Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 April 1916 — AENEAS AND DORCAS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AENEAS AND DORCAS

Acts 9:32 i-t—April 9. 6t. Peter’s Preaching Tour—Visiting the Saints—A Term Much Misunderstood —A Paralytic Healed at Lydda. St. Peter Called to Joppa—-Dorcas Awakened From the Sleep of Death. “In all thing* showing thyself an example of good works.”—Titus 327. fROM today's Study we learn that although the Apostles made Jerusalem theif headquarters, nevertheless they went hither and thither throughout Judea, visiting the little congregations of Christians. In one of his tours St. Peter came to Lydda, a city ten miles southeast of Joppa. There he visited “the saints.” The word “saints” signifies holy ones, those set apart, sanctified believers in Christ. There is much opposition to the use of this word today, attributable, we believe, to two reasons. One

of these is the fact that the vast majority of professing Christians kn o w that they are not sanctified, not living as near to the Lord as they could live, not separate, even in heart, from the world, the flesh and the Devil. Another reason is that dur-

ing the Dark Ages it became customary for the Itoman and Greek Catholic churches to “canonize,” or legally Set apart as objects of reverence, certain persons respecting whom, after the lapse of several centuries, nothing especially was remembered, but only things esteemed praiseworthy. A third reason why some dislike the term “saints” is that they consider It to be rather boastful, even hypocritical. Having lost sight of the doctrine of justification by faith in its proper application, they have’ become accustomed to think of all Christians as miserable sinners. Thus they overlook the fact that there are some in whom “the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled” because they walk, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, and the merit of Christ covers all their unwilling shortcomings.—Romans 8:1-4. God's fieople, however, should remember that almost all of the Epistles of the New Testament are addressed “to the saints"; and that those who cannot projierly apply to themselves this term, which is authorized by Apostolic usage, cannot properly apply to themselves the promises contained in

those Bpistlcs. Lot It ho home In mind that the word "saint” does not signify | actual perfection merely, as in our Lord's case, but also applies to those who are reckoned holy through Ilim. Two Notable Miracles. The healing of .Kueas, the paralytic, was ji very notable evidence of the power of the Lord, very similar to the healing at the Beautiful (late of tite Temple. Here, as always, St. Peter made sure thfli none shnitUl think that the |H>wer exercised was his own. lie distinctly affirmed that Jesus the Mes slab, whom their rulers had crucified, had performed the cure and therefore was not dead, hut risen The fame of the miracle spread abroad and resulted, we are told, in the drawing of many to the Lord. Thus did the Lord establish tlie Church and attract to it those who were in the right heart attitude, using miracles then, as lie now •uses other means. As already pointed out, those miracles ceased with the death of the Apostles and those upon whom they laid hands. The Twelvo-had no successors'— St. Paul taking the place of Judas. The Heavenly Jerusalem had twelve foundations—no more- —and in these were written the names of the Twelve Apos ties- no others.—-Revelation 21:11, One of the saints at Joppa was tip patently a woman of means and edit ration. If her name described her appearance. she was very beautiful; for

Tabitha in the Syriac. Dorcas in t lie t J reek. im plies grace and beauty. Rut whatever she possessed of t hose i|utilities naturally, she was named for the beauty of a meek and quiet spirit, full of love an d helpfulness. She served the Lord, His Brethren.. and all others

who needed assistance, according to the I test opportunities afforded her. Especially did gjie help poor widows, a class who at that time were often in a very trying position. Under these circumstances it Is not strange that her death produced great sorrow, especially amongst the henefi ■claries, of her charities, and amongst the numerous friends which a heaUtiful t'hrist-like spirit of this kind Is sure to make. Apparently she died suddenly, .mlioiil the time that others of the saints at Joppa heard <»f the cure which St l’ctcr laid performed at Lyd da. At once they sent for him. proh ably With no thought that' lie would • •ring Dorcas hack to life, hut that he could give them some consolation. The bringing of Dorcas hack from the portals of death Was St. Peter's most notable miracle. Dike that at Dydda. it was peculiar to t hat time and for the special purpose of establishing, the Church. We tire not to suppose, however, that the Lord purposes to snatch back from death all of 11 is people, or that all should have powers of healing such as St. Peter exercised.

St. Peter.

The awakcning of Ta bitha.