The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-07-16


&C out of his way to provoke people
to wrath, If they took offense at his
presentation of the truth, he never
asked anybody's pardon for hurting
their feelings. He made it his busi-
ness to know but one thing among
men: Jesus Christ, and Him cruci-
fed" But the discussion of that
theme in Paul's day was as unaccepta-
BILE as an abolition speech would have
been in the South before the war,-or
since, for that matter, or a eulogy on
William ]. Bryan in a Republican
Presidential nomination convention.
When the apostle came to Thessalo-
Mica on his itinerary he aroused the
usual opposition. He had no sooner
begun to deliver his message than his
enemies started the story that he was
presenting the claims Of rival king,
and they stirred up the whole city.
committed assault and battery upon
Jason, in whose house he was being
entertained, and brought the entire
church into police court, and swore
that Paul had said that there was an
other king, one Jesus, which of course,
was treason to Caesar.
Half Truths Whole Lies.
Didn't the Jews know better than
that? Certainly. Didn't they fully
understand that Paul was talking
about heavenly kingdom and a
spiritual king? Assuredly. What was
their object then? Simply to get rid
| of the preacher. And to do it they
took the method of the hypocrite and
| the sneak in all ages, and told half
truth in such way as to make it a
| whole lie. No lies are so vile as
| those which pervert and distort the
| truth. To prove their point those
scoundrels went into court and swore
that Paul was preaching up king.
They bore testimony that they had
heard him press the claims of the
king. 1t was a unanimous verdict;
treason to Caesar Liars! Paul was
himself a Roman citizen, and always
preached submission to "the powers
that be-"
There was not a drop of disloyal
blood in his veins. But the mob put
their own Interpretation upon his
|
And many man since then has met
the same fate. Misinterpreted, mis-
meanings read into his utterances that
were never dreamed of by him, his
enemies have shouted their halt
truths into the air until the mob has
been aroused and the whirlwind de,
veloped.
The True Test.
Prosecuted in one city the apostle
fled to another, and brought up at the
little town of Berea, few miles far
ther on. And here the preacher found
different class of people. They
heard the new doctrine and they said
at once, I'VE will look into this mat
ter for ourselves" So they got out
their Bibles, and searched the Scrip
lures daily whether these things were
So" That is the only proper and de
cent treatment to accord the preach
er. Make him prove it. If he can
not show it to you in the book, do moi
accept 1t, no matter who says it is
there. If he can show it to you in
the book accept it, believe it, appro
pirate it, live it, though all the forces
of earth and all the devils in hell shall
oppose. 1t will make a sensation IL
your heart; in your family perhaps
in the church, doubtless; in the com
munity, sure, some of the things he
will point out to you. But If you finC
them there you are bound to stand BY
them though the heavens fall. OF tha
sort Of preacher the world has bu
few, and they are growing fewel
every day.
Nevertheless, "the foundation of thu
Lord standeth sure, having this seal
The Lord knoweth them that are His.
Hidden Treasures.
The true preacher causes people tt
search the Scriptures. 1t is a bool
on astronomy, and every one shoulC
search 1t until they find the "Star o
Bethlehem" the Bright and Morning
Star" 1t is treatise on geology, ant
every one should study it until the.
find "The Rock, Christ Jesus" ant
"the Stone that has become the hea(
of the corner" 1t is a work on mathe
; matics, and everyone should search /
until they can figure out what !
shall profit man to gain the who'll
world, and lose his own SOUL" 1t is
: tome on grammar, and every on
: should peruse it until they know th'
difference between big ~" and littl,
"u". 1t Is a spelling book and ever,
one should study 1t until they cal
| spell dis-appointments with an H. o
| all such the words of the Scripture
will be their highest eulogy: "Thes
, were more noble than those Of Thessa
? lonica, In that they searched the ScrT
lures daily whether these things wer