The Republican., 1925-08-20
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Prepared Especially For The Repub.
LEANS Readers by Rev. U. s.
Wright, DID.

L IL - LIN y LII. AClS
16:6-15.
Come over into Macedonia, and help
us.-Acts 1863.
INTO THE DARK
Never had Paul had such an exper-
ience as visited him upon this journey
taken solely in the interests Of the
Lord Of his love and of his life. He
was doing his best for God. Yet the
whole advance was beset by perplexi-
ties. There had been the differences
with Barnabas and the initial separa-
ton that offered second choices only
in its comradeship. Then he was bent
on entering the populous cities of
which Epehsus was center and was
forbidden to do so. He turned his
face toward the desperately needed
section about the Black Sea and the
Spirit of Jesus suffered him not to
go there. Beaten and buffetted by the
things that thwarted him he still ad-
vanced not whittier he would but
whittier he could until he found him
self with his party upon the borders
of the sea at the site of tabled Troy.
The revealing thing about the man is
that ne kept going. A rudderless
ship with full power VIII make a port
but with dead engine it is hopeless.
Any moving thing is capable of guild
ance but even God is helpless if the
man gives up and refuses to move.
A balky man and a stubborn mule
thwart the leadership Of God and
man, Paul could be guided because
ne would go. How was the guidance
given?
In the letter to the Galatians he
writes, Because of an infrmity of
the flesh l preached the Gospel unto
you the first time Malaria or some
other malady determined his entry in
to the region with the message of his
Lord. 1t would be midsummer and,
worn by his long tramp, some symp-
toms Of that old attack at Perga that
forced him to take to the Galatian
hills warned him against the mias-
matte river valleys leading to the sea
cities. Of two roads, one toward
sickness and helplessness, one toward
health and service, the probabilities
are that Gods path leads in the latter
direction. And Paul so decided and
looking back from the result after
the thinking Of the years he told Luke
to write, forbidden of the Holy Spir-
it," With Bithynia there was health
but it was in the back-water of en-
pire. Jews had not Jehovahized it
nor Greeks languagized it, and the
Spirit of Jesus, the passion for souls,
stood athwart the way saying: GO
where you may more swiftly reach
the hearts of men," Once more it was
speech thru circumstances surround
ing the life. Bishop Warne's motto
text included: Commit thy way unto
the Lord; trust also in Him; and He
shall bring it to pass" He writes in
A Covenant Keeping God: at
changed the pronoun Il to He thru
out the rest of my life. l no longer
thought Y had to bring things to
pass but only to 'comit my way
and then not weak Il but Almighty
God would, for me and thru me, bring
things to pass" But Gods will and
work before all else, keep going, fol-
lowing the brightest light you have
upon your direction, and He shall
make circumstances a wall along His
highway and leading will be given at |
the hour of need-not sooner.
GODS STAR IN THE NIGHT
Cropping his blind way forward he
reached the sea and must pause. |
Luke Joined him here possibly because
of his need for a doctor, possibly be-
cause he chanced to reach Troas while |
Paul was there-the reason is all con-
lecture but Gods guiding hand was in
it. But he was familiar with Mace |
donia and other European places and |
one can imagine these two college |
men talking late into the night of |
what Christ would mean to the reg
ions beyond. Then Paul saw his star
in the west with Macedonian man
within it and caught the accents of |
his urgent speech inviting further ad- |
vance. 1t does not say that Paul was
asleep when he had his vision and it |
is altogether likely that he slept little |
that night but with heart afame saw
God march across its light and dared |
to follow. In the morning the record |
gives the idea of carefully considering |
the matter and arriving at conclus-
ion that God was leading them into i
Macedonia. The results have told |
how certainly they were rightly inter-
preting Gods signs and all the civili-
zation of Europe and all the Chris
tianization of the world were held in
that decision.
The ship was ready when the men
THE OPEN ROAD
were. He who follows God finds the