THE HOLY GHOST.
He who said a man must be born again--born of water, said also that he
must be born of the spirit;[A] and it is to that birth, or baptism of
the Spirit that we now direct the attention of the reader.
[Footnote A: John iii: 5.]
John the Baptist made reference to this matter when he was preaching
repentance and baptism throughout Judea. He told the people that he
truly baptized with water, but one should come after him, mightier than
he was, who would baptize them with the Holy Ghost,[B] Afterwards he
bore record that Jesus of Nazareth was he of whom he spake. "I saw,"
said he, "the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode
upon him [Jesus]. And I knew him not; but he that sent me to baptize
with water, the same said unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit
descending and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with
the Holy Ghost. And I saw and bear record that this is the Son of
God."[C]
[Footnote B: Mark, i: 7, 8.]
[Footnote C: John i: 32-34, in connection with verse 29-31.]
Jesus frequently alluded to this baptism of the Holy Ghost and the
powers that a possession thereof would impart to those who received
it; and, finally, after his death and resurrection, and just previous
to his departure from among his disciples in Judea, he said to them:
"Wait for the promise of the Father, which * * * ye have heard of
me. For John truly baptized with water but ye shall be baptized with
the Holy Ghost not many days hence."[D] The reference to the promise
made through John the Baptist is obvious; and the disciples who had
anxiously looked for its accomplishment, were now informed that its
fulfillment was not many days hence.
[Footnote D: Acts i: 4, 5.]
The promise was fulfilled, for in about seven days[E] after the
Messiah's ascension, on the day of Pentecost, the disciples being
assembled with one accord, in one place, "Suddenly there came a sound
from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house
where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues
like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled
with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the
spirit gave them utterance."[F]
[Footnote E: Pentecost came fifty days after the Passover, on which
day the Lord Jesus was crucified. Allowing that he laid three days in
the tomb, and was with his disciples forty days after his resurrection
(Acts i: 3), forty-three days of the fifty between Passover and
Pentecost was accounted for, leaving but seven between his ascension
and the day of Pentecost, when the promise of the baptism of the Spirit
was fulfilled.]
[Footnote F: Acts ii; 2-4.]
Thus was the promise made by John and repeated by Messiah fulfilled.
I have been particular to call attention to this promise, and its
fulfillment, because a similar promise is made to all men of all
nations, and in all generations wherever and whenever the Gospel is
proclaimed. The promise I allude to was made on this very same day of
Pentecost, on which the promise of John and Messiah was fulfilled.
Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, so abundantly given
to himself and companions on that day, preached a discourse which
convinced thousands that Jesus was both Lord and Christ, the Savior of
the world; and in answering the question of the multitude as to what
they should do, after telling them to repent, and to be baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins, he added: "And ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost: for the promise is unto you,
and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the
Lord our God shall call."[G]
[Footnote G: Acts ii: 38.]
I call attention to the universality of this promise. It was made to
those who were listening to the apostles, but not to them alone, it
extended to their children, to them also that were afar off--to those
who were a hundred years off, or five hundred, or five or ten thousand
years off; the promise was to them; and as if this was not sufficiently
universal, the apostle adds, "even to as many as the Lord our God shall
call"--call, to what? to as many, of course, as are called to yield
obedience to the Gospel--to all such the promise extends.
As the promise made by John was repeated and emphasized by the Savior,
so, likewise, has this general promise, made by the apostle Peter been
repeated and emphasized by the Lord, in restoring the Gospel to the
earth in this dispensation in which we live. To the first Elders of the
Church in our day, he said: "As I said unto mine apostles, even so I
say unto you, for ye are mine apostles * * * Therefore * * * I say unto
you again, that every soul who believeth on your words, and is baptized
by water for the remission of sins, shall receive the Holy Ghost."[H]
So, to those who have faith in the revelations which the Lord has given
through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the promise of the Holy Ghost is
repeated, and assurance is made doubly sure.
[Footnote H: Doc. and Cov., sec. lxxxiv: 63, 64.]
The necessity of this baptism of the Holy Ghost is made apparent,
first, by the plain declaration of the Savior himself, wherein he
says, except a man is born of the Spirit as well as of the water, he
cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven;[I] and of course outside of
the kingdom of heaven there can be no salvation, nor perfect happiness;
second, its necessity appears from the very nature of things.
[Footnote I: John iii: 5.]
Through water baptism is obtained a remission of past sins; but even
after the sins of the past are forgiven, the one so pardoned will
doubtless feel the force of sinful habits bearing heavily upon him.
He who has been guilty of habitual untruthfulness, will at times find
himself inclined, perhaps, to yield to that habit. He who has stolen
may be sorely tempted, when opportunity arises, to steal again. While
he who has indulged in licentious practices may again find himself
disposed to give way to the seductive influence of the siren. So with
drunkenness, malice, envy, covetousness, hatred, anger, and, in short,
all the evil dispositions that flesh is heir to.
There is an absolute necessity for some additional sanctifying grace
that will strengthen poor human nature, not only to enable it to resist
temptation, but also to root out from the heart concupiscence--the
blind tendency or inclination to evil. The heart must be purified,
every passion, every propensity made submissive to the will, and the
will of man brought into subjection to the will of God.
Man's natural powers are unequal to this task; so, I believe, all will
testify who have made the experiment. Mankind stand in some need of a
strength superior to any they possess of themselves, to accomplish this
work of rendering pure our fallen nature. Such strength, such power,
such a sanctifying grace is conferred on man in being born of the
Spirit--in receiving the Holy Ghost. Such, in the main, is its office,
its work.
I do not draw such a conclusion directly from any one passage of
scripture, but from the whole tenor of the teachings of the servants of
God, in both ancient and modern times.
We shall see, presently, that it is this spirit which reproves the
world of sin, of righteousness and judgment, that it guides into all
truth, takes of the things of the Father and reveals them unto the
children of men and testifies that Jesus is the Christ These things
increase knowledge and faith; and as the foundations of knowledge
and faith are broadened and deepened so are the powers to work
righteousness increased.
We shall see also that the fruits of this spirit are goodness,
righteousness, truth, love, joy, peace and gentleness, and as these
things are increased in the soul, viciousness and impurity are rooted
out, until the whole man is changed and in very deed becomes a new
creature in Christ Jesus--is numbered among the pure in heart, and
blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see and dwell with God.