Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-08-04

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The Apostles Confidence in God.
The lesson for Sunday, Aug. 7. may be
found In Acts 4: 1881.
INTRODUCTORY. 49,
The Lord give you, my brethren, to
believe to the utmost degree for his
names sake. Amen. So spake Charles
Spurgeon In his closing sermon to his
good people:at the Tabernacle, London.
1t Is the teaching and implied petition
of the lesson before US. The secret of
the apostles power lay In this, they
were great believers. My brother has
just left my side after talking of the
church, 20 that We had more faith, "
he says. Amenl Do we not all say it?
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
But Peter and John. Continuing the
narrative OF last weeks lesson.-An-
swered. The word implies a formal or
deliberate response TO the proposition
or Injunction advanced by the rulers.
In the sight Of God. Or, in the
eyes. The apostles considered them
selves and the council under the all
seeing eye OF Jehovah.
We cannot but speak. Greek: Not
able, not to talk about. Such other In
fiuences of the Spirit; an abundant and
overfiowing testimony. Have seen
and heard, !. e., in the life and work Of
Christ.
Punish them, or coerce.
God, |. g., gave him the glory for the
deed just performed. The healing was
seen TO be evidently Of God.
For the man was above forty years
old. Thus giving reason for their
clarifying God. since 1t could by no
means have been a natural healing.
This is the Physician Luke's own note.
Was showed. Better was wrought
The word showed seems 10 be used be-
cause the connected word miracle prop
erly means sign. l'
Their own company. Greek. Their
own.-Reporteo all that the chief
priests and elders had said unto them.
Something like our Report of the state
Of religion"
With one accord. One word unani-
mously; the unity OF the Spirit
Lord. A peculiar word, signifying
master; from this comes our despot,
used also at Peter 2: /.
Servant David. Literally, boy,
serving lad. The same word rendered
child in vs.. 27-30.-Why did the
heather rage? Psalm 2. A case Of
apostolic exegesis.
Stood up; l. g., in opposition. A form
of the same word rendered came upon
In V. /. (The captain OF the temple and
the Sadducees came upon them.) -
Were gathered. From this comes our
word synagogue.
For of a truth. The strong ap-
plication here made is better
brought out in the Greek when
the verb we're gathered is placed first in
the verse and close to its parallel In the
preceding verse.-Child same as SER
want, V. 25.--Both Herod and Pontius
PLATE, with the Gentiles, and the peo-
pie OF Israel. Bad company.
BY stretching forth thine hand. Or,
in stretching, |. e., while stretching.
To heal. Literally, into healing
By the name. Better, through the
name.
When they had prayed, or while they
were praying.-Shaken. A strong
word, rocked. ALI filed. Again.
With holiness. Again.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
They lifted up their voice to God.
That was a mighty lift; 1t reached high
heaven. And there the cry was heard,
far beyond the discordance of men g
threatening voices. Resort Is the sig
nificance Of it, supreme resort. May
learn the lesson well when men lift
their voices against me for righteous
ness sake, may lift my own voice yet
higher and cast the assuring message
far over the battlements OF heaven.
The Lord will hear.
Behold their threatenings. Christian
economy of energy. They needed their
strength for something else. God could
look after the world 8 threatenings while
they gave themselves to the preaching
of the gospel. When will the church OF
Jesus Christ get this secret? 1t is ours
to take care Of the witness. God will
take care of the witnesses. "Lord, be-
hold their threatenings. WHAT noble
disdain Of the world, what glorious con-
fidence in God! Now they are free for
their work. Brother, you and / shall do
our best work when we come to like at
tempt, like confidence.
They were all filled with the Holy
Ghost. II what has just been spoken
OF Lord. behold their threatenings) Is
holy economy here is holy liberality,
we might almost say prodigality. They
had been filed with the Spirit before.
Never mind. Let them come and be
filled again. "Ged giveth not the Spirit
by measure. We are so close and penu-
rious about what God gives us. And
there is the great fountain-head un-
diminished. Why not come and come
again for full baptisms of power! Give
freely and then come take again freely.
Alas, how a beggarly church does Of
Tense to u rich God.
Next Lesson-@Ananias and Sap.
phira." Acts 5: Ill.