The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-09-29
For October is. "A Plot That Failed"
Acts %.

For October l is. "A Plot That Failed" |
Acts %.
Relative to the Rescue.
The court room fracas; an uncowed
prisoner; roit in the court room
with rescue by troops: a vision in
the night: an ironclad conspiracy to
murder; the plot foiled by a boy; a
night march by Roman troops with
the prisoner in their midst-such are
the dramatic high lights of one of the
most stirring Sunday school lessons
studied for many days.
A stormy petrol was Paul. Things
happened wherever he went. In the
present story he is still in the clutches
or the consequences of the attempt of
the Jews to mob him in the temple
He had been taken before the high
court of the church, the Sanhedrin,
where his trial had been as unfair as
that of his Master. When the high
priest ordered him struck in the
mouth, the fiery spirit of this doughty
lover of justice famed forth in a bit
yer arrangement of the man who,
whlle sitting as a judge, had COM
manded this violation of the law
quick to resent injustice as he was,
Paui nevertheless apologized when he
round that the offender was the high
priest. He had the combined Jewish
ana Roman respect for the man in
authority. His difference to the Off
Cidl mead of his nation, even tho he
dlsa pproved of him, is a timely point
10 stress at the present time.
Policy and piety were commineled
III fauls conduct when he took ad-
vantage OF the presence of two parties
IN the Sanhedrin, the Sadducees and
tne Hnarlsees, and threw the apple of
utsCoIu among them. so that all DOS
slpihty or united action was lost. A
great uproar followed, for Paul had
divided the house against itself Stin
we somehow fail to admire PAM in
ms role OF the shrewd politician. 1t
was not becoming to him. He stem
PED down a degree from his high level
IN order to take advantage of ecclesf-
astlcal partisanship. The church fares
best when she stands ON her ou,n
weapons N"i
Thru Ticket to Rome.
me me trick that Paul played on The
eWiSh hlSh court raised such a com
Fl., , mat it nearly cost him his life:
~ NJ was SO nearly torn to pieces
that the Roman troops had to enter
the Judgment hall and rescue him
from the frenzied ecclesiastics. His
Worldly wisdom had gained him moth :
Ing Ing ne mad tried to be practical -
ouS Wlthout benefit to his message.
night in the castle feeling denressed
and discouraged. So downcast and
oiscomforted was he that it took a
vision in the night to comfort him.
AS he lay on his pallet in the prison
= nave seen the horrible inner
dungeon in the old Castle of Antonio
in which tradition says the Apostle
was lodgedt-he Lord Jesus Himself
appeared by his side. No prison cell
is too small to hold both the believer
and his Master. There are no situa-
tions so straitened that there is not
room for the Christ to stand by the
side of His faithful witness.
The message of cheer and courage
that the blessed lips spoke to the
pensive prisoner were few but suffi-
cient BE of good courage; for as
you have borne faithful witness
| about Me in Jerusalem so you must
also bear witness in Rome"
Every man is immortal until his
work is done Paul had a thru
ticket to Rome, and he could not quit
the train until it reached the termi-
nal. Sweet was the consolation that
the Master brought to His servant in
his cell. often we do not get 70
know Christ until He shuts up apart
from the crowded yays of life and
from the busy career. AS Scotland
sweet saint and singer. Samuel
Rutherford, cried from his tower in
Aberdeen,