Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-03
Golden Text: Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ and thou shalt be saved"

E christ and thou shalt be saved.
On this the crowd rose as one man
against them while the magistrates
stripped off their clothing and ordered
them to be fogged. After they had laid
on them many lashes, they thrust them
into PRISON, witt orders to the jailer to
keep them in safe confinement. who
put them in the inner cell and secured
their feet in the socks. Towards mid
night, while Paul and Silas were pray
ing. singing praises to God. and while
the prisoners were listening to Them sud-
denly there was such violent earth
quake that the foundations of the Jail
were shaken, and tie bands of all the
prisoners were unlooscd, and the jailer
being reused out Of sleep and seeing the
doors of lne prison open, drew his sword
intending to kill himself, under the i'm
preston that the prisoners had escaped.
I But Paul called out loudly: do no evil
to thyself: for we are all here And he
called for lights and rushed in, and tren-
bling. fell down before Paul and Silas,
and having brought them out, he said:
{ '.Gentlcmen what is necessary for me
& do that l may be saved In answer
to this they said: s'Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved,
thou and thy house, - And they spoke the
word of the Lord to him and to all those
An his house, and he took them that very
hours os the night and washed their
wounds, and he and all his were baptized
then and there And having led u,em into
his house. ne laid a table fo..senn. and
exulted with all his house. BECAUSE ne be-
Z lieved in God.
FIRST EUROPEAN OPPOSITION.
The gospel was having free course and
was being glorified With marked success
In the city Of Pllilippi, until one day
sudden storm OF opposition burst upon
them. It did not spring from a theologi-
cal or a doctrinal cause, but from a
monetary one. Greed Vas the root Of
evil from which the wild antagonism to
The preaching of Paul and his band of
missionaries sprung. This sounds very
modern. doesn't it? Half of the opposi-
ton to the cause of Christ springs from
the same source to-day. Data will prove
this.
DIR. McLaren says: Greed disguised as
patriotism was the first enemy that the
gospel met in Europe. THE hope of their
Z gain was gone'-that was the real rea-
son for the slave-girl's masters, animos-
ity, though it cloaked itself under high
minded zeal for the observance of pure
Roman customs But have we never
come across opposition to Christianity
5 OF exactly the same sort, furously pub
iic-spirited on the outside, basely self
interested within? "A syndicate of stock
holders were exploiting a young slave girl,
who had some kind of talent as a clair
voyant or ventriioquist, called in the
-sreek a ..Python-s spirit Ga python was
hind Of witch that presided over the in
carnations practiced at the temple of
Delphi. This poor girl. Paul in the
name Of Christ, cured of her demon pos
session When her masters perceived
that She was no longer inclined or capa-
BILE of practicing her peculiar jugglery,
they became enraged at Paul and Silas
and stirred up mob against them which
by the illegal connivance of the magis-
trates of Philippi grossly abused them
and caused them to be placed, bleeding
and wounded. in coarse stocks, in the
deepest and vilest dungeon of the Ro-
nan jail. But this incident redounded
% the conversion of the jailer, the vindi-
.ation of Paul and Silas. and the glory of
ne gospel OF Christ. Christianity sets
men free. The world would keep them in
aohdage. Christianity makes them pure
& and good. The world would degrade them
personally and make them do wickedness.
Christianity helps men without desire for
gain. The world seeks to use them for
its own gain Evil-minded men fight
s Christianity because it does not ponder
s TO their self1shness or sinful Indulgence,
ATTITUDE IN SUFFERING.
Paul and Silas in their wretched condi-
ton, conscious of the terrible rebuff that
their efforts had received. and yet sing
4 ing praises to God, in the night, is a
spectacle to challenge the attention Of all
thinking and honorable men: A faith that
would enable man to do this in just
the spirit and attitude towards God that
1 1t was done. is surely divine. A case
IKE this cannot be paralleled outside of
:le circle OF Christian life and doctrine
Christian faith triumphs over suffering
II neither desp!ses It in stoical way, nor
Ices II mourn. nor complain under It,
At trusts God in the midst Of It, and
rats for Him to set all things Alright,
With conviction that IL this Fighting
Ioes not occur In this world ii will in
!, Tho next.
The jaiier was in despair when he
thought that his prisoners had escaped.
BUT Paul and Silas. In the midst or their
neavy trial. Were serene IN their faith
70 God. and full OF exuita ton rather than
4 dependency. Their sufreYings were,
s blessed 10 the good OF Others.
THE JAILER'S CONVERSION,
Tho jailers troubles awoke him to a
sense OF his need Of salvation. His ter
s.er vas turned into hope. TIho earth j