The Prescott daily news., 1909-02-11
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson VII.-First Quarter, For
 Feb. IA, 1909.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text of the Lesson, Acts V, 17-42. Memory Verses, 19, 2o-Golden Text, Matt. V, 10-Commentary Prepared by Rev. D. M. Stearns.

lCopyrlSht, l9OS, by American Press AsSoclatlon.
 Verses 12 to 19 of our lesson chap ter, which tell of the healing of all the sick people who were brought to the apostles, are manifest fulfilment Of the last words in Matthew and Mark. 10. 1 am with you alway," 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 arc 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 a vain thing. and the Lord has them in de- rision CPS. ii 1-4). Storm and tenn pest, fiery furnace or lions den, prison gates and walls, are no hindrancc to the Lord nor to His angels, who excel in strength and who delight to do His bidding G1s. elf, 2M 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 libcr- 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 usuas, and the keepers on duty there were no apostles within
 How it 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, ID. 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. if. II. ID. Having learned that the prisoners were free men and teaching in the temple, they sent for them, brought tlieml without, violence and set them before the, council. accusing them of bringing the blood of Jesus on the rul- CTS and demanding of chem why they continued teaching in this name after being forbidden tosdO so. They seemed to forget that they had cried. His blood be on us and on our children" Matt. xxyitg25). 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 asa Prince and 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 it John xvi 1-4 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 (Matt. xxiii, 33, 34; John viii, 44. 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- ton sufficient for all, but if people prefer the blindness and darkness of the god of this world 0I Cor. iv, 4: if they still say, Not this man, but Barabbas; we will not have this man to reign over us; we have no king but Caesar" then it must be understood that they declare themselves enemies of God, for "the friendship of this world is enmity with God" (Jas. iv, A. "The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. vi, 23, R. VD, but if men deliberately choose the wages of sin in preference who is to blame?
 The counsel of Gamalel in verses 3S, 30, was in accord with Isa. viii. 9. 10; xiv. 24; xii, 12; xliii, 13; liv, IT. and