Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-09-30
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
SERIOUS SUBJECTS CAREFULLY
CONSIDERED.

A Scholarly Exposition Of the Lesson
Thoughts Worthy Of Calm Reflec-
tion-Haif an Hopr's study Of the
scriptures-Time Well Spent.
Lesson for October 8.
Golden Text am ready not to he
bound only, but also to die ut Jerusalem
for the name of the Lord Jesus.'--Acts
21: Ii.
The subject OF this lesson is Paul's Last
Journey to Jerusalem. Acts II: 1-'J.
Explanatory.
Aftcrhis farewell to the Ephcsian elders
Mt Miletus, Paul started Immediately for
Jerusalem. In this lesson we have re-
corded by Luke the story of that journey
1t is not an especially eventful one, but
the account Is well worth study. After
we were gotten from them" The ex-
preston implies the difficulties that Paul.
had In parting from the men who crowded
around him on the bench, reluctant to let
him depart There was no such provision
for passenger transportation in ancient
times as we have now. Travellers must
make their sea journeys either in mer-
chant vessels or in ships belonging to the
government. When the ships were coast
ers, touching at every port, progress was
necessarily slow. Paul was fortunate In
finding at Patta a vessel bound directly
for Tyre.
discovered Cyprus" that is, sighted II.
They sailed past its southern shore. This
voyage of the apostle from Miletus to
Tyre probably occupied about six days
Tyre was great commercial city. IL
had lost something of its ancient glory,
but still had large trade, especially IN
the export Of the famous Tyrian purple
and of glass manufactures.
During the seven days occupied by the
unloading Of the ship, Paul spent his time
hunting up the Christians in the city, and
found among them prophets who warned
him of trouble awaiting him at Jerusalem.
But these warnings had no effect in de-
terring him.
Ptolemais, large town thirty miles
south of Tyre. Its ancient name was
Acco; during the middle ages it was called
st. lean d'Acre, and it was the scene or
many great battles from the crusades
down to Napoleon.
Caesarea, thirty miles south of Ptole-
mails by land. This was the home Of one
whom we have before read of, Philip the
evangelist and deacon, one Of the seven
men appointed by the Jerusalem church
in its early history to distribute aims; and
| the same man who had met the Ethiopian
| eunuch on the desert road and led him to
| knowledge Of Christ.
These four daughters of Philip had the
gift Of prophecy, that is, the utterance Of
messages from supernatural source, not
necessarily or always the prediction Of fu-
tsxrr Il l.. ,.s& sIvAIw
| that in this instance they did predict the
coming imprisonment of Paul, in advance
of the more explicit declaration of Aga
bus. tse. ~. $3.50
This was not the first time Agabus had
| foretold disaster. Notice his prophecy of
the great famine thirteen years before
(Acts IL: 2S). He came all the way from
Judea for the purpose of warning Paul
against the danger that awaited him at
| Jerusalem.
| 1t took no great knowledge of the state
of feeling at Jerusalem to predict that
Paul would be imprisoned there If he PER
sisted in following his usual course Of
preaching. An interesting question arises
as to whether Agabus brought this mes
sage on his own responsibility, or whether
he did so in obedience to genuine divine
command. In the latter case the purpose
would seem to be to test Paurs courage
| and faith.
Lamentation is not always the truest
| sympathy. What Paul needed was not
the tears Of his friends, but their under
standing and encouragement. They
should have known him well enough to
know that he would not turn back in the
face Of danger, and should have repaid his
friendship by quiet acceptance of the sit
uationand helpful cooperation with him
so far as possible.
1t was not until Pau's companions had
failed in their effort to persuade him that
they were ready to say THE will of the
Lord be DONE" If they had felt that way
in the first place, perhaps they would have
saved their arguments.
/ Teaching Hints.
A Christian traveller finds much in his
/ hot To; In, h.