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For the Index.
The Risen Lord. Sunday School
Lesson for June 21— Luke
24 .36 53
BY S. G. HILLYER.
We saw last week Jesus on the
cross. We found that his death
meant substitution,expiation and
redemption—he died in the sin
ner’s place. He died to expiate
the sinner’s guilt, and to redeem
him from his condemnation under
the law.
The present lesson gives us a
view of Christ risen. I need not
detain you with an account of the
interesting facts connected with
his resurrection. They are given
by all the evangelists,and though
they vary in some details, yet
they all concur in the important
facts, and give their united tes
timony to the reality of the Sav
ior's resurrection.
If Christ did not rise from the
dead, then the Apostles were
false witnesses; and Christianity
is a fable, and our holy religion
is a mere superstition. There is
no escape from the logic of the
foregoing statement. If Christ
be not risen, then let the pulpits
be silenced,let the congregations
oe dismissed forever without a
benediction, let the Bible socie
ties be dissolved, and let the re
ligious press be allowed to stand
still as no longer needed for the
well-being of a lost world, and
finally, let our missionaries be
called home, because their “great
commission” would be no more
than the senseless utterance of a
crazy enthusiast.
These sacred institutions,above
named, have their basis in the
resurrection of Christ. Had he
not risen, they would never have
existed. And if it were possible
to destroy the belief of mankind
in the reality of that sublime
event to-day, those institutions
would soon be swept from the
face of the earth; and the human
race would be left without a
“Tree of Life” any where, whose
“leaves” should be “for the heal
ing of the nations.” In that case,
there would indeed be “no balm
in Gilead, and no physician
there.”
The experiment has been tried.
About a century ago the Nation
al Assembly of France tried to
abolish Christianity. The unbe
lieving savants of that day were
hailed as the apostles of a new
dispensation. But they lived to
see their theories culminate un
der the “leign of terror,” in the
horrors of the unrelenting guilo
tine.
“But now is Jesus arisen from
the dead, and become the first
fruits of them that slept?” The
Apostles were not false witness
es; they testified what they had
seen. Jesus revealed himself
after his crucifixion by such in
fallible proofs, through a period
of forty days, that they could not
doubt his identity. They were
compelled to believe the testi
mony of their own senses. Then,
some months later, he revealed
himself to his, perhaps, greatest
human enemy—Saul of Tarsus —
in such a mode as to revolutionize
the life of that proud man, and to
make him the greatest of all the
Apostles.
All these witnesses gave their
testimony at the sacrifice of every
earthly hope, and in the face of
impending martyrdom. If one
lied, they all lied. If they lied,
they knew it. Would ten men
wilfully lie under such fearful
conditions?
But their testimony has been
verified down to the present time
by its results. Beginning on the
day of Pentecost, its effect was
wonderful. Peter addressed the
vast multitude before him. When
he boldly charged them with
their guilt in having shared in
the murder of Jesus, whom God
had raised from the dead, they
were cut to the heart. Would they
have been cut to the heart if they
THR CIIRISTLW INDEX.
had not believed Peter’s testimo
ny? Would they have been thus
affected with remorse and shame
if they had believed that Peter
was lying about the resurrection
of Christ? Take notice: If Jesus
had not risen, he himself would
have been proved to be an impos
tor. This was what the people
who murdered him believed.
And yet, when Peter affirmed his
lesurrection, they were cut to
the heart. Why? I again ask. It
was because they were, some how,
constrained to believe his testi
mony. What was it that con
strained them? Jesus had said
to his disciples just before he
was taken up from them: “Lo, I
am with you to the ends of the
earth ” So, while Peter was
preaching, Jesus was there in the
power of his Holy Spirit. It was
he who gave efficacy to Peter’s
words, and thus affixed the stamp
of Heaven to the truth of his
story. It was the spirit of Jesus
that constrained the people,
though not conscious of his pres
ence, to believe, and joyfully to
confess their faith in baptism.
