Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-10-08

Text of the Lesson, Acts xxi, 1890 Menu
DRY Verses. 22-24 Colden Text, Pet ~,
1G - Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
stearns.
II, Is. make haste and get thee quick
ly out of Jerusalem, for they will not re-
ceive thy testimony concerning Me" In
our last lesson Paul was on his way to
Jerusalem in spite Of the Spirits warning
that he should not go (chaptcr xxi, 1, II,
12). He had not been many days in Je-
rusalem when the Jews of A sia laid hold Of
him in the temple, drew him out and
would have killed him had he not been
rescued by the chief captain with band
of soldiers and carried into the castle He
asked permission of the captain to speak
to the people, and having obtained it he
addressed them in Hebrew from the castle
stairs He described his former life and
the manner Of his conversion, and has now
come to the Lords message to him at .Je-
rusalem. The child of God who is willing
to be wholly the Lord $. may be sure of
the Lords guidance in all things and if it
should be necessary an angel from heaven
or the Lord Himself will see to it,
10, 90. And l said, Lord, they know
that / imprisoned and beat in every syna-
gogue them that believed on Thee" 1t is
all right for us to confess to God all our
sins, but it is not for us to argue or reason
with Him when He commands us to do
anything or 90 anywhere. He knows
where and how He can make the most use
of us. He knows who will receive testi-
mony through this one or through that
one, and it is for us TO say "Here am I,
send me where Thou wilt and when Thou
wilt"
p. "And He said unto me, Depart, for
1 will send thee far hence unto the gen
tiles" We cannot expect the fun blessing
of the Lord unless we are ready for that
work TO which He las called us (Acts xiii
p. May it not be that many ministers
who cannot seem to find AN open door at
home are being called far hence to some Of
the millions who have ncV err heard of Christ
and cannot hear till some one shall tell
them? Let each Christian ask, "Am
really willing and obcdiont and does my
heart say honestly, Lord, what wilt thou
have me to dog -
%. AWAY with such follow from the
earth, for it is not fit that ~ should live.
That the same privileges should he set be.
fore uncircumcised gentiles as before cir
cumciscd Jews WAS to them intolerable,
and it was for this same thing that Peter
was called to account Chapter xi, ?, ~.
am not sure but the same spirit in d worse
form is seen today when people of one
/ church or denomination look down upon
and make little of work not done by them
selves. The ambition Of churches or boards
or societies to excel each other instead of
all uniting to honor Christ and complete
His church is tainted with the same spirit
23, "a. The chief captain commanded
that he should be examined by scourging,
that he might know wherefore they cried
so against him" Paul had been speaking
| in Hebrew xxi, %, of which language
probably neither captain, centurions nor
soldiers understood word, and the idea
was that a little suffering might bring from
him "A confession of his wrongdoing Paul
was certainly having rough time of it,
for he had been beaten by the Jews xxi,
32) and was now threatened with scourg-
ing by the gentiles.
25. "Is it lawful for you to scourge
man that is "a Roman and uncundemned?'
This he said to the centurion who stood by
while the soldiers bound him with thongs
preparatory to scourgng him. While Paul
was willing tn suffer all that was necessary
for Christ's sake. and uniustly, too, here
was something wholly uncallod for. from
which his Roman citizenship might deliver
him. am writing this on the north Pa
clfic ocean on my way To Japan as | start
on my tour round the world for Him THAI
l serve. | carry with me "a passport from
the secretary Of state of the uitcd States
governments asking all nations rot only to
allow me safely and freely to pass, but in
case of need to give me all lawful aid and
protection As a child OF God and citizen
of heaven feel free to accept and carry
this and use it as occasion may require.
feeling no lack of faith in So doing.
26. Take heed what thou doest. for
this man is Roman. Thus said the
centurion to the captain As far as heaven
is above the earth, SO far are the privileges
of heavenly citizenship above all those Of
earth. The devil could not touch Job,
neither could he have Simon Peter with
out asking permission of God (Job j, 10;
Luke xxi, 81, K. W, and he that touch
eth II child Of God toucheth the apple of
His eye Czech. H. So Let Us rejoice in
our heavenly privileges and walk worthy
of them.
81. "Then the chief captain came and
said unto him, Tell me- art thou "a Roman
He said, Yea" So II believer should be-
ready always to give to every one that ask
eth as definite an answer concerning his
| standing in Christ. Paul did not think
or hope that he was u Roman citizen.
He knew it and said yes. Any one who
has truly accepted Christ is accepted in
Him and has redemption, oven the for
giveness of sins (Eph. l. i, -, and should
never hesitate to confess it To the glory of
Cod 1t is not honoring to God to think
or hope that we are saved We should
know it Il John Y, II, l3), and live it and
ever gladly acknowledge it.
%. And the chief captain answered,
With a great sum obtained this freedom.
And Paul said But l was freeborn." The
heavenly citizenship cannot be bought by
money, or good works, or any merit what
ever on our part Neither their silver nor
their gold shall be able to deliver them"
"Not by works of righteousness, which We
have done" (Zeph. i, Is; Titus iii, o. See
also Rom. iy, o; Eph. H. s, g. The only
way to become child of God, an heir Of
God and "A citizen of heaven is by new
birth, a birth from above, even as our
Lord said in John iii, 3, D, 2, and be-
lieve careful study Of Jas. /, Is; Pet.