The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-01

FOR MA
SUBJECT Pill Arrested Act
GOLDEN TEXT 3" II any nj
! not be ashamed IL Peter, iy:1
BY RcvsJ 10. Gilbert, D. D., Secretary Of
~
d CoNNEcT1o N.--Last lesson closed With
Paul In the houso OF Philip at Caesarea.
,1n$vain the. friends there assembled,
prompted by the predictions Of evil made
by o prophet, sought to dissuade him
from hts Journey to Jerusalem. a fter q
sorrowful leave-tnking he proceeded to,
the great metropolis Of Palestine where
he was received with gladness BY tho dis
clples. There he found that tho follow
3era Of Christ were still attached to Jow-
ISL customs, about which there had been
much controversy. Knowing tho apostles
liberal views. those In authority endcav-
ored to protect him against tho criticisms
OF the extreme legal party by a vislng
that he conform to tho customs. Accord
singly Paul took the mon who were with
him his fellow-laborers In the gospel.
and submitted to the rite Of puriacat ton,
occupying & d period OF o week. While
8shis act pacined the Christians, u It
aroused the il-uili Of the j ews, some OF
whom knew OF his missionary labors
among the Gentilea, as they themselves
were from Asia Minor. q M i9s .S. II S5i
S0) The Jews laid o.
serious accusation against Paul .5 (verse
2s), that his teaching and practice had
ott a I'm
he had come to the Holy City and pro-
famed THE temple by introducing Greeks
"A to It's service or y this there was no
doubt, because they had seen with him
an Ephesian named Trophimus. lActs,.
Xxx: IS Nothing was better suited to IN!
flame the population than this assertion,
The Intelligence spread rapidly from ZIP
to lip that the holy place had been pol!
luted. Every heart throbbed with indg-;
nation as the horrible deed became known!
1t did not require much time to reach
every part Of Jerusalem, and men Of all
classes, gispending their emplo yment,s
ran hastily to the place A scene OF great.
excitement was presented. There was no
delay for any form OF law, or for the,
Issue OF an authoritative order. Rushin g
Into the temple, men laid hands On the;
apostle and violently thrust him into the
cutter air. Then the temple door was
ClOSCu, Sa1o
RESCUE RESCUE. VERSES 81 and ss) It was q
tumultuous and murderous throng that
crowded about the man Of God, deter
mined to inflict upon him the full penalty
for his crime. (Lev., xxiv: GOD "a convent
sent spot for the process aof stoning was
sought, q requiring q little time, and thus
delaying the mad PURPOSE . rtunate ~
tho uproar came to the ears OF the OIL
GERS Of civil government. Rome. then
holding the Jews as a conquered people,
had imposed q vigorous rule, designed
for the preservation OF public order. Many
times Roman authority had interpo TO
save human life when ndangered by re-
lsligious bigotry. So Paul found derens e
The chief captain came with soldier ~
$hia rescue. Immed iately, in presence OF
4fha military. every hand was released,
ana the law was supreme. What may
have been the disappoint OF those
who had been most active in the persecu-
lStion may be easily imagin put tney
| were powerless. Anger could avail noth-
Ing against swords and spears. The MOB mo
must leave their victim with the sta 70
| ofl Gals. t q. e n !, & ~.
PRIsoNER.-Cv Oversees 80 and 20 81 The
o1fialnls had done more than protect
Paul. they had arrested him on the sup
position that he had committed some Of
Tense. They regarded the outbreak as
proof OF his Bwrongdolng, so that his enc
n,,es we're In part satisfied as they saw
hin, a prisoner. The first act was to pu 7
hin, IL, chains. as II he were dangerous
chara cte err, who needed to be secure ed ms
was precisely what had been pr edlctea
fverse 11) q what also the Holy Spirit had
snifl to him (Acts, Xxx: }23). as he declared
Ia the elders OF Ephesus Having the
snnnoged criminal 4 In custody that he
MIGHT not escape, the captain demanded
who he was and what he had done, e *:
nectlngs az ready answer; from those VINO
had opposed him. Then appeared N the 70
malice OF the multitude rising ABOVE az
matters OF guilt and Justice. showing mat
none cared for law or It's violatloh,. pul
tha Il 4 were moved by fanaticism.i Some
cried one thing, some another. The DIS
cord and confusion became so great that
TIA caotatn was obliged to thrust his pris-
oner into the castle. Z, q ~.
sNVIOLDNCE,-(Verse IS and 49, The
| mob grew furious and tumultuous as u
became apparent that Paul would IA 90
taken from their midst into the Keeping
OF the military. Up to this point respect
| for the government had been mani tested.
the firat result OF the appearance of the
soldiers. and they had stood back, yield
,nr 10 the power which they dared not re-
slst But now all saw that their Dur-
nose would be thwarted. It was N 2
shirt Of desperation; awakened by the
changed conditions, that the noisy crowd y !
ATTEMPTED again to take matters into
their own hands and to finish the work
without process Of law, either eccleslastl-
cal or civil-indeed. In defiance o. both 9th
state and church.. The pressure was 60
great that the soldiers were compel LED TO
stand between the populace and the apos-
tle,I even bearing the latter in their strong
arms, Then came that demoniae cry,
Away with him!" (Luke, XIII: lS), ut
tered frantically by many voices, calling
for Immediate death, the same cry that
pursued Jesus (John xix: 16), until Herod
delivered Him to the cross, It was the
same spirit which Paul had exhibited IN
his earlier history, (Acts, TX: -
SURPRISE. K Verse S7.)-1n the midst
Of all the excitement, one man was calm
and self-possessed, and he alone had rei-
son to fear being in great pertl- I y,
atha m ssionnte devotion Of his people to
the religion OF their fathers. having felt
the same (Gal., i:14) and he had reason