We find in such results corrobo
rative proof of the resurrection.
Such results attended the Apos
ties wherever they went. All the
teachings of human experience
and of human learning were
against the story which they told
of the risen Lord. Then they
had to confront the most power
ful system of paganism ever
known on earth. It was a sys
tem hoary with age. Its legends
formed the staple of Grecian and
of Roman literature. It was en
shrined in the most magnificent
temples, adorned with the very
highest achievements of human
art. Its worship was gorgeous in
its splendor, attractive in its forms
and convivial in its feastings and
revelries. Moreover, the gov
ernment was its patron and the
Emperor was its “Pontifex Max
imus,” its Chief Priest.
It was against this mighty
power that twelve men, without
prestige, without money, and
with no carnal weapons, dared to
declare war. Their whole mag
azine of resources was wrapt up
in the story of Jesus and his res
urrection. Was there ever such
an unequal fight undertaken on
this earth? Even David,when he
met Goliah, was armed with a
shepherd’s sling and pebbles
from the brook With >these he
slew the giant, and yet we all
agree that his success was due to
the God of Israel. But the Apos
tles went forth empty-handed
against the mighty powers of
Paganism, armed only with their
simply story, and trusting in
the invisible presence of their
risen Lord. And in less than
forty years Christian churches
were planted far and wide over
Rome’s vast empire. And within
a few centuries, Paganism had
passed away. Do not such re
sults as these, not only corrobo
rate, but actually confirm, the
testimony of the Apostles, that
the crucified Jesus has risen from
the dead ?
I have briefly sketched these
facts. Meditate upon them,dear
reader, that your faith in the res
urrection of Christ may abide un
shaken. “For if Christ be not
risen then is our preaching vain,
and your faith also is vain.” No
matter what else we may think
that we believe, if we believe not
that Jesus rose from the dead,we
have no saving faith; for it is
written, “if thou shalt confess,
with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thy heart
that God hath raised him from the
dead, thou shalt be saved.” Here
it is evident that faith in the res
urrection of Jesus is an essential
condition of salvation.
This truth is confirmed by an
other Scripture: “He was deliv
ered for our offenses, and was
raised again for our justification.”
This text teaches, that while the
death of Christ was designed to
be an expiation for sin, it was
made efficient for that purpose
by his resurrection from the
dead. He might have died for
our offenses; but if God had not
accepted the offering, it would
not have availed for our justifica
tion. But God did accept it,
and the proof of its acceptance
was the resurrection of the holy
victim. When God sent down
fire from Heaven to consume the
offering of Elijah, it was the evi
dence that he accepted the sacri
fice. So when the “well-beloved
Son” voluntarily made himself a
sin-offering for man, God mani
fested his acceptance of the sac
rifice, not by fire —a mere tran
sient glory—but by raising him
from the dead up to the “power
of an endless life.” By raising
him from the dead God affixed
his own “sign-manual” to the
covenant of redemption, whereby
he could be just and yet “thejus
tifier of all them that believe in
Jesus.” Glory be to our risen
Lord!
563 S. Pryor st., Atlanta.
The most indolent men are
busilyengaged in the manufac
ture of good intentions.—jFx.
1 SUBSCRIPT! Ay. 'Yb*b,....82.00. |
(TO
Baptists and the Saloon.
BY J. H. GAMBRELL.
NO. 1.
The Georgia Baptist Conven
tion, during its session at Cedar
town last April, adopted a re
port on temperance containing
the following recommendations:
1. “That the churches use the
knife of discipline against mem
bers who are known to indulge
in the use of intoxicating drinks.
2. That Baptist voters all over
the State be urged to support no
one for the legislature who will
not use his influence in favor of
some measure looking to the sup
pression of the liquor traffic in
this State.”
Touching this declaration I
make two remarks:
1. It has been said that the
Methodists are in advance of
every other denomination on the
temperance question. That is
not true. In the South, so far
as the declarations of religious
bodies are concerned, the Bap
tists are clear light ahead of all
other denominations. If any
other denomination has ever ad
vised men how to vote or who to
vote for to make laws it has es
caped my notice.
