Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-09-09
SAVED C., A JOURNEY.
LESION xl, THIRD QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. II.

Text of the Lesson, Acts viii, 26-4O.
Memory Verses, 35-3S-GoIden Text,
John iii, 3e-Commentary by the Rev.
ID. NJ. stearns.
&C. And the angel of the Lord spake
unto Philip, saying, Arise and 20 toward
the south, unto the way that goeth down
from Jerusalem unto GAIA, which is des-
ert." What an honor to have a special
heavenly messenger bring one message
right from God. Compare Math |. 20; ii.
10, 49,; Luke l. II, 10, 2s; Acts xii. Z; xvii,
%. When we read the Bible we must
accept it as message to our souls as real
as if an angel or God Himself spoke to us.
81 And he arose and went-and behold
"A man of Ethiopia" From preaching to
many he had come to speak to one person.
Think of Jesus speaking to Nicodemus,
and to the woman of Samaria, and count
it not n small matter to be sent as the
! Lords messenger to one soul. Obedience
and faithfulness is our part; God will see
to results lisa. i, 19).
49, WAS returning, and sitting in his
chariot read Esaias the prophet" He
came from Egypt to Jerusalem to worship
the true God, and on his journey home was
reading the book of God. He was an
earnest seeker after light and truth and
God observed him. for his eyes ran to and
fro throughout the whole earth to find
| just such people Oh Chron. xvi, 81. Com
pare Acts X, 80 81. Remember that God
waits to reveal Himself to all who seek
him with the whole heart der. xxx, 49,
90. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go
near and join thyself unto this chariot"
AS to the Spirit speaking to the apostles
and Others see Acts X, 10; xi, IL; xii, 9; xvi.
o. and consider the promises of Jesus in
John xiv, 26; XIV, 20; xvi, 10. 1t is possible
for us even now to hear the voice of the
| Spirit and be guided by Him.
80. and Philip ran thther to him, and
heard him read the prophet Esaias and
said, Understandest thou what thou read
estr See what pains God will take to
cause one to understand His word when
He sees that desire in our hearts. Con
slider how Jesus opened the Scriptures to
the two men with whom He walked, and
how afterward in the midst of the eleven
He opened their understanding that they
might understand the Scriptures" duke
xiv, 80, 45).
81. And he said how can |, except some
man should guide me? And he desired
Philip that he would come up and sit with
Him" The eunuch was great man rid
ing in his chariot; Philip probably had the
appearance of way worn traveller; vet
see his cordial reception. Many messages
are unspoken and letters unwritten that
the spirit has whispered because we have
feared rebuke. We must obey and not be
afraid Mark v, &c.,
81. He was led as sheep to the slaugh-
for ilya loy, lof l.
shearer, so opened He not His mouth"
This was the Scripture which he read lisa.
lii, y and refers to the suffering of Jesus
when led bound to the high priest and to
plate and to be crucified. There are sim
liar words in Jer. xi, 10, for jeremiah was
a type of Jesus, and suffered all but death
for His sake. There is a time to be silent
even when suffering (Ps xxxviii, 10, l4.
49, "ln His humiliation His Judgment
was taken away; and who shall declare
His generations for His life is taken from
the earth" There was no justice done to
Him. the Jews could prove nothing against
Him, for none of the witnesses agreed; and
PLATE, though testifying three times that
he found no fault in Him, yet scourged
Him and delivered Him to be crucified.
"a. II pray thee, of whom speaketh the
prophet this-of himself or some other
man" This was the eunuchs question to
Philip, and one very much to the point In
reading ii Sam vii, IL, 10; Ps. viii, 4; xvi
TO- II; xxi, 8, Is, lisa. tx, Z, and hosts of
other passages, does the question ever arise
in your mind, "Of whom speaketh the
prophet this2" Do you care to understand
Scripture. or do you read it as a religious
duty?
IS. Then Philip opened his mouth and
began at the same Scripture, and preached
unto him Jesus" Philip did not waste
time on the style of the prophet, nor on
the possibility of another Isaiah being the
author of this Scripture, neither did he
drop a hint that a prophet could not see
100 years into the future, but from this
and other Scriptures he made plain the
| truth concerning Jesus. That is what the
Scriptures are for and that is the preach
er's business duke xiv, 81 ~; John v,
49, 49,
80. See, here is water; what doth hinder
me to be baptizedW Thus spake the
eunuch to Philip as they went on their
way. The entrance of the Word of God had
enlightened him (Ps cxix, 1907, and having
received Jesus as revealed in the Scriptures,
he was ready to confess it in baptism. He
was probably attended by many servants.
and in their presence he was ready to con-
fess that he had received Jesus of Naza-
reth as his Saviour.
81. And Philip said, If thou believest
with all thine heart thou mayest. And he
answered and said, | believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God" Compare the
confessions of Peter and Martha in Math.
xvi, l6; John ri, 81, and observe the root
of such confession in | Cor. xii, 49, John
Rpmen m hali is