The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-03-13
N lRf 'SS'UlIRRDlaA SUNDAY Isl ihiOIiji''
w, P. CHAMBERS.

anu resulted In the formation of Chris
tian churches in all parts of Palestine,
and even in the regions beyond, sud-
denly ceased upon the conversion of
that arch-persecutor, Saul of Tarsus,
which occurred as he>was on his way
to Damascus. in his mad zeal to extir
pate the new religion.
An account of this conversion is re
lated next after the baptism of the
treasurer of Candace, but our lesson
committee has passed over it in ar
ranging this series of lessons. We will
study the passage on Sunday, April IS.
Today we again turn our attention to
the apostle Peter. During the period
of rest or 'peace," which the
churches throughout all Judea. Galilee
and Samaria enjoyed at this time, they
We're edited or built up, the members
walking in the fear of the Lord and
in the comfort of the Holy Spirit" No
wonder they were multiplied Such
a result was inevitable.
Peter event throughout all parts
of the adjacent country. The other
apostles may have been visiting the
churches In other directions. Peter
came to LYDIA. If one should board
the train at Jaffa, for run to Jerusa-
lem. he would soon arrive at a way
station called "Lydd," which is the
LYDIA of the text, and is called Lod
in the old testament history. At this
place Peter found paralytic named
Eneas. 1t had been eight years since
he had walked. He was perhaps a
believer in Christ, and, if so, no doubt
he often. wished that he had met Jesus
face to ace, as he walked among men;
for he ad learned that no paralyzed
man or woman even went unhealed
from his( presence. 1t may be that he
said so1hething like this to Peter, or
the APOSTLE may have read the I'M
spoken bought in the wistful face
So he So Sf, hEneas, Jesus Christ heal
eth thee" What a blessed view of
the Christ it is, that he does things
for us jnow, as well as when he was
in thz flesh. If we could always re-
member that "all power" is his!
Epseas arose at once, and folded up
/his pallet. Call that dwelt at LYDIA
Sand in (the Va1e of Sharon saw him
and thsy~furned to the Lord"
Eleven miles north of LYDIA is Jaf-
IA (of Joppa), the holy seaport prop
lerly belonging to the Promised Land.
tit is some 35 miles northwest from
Jerusalem, with which it is connected
by rail- A certain Christian woman re-
Jsided there, whose Aramaic name was
Tabitha, and whose Greek name was
Dorcas, (both names meaning "Gazel-
le," in the Originally, who by her deeds
of chrity had won a warm place in the
hearts of the poor and the needy Of
the city. Possibly she was a widow
herself. Certainly many of those who
profited by her benefactions were"of
that unfortunate class. She fell sick |
and died. The body was prepared for |
burial but instead of fastening the |
sculpture as usual, it was placed in an
upper chamber to await the arrival of
Peter, for whom messengers had been
at once dispatched. They had heard,
no doubt, of the healing Of Eneas, and
they may have hoped for a miracle
70 fhatr rxrantnd
" the comfort in their bereavement that
they felt one of the inner circle" OF
the personal followers of Jesus, would
know how to give.
Peter went at once, and on his ar
rival he was taken to the upper room
where the body lay. The Widows
the recipients of her benefactions,-
were present to testify to her goodness
of heart We may be sure these test
monies to herrosentEO
monies, broken by sobs, and related
with swelling hearts and streaming
eyes, were eloquent with sincerity
and touched a responsive chord in the
listeners bosom He remembered how
his Master had said, The poor ye have
with you laways, and whatsoever ye
will ye can do them good"
In the two other recorded miracles
of healing wrought through Peter, the
conditions were different. At the
beautiful Gate" he was sustained by
the nrpsence of his cOWOrkpr John |
and in that case, as well as that of
Eneas, there was a hope of a respon
sive faith on the part of the recipient
of the blessing. But there was no