2. The recommendations quoted
are simply advisory. The con
vention cannot enforce their ob
servance, but the sovereign
churches can, and the convention
advises them to do so. The
churches will do as they-please
with the advice, and bear the re
sponsibility attaching to their
decision.
Though the convention is
simply an advisory body, ought
not its deliberate judgment and
advice be worth a great deal to
the churches? Ought not indi
vidual Baptists to hesitate long
before arraying themselves
against the judgment and con
victions of a great body of their
own representative brethren?
Let two things about the Geor
gia Baptist Convention be noted
and pondered by everyone, and
Baptists especially:
1. It is a body of as brainy men
as can be found in the common
wealth. These men are thought
ful and conservative, keeping
within the bounds of truth and
righteousness. In the main, they
are men who 1 ‘ seek not their
own, but another’s good.” The
‘LMotif” of their busy lives, is
not to “feather a nest” for them
selves, but to contribute to the
safety and enrichment of the
lives of others. Their ambition
is not for political preferment or
the spoils of office, but to make
straight, unimperilled paths for
the people to walk in. They
think and reach conclusions
under the impulse of him who
“guides into all truth,” touching
any matter. In the ‘ ‘ ointment ”
of their counsels and advice are
no “dead flies” of selfishness.
2. Those who compose the
Georgia Baptist Convention are
citizens of Georgia. They are
not only clothed with citizenship,
but that which is inseparably
linked with citizenship, respon
sibility, is theirs too. They are
responsible to God and society
for the use they make or do not
make of the opportunities they
have for honoring him and con
tributing to the wellbeing of the
social compact. They cannot rid
themselves of this responsibil
ity until they rid themselves of
citizenship. Clerical robes, pre
fixes, suffixes, none of these, or
a’l of them, can absolve one
from the duties and responsibil
ities of citizenship, any more
than the title of Judge, Major,
Captain, Colonel, Governor or
General, absolves one from the
duty and responsibility of ser
vice to God. Our Lord laid down
the rule for every soul on earth,
whatever his vocation, in these
words: “Render, therefore, unto
Caesar the things which be
Caesar’s and unto God the things
which be God’s.” Every soul,
preacher or politician, comes
under this divine rule.
Look again at that first recom -
mend at ion to Georgia Baptist
churches. D d the convention
act wisely in giving the churches
such advice? Let’s study the
matter a little and see.
1. It is a fact certified to by
every reputable scientific and
medical authority in the known
world that there is no place in a
healthy system for alcoholic
liquor, and that alcohol is a most
powerful narcotic poison, whose
introduction into the healthy
system always damages it.
2. The same authorities tell us
that there are twenty-eight
distinct and terrible diseases that
result from the moderate use of
intoxicants as a beverage. Con
sumption diabetes, and hobnail
liver are in this list of diseases.
The negro, who before his eman
cipation, could not drink and
had none of these diseases, but
to whom emancipation brought a
new and more awful servitude to
the saloon, and with it these dis
eases, is proof quite enough to
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 1896.
sustain the charge that drink
produces disease.
3. The court records of the
country reveal the astounding
fact that three-fourths of the
crime which afflicts us is com
mitted by men and women while
under the influence of intoxi
cants. Scientists tell us that
drink is the greatest crime-pro
ducing agency the would ever
knew.
4. All medical and scientific
authority is back of the declara
tion that more than half of the
appalling lunacy of the world is
result of the drink habit. The
records of asylums for the in
sane certify to the truth of this
statement.
5. The records of our eleemosy
nary institutions show that more
than two-thirds of their inmates
are there as the result of drink.
The figures that tell the number
of paupers in a country, county,
or community, also tell whether
there is sold and drunk there in
toxicants.
6. God has put the whole world
on notice that no drunkard shall
enter the kingdom of heaven.
