The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-07-12
The sunday school.
rvn,rso TO rnE eEsrlLns.


Jeas asgefcd a. ibe truth, Geniiies
eager 10 bear the gospd again some
Immediate conversions from Among The
Jews and religious pfoselytes. whom
Psal saa Bstnabas persuaded 20 con.
liaae IL The grace q God ihe next
SABBATH 8 tFems0aoas audience, almost
The whole city The Jewish party in.
GAmed With envy. eousra3icubg and
/ blasphcming the Bew religion AID the
two proeIsimefs u Il Paul and Bar.
nabas. andAuoie1 by the uhitlwind Of
/ Jewish ma5aess aud hate. taking the
scorners at their word, solemnly tarn
frem those who rejected. to Gentiles,
who would gladly bear aud gloriiy the
word II salvation the publication Of
Il through TIE surrounding country !;
the missionaries expelled from one city,
70 90 another the new converts filed
with Joy and the Holy Spirit
Z tface Pisidian Antioch, See pre-
,ious lesson Antioch in Syria had
been tbe stArliag.point 10 the mission
AIRY enterprise Antioch 10 Asia Minor
now becomes the turning point 10 the
history Of missions efforts being. for
the first time. directed expressly TO the
Gentiles and central point Of mis-
sionary efforts for the surrounding re-
gion
Eagerness 70 Hear ne Gospel ~
IA Paul's preaching had made pro.
digious impression Nothing ike it
bad ever before been Witnessed 10y them
II was not the cold, old story'-it was
strangely new. And not only was the
truth new TO them. but the spirit and
wisdom and power with which these
men spoke was equally surprise aud
wonder The Intelligence, the judg-
ment, the conscience, every deepest
/ part VI tuau n HhluiN WhiIH iahGS uUlN
on religion, was appealed to. stirred TO
action taken by storm as ii were, and
summoned TO the great decision, IN
presence Of the offered salvation. The
susceptibility to religious impressions
was also peculiar. There are times
and seasons 10 spiritual husbandry,
which we may never DO able completely
to understand. Many in that first
meeting appear to have been convinced
and converted. As soon as the con-
gregation broke up. these persons
naturally gathered about Paul aud Bar
nabas, forming in effect an informal 10.
quiry.meeting. How the week was
spent by the Evangelists we are not
told but when the next Sabbath came,
what an audience Almost the whole
city was there to hear the word of the
Lord.
Persuaded 10 continue in The Grace Of
God 43. This expression should
not be overlooked 1t was apostolic
counsel to young converts. First, it
makes prominent that salvation is Of
grace, the free gift of God. Nothing
that can be earned or purchased only
TO be accepted. Second, that the
Christian is to go on exactly as he be.
gan, continuously accepting, taking,
welcoming, depending on. gladly trust
| ing ia, the gilt Of God as the grace OF
life. tSce Rom. ": l-5 Paul had
nothing Of that feeling which makes
certain reYivalists in such haste TO
count their converts that they appear
to lose interest in them as soon as they
think it will do to count them. Paul
never forgot his spiritual children, and
never forgot either that they still con.
tinued to need an atmosphere Of Chris
tian sympathy, world of timely coun-
sells Yet all counsel was contained
in this Continue in the grace of God
4 Jelcs Piled ruth Envy As The
heart burn Of envy is bclIish passion /;
but il is human, too If it were not so
common, il surely would seem incredi-
/ ble, that it should bring actual torture
TO one heart just &c see good coming to
others II is az reasonless and hateful
an imp as ever gets into human heart.
| But, at the root OF it, what is envy 7
WHAT right motive-principle ia il the
perversion Off What is the medicine
that alone can cure it? These are
questions which may be proftably
studied out afresh in almost any class.
A few remarks may help US to get at
the right thought; 1t takes a thousand
stimulating forces to operate upon a
human soul and cause II 10 make actual
all that Of which il is naturally capable.
A multitude OF more or less secret
forces combine and help lead on and
push on, direct, and reinforce the main
activities of this Being that we are,
Among these is emulation. The sight
Of what Others do shows what can be
done, aud ineites 10 similar effort.
Among the motive forces 10 society this
is very potent one it was meant 10
be wholly beneGcenL II is so, until
selfishness poisOns IL SelGshness would
monopolize all good things, regardless
Of others. II there is only so much
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