The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-10-18
The sunday school.
rA,L an rus u,oorrp JAWS.
ssrar. orgmfz q. Is

tas osc % which BE- refers 90 Gal lis.
A trance isA condition ofmina IL which
oae secs Ard bears things Ike uas Is
dream. osly be IL bot asleep Peter
haa trance see Aeu l0slo some
persons haze sought . denliiy this
part u Paals history With hat l. which
be allndcs ia ? Cor l2.2A Bot the
Circumstances arc diaerca, ii The two
cAscE
The word him refers TO Jesus Christ
not mentioned here by name. perhaps
loss oacnoe should ncedlessly be given.
sec tia, Jast One. 10 verse 1t. refers 70
ihis interiow. most likely, a. well as
- that when be vas converted. Paul.
therefore, saw Jesus Christ bodily at
leas. twice See ! Cor l5ls on
this be bases bis Apostlephip See !
Cor g;l
The Lord 10 bis message told Paul to
go away from that bigoted city. for i
would be u no use 70 preach the Cos.
pei 70 mcn 10 such mind. Sec Matt =;
g The word quickly here answers to
tie lfteen days mentioned Ia Gal as,
Bot now, ID order TO show bis hearers
how honestly be longed 70 labor in
that neighborhood. Paul tells them that
be argued the case with the Lord He
yeniured to hope that when bis own
people remembered how he had perso-
cuted Christians once and consented 10
have Stephen stoned. they would listen
70 him kindly just notice. here the
adroit manner Of making confession Of
a sin on the very spot where it was
committed Paul does what he can for
reparation Of his wrong 10 Stephen.
No argument was offered TO meet bis.
The command was peremptory. Paul
had thus reached his point. and told
those people at the foot Of the stairs
that be had been preaching salvation TO
the Gentiles in direct obedience to di.
vine call At last he made an Impress
ion.
So unwclcome was the thought to
these bigoted Isralites that anybody
ebnn11 eho.a -, oo,nnan, ,,nrntay ~
cept themselves, that even when they
heard him quote the command Of Jeho-
yah ar bis authority, they would not
listen. They exploded in one great
fierce outburst of wrath 1t was not
just the word Gentle which thew them
in a rage, but the whole address Of the
Apostle up TO that point, Then they
began to roar out against him with
their voices. They say ia effect: We
ought to have been permitted to kill
this fellow; this Roman captain made
unwarrantabIc interference when he
saved his life. See Luke 23:Is.
Now here might be pressed few
lessons. (l) Generally when man
obeys God. he will find God is right.
Paul learned now that Jews in Jerusa-
lem would not receive his testimony.
~ Any one who prays in order to
learn his duty, may not have trance
perhaps, but will have an answer. (3)
1t is better TO let God choose a new
field for us sometimes than to persist
ia forcing forlorn hope into an old
one.
This throwing of their garments may
have been preparation for Judicial
stoneing which these people imagined
they would be called upon to make, in
case Claudus Lysias gave up his pris.
oner 10 their demand. Sec Acts 58.
Or it may have been the shaking out
of the dust Of their clothing as testi.
nony OF abhorance. See Acts IS %.
But more likely il was only a tumultu-
Gus expression Of ungovernable rage,
rendered frantic by the sense Of impo-
tence In the East now, excited mobs
will tear of their loose raiment and
trample it in the dust a.d then will
dll the AIR with clouds aud cries as they
swing the rent tatlers above them
Here are some more lessons. a.
Tho more unreasonable ones prejudices
are. the more furious be will become
when they are crossed. ~ The world
has been occupied always 10 saying
Away with its beneiactors. (3) The
most projigious wrongshave been done
in the name Of religion.
II seems quite clear that this military
man had at last lost bis temper. Paul's
address being in Hebrew, he had not
understood word Of it and so be
was as far as ever from comprehending
the matter at issue between him aud
the populaco. And even the fact of
such a speech would DO likely 10 exas.
perate him, for il appeared like sub.
terfuge Of appeal away from his juris.
diction by rushing into an unknown
tongue. SO he was determined 10 put
bis captive 10 the question. He COM
manded the soldiers to take him into
the barracks aud try the effects Of a
soourge This was Illegal. and cruel,
and dangerous lie soon found out
The throngs were the whipcords or
strands OF leather lie was made ready