Yet through drink, one hundred
thousand souls are staggering
into eternity every year in this
country. Many of these go out
of Baptist homes, and all of them
began their downward leap to
despair with the social drink.
For these reasons, and thou
sands of others, the Georgia Bap
tist Convention advises that
those who persist in drinking, be
eliminated from Baptist church
es. Surely no Baptist church
can afford to have complicity in
so dark and damnable a business!
Let the elect of God not drink.
Greenesboro, Ga.
For the Index.
Touching Humanity.
BY MRS. LAURA RICHARDS.
It is said that the necessity of
a general judgment at the end of
time arises from the fact that the
influence of every human being
that has ever lived in the world
will then be at an end, and not
until then. Influences that are
set in motion, either for good or
evil, do not stop at the death of
the individual, bu.go on through
Time, ceasing only when Time
stops. „
Life is a stern L ali’y, viewed
in the light of these iacis; com
paratively short, its responsibili
ties are immeasurably great.
Great value is set upon human
life by the laws of our land, but
the true value of human life, in
God’s sight, is beyond concep
tion. Life is the jewel in the
casket of clay, so precious in
God’s sight thatthe“grave is not
its goal.” Longfellow’s “Psalm
of Life” beautifully and truth
fully pictures life in its earnest
ness and reality; and as an au
thor he has left his “ footprints
on the sands of Time;” and his
influence is still going on, after
his death, touching the lives of
others.
It is this influencing, impress
ing, touching the lives of others,
that we would consider.
God looks at man singly and
collectively; as individuals and
as nations. Christ died for man
aS an individual, and by faith
in him they are brought in touch
and harmony with the father,
and in touch with the brother
hood of mankind, in a new rela
tionship; in touch with divinity
on one hand, and with humanity
on the other. That is the posi
tion of a Christian in this world.
With the dual nature within, a
new responsibility to God de
volves upon the life in relation
to others. The parables of the
talents and the pounds brings
out a lesson on this line; and the
Apostle Paul comments on the
Christian’s attitude towards oth
ers touching humanity in the
twelfth chapter of Romans: “Re
joice with them that do rejoice,
and weep with them that weep.
Distributing to the necessity of
the saints; given to hospitality;
if hunger, feed him,
if thirsty, give him drink; pre
sent your bodies a living sacri
fice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable ser
vice.”
The life of a hermit or the life
of a nun, shut out from the busy,
active world, is not the life that
God in his wisdom, has planned
for the soldiers of the cross—for
his redeemed. God’s plan is
that the Christian is to touch
humanity, within and without—
within the soul’s confine, and
without in respect to others; nor
need we enter a convent to be
withdrawn from contact with
the world. We may be unsocial,
uncommunicative, unaggressive
to the outside world and yet in
wardly be very d evout and wor
shipful. It is a convent on a small
scale. It is a Romish idea, a
selfish Pharisaical spirit that be
gets a life that withdraws from
the outside world, even to give a
life of praise to God. It is the
missionary spirit that would
touch all humanity with the
touch of Christ. Life is both
giving and receiving, and must
serve the twofold purpose for
which it is created.
Jesus Christ was “ touched
with the feeling of our infirmi
ties,” and taking on a human
body he became visibly in touch,
and set an example for us in that
the Christian life is not brought
to perfection unless it touches
humanity as he touched it. Con
secration is not concentration. A
large portion of our consecrated
lives must go to the service of
our fellow man.
“ God’s truest worshiper is he
Who loves and serves his fellowman
the beet,
And in whose works self is repressed.”
Eradicate the spirit of mis
sions from the Christian life, and
it develops into the quintescence
of selfishness; the very opposite
of that for which it was created.
When the Lord Jesus was on
earth he touched humanity in
closest proximity, being very
God and very man; but in an
other sense he touched humanity
as impressing and influencing.
