Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-04-21
9nternatiunal gessul1s.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON V, SECOND QUARTER, IN
TERNATIoNAL SERIES, MAY 2.

LESSON v, SECOND QUARTER, IN
TERNATIoNAL SERIES, MAY 2.
Text Of the Lesson, Acts Kill, 1-13-Mem-
DRY Verses, 2-4-Golden Text, Mark xvi,
15-Commentary by the Rev. d. NJ.
Stearns.
/. "Now there were in the church that
was at Antioch certain prophets and teach
ers, as Barnabas, etc., and Saul" The
work began at Antioch through the preach
ing of those who were scattered by the per-
secution about Stephen, and was followed
up by Barnabas and Saul teaching the peo-
pie for whole year (chapter xi, 10, 26). The
church at Antioch, hearing Of the need, IN
temporal things, Of the believers in Judea,
sent them relief by the hands Of Barnabas
and Saul, who, having fulfilled their min
istry, returned to Antioch.
g. Separate me Bsrnabas and Saul for
the work whereunto have called them. !"
Thus spake the Holy Ghost as the believ-
ers ministered to the Lord, thinking much
more of His business than Of any comfort
of their own, and even mortifying the
body if perchance the soul might be more
alive to things eternal. 1t Is written Of
Job that he said, II have esteemed the
words of His mouth more than my neces-
sary food" (Job xiii, 12). When the dis
ciples brought our Lord food at Jacobs
well, He said, 81 have meat to eat that ye
know not of. " "My meat is to do the will
of Him that sent me and to finish His
work" John ", 80, 34). When the things
of the Lord are Of more importance to us
than aught else, we have the spirit Of fast
ing
8. "And when they had tasted and
prayed and laid their hands on them they
sent them away" The Holy Spirit is the
one who has full control of all the affairs
of the church during the time Of our Lord g
absence.
T. $50 they being sent forth by the Holy
Ghost departed unto Selencia, and from
thence they sailed to Cyprus" The Holy
Spirit called them, sent them forth, and
would use them as He saw fit that God
might be glorif1ed. All that the Lord Jesus
said or did was by the Spirit, and He alone
can do in and through us that which
ought to be done.
5. "And when they were at Salamis,
they preached the word of God in the syna-
gogues of the Jews and they had also John
as their minister. AS servants of Christ
we have but one book, the word of God,
and but one Teacher, the Holy Spirit
This word we must make our constant
study, and this word we must ever speak
In whole hearted reliance upon the Holy
Spirit, and "To the Jew first" seems to
be the unchanged order (Rom. l. Is; II,
10Y. The promise to Moses still holds good,
"Now, therefore, go, and I will be with
thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt
say" (Ex. iv, 12).
6, T. Coming to Paphos, the deputy Of
the country, Sergius Paulus, sent for
them, desiring to hear the word of God. p"
Thus the Spirit leads together those who
are ready to hear and those who are ready
to speak the word of God, rs when He
brought together Philip and the eunuch,
Simon Peter and Cornelius. When 1t Is
thus His doing, something is always ac-
complished to the glory of God, as in each
of these cases. What, therefore, can be
more desirable than to be filled with and
controlled by the Holy Spirit9 For our
comfort we remember that our Lord Jesus
said, "f ye, then. being evil, know how
to give good gifts unto your children, how
much more shall your Heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to them that ask
Him" (Luke xi, 13). We have also the
comfort of knowing that if we are filled
with the word of God and controlled by
the Spirit of God He will fit into our lips
the right message at the right time Prov
xii, 1S). And Math. K, 20, will be true
Of us rs of the disciples.
8. "But Elymas, the sorcerer, withstood
them, seeking to turn away the deputy
from the faith" The same old serpent,
the devil, and satan, who turned Adam
and Eve away from God, is ever at work.
He seeks to keep people from hearing the
word of God by making believers indiffer-
ent to the command to preach the gospel
to every creature, and when the word has
been preached he will, if possible, take
away the word out of their hearts lest they
should believe and be saved (Luke viii, 12);
or If it Is received, he will, if possible,
choke it that it may not bear fruit. Re-
sist the devil (Jas. iv, y.
8. "Then Saul, who Is also called Paul,
filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on
him." The Holy Spirit can look through
our eyes as well as speak with our voice,
and our eyes will then be searching in
some little measure as Christ's were But
we will be unconscious Of 1t, for anything
like self consciousness is in opposition to
being flied with the Spirit. Moses wist
not that the skin of his face shone lex.
xxxiv, 29). And no doubt Stephen was
unconscious that his face was as the face
of an angel (Acts vi, 15). This Is the first
time that Saul is called Paul.
10. "Wilt thou not cease to pervert the
right ways of the Lord?" Thus the Spirit
In Paul addressed him, calling him child
Of the devil and enemy of all righteous
ness. Some good people today would say
that he was a child of God, and that God
was his Father, though he was wandering
from Him. But the Spirit of God does
not talk so. The Lord Jesus said to Ger
tain religious people, aye are Of your ia
ther the devil" John viii, Az. 1t is also
written Of Cain that he was of the wicked
one Il John Iii, 12).
II. "And now, behold, the hand Of the
Lord Is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind,
not seeing the sun for a season" Instant
ly it came to pass, and he sought some one
to lead him by the hand. His outward
condition was now like his inward condi-
ton. He was truly child Of darkness.
If his darkness was only for this life, or
only for season, it was well for him. But
our Lord spoke Of some who would be cast
into outer darkness where there Is weep
ing and gnashing of teeth (Math. xii, 1S).
In Jude xiii we read of some to whom Its
reserved the blackness Of darkness forever.
Happy are those who, receiving the light,
become children Of light, and happier still,
II as such they walk in the light.
12. "Then the deputy, when he saw
what was done, believed, being astonishcd