Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-06-16
LESSON FOR JUNE 18.
THE PHILlPPlAN JAILER.

Dean Vaughn has said of this lesson |
that in it I'VE have an epitome of the
whole history Of the gospel The time
was A. D. so or 81 and the place was
Philippi, an important city, as before
suggested
|. fhe DamseI Delivered of Demons
tVV. 1873. On their way to the pray
ing place where they had met Lydia,
the disciples met this maid who had
were supposed to be inspired by Apol-
10, who killed a great snake at Mt
Farnassus and left it to rot. The girl
was probably possessed OF hysteTia
and thus spoke strange words, and her
condition brought much profit to her
masters, who professed to interpret
her words. This evidence of evil pos
session awoke a sympathetic response
in Pauls heart. Her misery and
degradation were a symbol of the
degradation, as Lydia's sweet and be-
nevolent Christian character was of
the TRANSPORTATION of wOmanhOod. -
Stalker, Her cry after Paul was per
haps that they were the slaves OF some
god, even as she was the slave of Apol-
10. The Gadarene Uuke 8:2S) used
similar language. Paul did not at once
stop her ". 81, perhaps to avoid con
troversy, but his deliberation made
more profound the final deliyerance
wrought. Worn out at last with her
cries, but taking no credit himself,
pnl hn of uTh
had foretold just such acts (Mk..
1917; Tx. 81; Tx. 10:1D.
II. The Disciples in Prison wv. 49,
24.) Of no further commercial value,
the slave drivers sought revenge by
melting a mob to attack Paul and his
companions. So today the liquor in
terests would seek remuneration for
the loss of their business and
anathematize their opponents, while
the underworld tries to overthrow all
who seek to restrain them. Paul and
Silas were accused of troubling" the
city, for the trade has been interfered
with. 1t, indeed, went hard with them
thus to be unjustly set upon and final
ly, through the connivance of the
| spineless authorities, to be incarcer-
ated in a filthy dungeon. Still, though
the majority was against them. yet the
mob was not right compare 1875; IS:
IL; 19:28-29), and they had One on
their side who was sufficient from.
8:28).
Ill. Deliverance and Salvation (vv.
/ 25-35). Christ before Plate was ac-
! cused Of sedition, and these flogged dis
ciples were likewise innocent suffer
ers. (D Prayer and praise (25-26).
Praying, they sang hymns, in the
midst of that heterogeneous lot of pris-
oners they did not, could not. keep ST
lent. The result was attentive listen
ing by the other prisoners and by a
loving Heavenly Father, who shook
the place to evidence his interest
". 26). (2) The jailed delivered. The
place was so shaken that every barred
door was opened and the staples of the
stocks were SO loosened as to liberate
every prisoner 80 The jailer saved
The brutal one is now the anxious in
quirer, and becomes a good type for
all to follow who are out of Christ. (a)
He saw he was lost. He was subject
to the same death as his escaped pris
oners. "Supposing" ". 27) has dark
ened many lives, and our greatest sor
rows are often imagined. Face tC
face with death, the jailer would
plunge into an eternity for which he
was not prepared. PauIs clarion cal
brought the jailer to express his ankle
ty ~ 29), and it was not trifing mol
skeptically Indifferent man who ap
pealed to Paul He was brought face
to face with two holy men, with Goo
and with eternity
Those to whom he came knew the
facts. had faith, and could meet th'
emergencies of life with confidence
(b) The jailer's question and it's an
swer This question is the most i'm
portant Of life, and the answer is yer.
simple What is it to believe on th'
Lord Jesus Christ? The same as t.
believe in any other person. He is t,
take him John 1:12) as Savior, Lort
and King, as the only One who can de
liver from the penalty and power, ant
finally from the presence of sin (Act
2:36; Heb. Z: 25). 1t is to commit al
we have and are to him I'll Tim. l: u
for guidance; to surrender absolutel,
to him, cast all upon him and leav
all with him God is love, and we cal
safely trust in his justice, yet in hi
son the full penalty of sin has bee
met and through him we are save
from it's depression and power unit
a godly character and unselt1sh career
Salvation is loving everything Go
loves and hating everything Go
hates Sam Jones. (c) Those saved
Our trust makes a way for Christ t
save and for US to make a trial Of hin
He does the rest. The result was frs
a service of ministration ". 33
washing the disciples stripes as he ha
been washed from sin, and then
service Of testimony by being baptise
in the water reservoir or sWimmin
bath common to such houses. 9TH
purple-dealer of Thyatire; the nativ
slave girl with the divining spirit; th
Roman jailer-all alike acknowledge
their new faith; one an Asiatic. tn
other Greek, and the third Roman
~. The Humbled Magistrates (v7
35-40). The jailer evidences joy, ho
pitality and a changed home. whic
news must have reached the magi
trates, Their early command was t
'let these fellows CO." Paul her
rises to his full dignity. Beaten opel
ly, condemned without trial and We
dict, does not allow them to cove
their crime and blunder by stealth.
The magistrates were liable to los
of position, goods, and even life, an
hence willingly did all that Paul r
Quired.
Thus the Imprisonment turned OF
to the honor of the apostle and I'll
- glory of God.
Nor did Paul hasten at all in leavir
If the city.
s After recovering strength to trav
i | and encouraging the members of tt