The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1897-02-18
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON vIIl, FIRST QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. 21.

Text of the Lesson, Acts vi. SIS: vii, $500.
Memory Verses, $3.50 - Golden Text,
Rev. ii, IO-Comnentary by the Rev. ID.
NJ. Stearns.
s. ''And Stephen, full of faith and pow
er, did great wonders and miracles among
the people" As days passed on and the
disciples increased, satan increased his zeal
in disturbing the peace. There is muir
muring because some thought they were
neglected in the daily ministration. This
leads to the appointment of a committee
of seven Spirit filled men to see specially
TO the distribution of aims, leaving the
Others free TO give themselves 20 the word
and prayer. The seven were set apart by
prayer and the laying on of hands. Dis
ciples multiplied greatly, and many priests
believed. Stephen, full of faith and of
the Holy Spirit, content to do the humble
work of the committee, led by the
Spirit into greater things, for the humble
shall be exalted
9, 10. f1And they were not able to resist
the wisdom ard the Spirit by which He
spake. . This was in accordance with the
promise of the Lord. Il will give you
mouth and wisdom which all your adver-
saries shall not be able to gainsay nor re-
sist'' duke xxi, 15) There is a power in
the word of God when spoken ny the Spirit
of God, even through ii very weak earthen
vessel, which can be accounted for only by
the fact that God is in His word, and it is
the same word by which He made the
heavens and all their host ops. xxxiii, o..
His word is like fire and a hammer to
break rocks in pieces. He that hath it, let
him speak it faithfully (Jer. xxxiii, %,
29).
II, II. eve have heard him speak bias
phemous words against Moses and against
God" TheNhings that are farthest from
hot ha 10ct
unlikely to be guilty of are just those
which the devil through his agents is apt
to accuse us OF. Think of his calling
Christ a glutton, and of his accusing Him
of being in league with himself, and of
His being crucified as an evildoer. Imagine
Stephen, filled with the Spirit of God, be-
ing guilty of disappearing God. Yet
Christ was accused of the same When
such treatment comes our way, let us be
thankful for fellowship with Christ q
Pet. ii, 2O).
13, IA I'VE have heard him say that
this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this
place" Such was some of the testimony
which the false witnesses bore against
Stephen. The false witnesses said of
Christ that He said He was able to destroy
the temple of God and build it in three
days (AIath. XVI, CD.
Is. ''And all that sat in the council,
looking steadfastly on him, saw his face
as it had been the face of an angel His
Lord was with him and in him, and made
something of His glory to be seen in him.
Perhaps it was somewhat as when the face
of Moses so shone that the people could
not look upon him Eek. XxXiv, 80, 39).
Chapter vii, 81. when they heard these
things, they were cut to the heart, and
they gnashed ON him with their teeth. %
When the false witnesses made their false
accusation, the high priest said to Stephen,
Are these things so?'' (Yii, u. In reply
to this he began Mt the appearance of God
to Abraham and traced the goodness of
God to Israel down to David and Solomon;
then made the nation guilty of the perse-
cution of the prophets, and of the murder
of Christ, aid of not keeping the law of
God. This cut them and led to their
crashing their teeth at Stephen
80. "But he, being full of the Holy
Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven
and saw the glory of God and Jesus stand
ing on the right hand of God Thus he
was unmoved by their anger and needed
not their gnashing teeth. The way of
peace is to Jesus only and always.
Look steadfastly upward and never within
nor around. See 1sa. XII, 10, r. V. mar
gin. Jesus at Gods right hand for us,
and the glory which awaits us are enough
to lift US above all the things we see.
Sc. ''And said, Behold L see the heavens
the right hand of God" Heaven opened
always shows US Christ or His church
either in glory or tribulation. The phrase
is found only seven times in Scripture, the
other six places being in the following
chapters: Eek. i, Math. iii, John i, Acts
<, Rev. iY and xix We are saved by be-
holding Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God
taking away our sins We run with pa
thence and grow in grace only as we look
constantly 10 Him and when we 500 Him
as He is we shall then be forever like Him
(John i, 20; Heb. xii, l, 2; II Cor. iii, IS;
1 John iii, p.
81, So 'FAnd the witnesses laid down
their clothes at young mans feet, whose
name was Saul This is our first intro
duction to one who figures so largely in
the rest of this book and in most of the
epistles to the churches How little he
dreamed that day he minded the clothes
of those who stoned Stephen that he would
ever be most devoted follower of Him
whom Stephen said he saw at Gods right
hand! In after days he must often have
thought of this day and its events. God
had a plan for him to be revealed in due
time. See lisa. XVI, 8, 10; Gal. i, Is, 16.
In His own way and in His own time God
humbled Saul and brought him to Him
self Doubtless Stephens testimony had
something to do with it.
90. 'fAnd they stoned Stephen, calling
upon God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive
my spirit" In Ps. XXI 8, it is written,
Into thine hand L commit my spirit "
These very words said Jesus to His Father
when He died on Calvary, and similar
words says Stephen as he dies. 1t is asked,
Where is the spirit after death? Jesus
Spirit-that is, Jesus Himself out of the
body-was with the Father. Stephens
spirit-that is, Stephen himself out of his
body-was with the Lord Jesus in glory.
Jesus taught in Luke xvi, % %, the con-
scious existence of those who pass out of
the body by death. The same is clearly
taught in Rev. vi, Oil, and in Phil. i, 81,
%; II Cor. V, s. The body sleeps, but not
the soul The nouexistence of a person
between death and resurrection the an
Inhalation of the wicked is not taught in
the Scriptures and cannot be taught from
them without violent perversion of these
passages.
60. ''And he kneeled down and cried
with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to
their charge. And when he had said this
he fell asleep Here is the Spirit of the
Lord Jesus, who said concerning His muir
derers, Father forgive them, for they
know not what they do'' duke xiii, 34).
Stephen then went out to be with his Lord,
and his body slept Paul himself was aft
erward stoned to death and left for dead
But as to his spirit while his body slept or
lay dead, see II Cor. xii, IA. May Paul's
motto be ours, "Christ shall be magnified
in my body, whether it be by life or by
death (Phil. i, 20).
P1ucking Fowls.
Plucking fowls may be easily and quick
ly accomplished in this way: AS soon as
the bird is dead immense it in a pail of
very hot water, the water to cover all the
feathers. One minute is usually long
enough to keep the fowl under hot water.