The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-12-22
A WORLDLY FALL.
Dr.. Talmage Discourses on the
Conversion of Paul
The Spiritual Uplifting That Sometimes
Follows Worldly Debasement-Per-
secutions Overcome by ths
Grace of God.

During a rate lecturing tour through
the south Rev. T. De Witt Talmage
preached to great throng at Birming-
ham. Ala His subject was I'm
horsed. and the text chosen was from
Acts tx. 3-5: And as he journeyed he
came near Damascus; and suddenly
there shined round about him light
from Heaven: and he fell to the earth,
and heard a voice saying unto him,
Saul. Saul, why persecutest thou me?
And he said. who art thou. Lord? And
the Lord said: l am Jesus, whom thou
perseeutest- DR.. Tslmage said:
The Damascus of Bible times still
stands. with a population of 1S5, 900. 1t
was a CAV city of white and clustering
architecture. its minarets and crescents
and domes playing with the light of
the morning sun: embowered in groves
of olive. and citron. and orange, and
pomegranate: famoss river plunging
its brightness into the scene: a city by
the aneients styleda pearl surrounded
by emeralds."
\ group Of horsemen are advancing
upon that city. Let this Christians OF
the place hide. for that cavalcade COM
ing over the hills is made up of perse-
cutors: their leader small and uuat-
tractiye in some respects. as leaders
sometimes are insignificant in person;
witness the Duke OF Wellington and
Dr. Archibald Alexander. But there is
something very intent in the eve of this
man OF the text. and the horse he rides
Is lathered with the foam Of long aud
quick travel OF 155 miles. He urges on
his steed. for those Christians must be
captured and silenced. and that relig-
ion Of the cross must he annihilated
Suddenly the no ses shy off-and plunge
until the riders are precipitated- Freed
from the riders. the horses bound snort
ing away. You know that dumb ami
mails, at the sight Of an eclipse, or an
earthquake. or anything like super
natural appearance, sometimes become
very uncomfortable y new sun had
been kindled in the heavens, put
ting out the glare OF the ordina-
ry sun Christ. with the glories OF
Heaven wrapped about him. looked out
from a cloud and the splendor was in
sufferable, and no wonder the horses
sprang and the eQuestrians dropped.
Dust-covered and bruised. Saul at
tempts to get up. shading his eyes with
his hands from the severe luster Of the
heavens. but unsuccessfully. for he Is
struck stone blind as he cries out:
''Who art Thou. LOrd?" and Jesus an
swered him: 4 am the one YOU have
been chasing. He that whips and
scourges those Damascene Christians
whips and scourges Ne It is not their
back that is bleeding: it Is Mine 1t is
not their heart that is breaking: it Is
Nine am Jesus whom thou perse-
cutest-"
From that wild, exciting and over
whelming scene there rises up the
greatest preacher of all the ages-Paul-
in whose behalf prisons were rocked
down. before whom soldiers turned
pale. into whose hand Mediterranean
sea captains put control of their ship
wrecking craft. and whose epistles are
the avant courier of resurrection day.
L learn from this scene that a worldly
fall sometimes precedes a spiritual up
lifting. \ man does not get much sym
pathv by falling of a horse. People
say he ought not to have gotten into
the saddle If he could not ride. Those
of Us who were brought up in the
country remember well how the work
men laughed when. on our way back
from the brook. we suddenly lost our
ride When in grand review gener-
al toppled from the stirrups it became
a national merriment. Here is Paul
on horse back-a proud man. riding on
with government documents in his
pocket. a graduate OF a most famous
school in which the celebrated DR..
Gamaliel had been a professor, per
haps having already attained two of
the three titles Of the school-Rab. the
first: Rabbi. the second; and on his
way to Rabbak- the third and highest
title I know from his temperament
that his horse was ahead Of the
other horses But without time to think
OF what posture he should take, or
without consideration for his dignity,
he Is tumbled into the dust. And vet
that was the best ride Paul ever took
Out Of that violent fall he arose into
the apoStleship. 80 II has been IN all
ages. and 50 il Is now.
You will never be worth much for
God and the church until you lose your
fortune OF have Your reputation upset
or in some way. somehow. are thrown
and Inundated Joseph finds his path
TO the Egyptian court through the pit
into which his brothers threw him
Daniel would never have walked amidst
the brouzed lions that adorned the
Babylonish throne Il he had not
first walked amidst the real lions
of the cave And Paul marshals all
the generations 81 Christendom by fall
ing fat or his face On the road TO
Damascus Men who have been al
WAYS prospered NAV be efficient ser
wants OF the world but viii be OF no
advantage 10 Christ You may ride
majesticaIlv seated OF your charger
rein IN hand foot IN stirrup. but you
VIII never be worth anything spiritual
II until YOU fall of. They who gradu-
ate from the school Of Christ with the
highest honors have on their diploma
the seal OF Z lion : muddy paw, or the
plash Of an angry wave or the drop OF
a stray tear. or the brown scoreh OF a
prosecuting FIRE In nine hundred and
ninetv-nine cases out OF a thousand
there : 10 moral or spiritual elevation
until there has been thorough world
y upsetting-
Again, learn from the subject that
the religion of Christ Is not a pusillau-
imOus thing. People in this day try TO
make rs believe that Christianity Is
something for men of small caliber. for
women with no capacity TO reason, for