15. And lest men should be ignorant of the
greatness of the mighty gift coming down to them, there sounded as it
were a heavenly trumpet, For suddenly there came from heaven a sound
as of the rushing of a mighty wind Acts ii. 2.,
signifying the presence of Him who was to grant power unto men to seize
with violence the kingdom of God; that both their eyes might see the
fiery tongues, and their ears hear the sound. And it filled
all the house where they were sitting; for the house became the
vessel of the spiritual water; as the disciples sat within, the whole
house was filled. Thus they were entirely baptized according to
the promise, and invested soul and body with a divine garment of
salvation. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as
of fire, and it sat upon each of them; and they were all filled with
the Holy Ghost. They partook of fire, not of burning but of
saving fire; of fire which consumes the thorns of sins, but gives
lustre to the soul. This is now coming upon you also, and that to
strip away and consume your sins which are like thorns, and to brighten
yet more that precious possession of your souls, and to give you grace;
for He gave it then to the Apostles. And He sat upon them in the
form of fiery tongues, that they might crown themselves with new and
spiritual diadems by fiery tongues upon their heads. A fiery
sword barred of old the gates of Paradise; a fiery tongue which brought
salvation restored the gift.