THE FAMILY ALTAR

 June 8.

"And they [the disciples] were all filled with the Holy Ghost,

and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them

utterance". Acts 2:4

The first divine and heavenly gift for which we need to thank

the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort in these days

of Pentecost is His Holy Spirit whom He shed on the disciples

amid great signs and wonders. We must not think, however, that

the Holy Spirit came into the world for the first time on Pentecost

Day when He moved the apostles to preach the Gospel in all the

languages of the then known world. No; God's Holy Spirit was

at work in the hearts of men, converting and saving them ever

since the Fall of Adam when God gave the first Gospel-promise

of the coming Redeemer. But in Old Testament times the Holy

Spirit performed His saving work more in secret and within limita-

tions. The promised Savior had not yet come and accomplished

His great work of redemption. But now the Son of God had

come into our flesh, and had reconciled the world to God, and

returned to the Father. Now the time had come when the glorious

promise which God spoke by the mouth of the prophet Joel should

be fulfilled: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith

God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh." Acts 2, 17.

All flesh, all men, have been redeemed by Christ. But as no man

can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost, all men

must now have the Gospel of Christ preached to them; for the

Gospel is the only means by which the Holy Ghost comes to men

and works saving faith in their hearts. (Gal. 3, 2.) Hence the

apostles who were to be Christ's ambassadors in all the world

received the miraculous gift to preach the Gospel in all languages

to the many-tongued multitude on Pentecost Day. Through

Christ's Word and Sacraments the Holy Ghost comes to us also

and works faith and hope and love in our hearts. Have we not

abundant reason to thank God for the gift of the Holy Ghost?