The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-02-12
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson VlI.-First Quarter, For
Feb. IA, 1909.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES

memory verses, 49, Zu-Ooloen ext
Matt. v, 1o-commentary Prepared
By Rev. D. M. 'Stearns.
Copyright, 1908, by American Press Association
Verses IL to 18 of our lesson chap
ter, which tell of the healing Of all the
sick people who were brought to the
apostles, are manifest fulfiilment Of
the last words in Matthew and Mark,
"Lo, l am with you Away" "The
Lord working with them and confirm.
ing the word with signs following"
Such manifestations of the power of
the risen Christ are too much for the
devil, who is still the spiritual ad-
wiser of all who are not controlled by
the Holy Spirit, and so the religious
rulers are filled with indignation by
the evil one, and the apostles are cast
into prison that they may thus do no
more harm to the enemy's property by
robbing him of people whom he had
hitherto controlled. But, as usual, the
enemies of the Lord imagine q vain
thing, and the Lord has them In de.
rlsion (Ps. II, La. Storm and tenn
pest, fiery furnace or lions den, prison
gates and walls, are no hindrance to
the Lord nor to His angels, who excel
in strength and who delight to do His
bidding Ps. Gill, 20). The apostles
being still in mortal bodies, need to
have doors opened for them, but even
that proves no hindrance to an angel.
So He who never slumbers nor sleeps
sent His messenger by night to liber.
ate His servants that they might go to
the temple and speak to the people
the words Of life. and this they did.
The next morning, when the high
priest and his council and senate were
assembled, they sent to the prison
to bring the apostles, but while the
prison was secure, as usual, and the
keepers on duty there were no apostles
within.
How 1t makes ones heart laugh to
see God laughing at his enemies!
There is nothing too wonderful for the
Creator of heaven and earth Ger.
XXXii, 10. We do not wonder that
they doubted "whereunto this would
grow" We know that it will grow, in
spite of all that the adversary can do,
until every proud and naughty thing
shall be laid low and "the Lord alone
shall be exalted" Qsa. ii, II, 10.
Having learned that the prisoners
were free men and teaching in the
temple, they sent for them, brought
them without violence and set them
before the council, accusing them Of
bringing the blood Of Jesus ON the rul
ers and demanding of them why they
continued teaching in this name after
being forbidden to do so. They seemed
to forget that they had cried. "His
blood be on us and on our children"
(Matt. xvii, 25). Peter boldly replied
that God must be obeyed rather than
men and then once more to their face
accused them of Staying Jesus, assert
ing that God had raised Him from
the dead and exalted Him to His own
right hand as a Prince and a Saviour
to give repentance and forgiveness
even to them and that they, the apos-
ties, were His witnesses by the power
of the Holy Ghost That settled the
fate of the apostles in the minds of
the council, and so they took counsel
to. kill them The great murderer
would fain accomplish some more of
his devilish work and dispose Of them
as he had Of their Master. They were
quite ready for such a result, for they
had been told to expect 1t John XVI,
Ia. They were the same generation
Of vipers, or seed Of the serpent these
Jews, as those to whom Jesus had
said that they would do these very
things. They were, as He said, Of
their father the devil G1att. xiii, 33,
"a; John viii, 40. There are in this
world only two classes, the righteous
and the unrighteous, the children of
God and the children Of the wicked
one, and there are in the future just
two destinations, the kingdom and the
glory and the place of torment God is
not willing that any should perish and
has provided In His Son a redemp-
tion sufficient for all, but If people
prefer the blindness and darkness of
the god of this world QI Cor. iv, II;
If they still say, "Not this man, but
to reign over us; we have no king but
Caesar" then 1t must be understood
that they declare themselves enemies
of God, for "the friendship of this
world is enmity with God" JAS. iv, 4.
1.-THE free gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord" Rom. vi, %,
r. W, but If men deliberately choose
the wages of sin in preference who is
to blame?
The counsel Of Gamaliel In verses
3S, 80, was in accord with Isa. viii, 0,
10; xiv, "a; XII, 70; xiii, 13; liv, II, and
other good words of the prophets, and
to him they agreed, but they deemed
1t necessary to give the apostles a
beating and to forbid them to make
further mention of the name of Jesus
(verse 40). Thus they declared them
selves decidedly against Jesus Christ
and that they would blot out His
name If possible. They would not be-
lieve that God had highly exalted Him
and given Him name which is above
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