The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-04-15
THE FIRST MISSIONARY !
April 1S. '09-(Acts 9:1-3O).

Church. st. Paul confcssedly stands
at the head. What Moses was to the
Old Dispensation. that Paul Is to the
New Dlspensation. teacher to all
generations. Great pulpit orators. re.
nowned theologians. profound philos.
ephers, immortal poets. successful re.
formers, and enlightened statesmen
have never disputed his intellectual
and spiritual supremacy; to all alike
he has been model and marvel
The grand old missionary stands out
in history as q matchless example OF
right living, as we'll as sure guide
in Christian doctrine.
Chief Of Sinners.
And yet, the first thirty years Of
this mans life was as contrary to the
next thirty as light Is to darkness
Born in Tarsus. a city of Cilicia, OF
Jewish parents, he was freeborn
Roman citizen though In religion. in
the strictest sense, a pharisee. His
great popularity as young man
was his extreme pharisaism, devotion
to the Jewish law " its minutest cere.
monial rites.
According to his own confessions
ne was narrow, intolerant fanatical.
Detesting the religion of Jesus as an
innovation he was bitter prosecutor
of the disciples. breathing out
slaughter" he chased them out of the
country. and bounded them to death
"even in strange cities" He was no
inquirer after truth He conscienti-
ously believed that he had the truth
in all its fullness. and that he was
doing God service by his prosecuting
course in ridding the world of the fol-
lowers of Jesus.
Transformed In Flash.
The conversion OF Paul is the stand
ing miracle of the ages. Between sun
rise and sunset of one day he was
completely transformed. He explains
the change that tool: place in him as
due to direct revelation from
heaven. An unsee- hand caught this
foamng charge. in full headway and
hurled him back upon his launches.
Just az this roaring lion was about
to devour the Christians in Damascus
ne was supernaturally muzzled. He
saw a light above the brightness of
the sun, he heard voice which spoke
as never man spoke, he saw a per-
son whom lie ever afterward claimed
was the very same Jesus who had
been crucified in jerusalem. Last If
all He was seen of me also"
And when he emerged from that
supernatural experience his whole be.
ing was changed He was a new man
in his spirit. his aims, his entire atti-
tude. He had lost his pride and was
as humble as a child He had lost
his bigotry and intolerance. and was
broadminded and charitable. Within
three days he was praying; within a
week he was baptized, within the
same length Of time he had received
Pentecostal baptism of the Holy
Ghost, and within the s-me period
ne was preaching the gospel of the
Son Of God. whom scarcely a week
before he had hated with all the in.
tensity Of a pharisee. The conversion
of st. Paul is the marvel of the ages.
There is only one possible explana.
ton Of lit was supernatural.
Revolutions In Character.
But st. Paul Is not the only man
who has been thus transformed in a
twinkliIg. Not all men have such a
dramatic change of heart, but every
converted soul has as real a change.
1t Is not at all an uncommon thing for
revolutions to take place in the char
acters Of men as radical and thor
oughgoing as the overturning of en-
pires. Many a man has been brought
to do the things he once hated. not
only to do them. but love to do them.
And many man has come to loathe
the things that once were all he lived
for. Scales have fallen from their
eyes in an instant just as really as
they fell from the eyes of Paul. 1t is
still true that many of those who go
to church to scott remain to pray.
People whose whole career has been
destructive suddenly become con-
structiv0 There are great crises in
the souls of men as there are of ma
tions when between daylight and dark
thrones are toppled over, scepters are
broken. rebellions go to pieces. sur.
renders are made, emancipations are
proclaimed, bondmen go free, enemies
are reconciled, reunions are consum.
mated, homes are reconstructed, men
and women are transformed.
Supernatural Explanation.
There Is no possible explanation OF
such changes except on the ground
of supernatural light shining in tho
soul. supernatural voice speaking to
the inner consciousness. a supernatu
raj being putting an omnipotent hand
upon the individual, facing him right
about. and reconstructing every facul.
ty OF his mind. every energy of his
soul. and every fiber of his body The
outward Manifestations are as varied
as the individuals themselves. but the
experience is common to all. AS Paul
himself puts it: sHowbeit for this
cause l obtained mercy, that l.. me