Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-12-02


DRY Verses. s-10-GoIden Text, Math.
xii. e1-Commentary by the Rev. ID.
NJ. stearns.
g. "And there sat certain man Mt Lys
ira, impotent in his feet, who never had
walked" In chapter Iii, g. see a similar
case, and compare John v, 80. This mans
physical condition is picture of the spirit
tai condition of every one who has not
been born from above There Is not, as
some assert without Scriptural authority
q spark of good even in the worst Of men,
which only needs enlargipg and cultivat
ing, but all are by nature children of
wrath, and in us-that is in our flesh
there dwelleth no good thing (Eph. ii. 8
Rom. vii, lS).
O. "The same heard Paul speak" And
it is evident from this verse that as he
heard he received for faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the Word of God
Rom. X, ~. The entrance of Gods Word
giveth light Cps. cxix, 1907. We may i'm
agine Paul telling how Jesus when on
earth had healed instantly, with a word
or touch, the lame, the blind, the deaf
the dumb, and how He had even raised the
dead; and that the same signs and won
ders had been wrought in His name by His
servants since He had assembled, proving
Him to be still the very same Jesus.
10. "Stand upright on thy feet" Thus
spake Paul to the impotent man, as look
ing upon him he perceived that he had
faith to be healed, aud Immediately he
leaped and walked. For the first time in
his life he stood on his feet and walked; it
was an entirely new experience by the
power of God upon him. Jesus did the
work. Paul was the channel Of blessing, the
helpless man was the glad recipient. He
giveth power to the faint and to them that
have no might. He increases the strength
Where is our faith2
II. "The gods are come down to us in
the likeness of men," Such was the testi
mony of the blind heather who knew moth
ing of the true God, but worshiped many
fanciful gods which had no existence. God
had come down to earth in the likeness of
man, and it was His power which had
made this man whole, but they knew Him
not q Tim. iii, l6).
IL. And they called Barnabas Jupiter"
etc They gave to the servants of God
these heather names, as when Daniel and
his companions in Babylon were also given
heather names. We must not be offended
If people give us names that do not belong
to us, for they called Jesus Beelzebub,
glutton, wine bibber. Neither may we
feel hattered if high sounding titles are
bestowed upon us. Love is not pulled up
10. "Then the priest of Jupiter would
have done sacrifice with the people" They
were about to worship Paul and Barnabas,
believing them to be more than men. 1t
suggests the question as to whether in the
lives of most Christians there is anything
to cause people to say, THAT is not
natural; there is something supernatural
about that person; that meekness or pa
thence or wisdom or power is of God"
IA. "Barnabas and Paul rent their
Clothes" Are we as Mortified if we hear
given to us the praise which ought to be
given only to God, or are we apt to covet
this very thing and love to have it given
out that ourselves are some great people
Chapter viii, 81. Unless we delight to give
all glory to God, and seek glory only for
God, we have not the Spirit of Christ-for
He sought neither His own will nor His
own glory John vi, 3s; viii, SOY.
Is. Turn from these vanities unto the
living God, which made heaven and earth
and the sea and all things that are there.
in" With great earnestness did the
apostles seek to turn the peoples thoughts
from themselves to God, as when the angel
said to John, "See thou do it not, worship
God" (Rev. xxi, 81. The tendency today is
to think more of man than of God, and the
great trouble is that many men do not feel
troubled about it but love to have it so,
forgetting Cor i, 26-3l.
16. "Who in times past suffered all ma
tions to walk in their own ways" Since
God placed man on earth He has been try
ing him in every possible way-in Eden
and out of Eden, without law and under
law, under grace and under the Holy
Spirit-and he shall have one trial more
under the personal reign of the Lord Jesus.
In due time it shall be fully proven that
man apart from God is only failure.
II. Nevertheless He left not Himself
without witness" In Rom. l. 90, 81, it is
made plain that in all ages all are without
excuse, for God may be known by His
works, and even in the darkest corners of
earth there is light which if lived in will
be recognized by God in some way Com.
pare Acts xvii, 80.
Is. And with these sayings scarce re-
strained they the people," Sight is great
thing to the natural man, and what one
sees is apt to fully persuade. The spiritual
man makes more of that which he cannot
see. These people have seen the mpotent
man healed through Paul and Barnabas,
and it was hard to convince them that the
work was done by one unseen and not by
these two men. See ii Cor. iv, IS; v, Z; Heb.
XII, 81, and say which is most real to you,
the seen or the unseen.
49, Having stoned Paul, drew him out of
the city supposing he had been dead" How
tickle is man! Those who would have wor
SHIPPED Paul are persuaded to stone him
How busy and perseverng is the devil and
what willing servants he has among men!
These unbelieving Jews came quickly and
earnestly from Antioch and Iconium to
seek the death of Paul. How few go forth
earnestly to bring life to the dying An
swer lisa. vi, 6, as he did
20. He rose up and came into the city,"
While the disciples, helpless to protect
Him, stood around His apparently dead
body, God gave Him back to them to their
great surprise and joy, for His work was
not yet accomplished. 1t may be that while
they were bruising and so i'll treating His
poor body He WAS eniOvino that ~ which