The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-12-27

in the dust, with the cry, "Unclean. un-
clean "a bewailing Of the soul, like David
from the belly OF hell-a going down in the
dust until Christ shall by His grace lift us up
as He lifted Paul. Oh, proud hearted
hearer, you must get off that horse. May
light from the throne of God brighter than
the sun throw you! Come down into the
dust and cry for pardon and life and heaven.
AGAIN, I learn from this scene OF the text
that the grace OF God can overcome the per-
secutor. Christ and Paul were boys at the
same time in different villages, and Paurs
antipathy to Christ was increasing. He
hated everything about Christ. He was 60
ing down then with writs in his pockets to
have Christ's disciples arrested. He was not
going as sheriff goes to arrest man against
whom he had no spite, but Paul was going
down to arrest those people because he was
glad to arrest them.
The Bible says, 'iHe breathed out slaugh-
ter" He wanted them captured, and ne
wanted them butchered. I hear the click,
and clash and clatter Of the hoofs OF the gal
Looping steeds on the way to Damascus. On,
do you think that proud man oa horseback
can ever become a Christian? Yes There
is a voice from heaven like thunderclap
uttering two words, the second word the
same as the first, but uttered with more en-
phasis, so that the proud equestrian may have
no doubt as to whom is meant saul Saul J!
That man was saved, and he was persscu-
tor, and so God can, by His grace, overcome
any prosecutor.
che days Of sword and fire for Christians
seem TO have gone by. The bayonets OF
Napoleon L pried open the "lnquisition"
and let tho rotting wretches out. The
ancient dungeons around Rome are to-day
mere curiosities for the travellers. The
Coliseum, where wild beasts used to suck
up the life of the martyrs while the emperor
watched and Lola Paulina sat with emerald
adornments worth GO, 900, 900 sesterces, clap
ing her hands as the Christians died under
the paw and the tooth OF the lion-that Col
iseum is O ruin now. The scene OF the
Smithfield fires is haymarket. The day OF
fire and sword for Christians seems 10 have
gone by. But has the day OF persecution
ceased2 No. Are you not caricatured for
your religion? In proportion as you try to
serve God and be faithful to Him, are you
not sometimes maltreated? .
That woman finds it hard to bea Christian
as her husband talks and jeers while she is
trying to say her prayers or read the Bible.
That daughter finds 1t hard to be Christian
with the whole family arrayed against her
father, mother, brother and sister making
her the target Of ridicule. That young man
finds It hard to be Christian in the shop or
factory or store when his comrades ieer at
him because he will not 60 to the gambling
hell or other places of inlquity.
Oh, no, the days of persecution have not
ceased and will not until the end OF the
world. But oh. you prosecuted ones, is 1t not
time that you began to pray for your perse-
cutors2 They are no prouder, no flercer, no
more set in their way than was this perse-
cutor Of the text. He fell. They willfa If
Christ from the heavens grandly and glori-
ously looks out on them. God can by His
grace make Renan believe in the divinity OF
Jesus and Tyndall in the worth OF prayer.
Robert Newton stamped the ships deck in
derisive Indignation at Christianity only
little while before he became Christian.
"Out of my house." said father to his
daughter, "if you will keep praying" Yet
before many months passed the father knelt
at the same altar with the child. And the
Lord Jesus Christ is willing to look out from
heaven upon that derisive opponent of the
Christian religion and address him, not in.
glittering generalities, but calling him by
name "John! George! Henry Saul,
Saul, why persecutest thou Me !"
Again, T learn from this subject that there
is hope for the worst offenders. It 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 filled all the air. 1t was not an
old story, as it is now. 1t was new story.
Jesus had only three summers ago been in
these very places, and Saul every day in
Jerusalem must have met peoplc who knew
Christ, people with good eyesight 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 crucifxion-
just how Jesus looked in thelast 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 to persecute Christ's disciples,
impatient at the time it takes to feed the
horses at thu inn. not pulling at the snafhe,
but riding with loose rein fastef and faster.
Oh. he was the chief OF sinners! No outbreak
OF modesty when he said that. He was q
murderer. He stood by when Stephen died
and helped in the execution Of that good
man.
When the rabble wanted to be unimpeded
in their work of destroying Stephen and
wanted to take off their coats, but did not
dare to lay them down lest they be stolen,
Paul said, "I'll 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 it
a 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 he was not dragged and kicked
to death? He deserved to die miserahly,
wretchedly and forever, Notwithstanding all
his metaphysics, and his eloquence, and his
logic.
He was the chief Of sinners. He said what
was true when he said that. Aud 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; do
not believe there is any hope for me-" tell
you the story Of this man in the text who was
brought to 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 dissipating
habits: 81 will keep on with them. I know
I am breaking my mothers heart, and ]
know l am killing myself, and I know that
when die shall so to he'll, but it is now
too late to stop
The steed on which you ride may be
swifter and stronger and higher mettled than
that on which the Cllician prosecutor rode,
but Christ can catch 1t by the bride and hurl
it back and hurl it 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 it 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 eXasperated Christ and
coaxed your own ruin ; so did Paul. And
yet he sits to-day on one OF the highest OF
the heavenly thrones, and there is mercy
for you, and good days for you, and glad.
ness for you, il you will only take the same