The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-12
The International Sunday School
 Lesson.
First Quarter. Lesson IL, January n
 1912. Acts ii. Ill.
 The Quarterly Review.

The Quarterly Review.
 Acts is also the record of one of the most remarkable social revolutions that has ever occurred, radical in it's nature and widespread reaching Tn it's effects. One will remember the strictly ethnic character of Hebrewism. spirit Of eX- The Jewish Church grew more and more narrow. An arrogant ecclesiastical pride, an inyeterate prejudice against the heather, possessed it. The heathen just impenetrable, adamantine. divided the two. No human means could raise that wall Acts shows how it was laid as low as the wall of Jericho. though not so suddenly For time the Hebrew Chris tans thought the heather must come To them via the Hebrew Church and its ordinance. But the conversion, Of Cor nelius. the revival in Samarla, the found, ing of the church in Antioch, dissipated the mists of prejudice and gradually gave a clearer vision; while the tireless efforts of St. Paul, which so potentiy sought them and not theirs. disarmed the Inveterate prejudice nf the heather to- ward anything Jewish. and captured their hearts. Acts gives us the lovely picture of these two mutually repellant factions fused into an ecclesiastical brotherhood, and actually sealed toseth- CT in a feast of love'-a result that can only be accounted for upon the hypO- thesis that Christianity is divine. -. ]. has been commonly supposed that
 
 was a species of desultory reminiscences; but 1t remained for Whedon, aided by suggestions of the elder Baumgarten, to lind the philosophy of the Acts of the Apostles. As Luke's Gospel shows how Christianity was presented to the world in the person of Christ. so the Acts must show how it was founded in the world through the instrunentality of his chosen apostles and preachers" The following is Whedons analysis: l. The Pentecostal Church; or, Christianity within the Jews Jerusalem. ?. The Transition Church from Jews to GentiIes. Typical charaec- ter. Philip; typical city. Antioch. B. Church among. the Gentiles. Typical character. Paul; typical city. Rome.
 The Promise of Power Fulfilled.
 Pentecost was .he popular festival of the Hebrew Church. Its keynote was joyous. Its distinctive offering was the twin-loaves of bread. made from the new wheat of the harvest. It occurred at a period favorable for the largest attend unce. There was recess in farm toll. and the season was so favorable for travel that Jews of the dispersion came in large numbers. It is commonly be- lieved that at this particular Pentecost there was an especially large attendance. The Hebrew world was more than usu- had spread afar. In an historic paren- thesis, Luke catalogues the countries represented. What territory! From Mesopotaam1li.ao to Rome. from Asia Minor ! i've throng is far too large to be accom- modated within the city walls. Gay tur- bans. bright talliths. booths and tents. have converted the hill-slopes into a vast and brilliant parterre. The informal morning meal is finished. The liveliness of the general converse is toned, perhaps. with an indescribable premonition of the coming great event. It Is the very hour for the gladsome service to begin. All eyes in that vast theater of nature are turned to Herod's snowy tenn ted wifi preternatural sound falls on every ear. 1t is the awful roar of cyclone. Yet one looks in vain into that radiant sky for the funnel-shaped cloud. The air it. self is motionless. The audible symbol could not be more appropriate. It rep resents at once an invisible Presence. and an irresistible but not harmful pow CT. '. The dread report admits of localization. A vast throng is attracted there In an instant Now the sound is matched bg G@pret Arnf fsural sight. The sted with every triumphant epoch of He brew history, appears again. Not now. however. as in former times, within the .emple, but in a common home As they look. a new and significant phase of the miracle appears. The celestial ire parts nte many flames. One rests above each disciples head The fires that rushed or Sinai down
 In sudden torrents dread, | Now gently light. glorious crown,
 On every sainted head" \ sign pregnant with meaning! Fire, he pure and purifying natural element | he warming and Illuminating agent, Tire, too, in the shape of a tongue, sig hfying that humanity is to be warmed. Illuminated, an1 cleansed by the spoken | Word, the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven Now, there is a contin- | 1ation, in articulate speech of the mirac- | llous manifestation in audible and visible l ,orm which had preceded. In elevated md rapturous strains, like Moses song )r Marys Magnifcat, the inspired dis ciples celebrate the finished work of he Messiah. They yield themselves as instruments to the Holy Spirit, and are | perhaps. but semi-cognizant of the words | .hey utter That polygot audience Hs- ems to polvglottus anthem, commem- 1ratng the high praises of the gorific d | 2edeemer. To this ecStatic and poetic out | lurst, the deliberate, eXp'anltorv, and l lugmentative address of St. Peter pre- ,ants the sharpest contrast. Di- | Hne the oppositeness! On that Old Dis 1 pensation the harvest home day. the first harvest of souls is reaped, with the gos- pei sickle in the hand of Peter. foremost of apostles of the New Dispensation l Three thousand souls are immediately baptized and received into the disciples goodly fellowship t. Pentecost is the irrefragable seal to the ascension of Jesus. When the high priest went within ! the veil. though the people saw him | not. they knew he was there, by the tIDEItnQ pf 10 Ila hat