Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1909-02-11
Philip and
the Ethiopian
Sunday Sekssl Lssssa fer March Z, 1909
Specially xrsossd for Thin Papsr

LESSON rExT.-Acts. s:s-S. Memory
verses 1874.
GOLDEN TExT.-ssaroh the Scrip
lures: for in them ye think We have ster-
nal life: and they are they which testify
of ms.-John $50
TIME.-Summer of A. ID. So or IT, Boon
after the last lesson.
= Where the road from samaria
70 GAIA crosses or joins the road from
Jerusalem TO GAIA; In the uncuitivaeed
region southwest OF Jerusalem, toward
the old Phihstine country.
Comment and suggestive Thought.
VS.. ~, 2S. "A man of Ethiopia"
general term for the lands south OF
Egypt. But from the name OF Queen
Candace II was probably Meroe,
country which lay on the right bank OF
the Nile from its junction with the
Atbara, as far as Khartoum, and
thence to the east of the blue Nile to
the Abyssinian mountains. "Of great
authority" man of power, OF wide
influence. prince.
V. 2s. WAS returning" Guided by
Providence at exactly the right time.
Read" twas reading). "Esaias.'
Greek form of Isaiah He was reading
aloud as was the custom, so that
Philip was able to hear II. II was
pleasant and profitable custom on lons
journeys.
Reading Aloud THE great Jewish
teachers insisted, in many instances,
upon their scholars reading aloud.
81 speak to the experience. probably.
OF many, when I say that uterancs
aloud Is often a very powerful aid to
mental retentiveness," says Joseph
Parker. II is mere than this, reading
aloud helps us to understand the
meaning of the Word. For in order 70
read well we mast understand evey
shade of the meaning. OF we will mts-
| interpret Gods Word. A monotonous.
sing-song, woodeny, or artificial read
! ing, such as we often hear, comes
very near to being a crime, for it de-
prives the Word of it's natural mean
ing, and makes the hearers inatten
tive, or repels them from the Word.
Those who wish to know the truth
take great pains and spare no en-
pense to obtain It,
Ounk DtODit Oiitu say tnul IL ~
hard to become interested in reading
the Scriptures. But If anyone reads
them In order to find out what to do,
and what to believe, he Will. of Reces-
sity. find a deep interest In the study.
as one finds. a map interesting when
he is planning journey, or a chart
when he is crossing the ocean.
l. Of
Twice Africans are brought TO our no
tioe-here, and when Simon the Cy.
renian helped Jesus to bear his cross.
CAS- for the nationality of the Ethi-
opian," says Farrar. ut must be borne
in mind that even Moses himself had
once married an Ethiopian wife"
We can meet God and learn his viii
in the desert places of life. as Moses
saw the burning bush, and Elijah
heard the voice OF God In the lonely
places OF Horeb, and Paul spent three
years in the deserts of Arabia.
II is good to use every spare oppor
tunity in studying and meditating on
the Word of God What we do with
our spare moments often determines
our characters even more than our
daily labors DO.
The books we choose and are fA.
miliar with, like our chosen friends,
mold our characters and guide our
destiny.
v. 2s. Then the Spirit said" The
Spirit speaks not only TO our feelingA
but TO our judgment and conscience
Whoever Is perfectly willing to obey
the voice Of the Spirit will be guided
Alright. Prejudices, unwillinsness to
obey, past training or failure OF train
ing, In so far as we allow them to en-
ert an influence, will lead AS astray,
as iron near the compass on a ship
will defect the guiding magnetic
needle. Join thyself to this Oh arioA
An excellent illustration is found 10
Pilgrims Progress" where Christian
is wandering around in doubt, and
meeting Evangelist is directed to the
right way.
V. SO. Then Philip began
at the same Scripture" Which was
fulfilled in Jesus, and has been full
filed in no other. And preached.
announced the glad ttdings of Jesus
Philip showed the strange and mar
Vicious correspondence between the
many descriptions Of the Messiah ID
the prophets and the then well-knowr
life of Jesus of Nazareth
The Progress of a Soul Into the
Kingdom. Compare with Bunyan'i
Pilgrims Progress as far as the Pas
ace Beautiful, whence he was sent
forth clothed IN Christian armor
/. He was deeply IN earnest, and
went on a lons, dangerous, and costly
journey to find the true religion.
2. He did this against many info
enees that held him back.
8. He went to the religious people
and meetings where he thought he
could learn about the true God and his
service.
4. He read the Bible carefully u
learn the way.
s. He was not discouraged because h>
did not find the light
6. He accepted the help OF one who
knew the truth from experience.
Z. AS soon as he saw that Jesus wal
the true Saviour, he accepted him.
g. As soon as he felt he was q
true disciple he desired TO confess
Christ by baptism, in the presence o
his whole retfnue. Confession strength
ems the character and confirms the
choice. Like CorteE, on landing or
- - Il.