The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1904-06-10

~ MH2llUllInIlLH q QulChculuS
NuMInnIIIIU his splendid intel
NtHINlllUIIW lect, and that was
HlIlIlNHHu to tell men Of the.
Christ Who could
cleanse the heart and transform the
life and save for eternity. Whether
On the journey, or sojourning In the
village, town or city; whether work
ing at his trade of tent-making with
two humble craftsmen as his audience,
or facing the throngs in the syna-
gogue; whether before kings and gov
ernors, or in the dark prison, chained
to his rough guardsman; whether fac
Ing death on the raging sea, or on
land at the hands of the angry multi
tudes, it was all the same to Paul.
There were needy souls to be saved,
and Christ must be preached to them.
and no power could still the heart
throb which he felt for the sinner, nor
stop his tongue or pen in its tireless en-
ergy to bring the world to the feet of
his blessed Lord and Master. Two
words were writ large in his vocab-
ulary. One was
SINNER,
and the other was
SAVIOUR.
All eXternalitieS and temperatures
were swept aside, and he saw the
naked soul as it must stand before it's
Creator 1t made no difference wheth-
er it was a cultured Greek philoso-
pher at Athens, or half barbarian in
the wilds of Asia Minor; whether it
was the self-confident, self-satisf1ed
Jews of the synagogue. or the Goddess
Roman jailers and officials into whose
hands he CHANGED to fall, all alike were
sinners before God, all were dead and
lost lin trespasses and SINS" all need
ed to repent and all needed the Christ
to cleanse and to save. And for this
reason, Paul's serious and supreme
business was "persuading men,"
NLD Uncle John Vassar, OF sacred
~ memory, had the Paul spirit. No
soul ever came in contact with the
big-hearted, loving servant of Jesus
Christ, but that it was brought face to
face with it's need and made acquaint-
ed with its Saviour. 1t was his
business telling people where they
stood in their relations to God, and he
never lost an opportunity to introduce
those with whom he came in contact
to his dearest Friend. The story is
told of him that upon one occasion a
friend of his who knew his failing"
as he called 1t, invited him to his
home to a dinner party. Fearful that
John Vassar might so far forget the
conventionalities of the social func-
tion as to speak on the theme which
was nearest his heart, he plucked up
courage to suggest to him that ii
would be quite agreeable to him. and
doubtless to the other guests, If he
would direct his conversation upon
fore general and interesting topics
With quizzical. little smile, in
which fingered a bit of sadness, he
promised to do the best he could, well
knowing that his best was to speak his
Lords message in every place and
upon every occasion possible. He
CHANGED to be seated by the side of a
charming young woman whose whole
thought seemed to be conferred in the
delights and activities and pleasures
of this life Anyone but John Vassar
tmbued with the spirit of Paul, would
have been disconnected and confused
and turned from his purpose. but moi
he. Bravely and tactfully he honored
ais Lord in the conversation. and ere
the dinner was ended he not only hao
found in the young woman a thought.
.ul and convinced listener, but al
about there was hushed eagerness tc
aear John Vassar's message. His bust.
cess was to persuade men," Know
ing the fear of the Lord" he could dc
10 less than that
A ND there have been many others
y of Gods servants who have been
mbued by the same spirit, but the
question always rises in the heart OF
he Christian, in your heart and my
hart, should that be the normal con.
sition and attitude of the Christian
Ought l to feel as Paul did? Ought
10 do as Paul did? Without answer.
hg the question directly. but that We
may answer it each for himself, let u:
consider carefully just what Pau
meant when he declared that, know
ng the fear of the Lord, We per-
suade men," The term, fear of the
lord," has peculiar meaning here
t implies more than is ordinarily in.
.luded in the words. The common YER
sion has the word terror" in place o.
fear" Paul has just been speak
ing of the judgment. declaring thai
we must all be made manifest before
the Judgment seat of Christ" and ther
he goes on in the words of our text tc
say: knowing therefore the (terror)
fear of the Lord, We persuade men.
Fhe word terror enforcess tn,
thought of the punishment which is te
be melted out to the unsayed sinner IL
the last great day. when everyone vii
be compelled to obey the Divine sum
mons and appear before the iudxmen