Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-08
THE FoRTuNE-TELLER AND THE
JAlLER.
The International Sunday School Les
son for July II Is "Paul's Second
Missionary Journey--the PhIlippian
IaiIer." Acts 16:16.4o.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.


BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
Newspaper readers the world over
are keeping an eye upon Mr.. Roose-
welt in Africa, partly because of in
tarest in him. and partly, it must be
confessed, because of the innate hui
man love of adventure. No matter
how routine or commonplace our
lives we feel an instructive sympathy
with those who roam and who under
60 strange experiences. Travel lee
lures and books have been staple of
literature since ever the art of writ
ing was discovered.
The twenty-five million members OF
the worlds Sunday schools are finding
the present course Of lessons of I'M
usual interest because these narratives
sof PauIs Journeys are as lively as a
newspaper and as full of human in
Herest.
Now we ind Paul landed in Europe.
This is the most distant and perilous
flight he had thus far made. Indeed,
iDr. James Stalker declares that this
journey was not only the greatest he
achieved, but perhaps the most mo-
tmentous recorded in the annals Of the
human race. In its issues it far out
,rivaled the expedition Of Alexander
the Great. when he carried the arms
and civilization Of Greece into the
heart of Asia. or that of Caesar when
he landed on the shores of Britain, or
even the voyage of Columbus when
he discovered a new world" DR..
Stalker goes on to point out that had
Paul gone In another direction instead
iof to Europe, missionaries from In
ldia and japan might have been com.
ing to England at the present day to-
tell the story OF the cross. But Prov
idence conferred on Europe blessed
priority, and the fate OF our continent
was decided when Paul crossed the
Aegean Sea-"
A Contrast In Womanhood.
The scene of the particular episode
assigned for present study in Philippi,
the chief city of Macedonia. Paul was
on his way with Lydia. the devout
woman who was his first convert In
Europe, to the place of prayer. Re-
ligious associations are not necessarily
a deliverance from temptation. The
worst of influences may accompany
one to the best of places. A hysterical
fortune-teller, demon-possessed, follow
ed Paul and his friends crying out
that they were the servants of the
Most High. DR.. Lyman Abbott says
that the young woman was a mixture
the devil" She was in that long line
of succession, which has continued to
the present day, OF persons who, by
one influence or another, undertake to
exercise the arts of magic. Curiously
enough these evil spirits of divination
are even linked with religions. recall
picking UP in Port Said book store
little volume on magic, which in all
seriousness purported to reveal the
secrets of the black art, and on every
page the names Of the great teachers
Of religion we're invoked as masters.
AS Pauls first convert in Europe
had been woman, representing the
lofty estate to which womanhood was
called by the new Gospel OF Jesus, 80
this sooth-saying maiden may stand as
a figure of the plight of womanhood
under heather dispensation. She
was held in slavery by men who were
making profit out of her misfortune.
Her misery and degradation were a
symbol OF the designation of her sex,
even as Lydia's noble character repre-
scented the nsfguration which the
Gospel effects in the character OF
womanhood.
The crooked know the straight.
those who lack It. Well does Jesus
H., l., I<1s -
The testimony of this poor girl to the
real mission Of Paul and his friends Is
significant Of the fact that evil is alert
to perceive the power Of good. Per
haps that Is why "the wicked flee
when no man pursueth." Paul was not
one of those who would receive honor
from the enemy: he would not build a,
church out Of saloon-keepers subscrip-
lions, nor be flattered into silence by
the compliments of the wicked rich.
He wanted not the testimony of this
demon-possessed girl. So he command
ed the spirit to come out of the girl
and thus freed her from her thralldom.
His interest was always deep In the
human side. He cared for persons.
On the contrary, the girls masters
seemed not to be interested in the
girl for herself, but only in the money
which her art brought to them. Ap-
partently she was so profitable that a
syndicate had been formed to own and
manage her. AS soon as the flow of
gain stopped there was an uproar.
The constituencies of money, as wit
messed in Wall street. Is no new at
tribute. There always have been per-
sons in whom the money nerve has
been quicker than the nerve of con-
science.
In this Philippian episode we may
see, without stretching the figure, an
analogy of the tumultuous activity of
certain special interests at Washing.
ton in the matter of the tariff Vested
interests are pulling for high tariff
or for a low tariff not for the coun-
try's sake, but for their own private
profit They vie with each other in
invoking the highest sentiments of
patriotism to cloak tkeir meanest mo-
tives, even as these Philippian capita
lists displayed remarkable access of
real for the Roman, divinifies when