The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-04-13
What the Church Folk Are Thinking About and
Doing. Religious News From
Elsewhere
an

NoNNo VI IStidIiS. ne Idu great WIS.,
ions and inspirations, but he lived on
human levels. We see him not a
saint, but a man, with human weak
nesses, impulsive,- u~nyielding at times,
o. quick and vehement temper and
we see this man in many ordinary sit
uations pressed on every side, yet not
s~traightened; perpleXed, yet not unto
despair; pursued, yet not fOrsaken;
snitten down., yet not destroyed. He
represents human nature at it's best,
the nature toward which all may
strive, for he could we'll say to the
corinthians, Be ye imitators of me
even as l also am Of Christ
A Young Mans Career.
Much of the eVi! that troubles the
world is merely misdirected energy.
Tfis cannot be altered by prohibitions,
any moze than a child can be we'll
trained by ceaseless 'dont's." The
forceful life must end expressions; we
create moral vacuums by our mega
tons. Young persons Of the Saul type
are bound to be and do something: the
only question is the character of their
career. Shrewdly. the Jewish leaders
took up the promising young eacher.
They gave him for the outgo
of his energies
These were men, often set adrift as
black sheep" are the very ones that
the church and the State need most.
The new body of Christian believers
especially needed such. Jesus him.
self cOvets this strong, brave spirit.
Though he had passed from earth,
Christ still yearned for the dis
ciDleship of such a vigorous young
prosecutor. who fairly breathed forth
tnreatenings and slaughter against
the new sect. Heaven is more inter-
ested in earth than earth ever sus-
poets. God cares for individuals with
a personal, watchful concern that
mortals canno realize. Looking from
his throne in heaven. Christ saw Saul
Fastening toward his cruel Damascus
ro~'. and. as in the case # the
goodly young man of an carer day,
"b%eholding him. loved him."
The Lord himself thought the con
version Of This choice spirit OF i'm
portance enough to warrant another
earthly temperance. He could not
trust any messenger with this mo-
fmentous message, 50 he went himself.
A VisiOn-A Transformation.
Behold the WONDER master lOgI-
elan and philosopher is converted, not
by overwhelming argument, but by
a vision. The psychologist is won
through his emotions. The disciplined
nationalist is conquered by a spiritual
experience. Thus does God put to
confusion the high and the mighty.
The profoundeSt intellect, as we'll as
the simplest faith, is overwhelmed
when 1t Is given a clear VISION OF the
inevitable Christ.
Amid a light brighter than the
shimrnering Oriental noontide, Saul
saw Jesus. All his philosophy and
fuency disappeared on the instant, and
he could only Stanlmer out the need
less question, Who art thou, Lord?'
4 modern philosopher, using h IA
vorite current shop-talk of his trade,
would call hat magnetism. It was
| t-,%h ;p 1oroc ~ tim To that pv-
perience Saul thenceforward appealed.
This was the bedrock Of his new
faith; he had seen Jesus. and seeing
Jesus lad made a new man of him.
We would see Jesus-this is all were
needing,
Strength. joy and willingness come
with the sight:
We would see Jesus, dying, risen,
pleading.
Then welcome day, and areWell
mortal night
The way Saul was made over is
still the way new men-Who alone
can make new social c~onditiOns-are
to be secured for the world. A trans
forming spiritual experience, which
4 will bring men into allegiance to the
ideals and personality Of Jesus, is
the deepest need of our day. Not a
new social environment imposed upon
the old human nature, but new hearts
in Individual men and WOmen is what
alone can the ills of the present
social order. Nothing would so bless
our generation as, for our people to
have Saul's experience Of confronting
Christ, and entering his discipleship.
A New AnaniaS Club.
Blinded by the radiance of his vision
and all his old world hanging in
shreds around his heels. Saul was led
into Damascus. There he remained
-f~~~AAns cu,e6. Gives quick