It prophesied of the time when 'men of every tribe, and tongue, and
people, and nation' should lift up their voices to Him who has
purchased them unto God with His blood. It began a communication of
the Spirit to all believers which is never to cease while the world
stands. The mighty rushing sound has died into silence, the fiery
tongues rest on no heads now, the miraculous results of the gifts of
the Spirit have passed away also, but the gift remains, and the
Spirit of God abides for ever with the Church of Christ.



THE FOURFOLD SYMBOLS OF THE SPIRIT

'A rushing mighty wind.' ... 'Cloven tongues like as of
fire.' ... 'I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh.'
--ACTS ii. 2, 3, 17.

'Ye have an unction from the Holy One.'--1 JOHN ii. 20.

Wind, fire, water, oil,--these four are constant Scriptural symbols
for the Spirit of God. We have them all in these fragments of verses
which I have taken for my text now, and which I have isolated from
their context for the purpose of bringing out simply these symbolical
references. I think that perhaps we may get some force and freshness
to the thoughts proper to this day [Footnote: Whit Sunday.] by
looking at these rather than by treating the subject in some more
abstract form. We have then the Breath of the Spirit, the Fire of the
Spirit, the Water of the Spirit, and the Anointing Oil of the Spirit.
And the consideration of these four will bring out a great many of
the principal Scriptural ideas about the gift of the Spirit of God