The Sunday School

22. "And the multitudo rose up together against thom, and the masristrates rent off their clothes and commanded to beat them." So muoh for thcir interfering with the god of this world, the prince of the power of febè air, for, when the devil's property istouched, ho bood begins to roar. Our Lord has taught us that trun fellowship with Him will suroly bring the same treatment that Hu rccelved (John xv, 1820). ïhc world, the llesh and the devil are all decidedly against Oud. and if we are for God we must be against them at all cpsts. 23. "And when they had laid many stripes npon them thcy cast them into prison, charging tho jailer to keep them safely." With no gentle hand hád the; taken off their clothes, and there would be no lore nor gentleness in this scourging. It meant many and heavy stripes upon their bare backs It meant real pain and much of it, besides the humiliation of being treated as crimináis when .they were perfectly innocent. Paul, afterward speaking of it, says, "We were shamefully treated at Philippi" (I Thess. ii, 2). 24. " Who, having received such a charge, thrnst them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in the stocks." Neither is there any tenderness in this man 's handling'of them. It is injustice and cruelty throughout, the devil and his followers let loose upon the children of God, strangc mystery of iniquity which has been causiog the people of God to suffer ever since sin entered this world, and the end is not yet. If any one can teil why God permitted the devil to tempt Eve, we will gladly listen. If not, we will still believe that God is love, trust Him for graoe to endure meekly all that comes and wait for the hereafter, when we shall knovv. 25. "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them." Here, surely, is the vietory of faith and obedience to the word, "Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven" (Math. v, 12). The same God who could prevent the Ure from burning Daniel's friends could sooth the Meeding backs of Paul and Silas and fill them and their dungeon with His glory. They did not praise because of circumstances, but in spite of circumstances. Consider that mighty "yet" of Hab. iii, 17, IS. 26. "And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bonds were loosed. ' ' One has said that, although they had not influence enough nor earthly friends enough to kix'p them out of prison, there was power enough on their side to shake thewhole earth. if necessary. 27. "And the keeper of the prison, awaking out of his sleep and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been ried." It was something now in his experience to have prisoners safe without bonds or bol s and bars. It was natural for him to siippose that open doors meant escaped priso ers, and if this were so it meant death to him, which he purposed accomplishing by his own hand rathex than that of others. 28. "But Paul cried with a loud voiee, saying, Do thyself no harm, for we are all here. " Here was good for evil surely. The jailer had not thought probably of easing their Bufferings in the least degree, but Paul would have no harm come to the jailer if he could prevent it. This is like Him who prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Have we this spirit of forgiveness and love? 29. "Then he ealled for a light and sprang in and came trembling and feil down before Paul and Silas. " How God does turn the tables! See the man in authority bowing before the apparently helpless prisoners. He now saw in them representativos of the God who could do such wonders as shake tho earth und open prison doors. Was is not wortli while to suffer as they did thus to afford an opportunity for God to show Himself throtigh them and on their behalf? Let us accept all events as opportunities for God to show Himself in and through us. 30. "And brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be sa ved'" He does not seem to have considered whether this treatment of prisoners was right or wrong in the eyes of the law. He only seems to know that hc is a sinful man having special dealings with a great God whom he is not prepared to meet, and that he liad botter consider the matter at all costs, and that very quickly. 31. "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. " What asimple message and how definite. He is not told to stop doing wrong and try to do bettcr; to follow Christ and do somewhat as He did; to give up his occupation and go preaching with the apostles. He is not even told to pray or read the Seriptures, but just to do the one only thing that a helpless sinner can do, and that is to receive as a gift the Lord Jesus Christ (John i, 12; Rom. iii, 24; vi, 23; iv, 6; Titus iii, 6). 32. "And they spake unto him the word of the Lord and to all that were in his house. " They were the messengers of the Lord of Hosts, and always ready to deliver their message, or rather His message. They would speak of Him who was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but had been recently manifested in the flesh as the Son of God und only Savioui of sinners. 33 "And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes, and was baptized, he and all his straightway. " Halleluiah, what a Saviourl He saves instantly all who receive Him. He sa ves them fully and freely by His own precious blood without any works of theirs, and then begins at onee to work in them the good works which He has before prepared (Eph. ii, 8, 10). We do not know that the jailer or any of his household ever heard these tidings before, and yet they believe BS soon as they hear. May God by His Spirit awakeii His people to give all on earth the privilege of hearing of Him who still reeeiveth sinners. 84. "And when be had brought them into his houso he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house." What a happy home, what a glorious changa and in so short a time! A little while before they were a household out of Christ, and therefore unsaved ; but now a household in Christ, and therefore saved. If the jailer had killed himself and died in his sins, he would have gone out into eternal torment, but now li eternal life. Why are not all bolievers jo - ful, and ever ready to pass on the gooü newsof such a Saviour and such asahationf