The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-01-08
THE SUNDAY SCHOt
Lesson ll.-First Quarter,
ian. 10, 1909.
THE INTERNATIONAL SEEl-S.

Text of the Lesson, Act ii. 1.21-Mer,.
ory Verses, 2-4-Golden Text, John
xiv, 16, DOCUMENTARY Prepared
by Rev. D. M. stearns.
ICopyright, 1908, by American Press Associationl
On that last night before Ills cruel.
f1xion He said, ut is expcdicnt for you
that go away. for If go not away
the Comforter will not come unto you,
but IL depart | will send Hin unto
you, and when He is come He will
convince the world of sin and Of right
eousness and of Judgment" John xvi,
Z, -. As He left them on that ascen-
sion day He told them to tarry IN .Jeru-
salem until the Spirit came, as He said
that He would; hence we find them In
an upper room in Jerusalem. perhaps
the same one where He had kept the
Passover with them, continuing In one
accord In prayer and supplcation. The
women are there, too, and Mary, His
mother, ana His own brethren (Acts
|, 14), who had evidently come to the
point Of receiving their brother as the
Messiah. Contrast John vii, 5. think
this Is the last mention Of Mary, His
mother. How blessed to say farewell
to her till we meet her In glory ut
prayer meeting! with one accord" Is
very important phrase in this book.
1t is used just seven times in good
connection and four times in Il bad
one ii. IA; Ii, l., 4G; iv, "a; V, -; viii, G;
XIV, 81, and vii. 81; xii, 20; xviii. IL;
xix, 20l.
This is suggestive also, for seven is
the greatest number denoting perfec-
ton. while four Is the worldwide num-
Der, and we know that the whole world
lieth in the wicked one Il John V. 10,
r. w. Seven is also a three and q
four, the Trinity and the resurrection,
on behalf of the whole world. If any
do not see significance in numbers let
chem be teachable and patient with
those who do. If believers could only
be of one accord, what great things
might be seen in answer to prayer and
patient waiting upon God! Whether
the election of Matthias was of God or
only of Peter and the others, we may
perhaps not be able to decide till we
know as we are known. We shall
surely know when we see the twelve
thrones occupied Of which Jesus sparkle.
Ten days having passed since He left
them, which, added to the forty days
between resurrection and ascension,
completed the fifty of Lev. xxiii 1916,
they being with one accord in one
place, the Holy Spirit came as prom
ised, accompanied by a sound from
heaven as of rushing, mighty wind,
which filled all the house where they
were sitting. There appeared unto
them cloven tongues, like as of fire,
and it sat upon each of them, and they
were all filed with the Holy Ghost
and began TO speak with other tongues
as the Spirit gave them utterance
fore His ascension fulfilled. aye shall
be baptized with the Holy Ghost not
many days hence q, 81. The women
present must have been filed as well
as the men. This filing was not sutti.
cient for all future time, for we find
some of the same people filled from
; time to time, again and again Qv. .,
81. In chapter Y, Al, 4G, we read that
the Spirit fell ON those to whom Peter
was speaking, even as he preached the
word to them, and they also spake
with tongues and magnifed God.
When tongues were given there was
always a reason why. In our lesson
story there were gathered at Jerusalem
devout men out of every nation under
heaven CO.. and in their own native
tongue they heard these men speak
the wonderful words of God 0D. lT
the Babel story of rebellion against
God. all people being of one language
they were caused by God to SPEAK
many, to their own confusion Gen
XII, but here at Pentecost people Of ont
language were enabled to speak many
languages, to the glory Of God. There
seems to be somewhat OF the gift Of
tongues granted by God again in these
days Q90S). but it is to be feared tina
there Is much that Is not of God, mucl
dclusion BY the wicked one. There Il
great need to study closely | Cor. xiv
with special attention to verses 8, 8, 10
a greater test of the Spirits presence
and power and working than any othe
gift Is that of the love described IL
Cor xiii. The love that exalteth thu
Lord alone, that unites believers in ont
great desire to magnify Him regardless
of all sects or divisions of the churcl
and to give the glorious gospel to al
the world as quickly as possible-thi
is the filing of the Spirit to be great.
desired.
At Pentecost many mockingly said
These men are full of new wine
(verse 13). but Peter became tn
mouthpiece OF the Holy Spirit to cal
their attention to the prophecy Of Joe
(aud other Scriptures to be considere
In our next lesson and that this was
fulillment Of that prophecy concern
ing the ontpourlng OF the Holy Spirit
1t was said by man Of God tina
] prophecy has many a germinant an
springlng accomplishment throughou
the ages, while the complete fulfil
Ynant NAV ba FOR QOma f1tura narlOf