The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-10-30
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON v, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, OCT. 81.
Text CT the Lesson, Acts xvii, 13-26-Mem-
ory Verses, 21-25 - Golden Text, Acts
xvii, s5-Commentary by the Rev. ID. M.
Stearns

xvii, s5-Commentary by the Rev. ID. M.
stearns.
10. "And when the south wind blew |
softly, supposing that they had obtained |
their purpose, loosing thence they sailed |
close by Crete" Paul, with Aristarchus,
former fellow traveller, and afterward a |
fellow prisoner (Acts xix, go; Col w. 10). |
is now at sea on his way to Rome. They |
touched at Sidom and thence near Cyprus |
to Myra on the mainland of Lycia In Asia |
Minor. There he was transferred to "a ship |
of Alexandria bound for Italy, and after
many days of slow sailing rounded the east
end of Crete and reached the Fair Ravens,
on the south coast of Crete. Here they
spent much time, until Paul advised them
not to venture farther on account of the
season, but the master and owner and the
majority advised to try and reach the port
of Phenice, little farther west I'm Crete,
and winter there. So with light wind
they started, keeping as near the land as
possible Paul is in the hands, humanity
speaking, of those who know not God but
he is really in the hands of God and can
trust Him to manage.
IA, 10. A mighty wind from the land
arose against which the ship could not bear
up, and they were compelled to let her run
before it. Was this of God or the devil that
they were thus driven out to seaY We know
that satan is the prince of the power of the
air and that he caused the wind that blew
down the house upon Jobs children and
killed them dob i. IL. l9), but he could not
do Ii without God permission. God con-
trolls the angels who control the winds, and
even the stormy wind fulfills His word
(Rev. vii, /; Ps. cxlviii, g.. We must sec
God alone
16, IL The storm increased. Under the
lee of the island of CLAUDIA they get tho
small boat on board which had evidently
been towing astern. They somehow under
grid the ship, then lower the sail and let
her drive under bare poles. What about
the condition of the passengers among the
276 souls on boardS Verse 81 Sailors are
not supposed to feel anything, never to
know they are sick till they are dead, but
many ordinary people do get awfully sick
| in storm. This must have been sad
ship. And yet there were some on it very
der to the Lord Jesus.
Is, 10. Exceedingly tossed with tenn
| pest" Well, there is no use to say word
about this unless you have been in such
circumstances yourself. 1t was bad case,
and many doubtless wished that there was
no more sea (f3ev. xxi, y. Yet even under
such circumstances the Prince of Peace can
control ones heart. In health or sickness,
life or death, we can be quiet in His Low
ing care.
20. "All hope that we should be saved
| was then taken away" Surely they were
at their wits ond (Ps evil, 30, or, as in
the margin, "All their wisdom was swal-
| - ha IN wa &c fn a c hnma N
eyes could see, utterly hopeless. 1t makes
one think of the sinner having no hope
and without God in the world (Eph ii,
12), or, as in Rom.v, 8, without strength. "
But there is Saviour for the lost, and only
for SUCH He said, 81 came not to call the
righteous, but sinners, to repentance.
81. "But after long abstinence Paul
stood forth in the midst of them" They
had tasted for IA days Verse 33), and must
| have felt forlorn indeed and ready for u
word of comfort from any one who might
have it for Them None but God could
help or comfort them, and His servant is
ready to BIO the messenger He Is the Fa
ther of mercies and the God of all com
fort (II Cor. i, -, but we cannot fully ap
preciate 1t or Him till we get into strait
places.
%. And now / exhort you to be Of
good cheer, for there shall be no loss OF
any mans life among you, but of tn,
Ship" He emphasized it by adding
"There shall not an hair fall from the
head of any Of you" and he took bread
and gave thanks to God in the presence OF
them all and began to eat oversees 81, 35).
80 "For there stood by me this nigh
the angel of God, whose am and whom
serve" This and the next two verses arr
nv l
to me the very heart of this lesson. Taxi
the words, "God, whose / am, and thinl
of what is included. His property, which
He will certainly care for His child, whom
He will certainly see to, loved by the Lore
Jesus as the Father loves Him (John XIV
81, bought with the precious blood o
Christ and therefore as precious to God a
that blood is; part of Christ Himself,
member of His body. We need not hest
tate to say, 1.-THE most high God, the pos
SCISSOR of heaven and earth, owns me, ant
take all the comfort there is for us. TheI
consider "whom l serve" and remembe
that we cannot serve God and Mammon
neither can we serve Christ and pleas
men (NIath. vi, "a; Gal. i, 10.
"a. "Saying, Fear not, Paul! Tho'
must be brought before Caesar, and, 10
God hath given thee all them that sail witt
thee" This Is a confirmation of the Lord
testimony to him in Jerusalem-"Tho'
must bear witness at Rome" (chapter xiii
~. The Lords "musts" are us sure a
, God Himself, whether eye must be borl
, again" or "all things must be fulfilled.
Every purpose of the Lord shall be per
formed, and all His thoughts shall come &
, pass (Jer. H. 90; lisa. xiv, 24). 1t was tn
, Lords purpose that Paul should be Hi
witness at Rome, and therefore it was a
good as done, although in this storm every
thing seemed against 1t. How blessed ar
the "fear nots'' of God from the first on
in Gen. XIV, /, to the last in Revelation
His perfect love casts out all fear, and tn
soul that rests in Him can truly say, "Wha
time am afraid will trust In Thee a" -
will trust and not be afraid"
25. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer
for l believe God, that 1t shall be even a
/. IL was told me- Verse A says, And S
Il came to pass" Whatever God says Is a
sure as II it had already come to pass, s.
we should say continually, 81 believe God.
The first "bclieve" in the Bible Is In Gen
XIV. 8, where 1t is said of Abraham, He be
lieyed In the Lord, and He counted It Z
him for righteousness. 1t might be lit