Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-08

say this city of Damascus, as Isee ienow, is not
as absorbing the Damascus of, olden times.
/ turn my back upon the ba2aars, with rugs
fascinating the merchants froms Bagdad. and
the Indian textile fabric of Incompatible
make, and see Damascus as it was when this
narrow street, which the Bible calls Straight,
was great vide street. New ork Broadway,
or Partisan Champs Elysees, crossing the city
from gate to gate, along which tramped and
rolled the pomp of all nations. There goes
Abraham. the father of all the faithful He
has in this city been purchasing a celebrated
slave. There goes Ben Hadad of Bible times
leading 81 conquered monarchs. There goes
David, king. warrior and sacred poet. There
goes Haroun al Rlschid once the commander
OF an army of 80 600 Persians and Arabs. There
comes a warrior on his way to The barracks,
carrying that kind of sword which the world
has forgotten how to make. 4 Damascus hlade.
But what most stirs my soul is neither char
lot nor caravan nor bazaar, nor place, but a
blind man passing along the street, small OF
stature and Insignificant in personal appear
ance.
Saul Seeking Further Light.
He was one of that cavalcade coming from
Jei usalem to Damascus to kill Christians Yes,
it is Saul of Tarsus now going along this street
called Straight. He is led by his friends for
he cannot see his hand before his face. unto
the house of Judas; not Judas the bad, but
Judas the good. II another part of this city
one Ananias, not Ananias the liar, but Ananias
the Christian, is told by the Lord to go to this
hands on the blind eyes of Saul that his sight
nigh return. "Oh." said Ananias, Il dare not
go; that Saul is a terrible fellow. he kills
Christians, and he will kill me" Go" said
the Lord. and Ananias went.
There sits in blindness that tremendous per-
secutor. He was 4 great nature crushed.
He had started for the city Of Damascus
for the one purpose of assassinating
Christ's followers, but since that fall from
his horse he has entirely changed. Ana
MAS steps up to the sightless man, puts his
hmm p1 lQ lQ
other eye, and in an Outburst of sympathy and
love, and faith says: Brother SAUL Brother
Saul! the Lord. even Jesus that appeared unto
thee in the way as thou camest, has sent me
that thou mayst receive thy sight. and be filled
with the Holy Ghost" Instantly something
like scales fell from the blind mans eyes, and
ha arose from that seat the mightiest evangel
OF ali ages.
Scales Falling From His Eyes.
There are many people in this house to-day
as blind as Paul was before Ananias touched
his eyes. And there are many here from whose
eyes the scales have already fallen. You see
all subjects and all things differently-God and
Christ and eternity and your own immortal
spirit. Sometimes the scales do not all fall at
once.
When / was a boy at Mount Pleasant, one
Sunday afternoon reading "Doddridge's Rise
and Progress of Religion in the Soul." that
afternoon some of the scales fell from my
eJes and saw little After had been in
the ministry about year, one Sunday after
noon in the village parsonage reading the
Bible story of the Supplementary faith. other
scales fell from my eyes and saw better.
Two Sunday evenings ago, while preparing for
the evening service in New York, picked up q
book that did not remember to have seen be-
fore, and after had read page about recon-
sccration 10 God / think the remaining scales
fell from my eyes Shall not our visit to Da-
mascus to-day result. like Pauls visit i'll vision
to the blind, ana increased vision for those who
saw somewhat before.
To each one of this vast multitude of auditors
l say as Ananias did to Saul of Tarsus when
his sympathetic fingers touched the closed
eyelids: brother Saul! Brother Saul! the Lord.
even Jesus that appeared unto thee in the way
that thou camest, hast sent me that thou
mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with
the holy Ghost"'