Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1909-09-01
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson * Third Quarter,
For Sept. 5, 1909.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text OF tho Lesson, Aets Xxx, 1875.
Memory Verses, 81, 32-Golden Text,
Phil. iv, 12-Comnentary Prepared
by Rev. D. M. Stesrns.

It. Phil. iv, 13-Comnnentary prepsr,
OF by Rev. D. M. stearns.
ne copyright, 1902 by American Pres, Association
s. After leaving Ephesus Paul visitc
~ the churches In Macedonia. givin
II them much exhortation, the nature {
I'd which we may gather from his cpl
q ties. Then, passing into Greece,
- abode three months, and he would NJ
I 1all to open to them the Scriptures @
" every opportunity. Hindered In hi
b purpose to sail from Greece to Syris
6 he returned through Macedonia, som
t OF the brethren having gone to Troa
y TO await. him there. Luke evidentl
: accompanied him to Philippi and sail
? ed with him to Troas, where they tar
$ ried seven days Xxx, O.. The mex
! verse looks like commemorative ou
= Lords death on the first day of tn,
l week, and in connection therewitl
, Paul held an all night service. talkinl
even till break Of day. At this service
a young man fell out Of the window
and was killed, but Paul was permit
ted to restore him to life. This may
have been an exceptionally long dis.
course Of PauPs, but we have some.
times wondered, with so much to tell,
how long he did talR. While all the
party sailed from Troas, Paul prefer.
red to walk across to Asses and Join
them there, perhaps coveting to be
alone with his Lord, something so nee
essary for a laborer with God. A mis-
sionary wrote from the heart Of Brazil
recently, ut is prayer that strikes the
winning blow"
Having reached Miletus and hasten
ing to be at Jerusalem by Pentecost,
instead Of visiting Ephesus he sent for
the elders Of the church to come to
him at Miletus, and his address to
them covers the greater portion of the
verses assigned as our lesson for to-
| day. With this farewell discourse the
teacher should read his epistle to the
Ephesians and also our Lords epistle
to the same church in Rev. IL. He
here reminds them Of his behavior
and his zeal and his teaching during
his three years sojourn among them.
The phrase Serving the Lord with all
humility Of mind" Verse 19) gives the
key to his whole life since he saw the
Lord on the way to Damascus. Put
with 1t Acts xvii, g. "whose I am,
and whom serve;' also Rom. vi, 10,
''To whom We yield yourselves to obey;
his servants We are to whom We obey"
Being such servant Of such Master, |
he would Of course keep back moth
ing that they ought to know, for he
lived not to please men, but God, who
trieth the heart q Thess II, A. His
preaching was summed UP in repent
ance toward God and faith toward our
Lord Jesus Christ (verse 21, and this
he proclaimed alike to Jew and Greek,
testifying the gospel Of the grace Of
God and the coming kingdom of God
ga, 25). He knew that bonds and af-
fictions awaited him everywhere, but
this did not move him, and he was
always ready to lay down his life for
Christ. The time did come when he
wrote to his beloved Timothy: II am
now ready to be offered, and the time
Of my departure is at hand I have
fought good fight; l have finished
my course; l have kept the faith" Oh
Tim. ", 6, y. Knowing that 1t Is our
privilege to suffer with Christ and to
fll up that which is behind Of the af.
1ictions Of Christ, he ever taught that
we must through much tribulation en-.
.er the kingdom Of God Phil. 1, 20;
Col. 1, pa Acts xiv, 22). Impressed
hat this might be his last talk with
hem, we listen with great interest to
lis farewell words, which we do we'll
o lay to heart. He reminds them that
hey are purchased with the blood Of I
christ (2S), in whom we have redemp- !
ion through His blood, the forgive 1
less of sins (Eph. 1, 2, and that they 9
an be built up only by the word of c
lis grace, which is the only food for l
he soul.
What a word to sound out every 4
where to all preachers and teachers '
oday, Feed the church Of God" re- I
that He Himself said, ~
m the bread Of life," 81 am the living r
read which came down from heaven"
John vi, 35, 81. Again He quoted q
rom the law, Man shall not live by %
read alone, but by every word Of
+od" duke ", 4. Paul foresaw that s
'olves would enter in among them. a
OF sparing the flock, and our Lord Il
aid to His disciples, II send you forth
8 sheep in the midst of wolves" D
Fear not them which kill the body" Il
datt. K, 16, 28). He also warned them t.
lat from among themselves false W
achers would arise to draw away "
isciples after them.
BY his own example Of earning his
vn living while he sojourned among
lem he warned them against COW al
BUSINESS and taught them to care for lie
e weak, reminding them Of some 81
ords Of the Lord Jesus, 1T is more m
essed to give than to receive" oversees b.
-35). In his epistle he wrote, LET in
m that stole steal no more, but rath- re
let him labor, working with his OF
lnds the thing which is good, that he sc
ay have to give to him that needeth' ra
ph. iv, 28). 1t Is not popular with II
any to earn money in order to have in
netting to give away. People do in pc
urches sing IF ever l loved Thee, be
= Jesus. it's now" but when the sh
'rd sees the Offering on the collection tn
ate and their manifest failure other ex
se In showing their love by their II
eds He might we'll say to them the In
"a Tt ~