We have had plenty of
revivals of the human sort and their results have been sadly
disappointing. Under excitement, nominal converts have been
multiplied–but where are they after a little testing? I am sadly
compelled to admit that, so far as I can observe, there has been much
sown and very little reaped that was worth reaping, from much of that
which has been called "revival." Our hopes were flattering as a dream,
but the apparent result has vanished like a vision of the night! But
where the Spirit of God is really at work the converts stand–they are
well-rooted and grounded and, therefore, they are not carried about by
every wind of doctrine! They continue steadfast in the Apostolic Truths
of God!

We see next that there was abundant worship of God, for they were
steadfast not only in the doctrine, but in breaking of bread, in prayer
and in fellowship. There was no difficulty in getting a Prayer Meeting
then! There was no difficulty in maintaining daily communion and holy
fellowship, then, for the Spirit of God was among them and the
ordinances were precious in their eyes. "Oh," say some, "if we could
get this minister or that evangelist, we should do well." Brothers and
Sisters, if you had the Holy Spirit you would have everything else
growing out of His Presence, for all good things are summed up in Him!

Next to this there came striking generosity. Funds were not hard to
raise–liberality overflowed its banks, for Believers poured all that
they had into the common fund. Then was it, indeed, seen to be true
that the silver and the gold are the Lord's! When the Spirit of God
operates powerfully, there is little need to issue telling appeals for
widows and orphans, or to go down on your knees and plead for
missionary fields which cannot be occupied for need of money. At this
moment our village Churches can scarcely support their pastors at a
starvation rate–but I believe that if the Spirit

of God will visit all the Churches, means will be forthcoming to keep
all going right vigorously! If this does not happen, I tremble for our
Nonconformist Churches, for the means of their existence will be
absent–both as to spiritual and temporal supplies they will utterly
fail.

There will be no lack of money when there is no lack of Grace. When the
Spirit of God comes, those who have substance yield it to their Lord!
And those who have but little grow rich by giving of that little! And
those who are already rich become happy by consecrating what they have!
There is no need to rattle the box when the rushing mighty wind is
heard and the fire is dissolving all hearts in love! Then came
continual gladness. "They did eat their meat with gladness." They were
not merely glad at Prayer Meetings and sermons, but glad at breakfast
and at supper! Whatever they had to eat, they were for singing over it.
Jerusalem was the happiest city that ever was when the Spirit of God
was there! The disciples were singing from morning to night and I have
no doubt the outsiders asked, "What is it all about?"

The Temple was never so frequented as then–there was never such
singing before–the very streets of Jerusalem and the Hill of Zion rang
with the songs of the once despised Galileans! They were fall of
gladness and that gladness showed itself in praising God. I have no
doubt they broke out, now and then, in the services with shouts of,
"Glory! Hallelujah!" I should not wonder but what all propriety was
scattered to the winds. They were so glad, so exhilarated–that they
were ready to leap for joy! Of course we never say, "Amen," or,
"Glory!" now. We have grown to be so frozenly proper that we never
interrupt a service in any way, because, to tell the truth, we are not
so particularly glad, we are not so specially full of praise that we
want to do anything of the sort! Alas, we have lost very much of the
Spirit of God and much of the joy and gladness which attend His
Presence–and so we have settled into a decorous apathy! We gather the
links of propriety instead of the palm branches of praise.

May God send us a season of glorious disorder! Oh for a sweep of wind
that will set the seas in motion and make our ironclad Brethren now
lying so quietly at anchor to roll from stem to stern! As for us, who
are as the little ships, we will fly before the gale if it will but
speed us to our desired haven! Oh for fire to fall again–fire which
shall affect the most stolid! This is a sure remedy for indifference.
When a flake of fire falls into a man's bosom, he knows it. And when
the Word of God comes home to a man's soul, he knows it, too. Oh that
such fire might first sit upon the disciples and then fall on all
around!

And, to close, there was then a daily increase of the Church–"The Lord
added to the Church daily such as should be saved." Conversion was
going on perpetually! Additions to the Church were not events which
happened once a year, but they were everyday matters, "so mightily grew
the Word of God and prevailed." O Spirit of God, You are ready to work
with us, today, even as You did then! Delay not, we beseech You, but
work at once! Break down every barrier that hinders the incomings of
Your might! Overturn, overturn, O sacred wind! Consume all obstacles, O
heavenly fire, and give us now both hearts of flame and tongues of fire
to preach Your reconciling Word for Jesus' sake. Amen.
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Is It Nothing To You?