Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1916-03-01
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson x.-First Quarter, For
March 5, 1916.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text of the Lesson, Acts vii, 81, to viii,
3--Memory Verses, SO, 6o-Golden
Text, Rev. ii, 1o-Commentary Pre-
pared by Rev. D. M. Stearns.

pared by Rev. D. NJ. Stearns.
Stephen seems to have remained ST
lent before his accusers until the high
priest asked. Are these things soF
Then. beginning with the appearing OF
the God of glory to Abraham. he traced
the history of Israel down to the time
of Solomon and the building of the
temple. passing from that to Him who
spoke of Himself as the Temple. which
He said if they destroyed He would
raise IL up the third day oversees 5l-53;
John Ii. -. 2l. He referred TO the de
lay in the fultillmeni of the promise I"
Abraham. the suiferinss and deliver
ance of Joseph. the peoples refusal Of
Moses. but Gods choice of him as de
liverer. and then accused them of con
summating all the iniquity OF their
fathers by numbering the Just One.
who had been promised To Abraham
and Moses and foreshadowed In Isaac
and Joseph and Moses and Solomon.
Although Joseph and Moses were re
fused for time, God used them when
the time came, and so He will use the
rejected. crucified and risen Christ nj
the appointed time. As truly as Joseph
came To the place of power and Moses
delivered israel SO surely shall Jesus
Christ come to the throne of David AMI
be king over redeemed Israel when
the fullness Of time shall have come.
As usual. the accusation Of being the
murderers OF their Messiah cut them
to the heart chapter V. SO, and made
them angry enough to kill stephen.
which they succeeded In doing. As
they CRASHED on him with their teeth
verse 54l he was seemingly eblivious
to it all. for he saw Jesus in glory. The
expression "gnashing OF teeth" was
used Just seven different times by our
Lord concerning the torment of the
lost and always concerning those who
were professedly religious, but not
really His Matt. viii. II: xiii. ~. 80;
xxi. Is: XIV. 81; XIV. 80; Luke xiii. IS,
Stephen was filed with the Spirit to
serve tables. to work miracles, to bear
testimony. and now in his great hour
Of need to see Jesus Christ In glory and
0N W. a. ~ O. Avs IA. tc-
Coz. To be filed with and controlled by
the Holy Spirit is our great and su
preme need for every occasion and all
manner of service. for only thus shall
We look up steadfastly and see the
glory of God and Jesus at His right
hand. something which we need to do
in order To be steadfast in service and
ready to live or die This upward look
and steadfast beholding Of Jesus at
the right hand Of the Father. always
so necessary. We're never more needful
than now ia these awful days Of the
European conflict. and this very morn
ing May s. 1870. as the papers an
nounce the sinking of the Lusitania
yesterday by torpedoes near Queens
town. with the loss of perhaps 1000
lives. We surely DO need to look up
steadfastiy. With the earth so full Of
unrest and the rage of the devil. the
destroyer and murderer. SO manifest.
there can be no peace Of mind unless
We see heaven opened and the Son of
Man on the right hand OF God and
hear Him say. BE still and know that
l am God; I will be exalted In the
EARTH and remember that He alone
can make wars to cease on earth Ops.
XVI. GID. Stephens discourse began
with 1.-The God OF glory" and ended
with the glory of God" oversees .. 50,
and we must see the God of glory and
rejoice in the hope of the glory Of God
II We would be patient in tribulation
and run with patience the race set be
fore us Rom. V. 1-3: Heb. xii. l-3,.
am always helped and enabled to look
up better by study of the passages
where heaven is opened and we see
visions of God. for there is no rest of
soul in things that are seen. but only in
the unseen and eternal (Gen. xviii
12-15: Eek. l. |. 26-2S; Matt. iii. rs. Ii:
John i. IL: Acts vii. 90: X II: Rev. iv.
]. >: xix. 11-lGI. II is restfuI TO remem-
Der that there is One on the throne who
is always quiet and unmoved and can
do as He pleases and has all power
and no thought of His can he hindered
lisa. vi. |: Ps. cxxxv, q; Job xiii. 2
margin
He has told Us not to be afraid to be
killed. for to the believer to die is gain.
to depart is to be with Christ which is
very far better: to be absent from the
body is TO be present with the Lord
Matt. X. IS; ii Cor. V. s; Phil. i. 2123l
Our Golden Text does not tell us thai
we will be saved if We continue faith
full till We die. but that as believers
saved and kept by His faithfulness.
We must expect the hatred of the devil.
and if we are faithful. even though we
die for it. we win receive a crown of
life. which is the special reward for
patient endurance. See also Jas. t. II.
Stephens testimony as to what he
saw led these servants of the devil TO
stop their ears at what they consider
ed his blasphemy. rush upon him. cast
him out of the city and stone him to
death. Then he saw indeed that which
he had seen a few moments before
from his mortal body. and he was for
nyar with his lord far hevond tho