Milford chronicle., 1906-02-09

'Ou ever knew were lueLlueis oA
lne Christian church 1ney were not
only church members, but also teach
ers in the Sunday school, yet when you
met them in a business way you intui-
lively knew their hearts had never
been touched by the living Goals Of
fire from off the altar of the Holy Spir-
it. You knew they were not converted
men. They may have known the BIZ
BILE from lid to lid. Their creed or
their theology Of the head was all
right, but the ChristOlogy Of the heart
was all wrong. As they studied the
word of God they did not pray like
Paul: Lord, what wilt thou have me
to do? Lord, make me thy servant.
Lord, forgive my sins. Lord, help me
to save my fellow men," All, it is inn
portant TO study the word of God, but
it is just as important to pray that God
will send down his Spirit upon you and
make you like unto his dear Son. Have
you your sacred Arabian deserts or
your regular hours for pleading with
and talking to God as well as your sa-
cred hours of having God talk to you?
Can you think of Paul out in that
desert unless he is praying? l cannot
I can no more think of a prayerless
Paul than I can Of prayerless Christ
While thinking Of this matter l had
strange dream in my study. l thought
it was again the year 39 A. d. ! was
again vending my way toward that lit
tie but in the Arabian desert which /
have already described. l was again
sitting by the side of the dear Apostle
Paul He was exp0unding the word Of
God to me. Then suddenly he stops
and says: 81 cannot go any further;
wait awhile; must talk to my friend"
"Talk to your friend?" l say. "What
do you mean? l do not see any one
around. Talk to what friend?" "Why,
talk to my friend Jesus Christ" says
Paul. Then, without any affectation,
Paul drops on his knees and begins to
talk to Christ just as would talk to
my dear mother if she were alive by
my side.
In my dream he did thus every little
while as I studied with him that day
And do you know he prayed so often
that in my dream ! could feel that
Christ was-just by our side and not
dead Christ, as some of us think. That !
night went to sleep quite early, for !
was much fatigued. But in the middle
of the night was awakened. In that |
humble hut l heard again the mighty |
voice Of Paul praying, praying, pray
ing. Oh, he seemed to be praying most |
Of the time. Was it dream? Was not |
Paul praying Paul? As in my dream, /
have you Pauline Arabian desert for |
your sacred hour Of prayer?
Paul In the Desert.
But believe there was still another
reason why Paul disappeared into the
Arabian desert aud stayed there for
three long years. He wanted to stlSiy
the word Of God. Heswanted to get his
heart mellowed and spiritualized by |
prayer. Oh, yes; but, more than that,
he wanted to get the hearts of the peO.
pie into the condition where they would I
be willing to trust him and believe in
lis message. In other words, he want
ed his Arabia to be a place where he
could walk hand in hand with Christ.
He wanted it also to be the place of
testing, where men and women would
learn to believe that his profession Of
Jesus Christ was sincere.
Is it to be wondered at that the
Christian people were afraid Of Paul?
What the inquisitor Titelmann was to
he Christians Of the Netherlands Saul
was to the early Christians. The mere
mention Of his name struck them with
Methinks we can hear
lhe poor Christians Of Damascus cry
Ing when they heard he was coming:
20 God, save usi 0 Christ. rescue
1sg' No sooner did the vision appear
to the good Ananias, saying, "Paul is
Whiting for thee to baptize him." than /