The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-05-13
Saturday Digit
SaEkc BY Rev. r. E. DAWSON
4 {esehAJ Rutland, W.
RELIGION AND
CHRISTIANITY
International Bible Lesson for
May Io, 'oo-(Acts ID: I-28).

heathen lands It Is only in so-called
Christian lands that people can be
found who are neither religious nor
Christian. The missionary who goes
to hoathen lands to preach the gospel.
does not have to teach those darkened
minds the iuea OF worship. In that
particular they are all ready for him.
The objects OF religious alteration are
among the most conspicuous things.
Heather Worship.
Those lands are full Of temples. al
tars. sacrifices. priests, devotees. One
OF the first things a heather mother
teaches her child Is to pray. Every
home has its idol god. every trade
and profession It's patron divinity.
They have religion enough in all con.
science. but their religion Is the pro-
duct OF superstition, OF fear. Of lust of
murder. earthly. sensual, devilish.
Natural religion everywhere teaches
men that they are sinners and that
some rite, sacrifice or service is need
ed to propitiate an outraged divinity.
More Gods Than Men.
Greek and Roman mythology, the
Epic OF Homer. which was the Greeks
Bible, reveals to us the heather mis-
Interpretation. AS we read these
pages we see gods and men, not quite
In equal numbers. mingling in the
fray, and sweeping in bloody combat
about the walls of fated Troy. In that
ancient world each fountain had its
nymph; each brook its naiad; each
wood its dryad; each wind had its
presiding god. and a deity was at the
beginning and end of diversified hui
man experience. The sea was heaved
by them. the earth teemed with them,
the air swarmed with them. The uni
verse, as they knew 1t, was believed
to be filled with deities. inferior and
superior: and every natural occur
renee which they could not explain
was supposed to be direct interfer-
ence Of the gods. Vast amount of re-
ligion. but no Christianity.
When the apostle Paul was on his
first missionary journey he came into
contact with this phase Of natural re-
ligion at the city of Lystra. Having
performed miracle in the healing OF
cripple there the priests and the
people straightway jumped at the con-
clusion that he was q divine being in
the guise OF man. They surmised
that Barnabas. on account of his per-
sonaf appearance was Jupiter himself.
and that Paul was Mercury. because
he was the chief speaker. And there
fore. before the apostles knew what
was on foot the altar of sacrifice was
prepared. the garlands were woven
and the oxen were being led out to
sacrifice. They said, "The gods have
cone down to us in the likeness OF
men,"
Become Like Their Gods.
But the character of their religion
was speedily shown up. For the mo-
ment they discovered their ludicrous
mistake they turned upon the men
they were just about to worship, and
permitted their Jewish enemies to
stone Paul 20 death. The extremely
pious worshippers of Jupiter one mo-
ment, became riotous, murderous
lynching party the next. 1t was gar.
lands Of roses at first; it was the
stones Of the highway, maledictions
and curses the next. Religion, nat
ural religion stretches out it's hands in
the darkness, feeling after God, but it
has no answer for the souls cry for
help, 1t has no Transforming power
over the soul. They become like the
gods they worship.
But Paul was not the first, nor the
last man, to realize the shifting ma
ture of public opinion. Many preach
er knows what it is to be fawned
upon at first and scratched later on.
Nothing Is too good for him at his
coming; nothing is too harsh for him
at his going. In one sermon he can
make lifelong enemies. In one trans
action he can accumulate stock OF
animosity that is exhaustless. Men
wno refuse to wear the worlds gar
lands. must expect to feel the worlds
eruelties.
Public Opinion Weathervane.
Public opinion is like weathervane
which whirls about whichever way the
wind blows. and has no other property
than to point out its direction. Such
considerations should cause us to
properly estimate its value. No man
should be pulled up when garlands
are woven for his brow, and no man
should complain when he Is made the
target Of abuse. Paul had not the
least idea that he had any godlike
qualties when they said he was Ger,
taiply Mercury. the spokesman of Jupi.
ter and he had no words OF harsh
fituperation when they said he was
fraud. an imposter. and dragged his |
mangled body through the streets.
We shall all get along better in this |
life, II we put the world in its proper |
place. neither puffed up with its fiat.
terry, nor depressed with its power II
We keep on good terms with the Gre.
q or and Ollr Opn hearts Wa need mot |