The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1902-04-10
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
eee April n, lo09-Pstess
Aeneas ana Dorcas.
Prepared by H. c. Lenington.
THE LESSON TEXT.

-r4 (ActS S:S2-C.)
s. And It came to pass. as Peter passed |
throughout sll quarters. he came down
also to the saints which dwelt at LYDIA. |
q. And there he found q certain man !
named Aeneas. which had kept his bed
eight years. and was sick of the palsy.
~. And Peter said unto him: Aeneas.
Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise.
and make thy bed. And he arose i'm
mediately.
Is. And all that dwelt at LYDIA and
saron saw him. and turned to the Lord
80. And there was at Joppa q certain
disciple named Tabitha. which by inter-
pretation is called Dorcas: this woman
,,s;.t was full IL Of good works and almsdeeds
81. And It came to pass In those days.
they had washed. they laid her in an up-
per chamber.
IS. And forasmuch as LYDIA was nigh
tS,i tS ifoRpa and the disciple: had . heard a,d
him two men. desiring him that he would
not delay to come to them.
~. Then Peter arose and went with
him into the upper chamber: and all
the widows stood by him weeping. and
showing the coats and garments which
Dorcas made. while she was with them
kneeled down, and prayed: and turning
him to the body said: Tabitha, arise.
And she opened her eyes: and when she
ii. And he gave her his hand. and lift
ed her up and when he had called the
saints and widows, presented her alive.
AZ. And It was known throughout all
Is. And it came to pass. that he tar
ried many days In Joppa with one Simon
a tanner.
GOLDEN TEXT. - Jesus Christ
naLeth thee whole.-Acts 0,S4.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
Building Up of the Church.-Under
this head we will notice briefly: (1)
that the churches had a brief respite
from persecution; (2) that they (the
membership were being edited; ,3)
that they walked in the fear of the
Lord; (4) that they walked in the COM
fort of the Holy Ghost, and (5) that
they were multiplietE Prosecutions
can't hurt the church of Christ.
This is the unanimous voice Of
history. In fact, 1t has always
helped the church, by wedding
out the faint-hearted and those
who are not entirely loyal and
leaving the true disciples to give to
other strong men notable object les.
son in courage and loyalty to truth.
But the time Of persecution is not the
time Of greatest growth in the
church for the reason that the
prosecuted have not the same
opportunity for open preaching, nor
indeed the time for 1t, as in times of
peace. This first period of peace for
the early church probably lasted four
or five years. During this period the
church grew in knowledge and grace
"were edified." To "edify" is literally
to build. Thus the church was "built"
up, not SO much in the matter of size
or number of members, but built up
in the virtues and graces that 60 to
make up Christian character. This
was done through the preaching Of the
apostles who told them Of the life,
death and resurrection of Jesus. The
church grew also in the fear Of the
Lord. This "fear" is not the painful
emotion excited by apprehension Of
danger, or apprehension of Gods
wrath" as according to Webster. but
reverence. 1t is the going about the
ordinary duties conscious Of the per-
sonal presence Of God. If our course
is a right one there is pleasure and
comfort in the thought that God IL
ever near. "In the comfort of the
Holy Ghost" expresses q further
thought. Just before His crucifxion
Jesus had said John 14:18, ~: II
will pray the Father, and He shall give
you another Comforter, that He may
abide with you forever; even the spir-
It of truth" 1t is here that the Chris-
tian man has the advantage Of the
man who is not a Christian but is try
Ing to live an upright life. The Chris
tian possesses, or rather is possessed
by, that inward Spirit Of God, aptly
named by Jesus "the Comforter" It
most naturally follows from the foro-
going facts that this was q growing
church. not only in the matter Of
grace, but also In numbers. The
church multiplied in numbers, and IL
Is not improbable that the number Of
churches, even. greatly increased.
Healing of Aeneas.-Of Aeneas we
know little besides tho fact that he
was sick Of the palsy (paralysis), and
had been confined to his bed for eight
long years. Peter did not heal this
man. II was the risen and ascended Je.
sus who healed him. for Peter said to
him:s "Jesus Christ maketh thee
whole.r And the man arose from his
bed tho Arst time In eight years. Pc
L ter must have used this incident 90
text for sermon. for we are told that
all the townsfolk "turned to the
Lord" .
Raising Of Dorcaa.-Dorcas was o
woman who had become disciple Of
Jesus, and she lived in Joppa. She
was well known for her good works
and aims giving. We are told that she
fell sick and died. Peter was sent for,
and he came, kneeled down and prayed.
It was again the power of God made
manifest In the giving Of life. "And
the Lord God formed man of the dust
of the ground, and breathed into his