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THE KING’S BUSINESS
said the moment-before private. “ O f my guards,” said Napoleon,'touched by, the ready wit and faith o f the man who simply took him at his word. A greater than. Napoleon gives' you His word. Will you believe Him ? IV. How the Apostles and the Jailer Lived the Newly Received Life. They confessed Christ to others. They identified themselves with other believers. They had fellowship with Jesus. The apos tles at once began to bring others to Jesus and so did the jailer. “ Follow Me and I will make you fishers o f men” said Jesus, Matt. 4 T9. The apostles were called later to leave their ordinary occupation and devote all their time to the proclamation of the Gos pel. The jailer, so far as we know, con tinued at his post, but he was, a Christian jailer. Today, as then, the Saviour calls some to leave home, friends, business and devote all their time and strength to the., ministry o f His word of the Gospel, and woe to the man or woman who heeds not the call. And some He calls to- remain where they were, but to serve Him there, 1 Cor. 7 :20-24. Preachers, missionaries, Associa tion secretaries and carpenters, clerks, housewives, toó, for “Ye. serve the Lord Christ.” Have you done as they did ? acteifs—one a yfeligious : woman,, and the other an irreligious Roman jailer/. One scene is laid by the riverside where a band o f women were wont to assemble for prayer. They are Jews and have no syna gogue. What an insignificant opening for the great evangelist! No committee to arrange the meeting; no advertisement; no financial backing; no tabernacle for serv ices! Out of doors with a few women. How humiliating for the man who had the -vision from the skies—a man from Macedonia crying, “ Come over and help us.” No one could imagine this scene. The
from Paul and Silas o f that wonderful death that secured life for him. Paul did not stop when he said “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” He went on and “ spake unto him the word' ofi the Lord.” Let us follow Paul’s example and in addition to telling people t o : believe in Jesus show them what it means to believe. See in Isaiah 53:6 two things that-we have done and one thing that God has done. The third statement—what God has done,'is just as true as the preceding statements regard ing ourselves. Our not believing it (will not undo it, any more than our, not believ ing that the sun shines will stop the sun from shining. W e may refuse to believe that Christ died for us and be lost :in consequence, but that will ' not change the fact that 1900 years-ago He “ died/for our sins,” and “the Lord hath laid upon Him the iniquity o f us all.” 4. He believed in Jesus. s A convict might choose to remain in prison though the Governor had sent- him a pardon, but it would not be because he could not go free., John 5:24 following Isaiah 7 <53:6 makes it very plain—BELIEVETHi-ffs HATH . It is the word of the King. “Thank you, Captain,” said Napoleon to the private who had stopped the Emperor’s runaway horse. (“O f what regiment, Sire?” T HE whole chapter is so interwoven that we need it all in outline in order to make the most of the lesson. The Conference with Timothy, vs. 1-5. The Call to Macedonia, vs. 6-1L The Conversion o f Lydia, vs. 12-15. The Casting out o f the Evil Spirits', vs. 16-21. The Commitment to Prison, vs'. 22-24. The Conversion o f the Jailer, vs. 25-34. The Conquest o f the Prisoners, vs.' 35-40. W e find in the. lesson two prayer meet ings o f different typés, both leading up to the conversion o f two very different char-
HEART OF THE LESSON
By T. C. Horton.
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