In the next place it was—a startling coming. The _sound_ connected with it made it such for one thing. We read that “there came a _sound_ as of a rushing, mighty wind.” We are not told that there _was_ a wind on this occasion; but only that the sound which attended the coming of the Spirit was _like_ that of a mighty wind. The Spirit might have come to the disciples on this occasion as “the still, small voice” of God came to the prophet Elijah, on Mount Horeb. But it was not so. On the contrary, he chose that his coming should be attended with a loud noise. We read that “it,” that is the sound, “filled all the house where they were sitting.” We are not told what this sounding noise was for. It may have been to arouse the attention of the disciples and make them fully awake to the important event that was then taking place. And, no doubt, another reason why this rushing sound attended the Spirit’s coming was to indicate to them what great power would attend the Spirit in the work he was to carry on in the church and in the world. The wind, when it goes rushing on, in the form of a tempest, is one of the most powerful agents that we know of. It can lash the ocean into foam and fury. It can dash to pieces the noblest works of men, whether on the land, or on the sea. It can tear up the giant oak by its roots and lay it prostrate on the ground. And the sound of that “rushing, mighty wind” with which the Spirit came was intended, it may be, to make the disciples feel how great was the power he was able to give them in the important work they had to do. “The sound, as of a rushing, mighty wind,” seemed to tell of this. But again, we are always startled by that which is _unusual_. And there were several things about this coming of the Holy Spirit which were unusual, and so calculated to startle the waiting disciples. There was, for instance, the _direction_ of this sound. It came “_down from heaven_.” The winds, with whose sound we are familiar, never act in this direction. From whatever point of the compass they come, they always blow around, or over the earth. A wind blowing “_down from heaven_,” directly towards the earth, as was the case with that sound which the disciples heard, was something unusual, and so calculated to startle them. Another unusual thing about this sound was, that it was a sound _like_ that of a wind, but yet without any wind at all. They heard that sound. It reminded them of the wind. But there was no motion there, such as the wind produces when it blows. Nothing stirred in that upper chamber. A feather would not have been moved. So far as motion was concerned—all was calm, and still there. And yet there was that mighty sound. How startling this must have been!