The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-11-20

AOpIC VI ILLS iS8SOu - Aub .
Story Of His Life." and yet that seems
to be more fully told in his testimony
before AGrippa In chapter XVI. or even
IL his address from the castle stairs
IN chapter XII. or more concisel. in
Phil. iii. or more fully by putting these
three records together. The verses as
signed US for today's study are rather
q resume Of his sufferings. with spe-
cial reference to his being stoned to
death at Lystra and his marvellous ex-
perience at that time. With such .
record as that in chapter II. 23-2A who
Is there today who has anything that
can begin to compare with 1t In the
matter Of suffering for Christ's sake?
At the time of his conversion the Lord
said to Ananias. II will shew him how
great things he must suffer for my
sake (Acts X. 49,. and this seems in
our eyes AZ II He had 6lled the bill
quite fully. Let US understand q lit
tie more fully the service Of suffering
a. set forth in Rom. v. 8: Phil. I. -:
Col. 1. "a; Rev. II, 10. and elsewhere.
1t is made Enthusiastically plain that by
the suffering OF Christ In our stead.
IN OuT Slu OS0IC ts Abl " oO ACNSAvS 61Ax0
are made meet to be partakers OF tho
Inheritance. having in Him redemption
through His blood. the forgiveness Of
sins (Col. 1. 1910.
There ID, however. another phase OF
the suffering question In Heb. II. 10.
where 1t speaks Of bringing NJ to His
glory and Of Him as the captain Of
our salvation being made perfect
through sunerings. He II our high
priest. who can be touched with the
feeling Of our in6rmities. for He was
in all points tempted like ~ We are
(Heb. ". 10. Now. since BY His
atonement He has made Us kings and
priests unto God. having washed NJ
from our sins in His own blood. and
We are to reign with Him on tho
earth (Rev. 1. s. 6: '. lO,. We must ne
member that to be fitted to reign with
Him We must suffer with Him III
Tim. II. ~. BY His atonemeut made
fit for his presence. but by our suffer
ones made nt to oil the place In His
kingdom which He IL preparing for %
while He prepares us for It: hence We
have little light on the great mystery
Of the believers safferings ~ seen
everywhere in greater or less degree.
If by His grace We are patient under
all our trials We are winning for our
selves q special crown-the crown OF
life JAS. 1. II: Rev. IL 20'. which We
shall have to cast at His feet In that
day. And not only 20. but the power
Of Christ Is seen upon 10 to His glory.
the patience under trial n It could not
otherwise be seen. Paul therefore
says. Most gladly will 1 glory In my
in6rmities that the power OF Christ
may rest upon me-" xii. 81. This u
something like Phil. l. 20. where he says.
Christ shall be magnifed In my body.
whether It be BY life or BY death"
While Paul had unusual fellowship
in suffering. he had also some unusual
revelations. Not only was bis con-
version unique but the various mani
fes:ations Of the Lord to him after
ward were very remarkable. as was
also the revelation Of 1.-The mystery" Of
which he % often speaks. He tells ~
that. lest the abundance OF the reve-
lations should unduly exalt him. there
was given him q thorn in the fiesh. the
messenger Of Satan. to buffet him. He
tells US that he asked the Lord three
times to deliver him from 1t. but the
answer was. My grace - sumcient
for thee. for my strength Ii made per
feet in weakness" tverse 81. l do not
know how we can be quite sure as to
what this thorn in the desh was till
Paul himself shall some day tell US
il it is best for US to know. Some one
has said that We are not told what
it was in order that il any one has a
thorn in the flesh he may find a bit
Of comfort in supposing that that was
Just what Paul had. This certainly II
true-that II any believer has a phys
ical infrmity and cannot get it remov-
ed by prayer or by the PHYSICIANS skill
then the answer to Paul must be ac-
cepted and the Lord trusted for grace
to bear it meekly for His glory. for.
while these words were said to Paul,
they were written for US.
As to the special vision and reveal
ton Of our lesson. it seems to have
been about the time that Paul was
stoned to death at Lyssra. and it IL
quite probable that while Pauis dead
body was being dragged out Of Lystra
fActs xiv, 10, he was in the third
heaven, or paradise. which he here de-
scribes. and saw and beard things that
he could not put into earthly language.
We have no record OF anything that
LAZARUS OF Bethany said when he
came back from the dead. probsbIy
because words could. not utter 1t. The