The Presbyterian Of The South : [Combining The] Southwestern Presbyterian, Central Presbyterian, Southern Presbyterian

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

(Continued from Page 7)

19:1-7; 1 Cor. 12:1-13; 2 Cor. 13:14;
Gal. 5:22-26; Rev. 22:17.

Primary Topic: A Helper at All Times.

Memory Verse: Jehovah is nigh unto all them that call upon him. - Ps. 145:18.

Junior Topic: Our Unseen Teacher and Helper.

Memory Verse: John 14:26.

Intermediate Topic: The Fruits of the Spirit.

Additional Material: Rom. 8:1-17;
Gal. 5:22-26.

Senior and Adult Topic: What the Holy Spirit Does for Us.

Additional Material: John 3:5-8;
Acts 2:37-47; Rom. 8:1-17, 26, 27;
2 Cor. 13:14; Gal. 5:22-26.

It should always be kept clearly in mind that the Holy Spirit is a divine person. He is one with the Father and Son in their divine attributes. He has His part in winning souls for Christ, and in building them up in their faith.

Our Saviour tells his disciples that it is so important for them to have the Holy Spirit that it was better for him to leave them rather than that they should not have the Spirit whom he would send when he went away. Jesus said it was best that he should go away. If he had not gone away there would have been no outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Had Jesus remained with his disciples in bodily form, he could have been in only one place at a time. The Holy Spirit is with all of the Church all the time. If Christ had remained on earth he could not in the fullest manner become High Priest for his people, as he did when he ascended on high and sat down at the right hand of the Father. It is an interesting fact that after Jesus went away and the Comforter came the religion of the disciples was an entirely new thing, and they grew in knowledge and in power.

The Holy Spirit, our Saviour said, was to reprove or rather convince 'the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment to come.' He would convince men that they were sinners, convince them that the righteousness of Christ was what they needed, and convince them that there was coming a time when they must stand before the judgment bar of God.

The Holy Spirit, our Saviour told his disciples, was to be their teacher and guide them into all truth. As teacher he guided them and other writers as they wrote the Bible. So he will be our teacher as we study it. Many times we find passages which it may be we do not understand. If we take them to the Holy Spirit, he will reveal to us their meaning in many cases.

Pentecost came fifty days after the Passover, so it was fifty days after the crucifixion and ten days after the ascension of Jesus. He had told his disciples that they must stay in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high. This was in reality just a repetition of the promise to send them the Holy Spirit.

The disciples waited, but while they waited they prayed. Peter said that it was too early in the day for men to be drunk, but they did not think it was too early to hold a prayer meeting. They were having their prayer meeting when God's Spirit was poured out upon them. How much time they spent enjoying their new experience we do not know. But when the time came when others came into the courts of the Temple at 9 o'clock for their morning prayer, they were ready to meet them with their wonderful message.

The Spirit came upon those who prayed and who were united in their prayers. They needed help to do the great work their Master had assigned them of taking the world with him. We of today have this same work to do. We need the same help. We can get the help in the same way. Our Saviour says that God is more willing to give His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him than earthly parents are to give good gifts to their children.

In order to ask for the Holy Spirit, we must feel our own weakness, we must realize the greatness of our work, and God's willingness to give us His Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is just as ready to help those who preach the gospel or do any work for God today as He was on the day of Pentecost. In modern times evidences of His work are often seen, both in the home land and in mission fields.

We should remember that when we fail to ask for the help of the Spirit in doing our work, we are neglecting a great opportunity, and are not doing God's will.