Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1909-03-04
Philip and
the Ethiopian
sundsy SsAeSl Lessen fer March 2. 1903
Specially Arranged for This Paper

lures: for in them ye think ye have eter-
nal life; and they are they which testify
OF me.-John b.39.
TIME.--Summer Of A. d. % or ~ Soon
after the last lesson.
PLACE.-where the road from samaria
20 GAIA crosses or Joins the road from
Jerusalem 90 Casa; In the unoultivated
region southwest OF Jerusalem, toward
the old Phillstine country.
Comment and suggestive Thought.
VS.. "a, rs. "a man OF Ethiopia" A
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 It's junction with the
Atbara, as far IA Khartoum, and
thence to the east of the blue Nile to
the Abyssinian mountains. "Of great
authority" A man OF power. OF wide
influence. a prince.
v. %. 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, 80 that
Philip was able to hear II. II was a
pleasant and profitable custom on long
| IOhlhNSas
Reading Aloud THE great Jewish
teachers insisted. In many instances,
upon their scholars reading aloud"
II speak TO the experience, probably.
Of many, when say that utterance
aloud Is often a very powerful aid to
mental retentiveness," says Joseph
| Parker. II is more than this, reading
aloud helps us to understand the
meaning of the Word. For In order to
read well we must understand every
shade Of the meaning, or we will mis-
interpret Gods Word. A monotonous,
singsong. woodeny, or artificial read
ing, such as we often hear, comes
very near to being a crime. for IL de-
prives the Word of its 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 ex-
pense to obtain 1t.
Young people often say that II IL
hard to become interested in reading
the Scriptures. But II anyone reads
them in order to find out what to do,
and what TO believe, he will, OF neces-
sity, find a deep interest in the study.
as one finds map interesting when
he is planning Journey, or a chart
when he is crossing the ocean.
God is no reSpecter of persons.
Twice Africans are brought to our no.
tice-here. and when Simon the Cy-
renian helped Jesus to bear his cross.
"As for the nationality Of the Eth
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 IA.
miliar with, like our chosen friends,
mold our characters and guide our
destiny.
w. 20. Then the Spirit said" The
Spirit speaks rot only to our feelings,
but to our Judgment and conscience.
Whoever is perfectly willing to obey
the voice OF the Spirit will be guided
Alright. Prejudices, unwilllngness to
obey. past training or failure of train
ing, in so far as we allow them to ex.
ert an influence, will lead us astray;
as iron near the compass on a ship
will defect the guiding magnetic
needle. Join thyself to this chariot.
An excellent illustration is found in
Pilgrims Progress" where Christian
is wandering around in doubt. and
meeting Evangelist Is directed to the
right way.
at The same Scripture" Which was
fulfilled in Jesus, and has been tul.
filled in no other. And preached
announced the glad tidings OF Jesus,
Philip showed the strange and mar
velous correspondence between the
many descriptions OF the Messiah IN
the prophets and the then well.known
life OF Jesus of Nazareth
The Progress OF a Soul Into the
Kingdom. Compare with Bunyan'a
Pilgrims Progress as far AZ the Pal
ace Beautiful. whence he was sent
forth clothed In Christian Rrmor.
/. He was deeply In earnest. and
went on long. dangerous. and costly
journey 10 and the true religion.
2. He did this against many infu
ences that held him back.
8. He went to the religious people
and meetings where he thought hs
could learn about the true God and his
service.
4. He read the Bible carefully "a
learn the way.
s. He was not discouraged because hs
did not find the light