The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1902-04-03

and neither did eat nor drink.
10. And there was a certain disciple at
Damascus, named Ananias; and to him
said the Lord in vision: Ananias AND
he said: Behold, / am here, Lord.
II. And the Lord said unto him: Arise,
and 60 into the street which is called
Straight, and inquire In the house Of Judas
for one called Saul. of Tarsus; for. behold.
he prayeth,
II. And hath seen in a vision man
named Ananias coming In, and putting
his hand on him, that he might receive his
sight. -
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
GOLDEN TENT.-Repent ye there.
fore, and be converted, that your sins
may be bIOtted Out.-Acts 3s10.
Saul Before Conversion. ..............Vs 1-2
He Sees Heavenly Sight........"...Vs. z
He Hears Voice ...................Ns. Al
His Three Days Blindness.........Vs S-9
Ananias Sent to Saul. lO-ls
Saul After Conversion .............Vs. lS-ol
Saul Before Conversion.-Wea are not
told very much concerning Saul prior
to his conversion, but the brief
glimpses we are allowed give us pref
ty fair clew to his character. These
glimpses of Saul are from Acts $500, in
Acts ST., Acts S:3, and in the first two
verses of this lesson. The first two
of these references show Saul in the
band of those who stoned the
disciple Stephen, and Saul was con-
senting unto his DEATH" In S:3 we are
told Saul made havoc of the
church." Acts 9:1 shows Saul "breath-
ing out threatenings and slaughter
against the disciples of the Lord" We
do not need to infer from these pas
sages that Saul PauD was particu.
larly bloodthirsty. He was an enthu-
siastic, jealous partisan of the Jewish
traditions, "pharisee of the phari-
sees" (see Phil. 3:4, 81. The teachings
of Jesus concerning Himself, and con-
cerning the kingdom of God, which He
came to found, brought into strict con-
trast and opposition those leaders of
thought who stood for the old tradi-
tions and for the precepts of the rab-
bis.
lie Sees Heavenly Light.-Upon
one of his missions of persecution Saul
comes face to face with the fact that
he has not been doing right. Before
he thought he had. But his whole con-
science had not yet been awakened.
He had been cropping in the darkness.
A great light suddenly appears. 1t was
a light, the like of which had never
before appeared to him, light "above
the brightness Of the SUM-" 1t was
no earthly light, but light from
Heaven.
He Hears Voice.-Then he hear rd
n voice; 1t was no earthly voice, but
like the light, from Heaven: "Saul
Saul, why persecutest thou me?" II
is a curious, but convincing, proof
that the voice was from Heaven from
the fact that Saul Immediately per
ceived that it was the voice of The
Lord, but the speaker was such Z
Lord as Saul had not known, for h,
said: "Who art thou, Lord~ TIL,
voice came again: 81 am Jesus, whom
thou persecutest." Saul's next ques
tion was the natural one for a stron,
man to ask. II this was indeed tn
Lord, the Master, it was for Saul I,
obey. So he asks: what wilt tho,
have me to do?" But It was not We
for Saul to learn. First he was to e
to Damascus and have a session I,
readjust his ideas and his own If
to his new experience.
His Three Days Blindness.-Durin
the next three days Saul had plent
Of time and opportunity to thin
things over. The Lord he had though
he had been serving by persecutin
the disciples of Jesus, he had foun
to be Jesus Himself. Here was sor
conflict, sure enough. He was thre
days without sight. but with the ten
, porary loss of sight came spiritus
vision.
Ananias Sent to Saul.-Ananias wa
disciple. TO him came vision @
Saul in his struggle toward the ligh
At the command of God he went {
this aforetime prosecutor that h
(Saul) might again receive his sigh
Saul After Conversion.-After col
version he was the same Saul as h
3 was before, and yet not the SAM
He had the same old strength Of re;
and enthusiasm, but now it was e,
pended in the right direction. an
"straightway he preached Christ
y the synagogues, that He is the Sc
9 of God" "And he spake boldly
:. the name of the Lord Jesus"
s Grapes from Canaan.
= The worst getting is that which hi,
y ders giving.
y Blessed is the man who consecrat,
q Gods gifts to His glory.
g If you cultivate poison weeds yC
e will probably be the first to eat the
2. fruit.
/ The loving judgments of friends q,
tl,,,. Al 1.....l.. -. = =.