It was not a justification under the law, but a regeneration in Christ. In John, seventeenth chapter, after telling the Father that he had chosen them out of the world and kept them in his name, that none of them should be lost, he then prays for their sanctification. After saying in the sixteenth verse, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world,” in the next verse he prays the Father to sanctify them. In Mat. 9:2, Jesus says to the man sick of the palsy, “Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee.” Was not this a gospel justification or pardon? There was no offering of the blood of animals to secure a justification by the law. This is to prove that Christ did give his followers the experience of the “new birth” before his crucifixion. I do not doubt that this man was present and received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Another clear example set before us of the Christians in the morning of this gospel day receiving the Holy Spirit as the third person in the trinity after regeneration, is that of the brethren at Samaria, recorded in Acts, eighth chapter. Philip went down thither and preached Christ unto them, and they gave heed to the things he spake, ver. 5, 6. Do you not think this was a New Testament justification? The seventh verse says that unclean spirits were cast out and the palsied and lame were healed. Do you suppose that all this was done unto sinners? The fourteenth verse says they “received the word.” James says, “Receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” Jas. 1:21. The sixteenth verse of the eighth chapter of Acts says they were baptized in the name of Jesus. The seventeenth verse speaks of their reception of the Holy Spirit. Some are at this point ready to say that Simon believed Philip’s preaching and was baptized, and yet not saved. This is very true. He was a hypocrite. The remainder were not, you know full well. Because they were sincere they received an experience, and were made fit subjects to receive the Holy Spirit. Because he was not saved he could not receive him. A similar instance of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the previously regenerated is that of Cornelius, recorded in the tenth chapter of Acts. We are often told that Cornelius was a devout man under the law like Moses, Isaiah, and other Old Testament prophets. This is only a supposition, and one without foundation. Cornelius was not a keeper of the law. He was a Gentile, a Roman centurion. He had heard of Jesus, ver. 36, 37. He had learned enough to believe on him for the salvation from sin, but wanted to be taught the way of God more perfectly. Under Peter’s preaching they received the Holy Spirit. In the nineteenth chapter of Acts is preserved the experience of twelve men at Ephesus. They were disciples. The Jews under the law were never called disciples. A disciple is a follower or learner of Christ. Paul preached to them and laid hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost.