The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1892-10-26


be found III Acts IL, 1890.
INTRODUCTORY.
Scattered" is the word with which
this lessons opens. Seeded is the lit
4 eral significance OF it. The enemies of
Christ thought they were destroying
the truth; they were advancing 1t, CIV
ing il new Judgment in hearts prepared
for it's reception. AS well scatter fire.
brands in dry field or grains OF wheat
in plowed ground, as to think to Quench
the truth by dispersion. These were
men full of the Spirit; they could not be
| silenced. God give us Of such sort to-
day.
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
Now they. Going back to previous
exents. Acts 8: Scattered abroad.
First meaning to SOW seed, TO plant u
field. THE wicked work the righteous
will of heaven. "-l-Persecution. Sig
nifying pressure, hence trial or Attic
ton. So rendered at Matt. "a: .
Phenice, or PhGnicia, possibly Phi nix,
on the south coast of the Island of
| Crete. Acts 81: II.
| Cyprus An island south of Asia
Minor. On the north coast
of Africa. in Syria.-Unto
the Grecians. Whose language was
doubtless used. - Preaching. The
word for glad tidings, Evangel.
! With them. A strong expression,
along with Number. From
this comes our English word arithmetic.
| (Arithmos.) Turned or were con-
| verted.
They sent. l. e., the church, not some
bishop or overseer of the church. It
looks as though a church meeting had
been called to discuss the tidings.-
l hat In vol 90 ord
in the Greek, the proposition unto or
until.
Were glad. Glad" and grace" are
from the same root (Charin-chairo.
| He caught the spirit OF the blessing
Cleave unto, or remain with. They had
already accepted tho Lord. He assured
them that they were in the right path.
Full of the Holy Ghost and of faith.
! Hence he was quick 10 apprehend a
spiritual work Added unto the Lord.
Interpreting the added" of Acts 2: AZ,
where church does not occur in the
| Greek.
To Tarsus. Where Paul had been in
spiritual training of the Lord. To
seek Saul. The word refers to diligent
search. Thus the Spirit leads.
When he had found him. 1t would be
interesting to know what he was doing.
/
SION. A prepared man is generally
sought out and found. -Wcre called.
A peculiar word, signifying, first, to
transact business with, hence probably
to get a mark of designation. They
| were set down as Christians. Probably
the word Christ was the one oftenest
| used. (Christianos }
Prophets. In the New Testament,
those gifted in the Interpretation Of
Scripture. The gift OF prediction was
subordinate.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
And the hand OF the Lord was with
them. l fear we have been forgetting
about 1.-The hand of the Lord" We have
not been taking God into the account.
Mans hand, how weak it is, how often
are we frustrated! But Gods hand
with us-that makes al! the difference in
the world, in two worlds. 1t changed
the whole aspect of affairs with the
early disciples. / have just been re-
reading the life of Robert Moffat, the
South African missionary. His was an
example of faith in God. Over and over
again he did that which 10 the worldly
Intelligence was folly. But he was
Dbeying Gods command and giving
heaven a chance tie come signally to his
ad. And so God was glorifled. All, if
It were not for foreign missions, l fear
sometimes the church would forget what
Iaith is like.
Cleave unto the Lord. 1t is the secret
Of success in the life OF heaven on earth.
We must keep very close TO God, or our
| celestial citizenship is failure. This
was the spirit Of Caleb and Joshua who
wholly followed the Lord their God.
How unfortunate for Israel that the
Iar-following spirit of the ten spies pre-
vailed! Keep close to God. "Be ye
followers OF God, as dear children.
Adoniram Judson wrote down the reso-
| luton, Resolved not to do anything
which does not appear at the time to be
wel-pleasing TO God" He was making
God his best friend, and what friend
God proved TO him. When L read this
motto l can understand this life. Jud-
son was following close after God.
Are we doing so to-day? Are we keep
ing so near to him that we see at once
The doors of opportunity he throws open
20 us? l was reading it this morning
from Thomas a Kempis: AS iron cast
, into fire loseth rust and is made al
| together glowing so the man who turn
eth himself unto God is freed from
slothfulness and changed into a new
man."
The disciples were called Christians
first in Antioch A name perhaps given
in deris on, but God has made it the
noblest name in earth's vocabulary.
wonder when the people who are most
accustomed TO peruse these pages, and
also the pages Of the Book, were first
called "Baptists." Doubtless it was
derisive epithet. "Anabaptistsl" "Bap-
tists!" Is there any one ashamed of it
to-day? Then let him seek some hing
better. If he can find it. My friend. the
converted Hebrew has been telling me
that even the blessed word Zion" was
once a term of reproach. IL signifies
emptiness. Very well, empty that he
may ILL.," God takes the things that
are not to bring TO naught the things
that are. Let us make the name Chris
tian mean more and more, as the years
of grace roll on.
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