The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-10-07
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson Il.-F0uTth Quarter, For
Oct. 10, 1909.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES

Text of the Lesson. Acts xiii. 11-24.
Memory Verse. 11-Goiden Text, Ps.
xci, 2-Commentary Prepared by
Rev. D. M. Stearns.
The two great events Of this chapter
are Paul testifying before the Jewish
council and his being sent TO Felix.
the governor of Caesarpa. The chief
captain, having rescued him from the
Jerusalem mob and having given him
permission to speak to them from the
stairs before being taken into the cas-
tie. was greatly perpleXcd when. after
a time of great silence and patient
listening. the multitude suddenly be
came full Of frenzy because of some
thing he said As Paul had spoken in
Hebrew the chief captain knew not
what he had talked about nor what
stirred them SO He was about 10 ex-
tort from the prisoner by scour-iu-
the reason of their cutlery when Paul
told him he was It Roman citizen.
Pau's first utteraure drew forth %
rebuke from the high priest and
command TO smite tim on the mouth
Jesus wa, probably suircu thus ,Juuu
xviii. -. bat be answered. urcaI..
Paul not So mcclIy at u-~J .nr..It
ing THAT seine Of those present were
Pharisro> and some SaIduarrs. Tau
ACKNOWLEDGED himself 81 pbarisco and
said, OF tic hope and resurrection ,f
the dead ] am called IN question" for
the SadGucres say than tlnru is u,
resurrection, neither angel Hor spirit.
but the ruari>ccs confess both Oversees
8, g. This led to n strife between the
two parties. the lhariSceS ,a>n.
Pauls part ana crying: we md no
evil in this man Let Us rot fight
againSr God" The strife between the
two parties was SO great that again
the chief captain WAS compelled to
rescue Paul from them by force and
bring him into the castle
Can you wonder that the church as
seen by the world today does not
draw men TO God through Jesus
Christ? All sorts of religion. Trini-
tartan and Unitarian, Calvinist and
Armenian post miHcnuial and pre-mi|
lennial, are in the eyes of the world
just so many opinions Of men. one as
good as another and none good for
much, for where is He seen who has
all power in heaven and on earth. the
Righteous one the Prince OF Peace
i'll CIr.b i'm 9
Christ? The Scriptures do not SO teach
us. but God has n plan which He has
revealed to us in Ills word. and every
purpose OF His shall be performed
lisa NV, 24l. Verse II is certainly a
light above the brightness Of the sun
in the midst Of the surrounding dagA.
ness, not simply the darkness of the
natural night. but the spiritual dark
ness Of the times The Lord stood
hy him. and he never could forget
it. Hear him as after many years.
when he felt that the time Of his
departure had really come. he saws.
The Lord stood with me and strength.
ened me" QI Tim. tx. IL: BE Of
good cheer. Paul." Imagine. if YOU
can, the events of tho past day or
two and put Yourself in PauI'S place
and say what such a visit from the
Lord Jesus and such words might
mean to you. Was Pail beginning to
see hat perhaps bis coming TO Jprlsa
lem was a mistake, to say the least.
and that he had brought all this on
himself by not needing the voice Of
the Spirit and the counsel Of his breth.
rem. and was he cast down and dis.
coura Sed? Well. here is his blessed
Lord, who loves TO the uttermoSt and
to the end the one who said to Simon
Peter: Verify. verify. | say unto you,
the cock shall not crow till thou hast
denied me thrice Let not your heart
be troubled" oh. He is so fuI! Of
compassion. He knows us thoroughly
and loves us notwithstanding all the
sin and weakness He sees in us What,
ever may have been your failure. dear
reader, il you are truly His and do
really desire To please Him. He is say.
ing to you. BE Of good cheerr' Con
slider the other i've places where Jesus
anu iie 'iiNf uNth lHlS particular
word. one word in the Greek Matt
tx, ,, 90; xiv, p; Mark Z, 40; John XVI.
33), and whether you are utterly help
less physically, or your life seems
surely going from you. or you think
you Ell perish, or you can't see any
thing, or your trials seem too great.
He is saying. BE OF good cheer"
The mob might howl and the re
ligious ones contend but the Lord in
heaven had heard Paul testify to Him
If by word and deed we are testifying
of Him. then 1t is truly the work OF
the Spirit in us Gohn w. 90 Paul Is
assured that he must bear witness at
Rome also as he had desired. '"The
Lord will fulfill the desire Of them
that fear Him" Ops cxlv. 19). de
light thySelf in the Lord and He shall
give thee the desires of thine heart
Ops. xvii 4-thiS verse is lesson
enough for a lifetime But let us look
further. During the night Paul re
ceived these assurances from the Lord
Himself: In the morning his sisters
son brings him word that more than
forty men have sworn that they VIII
neither eat nor drink till they have