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January 8, 1913J THE]
Uouzalez, on the general theme, "Why 1 am a
l'rotestant," are attracting great audiences in
Detroit. It is true that they were well advertised,
as those in charge of the matter, appreciating
the value of printers' ink, placed large
half-column illustrated advertisements in the
daily papers. But just now there is an un
I usual interest in the public mind upon all
questions as to the influence of Romanism upon
American life, and the people want to know
the truth. A man like Dr. Gonzalez, highly
educated, with the most intimate inside knowledge
of the spirit of Romanism, and with a
breadth of human sympathy that makes harshness
impossible, wins even Romanists by his
broad catholicity. Those who attended these
lectures with any false appetite for sensational
exnosures were disappointed. Dr. Gonzalez
has no bitterness against the Church of Rome,
lie has spoken plainly of the failure of Romanism,
but in au irenic spirit that will leave
behind him no rancor. A sweet reasonableness
has characterized the entire work.
After all his fruitful labors thus far, we yet
believe and hope that the work of this expriest,
ex-friar, and now thorough, well-furnished
champion of evangelical religion and
sound Calvinistic doctrine, has only fairly begun.
A wide field of usefulness, not only within
the borders of the American republic but
beyond awaits his talent and consecrated service.
The vast awaking of the Latan American
republics to modern opportunity and enlight
eninent calls tor a combined leadership and
apostolic spirit which men like Dr. Orts, by
the grace of God, must supply. M.
THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
RE J. H. JOWETT, D. D.
When the apostles received the power of the
iloly Spirit what difference did it make to them?
What kind of dynamic does the Holy Spirit
bring to men I W hat change takes place in the
liveb of men today when they become coinpan
ui luc u.yji.y opiribt >> j-iul m lu\lu i ties uo
they leave beliindV What new equipment do
they gam? I turn to the records of the apostles*'
life and i put my inquiries there. What happened
to these men* What kind of power did
they receive when they liad received the Holy
Spirit* First of all, then, 1 find an extraordinary
power of spiritual apprehension. 1 know
not how 10 express what I see. The apostles
have a certain powerfui feeling for God. They
have a keen spiritual sense which discerns the
^euiiuu* or rue unseen, it is as uiougn men*
souls have developed latent feelers for the
Divine. If we compare their dullness in the
earlier days, before the Holy Spirit was reeeived,
with their alertness afterwards, we shall
see that the difference is most marked. The
Master himself describes them as "slow of
heart." Their perceptions are blunt. They are
dull to catch the spiritual side of things. But
now when we turn to the record in the Acts of
the Apostles we lind this powerful sense of the
Divine presence. It is as though a man has been
sitting in a room with another man, but was
Oil 1V Hnnlir oufQivt nf Kia nrooori/io on/1 thATI thftfO
tame to him a refinement of his senses, and he
gained a perfect assurance and a vivid knowledge
of the other's company. The spiritual
senses of these men were awakened, and they
became aware of the '' all-aboutnesa" of God.
I bey have an intimate power of correspondence
V\ it It 'Vlirr* rvwrt l?an 4Vi a iirtaanti T a m/\o4
I--? uiiu vyuiv^u buc uno^cii xjv/iu a iuwoi
real and intimate friend. And along with this
sense of the Divine presence there is a refined
apprehension of the Divine will. Everywhere in
the apostolic life there is a tender and refined
correspondence with the mind of God. Everywhere
communications are being made between
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE 801
ilie Divine and human, the human as strongly ap- J
prehending the l>ivine. Sentences like these C
abound everywhere: "The angel of the Lord ?
said unto me;" "The Spirit said to Philip, Go t
near;" "And the .Lord said to Ananias;" "The 1
Spirit said unto Peter." There is everywhere o
this suggestion of an intimate talk with an in- li
timate knowledge of God's will. Is not this a \
power to be coveted, and a power to be desired? t
And it is a power given by the baptism of the b
Holy Spirit. p
1 look again at the lives of these apostles, and a
1 find them distinguished by magnificent force t<
of character. In the early days they were timid, t;
pliable, unfaithful. In the supreme crises they o
deserted their Master and fled. They were as h
reeds shaken by the wind. The wind that blew si
upon them from the haunts of desolation, the tl
keen, perilous winds of persecution, made these o
disciples bend before their blast. The men were u
negative, hesitant, uncertain, altogether lacking n
in persistent force. But now the timid and fear- eful
have become positive and affirmative. There
is nothing lax about them, nothing wavering, v
nothing yielding. Their characters have be- b
come strong, and steady, and effective. I say tl
they have got force of character, and they have l>
the two elements that are always found in force- tl
i'ul character: they have light and they have (3
heat. Tthey have light in the sense of charity si
of purpose. Their outlook is not confused. Their si
aim is perfectly clear. If we watch them in the s]
service of their Lord we find them never to be tl
diverted from their track. "This one thing I tl
do." Tliey have this primary element in a force- tl
ful character, the clarity of an undivided aim.
