The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-12-17


The cruel nails tear through the tendons,
mutilate the muscles, crush the nerves.
Again the cross is slipped into its socket
and another human life is thrust from the
earth toward God. Again the wild shreks,
the taunts, the gbes. The pulse throbs
weaker; the heart beats feebler and
feebler; the earth dances and disappears
from the failing vision; Paul is dead
cruc fed. Little cares he for Roman
power, though Roman citizen; for jew
ish arguments, though Hebrew Of the
Hebrews. He is dead to all that. Raised
with Christ, he seeks those things that are
above, where Christ sitteth at the right
hand of God the Father. He is in Christ, a
new creature; old things are passed away;
all things have become new. He bears in
his body the marks Of the Lord Jesus. He
no longer lives, but Christ lives in him.
And he glories in the cross through which
he has been crucihed to the world. Said l
not rightly that Paul's glorying in the
cross was different, deeper. higher than
our thought of it, Do you glory in the
cross of Christ as Paul dids
Once again the mob gathers; once again
it pours through the gateway, along the
road Travelled all too many times by feet
bent on bloody work: once again the cross
is lowered, and the world is fastened to
it, and dies upon it, and tho cross, with its
double load of death, stands out in Paul's
thought. He is dead to the world, the
world is dead to him. Its arguments are
meaningless; its reasoning, fool shness; its
rewards, empty. Paul can not appeal to
the world; it is dead to him. The world
can not appeal to Paul; he is dead to 1t.
And he glories in the cross that slew him
| and it.
But what is the world to which Paul died,
and which died to Paul? II is not the or
der and beauty of the visible universe.
The earth is not the world. 'The earth is
the Lords and the fulness thereof" "The
| Prince Of this worldn is not the Lord of
this earth. Christ was fully alive to the
to the earth. 1t was Gods foot-stool,
Christ's cradle home and tomb for thirty
| three years. He loved it as n good crea-
ture of God; considered the lilies in their
beauty, beheld the birds in their busy life,
walked through its grain-Helds, and slept
1
its mountain tops. But when the "Prince
of this world" came, he found nothing in
Christ.
We use the word "stage" in something
the same way; meaning first a floor or
platform for scenic performances, then the
theater, then the dramatic profession, the
drama as acted. So there are many stages;
comic, tragic, operate, upon the same
stage. Thus the world means the earth
and its inhabitants, then a small section of
the, earth and its peoples;.as the new
world, the old world, the Roman, Greek,
Hebrew world Then the general affairs OF
life, the customs aud practices OF society.
Cbrjst's, kingdom was not of this world.
The world did not give, can not take away
the peace Of God. Christians are to be in,
though not Of this world. There are many
worlds on this earth--business, social, po.
litical, wo Ids of art, science, pleasure
Some men live in two worlds; In the bust
ness world days, in the social world even
ings, In the political world, and in thI
world Of pleasure. Others live in but one
world, and are dead to all other worlds
Some live in the business world only, and
know OF no others; some, in the world OF
pleasure simply. Each world has its OWL
laws and customs, prescribes the cut Of
clothes TO be worn, the hours sacred to It,
self. There are different ideas of morality
In these different worlds. The political
world tolerates many things forbidden in
business. The Social world demands many
I things not allowed In other worlds. In
passing from one of these worlds TO an.
other a man dies to the old in living TO the
new. The old customs and laws are nc
no more binding on him, the old rewards
no longer please him.
What was Paul's worldY 1t was neither
business, political, sensual, nor social; bu
religious, He was pre-eminently religious
before his Apnversion. He was not called
like Matthew from receipt Of custom; ht
did not coheto HIMSELF in ffar country
like thebrodigal. 6amafid was teacher
of religion. Saul's journey to Damascus
n l. was religious pilgrimage. His world wal
alreligious world; he was Hebrew Of thu
Hebrews; as touching the law, Pharisee;
touching the righteousness which is in the
law blainaess; OF the stock Of IsraeL d
the tribe of Benjanin; a member of a
, spiritlal htistoeraey, as pond Of his an.
, cestry and blood as any in Boston to-day
Yet that world. with its laws, customs
prides and rewards was cruciled to him
and he to it on the cross.
i Paul lived In Roman world too; was Q
free-borp citizen Of a grand world power
tho glory of its leglons was his; the pride
: of its victories his. Doubtless he NIGH
/, haye stood high In the Roman world, II We
: may judge OF his power by his organiza
, ton and management Of the churches, but
this Roman world vas cruclhed to him
and he 10 it. He slept in pr sons he ish
have avoidedj Travelled as prisoner, wher
: he might have journeyed as a gentleman
= died by the sword he might have welded
because he ,gloried in the cross Of Christ
a Saul lived in a world Of culture. Paul pu
! philosophy, poetry, eloquence far from
himself determined TO know pothini
among men save Jesus Christ and Hin
, cruGifed. He did not coma to mon will
excellency of speech, or with human wis
dom, but preaching Christ. He was deaf
!, to the throefold' world of the Hebrew, tht
Roman, the scholar, and II was dead y
him. He denied allegiance to its laws
| conformity to its customs, the value OF IL