The commonwealth., 1902-03-13
International Sunday School Lesson.
FIRST OUARTER.sLEssON xI. MARCH Is
1902. ACTS VIII, 2s-39.

FIRST oUARTER:sLEssoN xI. MARCH 16
1902. ACTS VIII, 2939.
THE ETHIOPIAN CONVERTED.
Copyright, Davis w. Clark.
We may never know how the dusky
proselyte was first converted to the
Hebrew faith. The Jews were already
scattered far and wide, especially in the
capitals and commercial centers of the
world. Ther, as now, they were
money-lenders. Perh ars it was in his
capacity as treasurer of the Abyssinian
Empire he came in contact with some
first-century Rothschild, who was in
tent upon doing good as we'll as getting
a high premium on his money. Over
the bonds and consuls the Hebrew may
have peered into the Ethiopian heart,
and, discovering its noble traits, covet-
ed them for God. He may have paw
ed the way to conversation by unfold
ing the miraculous history of Israel,
in which no Intelligent person falls to
be Interested, and of whose truth few,
if any, candid minds fail to be con-
vinced.
Or the motives of the unknown
proselyter may have been mixed, or
even wholly bad. He may haye been
one who deserved Jesus scatching re-
buke. But whatever the incentive OF
the sectarist may have been, the prose-
lyte was notable and noble accession
to the Hebrew Church.
He showed the genuineness of his
conversation by the long journey,
which he took at his first opportunity
to the seat OF his newfound faith. It
was some three thousand miles to Je
rusalem and back. Yet this happy
convert, to whom tradition gives the
name of Judich, hesitated not at the
toll and expense. AS his chariot rol-
led along the banks OF the Nile, under
the tapering shadow of obelisk
and pyramid, and by ten'ple
aud treasure-city, no doubt he
thought, II he did not excIaim "This
is that Egypt where God did those
wonders TOR his people, and for which
he delivered them with an outstretced
armr'
Another evidence OF the depth and
sincerity OF his interest was the length
of time he tarrlcd in Jerusalem. He
had gone up to the Feast of Pentecost,
but we fn3 him staying on through
the martyrdom of Stephen and the
conversation of Samaria-not, how
ever, that he was concerned in these
events, even if hs was aware Of them.
Still stronger evidence: He pur-
chased copy OF the Hebrew Scrip
lures and it cost him a small fortune
no doubt. 1t was to be no center table
ornament in his Nublan palace, either
1t was for use. Indeed he could not
wait until he reached home but, in
his jolting chariot on that rough
Judoan road, be was reading, not sell
fishly to himself either, but out loud ,
80 that his charioteer and whole caval-
cade might have the advantage.
There goes the Bible-reading Ethiop-
ian. But now another person breaks
in upon the scene. How strange
unreasonable, in fact-tl:e providen-
ces of God often appear! The revival
in Samaria was at its height. Its gen
uineness had been confirmed by the
APOSTLES in the bestowal OF miraculous
gifts, It seemed as if no one could
shepherd the converts SO we'll as the
evangelist who had first brought them
to Christ. But the Spirit called Philip
away and that, too, not to another
populous city, but to desert way.
In this incident it is as if the cur
tain we're lifted, and We could see the
hand of God shaping events according
to his will. The paths of these two
men-the devout and inquiring noble
man and the holy evangelist-are
made to converge. They come into
actual con]uctlon at the precise mo-
ment when the noblemanis eye Is on
the passage which, more than any
I o,hor contains the ojst of the gospel.