Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1909-03-04

verses 1871
GOLDEN TExT.-ssarch the Scrip
lures; for In then ye think ye have eter~
nAl life: and they are they which TESTIFY
e me.-John $50.
fIME.-Summer OF A. ID. IS OF H. Soon
after the last lesson.
PLACE.-Whsre the road from Samaria
- Casa crosses or Joins the road from
Jerusalem 10 Cana; In the uncuitivaeed
vsedon southwest Of Jerusalem. toward
he cid Phihstine country.
oomment and suggestive Thought.
VS.. az, %. "A man Of Ethiopia" A
eoneral term for the lands south OF
Egypt. But from the name OF Queen
Candaoe n was probably Meroe, .
country which lay on the right bank OF
Ne Nile from its junction WIN tho
Atbapa, a. far as Khartoum, and
thence to the east Of the blue Nile TO
de Ahyssinian mountains. "Of great
authority" A man Of power. OF wide
tn0ueuce, a prince.
". "a WAS returning" Guided by
Providence at exactly the right Tina
Rear twas reading). "Esaias."
Greek form of Isaiah. He was reading
aloud an was the custom. 30 that
Philip was able to hear It. II was
pleasant and profitable custom on long
journeys.
Reading Aloud. The great Jewish
teachers insisted, In many Instances,
upon their scholars reading aloud"
Il speak to the experience. probably,
Of many, when I say that utterancs
aloud II often very powerful aid to
mental, retentiveness." says Joseph
Parker. II is more than this. reading
aloud helps US to understand the
meaning of the Word. For in order 10
read well we must understand every
shade of the meaning, or we will mis-
interpret Gods Word A monotonous.
sing-song, woodeny, or artificial read
ing, such as we often hear. comes
very near to being a crime, for ii de-
prives the Word of its natural mean
ing, and makes the hearers inatten
tive. or repels them from tie Word.
Those who wish to know the truth
take great pains and spare no Cd.
pense TO obtain Il.
Young people often say that II Is
hard to become interested in reading
the Scriptures. But II anyone reads
them in order to find out what to do.
and what to believe, he win, of neoeS
sity. find a deep interest IN tho study.
as one finds a map interesting when
he is planning a journey, or chart
when he is crossing the ocean.
God is no respecter of persona
Twice Africans are brought to our no
tiee-here, and when Simon the Cy.
renian helped Jesus to bear his cross
-As for the nationality OF the Eth
opian." says Fsrrar, 1T must be borne
n mind that even Moses himself had
once married an Ethiopian wife"
We can meet God and learn his win
In the desert places Of life. as Moses
saw the burning bush, and Elijah
heard the voice Of God in the lonely
places Of Horeb, and Paul spent thres
years IN the deserts OF Arabia.
It is good to use every spare oppor
tunity In studying and meditating on
the Word of God. What we do with
eur spare moments often determines
our characters even more than our
daily labors do.
The books we choose and are ~
milfar with, lfke our chosen friendA
mold our characters and guide our
destiny.
Y. 20. Then the Spirit said" The
Spirit speaks not only to our feelingH
but to our judgment and eonscfenoA
Whoever IL perfectly willing to obey
the voice Of the Spirit will be guided
Alright. Prejudices, unwiliingnsss to
ehsy. past training or failure Of train,
ing, In 30 far as we allow them to en-
srt an influence, will lead us astrays
~ iron near the compass on O ship
will defect the guiding magnets
needle. Join myself to this chariot.
An excellent Illustration is found In
"Pngrim's Progress" where Chnstiau
- wandering around In doubt, and
meeting Evangelist Is directed to the
right way.
v. s.. Then Philip began
a. the same Scripture" Which was
fulfilled IN Jesus, and has been f,tk
MED in no other And preached
announced the glad tidinss OF Jesm
Philip showed the strange and map
Vicious correspondence between the
many descriptions OF the Messiah m
the prophets and the then wen-known
life Of Jesus OF Nazareth.
The Progress OF Soul Into the
Kingdom. Compare with Bunyan's
Pilgrims Progress as far az the Pal
acc Beautiful, whence he was sent
forth clothed IN Christian armor.
I. He was deeply In earnest, and
went on . long, dangerous, and costly
journey to find the true religion.
2. He did this against many ndsp
sness that held him back.
3. He went to the religious people
and meetings where he thought he
could learn about the true God and has
service.
Z. He read the Bible carefully 70
learn the way.
8. He was not discouraged because hs
dfd not find the light.
8. He accepted the help Of one who
knew the truth from sxperssnee.
z. A soon a. he saw that Jesus was
DE true Saviour, he accepted him.
& A soon an he felt he was
true disciple he desired to confess
ChslSt by baptism, In the presence OF
M whole reffnue. Confession strength
ems the character and confirms the
choice. Like Cortex, on landing on
ne Mexican shores. II burns the ships
hohlnd him. No better no Sim pleY M