The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1893-12-14
Xsossr, s@s sad sewa,sSs .,.nOl.Gs .a,iya I'll

derisive. indignation at Christianity only
little while before he became Christian.
"Out OF my house." said q father TO his
daughter, ''if you will keep praying" Yet
before many months passed the father knelt
ut the same altar with the child. And the
Lord Jesus Christ Is willing to look out from
heaven upon that derisive opponent Of ths
Christian religion and ADDRESS him, not il
glittering generalities. but calling him by
name: 'John! George Henry Saul,
Saul. why persecutest thou Me-
Again, learn from this subject that there
Is hope for the worst offenders. Ii was par
ticularly outrageous that Saul should have
gone to Damascus ON that errand. Jesus
Christ had been dead only three years. and
the story OF his kindness and his generosity,
and his love filed all the air. 1t was not an
old story. as It is now. II was Ia new story.
Jesus had only three summers ago been III
these very places. and Saul every day in
Jerusalem must have met people who knew
Christ, people with good eyesiSht whom
Jesus had cured Of blindness, people who
had been dead and who had been resurrected
by the Savior. and the people who could tell
Paul all the particulars OF the cruciiixion-
Just how Jesus looked in the last hour. just
how the heavens grew black in the face at
the torture.
He heard that recited every day by people
who were acquainted with all the circum-
stances and yet in the fresh memory of that
scene he goes 10 persecute Christ's disciples,
inpatient AT the time II takes to feed the
horses ut ths inn, not pulling at the snaiiie,
| but riding with loose rein faster and faster.
oh, he was the chief OF sinners No outbreak
Of modesty when he said that. He was a
/ murderer. He stood by when stephen died
| and helped In the execution OF that good
! man.
! When the rabble wanted to be unimpeded
/ in thei. work OF destroying stephen and
wanted to take of their coats, but did not
! dare to lay them down lest they be stolen,
| Paul said, "rll take care OF the coats, and
! they put them down at the feet OF Paul, and
| he watched the coats, and he watched the
horrid mangling of glorious stephen. Is 1t
q wonder that when he fell from the horse he
/ did not break his neck-that his foot did not
catch somewhere in the trappings Of the
saddle, and ho was not dragged and kicked
TO DEATH He deserved TO die miserably,
| wretchsdly and forever. Notwithstanding all
hts metaphysics, and his eloquence, and his
logic.
He was the chief OF sinners. He said what
WAS true when he said that. And ye: the
grace OF God saved him, and so It will you.
| II there Is any man In this house who thinks
he is too bad TO be saved and says, Il have
wandered very grievously from God I do
not believe there is any hope for me, tell
you the story OF this man In the text who was
brought 10 Jesus Christ in spite Of his sins
and opposition. There may be some here
who are AS stoutly opposed to Christ as Paul
was. There may be some here who are cap
tive OF their sins as much so as the young
man who said in regard to his dissipnting
habits; II will keep on with them. know
l am breaking my mothers heart, and
know am killing myself, and know that
when die shall go to he'll. but II Is now
too late TO stop"
The steed on which you ride may be
swiiter and stronger and higher mettled than
that on which the Cilician prosecutor rode.
but Christ can catch It by the bride and hurl
IL back and hurl II down. There Is mercy
for you who say you are too bad to be saved
You say you have put of the matter so long
Paul had neglected II u great while. You
say that the sin you have committed has
been among the most aggravating clrcum
stances that was so with Pauls.
You say you have ex x,sperated Christ ans
coaxed your own ruin 80 did Pau. AnC
yet hs sits to-day on one OF the highest o
the heavenly thrones, ami there is mere,
for you, and good days for you, and glad
ness for you, II you will only take the sam'
Christ which first threw him down and ther
raised him up. II seems to me as II cai
sea Paul to-day rising up from the highway
10 Damascus, and brushing on the dust from
J his cloak, and wiping the sweat OF excite
ssent from his brow. rs he turns TO US ant