The Sunday School

O, 7. "Now,when they liad gone throughout Phiygia and ihe región of Galatia nml wèré forbidden of the Holy Ghost to prcach the word in Asia, after they were come to Mysia, thcy essayed to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit sutïered them not." Our l.ist lesson in this book introduccd lis to the apostles ;it the conference in Jerúsalem, from which Paul and Barnabas, with Hilas and others, returned to Antioch and continued there teaching and preaching the word of the Lord (Acts xv, 35). After some time they start on their second misaionary tour, Barnabas ■ taking Mark and saüing for Cyprus, and Paul taking Silas and starting through Syria and Cilieia, conflrming and establishing the churches. At Lystra, where Paul had been stoned and left for dead on his iirst tour. he takes Timothy with him, of whom he af terward says, " I have no man so dear unto me" (Phil ii, 20, margin). As they continued journeying and preaching through Phrygia und Galatia they thought to turn southward and afterward northward and give the glad tidings in Asia and Bithynia, but were in each case prevented by the Spirit from so doing. The Spirit sent them forth on His business for Christ, and, being willing to bo controlled by Him, He controlled them and for some good rcason kept them at this time from going into these two provinces, that Ha inight send them elsewhere. 8. "And they, passing by Mysia, came down to Troaa. " Hindered on the right and left, they found that the open door was straight ahead, and so kept on to the ] sea at Troas. " Thine ears shall hear s. i word bekind thee. saying: ïhis is theway. Walk ya in it when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left" (Isa. xxx, 21). To bc sure that the Lord has a purpose in your life, aecording to Eph. ii, 10, and that He will surely perform it aecording to Isa. xiv, 84, malee one quiet bcfore Him, not daring to murmur even though with aching heart and streaming eyes wc say, "Even so, Father, " "My Jesus, as Thou wilt. " 9. "And a visión appeared to Paul in the night. There stood a :iian of Macedonia and prayed him, saying, Como over into Macedonia and hel]) us." In a dream or visión of the night God has often spoken to men (Job xxxiii, 15) and will jet, if necessary, though He generally guides by His Spirit either in His word or in the events of daily life. T he right attitude is to"Watch the way" and "Watch to see what He will say" (Nah. ii, 1; Hab. ii, 1), then meekly walk in tlie way which He opens before us, "Doing as occasion serve us, for God iswith us" (I Sam. x, 7). 10. "And after he had aeen the visión immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had ealled us (orto preach the gospel unto thcra." Being willing to be guided by the Spirit, they wltc gure thls was tho Spirifs guiding. If wc are willing and earnestly desirous to be led of the Spirit, we may be perfcetly snre that every hindrance and every opening is of Kim. Nptice that they knew whai help the people of Miiccdonia needed, and that was just what they had to give - the gospel or good tidinga of the grace of God. They wero not on a lecturing or in entertaining tour, but only and wholly on business tor God, to win souls to Christ. 11. "Therefore, looping from Troas, -we came with a straight course to Samotlrracia, and the next day to Neapolis. " This lcsson should bc fcaught with the map before the sehólarg that they may see that Paul and his oompany now crossed from the continent of Asia to Europe; that i apolis was the scaport of Philippi, and Samothracia an island about half war from ! Troas to Neapolis. As in many another instance in the Scriptures, the incidents of the voyage or journey are wholly omitted, They set forth and they arrived aro all the Spirit sees lit to record. From the heavenly standpoint, joumeyings take no. time, for they ruu jtnd_ return as a flash of lightning (Ezek. i,14). 12. "And from thence toPhilippi, whieh is the chief city of that part of Macedonia and a colony. and we were in that city abiding certain days." There scems to be no welcome for thom, no one specially cxpecting them, and vet they aro in the land to whieh they had been caljed, and doubtley gave themselves up toprayer that the same Spirit who brought them thither would now use tlicm. They not only abode in the city, liut they abode in Christ. 13. "And on the Sabbath wc went out of tlie city by a riverside, whcrc prayer was wont to be made, and we sat down and spake unto the women whicli resorted j thither." It would eeem, then, that the first preachingof the gospel in Europe was at a woman's prayer meeting, Mary, tlie motherof our Lord, and other women were assembled withthe apostlesfor prayer during the waiting days bètween His asoenBion and Pentecost (Acts i, 14). It is probable that upon the women also the Spirit I came as tongues of flre, and as there were present in the city at that time strangers from Rome, there may also have leen some from Macedonia. However, it came about, here are some vporshipers of tlie true God who had evidently leen crying to God for more light, and now God has sent it. The same God who sent Gabriel to Daniel and Simon Peter to Cornelius sent Paul and Silas to Macedonia. 14. "And a certain woman namcd Lydia, a sellér of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which Worshlped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that sho attended unto the thiugs which were spoken of Paul." Here is a business woman trom Asia, forThyatira was in Asia(Rev. i, 11), who wus for the time living in Philippi, and was evidently ene of those chosen in C hrist befbre the foundation of the world (Kph. i, 4; II ïim. i, ',)). It was'worth while going to Europe to find her. She was probably another hungry soul like Cornelius. Wherever on earth the eyes of the Lord see a real thirst for Hhn, He will ñnd a way to supply that thirst. "Blessed are they that hunger, for they símil be filled." "He satisfleth the longing soul." 15. "And when she was baptized and ■ her household, slie besought us. saying, If ye have judged me to be fiiithful to the Lord, come intoray house ; 1 1 1 abide there. And she eonstrained us. " Her heart became ■. home for the Lord and her house a home tor His disciples. There were probably four at least inPaul's party, forïimothy liad joined them at Lystra, ;md it looks as if Luke had joined them at Troas. Contrast the "they" of verses 6 to 8 with the "we1' oí verses 10, 11. Contrast the spirit poásessing the dam sel of verses 16 to 18 with che Holy Spirit now possesstng Lydia and her household, and remember we are controlled byoneor the other, either the Lord er the devil.