Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-03-11

Lesson for March II.
Golden Text.-"This Is a faithful say
ing, and worthy of all acceptation, that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners. ~. Tim. i: Is.
The subject of this lesson Is Saul, the
Prosecutor, Converted, and the text Is
found in Acts 8: 1-12, 1920. For nearly
all the rest of the year we shall be study
ing about Paul. We are to study one of
the pivotal events of history; one of the
greatest triumphs of the gospel; the spir-
itual birth of one of the creates. of Chris.
tians. May it not be wise to try 10 get a
fresh view of that great event, reading
Paups own accounts of 1t as given in two
of his speeches in Acts %: Gil and 70:
1920, as well as the lesson; and to en-
deavor TO make Saul real man to us, by
studying what we know of his early life,
his family, education, and surroundings,
thus getting some impressions of the
greatness of the change which came over
him. Take the three accounts of Saups
conversion, the lesson and the two cited
above, and compare them, noticing diff
ferences to see whether they are any more
numerous than would be natural in relat-
ing the event at three different times sep
arated by a considerable interval of time.
The variations, as q matter of fact, help
to prove the authenticity of the story
rather than the opposite.
1t is impossible to give here a sketch Of
Saurs life up to the time of his conversion,
but 1t is absolutely necessary for the
teacher to get some conception of that
subject before teaching this lesson. The
chapter upon youth and education" in
any life of Paul will give the required in
formation. Stalker's chapter on "Uncon.
scious Preparation for Work" is very sug.
gestive. If no book is accessible, the fol.
lowing passages should be consulted: Phil.
8: 5; Acts 81: 80; 16: 3S; %: %; %: 10;
%: 3; 8: "a; Gal. 1: IA; Rom. z; Acts 20:
IL, o. See also, with regard to the con-
version, Cor. 10: 8, o; 1 Cor. o: /.
Explanatory.
"Saul, yet breathing out threatenings
and slaughter: This young man, whose
very breath was hatred, whose heart, de-
string with the energy of a strong nature
righteousness according to the law as he
understood 1t, is a strange figure. His
spiritual history up to that time, as re-
vealed in the epistles written many years
later, Is necessary to the understanding of
this paradox-an intense seeker of right
eousness who stained his hands with inno-
cent blood in fierce frenzy of persecu-
ton. He ''verily thought" that he sought
to do many things contrary to Jesus" 1t
can hardly be possible that he had not
compunctions of conscience at times and
inward horror of the cruelties which were
the logical necessity for one who follow
ed out his sort of Judaism and legalism
to the letter. But his sincerity, on the
whole, is not to be questioned. His life,
In moral sense, apart from these perse-
cutions, had been outwardly blameless.
Never for a moment does Paul admit the
false doctrine that sin is excused by sin
cerity.
Desired of him letters: He was ap-
parently self-constituted constable, trav-
cling from place to place in his blind zeal
and thirst for Christian blood-"Any of
this way: Way, or The Way, was a
proper name for the Christian religion
during the early times, and is several times
used in the New Testament. 1t arose
doubtless from the common conception Of
the religious life as journay. "A light
from heaven: The time was midday, as
we learn from Acts 20: II, and the light
was "above the brightness of the SUM-"
There was to be no chance of his mistak-
ing the supernatural origin of the light.
''Fell to the earth: he was probably
mounted, though possibly walking.
Heard a voice.: which was indrticulate
to his companions. and terrified them ". y
Saul, Saul: the voice was in the Ara
maic language (26: 14), not in the Greek
with which Saul was equally familiar
who art thou. LordT' Opinions will
differ as to the exact progress of Saul's
thoughts during these marvellous mo-
ments. BY Lord" he may have meant
merely to address with term of respect
the unknown celestial speaker; or he may
have already been conquered in spirit by
the question of Jesus, why persecutest
thou meW and may be here acknowledged
hrs full divinity and sovereignty. For the
word Lord" itself does not decide this
question. We may well believe, at any
rate, that If in the first instance the VIC d
bore its simpler significance, as a term of
respect, 1t meant vastly more a moment
later when Saul, trembling and aston
ished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me
TO doY'-''It is hard for thee to kick
against the pricks'': the figure Is of course
clear-tiIat Of an OK kicking against the
goad and thereby wounding itself. II
was familiar proverb.
Teaching Hints.
This 10 the classic sudden conversion
of history. 1t win be well to concentrate
the teaching on this one point: Conver-
sion comes to each man, who is converted
at all, In the way that God thinks best
for him In view of his character and pre-
vious life. This will be illustrated In two
ways: the sudden sort by the case Of Saul
himself, studying especially his long and
severe religious education, which had
made him perfectly familiar with the Old
Testament, it's ideals of righteousness, Its
prophecies of Messiah; his strong will,
which needed to have Its allegiance chang
ed suddenly and completely; his pron0unc-
ed and persistent hatred Of Christ and
Christians, which was not of a sort 10 be
gradually diminished by gentle influence
until he had passed almost unconsciously
from one side to the other. But now
take an opposite illustration, Of a persoA
whose conversion, while just as definite
and of course occurring at definite time,
would not be consciously recognised At
the time; who would experience no vio-
lent wrench of his whole nature, not be
cause he had not sinned, but because early
Christian training had prepared him to
accept forgiveness and the new life as a
natural thing. Such conversions are 10 be
expected In the case of many children and
young people In our churches; and Il n
not an illegitimate use of this lesson. on
a pre-eminently sudden conversion. 10
make the application that the profound
change IL Just AZ real and just a neces-
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