849
THE KING’S BUSINESS
world the saving truth which. they alone knew, but no, they did as they were told, they waited. Some one has imagined John and Peter meeting a priest one day as they went to buy bread and entering into a dis cussion with him and trying to convince him that Jesus was risen indeed. But the priest only scoffs, and then John draws Peter aside and whispers, “ Peter, the Tyords o f the Master come to me, ‘Wait for the promise o f the Father.’ Let us go on. W e cannot convince this priest yet, we have not received power yet.” Then, as the imagin ary story goes on, the next day the Holy Ghost comes upon them. The scoffing priest is in the front rank o f the astonished crowd that gathers around the Spirit-filled disciples. He is overwhelmed with convic tion and falls at Peter’s feet and cries, “Men and brethren, what shall I do?” O f course this is all pure imagination, but it brings out vividly how necessary were those'days o f waiting upon God, and how necessary is the definite reception o f the Holy Spirit. Saturday, September 28 . Acts 1 : 15 - 26 . The disciples were not altogether idle. They chose a successor to .Judas. Many have criticised this action o f the Apostles and have said it was without warrant and that God did not recognize their choice. They, argue that Matthias is never heard o f again. But neither are most o f the other Apostles heard o f again, so the argument proves altogether too much. I f it proves that Matthias was not God’s choice it proves that most o f the rest o f the Apostles were not God’s choice. W e are definitely told in the inspired record that Matthias “was numbered with the eleven Apostles," and after the Holy Spirit had come we are told that Peter stood up “with the eleven” (ch. 2:14). Those who think that Matthias was not God-chosen say that Paul was the |one God chose to take the plate o f Judas. But Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles and the number twelve is Jewish and Mat thias seems necessary to make the complete number. A t all events it seems daring, not to say presumptuous, to criticise the Apos-
“ the universal brotherhood o f man,” of which we have heard so much, seems to have turned into an almost universal hatred o f the men o f one nation toward the men o f other nations, when we are in the midst o f an awful war that everybody wishes would stop, but nobody knows how to stop, that almost looks as if it would result in race suicide. There may be a temporary peace, but all fair-minded men must now see that the only real hope o f a permanent solution o f our international and social dif ficulties is the personal return o f our Lord, and in His taking the reins o f government. In days like these when so many families are in mourning over the death o f loved ones, there are no words that could be spoken more cheering than these, “ This Jesus, which was received up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye beheld Him going into heaven.” ■May God hasten the day. Friday, September 27 . Acts 1 : 12 - 14 . The disciples had been bidden by the Lord shortly before His departure to be with the Father, to “tarry at Jerusalem,” not to depart but to wait for “the promise o f the Father,” i. e., the baptism in the Holy Spirit (vs. 4, S; Luke 24:49). They 'obeyed this commandment. The baptism which they were to receive was to be such a definite operation o f the Holy Spirit that they would'know when they had received it, and thus when the days o f Waiting were over and when work should begin. They did not spend their days o f waiting in list lessness, but in prayer. This was as it should be; for Jesus Himself had said that God would give the Holy Spirit “to them that asked Him” (Luke 11:13; cf. Acts 4:31; 8:15). Their prayer was earnest, persistent, united. They may. have been tempted to give up praying as day after day passed and they saw no answer to their prayers; but they did not give up, they prayed right on. “With one accord” they . “continued steadfastly in prayer” (cf, Luke 18:1-8). The temptation must have been very strong to go out and tell the perishing
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