The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1903-03-13
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON xl, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH rs.

| lCopyright, 1908 by American Press Association
29. And the whole city was filed with
| confusion.
This great stir was because business
I was being interfered with. The word
| OF God grew SO nightly and SO pre-
vailed Verse POI that the worshipers
of Diana were not SO plentiful, and
there was not the same call for silver
shrines as formerly (22-20. What a
glorious testimony verse 70 is TO the
power of the gospel. We think OF
chapter V, %, and the high priests
testimony that the apostles had filled
Jerusalem with their doctrine. Where
! is there like zeal now and where is the
devil disturbed by the preachers of the
gospel? Where are those who cry out,
Great is Jesus of Nazareth with the
same zeal that these people cried,
Great is Diana of the Ephesians"
! verses 2S 81. The temple at Ephesus
was one of the wonders of the world,
and its magnificence was no doubt very
great, but il was the work of man and
for mans glory and for the worship OF
that is not 10 God is TO the devil q Cor.
Y, 20). All the confusion in Ephesus
at this time was of the devil also, for
God is not God of confusion, but of
peace" Il Cor xiv, 33).
80, 81. And when Paul would have en-
tered In unto the people the disciples suf-
fered him not.
He had friends also among the prin-
cipal men of Asia who advised him not
TO enter the theater. We are nowhere
authorized TO put ourselves needlessly
in danger. When the people of Naza
reth would have cast our Lord from
the brow of the hill and killed Him, He
quietly took Himself out Of their way
duke Nv, %, 30. If He permits death
TO come TO us, we are not to fear Ii
Matt. Y, 2S), knowing that ito die Is
gain," Ito depart and be with Christ
is far better" Phil. /, y, 23).
1924. When they knew that he was a
jew. all with one voice. about the space
of two hours. cried out. Great is Diana Of
the Ephesians!
1t was simply uproar and confusion,
the majority not knowing why they
were there, and when this Alexander,
put forward by the Jews, would have
spoken the verse quoted tells how they
acted and shows how foolish it would
have been for Paul TO have tried TO
quiet them. They make us think of
the prophets of Baal who cried from
morning until noon, saying, go Baal,
hear us" Il Kings xviii, 2G). The one
cry meant about as much as the other.
The fact that Alexander was Jew
started them on this two hours cry.
Think of the hatred manifested TO
MOrdecai the Jew, TO Daniel the Jew
and 10 the King Of the Jews! And then
consider that every redeemed soul in
heaven and all who ever will be there
are each one indebted to the blood OF
Jew, and all kings and all nations
shall yet fall down before and serve
the King Of the Jews CPs. Xxi, IL, for
whether il be individual or national
salvation IL OF the Jews" John Nv,
22).
30, &C. Seeing then that these things can
not be spoken against ye ought to be
quiet and to do nothing rashly.
Thus spake the town clerk after he
had appeased the people and had said
good word for the people of Ephesus
in regard to their faithfulness to Diana.
'He that is slow to wrath is of great
! understanding" "A wrathful man stir
reth up strife, but he that is slow to
anger appeaseth strife" HE that is
slow to anger is better than the
mighty. and he that ruleth his spirit
than he that taketh a city" prov. xiv,
20; XIV, IS; xvi, 32).
81. s. Ye have brought hither these men,
which are neither robbers of temples nor
yet blasphemers of your goddess
| 1t was not their way TO ridicule the
religion of the heather, but TO hold up
! before them the living God and TO
| preach the gospel of God concerning
His Son. Jesus Christ our Lord, that
| the heather might see the contrast and
| by the Spirit of God, who always
works when the word is preached. be
convinced of their sins and be led to
turn from idols to serve the living and
true God and TO wait for His Son from
! heaven, whom He raised from the dead,
even Jesus who delivereth us from the
wrath to come q Thess. !, 8, 10).
39-41. For we are in danger to be called
! in question for this days uproar, there
| being no cause whereby we may give an
account of this concourse.
The lessons from this portion of
| Scripture are nearly all by contrast,
and wonder if the lesson committee
should not be called in question for
assigning such Il portion and giving us
nothing from the much more profitabl
next chapter till we come TO the twenty
eighth verse. have thought perhaps
the author of confusion and not the God
of peace led them to this selection;
but we have found some helpful
thoughts. and there are more here, for
every redeemed soul should remember
that we must all appear before the
| Judgment seat of Christ. and every one
OF us shall give account of himself TO
God (Rom. xiv, 10. ~. This is neither
a possibility nor n probability, but a
sure thing, for the mouth Of the Lord
hath spoken it. Compare III Cor V, 10;
Matt xii, &c. The question of our sins