The record-union., 1896-06-22
OF PAUL, THE PROSECUTOR.
Once Chief Of Sinners, He Was Taken
Unto the Lord.
A Sermon by Rev. Mr.. Hoskinson on
the Scene Before Da-
mascuS.

the Prosecutor" taking for his text:
saul, why persecutest thou me-"
"Who art thou, Lord?" I am
Jesus, whom thou persecutest." (Acts,
9:3-5)
Once, while student, said the
speaker, we spoke to a crowd or Chr1s-
tian workers ON this subject, but never
tried to preach on it before tonight.
God grant that we may get much profit
from the study
Paul. as prosecutor, started forth to
blot out the little church. 1t was but
little he then knew of its character. IL
thrives on persecution The blood OF
the martyrs has been the life OF the
church. Indifference and lukewarm-
ness have often put out its light and
killed it here and there, but persecution
never. ''They that were scattered
abroad preached the word
The light might be put out in one
place, but it would soon shine else
where, streaming out over the land like
the dome-lights of our Capitol building
over the Sacramento Valley by night
Jerusalem was the center and from
this they scattered by twoS and threes,
in upper rooms and private houses;
they clung together and told one an
other of their joy in the Holy Ghost
Damascus was 100 miles from Jeru
salem-a six days journey as they
travelled in those times. To-day this
city of Mohammedans is more than half
as large as San Francisco. 1t has been
called the "diadem of the DESERT" the
Paradise of earth; and Mohammed
refused to enter it for fear he would
become enchanted and forget his heav-
emily paradise
1t is a gay city-a charming spot. It's
white walls and buildings and domes
glisten in the morning sun; vast olive
groves and citrons. and oranges. and
pOmegranates are here, and a famous
river that sweeps by brightens the
scene. 1t is indeed a pearl surrounded
By emeralds.'
Hither the Christians had fled and
We're doing great work among the Jews
But they must look out now, for a
powerful enemy approaches with let
ters of authority to carry them all cap
tive back to Jerusalem. They had heard
that the wolf was coming nearer and
nearer, and they prayed to the Good
Shepherd TO protect them
Butstill he came, stopping not even
for a siesta during the midday from the
the long march through the hot desert,
but his own heart thirsts fer the blood
of those Christians
Suddenly new light breaks in on
them, and the MONDAY sun is dimmed.
a shock vibrates through the atmos-
phere and in a moment all the horse
men are fiat on the ground Horses
run madly away, and men are left there
q
the rest is for Paul.
He tries to get up, but finds he can
not. Neither can he see anything
he's stone-blind. He call out: who art
thou. Lord?" And the glorified Jesus
answers: II am the one you have been
chasing. He that whips and scourges
and kills those Christians whips and
scourges and kills me. If their backs
bleed, mine bleeds also. ! am Jesus.
whom thou art prosecuting"
1t was a Wild exciting. terrible scene
that was Witnessed that day before
Damascus, and from it sprang the
greatest preacher Of the ages-a light
to tighten the Gentiles.
This was indeed a fail and humiIia-
tion to Paul, but from that fail he
arose to true greatness and imperish-
able glory. The siege was cut very
short, and the proud leader brought
very low down to the dust of the road.
And yet Paul never took a better ride
dhan that. You may never be worth
much for God until you have been
thrown from your high horse.
Most men must have their regulations
upset, their fortunes turned to smoke
and ashes. before they become very use
1ul 10 God You must go down before
you can go up" Joseph found his path
Of life leading through a pit Daniels
led through the lions den-Paul's
through the dust Of that Damascus
read.
1t seems to be about the rule of life.
People who have all their lives
prOspered are of no use to God. While
they who graduate from the rough
school of humiliation before Christ. and
get on them "the seal of the lions
muddy paw, or the fash Of an angry
wave, or the drop Of stray
tear, or the brown scorch of a perse-
cutting fire." may stand before kings
and receive a crown Of glory. In the
majority Of cases moral and spiritual
growth come out of the ashes of all
the worlds props burned away.
From this event we learn that re-
ligion is no small matter Some people
ray it is childish-that it is for women
and children. and not for full-grown
men, Think now for a moment of this
man, and religion that made such
a vast change in him! Is there no
power in 1t, think you? Here was the
greatest scholar OF his century in logic
1r philosophy in history, in oratorv. in
poetry; he had a strength that could
swamp the greatest men of his dav. and
when hurled against the Sanhedrl1fn
made ii tremble Carlyle and Emerson
and Goethe were brilliant, but Paul's
writings surpassed them ALL Emmet
pleading for his life. and Burke i'm
beaching Warren Hastings are sublime
productions, but Paul standing before
the King and crying, Il think myself
happy, oh, King Agrippa. because I
shall answer for myself this day!" is a
much grander specte
All, 1t is great reIi. on that can take
and change a man like Paul. Don't
speak of Christianity as a weak and lit
lie thing. It needs no apology The lead
efs OF the ages have been proud Of their
Christianity In music it has had Mo-
zart and Handel; in painting Raphael
ana reynolds: in sculpture Angelo and
CanoVe; in medicine Rush and Harvey;
'r law Kent, Marshall and blackstone;
as statesmen Grotius and Washington,
and Bismarck and Lincoln, and Glad
stone and Garfield. And the one on
whom the eyes of America and all Eu-
rope turn to-day is glad to stand among