It is true his words were with
power, yet to his disciples he
promised power, through the
Holy Spirit, accompanied with
the assurance, “greater works
than these shall ye do.” That
power it still behind his faithful
followers: “Lol am with you
always, even unto the end of the
world.”
It behooves the Christian to
touch' with good influences, im
pressions, uplifting toward God,
as many human beings as possi
ble during a life-time. Do you
live contemporary with, and
cime in touch with the best es
forts for good of the day ? What
a fearful thought that you are
obliged, in a measure, to help or
hinder. There is no half way
ground between right and wrong;
we are either on one side or the
other, in God’s sight. “ Inso
much as ye did it unto one of the
least of these my brethren ye
did it unto me.” What an in
centive to lend a helping hand to
a struggling brother, to the fel
low soldier in the same line of
battle, in elbow touch of sympa
thy. We are held responsible
for what we can do, not what
we would do. Our obligations
are to those with whom we come
in touch first. The gospel was
to be* preached, beginning at Je
rusalem, but oh, not toend there;
neither are our obligations lim
ited. Spurgeon, that great and
grand man with whom we have
lived contemporary, yet whom
we never saw, has touched us
with his sermons and with his
life of usefulness, though a con
tinent divided us. Who in this
day has not read his gospel ser
mons ! Their influence is good,
and good only. At the ei.d of
Time who but God can compute
the value of such a life ? We
can understand how his influence
for good through his written
sermons can go on through time
to eternity, but it is hard to
understand that God will require
at our hands the one talent en
trusted, and yet it is true.
In the judgment, when the
whole life with its influences,
running on as long as time lasts,
is reckoned up, no doubt the ag
gregate will be a great surprise
to the “one talent Christian,”
and the question, almost uncon
sciously, be asked : “When,
Lord?”
Christian reader,do not under
rate your talents, your ability,
your trust. God’s gifts are never
invaluable. Let your light shine;
if only a taper, do not seek to
hide its light.
While I have only ‘ ‘ touched ”
the subject on a few of the main
points, still I hope I have come
in touch with humanity , suffi
ciently, through the Index, to
impress some one with the im
portance of it.
The Western Recorder: Many
definitions are inadequate, but so
far as our observation goes, the
old ones, which have stood the
test of time, are better than the
new ones,which in all probability
will not stand that test. Still, if
anybody sees how a definition
can be improved, whether it be
old or new, let-him improve it.
To say in knowing fashion “the
old definitions are inadequate,”
does not throw any light on our
way. Neither do we knew any
more after being told with a
flourish that “the truths of theol
ogy need restating.” If the man
who says this knows of any such
truth which needs restating, why
does he not restate it and be done
with it? If he does not know of
any such truth, how can he say
“the truths of theology need re
stating?”
The man who tries to be con
sistent with himself instead of
with the truth, will fail as miser
ably as the school-boy who tries
to write like the last line he
wrote, instead of like the copy at
the top of the page.— Ex.
The Daily Battle.
So weary! not of labor, not of struggle;
Nor yet of failure—nor Its kindred, pain;
But of the myriad little rubs of living—
The endless round of things that seem in
vain 1
Yet not by mighty acts Is life made lovely;
He worketh best who does the little deeds;
Content, amid the struggle and the hurry,
To satisfy the spirit's smallest needs.
Houl rapture, visions, dreamy exaltation,
May be the throes that lift the soul above,
But dally self control and self-repression
Can also teach the spirit how to love.
'Mid homely scenes and dreary common
places,
Hold fast the fortress, self, while strength is
thine I
Oh, weary not I for from the height God
watches,
And wants to re enforce each feeble line,
—Edith Willis Lunn
The Guidance of the Holy Spirit.
As communion is for the heart,
guidance is for the feet, and those
who have received the former,
as we have seen in the chapter
just closed, may well look for
the’ latter.
1. But what are we to under
stand by the “leading” or guid
ance of the Spirit? Is there
something substantial and real
signified by the term, which we
cannot comprehend under other
experiences of the Christian life?
