Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1902-02-07
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VII. FEB. I6; ACTS 5: 33-42
THE SECOND PERSECUTION.
Golden Text-"BIessed Are They Which
Are Prosecuted for righteousness
sake: For Theirs Is the Kingdom OF
HeaveN'--Notes on Persecution.


]. The Occasion. Of the Persecution
and the Occasion Of the persecution. The
Cause lay in the hearts Of the persecu-
tors, whose rank, power. authority, hon
success of the gospel: and whose con-
science would accuse them of the murder
ton. The Occasion was the success Of the
gospel; the great numbers of converts,
The transportation Of their character.
teachings, their generosity. and the many
things done by them to relieve, disease;
their choice Of two ways: they could try
to do better things than the Christians:
p aey oua try to eae beS
chose the latter way.
The 4 Action in Persscution:E
vs. A,3S First They went on n fsarlessly
Slight under a bushsi," but places, it on
hill. But the officers again arrested them
as quietly as possible, and brought nj, Il; them
dS 5ne asy mea &
::Did not We straitly;, Strictly rye
How much better to fill Jerusalem with
the gospel instead Of those things with
i m maa pen that # jesus waa ths
Messiah, the rulers had been traitors to
their nation. 1t was this charge that
apostles in this way another opportunity
to preach the gospel to the rulers, VINO
could not have been reached in any other
way.
I'VE ought to obey God rather than
men," The consciences of The Sanhedrim
approved Of the prinfSple however We b they
the rulers with fighting against GOD. Inc
apostles were patriots; they We're ,o on the
rulers were arrayed against him. The
rulers had done the same before, but had
Gof he'd gndn eHa a cd @ whom
they rejected But there was still room
fer. hope and for, salvation; They and
was true was proved by a double array
OF witnesses, the apostles. and the Holy
Spirit.
vs.. $40. SO. :'rhey We're cut to the
heart" Their consciences We're touched,
and yet they so Were n2s w's 70 doe Of
conflicting passions. The voice of the spir-
it was speaking to them. 1t is not religion
its mandates. And took counsel Not
fail to show the supernal greatness or
how they, might learn the truth rot got how .,t"
slav them" AS if breaking the alarm bell
would put out the fire. or destroying the
accuser would bring Innocence to the az
cused.
Gil. a 'e Pharisee, GarnaIitl, sen of symeon,
ana granason OF fItet yefv t cas S.ti WHAT
you do. Look at the matter frou, every
point Of view. Galnaiiei proceeds to take
example from the recent history OF the
Jews, from which to learn how 10 pro-
ceed in the present case.
Refrain from these men Dc net try
by force. FOR if their labor be OF men,.
of human origin. Of worldly purpos%. car
rsd on ny eny snnh work as ; abo
ties conducted in their way could not sue
coed unless God was in it. The whole Ro-
man power would rise against any insur-
Kingdom. The sanhedrim could well leave
the apostles to them.
throw it, You will be laboring in vain.
Lest" if you undertake to put TINS new ne"
sect doW y, 6y ioroe; a hapy p3S Gnd
That is battle in which no man can
And when they, had beaten
Il: "a, was five times fogged by the Jews
as An rs that would SG do ANY good. '"S''
Set before your pupils the magnificent
;natchiess speech US. 29-32). There is
nothing more sublime in literature. Never
fail to show the supernal greatness of
God-like Make pupils look for the high
est gIeatness in connectio ;, Nit with him. in
We're :'dignified by indisnity, honorsd BY
dishonor. They are SO, great that all that
r can , dc ca9 depar deSrade
s SRans e" e; his nsne i S y: the Ns%s
beatitude babe them rejoice and be ex
ceeding glad when men prosecuted them.
% When bad men hate and oppose us. we
vain. 1t places US among the saints and
The reward in heaven" for it gives an
opportunity of gaining the heavenly char
acter and SPIRIT the he2yenly capacity
come victory and crowns. 90 1t gives an
opportunity to express our love to Jesus:
to prove it to him. to ourselves, and to
''They ceased not
Not that persecution always has in it
an element Of meanness. 1t is the strong
Cverbearing the weak. not in intellect or
virtue, but in numbers and popular
The Treatment Of Error. The sentiment
OF Ga1raliel is full of wisdom in regard
to the treatment of error. Jesus himself
Father hath not planted. shall be rooted
up Matt. IS: 49,. For Cd the very way
to eSalt error into notiGe and to confirm
thoritative, and unkind manner. CD Error,
# left alone, will often die away itself.
The interest of men in it will often cease
as soon as it ceases to be opposed; and
having nothing to fan the flame. it will
expire. It is not SO with truth, (s) This
does not mean that error is to do all the
talking. and truth never attempt to set
the people right. But N the power of
truth is positive In the presence Of error
preach the truth. and live the gospel.
taking as little notice Of the error as pos
sihle. One revival Of religion is worth
books fun Of unanswerable arguments
Persecution Failure. The one way to
overcome evil is by good Only moral
weapons can really destroy moral evil.
But persecution in the end usually helps
the good. 1t is n sieve that sits out the
@hafI from wheat, the bad seed from the
good. both in the community and the in
divilUai. Many a mans pety shines
brighter. and his strength is increased by
opposition.