Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1916-06-14
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson xlI.-Second Quarter, For
Iune 10, 1916.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Acts xvi, 1884.
msro-y Verses, %. 34-Goiden Text,
Acts XVI. 3f-commentary Prepared
by Rev. .. NJ. S.esrns.

In verses 1918 OF our lesson chapter
we read OF an evil spirit possessing a
woman who, as she followed Paul and
his friends. cried Out, These men are
the servants Ct the Most High God.
who show unto US the way Of saliva
tion." She continued TO do this many
days, but Paul. being grieved by even
so good and true testimony from
such a source and knowing her TO be
controlled By an evil spirit. command
ed the spirit 10 come out Of her In the
name OF Jesus Christ. and he did. Il
was certainly strange to bear such a
testimony from such source, but an
evil spirit In the synagogue at Carer
naum one day when Jesus was pres
ent cried out. Il know thee who thou
art. the Holy One OF Cod And Jesus
commanded the spirit TO come out Of
the man Mark 1. 1920.
Truth may he talked without being
known in the heart. but the Lord reads
the heart and does not want testimony
from His enemies. Knowing the truth
about the Lord Jesus does not save
any one. yet ii may be that many
think they are saved because they he
iieve that Jesus lived and died and
rose again and that He is the Son Of
God But ii Is he that hath the Son
OF God that hath life. and he that
hath not the Son Of God hath not life.
Only such as receive Him become
oAt - - Il ylhn ~. yzkr
/, 10.
When those who employed this wo-
man and made money by her saw that
this source of income was taken from
them they melted riot against Paul
and Siias and had them beaten and
cast into prison. and the jailer, having
received charge to keep them safely.
put them In the inner prison and made
their feet fast in the stocks oversees
1924. There are some things right
on the surface Of this record. and one
Is that people are apt to grow very
angry II they are making money
wrongfully and their business Is inter
fered with. Compare the riot Of the
silversmiths at Ephesus in chapter
XIX, and then think Of the opposition
Of the liquor dealers and all who dis
honor Jesus Christ to the work and
teaching of Rev. William Sunday and
all true evangelists: also the opposi-
ton Of those who profit by graft to
those who desire righteousness.
Then notice that II you won't let the
devil help you he will take pains to
show you how he can hate you and
prosecute you. Compare In Ezra ".
Is, the decided opposition Of those
who were not permitted to help III the
work. There are stiil those who are
ready to help in many a good work II
they may belong to the devil while
they do It But II asked to renounce
the devil and to receive the Lord Je-
sus and put their trust In His great
sacrifice as the Son of God. then one
is apt TO witness the enmity Of the
carnal mind against God
How grand was the victory Of faith
in these men Of God. who. with sore
and bleeding backs and feet In the
stocks. could praise the God whose
they were and whom they served and
talk With Him In heaven from their
prison. Not only did the other prison
ers hear them praising God, but they
were heard In heaven. and suddenly
the earth was shaken. and the prison.
too; prison doors were opened and ev-
cry ones bonds loosed fverses Is. 20.
Oh. how great and wonderful is our
Cc1 ~. C<,A ..f vsx-, Il ~
wonders, (Ps. Xxi. Is, 49, As some
one has said, these men had not infiu-
ence enough on earth ut Philippi to
save them from this shameful treat
ment q Thess. Il, 2, and from prison.
but they had influence enough In
heaven to shake the earth. 1t was
midnight when they prayed and sang
praises. but the God of Israel neither
slumbers nor sleeps; He watches over
His people night and day FPS cxxi, a;
Isa xvii, 81.
Not only was the prison shaken. but
the keeper was so shaken when he
saw the prison doors open that he
would have killed himself If Paul had
not cried out, DO myself no harm.
for we are all herer He was shaken
deep down In his soul. too, for. falling
DOWN trembling before Paul and Silas.
he brought them out and said ''Sirs.
what must I do TO be saved?- Then
lid Paul at this unexpected midnight
service speak to him and to his house
the word Of the Lord, and they be
Heved--that Is, they received the Lord
Jesus Christ-and, being saved. they
confessed Christ in baptism and were
all filed with rejoicing. The second
saved household at Philippi oversees IA,
Is. 1884.
Reading OF saved households. al
ways think of the Lords word to
Noah. Come thou and all thy house"
and ! find great encouragement to be-
lieve that the Lord still loves to save
horsohoi1S II wo,1ld so-arn that ha-