J. THAT TO THE YOUNG THERE COMMONLY OOCURS SOME VISION FBOH HEA VJ!N, Wed,, not 3xpoct the miraculous now. God may, and probably does, make known his will i,, ways that are outside and above the ordinary and the natural; but we have no right t,, reckon on these. He does come to us by the illuminating influences qf his Holy Spirit, nud he thus elevates the mind, a.wakens the soul, subdues the will, renews the nature, trnnsforms the· life. God visits us through various means, acts upon us by many instruments, wine us in different ways. The heavenly vision i8 sure to come durincr the days of youth, when the mind is more open and the heart more tender ; "for of such is the kingdom of God." 1. It may take the form of a vision of Jesus Cbrist-------- hie excellency and claims. The young heart may see him, as it had never before, a,; One who is infinitely worthy of trust, of love, of service, of submission. 2. Or it may take the form of a vision of human life-its seriousness and responsibility. The minrl may awake to this great fact: havin~ regarded ~uman life as n~thing bet_ter than a thing to be enjoyed, or as an opportunity for makrng money, or gammg a bnef reputa- tion or attaining to some social position, it comes to see, in the light of God'~ rev:a1ing truth, that it may be something immeasurably more and higher-that it may be ruade a. sacred opportunity of spiritual culture, of holy llllefulness, and of Divine service. 3. Or it may take the form of a vision of the human soul-its greatness and value. It may suddenly become conscious of the fact that God has created us for himself, that we may possess his likeness, live his life, and share his immortality; that within the humblest human frame resides a spirit whose worth the wealth of a planet will not weigh. II. THA'l' THEN COMES THE TIME FOR THE GREAT DECIBION. There are other occasions in the course of human life when a decisive choice is made; when it is resolved what vocation shall be pursued, what life-compa.nion taken, what country adopted for a home etc.; but there is no occasion which compa.res with this in sacred interest, in lasting issues. It may be even said tha.t "on this winged hour eternity is hung." Obedience or disobedience to the heavenly vision makes all the difference between success and failure, between pea.ea and unrest of soul, between life and death. Obedience means (1) becoming right with God; (2) spending a life in accordance with his will and in harmony with our true and deeper cravings; (3) e. title to everlasting joy in the future. Disobedience means the sad and dark opposites of these: (1) remaining under God's displeasure; (2) living a. life at variance with bill purpose and the true end of man; (3) rejecting the offer of eternal life.-C. Vere. 20-23.-The ~ t y and the resou,rces of a devoted life. There is no trace of egotism, in the offensive sense of the word, in this simple sketch of the apostle's course. He is simply telling the truth concerning himself out of a pure heart. But in so doing he gives us the picture of- L A DEVOTED LIFE. 1. He began a.t the earliest possible time to carry out the Master's will-" showed first unto them of Damascus" (ver. 20). 2. He la.boured in the most difficult and dangerous sphere-" and at Jerusalem." 3. He went wherever the guiding finger pointed-" throughout all the coa.sts of Judma, and then to the Gentiles." 4. He was not afraid of those who were high not disregardful of those who were low- " witnessing both to small and great" (ver. 22). 5. He preached everywhere unpala.t- a.ble but indispensable truth-" that they should repent . . . and do works meet for repentance" (ver. 20). 6. He was undeterred by any obstacles from continuing in his career-" I continue unto this day" (var. 22). We a.re not all charged by our Master to do the kind of work for which Paul was his "chosen vessel;" but we are all called upon to devote our powers to his holy service, our lives to his praise and glory; and it behoves us, e.s it became him, to begin early, to accept whatever duty the Lord may lay upon us, to shrink from no service because it seems uninviting or perilous, to be thorough in all we do for him, and to persist through good and evil report even to the end, until he shall take the weapon from our hand. lL Tm: PENALTY OF DEVOTEDNESS. "For these causes the Jews caught me," etc. (ver. 21). Paul's faithful and fearless devotedness to the will and the caU10 of Jesia Obrist led him into the utmost danger, and ea.used him the severest losses and trials. The less of consecration the less of persecution; the more of the one the more of the other. So, in some degree, now. "Yea, Wld all that will live -godly in Christ Jesw ACTS-II. T 274 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. (OB, llVL 1--32,
,shall suffer pel'll8Cution" (2 Tim. iii. 12). All are not expected to face the same trials, The apostle h11d his own difficulties to surmount and dan~ers to front. The mission- ary has his; the minister h11s his; the reformer hss his. 'Ihe Christian man in every- day life has hiR own penalties of devotedness to pay. Enthusi11stio zeal,perfect purity, unswerving truthfulness, incorruptible fidelity,-these qualities, and such as these, cannot be continually manifested without calling out and calling down the hostility, condemnation, and opposition of the world. If we take not up the orose thus and follow Chri~t, we are" not worthy of him." Ill. Two SOURCES OF STRENGTH. 1. The help tio be had of God: "having obtained help of God" (ver. 22). Christ appeared to him at Jerusalem, at Troas, at Corinth, and sustained him by special visitations. All along his path he had the upholding hand of the Almighty about him. 2. Consciousness of integrity. There was no ground for this hatred of him, this relentless persecution. He was not really the renegade his enemies took him for. His conduct could be fully justified by their own authorities; he had been saying "none other things than these," etc. (vers. 22, 23). He had a. con- science void of offence toward man as well as toward God; he was as guiltless before iiis own countrymen as he was before Cmsar. Here we have two sources of strength under those persecutions which are the inevitable outcome of our fidelity. Divine sustenance-the guidance of the heavenly Father, the watchful care of the Divine Saviour, the comfort of the Holy Ghost. Consciousness of rectitude-the feeling that we are saying and doing "none other things" than the Word of God will justify, and than those who abuse and injure us would themselves approve if they would only judge us with open and impartial mind.-C.