The Washington herald., 1909-01-02
A Year With History-Makers.

Jaruary The Ascension q OR Lord" Acts
il-A
The man of books who has no time for
the newspaper IS no more mistaken than
the newspaper reader who has no time
for books. The first misses the meaning
o. to-day, and the second IS unable 70 see
, today IN its relations. For the present
( Is Ineligible only IN the light Of the past
I THAT is why history IS the favOrite study
Of the wise and the great
This new year OF 1850 bids fair 20 be one
Of the great years in the annals Of the
race: It holds promise. also. of being one
Of the expansion periods Of Christianity
There are strange strings discern.ble in
all churches. PrOtestants and Roman
/ Catholics alike are looking toward the
world horizon. BY such evidences as tie
recent Church Federation and Catholic
Missionary Congress II IS seen that or
gained Christianity is girding uD as
/ lolns for a fresh struggle with The pagan
world. Opportunely. the sunday schools
/ Of Christend0m are 10 Cive this entire
year 20 q study OF TIE early history of
the church The apostolic past will iIll-
inmate this rare present. and the present
viii shed light on the past.
WHEN ALL THINGS ARE READY.
From hundreds Of platforms in these
dsvs missionary speakers are pointing out
the extraordinary and providentiaI oppor-
tunities before our own times. There is
a wonderful drawing together Of the na-
tlcns. an increase CF interrelar.Ouship-
and a Quickening of the spirit Of world
/ consciousness. In equally remarkable de-
l gree there was q cOucateuation Of pr0vi-
Dental opportunities confronting the apos-
tolic church Rome had conquered the
world. and had laid the strong hand Of
her law upon it- so that with reasonable
, safety one could travel everywhere. She
had laid down q system OF roads which
made communication easy a common
I speech. Greek. was understood by people
everywhere. The dispersed Jews and Ju-
daIze5 Greeks Could ne found al ali CEN
te.s. giving a favorable opening for the
missionaries Of the new faith It was in
truth 'the ftIlluess Of time"
All times are not alike There are Ger
tain epochs when history seems ready 70
burst into flower. All conditions conspire
for the production q great events. Such
was the case iu the apostolic age and
such. careful observers declare. is the
case al the beginning of this twentieth
century. That little band % Christians
had the vision and the courage 10 meet
the conditions. the result was the world
wide dissemination of their faith. a very
miracle Of propaganda
TIE BOON or WIDENING HORIZON
Il IS the fashion among some persons
who could not 90 his work 90 speak dis
paraginely OF the reporter. Yet the re-
porter is merely a day-at-a-time h!stori-
an. He Is fairly in she line OF succession
70 Ferod0tus. JoSePhus. NenOphon, Cae-
sar. Matthew. Mark Luke, and John
! All honor 10 Peter and Paul; but all hon
or TOO 10 Luke. the faithful reporter
through whom ne know them. and who
wrote peerless history of The early
church without once mentioning his own
name. Tie veracIty Of no other ancient
writing. one scholar has declared, IS so
/ eel tested as that OF the Acts. because
M other has such numerous points or
contact in all directions with CoutempO-
rarv history. politics. and topography,
whether Jewish OF Greek or Roman. May
I all who write. or relate By word Of mouth,
I be able 20 stand such tests as Luke has
triumphantly met
/ There is a dramatic progress IN Luke S
story. r is a book Of widening horizon
+ Ii graphically portrays the growth of
Z Christianity from a small and deSpised
/ Jewish sect to a worldwide religion Tor
/ Jew and Gentle The book Is not bi-
/ ograuhv Of the apostles. nor IS Il mar
rative Of the acts of even Peter and Paul.
/ So the title men have given il is mislead-
F ing The Acts is a history Of the eXpan-
( sion Of the early church. Il records what
! Jesus began TO do and 10 teach through
I His followers More truly than IL reports
( The Acts Of the Apostles" the book is
/ transcript Of The Acts Of the Holy
I Spirit"
The storv. opens with the disciples still
/ Clinging TO their old. narrow, Jewish no
ton that Jesus would restore temporal
kingdom 10 Israel It ends with a dis
cipleship which has imbibed the Spirits
! teaching Of a spiritual kingdom; and who,
! consequently. are preaching the good
news to all the people whom they could
( by any means reach
A CONTEIPORANEOUs RELIGION.
Real religion is not shut UP in a book
( or behind mysterious clouds 1t is some
thing for the present time and place.
( Luke wrote a former treatise, but that
was not enough: he had TO write a sec
ond book. and probably meant to write a
| third TO bring the wonderful story Of
Gods working among men right down to
date. There are plenty Of persons living
who are deeply interested In the revival
T at Jerusalem 2000 years ago. but who are
I Indifferent TO the revivals in India ana
I Korea and China to-day. i certain emil
nent theological professor remarked 10
me one day with great positiveness:
There Is nothing new that is true, and
nothing true that is new Is il any Won
/ der that he and his seminary are regard
ed as fOsSilized2
The Book Of Acts teaches nothing If II
religion. L is redolent Of a present Christ
I He showed Himself alive. remarks
/ Luke. the disciples looked for Him in a
tomb, g-hen He was really standing by
( their side A Gospel that can be expert
enced, and a Christ VINO is a living.
bright reality" are the days need. A
+ present realization Of Jesus is never
: absent mark OF religious vitality A
I Christian cannot subSist on last year
( experience, any more than he can live on
/ last years breakfasts
TIE BUCKET AND THE WELL
Ten years ago.. exclaimed a fervent
man in a revival meeting, I Jet down
nv t,,,-1-o- into -ro --orr ,f -o1,-o +fo,, ~