The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-07-17
PLEASANT FIELDS OF HOLY WRIT
rHR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
LESSON.
copyrighted. Davis W, clark,



Copyrighted. Davis W, clark,l
Paul At Thessal0niea and Isrsa.
ThessalonIca was named for the
daughter of Philip of Maeedon, who in
turn received her name because she was
born ON the day her father conquered
Thessaly. Some hundred students of
history may know that, but a hundred
million know OF the city, because II Is
mentioned In Acts The fame OF this
commercial and imposing metropolis
depends not so much upon Its associn-
ton with Philip, Alexander, or Cassan-
der, as with Paul, Silas, and Timothy.
How ignoble the entrance OF the
latterl The backs OF two OF them were
stlll corrugated by the ignominions
beating they had received az Phllippi.
The other was an Immature youth from
the rude "Woifand.f The kingdom OF
heaven was coming Of truth unob-
served. But It was coming, for these
wayfarlng men represented moral Ideas
and forces destined to conquer larger
world than Alexander dreamed OF, and
10 conquer Il for all time, The weapons
OF their warfare were not carnal. But
they were welqhty enough 10 pull down
the strongholds OF a pagan religion and
philosophy, and finally OF pagan empire
Itself The time of the mission
aries advent seemed unfavorable.
Famine was prevailing. Breadstuffs
had advanced 10 six times their COM
mon price. But Paul's trade, which In
his nffiuent days us young Sanhedrist
he never dreamed he would ever use,
stood him well In hand now. Il was as
indispensable In the east as the trade OF
the carpenter Is with US. BY his indie
pendent self-support he could prove his
dlslnterestedness beyond cavll. He
sought "them," not "thelrs," :.
He preached a suffering Messiah. He
traced the Via Dolorosa through all the
prophets. Opening It up in one scroll
after another. he set forth In argument
the necessity for and the substantial
character of the death OF Christ. :.
The unprecedented proselytes easily APP
pretended the truth. A goodly COM
pany OF them cast In their fortunes with
the new faith and It's heroic ambassa-
doris. But some blgoted sectar-
lists, whose hearts were yelled to such
a Messiah as Moses himself described,
awaited themselves of mob violence, al
ways the last resort of a falling cause.
II was Hebrew policy TO play
one enemy against another. They hated
Rome superlatively. But they could
afford undying loyalty to Caesar on q
moments notice. II, by so doing they
could impede the young religion, which
was fast writing ''Ichabod" upon their
ecclesiastical establishment. 1t
was a fixed policy of Roman rulers in
the provinces to hush up a tumult at
the very start. Report at Rome of even
an lnclpient instruction made further
tenure OF office precarious. Quick, and
In this instance. eifectual measures
were taken. Had the storm fallen upon
Paul in person, he would have borne
the brunt OF 1t with his characteristic
herolsm. But he would not unnecessar-
lily subject his friend and host to per-
secution. He would not make Jason
forfeit his bond In order that the
peace might be kept he departed. But
he had stayed long enough to lay the
foundation OF church, to which he af-
forwards addressed the first apostolic
eplstles that ever came from his pen.