Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-02-29
A WINNING WAY.

A WINNING WAY.
The apostle Paul was gentleman
and scholar. His speeches and letters
show that. While he was at Athens
his spirit was provoked within HIM, as
he behe,d the city full of idols" But
when, i'll response to the citizens invi-
tation. he spoke to them on Mars Hill,
he did not suffer the natural irritation
of theist against idolaters to dictate
his words. On the contrary. re put
himself for the time in sympathy with
them, and began, as it reads in the
original:
''Ye men of Athens, in all things
perceive that We are somewhat relig-
ious."
The apostle was rs wise as he was
courteous. His knowledge of human
nature had taught him that he who
would convince man should begin by
finding some ground, common to both,
on which they could stand His sense
of the fitness of things, that is, his
courtesy, forbade him TO begin an arou-
ment by denouncing the faith and wor-
ship of the man he would lead to a
higher life. He is anxious to win him
for friend, therefore he will not make
him an antagonist.
In reading an English magazine, we
met with an anecdotc about a mission
airy in India, who seems to have been
influenced by the courteous spirit which
pervades the apostles address at
Athcns.a The anecdote is given in an
English Judges account of converse
ton he once held with a Brahmin, the
clerk of his court. The Judge, while
travelling on an elephant with his clerk
ventured TO talk with him on religion:
Il began by asking him what he
thought of Christianity-did he know
its doctrine and had he considered its
claims? The ordinary reply was given:
1t is good religion for Europeans,
just as Hinduism is a good rel gion for
myself.
Il asked: Have you ever heard a
padre preach?' oh, yes, but was only
once impressed by what / heard. Gen
orally the padres who come here do not
sufficiently know the language, and
speak to us through an interpreter.
How Little do they imagine what the
man says! Often he Just issues short
orders, as if repeating messages from
master to his servants such as THE
padre says you must pray every morn
ing and every evening"" The padre
says you must not tell les .'.But.
sahib, one day there came a very differ
ent padre. He was pale, and had a
broad black hat and beard, and wore
long coat which came down to his
knees, and he stood in our bazar and
spoke to us in our own language. Ishall
never forget what he preached. He
began: 81 was yesterday at R.
How very different the people there are
from you! The temples found in good
order, and there Were many doing pr
idh (worship), and every one habits re-
ligious marks on his forehead, and
seemed to think of his god and lead
religious life. But here, Look at the
temples they are out of repair and the
floors dirty, and the shrines neglected.
There are no woishipers, and YOU
seem to live as if there were no God and
no life but the present one. Can this be
rightP come to remind YOU that
there is God, and that He requires
from you worship, and bring you from
Him books that you may know what
you are to do TO lie good and happy and
have happiness in the life to come"
1--we all wondered as he spoke to us.
He said nothing against Vishnu, or
silva, or Luchmee, or any of the gods,
and nothing against the Brahmins, but
only that we must worship God and be
good and holy men and women.
as And he went on: ''Now you who
do pray? | expect you just kneel down
and say, Ram! Ram! Ram and 90 on
saying this and nothing more. Is that
praying?
''''' Suppose YOU had POOR crop,
or had wedding, and spent all you
had saved, and wanted the zemindar
Qandlord) to take OF some of the rent,
would you go to him and just say:
'Babu! Babu! Babu!' and nothing
else. No! you would say: sBabu!
the crop has failed or Babu! i
have just married my daughter and
spent all my money! or Babu, am
so heavily in debt with the money-lend-
er that 1 can not just now pay my rent.
You are rich and generous and noble;
have pity on me and forgive me nv
rent this time. AMI will bless you
-" So when you kneel to God. saw
God of your sins, and say: oh, forgive
~ VI tSh INN VI your Wants, anu
say oh, grant me what Ineed:' or tell
Him of your troubles, and say: oh,
help and comfort me-
And then, looking seriously and
tearfully the Brahmin added: Yes,
sanib, l shall never forget that padre
do not know his name, or where he
came from, or where he went. but
should you ever. find him tell him 1
thank him, and that now never pray as
used 10 do, just uttering, without any
thought, the name of my God. but / tell
God of my sins, and my needs and my
sorrows, and ask for His pardon and
His help, and His blessing"
OF truth, this Brahmin clerk was
mot far from the Kingdom of Heav-
en-" His story suggests that he who
would teach a better way to another
should be sympathetic and not de-
mandatory, conciliatory and not bitter.
1t is the winning address that is effect