Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24
fpr the Apn1e Circle.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON X, FIRST QUARTER, INTER.
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 7.

|
| NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 7.
Text Of the Lesson, Acts viii, 26-40-Mem.
ory Verses, 29-31 - Golden Text, Acts
viii, documentary by the Rev. d. NJ
Stearns.
26. "Arise and 60 toward the south u
4 Thus spako the angel Of the Lord to Philip
while he was in the midst Of this great
work in Samaria. He Is sent from what
seems to be q very great work out into the
desert, and he is not told why he is sent.
Simple and. whole hearted obedience Is the
one thing required of a servant or q sol.
dier. Angels that excel in strength dc
His commandments, hearkening unto the
voice of His word. They do His pleasure
(Ps. Gill, 20, 21). If we are good servants
and soldiers, we will hold ourselves ac'
cording to II Sam. XIV, Is; Chron. xviii,
81; II Sam. iii, SO.
81. "And he arose and went, and, be-
hold, a man of Ethiopia" Philip sees
what may he the object of his mission,
one man, an Ethiopian, the treasurer OF
Queen Candace, who had been to .Jeru-
salem to worship. The time will yet come
when Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands
to God, when from beyond the rivers of
Ethiopia suppliants shall bring an offering
to the Lord (Zep. ill, 10; Ps. xviii, 81.
But, whether nation or IN individual,
God regards all who truly seek Him (Jot
xxxiv, 29).
90. "Sitting in his chariot, read Esaias
the prophet" What he had heard or seen
at Jerusalem we are not told, but we may
well imagine that he had heard somewhat
concerning those who had filled Jerusalem
with their doctrine and concerning Him
of whom they spakc. He must have been
an earnest seeker after light, for God sent
Philip all the way from Samaria to be his
teacher and to lead him to Christ.
80. "Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go
near and join thyself to this chariot. "
Whatever Philip may have thought he
now knew the object of his mission. His
trained ear heard the message Of the Spirit,
and without hesitation or question nc
obeys I believe it is possible to live al
ways and fully under the control Of the
Spirit and have God working in us both
to will and to do of His good pleasure. If
this Is our whole hearted desire, He will
fulfill the desire of them that fear Him
(Ps cxlv, 19).
80. "Understandest thou what thou
readest9" With this question Philip intro
duoed himself to the man in the chariot,
having run to him as soon as no was COM
manded by tho Spirit. Whom the Lord sees
any one intent upon understanding His
word He will take pains to instruct him.
The marginal reading Of Job x, 8, is very
suggestive, Chime hands took pains
about me-" Gabriel was sent from heaven
to Daniel to make him understand and
to show him the truth (Dan. x, II, 81; xi,
q. The Holy Spirit has been given to ev-
cry believer to teach and to guido into oil
truth John xiv, 26; xvi, 13).
| 81. How can /, except some man should
guide me9" Thus graciously answered the
treasurer, and he invited Philip to step in
to the chariot with him. How smoothly
everything goes when the Spirit Is work
ing! Philip, sent by the Spirit, finds one
in whom the Spirit has been working, and
therefore one ready to be taught The
Spirit might have taught the eunuch Him
self without the hclp of any man John
ii, 27), but He saw fit to use human instru-
mentality. How blessed to be used of God
Only be willing, and He will use you.
SO, 33. "Hc was led as sheep to the
slaughter" Thus he read in what we
would call Isa. lii, Z, 8, concerning Him
of whom Moses and an the prophets did
write Jesus of Nazareth, the Son Of Jo-
seph John /, 45), but he knew Him not.
This whole chapter will doubtless be the
general confession of Israel rs nation
after they shall have looked upon Him
whom they have pierced Czech. xii, 10y
in the day whom they shall say, "Lo, this
is our God! We have waited for Him, and
Ho will save us" Isa- XIV, 81.
"a. ~ pray thee, of whom speaketh the
prophet thisY'' Whether the prophet was
speaking of himself or of some other man,
| the eunuch could not mako out. The
prophets were types of Christ and did In
their lives foreshadow In somo measure
the sufferings of Christ. Isaiah and his
children were signs in Israel (chapter viii,
1s), and jeremiah says of himself, II was
like lamb or an OK that Is brought to
the slaughter" (Jer. xi, 19).
85. Philip began ut the same Scripture
and preached unto him Jesus. He would
probably 20 back to the Passover lamb of
Elk. xii and to the daily burnt offering,
and possibly to the coats Of skins of Gen.
iii, 2l; then on to tho Lamb Of God, OF
whom John the Baptist spake. He could
easily find in Isa. lii the sutferingS, death,
resurrection and future glory of Chri- i.
But whatever line he took, he must certain
| ly have shown Christ to be tho only Saw
| iour Of sinners and the fullllnent Of every
| type and shadow.
| SO. The treasurer evidently took it oil
| in and received Jesus Christ rs his Say
iour, for, coming to water, hc asked for
baptism. Having received Christ, he
would as quickly as possible confess 1t be-
fore all who journeycd with him, and
doubtless he would preach Christ to many,
for he could not keep the good news to
himself.
81. IF thou bclievest with all thine
heart, thou mayest." This is the one only
essential to salvation, that Christ be truly
received in the heart. "If thou shalt con-
fess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and
shalt believe in thine heart that God hath
raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved" (Rom. x, 81. To believe on Him
is to receive Him John i, 12), and If He
be not truly received there Is no saving
faith q John v, 12)
3S. The driver Of the chariot and other
attendants may have overheard and undCr-
stood the whole conversation. They cor
tainly now beheld that which the treasurer
could moro fully explain to them as they
went on their way. Whether tho one bap-
tizcd was immersed or had tho water
poured upon him does not clearly appear.
If those who think that immersion is the
| ln,,n md hnnr with