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The Sunday School

The Sunday School image
Parent Issue
Day
22
Month
January
Year
1897
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

1. Althongh this book is oallcd theActa of the Apostles, it might be caUed the actsof Peter and Paal, for these aro the two through whom the Spirit is seen working. John is secii licro associated with Peter,, but Peter geems to be the principal actor. It is most interesting to follow these two, who, with James, forined the inner circle of the .Saviour's friends. 'Die ninth hour would be about 3 p. m. (Luko xxiii, 44), the hour when Jesus died, and we might safely imagine these twotalkingoi it as they walked to tlie temple togcther. 2. Ilere is i pitrfully helpless case, ja man over 40 years of age (chaptcr iv, 22), who had nevel walleed a step, and who was daily carried by friends andlaidafc the bcaiitiful gate of the temple that het might receive alma from the passersby. He makes us think of the man 38 yeari, sick at the pool of Bethesda (John v, 5) so discouraged and hopeless, but these are just the cases which show forth the power of God, as in the blind man and lazara (John lx, 3; xi, 4). Kvery sinner is hopeless case in himself, but Christ Jesnsc carne into the world to same sinners, to seefc and save the lost 3. 4, 5. As he asks alms of Peter and: John they both looked at him, and wheii Peter said, "Look on us," he thought surely he would receive something from them, but cannot possibly have had a thought of what he was going to receive. If oiie had: told him that day as lic was being carriecE to the temple, "This is our last trip -with. you, for you won't necd tocomeagain," he might haveasked if they thought hewould. die or if another great healer had come, for it can hardly be but that he had botb heard of and seen the Lord Jesus. But if so why had not Jesús healed him? Can ifc be that Jesus passed him by in order that Peter and John might have the honor anL joy of doing sof Possibly. 6. " Sil ver and gold have I none. " Thafe was enough to make him drop his hand, for it was money he wanted. "Uut suclü as I have give I thee." AVhat could h& have worth giving if he had no money? "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, riseupand walk." Could he believe hisc cars? Did hosay, "Riseand walk?" And did heuse that name, "Jesus of Nazareth?" Yes, even so. And there is something supernatural in their looks and words, iar it is Jesus Himself who by His Spirit ist looking through their eyes and speaking: with their lips. 7. Peter took him by the hand, lifted him up and instantly strength carne to his. feet and ankle bones. It is a truc story. Ifc actnally happened, and such things arebeing done in our own time by the very samo Jeans, for He is the sanie yesterday, today and forever. The Christian.Allianoe and other papers record many such. 8. Standing, walking, leaping, praisingGod, lie entercd into the temple with Peter and John. Another illustration of Isa. xxxv, 6, and proof of the fact that tha Lord Jeans lives and lias all power. Bnfc lefc us not be understood as teaching or believlng that evcry sick person coald bohealed if they had faith enough, and that the Lord has no uso for physicians. The facta aro that believera both then ancf now werc sometinics liealed and sometimcs allowed to remain sick and die. The Lord sees fit to bless the skill and medicine of the physician, and sometimea to restore to health even from the verge of the gravewithout either. It is our place to have fult confidenco in and trust Him to do what seemeth Him good, magnifying Him under all circumstances (Phil. i, 30). 0, 10. The peoplo saw him pcrfectly whole. They knew him as the lame man at the beautiful gate, but they never saw Min after this fashion. Bay after day and year after year had ha continued he'lpless, but at last his dellverance carne suddenly and unexpectedly. It is tlie waiting and thepatiënt continuing that tries one's soul - the going on in the same routine and under the samo trials with no prospect of deliverance. But delivcrance will come ia His time and way. Here is the patience and faith of the saints (Rev. xiii, 10). 11, 12. The lamo man, now liealed, holda on to Peter and John as if he thought his healing might depart if he let them go, and the crowd has gathered and looks in astonislnnent upon I'eter and John as if they had done it. How prone we are to see the human instrumentality and honor it, and how prono our human nature is to feel that itself is some groat one! We say and sing, "Not I, but Clirist," but napsthcbearcherol Huarts seos deepwithin us Homething that snys, "Seo vrhafc ] Christ did tlirough Me! Vou Ciin'tcome up to that. ' ' 13. At once Peter points them to Jesús of Nazarcth, the glorified Son of tho God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and accuse3 them of heing guilty of. His death and re sponsible for it. We are not apt to want I a Saviour unless wo know that we are-sinners. The ürst thing necessary,thcrcXore,. to our sal vat ion is a conviction of sin. 14. How often have wo by deed ov woixt donied Him and preferrod the murderer? Whenever we are asharaed to own that werio Uis and that we do not care to do this or that, or gn here or tlicre because we know He wouM not like it, or when wo prefer tho oompan; of theworld to Hiscompany, is it not n denial of Him and a preferenco for the prince of this world? If we prefer tho worldly one to the holy one, or unrighteousness torighteousness,what better aro we than those who crucified Christ? Letusin lmaginatiou stand by the crossof Christ and honestly confess what we think of Him. 15. The central trnth thronghout thisbook .-nul in all the preaching of tho apostles is that Jesus is alive from the dead, and belicvers are witnesses to that fact; also that God had foreseen and foretolí both the sufferings of Christ and the glory that shonld follow, and that He will oomeagain to fnlfill all t hat the propheta hay spoken (verses 17-21). How, then, irec know anything of the things that are to come nnless we are familiar witli the prophete, for "anrelythe Lord Godwiö do nothing, but He revealeth lli.s secrco unto Hisservants, tlie propliets" (Amosiü, 7).' 16. Not Peter nor John, but the risen and glorified Christ, had made this man perfectly whole, and the same Lord Jesús Christ forctold by Moses sliall yct f ulfllí every prornise to Abraham and bring: blessing to all the kindreds of the earth. (verses 22-20). His name, through faith in His name, will do wonders today, and those who, like Peter and John, have neither silver nor gold and are counted imlearned and ignarant men (chapter iv, lö my be used by Him if only they are willing to be filled with His Spirit and gire Him all the glory. Any one set apart for llimself (Ps. iv, 3) that He may be gloxVSed may see His iowa

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Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Democrat