, 1935-03-15
SCHOOL
LESSON
Text: Acts 12:5-f7
The international Uniform Sun
day School Lesson for March IL.
BY VIM. L. GILROY. ID. ID.



day school Lesson for March II.
BY wM. L. GILROY, ID. ID.
Editor Of Advance
Peter was in prison. Prisons have
had a fashion in history Of con-
filming the very bad and the very
good.
Someone has said that mankind
IN the progress throws out a van
guard and O rear guard. and
though the vanguard Is very diff
ferent from the rear guard, 1t suf-
fers frequently as much from the
misunderstanding. hostility and per-
secution Of those In the main body.
who will not tolerate either the
prophet. who Is in advance Of o
ciety. OF the criminal. who harries
society from the rear.
One would think that each age
would learn from the mistakes Of
preceding ages and rectify these
things but the age-old process goes
on.
Within our own generation there
pave been in American prisons and
spenitentiaries men whose only
fault was the itensity Of their con-
cientious objection to war and kill
ing. The fact that many Of these
have said. as Peter did. we ought
to obey God mther than mdn." has
made no difference.
Society Is still intolerant Of its
saints and its prophets especially
whenever they dare in any way to
challenge the existing order. OF
policy and acts Of a nation in q
particular circumstances.
There are angels who visit saints
and prohets in prison. How else
could they survive and continue
their work In the world?
There is a strength and power
of pe~rsistency in men Of truth and
right that gives them a strange
power to triumph over all manner
Of persecution. The angel may not
always be materialized. chains may
not be cast off as miraculously as
in the a. of Peter, but the reality
goes on.
The lesson Is given as an example
of the Power Of United Prayer"
ttopic for young people and adultS)
or for How Prayer Helps" dnter-
mediate and senior topic). AS such
1t needs judicious exposition.
It can be given a somewhat ma
terialistic exposition and applica-
ton hardly in harmony with facts
Of preSent-day experience. There
may. Of course, always be In our
minds the consciousness that pray
err might accomplish a great deal
more than we realize II our faith
and our trust In Gods power were
deeper and more persistent.
Nevertheless. TO suggest that ma
terialistic d~eliverance from impri-
sonment and bonds will always
come In answer to prayer would be
TO miss the real point and truth OF
the lesson.
The important thing Is that
Peter wa II ofoundly devoted to
the truth Of God. He cared far
more about being faithful TO his
mission than about whether he re-
manned in Prison or was released
from prison.
We are never In a position to ex-
perience all that Gods power may
achieve until we have that sublime
devotion to duty, that unconcern
about what may happen to our
selves, as long as we have the
strength and the will TO do what Is
right and TO speak the truth as we
ought to speak 1t.
4 The great things that PRAYER
has achieved have happened to-
ward those who had made this
supreme disposal of their lives &C.
cording to Gods viii. There Is no
such thing as sincere prayer that
bargains with God or that mea-
sures what happens according to
human demand.
But when man brings his whole
life under submission to the will
Of God, he understands that there
IA reality and power In prayer that
tn worldly minded can neve un-
derssand. and that often God ans
wers prayers most particularly in
what seems to be the denial Of
outward petitions.
The one significant accomplish
ment Of all true praying is In the
words Of Jesus. Nevertheless not
nv win, but thine, be done"
rrn~vn xvnrp eonr thu now OLdn-