The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-07-24
PauPs Visit to Athens;
 An Opportunity in His Life

sound to modern Athenian as did the rumor of new teaching to these tdlers in Athens of old,
 Paul became fad. even as the tur- baned Indian babu who visits America becomes the fad with the Idle women They wanted to her more of his doc trine--not because they felt 1t to be important. but simply because 1t was new. Their interest was purely specu- lative. They desired to titiliate tht weary nerve of intertst. They were early mtmbtrs of the tribt of church rounders who weary of the preaching and worship and work of any single congregation. and sptnd their time in going from church church to tastt the stylt of different preachers.
 On Mars Hill.
 Paul was succeeding in his purpose. He wanted to waken the interest of the city tn himself, that he might transfer that interest to the Christ whom he preached. Then. as now. the problem of awaking whole city's in- terest was no small one. No one has written the heart break of the preack- CT of the gospel who comes to a great modern city burdened with the mess age of God to the people. and then Is compelled to watch the city go on its Idle way past his church door, untouch~ ed and unearing.
 Paul had cleverly planned to get a hearing for himself from the whole city. He was borne to Mars Hill be- fore the court of the Areopagus, the center of philosophic debate. He knew. when he was called upon for a full statement of his principles, that the whole crowd would resort and Athens would be set to humming with dis Al. easily ina Sine how Paul prepared for that speech. His every thought was an inarticulate prayer for dying guid- ance. Near and far he sought for phrases and metaphors and iIlustra- tions. If he failed to be interesting he would fail altogether. And if he failed to be tolerant he would get no hearing He would have to reason from what was known to them up into the realm of what they had yet to learn. How we'll he succeeded as has been preserved to us.
 A Classic Speech.
 And Paul stood nthe midst of the Areopagus, and said:
 ''Ye men of Athens. in all things perceive that ye are very religious. For as passed along. and observed the objects of your worship. found also an altar with this inscription 'To an Unknown God. What therefore ye worship in ignorance, this I set forth unto you. The God that made the world and all things therein, he. be- ing Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is he served by mems hands. as thoNgh he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath. ad all things; and he made of ~A A~ all the face the earth, having de- terminded their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek God. if happily they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us: for in him We live. and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said:
 For we are also his offsprinR.'
 "Retng then the offspring of God we ought not to thing that the Godhead Is like unto gold. or silver, or stone. graven by art and device of man. The times of Ignorance thereforh God over look ed; but now he commUndeth men that they should all everywhere re- pent; inasmuch as he hath appointed day in which he will judge the world In righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained: whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he raised him from the dead"
 Great EGors's Small Effect
 When the speaker began to bear home upon the convictions of his hearers the crowd grew restive Some jeered at his teaching of the resurrec- tion. They did not like anything so immemorial procrastination of the cowdardly, promised to hear more at later season. The general iSlpres- sion made by this masterpiece of oratory was comparatively slight. The hardest kind of, soil for gospel sowing Is among semi-cultured people who feel themselves confident to sit in Judgment upon all things above and below. Possessed of shallow educa- ton which comes short of intense con- viction they feel themselves beyond the moving power Of teacher or preacher. Better Is 1t to preach to a than to attempt to quicken to action and to newness of character the aver age congregation of dilettantes and doctrinaires.
 There were a few converts from the Mars Hill speech. It was not a fall ure. The time later came when the Parthenon on Mars Hill was a Chris tain church. Even one of the mem- bers of the court of Areopagus, Dion ysius. and a noted woman named Demaris, were among the converts. The speech no doubt established the religion of Jesus in that community as worthy of respectful attention and consideration. Into the midst of the multitude of philosophies was pro- jected this new one. challenging at- tention and holding forth its sublime claims to supremacy and allegiance,