Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-06-03
DUNCAN'S GOSPEL LESSONS.
REPLY NO. -.

Let the reader open his New Testa-
ment at Acts 10th chapter. Begin
reading at the 10th verse and you
will find that after the baptism of
Lydia and her family the meeting
continued, and as the Apostles were
going to place of worship a damsel
possessed with an evil spirit follow
ed them greatly to their annoyance.
After she had repeatedly annoyed
them the Apostle Paul, by the au-
thority of the Lord, cast out the evil
spirit. Her masters, who had been
specializing on her misfortune, were
much enraged at their loss. They
arrested Paul and Silas as the prin-
cipal offenders, and brought them
with violence to the officers of the
city. 4 mob was soon raised, and at
their suggestion the magistrates
had the Apostles stripped and Sc
yerely beaten. The magistrates then
put them in prison, and gave the jallor
strict charge to keep them safely.
When the jailor received that strict
order, which implied that if in any
case the prisoners escaped, he would
be held personally responsible, he
(the jailor) put them into the dun
geon or inner prison, and fasten their
feet in the wooden letters kept there
for the most dangerous criminals.
At midnight, in that dismal dun
geon, Paul and Sllas began singing
and praying, and the prisoners, amaz-
ed at such conduct at such time,
were attentively and wonderingly
listening to them. Right in the midst
! Of that strange service Of song and
prayer, mighty earthquake shook
the foundation of the prison and all
the doors flew open wide and every
mans bands were loosed. The prls
oners were SO impressed with the
evident connection between the sing
ing and praying of the Apostles and
the earthquake that they were rivet
ed to the spot-not one of them at
tempted to escape, but were rather
instinctively drawn near to the Apos
ties.
The jailor was sleeping somewhere
in sight and hearing Of the whole
situation, for when he was rouseC
from his sleep he saw the doors al
open, and thought of course that al
the prisoners were gone. Under sucl
circumstance suicide was his onl.
hope. Just as he was about to exc
cute his rash purpose the Apostl
Paul, who by the dim light of tn
prison could see his movements, call
ed to him that all the prisoners wer
there-not one gone. The whol
wonderful truth then flashed upo
his mind-these men that he had s
cruelty thrust into that dark cell an
bound fast in the stocks, were Gel
tainly men moved by the spirit
God. He then hastily called fo
bright, clear lights and rushed int
= the inner prison, where he had pu
the Apostles, and fell down befol
them, and led them out from thf
dungeon and earnestly said to then
!, ssirs, what must | do to be saved: !:
G The great Apostle of the Gentle
= replied to his momentous question
"believe on the lord Jesus Chrl
and thou shall be saved aud IL
(ojkos) family" They then spoke
him the word of the Lord, and spol
also to all that were in his (oikiC
:. household. In the same hour he toe
, them and washed off their lacerate
and feeding stripes and was bapti
ed. he and all his (oikos) straigh
T. way. He then took them up into b
family apartment, which we've room
over the prison, and set table befo
them, and rejoiced (pdnoikO dome
tically, having believed in God.
The Apostles Paul and Silas, we
not outside that prison till the ne
day, when the magistrates, the vel
ones that put them into tue prlso
came themselves and brought the
=. out. The baptism of the iailor al
\ all (oikos) took place inside the prls'
walls, and along with what we ha
before proven, renders it certain tn
+! they were baptized with water,
N everybody before them in scrlptu
history had been.
The very fact that all immersion
- teachers have made such frantic
forts to get the jailor and the Ape
ties out of that prison that mig
I shows how fatal baptism in heath
prison at midnight is to their darli
/ theory. If Paul and Silas had be
IN out of that prison snesking aroun
;, hunting for deep water at that drea
J. midnight hour. they would nev