May 13

1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven

6 Now when this was roused abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language

7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Goddards?

8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, where it we were born?

9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia.

10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and (250)

in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes.

11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it as but the third hour of the day.

16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will your out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18 And on my servants and on my hand-maidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy

19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above.

and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke; 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come; 21 And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost." This is the great central truth of Pentecost. To be thus "filled" is the privilege of every believer (Acts vi. 3; xi. 24). It may be secured by each just as these disciples secured it—by an obedient and prayerful waiting on God for the fulfilment of His promise. And the spiritual effects which follow the realization of this fulness are, unlike the miraculous, permanent and universal. Something of these effects may be seen in the spiritual changes wrought in those by whom the Holy Spirit was now received in His fulness. With His reception by these disciples there came to them:—1. Spiritual illumination. Like fire, the Holy Ghost illuminates. 2. Spiritual purification. Like fire, He purifies. 3. Spiritual inspiration. Like fire, He warms and cheers.

"Three thousand souls in one day! And yet this was but the inauguration of Christianity. This was but the handful of corn on the top of the mountains. Pentecost was but an outline of things to come. But the Church has been satisfied that the day of Pentecost should be only historical. She has been content to regard this second chapter of Acts as a museum of spiritual curiosities. She has looked upon the story of the Spirit's descent very much as one looks upon the fossil fragments of a mastodon,—a record of extinct life. While the Spirit has been ready to come as 'floods upon the dry ground,' she has been satisfied that His influence should be slowly and partially dealt out, here a little and there a little. Advancement and expansion are the statute laws of the Gospel of God. The Christian world has been playing at religion. Being a child, it has spoken as a child, understood as a child, thought as a child; but every interest of humanity and every word of God calls upon it, in these latter days, to become a man, and to put away childish things."—R. R. Meredith, D. D.

Closet Promise.—But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.—Matt. vi. 6.

"Christians often complain that private prayer is not what it should be. They feel weak and sinful, the heart is cold and dark; it is as if they have so little to pray for, and in that little no faith or joy. They are discouraged and kept from prayer by the thought that they cannot come to the Father as they ought or as they wish. Child of God, listen to your Teacher. He tells you that when you go to private prayer your first thought must be:

the Father is in secret; the Father waits for me there. Just because your heart is cold and prayerless get you into the presence of the loving Father. As a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth you. Do not be thinking of how little you have to bring to God, but of how much He wants to give you. Just place yourself before and look up into His face; think of His love, His wonderful, tender, pitying love. Just tell Him all; it is the Father's loving heart will give light and warmth to yours. Oh, do what Jesus says: just shut the door and pray to thy Father which is in secret. Is it not wonderful to go alone with God, the infinite God, and then to look up and say, 'My Father!'—Andrew Murray.