Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-01-22
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON ", FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. "a.

Io-Oohinentary Dy the rev ID NE
stearns.
1. Although this book is called the Acts
of the Apostles, it might be called the acts
of Peter and Paul, for these are the two
through whom the Spirit is seen working.
John is seen here associated with Peter,
but Peter seems to be the principal actor
| 1t is most interesting to follow these two,
who with James, formed the inner circle
of the Saviour's friends The ninth hour
would be about p. IN. duke xiii, 44),
| the hour when Jesus died, and we might
safely imagine these two talking of it as
they walked to the temple together
2. Here is n pitifully helpless case, n
man over 40 years of age (chapter iv, 22),
who had never walked step, and who
was daily carried by friends and laid at
the beautiful gate of the temple that he
might receive aims from the passersby
He makes us think of the man 80 years
sick at the pool of Bethesda John V, 81
so discouraged and hopeless, but these are
just the cases which show forth the power
of God, as in the blind man and Lazarus
! John tx, 3; xi, A. Every sinner is a
hopeless case in himself, but Christ Jesus
came into the world to same sinners, to
seek and save the lost
]
John they both looked at him, and when
Peter said, "Look on us, " he thought sure
ly he would receive something from them
but cannot possibly have had thought of
what he was going to receive. r one had
told him that day as he was being carried
to the temple, This is our last trip with
| you for you won't need to come again." he
might have asked if they thought he would
die or if another great healer had come
for it can hardly he but that he had both
heard of and seen the Lord Jesus But if
SO why had not Jesus healed him? Can it
be that Jesus passed him by in order that
Peter and John might have the honor and
JOY of doing so? Possibly.
6. "Silyer and gold have I none " That
was enough to make him drop his hand
for it was money he wanted. But such
rs l have give l thee. =" What could he
have worth giving if he had no money?
''In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth
rise up and walk" Could he believe his
ears? Did he say, "Risc and walk" And
did he use that name, Jesus of Nazareth?"
Yes even SO. And there is something SUI
pernatural in tAcir looks and words, for it
is Jesus Himself who by His Spirit is
looking through their eyes and speaking
with their lips.
him up and instantly strength came to his
feet and ankle bones. 1t is true story. 1t
actually happened, and such things are
being done in our own time by the very
same Jesus, for He is the same yesterday
today and forever The Christian Alliance
and other papers record many such
s. Standing, walking, leaping, praising
God, he entered into the temple with Peter
and John. Another illustration of lisa.
XIV, 6, and proof of the fact that the
Lord Jesus lives and has all power But
let us not be understood as teaching or BE-
lieving that every sick person could be
healed if they had faith enough, and that
the Lord has no use for physicians The
facts are that believers both then and now
were sometimes healed and sometimes al
lowed to remain sick and die The Lord
secs fit to bless the skill and medicine Of
the physician, and sometimes to restore to
health even from the verge Of the grave
without either. 1t is our place to have full
confidence in and trust Him to do what
seemeth Him good, magnifying Him I'M
der all circumstances (Phil i, 2O)
9, 10. The people saw him perfectly
whole. They knew him as the lame man at
the beautiful gate, but they never saw him
after this fashion. Day after day and year
helpless,
at last his dcliverance came suddenly and
unexpectedly. 1t is the waiting and the
patient continuing that tries ones soul
the going on in the same routine and I'M
der the same trials with no prospect of de-
liverance. But deliverance will come in
His time and way. Here is the patience
and faith of the saints (Rev. xiii, 1O)
IL, ~. The lame man, now healed, holds
on to Peter and John as if he thought his
healing might depart if he let them go,
and the crowd has gathered and looks in
establishment upon Peter and John as il
they had done it. How prone we are to
see the human fundamentally and honor
1t, and how prone our human nature is to
feel that itself is some great onel We say
and sing, "Not l, but Christ" but per
haps the Searcher Of Hearts secs deep with
in us something that says, "See what
Christ did through Mel You can't come
up to that.
10. AT once Peter points them to Jesus
of Nazareth, the glorified Son of the God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and accuses
them Of being guilty of His death and re
sponsible for it. We are not apt to want
a Saviour unless we know that we are
sinners. The first thing necessary, therefore.
to our salvation is a conviction of sin.
II. HOW Ollell nave we by uecu Or word
denied Him and preferred the murderer?
Whenever we are ashamed to own that we
are His and that we do not care to do this
or that, or GO here or there because we know
He would not like it, or when we prefer
the company of the world to His company,
is it not a denial Of Him and preference
for the prince of this world? If we prefer
the worldly one to the holy one or I'M
righteousness to righteousness, what better
are we than those who crucifed Christ?
Let us in Imagination stand by the cross
of Christ and honestly confess what we
think Of Him.
10. The central truth throughout this
book and in all the preaching of the apos-
ties is that Jesus is alive from the dead,
and believers are witnesses to that fact;
also that God had foreseen and foretold
both the suftcrings of Christ and the glory
that should follow, and that He will come
again TO fulfil all that the prophets have
spoken Oversees 172D How, then, can we
know anything of the things that are to
come unless we are familiar with the
Z L. . I i 4.