The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1903-01-02
CoPYKeHT, DAVIS W. CLARK.
PLEASANT FIELDS OF HOLY WRIT
The International Sunday School
Lesson.
Save for my daily range
Among the pleasant fields of Holy Writ,
/ might despair. rennyson.

The international Sunday School
Lesson.
First Quarter. Lesson /. Acts xvi,
22-34. January 1903.
PAUL AND SILAs AT PHILIPPI.
The Philippian magistrates had
never heard that maxim, "Better
ten guilty men should escape than
one innocent be punished" The
scandal of tumult must be avoided.
The sight of blood will appease the
mob. Paul and Silas's garments are
rudely torn from their backs. They
are thrown violently to the ground,
ftce downward. Then the tough
elm-rods of the lictors descend with
a sickening sound, drawing the blood
at every blow. The Jewish law mer-
cifully provided that not more than
forty blows should be given; but the
Roman law left it to the caprice of
the magistrates. So Paul speaks of
having received on this occasion
stripes above measure Years
afterward Paul remembers and men
lions how he was "shamefully treat
I'd at Philippi."
A moment after this disgraceful
Icourging, Paul and Silas found
themselves thrust into the reeking
filth and midnight gloom of an ORR
entail dungeon, in the hideous com
pany of thieves and murderers, down
on their backs, corrugated by the
welts which the rods had raised,
their feet spread wide apart and fast
| apa in the ralppt less stocks
Do you not imagine that the old
tempter was near to whisper in
Paul's ear: "Ah! Paul, that vision
of yours at Troas was certainly all
an illusion. What opening is there
here for the gospel? One convert,
and that a woman. A fine opening
this!" What reply did the apostle
make? Listen: on the still air OF
midnight there rises a sound never
heard before in that prison. Its
walls have often echoed to curse, and
ribald song, and signing of the cap
tive But never before to such il
sound as this: "And at midnight
Paul and Silas prayed, and sang
raises, and the prisoners heard
jhcm."
70 the prayers of the apostle the
Lord sent an immediate and glorious
response. The earthquake was the
answer of heayen to the worship OF
the dungeon. Most earthquakes are
destructive and deadly; this was not
The prison doors and the prisoners
chains fell to the earth-that was all
What admirable self-pOssession
J Paul showed; what a forgiving spirit
He heard the clang of the keepers
sword as he whipped it from its
J 5cabbard to take his own life, sup
posing that the prisoners had fled
Paul cried with a loud voice, "D(
/ thyself no harm, for we are here.
Such unearthly magnanimity as tina
put the finishing touches to the keep
1 ar's sense of conviction.
From the lips of the penitent iaile
drops the most important question
aver asked, "What must | do to b.
saVed?" The response is the Who'll
gospel in epitome: "Believe on tn
Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt b
I saved.n
There, at the prison fountain, b,
= the light of flaring torches, is
double washing. The rough hand Q
= che iailer, made gentle by grace
e oathes the bloody welts upon tn
n lpostle's back-and he in turn, fror
:, the same fountain, gives the jaile
i the outward and visible sign of tn
award and spiritual grace.
a THE TEACHERS LANTERN.
Christianity, on its entrance t
Y Europe, was antagOnized by specie
e of spiritism. The young woman
d the narrative was possessed by
spirit of Python" Reference is
t the Pythian oracle at Delphi.
s The young woman, probably mer
t tally unsound, was cheap imitatlo
: Of the oracle, saving people the e1
=, pense of a journey there. She was
y gilt-edge Investment for the synd
!, cate which owned her. Persons pal
t we'll for consulting her in affairs {
{ love and business.
She had, of course, heard of th
{ apostle and his preaching; had hear
e him called servant of God, an
d chat the burden of his message wa
l. salvation. So she followed the di'
4 ciples daily with her rhythmic decl'
ration.
Is When the proprietors of the Pytl
oness saw that further gains wei
gone, they were in rage again'
y. Paul. Roman law allowed accusel
to act as arresting officers. The MAJ
I tiers of the demon-possessed girl wei
unceremonious in use of their RICH
If it had been said that Paul ha
9 stolen pig it would have been cas-
. to formulate charge, but even Re
. man law did not recognize any PROF
: erty right in devils.
s Those men were not to be denie
8 the sweets of revenge by such a ci
4 cumstance, however. TO trump
charge was easy Appeal to raci
t, prejudice was next in order. "The
Re Jewsr' "Us Romans!' ~
y Paul could not receive praise frOl
It the afflicted girl without appearin
1t to approve the current superstition
He could sympathize with the sag
who exclaimed. "What base thin
have | done that such one praise
me?"
The consolatory and persuasiN
power of Christian song is well illu
trated. Sing on! You will be con
forted, and some prisoners of gri
or sin will hear you.
The instantaneousness of the jai
er's conversion is worthy of not
One moment he was brutal, the ne1
compassionate.
Christianity is the religion of I'll
family. 1t is Lydia and her hous
Cornelius and his--the iailer and "a
his straightway."
There is no finer comment on til
passage, "All things work tOgetht
for good to them that love God, tina
this Philippian incident.
The Phifippian dungeon was th
Catacombs in miniature.
He washed their stripes. The jai
or ha0an the Christian life well,