And the second element in a forceful character ei
is heat, the fire of a quenchless enthusiasm. And ii
they certainly had this fire in glorious strength tl
and abundance. The Acts of the Apostles is a fi
burning book. There is no cold or lukewarm a
patch from end to end. The disciples had been w
baptized with fire, with the holy, glowing en- n
thusiasui caught from the altar of God. They w
iiad this central tire, from which every other pur- (i
pose and faculty in the life gets its strength, w
This lire in the apostles' soul was like a furnace- p
lire in a great liner, which drives her through U
the tempests and through the envious and en- l<
gulling deep. Nothing could stop these men! a
Nothing could hinder their going! "We can- f
not but speak the things that we have seen and n
heard." "We must obey God rather than man.'' u
This strong imperative rings throughout all their tl
uoimgs and all their speech. They have heat, g
and they have light, because they were baptized o
by the power of the Holy Ghost.
And 1 look again into the lives of these men
who had been redeemed by the power of the T
Holy Ghost, and 1 find the energies of glorious f
optimism. There is no more buoyant and ex- w
hilarating book in literature than the book of e
the Acts. If we sit doiwn and read it at a sitting s
we shall feel something of the swift and hopeful C(
nflPh ilto T * 1 xL-A
x?Uiv<?iucub. X UU ilVJL IUIUW HULL XU J,
their earlier days we should have described the
disciples as "children of light." The easily lost
heart and the cloudy days filled them with dismay.
But now, after they have received the b
Holy Spirit we find them facing a hostile world, a
They are face to face with obstructions, with u
persecutions, with threats of imprisonment and b
death. But nowhere do we find a desponding or h
a despairing note. Ever and everywhere they
are optimists in spirit. And what is an optimist? g
He is a man who can scent the coming harvest a
when the snow is on the ground. He can "feci t<
the days before him." He can live in the dis- vi
tant June in the dingy diays of December. That
is an optimist, a man who can believe in the best
in the arrogant and aggressive presence of the tl
worst. He can be imprisoned in the desolations rr
of Patmoe and yet can see "the Holy City, the o:
9 T H 11
^ew Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from
lod." He can look at a poor, wayward, jinful
iamaritan woman whose life in scorched like a
ilasted heat, and he can say, "The lields are
ipe already unto harvest." And this power of
ptimism is always operative in the apostolic
ife. I find it in the springiness of their soul,
'ou cannot break their spirit. You cannot hold
hem down to dull despair. "They laid their
anas on apostles and put them in the common
rison." And what happened after that! The
rorning after their release I read, "They enured
into the temple early in the morning and
aught.*' And here is another part of the recrd:
"When they had called the apostles, and
ad beaten them, they commanded that they
hould not speak in the name of Jesus, and let
liem go. And they departed from the presence
f the council, rejoicing that they were counted
orthy to suffer for his sake.'' These men could
ot be held down. The spirit of optimism was
ver dominant.
And with their springiness there was a raarellous
spirit of joy. Theirs was not a dull
uoyancv. but a radiant or.ri a c?;~? " * - "
v ?. uuvt u VllC. illlU
tiey raised persecution against Paul and Baraans,
and expelled them out of their coats; and
tie disciples were filled with joy and the Holy
Ihost!" "And at midnight Paul and Silas
ing praises unto God." Is not this the very
pirit of power* These men had spiritual
pringineas, spiritual delight, because they had
lie spirit of Christian optimism, and this power
tiey received when the Holy Ghost came upon
iiem.
Do we wonder, then, that men of this kind, s >
udowed, have the additional power of witness1
IT fftl- >ll<l f 1 ? ''u ' * "
o .Ji?iu> uiirisi? iney witness by
lie arresting magnetism of their own transgured
character. They witness by their clear
nd enlightened apprehenision of the gospel by
diich they haye been redeemed. And they witess
by the grip of their own words?words
hich were vitalised by the indwelling Spirit of
rod. And we, too, shall receive a similar power
rhen the Hoiy Spirit comes upon us. The same
ower is offered to us, to fit us for our condition,
j equip us for our life. And what are the
irms on which that power is received? They
re these: that we are willing to offer our life
or God, that the offer be made in all sincerity,
lade iu simplicity, made in humble truist to give
p our sins, to lay down our pride. It means
liat we are willing to receive the Lord as our
uest, and to allow him to rule and to dominate
ur lives.?The Presbyterian: Toronto.
"Knowing of whom thou hast learned them."
*he personal character and life of the teacher
orm a large element in the believability of
hat is taught. A life that exemplifies the preepts
always attracts and wins the thoughtful
tudent. It disposes the mind to believe the preeptor's
words and accept his positions. Effectire
instruction depends not so much upon the
iacber's ability as upon his grace.
"Perhaps, if I were to try very hard I might
e able to separate my wings," the Butterfly
verred; and in a few minutes she had settled
pon another bush, and in making the attempt
ad discovered that her wings were not as
elpless as she had imagined them to be.
Miss Honey Bee, also, made a tour of the
arden, and in so doing found out that flowers
re sweeter when rain-washed. So all agreed
> follow the Owl's advice and try to cultiate
a spirit of contentment.?Zion's Herald.
The more sure the confidence, the more quiet
tie patient waiting. It is uncertainty which
lakes earthly hope short of breabh and impatient
f delay.?Alexander Macl&ren.