The herald., 1896-04-13
Prot. W. c. wilkinson

In consideration of the prominence
Of the speaker, the meeting at the Young
Mems Christian association yesterday
afternoon was thrown open to both lad
les and gentlemen. Prof. w. c. Will
kinson of Chicago university, mem
Der Of the Chautauqua council and one
of it's originators. and also the author
of many of the books in the Chautauqua
course, gave the address, speaking from
the text, Paul Servant of Jesus Christ.
In part the gentleman spoke as follows:
Il suppose that if I should declare
this to be the most remarkable group of
words ever written, great many would
disagree with me, and yet deem them
such. This opening of famous literary
work is by Paul, Jew of the highest
birth, of the most cultured refinement.
of the highest education and social
position and of the most lordly charac-
ter. 1 doubt if a man has ever walked
this globe more imperious and cul-
tured
And who was Jesus Christ? He was
a man of lowly birth, of no social stand
ing. meek and lowly. a man who was
looked down upon and who died the
shameful death of the cross.
Now. for such man as Paul, before
whom Napoleon Bonaparte would have
quailed to write himself servant, a
bond slave of Jesus Christ, raises the
question how could he do it? He had
hated, despised. prosecuted Christ had
devoted his whole power to extingush
his name from the earth. A man of ten
der heart and often moved to tears. and
yet so hating Jesus that he was in this
work of bloody persecution. Yet while
on his way to Damascus this lordly and
hating man suddenly, in the twinkling
of an eye. becomes bond-slave of
to do, to be what he wants him to be.
Now. put before you this problem
for solution: How could such a man
as Paul be willing to become the bond
slave of Jesus Christ? There is an easy
way to account for it, but no difficult
way, and the easy and natural way is
that Jesus Christ, assembled to heaven,
in the sudden great light of his glory
snote down Paul and broke his will so
that he became his servant
II should select the apostle Paul as
the most noble and faithful of all men,
He was scourged, stoned, beaten with
Roman rods, thrust into a Roman dun
geon, and yet this man of sensitive tenn
permanent. in the Roman prison, dark
and foul, his feet in the stocks, his back
raw from the scourging of the Roman
rods, at midnight, in the darkness of his
cell, and despite his sufferings, sang
praises to God. That faithfulness and
nobility Immediately puts Paul far in
advance of the great leaders of this
ferings in silence, but sang praises and
glorified God.
II wish to present to you this after
noon Jesus Christ as lord and master,
TO present him who said, why call ye
me Lord, ord, and do not the things
which 1 say?' For him to be your mas
ter in every sense of the word is to bow
the will and say I will obey This is
what is called conversion. When you
have done this the next thing is life
long obedience in detail, which means
the doing of things Jesus has COM
manded. We find his commands in the
Bible There is no other book so full
of verbs in the imperative mood.
"A great many of you read the Bible
for profit, but do not make it manual
of profit / remember once, when sick
and depressed, the command "Be of
good cheer came to my mind. had Of
ten read 1t but not as a command. but
took it that day as such and with such
success that friend delared that he did
| not consider me sick.
II do not think ever go by saloon
without thinking of the precept, Abhor
that which is evil This is command
| and shows the applicability of this book
as a manual of obedience.
Here is precept for the careworn,
Let the peace of God rule in your
heart When things do not go right,
and you begin to fret, let this command
come into your heart.
almost all faults we commit are
with our tongue. We are hidden by our
Lord to keep the door of our lips. and
when we do not do that we do not obey
Jesus Christ.
Now, I have preached to you what
everybody needs and nobody wants;
that is, master. Without a master
you are like locomotive without a
driver, free to run wild and jump the
track, when freedom is lost. Every
souls true freedom is in running on the
track laid by Jesus Christ.
Christ said, I will show you the truth
and the truth shall make you free