Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-02-09
PAUL
His Unconscious Preparation for
His Great Work.
The Second Of a Series Of Sermons On the
Great Apostle, Preached by Rev.
Dr.. Cunningham Last
Night.

Follovinp Is the second Of Rev. Dr.. d.
A. Cunuinpham's series Of sermons on the
ApostIe Paul Ii was delivered last night
st,he First Presbyterian Church to large
and attentive congregation:
TEXT:
Tph- s-yiii ssUnio ne, Who an less than tie
nah anl0ns the GsnIiles the ansearehAee rlsses
| II urls.7
Unto me Who sm less than the least OF
| all saints" This Is one Of the class OF ex-
/ uessions peculiar to Paul The ordinary
terms of language do not express the idea
| 9bich be wishes 10 convey, and word Is
tbtIefore coined 10 convey an idea more
suphatiealIy. The Greek word here used,
ects roi occur elsewhere in the New les
:anenE 1t is comparative made IRON
he speculative Similar expressions are
| .cund, however, in later Greek writer's The
word means here, who am ineomParably
The least Of all the saints; or who am not
worthy to be reckoned among the saints
II IS expressive OF the deep sense which he
had of The sinfulness Of his past life; OF his
gull in persecuting the Church and Saviour;
and perhaps of his sense Of his low attain
ments in piety. He gives expression to
this thought in his first ePistle to the Co
rinihiAns:
"FoR AN The LEAST or TIE APOSTLES,
that am not meet to be called an apostle,
because prosecuted the Church of God.
| Il Cor. Is: 81 Paul never could forget
,he guilt of his former hfe-never forget the
time when be was engaged in prosecuting
the Church of God.
Persons whose conversion takes place
after they are grown up, are likely to look
back upon the period of their life which has
preceded this event with sorrow and shame,
] and 70 wish that an obsiterating hand might
blot the record of it out of existence. Paul
felt this sentiment strongly; to the end Of
his DAYS he was haunted by the spzctres OF
his lost years, and was accustomed to say
that he was the least of all the apostles, who
was not worthy to be called an apostle, be
cause he had prosecuted the Church of God.
But these sombre sentiments are only par
risllE iustifable. Gods purposes are very
deep and even in those who know Him not,
He nav be sowing seeds which viii only
riren and bear their fruit, long Gfier their
goddess career is over. Paul would
YEvER HAVE BEEN The NAN He BECAME,
or have done the work he did, if he had
not in the years preceding his con-
version gone through q course of prspa-
ra ion designed to fit him for his subse-
quent career. He knew not what he was
icing prepared for; his own intentions
about his future were different from Gods;
but there is q divinity which shapes our
ends, and it was making hIn a polished
shaft Tor Gods culver, though he knew it
not.
wish now TO speak of some of the uucou.
scious influences which we're preparing Paul
for his future work l. The time and place
Of bis birth might be mentioned. The date
Of PauTs birth is not exactly known, but it
can be settled with closeness Of approx
nation which is sufficient for practical pur-
POSES. When in the year 80 A. d., those
aho stoned Stephen laid down their clothes
At Paurs feet he was young man. The
calculations lead Us to the conclusion that
be was born the same time as Jesus. When
THE BOY JESUS
vas playing in TIE street of Nazareth, the
boy Paul was play ng in The streets Of his
native town, away On the other side OF the
rides of Lebanon. They seemed likely to
SaTe totally diverse careers. Yet BY the
mysterious arrangement Of proyi'
dence these two lives, like
streams flowing from opposite
watersheds, were one day, as rivers and
tributaries to mingle together.
Tie place of his birth was Yarsus, the
capital Of the province Of Cilicia, in the
southeast of Asia Minor 1t stood q few
miles from the coast in the midst OF q fer
rile plain. and was built upon both banks OF
tie river Cydnus, which descended to ii
from the neighboring Ysrsus mountains.
The inhabitants OF the city were numerous
and wealthy. The majority Of them we're
native Cilicians, but the wealthiest mer-
chants were Greeks The province was
under the sway Of the Romans, the signs of
whose sovereignty could not be absent from
the capital, although Yarsus itself enjoy ID
the privilege of seltgovernment. The
number and variety Of the inhabitants were
still further increased by the fact that
Yarsus was not only centre Of comm srce,
but also seat of learning II was one OF
the three principal university cities Of the
periCd, the other two being Athens and
Alexandria; and it was said to surpsss lis
nyals in intellectual eminence. Students
rom many countries were seen in
IS streets, a sight which could not
but awaken thoughts in youthful
minds about the value and aims Of learning,
Who does not see how fit place this was
or tie apostle OF the Gentiles to be born in
As he grew up be was being, unaEares, pre-.
OAR, to encounter men OF every class and
rscp, 10 sympathize with human nature in
al lie varieties, and TO look with tolerance
upon the most diverse habits and customs.
In sitter life be vas always lover of cities.
! Whereas bis Master
AVOIDED JERUSALEM
and loved to teach on the mountain side or
Tie shore of the lake, Paul was continually
moving from one great city TO another.
Antioch, Ephesus, Athens Corintb, Rome,
The capitals of the ancient world, were the
scenes Of his activity. The words of Jesus
are redolent of the country and TEEN with
pictures of its quiet beauty or homely toll
the lilies Of the field, the sheep following
the shepherd, the sower In the furrow, the
fishermen drawing their nets But the Ian
guage of Paul is saturated with the atmos-
phere of the city and alive with the tramp
and hurry Of the streets. His imagery is
borrowed from scenes Of human energy aud
monuments Of civilized Efe-the soldier in
full armor, the athlete in the arena,
the building Of houses ana temples, the
triumphal procession Of the victorious gen.
eral So lasting are the associations Of the
boy in the life of the man.
Paurs father vas one of those numerous
Jews, who we're scattered in that age over
the cities of the Gentle world, engaged In
trade and commerce Of his mother we
hear absolutely nothing, but everything
seems to indicate that the home in which be
was brought up was one of those out of
which nearly all eminent religious teachers
have sprung g home of piety. of character.