The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1897-03-11
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON XI, FIRST QUARTER, tNTER
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH IA.

/, 2 We last heard of Saul making
havoc of the church at Jerusalem after the
martyrdom of Stephen We still find him
in the same spirit of enmity against
Christ and His followers, but now he is
reaching out to other cities, even to Damas-
Gus, with authority from the high priest
to arrest and bring to Jerusalem all such
disciples of the Lord as ne might find.
They are spoken of men and women OF
the way (see margin), reminding Us OF
Christ's own words, Il am the way
(John xiv, O.. God thus far suffers Saul
to be satans agent in purifying HIS
church. Not even satan can touch q child
of God without Gods permission Dob i,
10; Zech. ii, 81, and when the adversary
is allowed to try the people of God either
directly or by human instrumentality, we
are to see only the hand of God and re-
member Rom. viii, rs, 20 See Ps. xvii,
IA; lxxvi, 10; Dan. xi, 80; xii, 10; Rev.
ii, 10, as very helpful.
8, T. ''Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou
Mes'' Thus far and 10 farther is heavens
decree for Saul, and now He who loved
him in all his sin and who had suffered
him thus far in his deviiish work arrests
Him as be is about to enter Damascus. The
light from heaven smites him to the earth,
and the voice from heaven enters his soul
The light was brighter than the sun at
MONDAY, and the voice Spake IN the He
brew language (chapter XVI, -. 40. All
the party saw the light and fell to the
earth in fear, but Saul alone heard the
words which were spoken, for they were
only for him.
s. ssWho art thou, Lord? 1 am Jesus,
whom thou persecutest.' - In one of Saul's
accounts of this he gives the Lord sanswer
as 81 am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou
persecutest" (chapter xii, s. In all Sauls
life he had never heard anything so star
Ting upsetting as this. He verify be-
lieved that he was doing right in the sight
of God in prosecuting these followers of
one whom the highest authorities had put
to death as blasphemer. See his own
testimony in chapters xxi and XVI
g. Lord, what wilt Thou have me to
do?'' He is full of trembling and astonish-
ment, but in a moment he sees that he has
been all wrong and the prosecuted ones
have been right He seems sincerely hum
bled and by the spirit confesse5 that Jesus
is Lord q Cor. xii, 81. He is told to go
on to Damascus and await orders. The
''What wilt Thou?'' of this verse and the
f'Where wilt 1hou?'' of Luke xxi, 8, when
sincerely addressed to the Lord, will not
fail to obtain sure guidance
Z. 1t is evident that those with Saul
heard a sound of words, but it is also evil
dent, from chapter xxi, Q, that they heard
not the words spoken. Something of the
same kind is written in Dan. Y, 10. 1t
is sometimes asked if those who are left
when the church is taken shall hear the
Lords voice or see the event. Perhaps the
records concerning Daniel and Saul may
give some light.
s, 9. Three days in Damascus, blind and
fasting and awaiting a further message
from the Lord! What remembrances, what
persistence, what Something's OF heart, what
humbling before God, what light from
heaven must have shone in his soul dur
ing those days of outward darkness! How
he would think of what Stephen saw and
said and of the patience and faith of 9th
ers who had suffered for Christ through
himl The Lord was dealing wondrously
with him, but, oh, so lovingly, by His
Spirit and His word.
10. ''The Lord knoweth them that are
His and He knoweth them by name" Oh
Tim ii, 10; lisa. xiii, j. He could send
an angel to do His bidding, as He often
has done, for they excel in strength and
do His commandments, hearkening unto
the voice of His word. They are His min
listers who do His pleasure FPS. CHI, 20,
80, but He sees fit to use human instru-
mentality and calls Philip in Samaria
or an Ananias in Damascus to do His bid
ding. If we hold ourselves ready for any
manner of service wholly at His COM
mandment q Chron. xviii, 21), He will
surely show us His way for and guide
us into the good works prepared before
hand (Eph.- ii, 1O).
IL, IL. Ananias is sent to the street and
the house, and the person is named to
whom he is to go, and his occupation at
the time is also mentioned. Ananias is
also told what Saul sees as he prays. Let
US not forget nor fail to believe that God
is thus intimately acquainted with each of
us. Our ways and words and thoughts,
both in the darkness and the light, are all
known to Him ops. cxxxix, 1-12; Eek,
ri, 81; therefore let our honest prayer be,
Search me, o God, and know my heart;
try me and know my thoughts. -
II. 1t must have been another new ex-
perience for Saul to have a disciple of
Jesus put his hands upon him and address
him as Brother SAUL but 1 am sure he
did not feel like knocking him down for
thus addressing him, though I once heard
minister of the gospel, in good standing
among men, say that he would like to
treat a man that way who would call him
brother. y True humility is never vexed
nor irritated, but is at rest when nobody
praises, or even when blamed or despised.
IS. He received sight, he was filed with
the Spirit, and confessed Jesus as Lord in
baptism. He is a new man, a new crea-
ton, old things are passed away and all
things are become new I'll Cor. V, Ia. He
is crucified with Christ and risen with
Christ to new life. Although he still
Christ Jesus who now lives in him as
Lord (Gal ii, 20). He has become blind
to all but Jesus Christ. He knows no other
master. He has heart only for Him and
a body that is henceforth wholly at His
disposal
10. He partook of food and was strength
ened and continued some days with the
disciples at Damascus. Every disciple
would soon hear of it; it would spread far
and wide that the great prosecutor had
become disciple of Christ Many would
want to see for themselves before they
could believe such thing, and even the
disciples at Jerusalem would not at first
believe that he was a disciple Verse 26).
Many of us are apt to believe that some
things are too hard for the Lord but We
should remember .Jer. xxi, II; Xxxiii, 3.
90 "And straightway he preached
Christ in the synagogues, that He is the
Son of Cod He increased the more in
strength and spake boldly in the name of
the Lord Jesus, proving that He is indeed
Israels Messiah oversees %, 29). Both at
Damascus and at Jerusalem the enemies
of Christ sought to kill him, but God took
care of His chosen vessel and for time
sent him to his home in Tarsus As wit
nesses for Christ we must shine for Him
among those who know us best.
The Force of Example.
Little Mary was invited to take tea
with some old ladies and set off laden
with much good advice as to behavior
When she returned, tired, but happy,
her mother inquired whether she had
been polite.
"Oh, yes, mamma, she replied.
"And, oh, mamma, we had jam for teal
You know that you said was not to
take anything a second time, so when
they asked me to have some more I