that while Peter was preaching, he came to the point where
he said concerning Jesus, "To Him bear all the prophets witness, that
through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of
sins," and at that point Cornelius and his household believed and we read
immediately, "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on
all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed
were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles
also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost." The moment they believed
the testimony about Jesus, they were baptized with the Holy Ghost, even
before they were baptized with water. Regeneration and the baptism with
the Holy Spirit took place practically at the same moment, and so they do
in many an experience to-day. It would seem as if in a normal condition of
the church, this would be the usual experience. But the church is not in a
normal condition to-day. A very large part of the church is in the place
where the believers in Samaria were before Peter and John came down, and
where the disciples in Ephesus were before Paul came and told them of
their larger privilege--baptized believers, baptized into the name of the
Lord Jesus, baptized unto repentance and remission of sins, but not as yet
baptized with the Holy Ghost. Nevertheless _the baptism with the Holy
Spirit is the birthright of every believer_. It was purchased for us by
the atoning death of Christ, and when He ascended to the right hand of the
Father, He received the promise of the Father and shed Him forth upon the
church, and if any one to-day has not the baptism with the Holy Spirit as
a personal experience, it is because he has not claimed his birthright.
Potentially, every member of the body of Christ is baptized with the Holy
Spirit (1 Cor. xii. 13), "For in one Spirit, _we were all_ baptized into
one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and
have been all made to drink into one Spirit." But there are many believers
with whom that which is potentially theirs has not become a matter of
real, actual, personal experience. All men are potentially justified in
the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross, that is justification is
provided for them and belongs to them (Rom. v. 18, R. V.), but what
potentially belongs to every man, each man must appropriate to himself by
faith in Christ; then justification is actually and experimentally his and