The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-02-03
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson W.-First Quarter, Fc'
Feb. 7, 1909.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.


Memsry Verses, 81, 33-Golden Text,
Prev. xii, 22-commsntary Prepared
by Rev. D. NJ. etsarns.
tCopyriuht, 1908, BY American Pres. Association. ]
The greatest word in the last verses
Of chapter iv Is found In verse 83.
with great power gave the apostles
witness Of the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus, and great grace was upon them
an." They realized and manifested
something Of the power of His resur.
rection in their daily lives and enjoyed
q ful6llment of the grace Of II Cor
X, s, which was grace that could be
eeen, as In Acts xi, %. Grace is three
fold-that which saves us, that in
which we stand and that which will be
ours at the revelation of Jesus Christ
(Rom. Ill, "a; Eph. Ii, 8, 8; Rom. v, q:
Pet. 1, 13). From first to last redemp
tion is wholly of grace through the
merits Of Jesus Christ without any
cause on our part. 1t is most simply
and fully set forth in the words Of
ii Cor. will, 8, and other words sug
gested by that wondrous statement
which when fully pondered In connec-
ton with His present ministry for US
at Gods right hand cannot fail to
make us a people wholly set apart for
Himself. But where shall we find to-
day the fellowship and brotherly love
and self renunciation Of verses 1926
and chapter II, A, 45? Where do any
become poor for the sake Of others In
us? Where is there such affection for
the house Of God, the church of God.
as David manifested when he prepared
for the same with all his might or
when, as in the days of Moses the peo-
pie had to be restrained from bring
ing? Il Chron. xxx. 2, 8; Ex. xxxvi
B-T)
Instead Of one heart and one soul
for the good Of all believers 1t is diff
cult to find such an attitude even to-
ward ones SO called church or de-
nomination, even though such zeal, IL
1t could be found. would be a COM
paratively poor affair. praise Col
that do know not a few who almost
literally manifest the Spirit of these
first believers, but the common atti-
tude Of the vast majority has been
strikingly set forth as follows: "And
the multitude Of them that professed
were of hard heart and stony soul, and
every one said that all the things
which he possessed were his own, and
they had all things in the fashion
And with great power they gave wit
ness to the attractions Of this world
and the love Of gold, and great selfish
ness was upon them all. And there
were many among them that lacked
love, for as many as were possessors
of lands bought more and sometimes
gave q small part thereof for the pub
lie good, SO their names were heralded
In the newspapers, and distribution of
praise was made to every one accord
ing as he desired" ("Regions Beyond').
If Christians were Spirit filled this
phraseology would not be true, but
since 1t is too sadly true where are the
truly spiritual who love not in words
and tongues, but in deeds that all can
see? Il John Ill., 16-18.)
This Barnabas is spoken of as -
good man, full Of the Holy Ghost and
Of faith" and he proved himself true
son Of consolation to Saul when the
disciples at Jerusalem were afraid OF
him and for time would not believe
that he was a disciple (Acts xi, 22-2t
TX, 26, 81. He felt led to sell his land
and put the proceeds in the common
fund. His sister Mary. the mother OF
Mark (Col. ", 10; Acts xii, 12), who
also had property, seems to have kept
her home and used it as a place OF
gathering for the saints, and both were
doubtless guided by the Spirit. In each
case it was surely unto the Lord" and
before the Lord" We must not fall
on others in these matters, but calmly
wait on the Lord with the prayer
"What wilt Thou have me to do?" In
gatherings where under the excitement
of the moment many give because 9th
ers are giving there is danger Of mere
energy Of the flesh which may prove tC
be wood, hay and stubble to be burned
up.
For some reason Ananias and Sap
phira seem to have been Influenced b.
the selling and giving of the others
and to have done likewise as far as the
selling went, but protesting to give all
as the others were doing, they agreed
among themselves to withhold a part
and thus they lied to God. They need
not have sold 1t, and after selling II
they need not give all If they did MOI
feel 30 led, but they did need to bt
honest about It, If they had said tt
the apostles, "Having sold our property
we gladly give the half or a fourth fol
the good of Others" 1t would have beer
accepted and all would have been we'll
but their sin was hypocrisy and lying
which the Lord saw at to deal with al
He did in this stage OF the history o.
the church, thus showing US what HI
thinks of such conduct. II He doe
not continue SO to deal with all liar
1t is not because He hates the sin any
the less, but He manifests His loni
suffering that they may repent. II