© 19 Colin Melbourne Edited and annotated from The Pentecostal Evangel May 1922
The Fire Falls
“I cannot rest any longer. I must have these tongues.”
She replied, “Bro. Wigglesworth, it is not the tongues you need, but the baptism. If you will allow God to baptise you, the other will be all right.”
“My dear Sister, I know I am baptised.” I said. “You know that I have to leave here at 4 o’clock, please lay hands on me that I may receive the tongues.”
She rose up, and laid her hands on me and the Fire fell! I said, “The Fire’s falling.”
Then came a persistent knock at the door, and she had to go out.
That was the best thing that could have happened, for I was alone with God.
Revelation Comes
Then He gave me a revelation. Oh it was wonderful!
He showed me an empty cross, and Jesus glorified.
I do thank God that the cross is empty, that Christ is no more on the cross.
It was there that He bore the curse, for it is written, “Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” [Gal. 3:13 KJV]
He became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him, and now, there He is, in the Glory.
Then I saw a perfect being within me with mouth open saying, “Clean, Clean! Clean!”
When I began to repeat it, I found myself speaking in other tongues.
The joy was so great, that when I came to utter it, my tongue failed, and I began to worship God in other tongues as the Spirit gave me utterance. [ie. He tried to say “Clean, clean, clean!” but what came out of his mouth was unintelligible tongues. Ed.]
Peace Like a River
It was all as beautiful and peaceful as when Jesus said, “Peace, be still!” and the tranquility of that moment, and the joy, surpassed anything I had ever known upto that moment.
But Halleluia! These days have grown greater, mightier, more wonderful divine manifestations and power.
That was but the beginning.
You will never get an end to the Holy Ghost until you are landed in the Glory: Till you are right in the Presence of God forever. And even then we shall ever be conscious of His Presence.
What had I received?
I had received the Bible evidence
This Bible evidence is wonderful to me. I knew I had received the very evidence of the Spirit’s incoming that the Apostles received on the Day of Pentecost.
I knew that everything I had had up to that time was in the nature of an anointing to bring me in line with God in preparation, but now I knew I had the biblical Baptism in the Spirit.
It had the backing of the Scriptures.
You are always right when you have the backing of the Scriptures: And you are never right if you have not a foundation for your testimony in the word of God.
For many years, I have thrown out the challenge; to any person, who can prove to me, that he has the Baptism, without speaking in tongues, as the Spirit gives utterance: To prove it by the word that he has been Baptised in the Holy Ghost without the Bible evidence.
Continue reading…
Smith Wigglesworth on The Bible Evidence of the Baptism in The Holy Spirit
© 19 Colin Melbourne Edited and annotated from The Pentecostal Evangel May 1922