Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1877-12-29

Central Truth He that loses all for
Christ, gains ALL
We have now reached the close of the
| lessons for 1877. The last six months
have been spent in studying the life OF
one who combined in his own person the
INSPIRED Apostle, the true prophet and
the heroic martyr. Alter life spent i'm
labOring most devotedly for Christ, he
sealed his testimony with his blood. and
long since entered on his glorious re-
ward.
He bequeathed to the whole Church of
Christ, in her government and discipline
the legacy of his Apostolic Iabors: he left
his words OF wisdom and instruction TO
be her guide and teacher. and gave his
blood TO be the seed from which should
spring thousands OF noble and heroic tes-
timOnies to the truth as it is in Jesus.
The glorious company OF the Apostles.
the gOOdly fellowship of the Prophets,
the noble army OF martyrs, had no no.
bier, more faithful, more heroic names
than his. And down to the end of time,
and until redemption shall complete, the
name OF Paul will be powerful to vindi.
cate the plan of salvation. 10 justify the
ways OF God 10 men. and to proclaim the
glad tidings of redemption by the blood
ut Christ TO a lost and dying world.
No more graphic and striking scenes
are presented TO US in the scriptures, than
those which we have been studying. dur
ing these months, in the lite of this great
Apostle. We first saw him in Cyprus,
where he WAS especially set apart by the
direction of the Holy Ghost for his great
and special work. There he performed
his first miracle, and smote with blind
Hes Elymas, the so; cerOr, who endeavor-
ed to hinder the work OF The Spirit
AT Antioch he preached tie gospel
with power anu many there were con-
verted TO Chaist.
The people 0t Lystra, astonished at the
miracle OF the healing of the cripple.
were ready to pay him divine honors. but
he would not receive them. calling on the
excited multitude to believe rather i'm the
living God thai i'm mcn of like passions
with themselves.
Divineiy summoned TO Macedonia he
goes 10 Piiillippi, and there breaches the
gospel by the riverside to lydia, whose
ilame has come down to us in connec
ton with his memory.
There also the memorable prison scene
was enacted, and amid the crashing OF
the earthquake, the convicted jailor ask
ell that famous. that vital question.
which has echoed down the ages: ..WhaI
must L do 10 be saved ?" anu received
that no less famous reply, which has
brought peace and joy to millions of con-
victed sinners since that day. believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ anu thou shalt
be saved
Thence we followed the great Apostle
a Athens, that splendid center Grecian
rot, philosophy and learning. where. on
Mars Hill, the famous meeting took place
between the pure gospel and the heathen
anthology of classic Greece. Paul's
speech Oh that day was Il mastery appeal
tor the true God and his simple worship
but it made little impression Oh the
learned and philosOphic Athenians. 1t
has even been so: 1.-The worll by wisdom
knew not God The things oi the Cos
pei are often hid from the wise and pru-
dent and are revealed unto babes.
The Apostles success in COrinth,
where We neXt saw him, was much great
er than i'll Athens. The names of Aquila
and Priscilla are here added to the list
of the scripture WORTHLESS which has come
down to us i'm connection with st. Paul.
From COrinth we followed him to
Ephesus. where were introduced to ApO,-
los, another name still connected with
st. Paul, and where the word of God
grew nightly and prevailed. Here was
the great temple of Diana, and the ia
nous school of magic, whose boasted arts
could not stand before the power of the
Cross.
AT Cesarea the Apostle learned from
the prophet Agabus what stern trials
awaited him in the future-but the reve-
latiOn only seemed to nerve his heroic
soul TO loitier courage, so that when
he was brought before the Council at
Jerusalem he testified for Jesus and the
resurrection with great power, SO that
his enemies s'were not able to resist the
wisdom and the spisit by which he
spake."
Thsn came the memorable scene be-
fore Felix, when the elOqnence of the
captive preacher so moved the Governor
that ne trembled and dared not listen
longer. This too is memorable incl
debt, and the lesson which it teaches
prOcrastinating hearers who, like Felix.
lremble, but put off the work of repent
ance to more convenient season, is one
of the most solemn and significant of the
entire history.
From Felix to Agrippa, from the Ro-
man Governor to the Hebrew Prince.
we then passed. And here again is u
memorable scene. The words iot Paul
affected the latter quite as forcibly as the
former, so that Agrippa was forced to
exclaim almost thou persuadest me
to be Christian" How many since his
day have been brought to this position.
al IS, TO find that to be almost persuaded
is to De almost saved, and that to be
almost saved is to be altogether lost.
Now the clOsiug scenes in the drama
of the Apostles life begin to appear. He
passes from the tribunal OF Agrippa to
The Eternal City, there to make his last
stand for Christ, TO deliver his last mes
sages OF truth, and to seal his testimony
with his blood. He embarks on the sea,
and its waves rise in their fury against
him, and the horrors OF shipwreck menace
him. But his work is not done, and he
bears charmed life. The long and te-
dious voyage is at length accom- plished,
and he reaches Rome. For two years he
breaches Christ, as an ambassador i'm
bonds. All Rome knows him. Nero's
guards, the mobiles and counsellors, The
common people OF the streets. all learn
to recognize the Christian teacher, and
with chains Oh his limbs he breaches here
and there the flee salvation of God.
Then condemned 20 die, he passes out
one bright morning under the bright sun
of g Roman summer, along the road to
Osria, the port OF the city, to the place Of
execution. A monument still survives
the spot and the tragedy. 1t is the pyr-