There is something awful in the thought of being absolutely surrendered to the Spirit, to be led by him through fire and water, to be lifted up to heaven and cast down again, to be brought into fiercest conflicts and under overwhelming obligations. Few have the courage to surrender to the Spirit in the unreserved consecration of their lives to Jesus.
Stephen surrendered himself, and was led into contention for the truth and to death by stoning. Peter surrendered himself, and was led against the desperate thousands of his Lord's crucifiers, to preach the plain, piercing, terrible truth of their guilt, and proclaim the offer of pardon. Paul surrendered, and he was led into weariness and painfulness, into perils and prisons, into watchings, hunger, thirst, fastings, cold and nakedness. Martin Luther surrendered to the Spirit, and was led into work and warfare that shook his soul with dread, and Europe with battles. Richard Cameron surrendered, and he became a trumpet of the Lord, whose blasts defied the powers of darkness that stained Aird's Moss with his blood. John Howard surrendered, and he was led over the world for the relief of earth's prisoners, and when urged to abandon his work in Egypt, which was then devastated with a plague, replied : "The way to heaven is as near from Cairo as from London." Count Zinzendorf, the Moravian missionary, surrendered himself, and was filled with the Spirit of Christ, till he could say, " I have but one passion, and that is He, only He."
In the face of consequences, who has courage to surrender to the Holy Ghost, in tbe effectual prayer that will give him unlimited and everlasting control over the whole person! However, with all the sacrifices included, the absolute surrender to the Spirit is but the beginning of happiness. Then the soul begins to discover the end of its being, finds its place in the heart of God, realizes its power in Christ, places a right estimate on the invisible world, and moves in the orbit of duty swayed as little by the allurements of earth, as the earth is swayed by the shooting stars. Imperfections' and vexations still exist, but spiritual life and power are mightily in excess.
From a sermon titled, 'The Gift of Spiritual Power and Its Use' by Rev. J. C. McFeeters, Moderator of the Synod of the RP Church. Preached on June 6, 1895.
Stephen surrendered himself, and was led into contention for the truth and to death by stoning. Peter surrendered himself, and was led against the desperate thousands of his Lord's crucifiers, to preach the plain, piercing, terrible truth of their guilt, and proclaim the offer of pardon. Paul surrendered, and he was led into weariness and painfulness, into perils and prisons, into watchings, hunger, thirst, fastings, cold and nakedness. Martin Luther surrendered to the Spirit, and was led into work and warfare that shook his soul with dread, and Europe with battles. Richard Cameron surrendered, and he became a trumpet of the Lord, whose blasts defied the powers of darkness that stained Aird's Moss with his blood. John Howard surrendered, and he was led over the world for the relief of earth's prisoners, and when urged to abandon his work in Egypt, which was then devastated with a plague, replied : "The way to heaven is as near from Cairo as from London." Count Zinzendorf, the Moravian missionary, surrendered himself, and was filled with the Spirit of Christ, till he could say, " I have but one passion, and that is He, only He."
In the face of consequences, who has courage to surrender to the Holy Ghost, in tbe effectual prayer that will give him unlimited and everlasting control over the whole person! However, with all the sacrifices included, the absolute surrender to the Spirit is but the beginning of happiness. Then the soul begins to discover the end of its being, finds its place in the heart of God, realizes its power in Christ, places a right estimate on the invisible world, and moves in the orbit of duty swayed as little by the allurements of earth, as the earth is swayed by the shooting stars. Imperfections' and vexations still exist, but spiritual life and power are mightily in excess.
From a sermon titled, 'The Gift of Spiritual Power and Its Use' by Rev. J. C. McFeeters, Moderator of the Synod of the RP Church. Preached on June 6, 1895.
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