The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-08-26
4 SABBATH SCHOOL lesson.
rrfRNATloNAl LESSON COMMENTS
FOR AUGUST -.

LII, 10 commentary ON the Doy'l
Lesson BY the Rev. ID. II. stsarns
q. after these things were ended. Paul
.rposed in the spirit to 60 to Jerusalem,
rripg. After have been there must also
:. Rome" Our last lesson in the Acts
~ Paul at Corinth, where he continued Z
s.sr and six months teaching the word oi
Sod. He then returned to Antioch In Syria,
slipc Ephesus, Cesarea and Jerusalem on
=. way. After some time spent at Antioch
S,ul started on his third missionary tour,
soips through Galatia and Phrygia till he
ssme to Ephesus, where he had left Aquila
.,omised to return, God willing (chapter
,rill., 2D. He tarried at Ephesus over
no wears (xix., 10; Xxx, 3I, and all the
,,oyince Of Asia heard the word OF the kord
Isus. so that many believed, the name of
,se Lord Jesus was magnifled, the word OF
GOd grew nightly and prevailed. and
Soussnds OF dollars worth OF bad books
~re burned. Here begins our lesson.
u "His purpose was to 60 through
vscedonia and Achaia, where he had been
N his previous tour, but he still tarries in
.Sa a season while he sends Timotheus and
r,astus ahead Of him into Macedonia. In
shture lesson we shall have his testimony
~ 10 his labors in Asia. Whether sojourn-
nC
nat Christ should be magnifled In him and
hat he might better know Him (phil. L.,
~ Ill., 10).
*. "And about that time there arose no
mail stir concerning the way" OR. w. In
me margin OF chapter tx, 2, this way Is
,alled "The Way" See also In the II. v.
chapters XIX, Q; xii, 4; XIV, IA, %. Jesus
HIMSELF said, II am the Way" Jas. XIV, 81.
Ia Ps. cxix., 1, We read, blessed are the
rndenled in the way who walk In the law
Sthe Lord. 1t Is heavenly way, but very
narrow, and few there be that find It. 1t is
n Hin, and with Him and excludes all that
not Of Him.
a rs. "sirs. ye know that by this craft
vsehsve our wealth." This is the begin
ninc Of the address of Demetrius, a silver
ypth, 10 his fellow workmen, whom he had
called together. His theme was their craft
Or trade or manner OF making money, a
ublect which will get an interested audi.
oce almost any time. Witness the labor
EXAMINATIONS and the strikes often as
,Ociated Herewith In our own day. What
ever will seem 70 turn moro money into
pcOple's pockets - apt to be an interesting
nbiect.
%. mot alone ut Ephesus, but almost
hrpughout all Asia, this Paul hath per-
rsded and turned away much people"
What good testimony to Paul, or rather
10 the Spirits work through Paul, In the
name OF the Lord Jesus The Lord, through
him. had turned many from idols unto God
n Thess l., 81, so many that the idol busi-
ness was suffering severely. and those In
krested were greatly stirred.
n. mot only this our craft Is In danger
bbe set at nought, but also that the tenn
pe OF the great goddess Diana should be
do 70 hav y,
nagnihcence that all the world worshiped,
despised, for what would oil the world ever
DO without Diana2 Yet three men dared
to odespise Nebuchadnezzars image, which
ali the world worshiped, and the time will
come when many will dare to despise
another image, which nll the world will
Worship (Rev. kill, 8, 15), choosing death
nther than such favor.
8. "And when they heard they were
hl OF wrath and cried out, saying, Great
b Diana Of the Ephesians.' Thendas
bOssted himself to be somebody; Simon
The sorcerer gave out that himself was
some great one; the coming antichrist will
proclaim that he himself Is God, and many
will believe it, and great will be his wrath
iganst all who oppose him. The devil will
gather the armies Of earth against God both
Gthe beginning and end of the next thou.
Lamb, for He is King Of kings and Lord OF
lords Qlev. XIX, 10; Xxx, s; xviii, ID; II
Thess. H., 4, 81.
%. "And the whole city was filled with
confusion" Confusion and chaos are not
the work Of God, but Of the devil, whether
10 an individual or In household or in
the world, and therefore some think that
the wOrS OF the devil may be seen as far
back In the Bible story as Gen. l., 2; that
In the beginning God must have created
all things good and that an enemy was re-
ponsible for the chaos Of verse 2.
50, 81. Paul would willingly have stood
BY his friends, who for his sake and for
Christ's sake were in danger, but his friends
would not suffer him. He had already been
stoned and left for Dead and he was ready
any time to die for Christ (xiv., ~; xxi,
D). 1t was never with him q thought OF
PERSONAL comfort, but only Of how he could
magnify Christ. Sometimes we are COM
PEELED BY circumstances to go forward when
We would fain keep back and sometimes to
keep back when we would fain go forward.
The way OF rest Is to do what you can-go
Forward II the way opens, and, IL not, stay.
DO as occasion serve thee. for God Is with
thee Sam. K, y. Trust Him to manage
everything, and believe that He does, and
We quiet and confident.
". Some therefore cried one thing, and
.ome another, for the assembly was con-
fused, and the more part knew not where
IOte they were como together" This was
mol an assembly Of believers, but OF the
worlds people, the enemies OF God, and
!e'h Is fair description OF the 80 called
sAurch OF to-day, for the preachers are cry
Mg one thing and another, and it might be
sh ssa mat the most Of those who go to
enurch once o week know not wny they 60
what they really do believe.
%. And they drew Alexander out OF the
MManIitude, the Jews putting him forward"
=. ~, lnis was the same Alexander as he Of III
I'm, w., H. Alexander the coppersmith,
M ,aen tne smiths were right in their squab-
on @ shversmiths and coppersmiths (verse
- Oh IN other words, 1t was business and
,aviatry versus Christ. It certainly should
SSI ~. W. so that business should be against
tSu'st, but 1t is too much the case, and will
very decidedly so at the time Of His
WILL ll-l6)
AZ a. when they knew that he was Jew,
1" l". WIN one voice, about the space OF two
r.t, rtts, cried out, Great Is Diana Of the
ipuesians.' How few cry out, "Great Is
.No sus OF Nazarethr' yet Him hath God ex.
iseH NV (Acts ", 3D, and Him alone, giving
.ha.,s n name. and at His name every knee
souia so~ DOW (Phil. H., 0, 1O. The time will
H,r Hme wnen oil who exalt themselves against
.la m snail bs brought down, and the Lord
~ taVae exalted In that Therefore II Is wise
~o'.'s Sease from men whose breath Is In his
n. s,''is ", and to behold the Lord Elsa. H., II.
s~' D.-Lesson Helper.
When