The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1916-10-13
SCHOOL.
Lesson iII.-Fourth Quarter, For
Oct. IS, 1916.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Acts XIV tia.
Memory Verses, 10. 11-oeidsn Text.
Matt. x, 26-cemmsntary Prepared
BY Rev. D. M. 9tearns.

NV
Matt. X, 2s-cemmsntary Prepared
BY Rev. o. NJ. etsarns.
The successor to Felix, Porcius FEES
tus. seems to have been in ZONE 70
Ispects like minded to Felix, for he. too.
was willing to do the Jews 4 pleasure
(xxiv. 81: XIV. 12). and he would have
sent Paul back to Jerusalem had he
been willing to go. This was what the
Jews desired. that they might lay in
wait for him by the way and kill him
xxv, 81. Their hatred Of Paul does
not seem to have decreased In the least
during two years. for they were still
full Of grievous complaints against him
which they could not prove (verses 2,
y. He was having wondrous fellow
ship with the Lord Jesus. for whose
sake he was suffering and Of whom It
was written. False witnesses did rise
up; they laid to my charge things that
I knew not" "Reproach hath broken
my heart, and I Am full Of h~eaviness"
(Ps. XIV. II: Xix, 20).
When we consider such words as
these, "Thou shalt be" hid from the
scourge Of the tongue" 'Thou shalt
keep them secretly In a pavilion. from
the strife Of tongues" There shall no
evil befall thee" "No weapon that is
formed against thee shall prosper
Dob v, p: rs. XXI, 20; xci, 10; lisa.
uv, ~ and other similar assurances
we are tempted to wonder q little. but
then We remember that Paul was told
that he must suffer great things for
Christ's sake. and he taught others
that we must through much tribula-
ton enter into the kingdom Of God and
that all who will live cody in Christ
Jesus shall suffer persecution. And u
Lord said to His disciples that in the
world we would have t%ribulation, and
after He ascended He said to one Of
the churches that the devil would cast
some Of them into prison, but they
were to continue faithful even If they
died for it, and some who had been
killed were told to rest awhile till 9TH
ers should be killed as they were (Acts
tx, 16; xiv. %; II Tim. iii, -; John XVI,
80: Rev. II. 10; vi. 1I. He certainly
loves His OWL and will to the utter
most. yet He allowed the disciples
to toll nearly all night against a con-
trary wind, and He allowed Lazarus
to continue sick and die and be buried
that God might be glorifed.
We must bear in mind that just be-
cause we are His we have the world,
the flesh and the devil to contend with,
but He will not suffer us to be tried
above that we are able. and all
trials and Affections are working for
us a far more exceeding and eternal
weight Of glory Il Cor. <, 10; II Cor,
", 1913. When from the Kingdom
and the glory we look back owe u
life story and consider all the way
by which He has led us We may per-
haps see a reason for everything He
has done or permitted. But we shall
surely say right was the pathway lead
ing to this. 1t therefore becomes US
during this little while to say, CAS- for
God, His way is perfect" "Just and
true are Thy ways, Thou King of ma
TONS (Ps. xviii, 80; Rev. xv, ILL.
If only we could have no will Of our
own and rest wholly and fully in the
perfect will and love of God we would
have a foretaste of heaven in spite of
all our trials here. When Paul refused
to return to Jerusalem and appealed to
Caesar that decided matters for the
present, and Festus said, "Unto Gaze
sar shalt thou 60" (verses 9-12>. 1t
may be that the Lords night message
to him, $50 must thou bear witness
also at Rome" (xxiii, 11), helped him
to decide to appeal to Caesar, for Gaze
a meant Rome, and this may have
seemed to him his opportunity.
King Agrippa and Bernice having
come to Caesarea to salute Festus, the
whole matter was laid before them,
and Agrippa expressed a desire to
hear Paul for himself, and that will
be our lesson for next week. Thus vas
being fulfilled the Lords message to
Ananias concerning Paul "He Is a
chosen vessel unto me to bear my
name before the gentiles and kings
and the children of Israel Ok. 49,. Az
Festus rehearsed the matter to Agrip-
pa, he said that the whole matter SEEM
ed to be a question of Jewish supersti-
ton. and specially concerning ~
Jesus. who was dead, but whom Paul
affirmed to be alive (verse 19). Does
not that seem to describe the kn0wl-
edge that many so called enlightened
people have Of Him W now? Many
are like Gallo and care for lone Of
these things (xviii, 14-17, while many
more, wen among churchgoers, who
take some part in the public worship
%outwardly, know nothing Of Him u a
personal Saviour and friend.
It Is written of such In lisa. XIX, IL.
This people draw near me with their
mouth and with their lips do honor
me, but have removed their heart far
from me-" Also In Eek. xxxiii, q,
"They hear thy words, but they will
not do them, for with their mouth they
shew much love. but their heart goeth
after their covetousness." In Matt.
xv, 8, 8, our Lord quoted the words
from Isaiah concerning the hypocrites
Of His day. Can you not hear U
Lord saying to you. "What think ye OF
Jesus? Whom do We say that amf'