The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-07-12
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JULY 16.
Lesson Text: fPaul at Athens" Acts
xviii, 22-S1-Golden Text: John
iv., 24-Commentary.

o. siThen Paul stood in the midst OF Mars
hill and said, Ye men of Athens, perceive
that in all things We are too superstitious,
or. as in the +. ", somewhat religious"
We have passed by his farewell to Philippi,
his preaching at Tnessalonica and Berea. and
the prosecutions he endured at each place.
We now find him at Athens, waiting for Silas
and Timothy, whom he had left at Berea.
His spirit is greatly stirr"d by the idolatry OF
the city, and in the Synagogue OF the jews
and in the market Of the city he preached
Jesus and the resurrection. From the time
that Jesus met him on the way to Damascus
he determined to know nothing but Christ
and Him crucided q Cor. Ii. =, p, and the sub
stance of his preaching may be gathered
from this statement. He reasoned with
them out of the Scripture. opening and al
le2ing that Christ must needs have suffered
and risen again from the dead, and that this
Jesus whom preach unto you Is Christ
(Acts xviii, 2, 81.
%. ''For as passed by and beheld your
devotions I found an altar with this inscrip-
ton, To the Unknown God. Whom there
fore We ignorantly worship Him. declare
unto you" It would seem that in their many
affairs to- many gods they feared lest any
should have been omitted, and hence this
altar with its strange inscription. Very re-
licious they were, but there was nothing to
1t, for they knew not God. It is more sad,
however to think Of the righteousness OF to-
day, which means nothing.
"a. "God, that made the world and all
things therein. seeing that He is Lord OF
heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples
made with hands" He takes them right to
the first OF Genesis and would make them
acquainted with the Creator OF all things.
They were without excuse for not knowing
His eternal power and Godhead, for the
works OF His hands should have taught them
this (Rom. l., 10, 20). Before we can come
to God we must believe that there Is God
(Heb. xi., 6), and the one whom these Athe-
mans knew not was the only one whom they
ought to know-the Lord who Is the true
God, tho living God and King Of Eternity
(Jer. K, 10, margin).
Is. Neither Is worshiped with mems,
hands, as though He needed anything, see
ing He glveth to all life and breath and sll
things" What startling things these must
have been to be heard for the first time! A
God greater than sun, moon or stars, heaven
or earth, and the author and giver Of all life
and being. Yet this is the old, familiar story
of the Bible which we possess, but ESQ slow
to give to others, which tells Of Him in whose
hand is the soul of every living thing andth
breath OF all mankind (Job xii, 10Y. 1t is
His nature to give. He so loved that He
gave His only beSotten Son that whatsoever
receiveth Him shall never perish (John ILL.,,
16; x, 27, 28).
26. "And hath made Of one blood all Ma
tions OF men for to dwell on all the face OF
the earth and hath determined the times be-
fore appointed and the bounds Of their habi-
tation." All Nations may truly say "Have
we not all one Father Hath not one God
created us" (Mal H., :1O)2 And. as to the
bounds OF habitation. not only has God or
dered even this, but He has done 80 with re-
spect to Israel, as it Is written, when the
Mos: High divided to the Nations their in
heritance, when He separated the sons OF
Adam, He set the bounds Of the people &C
cording to the number of the children OF Is
rael' (Deut. xxxii., 81.
81. s'That they should seek the Lord, II
haply they might feel after Him and find
Him, though He be not far from every one Of
us" II they would live up to the Light they
had God would find ways to send them more
light, as in the case OF Cornelius and the
Ethiopian eunuch. The exhortations to seek
the Lord are very many and very instructive.
See such as Iss. w., 6, 7; Zeph. H., 8; Jer.
xxx, 10; Math. w., 33. his nearness to US
is very strikingiy described in Rom. x, 6-l0.
but there it speaks OF those who have his
word and raises the question oversees IA, 15)
OF how can they hear IL unless some one take
it to them.
20. .'For in Him we live and move and
have our being, as certain also OF you own
poets have said, "For We are also His of
Spring." The first clause Is very briefly
stated in Col. l., II, ''By Him al! things con-
sist." The use which Paul makes here and
in Titus l., IL. OF the Greek authors seems
to indicate the advantage to missionary OF
some knowledge OF the writings OF the peo-
pie II by such knowledge they may be turned
kk Id Aoto xiry y
We are to use all means which God can bless
that we may by MI means save some q Cor.
tx, %.
49, "Forasmuch, then, as we are the OIL
spring of God, we ought not to think that
the Godhead Is like unto gold or silver or
stone craven with art and mans device.
Quite commentary upon this verse Is found
in I5a. xl.. 1928, and elsewhere in the
prophets Is not the same sin manifest to-
day even in the church when 80 much
strength is spent in raising money! The
The cry Is for gold and silver and wisdom
Of man, instead OF for God, Who owns the
&. I Cor. j., 30). II those who profess to
believe in God would only trust Him and not
in idols, either mon or metal. He would soon
show Himself strong on our behalf and pour
out more blessing than we could manage 1l
Chron. xvi, 9).
80. And the times of this ignorance God
winked OF, but now commandeth all men
eyerywhere to repent" In the r. V. 1t Is
said God overlooketh." which is a much
better translation. He allowed to go unpun-
ished because He is long suffering and not
willing that any should perish Jesus told
the Jews that God suffered many things be-
cause OF the hardness OF their hearts (Math.
XIX, s; Mark K, s.. He was grleved all the
same elsa. xiii, 10; Mark lii, 81, but bore
With them and many time forgave them as
His ssvant Moses pleaded for them. But we
live in different days, but God has now made
full provision for all through the finished
work OF His dear Son aud commands all to
believe on Him John ILL, 23).
81. because He hath appointed day In
thu which He will judge the world In riSat-
sousness by that man whom He hath Or
aimed, whereof He hath given assurance
unto all men, in that He hath raised Hin
from the dead" the Greeks had known
some great men, leaders and teachers OF tee
people, but they had never known one who
having died lived again hence when Paul
got to this point they either mocked or
turned away. Jesus. risen from the dead,
alive fo-evernore, having all power IN
heaven and on earth. is the one who IN oil
things has and must have the pre-eminence:
The great question now Is not, Am l moral
Or religious or getting better?" but, first OF
Ill, Have received Jesus?" See John L.,
70; John ", 12. Then am 1 so li7ing unto
Him that in that day the works ST all not oe
burned up, but rewarded Q Cor. ILL.,. 11-15).
Lesson Helper.
THE Australian banks which have
failed within the last three month: