Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-08-04
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VI, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, AUG. 6.

Text Of tho Lesson, Acts xx, 22-35-MeEl-
DRY Verses, ~, 32-Golden Text, Heb.
xiii, documentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
%. And now. behold. 90 bound in the
spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the
things that shall befall me there" Last
week we left Paul ~ Ephesus alone, his
companions having gone to Macedonia.
Then followed the uproar, after which Paul
left for Macedonia, went as fir as Greece,
tarried there three months, then returned
through Macedonia and we now find him
Mt Miletus on his way to Jerusalem, hasten
ing to be there if possible by Pentecost
(verse lG). Touching at Mletus on their
homeward voyage, he sent to Ephesus to
have the elders come down to him, and our
lesson today TO his farewell to them. He
reminds them of his manner of life among
them and Of his teaching. Doing must
precede teaching. See Math. V, 10; Acts l.
|. Mark vi, 80. Josh. i, s. FL vii, TO-
23. Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth
in every city, saying that bonds and Attic
tons abide me" While he did not know
what particular events might befall him.
he bad IA general knowledge that it would
be rs it had been, and even so to the end
1t was i'll his commission that he should
suffer Acts liz, 10, and large foretastes had
he already in he stoning at Lystra and the
scourging and Imprisonment at Philippi.
"A. But none of these things move me
neither count my life dear unto myself,
50 that might finish my course with Joy"
The ambitions of this servant Of Christ
may he seen in such passages rs this in
connection with | Cor ii, ,: IL Cor V, 9.
Phil. i, 20; Gal. vi, II. To make known the
gospel Of grace, to make Christ known
through these bodies to be in all things
pleasing unto Him and have His service
accepted of Him, these were His constant
aim, and in these directions He exhorted
His son Timothy I'll Tim. ii, 3; iv, -, and
through His writings eXhorts all believers.
% And now, behold, know that We all,
among whom ! have gone preaching the
kingdom of God, shall see my face no more"
| In some way He knew that He would not
meet them again till He should meet them
at the judgment seat of Christ, and there
fore He would speak to them the more ear
nestly and waste no time on vain words If
when we speak to people, even in ordinary
conversation, we felt that we might not
meet them again in this world, we would
be more apt to say something about Jesus
and things eternal.
20. Wherefore take you to record this
day that | am pure from the blood of all
men" not only in the sense of having
wronped corrunted or defrauded M man
! Gil Cor vii, q, but he had cleared himself
of all responsibility in reference to their
souls salvation. If we, as the messengers
of God, faithfully declare His messages of
salvation, then we are clear of the blood of
those who hear, whether they believe or
4 not. See Eek. iii, 10 xXxiii, l1-l9
unto Won all the counsel If cod y Thai
which he had received of the Lord he had
made known unto them without diminish.
ing n word Il Cor Wv 2. Ier wi ~ Ha
had kent back nothing Verse %, through
fear of man He believed in his beart that
if his aim was ia nle..e man ha ,.,s not
worthy to he called - servant of C,b,iet
! gal. i, lO) So he lived and labored nor as
pleasing men but Cod who triatb our
hearts Il Tbess. ii. A. What a n4edful word
/ this is He thar batb my word l,t bi,,
speak NV word fnithfullvr tIer viii os1
% "Take heed therefore unto Yourselves
and to all the flock. over the which the UoIv
/ Ghost hath made Won ov4rseers tn feed tho
church of God. which He hath purchased
with His own blood" One of the risen
Christ's last words to Petervos y threrfold
exhortation to feed Ills sheen and Inmh,
(JOlu xxi. Is IN and Peter misses il IN RI
Us. saving. Feed the flock of God which il
among voun II PET y y Notbin,, can God
us but the word of God. The written word
is fun of Him who is the living word and
He Himself snld He thot pntetb mn. avon,
he shall live by me" L.Tobn vi ~
%. For know this. that after NV da
parting shall lrievous wolves enter in
among YOU. not sparinp the flock II was
PauIs delight to maintain himself Inv his
own labor that he might baveto ,yiveto t',e
needy things temnoraI and sniritnaI Rnt
Their, were and there are those who nrr,
Tossing to be shepherds. not only do NOT
feed the flock but take GOOD cara ~ iva
upon the flock-wolves in sheen's clotbing
Math. vii. IS. X l6)
30 "Also of vour own saIves sb,u man
arise. speaking peryerse THINGS to draw
away disciples after them" II is one tbing
for a man to be accused of drawing neonle
after him while his whole aim 10 to noi,,t
them to Jesus II Cor III N II is pnita
another matter for a man m live and Iahor
for the sake of n following tActsv RI az