Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1906-05-31
LIVE in THE LIGHT
OUR REGULAR SUNDAY SERMON
All Life Should Be Sacredly Kept in
Subjugation to the Will of Him
Who Guides Always Alright.


Philadelphia. a.-The Rev. DR.. Torrey,
the great revivalist, on Sunday deliv-
cred a compelling sermon entitled Zone
| Miser Worse Than Twelve Whisky
| Fiends." His text was Acts xii, 16:
"And now, why tarriest thou? Arise
| and be baptized, washing away thy
J sins, calling on the name Of the Lord"
''Why tarriest thou:" 1t was God
who asked that question of Saul of
| Tarsus, who, as you will remember,
was a most bitter enemy of Christ; l
doubt if Jesus Christ ever had a more
bitter enemy. more determined, more
relentless enemy than Saul of Tarsus.
| Saul of Tarsus sincerely believed that
Jesus Christ was an imposter, that His
claim to be the Son of God was false
! claim, and he hated Him with all the
intensity of a sincere soul. There
were times when the thought would
come stealing into Saul's soul, "Per-
haps He is the Son of God.' Espe-
cially when Saul stood and saw
Stephen stoned to death and heard
lStephen's dying testimony, II see the
Heayens opened and the Son of Man
stands on the right hand of God," the
thought came to Saul, ''Does he really
see Him? Is Jesus really the Son Of
God?" But Saul would not listen to
these suggestions.
He kicked against the goal and be-
came all the more bitter against Christ
in his enmity, because there was a
lurking suspicion that he was wrong.
He breathed an atmosphere of threat
Iening slaughter. He went down into
the streets of Jerusalem, going from
house to house, dragging from their
homes men, women and children, spar,
ing neither age nor sex, all those who.
professed belief in Christ; he dragged
them to be tried and punished, to be
put to death, and if anyone was to be
killed he always voted for their death,
until at last he had exhausted all his
opportunities for persecution Of the
Christian people of Jerusalem, but he
had not exhausted his hate of Christ.
He heard that 130 miles away from
Jerusalem at Damascus there were
other Christians, and his heart went
out in bitter hatred toward those Chris
tians he had never seen. So he went
to the High Priest and asked the au-
thorities to allow him to go to the city
of Damascus and to do what he had
done in Jerusalem. They were only
too pleased to allow him to go, so he
started on the long, weary way to Da-
maseus, hurrying there, neither stop
ping for the intense monday heat, but
pressing eagerly on, so intensely did he
hate the Son Of God
And now he has almost reached Da-
mascus; he stands on the last foothil
and stands looking down into the val.
ley at Damascus. Damascus was a
/ city noted throughout the ancient
world for it's beauty. But as he stood
| there looking at the beautiful city Saul
did not think Of its beauty, but Of the
thousands of Christians there whom he
iwisheu to drag from their homes tC
Ideath.
+ Asshe was standing there, there sud
denly shone around him a light
brighter than the sun, and in the midst
of that light the brightest and most
wonderful face and form that Saul hal
J ever seen appeared. It was Jesus
With cry Saul fell on his face to the
ground. and ou. of the cloud came 9
voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why perse
cutest thou Me-"
From a humbled man came back tht
Ianswer, '."'Who art Thou, Lord ?''s Bacl
comes the crashing response, II an
lJesus, whom thou persecutest."
And now from thoroughly humblef
, man came the answer, sWhat woul(
lyou have me to doY' "Arise; get OF
thy feet and go into Damascus, ant
there thou shalt be told what tho,
5 shalt do.'' He arose, and found him
J self totally blind, and thus he enteret
the city where he had expected to com
as conqueror, blind. helpless as !;
cripple, where he spent three days en.
three nights fasting and praying. Blu
still he did not accept Christ.
Christ sent certain disciple to Sau
with the question, "Why tarriest thou
What are you waiting for? You know
am the Son Of God; why don't yo1
arise and be baptized in your accept
. ance of Me?''
am going to ask that question Q