ord our God shall call unto
him." What promise! Evidently the promise of God, "I will pour out of my
spirit upon all flesh." There is no other promise in the mind of Peter
and his hearers, and I know of no other promise the reader can have in
mind. This position is amply supported by after-developments. "While
Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them that
_heard the word_. And they of the circumcision that believed were
amazed, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also
was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit. For they heard them speak
with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid
the water, that these should not be baptized, who have _received the
Holy Spirit_ as well as we?" (Acts 10:44-47). This was in fulfillment of
the promise not only to the Jews, but the Gentiles, whom the Jews
regarded as "far off." Paul, speaking to Gentiles, says: "But now in
Christ Jesus, ye that were once far off are made nigh in the blood of
Christ" (Eph. 2:13). In this incident "the gift of the Holy Spirit" and
"receiving the Spirit" are the same. And when Peter was taken to task
for baptizing the Gentiles, he defends himself on the ground that God,
who knows the heart, bore witness to them, _giving them the Holy Spirit,
"the like gift as he did also unto us_." In the above instances,
Pentecost and the house of Cornelius, the gift of the Spirit was the
result of the baptism of the Spirit, the baptism of the Spirit was an
outpouring or falling of the Spirit upon the Jews at Pentecost and the
Gentiles at the house of Cornelius, to signify his acceptance of both
Jew and Gentile into the kingdom of Christ. Paul undoubtedly refers to
this when he says: "For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one
body, whether _Jews_ or _Greeks"_ (1 Cor. 12:13). The baptism of the
Spirit ceased when its object--the making of one body out of Jews and
Gentiles--was accomplished, but "the gift of the Spirit" did not cease.
It was conferred by the laying on of the hands of the apostles through
all their lives. A few illustrations may be mentioned from the
Scriptures.

_The Samaritans_. When a bloody persecution arose at Jerusalem,
following the death of Stephen, the disciples were scattered and went
everywhere preaching the Word. Philip went to the city of Samaria and
preached Christ to them. "But when they believed Philip preaching good
tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jes