The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1877-06-21

now beginning to dawn upon the dark and
stagnant world.
Third, What did Paul teach? Did he sim
ply teach what had been known and taught
before him or did he teach something new?
Did he teach new ideas of old principles,
or did he also teach new principles. If so
what are some of the principles thus
taught and by the aid of these principles,
what problems of life have been solved as
never solved before.
Every system of philosophy, or religion
centers around few leading principles.
By careful study we may become &C.
quainted with these principles. We may
see their influence upon the civilization
of those nations that endorse them. Dur
ing eighteen centuries Christianity has
been exertIng an influence in the world,
wherever society has come under this in
fluence new civilization has sprung up,
new ideas have been formed and new
life has taken hold of the people. In
place of caste and slavery we .haqe free
dom and equality. In place of war we
have peace. Instead of set of traditions
holding us back to the customs and no.
lions of the fathers, We have a principle
OF life and progress. In place of force as
q ruling power, we have the law of love-
Before Christ society was divided into
castles ane woman was slave. But as
his divine influence is brought to bear
these castles disappeared and woman ad-
vauces to take her place of usefulness
and equality by the side of her husband
or brother; while in China and other
countries where Christianity has not been
accepted, caste is still prominent and wo-
man duped and illiterate obeys sthe man.
dates of her lord. About one thousand
years ago Christianity found the Anglo
Saxons nation of sea pirates. Under its
teachings their civilization has been grad
ually advanced. They have been engaged
less and less sn war, until to-day we are a
great English people, advocating the prin
ciples of peace through national arbitra-
ton. Under the teachings of Confucius
and Buddha and Mohammed society has
made but little advancement. The China
man and Buddhist still scratch the ground
with rude wooded pillow and tread out
their grain with oxen. The Caravan still
winds its way through the trackless desert
bearing pilgrims to Mecca. Under the
light and life of Christianity we have the
steam pillow and the railroad, the telegraph
and printing press. Before Christ, moral
science was based on the outward law of
obligation, Christianity has placed it upon
the inward law of love. Under the
teachings of the Ancients, men did right
that they might escape the penalty of law
Under the influence of Christ's law in the
heart men seek the right because they
love it. After presenting many pointed
illustrations showing the influence of the
principles of Christianity on the problem
of civilization as connected with the des-
TIMES of the human soul and the happi-
ness of man, the speaker proceeds to the
last division of his subject.-The success
which attended the labors of the Apostle.
To say that Paul's labors were extensive
and highly successful would be simply to
express what is generally known. To
canvass his labors would be to present
scenes common to all bible readers
Hence the thought in which you and are
most interested to-day is why were the
efforts of the Apostle so successful?
There are certain underlying elements
of success and whatever be the vocation
those who would succeed must possess
them. Different persons are adapted to
different fields of labor; yet the same prin-
ciples that give success to the minister
will alike give success TO the lawyer, the
teacher, the mechanic, and the farmer.
Then what are these leading elements as
as prominent in the Apostle, AS before
shown. Paul was well educated, and when
we say we'll educated, we understand that
the powers of his body and mind were
well developed and disciplined and that
he possessed a store of useful knowledge
In this knowledge and among the powers
developed by its acquisition we may ex-
pect to find most of his leading elements
of success. Paul's knowledge was to him
an element of power in as much as 1t was
in keeping with the age in which he lived.
He was familiar with the leading Language
es then spoken. He possessed a thorough
knowledge of the ancient scriptures with
that general intelligence which enabled
him to converse freely with philosopher,
statesman, priest, or historian. Whether
before the sanhedrim at Jerusalem, in the
presence of the learned philosophers at
Athens, before the tribunals of Caesar, or
among the cities of Asia minor, he was
able 10 teach without an interpreter, and
draw his illustrations from familiar oh
jects.
And right here the minister of to day
should learn lesson. First, his educa-
ton should be thorough and extensive.
Second, it should be in keeping with the
learning of his age. 1t is an accomplish
ment to acquire the learning that Paul
had; yet this is not sufficient for tie min
lister of this age. 1t may be all right to
Paul studied. There is good discipline
In them. Yet the field of learning has
grown so broad that man cannot hope to
take it all; and the minister who storesIhis
mind with the learning of the ancients,
neglecting our modern sciences, history,
and literature, will preach his narrow and
sleepy sermons in small and lifeless
churches.
The learning of the pre- sent reflects the
light and life of the christian era and he
who would possess these principles and
impart them to his audiences must live,
think. and act under their influence.
AS second element of success Paul
possessed zeal for the truth-a living de-
sire to know the truth and support it.
Early in life he learned to recognize truth
as a great principle that should underlie
all rules of action, should measure the
standard of rights. With this conception
of truth he sought it in the laws of Moses,
the traditions of the Pharisees, the philos-
ophY of the Greeks and the voice of ma
ture. For time he thought to find it in
the teachings of Moses and the Prophets.
With his zeal for its support he was ready
to attack everything that seemed to OPP
pose it. But while he was always ready
to oppose error ne was not blind to the
perception of truth. AS he stood by the