The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-07-15

while he did not
90 out OF his way to provoke people
to wrath, II they took offense at his
presentation of the truth, he never
asked anybody's pardon for hurting
their feelings. He made 1t his busi-
ness to know but one thing among
men: Jesus Christ, and Him crucl-
fed" But the discussion OF that
theme in Pauls day was as unaccepta.
Bile as an abolition speech would have
been in the South before the war,-or
since. for that matter, or eulogy on
William j. Bryan in Republican
Presidential nomination convention.
When the apostle came to Thessalo.
MICA on his itinerary he aroused the
usual opposition. He had no sooner
begun to deliver his message than his
enemies started the story that he was
presenting the claims of rival king,
and they stirred up the whole city,
committed assault and battery upon
JASON in whose house he was being
entertained. and brought the entire
church into police court, and swore
that Paul had said that there was an.
other king, one Jesus, which of course,
was treason to Caesar
Half Truths Whole Lies.
Didn't the Jews know better than
that? Certainly. Didn't they fully
understand that Paul was talking
about heavenly kingdom and
spiritual king? Assuredly What was
their object then? Simply to get rid
OF the preacher. And to do it they
took the method of the hypocrite and
the sneak in all ages, and told half
ruth in such way as to make it
whole lie. No lies are SO vile as
those which pervert and distort the
truth. To prove their point those
scoundrels went into court and swore
that Paul was preaching up king.
They bore testimony that they had
heard him press the claims of the
king. 1t was unanimous verdict;
treason to Caesar. Liars! Paul was
aimself a Roman citizen, and always
preached submission to "the powers
that be-"
There was not drop of disloyal
blood in his veins. But the mob put
their own Interpretation upon his
words and chased him out of town.
And many a man since then has met
the same fate. Misnterpreted, mis-
meanings read into his utterances that
we're never dreamed OF by him, his
enemies have shouted their half
truths into the air until the mob has
been aroused and the whirlwind de-
yeloped.
The True Test.
Prosecuted in one city the apostle
fed to another, and brought up at the
little town of Berea, few miles far
ther on. And here the preacher found
different class of people. They
heard the new doctrine and they said
at once, I'VE will look into this mat
ter for ourselves" So they got out
their Bibles, and searched the Scrip
lures daily whether these things were
So" That Is the only proper and de-
cent treatment to accord the preach
er. Make him prove it. If he can
not show 1t to you in the book, do not
accept It, no matter who says it Is
thcre. IL he can show 1t to you in
the book accept 1t, believe it, appro-
pirate it, live it, though all the forces
of earth and all the devils in hell shall
oppose. II will make a sensation in
your heart; in your family perhaps;
in the church. doubtless; in the COM
munity, sure, some of the things he
will point out to you. But If you find
them there you are bound to stand by
them though the heavens fall. OF that
sort Of preacher the world has but
lew, and they are growing fewer
every day.
Nevertheless, "the foundation Of the
Lord standeth sure, having this seal:
The Lord knoweth them that are His"
Hidden Treasures.
The true preacher causes people TO
search the Scriptures. 1t Is book
on astronomy, and every one should
search it until they find the Star OF
Bethlehem" the Bright and Morning
star" 1t Is treatise on geology, and
every one should study it until they
md THE Rock, Christ Jesus" and
the Stone that has become the head
OF the corner" IL is work on mathe-
matics, and everyone should search 1t
until they can figure out what 1t
shali profit a man to gain the whole
world, and lose his own soul" 1t is
tome on grammar, and every one
thould peruse 1t until they know the
ciFercnce between big 'l' and little
~. II is a spelling book and every
one should study it until they can
speh dis-appointments with an II. or
al such the words of the Scriptures
VIII be their highest eulogy: These
were more noble than those of Thessa-
l'1'ca, in that they searched the Scrip
iAres daily whether these things were