Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1909-02-10
The SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson VlI.-First Quarter, Fol
Feb. IA, 1909.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Acts v, 17.42.
Memory Verses, 10, 2o--Golden Text,
Matt. " 1o-commentary Prepared
by Rev. D. M. Stearns.

= Copyright. 1908, by American Press Association
- Verses u to ~ of our lesson chap
II ter. which tell Of the healing of all thu
y sick people who were brought to thu
apostles, are q manifest fulfilment Of
>. the last words In Matthew and Mark
t ''Lo. am with you Away" 1.-THE
: Lord working with them and confirm
5 ing the word with signs following
: Such manifestations Of the power OF
l the risen Christ are too much for the
, devil, who is still the spiritual ad-
, wiser Of all who are not controlled by
, the Holy Spirit, and so the religious
rulers are filed with Indignation by
the evil one. and the apostles are cast
into prison that they may thus do no
more harm to the enemy's property by
robbing him Of people whom he had
hitherto controlled. But. as usual. the
enemies of the Lord imagine q vain
thing,oan the Lord has them In dc.
rision~ ops. H. Ia. Storm and tenn
pest, fiery furnace or lions den, prison
gates and walls, are no hindrance to
the Lsrd nor to His angels. who excel
in strength and who delight to do His
bidding Cps. ciii. 20) The apostles,
being still in mortal bodies. need to
have doors opened for them. but even
that proves no hindrance to an angel
So He who never slumbers nor sleeps
sent His messenger by night to liber
ate His servants that they might go to
the temple and speak to the people
the words of life, and this they did
The next morning, when the high
priest and his council and senate were
assembled they sent to the prison
to bring the apostles. but while the
prison was secure, as usual. and the
keepers on duty there were no apostles
! within.
How it makes ones heart laugh to
see God laughing at his enemies!
There is nothing too wonderful for the
Creator of heaven and earth DER.
xxi, 10. We do not wonder that
they doubted "whereunto this would
grow" We know that it will grow, In
spite of all that the adversary can do,
until every proud and naughty thing
shall be laid low and "the Lord alone
shall be exalted" lisa. II. II. III. |
Having learned that the prisoners
were free men and teaching in the |
temple, they sent for them. brought |
them without violence and set them
before the council, accusing them Of |
bringing the blood of Jesus on the rul
ers and demanding Of them why they |
continued teaching in this name after
being forbidden to do so. They seemed
to forget that they had cried. Ills
blood be on US and on our children"
Matt. xvii. 25). Peter boldly replied
that God must be Obeyed rather than
men and then once more to their face
accused them Of Staying Jesus. assert
ing that God had raised Him from
the dead and exalted him to His own
right hand rs a Prince and Saviour
to give repentance and forgiveness
even to them and that they. the apos-
ties, were His witnesses by the power
% the Holy Ghost. That settled the
fate of the apostles in the minds Of
the council. and so they took counsel
to kill them. The great murderer
would fain accomplish some more Of
his devilish work and dispose Of them
as he had Of their Master They were
quite ready for such result. for they
had been told to expect 1t (JOhn XVI,
Ia. They were the same generation
Of viperS, or seed of the serpent these
jews, as those to whom Jesus had
said that they would do these very
things. They were. as He said. Of
their father the devil Matt. xiii, 33,
"a; John viii. Az. There are In this
and the unrighteOus. the children Of
God and the children Of the wicked
one. and there are in the future just |
two destinations, the kingdom and the
glory and the place Of torment. God is
not willing that any should perish and
has provided in His Son redemp-
ton sufficient for all but If people
prefer the blindness and darkness Of {
the god of this world Oh Cor w. A.;
Il they still say, Not this man. but
Barabbas; we will not have this man [
to reign over us; we have no king but ,
Caesar" then 1t must be understood {
hat they declare themselves enemies 8
If God. for "the friendship Of this s
world is enmity with God" Jas. iv. A.. G
The free gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord (ROm. vi. %.
R. w., but if men deliberately choose =
he wages Of sin In preference who is q
% blame? h
The counsel of Gamaliel in verses 4
-, SO, was in accord with lisa. wifi, o, r
%; xiv. "a; XII, IL; kill. 10; liv. II, and
'ther good words of the prophets. and
o him they agreed. but they deemed
necessary to give the apostles a =
urther mention of the name Of Jesus y
verse 40). Thus they declared them ;,
elves decidedly against Jesus Christ !,
nd that they would blot out His :,
anne If possible. They would not be- =
eve that God had highly exalted Him :.
nd given Him name which Is above a
very name that is named. not only in
his world. but also in that which is to
ONE, and that all shall yet bow to Him
ither in glad submission or to hear II
lin say. Depart from me, We cursed" i
Phil. II. 8, 10; Eph. t. 2D. -
In contrast to these proud religious -
hildren Of the evil one see these two y
ejoicing men, happy because they hal ..
oon o0unfad u,orthv m sufPar "