Smyrna times., 1893-12-13
Mr.. Weddings Saul of Tarsus.

The lecture of Hon. Geo. r. Vending,
of Illinois, before the Teachers Insti-
tute in this town Thursday evening,
Was masterful in thought and most
eloquent in utterance. It arose above
the conceptions of most people in its
scope of thought: while intending to
be literary in the popular sense of an
entertaining discourse, the speaker,
caught up as he was By the resplendant
character and wonderful endowments
of saul of Tarsus," glowed in thought
and blazed in Oratory from the very
intensity of his subject as the life of the
great apostle unraVelled itself before
him. He evidently intended to ap-
proach his subject from the opposite
side of that of the theologian-Paul as
one Of the master spirits in the worlds
great drama-but his hero was so filled
with the essence of christianity reflect
ing the image of His spirit while mental
ly equipped withthe highest scholarship
OF his age, that he found it impossible
to delineate his greatness without
throwing out on the canvas, so to
speak, his outlines as illuminated and
colored by the image of the Master
that had become enthroned within
him.
The platform, as the orator took up
and unfOlded his great subject, captured
the pulpit in the planting of seed
thoughts that must germinate aud
grow; and why shouldn't itP The
time has come, and with such orators
as Mr.. Vending is now here, when
the platform is the "John the Baptistn
TO prepare the way for the reception of
the full message of him who comes as
Christ's ambassador.
We cannot in this connection even
attempt an outline of the subject as
presented, in review of ancient his.
tory, sacred and prOfane, the remark.
able characteristics of the Hebrews:
Paul, in the period of his birth, near
that of Christ; his education under
Gamaliel, the learned consellor of law:
one Of the strictest of the sect of
Pharisees and member of the Sanhe-
drim,o ,one of the hercest of the pursecu.
tors OF the infant church, his vision
when on the way to Damascus and his
answer to the voice, sit is hard for thee
20 kick against the goad, ,"by saying.
Lord what wilt thou have me to do Pn
de did not ask as to the creed. or asso.
Citations, but what would he have him
to do; it was work, intense work that
characterized the life of Paul following
the three years spent in Arabia whittier
ne went to prepare for his life work
directly after his conversion.
He drew vivid picture OF the place
occupied in history by the descendants
OF Abraham, resisting atheism on the
one side and idol worship on the other:
with greater intellectual power, moral
virtue and tenacity of purpose-they
were the custodians of all there was of
Gods revealed will to man. Civilization
and art and learning had made wonder.
ful progress among the, Grecians Ro.
mans and other nations. They had in a
certain sense outgrown the idolatry of
their earlier periods and the whole
world seemed to be in expectancy of
some great event to take place that
would be momentous in its effect II
came In the birth of Christ-"the full
ness OF ume"foretold in the prophecies;
out the age, with its learning, did not
comprehend it.
Paul, as he was now known. was ,ho
one master spirit Of the educated men
Oi MS time TO fully espouse the Messiah
as tne one who was to redeem the
"Orld from sin. DE went into it with
spirit that wasindefatigabie; in bonds
IN stripes, In perils many, from city to
city he went until he was called over
INTO macedonia, thus carrying the
gospel into Europe, his life finally end
ing when an old naan, by the headman's
axe, ia Rome.
The speaker thought there had been
misconceptions as to the personality Of
Paul, quoting from his writings what
his enemies said Of him. He believed
him to have boen man of fine
presence, such as one would
turn second time TO look at;
OF great vigor or he eould not
have gone through what he did ana
with the intensity of devotion tha,
characterized bis nature In sa,.;.
ioftn tne new religion for the better. /
ment Of the race, he was one If tho
most eloquent mon that had ever lived
It was unfortunate, he said thst