The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1909-03-26
THE PULPIT.
A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. w. n. M'MASTER.
Theme: The Gospel.

Ildl vi. r. Cnurcn, mas Deen hOlulng
special eyangelistic services for some
time, which have been most success
full. In connection with these services
he r&eached. Sunday morning, on
The Gospel as the Philosophy Of
History" The text was from Acts
1925: ITO you is the word OF this
salvation sent. Mr.. McMaster said:
This direct announcement is from
the first recorded missionary address
OF st. Paul. He and Barnabas had
only recently started from Antioch in
Syria, upon their first missionary
tour. Barnabas. perhaps a convert
OF Pentecost, had been sent 10 take
charge of the great revival in Anti
och, which had broken out simulta-
neously with Peters opening the door
or Christianity at Caesarea, and ad-
mitting, by baptism, Cornelius and
his family, the first Gentle converts
TO Christianity. This action of Peter
was a great and significant innova-
ton. He certainly was using the
keys which our Lord had given him
This revival at Antioch was revival
among the Gentiles. and the work
was growing TO such an extent that
Barnabas must have help. and he
thought of Paul, a man he had met
in Jerusalem some eight years be-
fore, and though the Jews made il
so hot for Paul that Barnabas had
known him but two weeks. he be-
lieved that Paul was the man OF the
hour. He went To Tarsus, where Paul
had been obscurely working and
waiting for eight years-how long
God makes some Of His servants wait
but now the man was ready and
the times were ripe, and when the
Church of Antioch, here for the first
time called Christian" decided in
true missionary spirit 10 send mea-
sengers of the great salvation 10 the
Gentiles. Paul stands at last face TO
face with the world he is TO conquer
To show you the elements which
make up this world which Paul faces.
! take YOU to the Isle of Cyprus, their
first halting place. and which, strange
70 say. presents in miniature the
great world with which Christianity
must cone. Paphos. the chief town.
was the seat of the worship of
Venus, the goddess of love, who was
said TO have been born of the foam
~ the sea at this very spot. and her
worship was carried on with the wild
est RIGHTEOUSNESS. 1t was a picture
in miniature of Greece sunk in moral
decay" Beauty divorced from NOR
ality was the outcome of Greek art
and culture. "Paphos was also the
seat OF the Roman Government, and
in the proconsular chair sat a man
Sergius Paulus, whose noble charac-
Ter but utter lack of faith formed a
com mnanion picture of the inability
Of Rome at that epoch TO meet the
deepest necessities of her best sons 3"
IN this same court was Jewish sor-
cerer and quack, named Elymas,
whose playing by his arts upon the
inGuirer's credulity was "A picture of
the depths 10 which the Jewish char
4cter could sink
Paul, representing the Gospel OF
Christ, entered this situation. He
covered the Jewish magician with
disgrace, converted the Roman gov
ernor, and founded in the town
Christian church in opposition TO the
Greek shrine. Leaving Cyprus, let
is now hasten 10 Antioch in Pisidia,
their first halting place in the in
'erisr OF Asia Minor. where a typical
scene occurs which, because il is typ
cal, we shall describe. In the light
# history the coming of Paul and
3arnabas to a town was the most sig
nificant event and worthy to be
marked by professions and a gorg-
eOus reception, but how different the
reality These two walk into Anti
och as any two strangers would come
into Brooklyn. First they find a
'odging, and then they look for work.
Imagine Paul going from door to door
of tentmakers inquiring for work.
on the Sabbath Day they go TO the
synagogue and join in the psalms
and prayers and listen to the law
perhaps the first chapter OF Deuter-
OnOmy). and to the prophets (per-
naDs the first Of Isaiah. Then the
ruler of the synagogue turns to the
strangers and asks them if they have
any word of exhortation to the peo-
pie. This is Paul's opportunity. He
arises, and, beckoning attention with
ais hand, launches upon the sea OF
Hebrew history, suggested by the
law. and explains the fulfillment of
Isaiah in Jesus Christ, and declares
ITO you is the word OF this salvation
sent" The people gather about him
after the assembly is dismissed and
beg him 10 come back next Sunday
He explains the gospel 10 inquirers
as he works through the week. and
on the next Sabbath almost the whole
city assemblies to hear him; but when
he declares that this salvation is for
the Gentiles, the Jews grow jealous
and soon stir up persecution and
compel them to leave the town. Thus.
while his great mission was 10 preach
the gospel, his great barrier was
Jewish exclusiveness and his chief
and immediate work took the form
OF championing the cause of Gentle
freedom and propping open, so that
no man could shut II, the door which
Peter was privileged 10 open.
The greatest battles of human his
tory have been battles for freedom,
and each struggle has had its hero.
Battles for national freedom-Moses
for enslaved Israel, Washington for
the oppressed colonies. Battles for
freedom of conscience-Luther and
Knox Battles for human rights
Wilberforce and Garrison. Battles,