The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-07-15
ne SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JULY 10.

ThessalonIco, "hoIo was synagogue O
the Jews" See this company of men IN
This world for God. They have no aim bul
10 honor Him. Their one thought Is tc
magnify the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 1.
9oO. and TO this end they are under the
control OF the Holy Ghost, passing through
this town or that and stopping only where
He directs. Whether In prison or In Lydia's :
house, on the road or In the synagogue,
their one business is to glorify God and
make Him known. Thessalonica was about
100 miles southwest Of Philippi, SO that II
must have been several days Journey; but.
AS Is usual in Scripture, the incidents OF
the journey are omitted. They "passed
through" and "came to-"
2. and Paul, as his manner was, went
IN unto them, and three Sabbath days
reasoned with them out of the Scriptures. ~
''To the Jew first" was ever Paul's prin-
cple in going after the people with the
gospel rom. l., l6), and who can tell what
we are losing by not continuing to act on
this principle. both with the gospel and
with gifts for MISSIONS? He had but one
textbook. the Scriptures, which he fully
believed was sufficient to furnish any one
thoroughly for every good work (II Tim.
iIi, l6, III. He was not full OF the opinions
Q, men; but, being the Lords messenger,
he carried the Lords message (Hag. l., 1877.
bs. "Opening and alleging that Christ must
needs have suffered and risen again from
the dead, and that this Jesus whom preac h
unto you is Christ" The Jews were look
Ing for Messiah to sit on David's throne
and subdue their enemies and make Israel,
a In the days OF Solomon, the first nation
on earth, and in this expectation they were
perfectly right, for this was promised by
the prophets and will yet surely be fulfilled
lisa. x, 6, 7;Jer. ILL.,, II 10; Zech. xiv, g. 1T.
But it was just as plainly foretold and fore
vhadowed that the Messiah would also
suffer and die and rise from the dead be-
fore He would thus reign rs David's son on
Dayid's throne (Gen. ILL.,, Is; lisa. ill.,; Ps.
xvi. and XIII, etc.,.
L. "And some OF them believed and con-
sorted with Paul and Silas," and a multi
tude Of men and women, the verse goes on
10 say. Just as in Gen. T.. the Spirit moved
God spake, and the work was done, 80 here
pnd so always His word will accom- plish His
pleasure and prosper in the thing wbereto
| faithful messengers; it Is His to accomplish
the work. There is perfect rest In His work
when we are willing that He should do 1t
sll and as He pleases, We believing in His
band for His pleasure.
| r5 But the Jews which believed not,
moved with envy, took unto them certain
lewd fellows" Then followed n mob and a
dot and an assault, for the devil was losing
,Ome Of his property, and he was stirred
nightly, as at Philippi, to do somewhat to
resist the truth and the power Of God, and
20 for a time the saints must suffer with
Christ. Fellowship with Him in suffering
lsag great privilege not appreciated by the
sants as it should be phil. t., 80; ill.,, 10;
Col. t., 2f.
&C. These that have turned the world up-
iide down have come hither also" Not
finding the apostles, they took Jason and
pther brethren to the city rulers with these
and other accusations. 1t was surely quite
q compliment to say that these men had
power to turn the world upside down.
There ought to have been enough Of the
supernatural in that to make them stop
and consider, but when men are blinded
by anger they consider neither their words
nor their deeds. The facts in the case are
that the world is in n sense upside down
because of sin, and Jesus, whom these men
preached. is the only one who can set it
right side up (Ez. XXI, 27).
~ These all do contrary to the DEGREES
mCesar, saying that there is another
king, one Jesus CRsar Is the earthly,
Under the God OF this world-that is, the
devil. Jesus is the heavenly, representing
The only living and true God, God manifest
In the flesh, and we must choose one or the
other. His own to whom He came chose
Cesar instead Of Him Oohn XIX, 12), and
Cesar they have had from that day to this.
The world and the church, the worldly
person and the Christian, are as opposite
as darkness and light and can no more as
Simulate than water and oil, but they some
Zines try desperately hard to mix up. See
Jas, w., 1; John H., 1917.
So "And they troubled the people and
Merulers OF the city when they heard these
things" SO. when Christ was born King
oithe Jews, Herod and all Jerusalem were
troubled (NIath. H., 81, and when He shall
come In His glory the world lying in the
wicked one snail be greatly troubled (Rev.
l,!i xi., ls), and their troubles may never
end, for all who die In their sins shall have
!ofment for ever and ever (Rev. xiv, IL;
Mark ix., 43, AZ.
kO. And the brethren Immediately sent
away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea."
eothey move on in His name, witnessing
pAlo Hin, and again we find them in a
synagogue OF the Jews. The Masters in
iuetions were to pass on when not want
Luke v, 10; Math. ", 23), but some
nna 1t nard even yet to obey these orders,
anl the more they are not wanted the more
,ley seem to stay, to their own and others
discomfort and doubtless to the grief of the
holy Spirit.
M These were more noble than thosein
iaessaionica in that they received the word
yum all readiness Of mind and searched the
ovtlptlres daily whether those things were
~ SS How foolish to have remained amid
'ae aeOpposition Of Thessalonica when this
opeh door awaited them where the people
wy Wsre ready to hear and receive the word!
"nat blessing those are missing who are
ho' willing to follow where He leadeth and
~ MIN manage as He pleaseth! No will