Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1892 — SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON. [ARTICLE]

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.

Sunday, B«pt, 11. PHILIP AND THE ETHIOPIAN—Acts 8:26-40-Snpt,—l6. And the angel of the Lord j spako unto Philip, saying, Arise, and no toward the south, unto the way that go- 1 eth down from Jerusalem, unto Gaza, which is desert. School.—27. And be arose and went: and, behold,a man of Ethiopia, u eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of tho Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, 28. Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias tho prophet. 29. Then the Spirit said nnto Philip, Go near and join thyself to this chariot. to. And Philip ran thither to him and heard him read the prophet- Esaias, and said, Undorstandest thou what tbou readest ?- —t— -31. And he said. How can I, except some man should guide me? And ho desired Philip that he would como up and sit with him. 32. Tho place of the scripture which he read was this: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth. 33. In his humiliation his judgment wa* taken away: and who shall declare his generation V for his life Is taken from tha earth. 34. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speakei h the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 36. Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 36. And as they wont on their way, thoy came unto a certain water: and, the eunuch said, See. here Is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37. And Philip said, If thou beliovest with all thine heart, thou mayost. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Sou of God. . 38. And he commafided the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 33. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that tho eunuch saw him uo moro; and Le went on his way rejoicing. 40. But Philip was found at Azotus; end passing through lie preached In all tho cities tilt Uo came to Cxsaroa.

The section of history includes simply the verses of the lesson, with a glance at the situation as given in the previous verses. Time.—A. D. 37. Early summir. Immediately after last lesson. Place.— South-western Judea, in the sparsely inhabited region botween Jerusalem and Gaza, wbicn lies to the south-west, near the Mediterranean coast. Circumstances. Philip, having preached in Samaria, was sent upon another mission, by which the gospel would be carried to tho distant heath •u. As Simon Magus was an example of false conversion, so now we have an example of true conversion. Helps over Hard Places. —20. Go toward the south; i. e. from Samaria. Unto tho way: by going south he would strike the road which ran south-west from Jerusalem to Egypt through Gaza. Which is desert: i. e. the part of tho road to which ho was to go. 27. Ethiopia: all the African lands south of Egypt, especially Nubia, Senaar, Kordofnn, and part of Abvssinia. The land was wealthy. Candace: Candace was the general name of the queens of Ethiopia, as Pharoh was of the sovereigns of Egypt, and Offisar of the Roman emperors. Jerusalem, for to worship: he was a native Ethiopia*:, who had been converted to Judaism, aud hence made a visit to Jerusalem. 28. Read Esatas; i. e. Isatah. Be frobably was reading aloud. 32 he place of the scripture: I* a. 53; perhaps suggested by the discussions he must have heard at Jerusalem about the Messiah. 35. Phillip., preached unto him Jesus: he showed how this prophecy of the Messiah was fulfilled in Jesus. 39. The Spirlt....caught away PbiHp: either miraculously bore him, or led him by a sudden impulse to go away. 40. Azotus: Ashdod. twenty miles northeast of Gaza. Preached in all the cities: on the road along the coast, as Ekron, Rama, Joppa, Lvdda. To Cssarea: the capital of the Syrian province, seventy miles north-west of Jerusalem, on the Mediterranean, south of Mount Carmel.

Subjects for further study and special reports. —God’s providence. —Ethiopia.—God’s help of sincere seekers.—lsaiah’s description of tho Messiah as fulfilled in Jesus. -The Ethiopian’s faith.—Profession of Christ by baptism.—Rejoicing in believing.