The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-02-12
The Sunday Schools.
LESSON FOR NEXT SUNDAY.
February 18th, 1855.
FIRST QUARTER
LESSON VII. :
ACTS %. 1-21.

LESSON VII. PAULiS DEFENSE
ACTS 22 1-21.
Commit to memory verses 12-16.1
Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defense
which make unto you.
(And when they heard that he spake in the He
brew tongue to them, they kept the sience ane
he saith,)
lam verify man which am a Jew. born in Tar.
city in Clica. yet brought up in this city a
the feet of Gamalie and taught according TO the per-
feet manner of the law of the fathers, and was zeal
toward God. ye all are this day.
4 And persecut-d this way unto the death, blind.
ing and delivering unto prison both men and women
5 As also the high priest doth bear witness and
all the estate of the elders from whom also received
letters the brethren and went TO Damascus, to
bring them which were there bound TO Jerusalem
for to be punished.
6 And 1t came to pass that as I made my journey
and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon. sud.
denly thera shone from heaven great light round
about me.
And fell unto the ground, and heard a voice say
ng unto me, Saul. Saul, why persecutest thou me?
And answered. Who art thou. Lord? Avid he
said unto me, am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thu u
ersecut-st
And they that were with me indeed the light
and afraid but they heard not the voice of him
that spake me-
10 And 1 said. What shall I do Lord? And the
Lord said unto me, Arise. and into Damascus and
there it shall be told thee all things which ap-
pointed for thee to do.
IL Ard when I could not for the glory of that
light being led by the hand of them that were with
me. came into Damascus.
Il And one Ananias, a devnut man according to the
law. having good report of all the Jews which dwe1t
there,
13 Came unto me. and stood and said unto me.
Brother Saul. receive thy sight. And the hour
l looked mp upon him
l. ne 10 q NJ IA chosen
thee that thou shoudest hear the his mouth
Is For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of
what thou hast and heard.
16 And now why tarrest thou? Arise. and he bap-
tized- and wash away thy sins, calling the name
OF the Lord.
II And it came to pass, that, when come again
to Jerusalem, even when I prayed in the temple,
was in trance;
Is And saw him saying unto me. make haste, and
get thee quickly out of Jerusalem for they will not
receive thy testimony concerning me.
10 And salt. Lord. they know that 1 imprisoned
and beat in every synagogue them that believed
thee:
90 And when the blood of thv martyr Stephen was
shed. also standing by. and consenting unto his
death. and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
2l And he said unto Depart for will send thee
far hence unto the Genties
GOLDEN TEXT s'And said, What shall do,
Lord?''-Acts 2a-1O.
In the lesson of last Sunday, Paul was
left standing upon the steps leading to
the tower in the act of addressing the
multitude who We're seeking his life. To
address them as "men, brethren and fa-
thers," was the usual form of opening an
address among the Jews. As he address,
ed them in their own tongue. they were
silenced as if by magic, for they recog-
niZed in him Jew. They became deep
Iy interested as he went on to relate the
and his conversion, The Apostle spoke
with the greater eloquence perhaps by
reason of the chains with which he was
bound. They recalled to him, perhaps,
he scenes in his own prosecutions of
Christian character, this multitude, clam
BRING for his death, bringing up similar
scenes in which he had been participant.
At the time of Paul's conversion, he
was on his way to Damascus, with letters
rom the Sanhedrim, or Jewish Council
% bring certain Christians to Jerusalem.
20 be punished, possibly after the manner
lad to travel to reach the end of his jour
hey was about one hundred and thirty
niles, and the time required was about
me week. He was near the end of his
Journey, or in sight of Damascus, when
he power of God was manifested to him.
md blinded him. This was the glory
which surrounded the assembled Savior,
who appeared to Paul, and he was over
come by the suddenness of the manifesto
ion, and the consciousness of his own
guilt. Jesus addressed Paul, the sound
being heard by his companions, but the
words not being distinguished, fnr the
message was to Paul. Paul-or Saul of
Tarsus-had been for some time strug-
ding with conviction, and it is not
strange that when he heard the words 81
I'm Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou perse
.utest," he cried out What Shall l do,
Lord? 2"
The Lord bade him to go on to the end
IF his journey. and it should there be told
lim what he should do. Behold the Won
lerful changed Saul, who had started
'ut in cruelty and bitterness toward the
people of God, going to Damascus with
he avowed purpose of prosecuting them,
'eally entered the city as blind suppli-
mt for the mercy of Cod The personal
;all of the Savior was necessary qualif-
cation of Paul's Apostleship. Only those
who had seen the Lord, and been chosen
hn A
has had spoken sight to the eyes of Paul,
he latter was ready to begin the work of
lis new life in Christ, with more vigor
md earnestness than he had pursued the
ormer life of persecution and sin. lie
vas baptized, and afterward "came to .Ie-
'usalem, and prayed in the temple" This
vas recited to fix in the minds of his
hearers the idea that even after his con-
version he did not forget Jerusalem or
he temple. He speaks of having been in
! trance, as showing that it was in the
emple that he received special Divine
evelation to preach the Gospel to the
tentiles. Paul labored very skillfully in
his address to prove that, as indicated in
he 18th passage of the Lesson, he only
eft Jerusalem at the Divine command.
because the people would not accept his
estimony concerning Christ" And the
\ postle, who had thus been again spoken
% by the Savior, gave the very excellent
'eason for their net believing him, indi-
,ated in the 10th and Goth passages of the
Lesson. Paul had stood by and witnessed
md rejuiced in the murder of the martyr
Stephen, keeping the raiment of them