The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-07-06
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
MENTS FOR JULY IL.
Subject: PauI's Second Missionary
Journey-The Philippian Jailer,
Acts Golden Text,

Subject: PauI's Second Missionary
Journey-The Philippian Jailer,
Acts 16:16-4O--GoIden Text,
Acts 16:31--Commit VS.. 1881.
TRIE.-A. D. So PLACE.-Phil-
ippi.
EXPOSITION. II. A Midnight
Prayer and Praise Service in Jail, 20,
20. This is one of the most inspiring
and instructive prayer and praise SER
vices on record. "a The circum-
stances-in dark hole, with torn
and bleeding and aching backs, and
with very dark outlook for the NOR
row. good time to pray Cps. SO:
ID; comp. Jas. 5:13). But it might
seem strange time to sing praises
(Luke 6:22, %, CHI. 5:41; Ro. 5:3;
Phil. 2:17; l Pet. 14:4; Eph. 5:20).
Sorrows and aches taken in that way
become sweet friends. ~ The time
midnight. There is no better time
for prayer and praise meeting. 1t
might seem as if Paul and Silas would
have been better employed sleeping
and getting strength for the next
days trials. But strength can often
be better gained by prayer than by
sleep. CD The result-"a great
earthquake" foundations of the pri-
son shaken every ones bands
loosed," the jailor and his whole
household converted and rejoicing.
This land needs a moral earthquake.
Let us pray for it. There are many
prisoners who need to have their
bands loosed. Let us pray for that.
There is great need of the conversion
of whole households. Let us pray for
this also. Paul would never have
gotten hearing from those prisoners
had he not himself been cast into pri.
son. They were doubtless hard
ened crowd, more used to profanity
and blasphemy than to prayer and
songs of praise.
III. The Tailor at Philippi Suddenly
and Thoroughly Converted, 27-34. IN
moment the brutal jailor becomes
an anxious inquirer. He asked a
great question. A question every
man should ask. Note why the jailor
asked it, how he asked it, from whom
he asked it. % Why: Because he
was lost and had been brought to see
it and feel it. The jailor had not
been listening with the prisoners as
Paul and Silas prayed and sung. He
Afl0 OCCA AapI dHlCCP. Dul NOQ MOhS
him up. 1t is great thing to have
brought face to face with death. He
two holy men. He had been brought
face to face with God, and he saw
himself utterly lost, as any sane man
sees himself when brought face to
face with eternity and God. CD
r. I<o,, -
the trifiing and shallowness charac-
teristic of so many modern inquiry
rooms" here - trembling for fear,
fell down" Men who ask this ques-
ton, in this spirit, will soon be rejoic-
ing as this jailor was. CD From
whom: From men who knew the an
swer; from men who knew Gods
word (v. 32) from men who were
saved themselves. A great answer to
the great question. But a very sim
pie answer. What is it to believe on
the Lord Jesus? To receive Him"
or take Him Ono. 1:12). Take Him
as our Saviour who died in our place
Elsa. $3.50; 1 Pet. 2:24; Gal. 3:13).
Take Him as the One who rose again
to be our Lord and King, and to de-
liver us from sins power (Acts 1885,
Heb. 1920. Again it is to commit
ourselves and all that we have to Him
G. Tim. 1:12). Cast yourself upon
Him, surrender absolutely to Him.
leave all with Him, that is the step
that saves man. But Paul and Silas
did not stop with merely telling the
jailor to believe on the Lord Jesus,
they "Spake the Word" unto him
from. 1917; comp. Jno. 20:31).
Here is where many workers make a
mistake. They rightly tell people to
"believe," but they do not give them
the word about Christ crucified and
risen to enable them to believe. 1t
does not take long to get man saved
If he is in earnest. This jailor seemed
a hard case. He was brutal, he was
Indifferent, he was utterly ignorant.
But in an hour (v. 33) he had passed
out of suicidal despair into the rejoic-
ing, gentleness and Astounding hospi.
tally of baptized believer in Christ.
Surely there is nothing about the way
of salvation that it takes long to tell
or long to learn. One hour is sufii-
cient for the whole business. Note
the results of genuine conversion: Cd
Transformation from brutality to ten
der compassion. ca Open and in-
mediate confession of Christ in bap-
tism. CD Great JOY (R. VI. (D
Generous hospitality. CD A trans
formed home.
III. Paul and Silas Released From
Jail, 35-4O. In the morning the mag
istrates were frightened. They no
longer wished to punish Paul and ST.
las, but to get rid of them as quickly
as possible. The earthquake had set
them thinking. But they were not to
get rid of Paul as easily as they
thought He was a Roman citizen
and they had beaten him publicly and
uncondemned This was serious Of
tense. They had beaten him publicly
and now they must justify him as
publicly. Their former severity
changes into utter obsequiesness. They
came and they besought and they
brought and they begged. They did
not hasten their departure from the
city. They comforted the young dis
ciples before they left. Their impri-
sonmens had turned out to their
honor and to the glory of God (cf
Rom. 8:28). The officials were very
foolish. They ought to have begged
Paul to stay instead Of to have gone.
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