The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-25
THE SUNDAY.SCHOOL.


international Lessons-By Henry n circuit,
ID. D.-January 25.-Paul Going to Je-
rusaIem.-Acts: 2I.I-I4.
GOLDEN TExT.-The will of the Lord be done
Acts 21:l4
/. How the world may help the Christian
On his way and in his work Il s)-
sis this vile world friend to grace
To help me on to God?''
Not alwsys And yet it has many forces OF
which We may take advantage. The ships
which bore Pauls company on their way to
Jerusalem were the instruments of com.
merce. Men built them aud sent them out
for purposes Of gain. They had no thought
of helping on the kingdom OF Christ, and
yet they were great part of the means by
which the gospel was spread. 81 now com.
merce helps the missionary enterprise, car
rying men and Bibles and printing presses
everywhere. And Gods providence may
De seen in this. He is in it all, providing
and ordering that it shall be ready at our
hand. 1t is part of Christ's wisdom ever
TO Keep watch over the worlds enterprise
and methods and to turn them 70 it's own
account.
2. An important mark of sn earnest
Christian (4l.-The course of the ship took
the company past celebrated cities, scenes
of historic interest, famous works of art, and
schools of learning. At Coos, the birth place
OF Hippocrates was a renowned temple of
Aesculapius and school of medicine: 81
Rhodes was the huge Colossus, one of the
seven wonders of the world: at Patsra was q
temple and oracle of Apollo. But none of
these things was of primary interest to Paul
and those with him. Reaching Tyre, it
lie said-"Finding disciples, we tarried
there seven days" The real mean.
ing is, finding with effort, after search"
Had he been like some of Us modern Chris
tians, he would have waited TO be himself
found out. But nothing was so congenial
TO Him as the company of Christians. Per-
haps be could do them good. He would
know how their cause was presperlng. He
sought out the disciples. How many Chris
tlaD travellers who now 60 TO PARIS, or Rome,
or great places nearer home, make haste to
put themselves into relations with Christians
there Some. moving into new place, are
not swift to find the Christian people, and
join themselves to them. Often tnev wait
10 be themselves sought, invited. and fat.
tered. The mark OF an earnest Christian is
that, wherever he goes, he is quick to attach
the Christians there.
3. The possibility Of misspprehending
the voice of the Spirit 4l-At Tyre some
said to Paul. through the Spirit, that he
should not go up to Jerusalem" Still he
passed Oh. Did he refuse to be governed by
inspired counsel? We can not believe that.
The common explanation of the difficulty is
that what the Spirit did for these disciples
was to disclose to them the facts of Paul's
peril the superstition that he should
not proceed being an inference Of their own.
So there WAS confusion of the Spirits
teachings and their own imaginations. Often
this is, or might be, true. Even one in
whom the Spirit finds obedient welcome,
may easil add to, or take from. his mont
TONS Specially will this be the case when
our own impulses or feelings are strong
The negro who said "Conscien ce, conscience!
Why, it's something in here which saws I
won't was not unlike some others who
confouDd self-will, inclination or impulse
with both conscience and the Spirit. After
all, We must use Christian Judgment, com.
pare scripture with scripture, and be much
| IN prayer.
4. The winning power of loving nature
| (5l-The ecene on the shore at Tyre brings
| 10 view the fact that the religion of those
| days was q household religion. This is the
trst distinct allusion to children in the
early churches There had been household
baptisms. but no specific reference to chill
of the Apostle. No doubt the Parents were
wont to take them to all religious gatherings
Ii 10 not always 90 In these days; and here is
serious mistake. Train the little ones in
the church, the prayer-meeting, aud every
kind oil religious gathering; let them grow
up in the atmosphere of religion, then they
will not so often wander.
But this scene also discloses the affection
OF all these disciples for the Apostle Per-
haps none OF them bad ever seen him before
De had DOW been with them but q week
But how be bad won their hesrtsl Men, wo-
men and the little ones all flocked to see
him Of. all kneit together on the shore
What rugged Christian be was, How fear
less and energeticl And yet he did not re-
pei. He drew ALL Children did not run
from him. Whv? Paul had great, tender.
loving heart. He wept with those that
wept, and rejoiced with those that reioiced.
The grandest Christians are the most loving
and loved.
.. Now God has work for all (sl-The
nrst point of interest in connection with toe
arrival and stay at Cesarea, was the finding
OF Philip there, and the fact not only that ne
was still doing the work of an evangelist,
but that bis was o Christian house and that
his daughters were helpers of his ministry.
This was the ful6llment OF an ancient proph-
ecy quoted by Peter (2:l7). "Your sons and
your daughters shall prophecy" To
prophecy" was not always to foretell
events: 1T was to preach or teach Gods
truth. These daughters were helping to
make Crist and His gospel kDown-iust how
and in what places We are not told.
Perhaps IL was from house to
house, and in assemblies of wo-
men. So then, as now, Christian women