Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-06-06
Sunday School Lesson Notes
BY REV. J. o. SHERBURN.

June l7h End of First 5ss Missionary J0urneyAo'' II;
We are not informed how long time
elapsed between the close of the last les.
son and the beginning of this. tits prob
able, however, that Paul and his company
remained sometime at Lystra; and after
it became known in surrounding cities
that he was having success at that place
in turning men to Christ, the jealousy Of
the Jews prompted them to follow him
and oppose his work.
These Jews were, in general, better
known to the native population of this
region than were these Christian mission
aries. They doubtless used every means
in their power to poison the minds Of the
people against Paul. The people of Lystra
appear in a bad light, since it was SO
little time before that they were ready to
pay divine honors to these apostles. But
if they, in their barbarian ignorance,
were persuaded" that these men were
imposters, then was the imposition grave
one, and demanding condign punishment.
The stoning seems to have been by n dis
orderly mob, and not conducted after the
manner prescribed in the Jewish law. 1t
has been question often discussed
whether Paul was really dead man when
they drew him out of the city, or whether,
as the passage seems too read, the mob
made mistake in supposing that he was
dead
Paul himself appears to refer to this
experience when he says, that in Asia he
was so sore pressed that he "despaired
even of life,' II. Cor. 1:S. Some have
supposed, and the dates make it possible,
that this was the time when he was caught
up into the third heaven and heard
unspeakable words. This, however, can
hardly be asserted with confidence, since
Paul would have had good reason 10 con-
clude that at such time he was out of
the body. The disciples at Lystra could
at least have assured him that during this
time they saw and lovingly guarded what
appeared to be his lifeless form. The
most natural suppostion is that he was
stunned and appeared to be dead, and was
left by the mob, who believed him to be
dead, but that afterward he recovered
from his swoon and was able to walk
back to the city,
This much is beyond question, that the
people meant to kill him and supposed
that they had accomplished their purpose.
So Paul says of himself that he has been
"in deaths aft" His deliverance on this
occasion. if we so understand the matter,
little less a miracle than his actual res
direction from the dead would have been,
if we take the view that he was actually
dead. So even now our preservation
from disease and death is often as wonderful
as restoration, almost as wonderful as res.
direction. The next day we find this man
with the martyr spirit on his way to Der
be, there to preach Jesus and, If need be,
die for him.
After preaching for time at Derbe,
where they seem to have met with little
opposition, they turned about, to go over
again the fields so full of danger, in which
they had labored. If their wish had been
to return TO Syria by the nearest course
they would have kept on eastward from
the city of Derbe, and on that course they
would have visited Tarsus, Paul's early
home, and have come much sooner to the
place whence they set out. But they were
not consulting their own convenience or
safety even, but were at work to save
men, and under the guidance of the Holy
Spirit. Hence they took the course that