The Spirit did everything on the Day of Pentecost and afterwards. It was the Spirit who gave the boldness, the wisdom, the message, and the converting power.

Unfaithful in prayer, weak in the working of the Spirit, its witness to Christ a mere formality, and unfaithful to its worldwide mission—such are the marks of a powerless church.

Christ spoke of power to the disciples, but it was the Spirit filling their whole being that worked the power.

In claiming the Holy Spirit, we should make this the first object of our expectation. The Holy Spirit comes as a Spirit of love.

The reason is simply this—they have never learned to believe and accept the truth that the Holy Spirit can pour God's love into their heart. That blessed text has often been limited!—"The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts" (Romans 5:5).

He requires of us nothing more than what He has prepared for us power to do in His Holy Spirit. The new life is a life in the power of Christ through the Spirit.

Give with thy trumpet a loud note to Troy,Thou dreadful Ajax; that th' appalled airMay pierce the head of thy great combatant.Shakesp. The house of peers was somewhat appalled at this alarum; but took time to consider of it till next day.Clarendon. Does neither rage inflame, nor fear appal,Nor the black fear of death that saddens all.Pope.

and so he could show me how much my life was controlled by fear.

The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.

A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God's truth is attacked and yet would remain silent.

We are superstitiously timid, I say, if whenever creatures threaten us or forcibly terrorize us we become as fearful as if they had some intrinsic power to harm us, cor might wound us inadvertently and accidentally, or there were not enough help in God against their harmful acts.

But however they may sport with its uncertainty, had they to seal their own doctrine with their blood, and at the expense of life, it would be seen what value they put upon it. Very different is our confidence - a confidence which is not appalled by the terrors of death, and therefore not even by the judgment - seat of God.