Chapter 5 of 24

will be boldness in testimony and service. We read in

will be boldness in testimony and service. We read in

Tae Baptism With the Holy Spirit 193

before, tkey had read the report of an address on the

Baptism with the Holy Spirit delivered in Boston at

a Christian Workers' Convention and that they had

sought this baptism and had received it. The man

then told me the blessing that had come into his serv-

ice as superintendent of the Sunday-school. When

he had finished, his wife broke in and said, u Yes, and

the best part of it is, I have been able to get into the

hearts of my own children, which I was never able to do before/* Here were three distinctly different lines

of service, but there was power in each case. The re-

sults of that power may not, however, be manifest at

once in conversions. Stephen was filled with the Holy

Spirit, but as he witnessed in the power of the Holy

Spirit for his risen Lord, he saw no conversions at the

time. All he saw was the gnashing of the teeth, the

angry looks and the merciless rocks, and so it may be

with us. But there was a conversion, even In that

case, though it was a long time before it was seen, and

that conversion, the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, was worth more than hundreds of ordinary conversions.

5. Another result ofthe baptism with the Holy Spirit will be boldness in testimony and service. We read in Acts iv. 31, a And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together ; and

they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness" The baptism with the

Holy Spirit imparts to those who receive It new liberty and fearlessness in testimony for Christ. It converts

cowards into heroes. Peter upon the night of our

Lord's crucifixion proved himself a craven coward.

194 The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

He denied with oaths and curses that he knew the

Lord. But after Pentecost, this same Peter v/as brought

before the very council that had condemned Jesus to

death, and he himself was threatened, but filled with

the Holy Ghost, he said, u Ye rulers of the people, and

elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole ; be it known unto you all, and to all the

people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of

Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the

dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of

you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is

none other name under heaven given among men,

(Acts iv. 8-12). A

whereby we must be saved "

little later when the council commanded him and his

companion, John, not to speak or teach in the name of

Jesus, they answered, " Whether it be right in the

sight of God to hearken .unto you more than unto God,

judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard "

(Acts iv. 19, 20). On a

still later occasion, when they were threatened and commanded not to speak and when their lives were in

cc We

jeopardy, Peter told the council to their faces,

ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our

fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a

tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be

a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses of

these things j and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom

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