Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-03-08
international .gesson.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON XII, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 16.


Rom. Z, 1O-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. d. NJ. Stearns.
TCopyright 1902, by American Press Association.
26. "And the angel Of the Lord spake
unto Philip, saying. Arise and so toward
the south" The previous verse says that
Peter and John preached the word OF the
Lord in Samar;a, and then, ON their way
back to Jerusalem, preached the gospel
in many villages Of the Samaritans. Thay
evidently left Philip busy in the midst OF
a great work in Samaria, and while con-
tinuing faithfully to preach Christ mes
senger from heaven is sent to him COM
manding him to leave Samaea and go
down to the desert way, which was De-
tween Jerusalem and GAIA. 1t may have
seemed a strange and unreasonable thing
to leave q great work and so to desert
road without being told why or where
fore, but the great motto Of true worker
with God must be willing and obedient.'
q, 2S. "And he arose and went. and.
behold. man of Ethiopia, who had come
to Jerusalem for to worship, was return.
ing and, sitting in his chariot, read
Esaias, the prophet" Here. then. is the
reason Of the angels visit to Philip. God
saw the hungeriug soul of this man OF
great authority under the queen Of Ethio-
pia, and He would satisfy that longing
soul, and Philip, the faithful messenger
in Samaria, was the chosen vessel. God
knew that He had prompt and obedient
servant in Philip.
%, 80. Then the spirit said unto Phil
ip, Go near and join thyself to this char
lot" At Samalia IN angel spoke to him;
now the Hoy Spirit tells him what to DO.
AS to the Spirit speaking to believers see
chapters x, 10; xi, ~: xiii, 2; xvi, q. Z,
and consider the promises in John xiv,
&c; XIV, 26: xvi, IL. 1t is possible for us
to hear the voice of the Spirit and be
guided ty Him. See also lsa. xxx, Il.
God has promised that Ele will surely
guide His people (Ps. xxxii, 3. and ! be-
lieve He guides in one or other Of three
ways-by His Spirit through His word. If
necessary by His Spirit apart from His
word, but never contrary to it. and by
His providences or the events Of daily
life. 4 believer ought to be Spirit filled
and Spirit controlled person. and since
God desires it what can hinder but our
unwillingness? Prompt and obedient,
Philip ran to the chariot, and. hearing the
eunuch reading in the prophecy Of Isaiah.
he said. "Understandest thou what thou
readest?" See what pains God Will take
to cause one to understand His word
when He sees that desire in the heart,
and remember how the Lord Jesus on the
resurrection day took two or three hours
to open the Scriptures to those two who
were slow Of heart to believe Luke xiv.
32). May His patience be ours.
81. .He desired Philip that he would
come up and sit with him." The treas
urer of the queen was great man and
at this time riding in his chariot. while
Philip was poor, and probably had the
appearance of wayworn traveller. yet
see how cordially he is received by the
man Of authority. Many messages have
been unspoken and letters unwritten
which the Spirit has whispered because
some timid soul has feared rebuke. 1t is
ours to obey: results are the Lords. See
Jcr. i. 70.
80, 33. He was reading of some one
who had been cruelty i'll treated, but, like
a lamb or sheep, was dumb before his
persecutors-one from whom all justice
was taken away and who was finally
slain. The story is SO familiar to us that
it does not affect US. We have heard it
from the prophets who foretold it and in
the gospels from those who actually wit
messed the fulfillment Of the prophecies.
We know. or profess to know. Him OF
whom the prophets spake, who fulfilled
every prophecy concerning His humilia-
ton, but how much do we care? This
man read with interest and astonishment,
perhaps for the first time. There are
many who have never read of Him be-
cause those put in trust with the gospel
lave not been faithful to their trust.
Contrast Rom. i. 14-1G; Thess. ii, t.
"a, 35. "Then Philip opened his mouth
and began at the same Scripture and
preached unto him Jesus" This he did
in reply to the eunuch's question, "Of
whom speaketh the prophet this?" Phil
ip did not waste any time OH the style of
the prophet or on the possibility Of there
being two Isaiahs, each Of whom wrote
part Of the book. neither did he so much
as hint at the impossibility of any one
writing Of things 700 years before they
happened, but from this and other Scrip
lures he made plain the truth concerning
Jesus.
SO, 81. 81 believe that Jesus Christ is
the Son Of God" Compare the confes-
sions Of Peter and Martha in Matt. xvi,
16; John xi, q. and note | John V. /,
"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the
Christ is born of God" Unless you have
ever talked with and led to Christ a soul
really hungry for the truth you cannot
understand Philips joy as he. by the
Spirit, opened the Scriptures and saw
this man drink it all in and then ask to be
baptized. Truly the Lord Himself was
with them Matt. xviii. 20). and the Spirit
wrought gloriously. with the heart
man believeth unto righteousness and
with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation" Rom. X, 10). The cunuch had
believed in his heart and confessed with
his mouth and was quite ready for fur
ther public confession before all his serv-
ants, for doubtless there were many with
him.
9S, 80. '"The Spirit of the Lord caught
away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no
more, and he went on his way rejoicing"
How Strange the whole thing must have
seemed to the driver of the chariot and
the rest of the company-the stranger
invited to ride with their master, the
earnest conversation, the baptism, the
sudden disappearance Of the stranger
and their masters new joy. which no
doubt he told them all abont, and the
queen, too. when he arrived home! The
Lord by Philip wrought great work
that day, and some time we may hear
the sequel to this story from the lips of
the eunuch himself. am sure that Phil
ip was and has been many time glad
that he was so prompt and obedient.
How the Spirit of the Lord caught him
Away know not hut believe that hnY-