doctrine concerning him held by Phnrisee and Snclducee fell down nbout them, as n house built on the snnd in 11, do.y of stormg. And so God overrule,; men's lives now t,, prep11re them for his rovelntions. Illustrate by the ways in which (1) the satiety 0[ pleasure, (2) the pollutions of vice, (3) prolonged scepticism ( 4) failure of efforts, (6) serious illness, (6) the naturally inquiring mind, or (7) s~dden bereavements, are overruled to become Divine preparations for our" days of grace." II. THI!l EFFECT OF THE IlEVELATION ON THE ll[IND OF SAUL. To his Jewish notions the light from heaven would seem to be manifestly Divine and his first thought would be thnt God wns honouring him with a commission to e~terminate the Nazarenes. It must have come to him with startling and painful surprise that the voice speaking from heaven to him should be the voice of Jesus of Nazareth. His pre- judices were crushed down in a moment. Jesus was not an impostor; he was accepted of God. Jesus was not dead; he spoke out of heaven. In Saul's response there is: 1. Conviction. If 'Jesus is after all the Messiah, then what have I been doing? Nothin,.,. less than fighting against the God I thought I was serving. There was no need fo~ him to search his life and try to find every particular sin; for he felt the sin of unbelief. And unbelief is sin against every attribute of God, against his (1) justice, (2) holiness, (3) wisdom, (4) love. Observe that this conviction of sin was felt by one who was outwardly moral. And the true conviction is not the finding of some dark, polluting deeds in our life; it is the feeling of the pollution, the godlestiDess, the self-seeking of our evil hearts. In bis response is: 2. Penitence. Men may be convicted, and go no further. Penitence involves (1) the sense of sin as committed against God,-illustrate by sentences of David, Peter to Ananias, and Prodigal Son ; (2) sorrow for sin and earnest purpose to forsake it ; (3) submission, as in this incident the proud Pharisee becomes as simple as a child; (4) surrender, a special act of yielding will and heart and life to Christ. What, then, is essential to a true conversion to God? (1) Not any particular form of experience, (2) not any precise time, but (3) the sense of Bin and (4) a full surrender to Christ. The difference betweenco=on faith and saving faith is mainly this-saving faith is faith with a sense of need and personal application. UL THE EVIDENCES THAT SA.UL HAD RECEIVED A DIVINE REVELATION. 1. Changed inward life: "Behold, he prayeth I" 2. Changed outward conduct. Contrast him keep- ing the clothes of them that slew Stephen, and preaching at Damascus the very faith he had sought to destroy. Appeal to those whom God has been preparing by his providential orderings to receive his revelation. Maybe that revelation comes through this message. If so, what will your response to it be ?-R. T. Vera. 8, 9.-Blind eyes, but open soul. Attention is invited to what is sug::;ested by the interesting fact that, after seeing the vision, Saul remained blind, and so absorbed in thought as to be wholly indifferent to food, for three days. That there are miraculous features in the circumstances attending Saul's conversion can hardly be denied, but some incline to exaggerate the miraculous features, while others put them under too severe limitations. We need not assume a miraculous blindness, or so serious a matter as a lightning stroke. The phenomena rather suggest a sunstroke of a severe but temporary character. In the Divine order this was arranged to give the surprised nnd humbled mnn an opportunity for quietness and loneliness, that be might carry on, and carry out to a conclusion, the conflict which had been begun by hearing the voice of him whom he had called the Nazarene impostor speaking from heaven, and speaking words of power and command to him. And it was also designed as a continuing physical effect which would assure Saul of the reality of his heavenly vision. In endeavouring to estimate the thoughts of Saul's time of blindness, consider that- I. SAUL BAD KNOWLEDGE. General knowledge, as an educated man, belonging to the well-to-do classes. Special knowledge, as trained in the best Jewish schools; especially as havinu a kind of colle"iate culture, as a Pharisee, in the highly esteemed school of Game.liet And a precis~ and wide knowledge of both Holy Scripture and rabbinical tradition which must have included the grounds for expecting the coming Messiah the Prine:. Saul would not need even his Bible in those lonely hours, for memory brought abundant subjects of thought. Illustrate the advantage of early 328 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES,
teaching of God's Word. Thus we become prepared to make the best of the sudden occasions of life. II. SAUL IIAD NOW GAINED THE KEY TO HIS KNOWLEDGE, The key was this-the Messiah has come. He was Jesus of Nazareth. He is risen, living, exalted. Show how this cleared the mystery from the fa.et that Jesus had been a sufferer, and brought light on the spiritual, character of the Messiahsbip. Illustrate by the preaching of l'hilip to the eunuch. But- III. SAUL NEEDED A TI'ME OF QUJETlIESS FOB THE DUE APPLICATION 01!' TBI8 KEY, It had to explain the prophecy that Messiah should bo born at Bethlehem, and be of the lineage of David. It must explain the figures of the Kiug and Conqueror under which Messiah had been presented. Saul must think over the grounds on which his prejudiced opposition had rested, and over all that was involved in the proved fact that Jesus was risen from the dead and had won God's acceptance. For with his eyes bhuded, and the ordinary cravinii;s of his body dead, Saul saw with his soul-spiritual things were gaining clearness. Set out what Saul began to see with his soul, concern- ing Jesus, concerning his own past and future, and show what revulsions of feeling in such an impulsive man the new soul-visions occasioned. In practical application, dwell on the desire for loneliness and quietness; and for meditation, which tbose feel who are, by any gracious agency, smitten with conviction; and the relations of such quiet times to full decision and consecration. So much good work begun in souls is lost, proving but as" morning cloud and early dew," for want of quiet meditative times following upon convictions and impressions. Sea.sons of loneliness, meditation, and prayer are as truly needed for newly awakened souls, as shady, covered times for slips, or plants, newly potted, in order that they may get safe-rooted. Those who a.re wise to win souls will learn of God's providing this blind season for the awakened and humbled Saul.-R. T.