We read in 2 Peter 1. 21 (A.V )
that of old “holy men of God
spake as if they were moved by
the Holy Ghost.” Has this
“moving” been confined to them
and to what we call the “inspira
tion of Holy Writ?” Or is there
any sense in which it is true that
Christians are still “moved” by
the Holy Spirit, though of course
in a different manner, for a dis
ferent purpose, and with a differ
ent result?
2. It is-remarkable how one
of the earliest things told us as
to the public ministry of our
Lord is that He “was led by the
Spirit into the wilderness” (Luke
iv 1, A. V.). St. Matthew va
ries the phrase slightly—“ Then
was Jesus led up of the Spirit in
to the wilderness to be tempted
of the devil” (Matt. iv. 1). And
St. Mark gives us the very strik
ing alternation, “Straightway
the Spirit driveth Him forth into
the wilderness” (Mark i. 12).
The three words are egeto ane
chthe exballei. The distinctive
meanings of the three are —
The Spirit leadeth Him; the
Spirit carrieth Him away the
Spirit casteth Him out into the
wilderness. There is no diverg
ence in the statements. The first
refers to the action on the soul
of Christ which induced him to
go; the second to the actual
guidance on me-journey up to
the wilderness, which lay higher
than the Jordan; and the third,
though it does not signify any
resistance on the part of Jesus,
yet does very forcibly remind us
of the abhorrence by His pure
soul of that personal contact
with the enemy He was about to
encounter. He who entered the
garden with “amazement” was
“driven forth” into the wilder
ness. If He, then, who was
“full of the Holy Spirit” was so
led by Him, we are prepared to
find that the people of God have,
in their measure, a similar expe
rience.
3. Accordingly we read that
there is such a “leading” for
Christians. In the beautiful par
able of the Good Shepherd (John
x. 3) we are told, ‘ ‘He calleth His
own sheep by name, and leadeth
them out," which refers, of course,
to Jesus Christ. But in Rom.
viii. 14, we have, “Led by the
Spirit of God;” and in Gal. v. 18,
“If we are led by the Spirit, ye are
not under the Law.” The former
passage intimates that the lead
ing of the Spirit is a mark of
God’s children which cannot be
mistaken, and the latter indi
cates that those who submit to
the leading of the Spirit are de
livered from the bondage and
power of the legal mind.
4. In order more fully to un
derstand what is meant by the
two leading passages on the sub
ject, we naturally turn to the
Apostolic history in the New
Testament to see whether any
light is cast upon the subject
there, and we find, at all events,
three chapters in the Acts of the
Apostles which give us very in
teresting explanations.
5. One of these is Acts xvi.,
which narrates how St. Paul and
his companions were induced to
pass beyond the bounds of Asia,
and to set foot for the first time
on the European shore. The
story is familiar, but will have
to be looked at in connection
with our subject. Paul, Silas,
and Timothy made a tour through
the districts of Phrygia and Ga
latia, and, as we gather, propos
ed to continue in Asia Minor,
when something occurred which
St. Luke describes in these
words— “ Having been forbidden
of the Holy Ghost, to speak
the Word in Asia” (Acts xvi. 6).
The phrase signifies a definite
command, but, so far, we know
not in what manner it was given,
whether by an audible voice, or
a distinct revelation from the
Lord, or how. In the next verse
we read that they “came over
against Mysia,” and “assayed to
go into Bithynia: and the Spirit
of Jesus suffered them not’’
VOL. 76“N0. 25
(verse 7). Here we have a clear
er indication as to the mind of
the missionaries they “assayed,”
made an effort, attempted (epeira
z<m)possibly even were attempted
to turn intoßithynia;but the Spir
it of Jesus did not give permis
sion to do so. Here, on the other
nand, the word as to the Spirit’s
leading is not so definite as in the
former verse. In this uncer
tainty they continued their jour
ney through Mysia (probably not
preaching there, as being in
Asia), and arrived in Troas.
