Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-10-09

VI tue lI,m,tive Shurcn III tuo csucauotsvn
OF its doctrine and practices.
Hfs xr.oQuRSr pEyxScx.
His report OF the defence OF Stephen
before the Sanhedrin surpasses in elo-
Quence and invective Cicero's Grafton
against Catiline. stephen was dragged
before the High Court for heresy. Luke
nays his face shone a. that OF an angel.
] 10 not suppose this radiance WAS OF d.
vine origin. Enthusiasm and eloquenco
do shed . sort Of halo about the face.
II seems the burning fame within the
brain flashes out through the eyes and
spreads over the entire face. have seen
something of this. All really great ora
tors have Ii in eome measure at times. The
result Of this grand Grafton ending in burn
ing invective was such that the mob
stopped their tell.tale ears and rushed
upon the holy man and dragged him into
the street and beat out his brains. Luke
says these rufians laid their clothes at the
feet OF Young man named Saul" u
shows what regard Luke had for the truth
Of history to record this disgraccfui act Of
hts friend aud patient Those who con-
tend for the verbal" inspiration Of the
Scripture might say that they were
not Luke's burning words. Why. then,
are they superior to the words OF Matthew
The Divine fingers were on the cords OF
the finest instrument. hence tho sweeter
melody. But for Luke We would have
never hoard Of the parable OF the Lost
Sheep, the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal
Son, Paul on Mars Hill, the history OF
John. AnAnias and Sapphirs. Cornelius, OF
the Centurion; Peter from PRISON, and
Rhoda at. the Gate. and greater than all
the Wonders Of Pemecosf. WtAt an incalcu-
liable loss would these have been to the
worldl
pocToR's INSTINCT.
In the healing Of Jarius's daughter,
twelve years old, Luke says Jesus COM
manded so soon es she was healed that she
be fed. This ia important. but was not
mentioned by the other evangelist. FROM
Luke's account he first met Paul ut 1roas:.
II seemed Luke lived here at this time and
subsequently. He accompanied Paul aud
Silas TO Philippl and used the pronoun
I'VE" in giving. the account. What DC;
came Of him IN the neee at Phiilippi
can't well imagine. Possibly being doc
tor saved him as it did some OF you IN the
late war. Luke returned 10 Troas and
there remained until Paul called again
on his way to Jerusalem. Here again ne
takes up the pronoun VIC" lie never
mentions his own name. What a subject
for q painter is Luke's description OF the
parting of Paul with the elders OF the
Church Of Ephesus who had come down
20 the historic seashore to bid him farewell.
A man must be hard-hearted, indeed, VINO
can read IL when alone with dry eyes.
| can't refrain from quoting Luke's report
of the address: " have coveted no man
silver or gold or apparel" and turning up
his hard and wax-stslned palms u ms
audiencri he continued, these hhnus, ye
yourselves know, have minlstered TO my
necessities and to them that were with
me. | have showed YOU all thiags, now
that 50 laboring you ought 70 support tne
weak Therefore watch and remember Dy
the space of three years have ceased not
10 warn every ono night and day with
tears. And when he had thus spoken he
aneeled down and prayed with them all.
and they all wept sore and fell on faui .
neck and kissed him. sOrrowing most OF
all for the words that thew should see his
face no more" Could anything be more
simple. natural, and tragic.
In Luke's account OF PauPs trial before
Festus We have glimpse OF the great MILL
tary power of Rome. There must have
been a garrison of $4,000 in Jerusalem ut
that time judging from tho number Of
Psul's guard. Svslas seems to have taken
great care of Pauls safety. Though sent
out of the city at 8 o'clock at night he h'.d
for guard 4UJ infantry and seventy cav
airy. Our infantry companies ave
rage about forty men for duty and this We
would consider strong guard Tor ally ono
man.
TRE ACCURATE HISTORIAN.
The more critically Lukes account IS
examined the more fully does Il bear the
marks OF truth and accuracy. From the
frequent use of nautical phrases III the
Acts" he either had lived Tor some tine
at n seaport town (perhaps Irasl. o. he
L.. Of m UaftHrg in
his long-delayed journey from Aura
mvthium 10 Putioli. l had the pleasure
many years ago Of going over part vi tins
iourney described by Luke. tie says they
landed at Putloli and found brethren and
tarrled with them three DAYS. IAis small
town still bears the same name anu Is very
interesting To geologlsts from the TACT thi:t
Il has been several times subject 10 vol
csnic action. Almost the whole towE that
lies on fat close to the waters edge. was
at one time submerged and remained I'M
der water for perhaps a century. 80 that
marine shells grew Oh or attached them
selves 10 the marble columns OF some Of
the temples. Another upheayel came and
these columns arc now ton feet above the
water and retain the shells high up and COM
pietely encircllng the columns.
Luke brings out IN his account an
other historical TACT IN this voyage 10
Rome. showing the strict discipline
Of Roman soidlery. Tho law was ana
j. now that d soldier ls justified II
killing a prisoner who attempts TO
escape. But III tins case no attempt he'd
been made to escape. Two hundred and
sryenty-six souls had been IN jeopardy OF
their lives for fourteen days. They had
not IN that time taken one regular n, al or
seen the sun or stars. When the snip got
aground and was about TO GO To pieces
and there yet seemed some hope that the
passengers might escape o watery grave,
but. horrible 10 relate, the soldiers had
determined 10 kill all the prisoners, and
tins would have been done tut that the
centurion was anxious to save Paul. One
would have thought that the common
sufferinCs to winch this whole company
had been exposed, crowded together upon
this small ship, would have excited some
feeling of pity for their fellow passengers.
The IDEA of these soldiers plunglng their
broad swords into the breasts or these
poor half-drowned men struggling In the
engulfing pillows is too horrible for con-
temptation. But to return TO Luke aud
his company at Putioli.
LUXE AT PUTIoLI.
If we remember what Rome was In the
time of Augustus, We may we'll imagine
some of the incidents and emotions of
this little company. one IN heavy chains,
as they journeyed along thegreat "Aplan
wav" towards the capital OF the world.
The Campania was lined on either hand
with splendid marble villas. 1t was the
great thoroughfare from the East. Here
emperors aud kings IN chains. captvcs by
thousands and hundreds of thousands,
gladiators and wild beasts for the Coliseum.
and merchants and tradesmen without
numbers bad travelled. 1 was anxious TO
find the hreeiI averns," where Luke says
the brethren from Rome came TO meet
Paul and where he" thanked God and took
courage" on exclamation that has thrilled
thousands of respondent spirits; but
no trace Of 1t remains. 1t was
forty or fifty miles from Rome
Neither Luke nor his companions had ever
seen this great capital Of the world. but
they had felt her power in their distant
homes As they drew near the city they saw
doubtless. with glowing surprise. on either
hand magnificent mausoleums. one OF mar
bic now remaining. grander than our State
Capitol. God was unknown III tins great
city. 1t was wholly gwen to debauchery
and idola,ry. The Salvation Army to-day
is far better and more widely known than
was Paurs Gospel. How gloomy must
Luke and his friend have felt as they now
enter the city and pass on tho left hand
the towering palace OF the CAESARS and on
the right the Coliseum with its thousand
marble columns glistening in the sun.
How closely must these two men have