The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-01-24
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Intern atIonaI Sunday School Lesson
for Januury 2e.iso2.
BY REv.FRANKLIE B. DWIGHT.
The Lame Man Healed.
xrr -
Acts III: LILO.

sbOOu VI Olu Ou6 great temple Oh OOlO-
mon. 1t had been in large part des-
troyed but had been rebuilt by Herod
the Great, some years before the time
Of our lesson, and was one of the most
imposing buildings in the world. We
have seen in the last lesson how the
early Christians went constantly to
the Temple for worship and that
many wonders and signs were done
by the Apostles. F" We now have the
description of a particular miracle
which was SO remarkable in it's
results as to demand special atten-
ton.
1t is the hour of prayer, about three
in the afternoon; for this was the
ninth hour of the day, reckoning
from six in the morning. Peter and
John, the two foremost apostles, are
on their way to the service. AS they
approach the famous Gate Beautiful.
SO called because of it's peculiar rich
ness of design and decoration, they
see q lame beggar sitting at the gate
and asking the passers by to give him
money. What a familiar and sugges-
tive scene. Beggars may he seen
today at the doors of the great
churches in Europe. Their forlorn as
pect is repellant, and it would be far
better, il their wants were provided
in some other way than by begging.
And yet their presence at the doors of
churches, as at the Temple of old,
shows theJ innate connection in the
popular mind between Christian faith
and practical charity. The few, refined
skeptics who practice modern altruism
apart from religion may critioise the
church for failing to minister as it
should to the wants of the poor and
needy, but the many "lame, halt and
blind" who throng our Christian hos
pitfalls and mission halls only give ex-
preston to the truth, that .he who
loveth God loves his brother man and
may be must surely counted ON for
help in time of need.
So thought the lame man in our
lesson. We can see Peter and John
as they draw near. Two earnest men
they are; old friends too, for have
they not been partners long ago in
the humble calling of fishermen, and
we're they not 10th among the earli-
cts disciples whom Jesus called?
They had been with the Master at
many wondrous scenes of His earthly
ministry. the TRANSPORTATION, the
raising of Jairus' daughter, the agony
of Gethsemane, and they had both
fastened together to the empty tomb
on the glad morning of the resurrec-
ton. And now the impulsive Peter
is the one who speaks. Fixing his
eyes with a searching and steady gaze
upon the poor cripple, he said, Look
on us o, how glad is the beggar 8
heart lnow, for he thinks these gener-
Gus followers of the Nazarene are
going to give him money, and
Money, give us money" is the cry
of all beggars the world over. But
money is generally the worst thing
to give. The beggar has not learned
how to earn it, or what its true value
is. and generally he does not know
how to spend it. If he knew these
things and did them he would often
cease to be beggar. But this man
was lame from his birth, so that like
all physical sufferers we can truly
sympathize with and wish 90 help
him. But Peter has more for him
than he thinks. The ApostIe.disclaims
riches and in Jesus name works mir
walk. He took him by the right hand
dhO AdA6Cu AAA up oA4 kA44c4t6t61N
his feet and his ankle bones received
strength. - ~. 10 Notice how accur-
ately, Luke, as a physician. describes
this miracle, and observe especially
that while Jesus "spake and it was
done, invoking no name or authori-
ty higher than His own, the Apostles
here as everywhere can do no miracle
except in the name and by the power
of their Divine Lord. Jesus was Coz
manifest in the flesh. The Apostles
were only men of like human natures
with ourselves, though for the purpose
of calling attention to their Gospel
message, and as a sign OF. their
authority to speak in the name of God
they were given power at times to
work marvellous miracles.
This scene and the sermon of Peter
which follows teach three great les
sons.
1. The first is lesson of FAITH.
Immediately after the miracle the
people ran together greatly wonder
ing and Peter asked, why look We
on us, as though by our own power
or holiness we had made this. man to
walk. +" VIA. He shows that it was
the power of God which worked the
cure, and it was faith, and faith
alone, which enabled the apostles to
be Gods instruments and which en-
abled the poor beggar to fix his gaze
trustingly on them and so to receive
the blessing which il was their privil-
ege to convey. And SO in the salvation
of mems souls it is only through
faith in the heart of the godly parent
or the faithful teacher that the Cos
pei message is conveyed with power.
1t is only through faith in the heart
of the nearer that this message be-
comes the power of God to his saliva
ton. This faith may be weak and
faltering and may be so ignorant as
to look forward to very different bles-
sings from these which God intends
to bestow. The blind man expected
silver or gold. - He got what was
far better,a perfect soundness'' in
his bodily frame. We often expect
one kind of blessing when we look to
God, and He givessus quite another.
But it is through faith, just the same,
that it comes, and we are wise and
happy if like the man who was
healed, we are found praising God.
This scene is an object lesson and
teaches by illustration, that our sal
walton is through faith, the gift of
God. ("
3. We have also a lesson of HUM
LITY. Notice how promptly Peter
put away the idea that the Christian
church was a mOniAd institution In