"The Baptism of Fire"

Thank God there is such a thing. It is a blessed and Divine reality. To oppose it is to oppose God Himself. He who lacks the fire, lacks God. David said "my heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned; then spake I with my tongue." Malachi says, "He is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap." John the Baptist said, "I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." On an occasion immediately after Christ's resurrection, two of his disciples journeying to Emmaus, "said one to another did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us by the  way" These, with many other passages and incidents, (as on the day of Pentecost,) go to prove that God has, and still does manifest Himself unto soul's with a burning, purifying sensation.

Now the question is, when should the baptism of fire be sought Is it to be expected when seeking holiness, or is it something additional. Does it accompany the work of entire sanctification, or is it separate and distinct beyond this-a completion to it- "an anointing for service" These are some of the questions that are agitating the minds of many to-day.

Be it known that we believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, and humbly profess to enjoy the experience. We wish to point out some weak and unscriptural phases, however, in the teaching that it is possible to be sanctified and yet not have the baptism of fire, and therefore all such souls who feel the need of it should seek it as a separate and distinct experience.

We clip the following:

"Last night at a meeting inthere were eight sanctified people present. Four of us had the fire, the other four came to the altar for it and one Sister got it. Yours for fiery holiness."

This is an injustice to regenerating grace, and much more so to sanctifying grace. To say that a person can be sanctified and yet not have the fire, is absurd. He who is void of the fire of God's love, is not sanctified. Justified souls have this fire, though not in its fullness; they have the Holy Ghost, though not the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

A weakness in this teaching is evident from the fact that the carnal mind so readily embraces it. It is becoming popular, and is often attended with loud responses by those who are entirely void of grace; for they give way to evil tempers and not only feel, but manifest prejudice and lack of love toward certain individuals. All this is contrary to the humble religion of the Bible; the carnal mind hates God and will not readily embrace that which tends to suppress and crucify it. The "old man" loves to be noticed, and will gladly profess the baptism of fire if it will only add to his success and prominence. Because a thing prospers, is no sure proof that it is free from self and error. The days of error and deception are upon us and Satan is glad to see everything prosper that, to the unwary, looks plausible and like the genuine, but in reality is only an adulterated substitute.

Just to the degree that any movement or teaching departs from God and becomes tainted with error, just to that same degree will it resort to substitutes, in order to keep up an appearance of power and aggressiveness. Satan sees this and takes advantage of it by substituting for the mighty movings of the Spirit, some pseudo-religious spirit which creates various sensations and impressions upon those who first embrace, then fall a prey to it. These manifestations may be visionary, imaginative or real, just as Spiritualism, Christian Science, Hypnotism, etc., are real, but they are realities from satanic influences, and not from the Holy Ghost whom they all seek to imitate. Anything that is mystical and does not bring peace of mind and rest to the spirit is not from above and should be rejected.

Another defect in the teaching is that it does not make enough of regeneration. He who is superficial in this, (the foundation,) is superficial in the whole structure. Truly regenerated souls have every grace and fruit of the Spirit as specified in Gal. 5:22, 23. If one of these graces or fruits is lacking, all the rest are mere counterfeits. They are inseparable. This is the Bible standard of regeneration, and no soul is a proper candidate to seek anything beyond this while outwardly deficient in any of these.

But such is not the case under this advanced () teaching. Generally the seeker is a preacher, worker, layman who already professes to be sanctified, but says he feels the need of something more to equip him "for service." He says he feels a lack of power in his preaching and personal efforts to reach souls. He says he feels that the blood cleanses, (and perhaps it does from all his actual sins and guilt) yet he needs the eduement of power, and baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire. He begins to pour out his soul in prayer and tells the Lord he will be more self-denying, and conscientious, will work more incessantly for the salvation of souls, will spend more time in secret devotion, etc., and- the result is, he receives a wonderful manifestation of the presence of God, sees some wonderful light or sheet of fire which he is told is the baptism of fire. Perhaps all of this is simply restoration to the approval and favor of God; or if he had it before, this new manifestation is more likely a mere outpouring of the Spirit because of his honesty in confessing his lack. God will encourage and powerfully bless every honest soul who confesses his lack and reconsecrates, but this is not necessarily holiness or the baptism of fire.

Another unscriptural result of this line of teaching is the apparent lack of humility on the part of its advocates and recipients.

