The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-06-15
What the Church
Doing.
THE ENLARGED HORIZON
The International Sunday-SchOOl Les.
son for June 20 is a Quarterly Re-
view
Pv William r Ellis.

~ " ouIIC ~ 10 <ZuhA Il AAS-
By William T. Ellis.
This is the day Of broad views. The
newspaper brings US fresh topics of
conversation concerning Africa, Tur-
key, and the Orient. The affairs of the
uttermost parts of the earth are given
with the fullness and timeliness If
.neighborhood news. We even talk
%jauntily about establishing communi-
cation with Mars. as if we had en-
planet, and would exercise our powers
by reaching out to our neighbo: across
millions OF miles of space.
There is no doubt about the TWEEN
tleth century mans having d wide
horizon. The important consideration
for him is that his standpoint be cor
rect. Broad views are helpful in the
degree that they are from q right
angle. This bit of New Testan ent
history which the Sunday schools have
been studying during recent weeks
suggests the true basis for cosmopoli-
tanism, which is a spirit of helpful
ness and brotherhood. There is a
kind of neighbor1y Interest," sort of
Observation-Disclosures spirit -
which is mere meddlesome and i'll
hammered lnpertinence. This may not
be confused with the real spirit of
~neighborllness. Only the latter mag
be called cosmopolitanism. The early
Christian Church quickly rose above
its Judean confines and became in he
fullest meaning of the term a catholic
Church.
Men of whom we never think as
having ideals above their bank books,
or the satisfaction Of the hours appe-
tite. may, all kno to us, be men
of vision and dreams. In the first
of this quarters lessons there appears
the figure OF a prominent officer whose
calling was material and whose cares
were such that probably his soldiers
thought him a mere military machine.
Yet Cornelius, like some of the great
fig hitting men of our own history, lived
his real life with respect to the un-
seen world. browning well says:
God be thanked, the meanest Of his
creatures
Has two so~ul-siGes: one to face the
world with.
And the other to show a woman when
he loves her.
When Captain Cornelius was pre-
sumably engrossed in affairs OF the
barracks, ne was really seeing in a
vision an angel of God promising him
q fuller message concerning spiritual
truth from the Apostle Peter. \ de-
yout soldier was sent post haste t.
Jappa to bring thither this man OF
God.
Helpers are helped. The giver gets.
TIL bestower is blessed. Peter in his
&C TX was IilliSt1I 81 iSloA-
AS part Of his equipment to answer the
call Of Cornelius, the great apostle was
shown the figure Of the vessel full of
living creatures, and taught that
naught that God has made is to be
called unclean. That bit of personal
work which Peter did with Cornelius
broadened his own horizon and made
him sensible of the truth taught long
before by the Good Shepherd, that
Gods sheep are not in the ewsh
fold. The visions of the centurion
and of the apostle practically syn
chronized. Gods clocks always strike
together. He who rules over all, pre-
pares the worker and the work. His
spirit is on the field as we'll as in the
force. He made ready Peter ard ne
made ready Cornelius, each unknown
to the other; and only this myst erious
spiritual preparation from above justi-
fies the expectation OF success in re-
ligious work.
The Prison and Prayer.
A few weeks g a woman who had
been sent to prison for the crime or
Kidnapping was loudly calling o. God
for assistance. Her ideals wera of the
vague and flabby kind which have no
respect to God in the day Of action
and turn to him only in the hour OF
need. The offender against Gods la"
may not invoke Gods power to pre-
vent proper punishment ONLY thos"
who go to prison for Righteousness
sake can take God with them, or
ind a radiant angel in their prison
cells. Others, penitent, it is true.
may learn to know him, even within
prison walls: but it is to such as
Peter, who was sent to orison by
Herod for preaching the Name, that
Nods angels come. Peter in prison
was happier than Herod in lis pal
ace. There is absolutely naught out
SIDE of self that can shut a discipline
on from the fellowship with his Lord.
winch is ife's richest reward.
Christians should stand ogether
ana behind one another. - was ratner