After the ascension of Christ there was a pause. For some days everything stood still in connection with the great cause for which Jesus had lived and died. This pause continued until the day of Pentecost. Then the Holy Ghost was sent down from heaven. He took up the work where Jesus had left it, and has been engaged in carrying it on from that day to this. Nothing could be done till he came. No sermons were preached. No lessons were taught. No souls were converted till the Holy Ghost came. This shows us how important his presence and help are in all the work which the church of Christ has to do for the glory of God and for the salvation of men. Take an illustration. Here is a locomotive, standing on a railway, with a train of cars attached to it. The engine is new and beautiful. Every wheel and crank and pin is in its proper place. It is complete; it is perfect. The boiler is full of water. The tender, attached to the locomotive, is full of fuel. The passengers are all waiting; but yet the engine stands still. Nothing moves. What is the matter? Simply this: there is no steam in the boiler. And what is wanting to make the steam? Why a fire in the furnace. Can nothing take the place of this? Nothing in the world. This is absolutely necessary. Everything depends on this. But now see, the fire is kindled. There is steam in the boiler. The wheels begin to move, and away goes the train. When Jesus went to heaven, the church he left on earth might well be compared to such an engine. He had built it well. Its machinery was all complete; but it stood still. The power was wanting to put it in motion. The Holy Spirit alone could give this power. When he came the fire was kindled: the steam was generated; and the train was started, which was to run around the world, and carry countless numbers of ransomed souls to heaven. And in speaking about the coming of the Spirit, there are three things for us to notice. These are—_the time of the Spirit’s coming: the manner of the Spirit’s coming; and the purpose of the Spirit’s coming_. _The time of the Spirit’s coming_ is pointed out in the name of the day when he came. It was on the day of Pentecost. This word means the _fiftieth_: whether it be a day, or a number, or anything else to which it may be applied. The Jews used this word as the name of one of the three great feasts which they were commanded to keep every year. This one was called “the feast of Pentecost,” because it was kept on the fiftieth day after the feast of the Passover. It was sometimes called also—“the feast of Weeks.” This name was given to it, because the forty-nine days, which came in between these two feasts, just made up seven weeks. It pleased God to connect with this day of Pentecost the most important event that has ever taken place in the history of the church or of the world since the ascension of Jesus into heaven—and that was—the coming of the Holy Ghost.