The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-15

Whenever . traveller returns from
heroic deeds in far countries great null
tftuies turn out to acclaim him. Lieu
tenant shackieton. who has been
''fartherest South. will hnd himself
the lion Of the day when he gets back
to London. Humanity instinctively
pays tribute to the hero. Paurs ne h,Y,
isms have done more 70 popuiari1se, ,s MN !, =
that his theology There was m si,
10 the spontaneous tribute 1870
reader OF these early narratives u
Paurs journeyings. Hardships were
accepted as part Of the days woIk.
The traveller preachers eQuanimity
could not be seriously disturbed. whe-
Their he was hailed rs . god or stoheo
as q hereto Incidentally. II may DC
remarked. he was stoned oftener tnan
he was apotheosized. -,
Driven from Antioch In Pisidia, the
disciples. not one whit discouraged.
but, as the narrative pointedly re-
marks, filled with JOY" went on their
way to Iconium. There again they
created q sensation. The city was
turned upside down. A great multi
tude OF Jews and of Greeks entered
upon the Way Here again blind bigo-
try and sectarianism set to work.
Boldly the disciples spoke and won
drously they wrought But the Jewish
ecclesiastical party soon found itself
In command of sufficient mob, ana
the Christians were stoned out OF the
city.
Now history judges Iconium chiefly
by its attitude towards the prophets
whom 1t stoned. Well does Carlyle
say: "The most significant feature In
the history OF an epoch Is the man
ner 1t has in welcoming great man,
whether they shall take him to be a
god, to be a prophet. or what they
shall take him to be: by their way
of answering that we shall see before
us little window into the very heart
of these mems spiritual condition"
The Religion that Makes Nen straight.
Moving on to Lystra, when driven
from Iconium. the disciples continued
the same sort Of work that they hal
been doing previously. in spite OF the
opposition. In connection with this
visit q Characteristic incident 10 relat-
ed by the historian. In Lystra there
was q well-known beggar. congenital-
ly lame. He was town character.
Yet he seems, unlike some modern
mendicants. to have desired relief from
his afiiiction. Paul's alert eye singled
him out. Percelving the mans eager
ness and responsiveness, and that he
had the faith to be healed, Paul said
with Todd voice Stand upright on
thy feet and he leaped up and walk
ed.
The Gospel had been doing this sort
of thing right along for mems minds
as well as for their legs The Grip
pies whose bones are abnormal are
not half so serious burden upon So
ciety as those whose spirits are twist
ed, bent and weak. Very much more
than 1t needs a gospel for the sick and
the lame and the blind and the deaf
the world needs gospel that will
take the spiritual cripple and make
him stand erect and walk. There are
many surgeons who can straighten
out the kinks in backs ana limbs; but
only the Great Physician can make
men straight In their souls. That 10
the miracle of large meaning which
may be seen daily in almost every
community in the land.
spurning High Honors.
The healing OF the lac man proved
the sensation of the hour in Lystra.
The tickle crowd was caught In its
Imagination by this spectacular per-
Torrance. Moved by the excitement of
the occasion, and reverting to their
native mother tongue. the populace
shouted. '"rhe gods are coming down
to us in the Akeness see meat Barna-
bas they named Jupiter. ana Paul
Mercury.
If these evangelists had been as mod
they would have sent special mes
senger back to Antioch with the story
concerning the high honors that had
come to them. Their press agents
would have been busy recounting their
greatness. inasmuch as they had been
even. hailed as the ancient gods rein
caranated.
For the tribute was an extraordi-
nary one. Possibly the incident of the
he linz n( Law s,aa Al 80
the gate OF the temple. The priest
of Jupiter eager to take advantage of
everything that would favor his tenn
pie and his trade, brought oxen andyI
garlandsN to the apostles, and would
have done sacrifices. the multitude
heartily approving
The real distress OF Barnabas and
Paul at this proceeding is an unmis-
takable tribute to their genuineness Of
for themselves. They would not &C
cept any false rating. They were not
ambassadors of q religion which, like
Buddhism, is keen to consolidate with
all other faiths that men hold. They
preached what they believed to be the
one Gospel for all men. and 1t was
In direct opposition to all such idola-
trous practices as the worship OF Jupi-
ter and Mercury,
Their ruling purpose strong In all
conditions. Paul and Barnabas were
quick to seize even this opportunity
to preach their Gospel They had
great passion. Their intense convictions
so absorbed them that they did not hesi-
tate to fly counter to popular tides
They were not afraki OF thwarting
public opinion. They had not seemed
to be popular" preachers. They SEEM
ed mcre/distressed when they were ac-
claimed as gods than when they were
stoned as criminals.
some ssLibera1" Preaehing.
Taking the Immediate occasion for
his text--Paul knew how to use the
highest matter OF public interest; what
sermons he would have preached up
on our complex and meanful modern
cfvlization!--the apostle began to pre-
sent the truth to these iiolaters. First
of all he subordinated himself and his
companions. He put himself on di-
rect equality with his hearers: I'VE
also are men Of like passions with
you" The only distinction. the disci-
pies claimed was as bearers Of good
tidings, While Paul made no compro-
mise with 1dolatry, ii is to be remeA-
bered that he lid not antagonize need
lessly his hearers. He started on COM
mon ground and Travelled as far as
could with them. Christianity has
some things In common with all reli-
gions, The wise preacher is he who
utilizes the natural religious instincts
to lead men to a supernatural reIigf-