Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-17
for the Aut1e Circle.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON TX, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. %.


Commentary by the Rev. d. N.
stearns.
1. Satan was very angry and stirred up
the religious Pharisees, who thought that
Jesus Christ was blasphemer and an i'm
postor and therefore justly put to death,
to do oil they could to stamp out this sect
of apostles from Judaism, but this was
overruled by God to scatter the truth Of
His great redemption. Tho command had
been given, "Go ye into all the world, I"
and the assurance also that they should be
His witnesses unto the ends of the earth
(Mark xvi, 15; Acts i, 81; but, being slow
to obey, they had to be scattered by perse-
cution. We would think that the apostles
would be the first to go forth, but the rec
ord is that all were scattered except the
apostles.
Q. With great sorrow they laid away tho
poor broken body Of Stephen till the resur
rection. While they knew that he was
certainly with the Lord in glory, they
would greatly miss him, and for the body,
and for the bereaved friends and relatives,
the work Of the great enemy, death, is al
WAYS sorrowful work. Even Jesus wept
at the grave of Lazarus, though He knew
that He would in q few moments give him
back to his sisters.
8. Saul seems to have been the leader in
the persecution of the Christians. His own
testimony in after years was beyond
measure I prosecuted the church of God
and wasted 1t, I" "a blasphemer and per-
secutor and injurious" (Gal /, 13; Tim.
ole hio
in Acts XVI, Oil.
4. Those who were scattered abroad went
everywhere preaching the word. Men,
women and children could tell Of Him who
was crucif1ed, who rose from tho dead, who
appeared to hundreds Of His followers and
afterward visibly assembled to heaven, and
who was surely coming back from heaven
in due time to restore oil things Of which
the prophets had spoken (Acts 1, 8, IL;
Iii, 90, 21), and that all who would receive
Him now by faith would have in Him tho
forgiveness of all their sins (Luke xiv,
Al; Acts xiii, 3S, 30), and come with Him
in glory Il Thess. iv, 14).
s. This is Philip Of the committee of
seven of chapter vi, 5, not Philip OF John
xiv, 8, one Of the apostles. Stephen, the
leader of the seven, being promoted, Phil
ip, the next named in order, seems called to
special service by the Holy Spirit. Ho
preached Christ in His humiliation and
exaltation, in His life and death and res
direction, His ascension, intercession and
return, and that through Him all who nc
oept Him have redemption in Him, even
the forgiveness of sins.
6. The word which Philip spake was
followed by miracles which God did by
him, God thus working with him by the
Holy Spirit MARK xvi, 20). Philip sought
only honor and glory Of God through
Christ, and the power Of the Lord was
manifested in the people giving heed with
one accord to what was spoken.
z, 8. There WAS great joy in thnt city as
they saw the lame and tho palsied hcalod
and evil spirits cast out, and receiving
Christ as Israel's Messiah, and their own
personal Saviour had the assurance of eter-
nal life as present possession. 1t is the
will of God that His people be full of JOY
John XIV, II; xvi, "a; xvii, 13). But there
is no way to be full Of joy except by believ-
ing (Rom XIV, .13).
8. Ono who had beforetimo deceived the
people by wonderful works which he
the devil has in tho past wrought miracles
and will again before the Lord comes In
His glory (Ex. vii, II, IL; Rev. xiii, 11-l5)
is now introduced to us rs being among
the believers. He had exalted himself be-
foro the people Us being some great one,
but he saw in Philip the work Of greater
than he had ever heard of.
10, II. Before Philip came all gave heed
to Simon, looking upon him as the great
power of God. How q sample, like many
others who have been and are now, and
especially of one who Is to come Rev. xiii,
8, AZ, of a satan filled man glorifying him.
self and doing his will that he himself
may prosper. Sec Dan. xi, 36. How shall
we know whether we are to give heed to or
beware of one who doeth wondrous works.
10. The words and works of God through
Philip, the name of Jesus Christ and the
things concerning the kingdom of God
took such hold of the people in the power
Of the Spirit that many believed IN the
Lord, both men and women, and publicly
confessed their faith by baptism. Philip
did not seek, like Simon, to draw people
to himself; but. hiding himself, he exalted
Christ that people might bo drawn to Him.
If Christ is magnified He will to this day
draw people INTO Him.
49, 1t must have been wonder to oil
people when the great sorcerer himself be-
lieyed and was baptized. He continued
with Philip, wondering ut the signs and
great miracles (margin) which he sa"".
Whatever of sleight of hand or of the real
power of the devil there had been in tho
sorceries with which he had bewitched tho
people-and doubtless there is much of
each in the spiritisms of today-here were
works such as Simon had never seen, much
less done. Here was indeed the power OF
God.
H. The apostles continued at Jerusa-
lem. They heard that the word was be-
ing preached and received in Samaria and
sent Peter and John to see. These men
who had been appointed to servo tables
were being RIGHTLY used Of God. Ono
had been honOred to be the first martyr in
the early church, and one was being hon
ored to win many souls in Samaria, while
from Jerusalem nothing special is heard
about this time, though doubtless many
were still being added to the Lord (chap-
ter V, ~. Let us bo willing to servo tho
Lord in any capacity, and He will lead us
into all He has for us QI SAM XIV, 15).
Is, 16. When any one truly receives
Christ, such ono is truly saved (John i,
12; iii, 16, 36; V, "a; vii, 81, AZ, etc..
Baptism is tho public confession that
Christ has beon accepted although neither
baptism nor tho Lords supper nor join
ing tine chur~h adds whit to our safety,
but are acts of obedience, bringing increased
fellowship with God to the obcdient be-
lever. Every truly penitent and believing
soul receives tho Holy Spirit upon believ
ing.
II. "Then laid they their hands on