There Paul had “a vision in the
night” (verse 9). A man, who
was a Macedonian, and known
by him to be so, stood appealing
to him to go over into his country
and to help them. Then there
occur the remarkable words
(verse 10), “straightway we
sought to go forth into Macedo
nia, concluding that God had
called us for to preach the gos
pel unto them" (sumbibazontes) put
ting things together, and so coming
to qhis conclusion). They were
left, then, to interpret the guid
ance they were receiving. The
“called” them (verse 10). The
leading of the Spirit of God was
itself quite clear, but it had to be
gathered by them in their own
Christian experience.
6. The chapters in the book
of Acts which tell of St. Paul’s
visit to Jerusalem (xix-xxi). also
cast light on such movements of
the Spirit within men, and are in
this, as in other respects, very
interesting, as part of the spirit
ual story of the great Apostle.
Luke begins (Acts xix. 21) by
telling us that “Paul purposed
in the Spirit” (laid it down, plan
ned it beforehand, the word means)
“ . . . to go to Jerusalem,
saying, After I have been there,
I must also see Rome,” a verse
which may be considered 'by
those who think that all plans of
ours are to be avoided, and that
it is the duty of Christians to
live only from day to day. This
was Paul’s “purpose,” and he be
lieved that he had come to it
through the leading of the Holy
Ghost. We then read, in what
follows in the 19th chapter,
and that he did go through
other parts as he had- planned,
in chapter xx. there is an ac
count of his voyage to Cesarea.
At verse 22 there is a re-state
ment of Paul’s purpose, as led of
the Spirit—“bound” (that is, in
bonds, as a captive) by th’e Spirit’s
power; and he declares that he
has a strong promonition that
there is trial in store—“not
knowing the things that shall
befall me there, save that the
Holy Ghost testifieth unto me in
every city, saying that bonds
and afflictions abide me.” He
was thus led of the Spirit, and
yet warned by Him of troubles.
In chapter xxi. the leading be
comes more definite, yet at first
sight perplexing. In verse 4,
certain disciples at Tyre “said to
Paul through the Spirit, that he
should not set foot in Jerusalem.”
Here we have what looks like a
contradiction: the Spirit telling
Paul to go, and telling these dis
ciples that he should not go. But
the explanation almost certainly
is, that the Spirit had led the
disciples at Tyre to know that he
would be in danger at Jerusalem,
and that, acting on their own
judgment, they had therefore en
treated him not to go; a consid
eration which reminds us how,
even when the Spirit speaks, we
may make a mistaken use of
what He says, by not waiting on
Him farther to guide us to the
right use of His instructions or
warnings. The same thing is
still more clearly seen at Cesa
rea, where Agabus, a “prophet,”
tells of the miraculous prophetic
intimation given him by the Holy
Ghost (verse 11), “Thus saith
the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews
at Jerusalem bind the man that
owneth his girdle, and shall de
liver him into the hands of the
Gentiles.” So far the prophetic
utterance, given no doubt to pre
pare the church in both places
for the event which was to come.
With strange inconsistency, the
Cesarean Christians, and the
apostle’s own companion also,
St. Luke among the rest, tried to
prevent the journey, and so render
the prophecy untrue. “And
when he heard these things, both
we and they of that place be
sought him not to go up to Jerusa
lem.” But Paul knew better than
to resist the leading of the Holy
Ghost. “What do ye, weeping
and breaking my heart? for I am
ready not to be bound only, but
also to die at Jerusalem for the
name of the Lord Jesus. And
when we would not be persuaded,
we ceased, saying, The will of
the Lord be done” (verses 13,14).
That will, which we have done
our utmost to resist, which now
we accept as a necessity; and
only because Paul will not join
us in resisting God! So distinct,
on the one hand, is the leading
of the Spirit; and so apt are
Christian men, on the other, to
deal with it in a wrong way!—
Through the Eternal Spirit.—Cum
mings.