Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-06
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON AND
YOUNG PEOPLES MEETINGS
News of Interest to Church Goers By a
Writer Who is An Authority on Rligiouse
Subjects. The International Lesson for
Next Sunday.

| it, was based upon the passages which
had been read that morning. He re-
cited the history which the Jews never
tired of hearing, and of course found
it an easy path to the story OF the
Messiah who had come.
Paul was never satisfied to make
general propositions. His sermons
always ended in an application. He
was Thou are the man type OF
preacher. He left his hearers face to
face with their personal responsibility
In the case.
Stirring City.
It had been many long day since
the synagogue had heard such
searching and sensational sermon as
was preached by the unexpected
stranger on that Sabbath morning. 1t
set the Jewish community by the ears.
Whenever a genuine preacher appears
in a ne.ghborhood with a clear mes
sage of conviction, the latter Is bound
to make more talk than all the adver-
Using he can do. People always have
been and always will be interested in
vital, spiritual truth. Rufus M. Jones
says, 'In his spiritual nature, man is
incurably religious" The religion
that is related to life can always get
a hearing. AS it was in Paul's day,
so it is now. A great sermon makes
itself talked about. The members IF
the synagogue entreated Paul and
| Barnabas to speak again the follow
ing Sabbath.
The implication is that this syna-
gogue was an influential factor in the
life of Antioch. It's outreach touched
the entire city Apparently it had to
some degree solved the ever-present
problem OF making the church the
center of the communal life. 1t must
have delighted Paul's heart to see the
way in which that synagogue was able
to- get after men in their social rela-
tionships, so that. as the narrative
runs, Next sabbath almost the whole
city was gathered together to hear
the word Of Cod"
Some Jealous Jews.
Sour, misanthropic, and ill-favored
souls there always have been. whose
greatest sorrow seems to be the hap
Ipiness of other people. OF a naturally
jealous disposition they cannot view
with equanimity the prosperity of any
body else The world is full of these
born detractors. THE slang phrase
of the days calls them knockers" !;
and the philosophy Of the street has
coined words of keenest scorn for
them. Even the man who gives least
thought to questions of character and
ethics perceives that the "knocker" is
on the wrong track, and that he is a
man to be avoided or reformed.
The Jews Of Antioch had been de
! lighted over the popularity which
Pauls sermon had won for their syn
agogue, but when they found that the
multitude followed Paul and disre-
garded them. they were filled with
jealousy" They could not stand
aside for the sake Of a great man and
a great message.
Therefore they stirred up SANDER
against the missionaries; even as
heather in all lands have fabricated
the most outrageous and baseless
ISLANDERS against missionaries. 1t is a
common belief in many pagan com
munities that the missionaries steal
children and make medicine out oi
their vital organs. Some of these
rumors would seem to be too ridicul
Gus to deserve notice, were it not thst
they are credited by the people fol
whom they are intended. These
Jews appealed to the partisanship O.
the women Of their communicate
women are essentially partisan, ant
the chief defenders of all old instit,l
tons Conservatism makes it's las
stand in the minds of women. The,
are the best advocates and the bitter
est opponents. Whenever there is ;
race riot on the east side of New
4 York, it is the women who make mos
of the trouble.
A Missed Opportunity.
\ 1t was Inevitable that the new doc
4 trine should spread beyond Jewisl
1 limits. There was no reason OUTSIDE
\ themselves why the Jews should no
\ go along with it. In their condemna
ton of the liberality Of Pauls mes
a sage, they really condemned them
a selves Our Judgment Of others in
\ evitably judges us. BY their attitui
toward Paul and toward Christianity
4 wider spread, the Jews shut them
Y selves off from the great opportunit.
in their history, and missed the YER
a mission for which they had been Sc
Il apart as chosen people.
n But they were impotent to stay th
spread of the gospel. Gods kingdom
4 is bound to come. Mans only co.
n Germ is whether it shall come by hi
a help or in spite Of him, and wheths
- it shall come to him or pass him By
n The great question Of election whi,;
a arises in this connection was we
81 answered by Rev. Sam Jones, tn
evangelist, who said, 1.-THE elect ar
4 the whatsoever wills and the moi
III elect are the 'whosoever wonts
Doing the Job.
"He that speaks the truth will fin
4 himself in sufficiently dramatic sit'
RI ations," says Professor Woodrow Wi
n son. There are crises constantly col
Is fronting the man who Is animated, a
"a was Paul, by the conviction. "Thi
III one thing I do" Whosoever IS dete
IA mined to do his own work at all ha
~ ards is bound to have variety {
"a experiences, but he and he alone wi
n achieve great results. Mr.. Mood
h used to say, when men ask M
n Moody, what is the secret of yo,
81 success?' reply, GO to work an