of us to-day, as He did Abraham of old, that we simply take
Him at His Word and count the thing ours which He has promised, simply
because He has promised it. Afterwards we get the feeling and the
realization of that which He has promised.
2. The second question that some will ask is, "_Will there be no
manifestation of the baptism with the Spirit which we receive?_ Will
everything be just as it was before, and if it will, where is the reality
and use of the baptism?" Yes, there will be manifestation, very definite
manifestation, but bear in mind _what the character_ of the manifestation
will be, _and when_ the manifestation is to be expected. When is the
manifestation to be expected? After we believe. After we have received on
simple faith in the naked Word of God. And what will be the character of
the manifestation? Here many go astray. They have read the wonderful
experiences of Charles G. Finney, John Wesley, D. L. Moody and others.
These men tell us that when they were baptized with the Holy Spirit they
had wonderful sensations. Finney, for example, describes it as like great
waves of electricity sweeping over him, so that he was compelled to ask
God to withhold His hand, lest he die on the spot. Mr. Moody, on rare
occasions, described a similar experience. That these men had such
experiences, I do not for a moment question. The word of such men as
Charles G. Finney, D. L. Moody and others is to be believed, and there is
another reason why I cannot question the reality of these experiences, but
while these men doubtless had these experiences, there is not a passage in
the Bible that describes such an experience. I am inclined to think the
Apostles had them, but if they had, they kept them to themselves and it is
well that they did, for if they had put them on record, that is what we
would be looking for to-day. But what are the manifestations that actually
occurred in the case of the Apostles and the early disciples? New power in
the Lord's work. We read at Pentecost that they were all filled with the
Holy Ghost and _began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them
utterance_ (Acts ii. 4). Similar accounts are given of what occurred in
the household of Cornelius and what occurred in Ephesus. All we read in
the case of the Apostle Paul is that Ananias came in and said, "Brother
Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou
camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, a
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