The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1910-10-17

Lord especially the first part of the
verse, "Why Earliest thOu?") Acts
xii. 10.
twas God who asked the question,
through His servant Ananias, of Saul
of Tarsus; and / believe that God is
asking the same question tonight
through me OF every man and woman
and child in this building that Is not
an openly confessed, out-and-out fol-
lower OF Jesus Christ.
God is saying to you tonight,
"Why Earliest thou? wha' are you
waiting for? Why do you not come
Tout tonight on the side of Jesus
Christ. Saul OF Tarsus hated Jesus
Christ. Saul of Tarsus thought that
Jesus of Nazareth was an imposter
he did not believe that He was the
Christ and the Son of God as He
claimed to be. But away down in the
depths Of his heart Saul of Tarsus
had an uneasy feeling that perhaps
He was the Christ, perhaps He was
the Son of God. but he never admit
ted II even to himself As far as his
admitted convictions we're concerned,
Saul of Tarsus thought Jesus was an
impostor. and he hated Jesus with a
very intense hatred; and he said. 81
am going to stamp out this religion
OF the followers OF Jesus" And he
not only hated Jesus Christ, but he
lhated everybody that bore the name
OF Christ, and whenever he saw a
man or woman or child that believed
in Jesus and followed Him, he hated
them. He did everything in his pow
er TO stamp out the religion of Jesus.
He went from house to house I'm Je-
rusalem and arrested men and wom-
en- and children, sparing neither age
nor sex. and dragged them before
the courts to be tried; and when they
were sentenced to death. he gave his
vote for their execution.
But at last Saul OF Tarsus had ex-
hausted all the opportunities for muir
der in Jerusalem, but he had not ex-
hausted the hatred of his heart. He
breathed an atmosphere of murder
and slaughter. and hearing that a
/ hundred and more miles away, In the
Iclty OF Damascus. there were follow
ers OF Jesus. he went. with a heart
full OF hatred. to the High Priest.
and said. GIVE me letters 20 Damas-
Gus and I viii go and do In Damascus
what / have done in Jerusalem. I
Will arrest all the Christians. whether
men or women or children, and !
will bring them down here TO Jem-
salem to be punished" His request
was quickly granted.
II was a long journey across the
whether on foot or on horseback. but
day after day Saul pressed on. not
even staying for the burning heat OF
the MONDAY sun. At last he has al
most reached Damascus. and he
stands on the last hilltop. and there
I Damascus lies before him. in all its
beauty. a city OF olive groves, city
OF vineyards. a city OF gardens. and
OF flashing fountains. a city OF gilt
tering palaces and dashing rivers. a
city which poets loved TO sing, and
OF which one Persian poet says.
Damascus is a diamond ina setting
OF emeralds."
But as Saul looks down on Damas
Gus in all its far-famed beauty, he
has no eye for its beauty: his only
thought Is that in that city are some
OF these accursed Christians. and be
adds to himself as he stands there,
Il will soon have them in my power.
and be dragging them back TO be
punished at Jerusalem"
He starts to press on towards the
city. to do the hellish work for which
he has come. when suddenly there
shines round about him a marvellous
light with a brightness above that of
the MONDAY sun. and there in the
midst OF It he beholds the most won
drous face and form his eyes had
ever gazed upon. the face and form
.of the glorifed Christ.
Blinded by Glory.
He is blinded by the glory of II
and falls on his face to the ground.
He hears a voice speaking to him.
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou
Me?" and the humbled man cries
back from the ground, "who are
Thou. Lord?" and back comes the
crushing and overwhelming answer
Il am Jesus whom thou persecutest. "
Then, thoroughly subdued and
awed, he cries back, what wilt
Thou have me to do. Lord?"
And the answer comes. "Arise
stand upon thy feet, and go into Da-
mascus, and there 1t shall be told you
what thou must do"
He rises to his feet, but every
thing Is black. He turns his ewes
hither and thither. but he sees moth
Ing. lie has to hold out his hand
and be led like helpless child into
the city he expected to enter as a
conqueror. He goes to the house of
Judas. ard there for three DAYS and