Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-07-07

safely. o. Who. having received such a
charge. thrust them into the inner prison
and made their feet fast in the stocks.
%. And at midnight Paul and Silas pray
ed, and sang praises unto God: and the
prisoners heard them. %. And suddenly
there Wa a great earthquake so that
the foundations of the prison We're shak-
en-: and Immediately all the doors were
opened, and every ones bands were loossd.
y. And the keeper of the prison awaking
out of his sleep, and seeing the prison
doors open. he drew out his sword, and
would have killed himself. supposing that
the prisoners had been fed. 49, sBut Paul
cried with a loud voice, saying, DO thy
self no harm: for we are all here. ~.
Then he called for a light, and sprang in,
and came trembling. and fell down befor,
Paul and Silas. 50. And brought them
out. and said. Sirs, what must l do TO
be saved? 81. And they said, Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ. and thou shalt be
saved, and thy house. SO. And they spake
unto him the word of the Lord, and to all
that were in his house. SO. And he took
them the same hour or the night, ana
washed their stripes: and was baptized.
he and all his, straightway. 81 And
when he had brought them into his house.
he set meat before them, and rejoiced,
believing in God with all his house.
Time-A. d. So Shortly after the events
of last lesson. Place-The court of jus
tice and prison in Philippi. Connecting
LinkS-Soft the steps with which
Christianity entered the fair fields of Eu-
rope, and kindly as the welcome given to
ii then. Ii soon met with its usual lot.
IL soon awakened close attention, reused
strong opposition. and i'm the midst of
persecution indicated its power AS Paul
and his associates were going to the
meeting place by the river side they were
In hx few la ctaN
who was possessed by a spirit of divina-
ton. She was the property of a company
who derived large gains from her Sooth-
saving arts. Whether because he was
annoyed and disturbed when talking in
the proseucha by her shrill cries and wild
distortions, was stirred TO action by pity
for her sufferings or filled with holy in
diGnation at the misrepresentation of his
work which her witness was likely to
produce. he commanded the spirit TO come
out of her. The command was instantly
obeyed. All Philippi was thrown into 4
ferment. The wrathful masters dragged
the preachers into the Forum. AS they
could not sue for damages for the de-
probation of their property by eXorcism
three other charges We're preferred. They
were Jews. They troubled the city. They
taught an unlawful religion. The Inagis-
trates. without any regard to the forms
OF Justice, ordered the lictors TO strip and
scourge them: after cruel treatment Paul
and Silas were thrown into the inner
prison. at dead of night the sufferers
made the dungeon resound with prayer
and praise. Then came the EARTHQUAKES
crash. opening the doors and bursting the
letters. Paufs presence of mind saved
the ja:ler from suicide. To his troubled
question Paul responded with an answer
which contains the whole marrow OF the
Gospel. The new life which came to him
the instruments of his salvation.
The Roman Prison must be conceived
of as something very different from our
own. Ii contained interior cells of eX-
ceptionai strength. Like the Tullianum
at Rome, these were probably under
ground and hence dark. damp, cold. pes
tilential dungeons. The word 'sprang in
(verse 29) seems in the Greek to imply,
Il springnS down into a subterranean'
cell The stocks were so constructed that
the legs could be drawn apart at the will
of the jaler and eXcruciating torture
caused The original makes ii clear that
the jailer's house was over the prison.
Truths from the Lesson.-l. PRISON.
may become a sanctuary. Many confess
sors since those early days have been
encouraged by the example of Paul and
Silas to sing the midnight hymn. 2. Con-
version came in different ways. The
heart of the jailer was opened like his
own prison shaken by earthquake and
trembling with shock. Other cases like
I.ydia's are as the opening rose touched,
by the dew and expanding in the sun
beam g. There is only one way of saliva;
ton Trust i'm Jesus is the one COM
mand and works of love are the signs OF
saving faith. 4. In family religion there
is great Joy. Happy is 1t when all in
the household tread the same path to
heaven.
Lesson Hymn:
Let us keep steadfast guard with lighted
hearts all night.
That when Christ comes, we stand pre-
pared, and meet him with delight.
At midnight's season chill lay Paul and
Silas bound
BOUND and in prison sang they still. and
singing, freedom found.
Our prison is this earth, and yet we sing
TO thee:
Break sins strong letters lead US forth.
set US, believing, free!,
-Breviary.