Daily Republican., 1880-03-29
SECOND EDITION.
TIE CHRISTIAN SLAVE.
Rev. George II. KFamer's Lecture
ON ssPauI the siAve of Jesus
Chrfst.'s-A Good collection.

now de0rG0 kss hFhmof'o hBCthEo
ON sPaul the Slave of Jesus
Chriss."-A Good Collection.
At least thirteen hundred persons
heard the lecture delivered by Geo. +,
Kramer at the Opera House yesterday
afternoon. Rev. Samuel Kramer, Of
Washington, D. c., offered prayer
At the conclusion of the singing Of a
hymn. The collection which was
asked for the purpose Of aiding in the
erection of church for the Household
Of Faith amounted to one hundred and
one dollars and eighty-fve cents.
In his introductory remarks, tbs
lecturer said that Paul had declared
himself to be slave of Jesus Christ,
though there was in the term tho sug-
gestion of all the negation Of will, the
apostle found no tyranny in the ser.
vice Of such master as Jesus Christ.
Though to the caInal mind Pauls was
an object surrender to Christ, that was
freedom Of mind with which others
were not acquainted. His was an
eagles fight Of liberty, rotwithstand-
ing his slavery to his master. He is
called 6t. Paul because he deserved
the title, but he called hinsslf the
slave Of Christ and gloried in it. The
position Of St. Paul in the writings
Of the apostles is most prominent
one. He was the author of thirteen
OF the twenty seven books Of the New
Testament, and for his great achieve
ments in extended missionary Jour-
neys he may Justly be regarded as a
leyiathan in active christianity.
Paul flames before us not with his
own Light but with the reflected lustre
of his master, for we remember h. said:
''By the grace Of God 1 am what am. !"
The neon only as she receives and re-
fleets the light Of the great king of day
is enabled to walk the azure vaults,
the undisputsd empress of night. Ii
was Paul's master who gave him the
power to do, dare and conquer. Saul
Of Tsrsus, as he is described, was the
citizen Of no mean city. He was born
Esmid heather surroundings and abeut
the time Of Christ's birth in Judsa.
Though raised in Pagan capital and
Hellenistic Jew, Paul was Hebrew
Of the Hebrews. He grew up an Israel
itish boy, not contaminated by his sur
Foundings. He was Jew in culture,
nationality and faith, and when We
study his after life We have reason to
believe that his very dwelling in Pa
gan city made him cling all the closer
to the faith Of the fathers.
Though afterwards an apostle to the
Gentiles, Paul never forgot that the
Word came out of Zion to the chosen
race of which he was one. When the
pillows Of Paganism ca ne rolling upon
him they toRrd him firm az rock in
the Jewish faith. In his Jewish edu-
cation Paul selected the trade Of
tsnt;maker, and was then sent by hi
father to the holy city of Jerusalem to !
, be taught at the feet Of Gamalisl, a |
celebrated member of the Sandhedrim, |
who on one occasion by his counsel
saved the lives Of the apostles.
1t must have been with feelings Of
strange emotion that Paul entered the
Holy City for the first time While
there he heard the remarkable defsnses
Of Stephen and witnessed his stoning.
Paul received authority 10 visit Dana.
Gus and persecuts the Christians, but
on his way thither there suddenly
shone down upon him a light Of more
than fall m on brig tness, and a voice
was heard, saying, saul, Saul, why
persecutest thou me!" 81 am Jesus
whom thou perseoutest." Christ imme.
diately identified himself as Jesus, the
despised one. What a colossal proof
of the Christian belief this epiphany
afforded. 1t was no subjective vision.
Saul OF Tarsus saw Jesus Christ and
was smother witness of the resurrectei
Christ. He was laid hold of by Christ.
He was overcome on the battle field,
he was taken from the tents of dark.
ness, chained to the chariot wheels of
the Nazarene and led into Damascus a
slave. From that time Saul was one oil
most Jealous among thu master ser. |
wants.
The lecturer proceeded 10 dwell at
some length upon the three great mis- |
sionary Journeys made by Paul, and
many incidents in his eyentful career
We're described in an entertaining man
aer. This time of his martyrdom ia
said t. have occurred in May or June
in the year IS. Tradition SAYS no was
low of stature and man Of trouble.
He was faithful christian. He loved
companions and keenly appreciated
human sympathy. He was man of
deep Affection, and took the greatest
interest in his young converts. Hal
prayed for those who fors9ok him at
Rome. He was in the highest sense of
the word christian gentleman. Att
Athens and before Agrippa aud Fes-
tus We see him possesse,. Of the true
polish Of a gentleman He spoke not
with the wisdom of man, but with the
power of OF the spirit. The character of
st. Paul rises above us like a great
spiritual colossus. The shining star
is a proof that there is a God directing
it, and the Only way possible to account
Tor such q character as that of Paul is |
to believe in Christ. Such a spiritual
and divine character is of divine con-
struction. Its builder and maker is God
1t beams with divine etfulgsnce and
the Lamb is the light thereof.
The French Creek Branch.
Coal cars we're run over the French
Creek branch of the Wilmington &
Northern Railroad for the frst time on
Saturday. Workmen are ballastipg the
road bed as fast as possible, and as soon