Yes! the Preacher! for it is in this way he has earned the right to be
remembered. Perhaps his sermon at Pentecost was more remarkable in its
results than any sermon has been since. The question arises in the minds
of thinking men, "Is there any reason why preaching now should be less
effective than it was when men first began to preach the Gospel of Jesus
Christ?" One thing is certain, human nature has not improved, and hell
is as great a fact now as then. God's love for men has not decreased. He
is still interested in the human race, and the promise, as Peter put it,
is "to all that are afar off."--Acts ii. 39.
"WHY, THEN, DO WE NOT SEE THE SAME RESULTS?
We do in kind, but not in number. Why not in both? Is not the answer to
be found in Acts i. 14?
"These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication."
Is not the Church of to-day weak in the knee? Do we pray as the men and
women did who waited for the promise of the Father in the upper room?
Peter would pray. He had all the instinct of a preacher, and would feel
his heart bound at the thought that he was to be a witness of God's
readiness to pardon. His prayer would differ from many others. How he
would plead for the power that would crown him with the diadem of a
preacher! There was a time when he had prayed--"Depart from me, for I am
a sinful man." Now, his cry would be--"Come to me, let not my sins cause
Thee to stay, but come quickly." There are many of us who feel we need
to cry to Peter's Saviour and Lord, for we have allowed doubts to hide
His face, or self-indulgence to fence Him about. Let every preacher who
reads these words unite with us in pleading for a Pentecost that shall
renew our commission, and make all men to know that a risen Saviour is
our King, and a promised Comforter our portion,
WHAT A BLOW TO SOCINIANISM, BOTH OF IDEA AND WORD, WOULD A 'SECOND
PENTECOST' BECOME!
We do not here mean to dwell on the example shewn to the Church by the
accord in prayer, the many pleading, so differently, and yet in harmony;
we are writing now for preachers, knowing that hundreds of workers will
read every line we write, and we are thus led to enquire further--