"There may be entire consecration and fervent zeal and heavenly experiences, and yet there may be an unconscious self-exaltation with it all. The highest holiness is the deepest humility." Every line of teaching carries its imprint, and stamps it upon those who embrace it. With this there seems to be much fire and zeal, but self and carnal confidence also appear very visible in the writings and personal deportment. As Wesley says, They resist evil, instead of turning the other cheek. They do not receive reproach with gentleness; no, not even reproof. Nay, they are not able to bear contradiction, without the appearance, at least, of resentment. If they are reproved or contradicted though mildly, they do not take it well; they behave with more distance and reserve than they did before. If they are reproved or contradicted harshly, they answer it with harshness; with a loud voice or a sharp tone, or in an independent manner. They speak sharply or roughly when they reprove others; and behave roughly to their inferiors." Again he says, "Another ground of these, and a thousand mistakes, is, the not considering deeply that love is the highest gift of God, -humble, gentle, patient love; that all visions, manifestations whatever, are little things compared to love; and that all gifts are either the same with, or infinitely inferior to it.

"It were well you should be thoroughly sensible of this, -the heaven of heavens is love. There is nothing higher in religion; there is, in effect, nothing else; if you look for anything but more love, you are looking wide of the mark, you are getting out of the royal way. And when you are asking others, Have you received this or that blessing if you mean anything but more love, you mean wrong; you are leading them out of the way, and putting them upon a false scent."

Lastly, this teaching-that it is possible to be sanctified and yet not have the baptism of fire, is contrary to the Bible and to the experiences of the holiest men in all ages. Its advocates put special stress upon the word "with." "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." From this, the idea is conceived and advanced that the baptism of fire is often distinct from, and if anything superior to the experience of holiness. We have carefully examined different versions and commentaries, and find no such opinion, but on the contrary, they all take exceptions to those early and modern writers who make any distinction. Jamison, Fausset and Brown say: "To take this (the baptism of fire) as a distinct baptism from that of the Spirit * * * is exceedingly unnatural." Clark says, "The Spirit of God is represented here under the similitude of fire, because he was to illuminate the soul, penetrate every part, and assimilate the whole to the image of the God of Glory." Scott says, "The Divine Sanctifier would wash away their (the disciples) internal pollutions; and as refining fire, consume all their dross; and the remains of their corrupt affections." This He did on the day of Pentecost.

Wesley, commenting upon this passage, says: "He shall fill you with the Holy Ghost, inflaming your hearts with the fire of love, which many waters cannot quench. And this was done even with a visible appearance as of fire on the day of Pentecost."

If this view of the baptism of fire as a special experience, were orthodox in every respect, it surely seems that Wesley, Fletcher and others who experienced and defined the different states of grace so clearly, would have gotten hold of the idea and experienced the same. "The old paths" are good enough.

When men or movements begin to ignore brotherly warnings and walk "in the light of their own experience" in preference to the "old paths" wherein holy men and women of all ages have walked, they soon become like a ship on a stormy sea without a rudder. Such souls are to be pitied. Many of them are honest and because they see death and formality in the churches they seek to steer clear of it, but in so doing, they flounder on the rocks on the other side.

They have unfortunately fallen into the error that Wesley calls the "daughter of pride, Enthusiasm. He says, "0 keep at the utmost distance from it! Give no place to a heated imagination. Do not hastily ascribe things to God. Do not easily suppose dreams, voices, impressions, visions, or Revelations, to be from God. They may be from him. They may be from nature. They may be from the devil. Therefore, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God. Try all things by the written word, end let all bow down before it. You are in danger of enthusiasm every hour, if you depart ever so little from Scripture. * * * The very desire of 'growing in grace' may sometimes be an inlet to enthusiasm. As it continually leads us to seek new grace it may lead us unawares to seek something else new, besides new degrees of love to God and man.

"I say yet again, beware of enthusiasm. Such is, the imagining you have the gift of prophesying, or of discerning of spirits, which I do not believe one of you has: no, nor even had yet. Beware of judging people to be either right or wrong by your own feelings. This is no Scriptural way of judging. O keep close to the law and to the testimony!'

Is not the reason so many profess to have received a third experience, or rather a final touch to the second one, because the second one was not thorough enough If in the third they went deeper and received something greater and more abiding, it was simply what they could and should have received in the second, had they been more thorough with themselves. Perhaps they had been professing holiness for some time and it was too humiliating to come right out and say they did not have it and yet they acknowledged they needed something more. In reality they were enjoying less of the presence and power of God than they had in other days; so they humbled themselves, and as a result received a wonderful victory, which they say is far in advance o what they already had, and of course allowing they were sanctified before, this new blessing seems to authorize them in testifying to the "baptism in fire", "being sealed unto the day of redemption," or some other glowing experience to be wondered at. The fact is, they were simply reclaimed, or at most, received a heavenly anointing, which all have a right to expect, the moment or shortly after they are wholly sanctified.

The baptism of the Holy Ghost "and fire" is not a third work of grace, because every truly sanctified soul has it. When this is lacking, it is because the second work of grace is defective.