s, when he says as in the first chapter of his 1st Epistle to the
Thessalonians, "For our gospel came not unto you in word only,
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but in power and in the Holy Ghost." Peter in the first chapter of his 1st
Epistle, speaks of "the things which were reported by them that
have preached the gospel, with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven."
Paul also says to Titus. "Not by works of righteousness which we
have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, i. e. from sin,
"by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which He
shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior." The
power of the gospel then to save from sin, consists in the
regenerating, renewing, and sanctifying influences of the Spirit of
God, shed forth to attend the gospel through Jesus Christ our
Savior, and without these influences, the Gospel with all the love
which it reveals, is utterly powerless, in working in the hearts of
men, that "holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."
Accordingly our Lord Jesus Christ at his ascension, after having
commissioned his disciples to go into all the world and preach the
gospel to every creature, commanded them not to depart from
Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father. "Ye shall
receive power," said He, "After that the Holy Ghost is come upon
you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all
Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth."
Having therefore received from Christ the direction, "tarry ye in
the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high, and the
assurance behold I send the promise of my Father upon you; and
ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you,
the disciples returned unto Jerusalem from the Mount called
Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day's journey, and went
into an upper chamber, and there continued with one accord in
prayer and supplication, both men and women, until they were, on
the day of Pentecost, all filled with the Holy Ghost. Then they
preached the gospel with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven,
and multitudes were pricked in their hearts and inquired what shall
we do? And when others mocking said these men are full of new
wine"-they replied, "this Jesus whom ye crucified hath God raised
up whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand
of God exalted, and having received of the
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Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth
