Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-05-14
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VII, SECOND QUARTER, IN
TERNATlONAL SERIES, MAY 10.

documentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
stearns.
The power of God was so manifest in
His word through the apostles at Antioch
that the next Sabbath almost the whole
city came together to hear the word of
God xiii, Az. This filled the Jews with
such envy that they contradicted and
blaspheme1 and raised such persecution
against Paul and Barnabas that they were
expelled from the city; not, however, be-
fore many believed and were filled with
joy and with the Holy Ghost, and were en-
couraged to continue in the grace of God.
From Antioch they went to 1conium, and
so spake that a multitude both of Jews
and Greeks believed. but they were COM
PEELED by persecution to flee from there
also, and so came to Lystra and Derbo
and preached the gospel During the
preaching a man who was lame from his
birth and had never walked was perfectly
healed by the Lord through Paul, and here
our lesson begins.
II. 1.-THE gods are come down to us in
the likeness of men," These were the
words of the people when they saw the
man that had been lame leaping and walk
| ing They saw a supernatural event in the
healing of this impotent man, and know
ing only of the mythical gods, such as Ju-
piter and Mcrcurius, Of which Jupiter was
the supreme god of the Greeks and Ro-
mans and Mercury the god of eloqucnce,
they supposed that their gods had actually
visited them. Let us alter their words just
a little, "God has come down to us in the
! likeness OF man. and what glorious
truth we have, and one fully proved by
John i, IA; l Tim. iii. Is; Heb. ii, IA.
II. "And they called Barnabas Jupiter
and Paul Mercurius because he was the
chief speaker - Canon Faussct says that
the mythology of Ovid represented Mer
GURUS as having once visited Phrygia with
Jupiter, his father and having been re
fused hospitality by all but two old peas
ants Hence the simple people of Lystra
supposed, from the miracle on the cripple
that Paul and Barnabas were these two
gods again come to earth.
10. 1t was the supernatural power man
Tested through the apostles which caused
these people to attempt to worship them
We may not perhaps have the working of
miracles of healing seen in us, for the
Spirit divides His gifts to every one sever
ally as He will Il Cor. xii, ~, but we may
all be filled with the Spirit and manifest
in us the supernatural life of meekness
ing, with joyfulness, to the glory of God.
IA. "They rent their clothes and ran in
among the people, crying out" While we
should earnestly desire the manifestation
of Christ in us we should also tremble
lest we get any credit for it. The Lord
alone must be exalted and no flesh glory
in His presence. Most of us are too prone
to enjoy little honor and flattery but it
must not be tolerated. "See thou do it
not; worship God, " must be our word.
Is Turn from these vanities unto the
living God. " Assuring the people that
they were but men of like passions with
themselves, men such as themselves but
for the grace of God, they told them of the
one true and living God, the Creator of all
things. l have been greatly interested in
noticing how often the first verse in all
Scripture is used by prophets and apostles
US for example, in Deut X, IA; Neh.
tx, 8; lisa. Xiv, pa; Jer. X, 1912; xxi,
II; Acts iv, "a, etc, and the connections
in which they use it, and l believe we dc
not sufficiently consider it.
16. "Who in times past suffered all ma
tions to walk in their own ways" While
He draws us unto Himself and would have
US set apart for Himself, ""kept for Jesu:
Christ, " ga special people unto Him, -
yet if we insist on our own ways He will
suffer us, TO our eternal loss in many re
spects While He is not willing that any
should perish, but that all should repent
and be saved, yet if people insist upon re
jecting His love He will let them FPS Xxx
lila; ii Pet Iii, 8; ii Cor ii, 10, 49,
II. Nevertheless He left not Himselt
without witness His eternal power ant
Godhead are seen in the works of Hi,
hands and in HIS great goodness to all, 81
that all are without excuse (Rom. /, 20
21). Paul would direct their minds to tn,
goodness of God manifest in His daily
mercies 10 all, for all may truly say: Il
Is of the Lords mercies we are not con
sumed because His compositions fail not
They are new every morning (Lam. iii
20, 23l
is. And with these sayings scarce Pe
strained they the people, that they had no
done sacrifice unto them " They SBw Pau
and Barnahas, but not Jesus Christ. The,
saw the ulirncle, hut not God Only TIN
opened eyes can see God, but He is willin,
to open the eyes of all who will turn Il
Him. Only the unwilling must stay blind
Eye will not come unto meN' (John " 40.
IA And there came thither certain
Jews from Antioch and Iconium, VIII
persuaded the people, and having stoneS
Paul drew him out of the city, supposins
he had been dead" \ persevering devi
goeth about seeking TO destroy. If he can
not get the soul, he will do his best TO xii
the body; but this we are told not TO fea
(Math. Y, PSI, for the breaking of tn
body only sets the spirit free to DO witt
Christ. Paul was to all intents dead
though in speaking of this experience h
says twice, whether in the body or out o
the body cannot tell; God knoweth' q
Cor. xii, g 3D.
20, "Howbeit, us the disciples stooC
round about him, he rose up and came int
the city, and the next day he departeC
with Barnabas TO Derbe. " l do not doub
that the vision described in II Cor
xii, Ia, was his actual experience Will
they Were dragging his seemingly lifeles
body out of Lystra and by this experience
he was fitted for greater and better thing
for his Lord and Master, concerning whom
he could say, Whose 1 am, and whom
serve" (Acts xvii, 23).
81. and when they had preached tn
pOSDal 10 TINT CITY and had tauQht many