Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-02-09

Il dii W tnQi18 NY way VNCt
the Arabian desert. 1t is about the
year 80 A. D., or two years after Paurs
conversion. or In the distance 1 see an
oasis. Right on the edge Of that oasis
Is little hut. Under the shadow OF its
walls see there n man sitting with a
scroll OF parchment on his knee. He
has an eye like hawk. There is some
thing about the curve of his forehead
which proves that he has been a leader
of men. There is something about his
mouth which tells me those lips are the
lips of eloquence. He is not a hand
some man. His back is bent like that
of a student. His stature Is under size
As / approach his humble hut this
small figured Hebrew halls me: "Stran-
ger, wilt thou not come in and rest
awhile? / have not much to give thee.
but what is mine is thine" After we
have had pleasant conversation for a
little while L intuitively feel that / am
in the presence OF great man. turn
deferentiaily and say, MAY 1 ask who
Is my host and for. what thou dost
show me this courtesy today?v nv
new found friend answers simply: IT
am Paul Of Tarsus. greet thee thus
for the love OF my Master, Jesus
Christ" "Whatr' l exclaim in great
Amusement You are not Paul, other
wise known as Saul OF Tarsusf You
are not the man who WIS famed as
the greatest and the most bitter ard
unrelenting persecosor- OF the Chris
tians9 You are net the man who wis
supposed to be converted on the Da-
mascus road and -thens fed from Da-s
mascus ana have been ~. hidihg for
the last two yearsT' The same" says.
my host. Il am the sarre Paul or the
same Saul, once the chief Of sinners.
but now a disciple OF my magtyred
Lord" ats- $
Then say: But, Paul, why art thou
here, out in this desert? You seem to
be living here alone without friend?
Why do you not go back to Jerusalem
and take your position by the side Of
the other disciples of Christ and be
there leader for your MasterY' "I
cannot go yet" says Paul. 81 am fit
ting myself for future work by study
ing Gods word to find out what he
wants me to do" Not fitted yetf Why,
Paul, thou art one OF the most learned
men of all the east! Thou hast sat at
the feet of the greatest teachers. Thou
hast been the favorite pupil of CANA
liel, the most famous teacher of the
east" True" says Paul, at am not un-
learned in many things. People say 4
am leader. But have been study
ing art In the past for arts sake ana
eloquence for eloquence's sake All the,
greatest books OF the past are mine.
but to be worldly wise Is not to be spir-
itually wise. And so have turned my
back upon the world now for two years
simply to read Gods word. I want the
teachings of Christ In every sense to
become part OF my life' Then the
mighty Paul bends upon me his great
soulful eyes, full OF earnest beseech-
ment, as he says, "wouldst thou have
me conversant with the messages of
men and not conversant with what my
Lord and Master Jesus Christ is and
what he wants me to DOR
Is Paul speaking to you today, o men
and women? Years ago your mother
wanted you to become n good musician.
She was~urging you week In and week
out TO practice. Daughter" she used
to say, you must practice Mt least two
hours day or else you can never mas
ter the keys" Year I'm and year ont
you have consecrated two hours q day
to studying the works OF the great mu-
sicians. How many minutes per day
do you go off alone into your Arabia
to study Gods word? One hundred
and twenty minutes? Sixty minutes?
One-half hour? Ten minutes? Do YOU
fn1< MT aln
day for reading n chapter out of his
holy bookf You have your library
shelves filed with books. Scientific
books, essays, books OF travel, books
or all sorts are there. go into your
library and turn over the leaves hap.
hazard. find that you have read most
or these books. Have you systematical-
ly read Gods book as much as YOU
have the books OF human authors? Is
your idea OF an education a great
deal like that OF the poor Irishwoman
whose fNsband was learning how to-
readf One day her pastor came to her
and said: well, Mary, 1 understand
John is learning how TO read Can he
read the first chapter of Genesis yet n
Bless your heart, pastor" said Mary,
John Is doing better than that. He
has got far beyond the Bible. Why.
John now spends most OF his time in
reading the daily newspapers. Isn't
that splendid p = All. my friends, III
matters not how smart VIC are insell
lectually. we can never get so educated
massive are beyond studying the Weso
OF God. 10 theresa daily Arabtk foS3'
your II Paul. who once sat at tAssfee<-
OF Gamaliel. had. to spend three. years
In the deserts sands to study sGod's
word. to ind out who Christ WA ana
what he wanted him to do, surely your
time Is not wasted when you are read
Ing the Psalms or sitting at Christ.p
feet when he breaches to You the SER
mon on the mount as he uttered It to
the multitudes of old.
But a mere knowledge OF Gods word
was not sufficient equipment to have
made Paul the highest type Of gospel
evangelist. A man may know all
about the Bible and yet not have one
particle OF spiritual power In his heart.
He may study his Bible In exactly the
same sense as l might study the N.Y.
thology of the Greeks and the Romans
or learn why Mecca and Medina and
Jerusalem and Hebron are the four
sacred cities of the Mohammedan and
why silva and vishnu appear with Bud
dha at the shrines OF India. Knowl.
edge may be one OF the great essentials
for spiritual power but knowledge of
the word of God does not always prove
that the spirit of Christ has been trans
lated into the desires Of our own hearts.
The History of the DARK Ages.
Take, for instance. the history of thai