The Prescott daily news., 1909-02-18
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson Vlll.-First Quarter, For
 Feb. q, 1909.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text of the Lesson, Acts vi, Sis; vii, 54, to viii, 3-Memory Verses vii, 55, 6s-Golden Text, Acts vii, 5s-Com- nentary by Rev. D. M. Stearns.

5S-Golden Text, Acts vii, 5e-Com-
 nentary by Rev. D. M. Stearns.
 Copyright, 1908, by American Press Association.l
 We have in this book of the Acts the history of the beginning of the church, the body of Christ, gathered from Jews and gentiles by the Spirit through the apostles and others who were used as well as the apostles, such as stephen and Philip, men who were chosen and set apart to oversee the ministration of funds to the poor, but who, being filled with the Holy Spirit, were used nightly in preaching the word. Our Lord Jesus said concern ing His church, The gates (wisdom, power) of hell shall not prevail against it' (Matt. xvi 1S), but He did not say that hell would not fight against it, but just the contrary. So He instruct ed the prophets centuries before Ger 1, 10; Ezek. il, 0. There are always enemies without, but sometimes the trouble gets within the church. as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira. Now it is a case or many cases of dis satisfaction on the part of some being ministered to from the common fund The twelve therefore called the dis cipIes together and appointed seven men full of the Holy Ghost and wis dom to see to these matters, Stephen man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost being what we would call chair man of the committee. The apostles gave themselves to the word and pray CT, and the disciples multiplied greatly, and many of the priests followed. So, whether 1t was prayer and preaching or serving tables, the Spirit wrought and God glorified in them.
 We must be Spirit filled for every kind of service, even the lowliest, if we would truly serve the Lord Happy are those who can look up into His face and say For any manner of service wholly at Thy commandment" q Chron. xxviii, 2D. To accept meekly and cheerfully whatever He appoints us and hear 1t or do 1t unto the Lord" and before the Lord" is all He asks of us and to continue therein till He calls to something else. Stephen, hay ing accepted the lowly and difficult service. Is soon found working mir acles and so speaking that those who heard were unable to resist the wis dom and the spirit by which he spake tOt nf ha of the risen Christ so stirs the adversary that Stephen Is arrested and brought before the council, and false witnesses lay to his charge things that he was wholly innocent of. While he was be- ing thus treated like His Lord the Lord must have been smiling upon him. for the reflection was seen in his face, which seemed to the council like the face of an angel.
 Being permitted to speak for himself. he rehearsed the national history from Abraham through Isaac, Jacob, Jo- seph, Moses, and on to David and Solo, mon and the temple, and then to the immortal Son of David, the true tenn pie. He enlarged upon the i'll treat ment of Joseph by his brethren and of Moses by the people whom he was sent to deliver and then accused them to their face of being the murderers of Jesus, as their fathers had been of the prophets. Those to whom Peter preached were pricked in their hearts and asked what they should do, and .I,N J.. nI IacuG as their Saviour and Lord Qi, 3G, SD, but these were cut to the heart and gnashed their teeth, stopped their ears, cast Stephen out and stoned him to death Spirit filled Peter got 5000 souls, but Spirit filled Stephen got stones enough to kill him, and in each case God was glorified. Although the young man at whose feet the Wit nesses who stoned Stephen laid down their clothes continued his murderous career little longer, perhaps when we have clearer light on the connection between Stephens death and Sauls conversion we may see that stephen, through Saul, won more souls than Peter The ways of the Lord are or ten to us great deep, but we are sure that "as for God Ills way Is perfect CPS. xviii, 3O). Spirit filled stephen looked up steadfastly Into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus and was able to pray for his murderers, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge" If we look up into heaven as he did and see Jesus there for us, we will not see our prosecutors nor feel much the stones that are thrown at us. We may so see Jesus and hear His voice that we shall be blind and deaf to all else.
 This seventh chapter may be said to