River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-01-06

This text is an
index to the poverty Of Paul. He
could not afford to buy new cloak
to keep him warm in the damp, chilly
atmosphere of his Roman prison. 1t
is an index, also, to his love of litera-
ture. The books and the parchments
may include many kinds of books. sa-
cred and profane.
Every one knows that Paul was a
diligent student of the scriptures. but
it is evident that he also read other
books. In his sermon at Athens. re-
corded in Acts II, he quotes from the
poet Aratus: For we are also his on
spring" Aratus was native of Sill
cia, Paul's native country, and lived
about 270 B. G. Paul doubtless be-
came familiar with his writings before
ais conversion.
In Titus /, ~, Paul quotes from Epi-
menides: "The CTetans are always
liars, evil beasts, slow bellies" Ep1-
menides, born about 600 B. c., was a
poet, pagan prophet and writer on po-
IiticaI subjects. He was the Rip Van
Wrinkle of his time and it is possible
that Washington Irving borrowed his
quaint fancy from q tradition which
says that while Epimenides was keep
ing sheep he went into cave and,
falling asleep, did not awake until
after 81 years, when he came forth
from his slumber with large increase
of wisdom and inspiration.
In /. Corinthians Is, SO, Paul quotes
from Menander: EVIL communica-
tions corrupt good manners" Menan-
der was a Greek dramatist who -four
ished about 342 B. G. He was friend
of Epicurus. In his comedies married
ladies are represented as the plague
and bore Of their husbands lives.
Some of his sayings are pithy and
pointed: Poverty is the most easily
cured of all evils; any friend can do it
by merely putting his hand in his
pocket" People who have no merit
OF their own generally boast of their
ancestors, but every living man has
ancestors or he would not be living
man."
But Menander, with all his learning
and wit, was a pagan infidel. He did
not believe that the gods had any
thing to do with human affairs. Ev-
erything, according to his creed, was
determined by memorable law.
1t will be seen from these quota
tons that Paul had read the pagan
poets, philosophers and even an inf
del writer, that he might inform him
self as to the beliefs of the people and
be able to meet their errors.
But the book which Paul priced and
held to be authoritative above all 9th
ers was the Old Testament scriptures
all of which he declared In his second
letter to Timothy were "God-breathed
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, fol
correction and for instruction in
righteousness" G. rim. $3.50. What
saith the Scriptures?" he asked more
than once, and with him the answer
to that question was final.
Paul was a great preacher and yet
1t is through his writings that he is
known to the world. The two-fold
method of propagating the gospel in
apostolic times was through the liv
ing voice and the written word. Christ
called men and sent them out tC
preach. Then the Holy Spirit moved
men to write What thou seest write
in a book" (Rev. 1, III. These two
methods are as effective to-day as
then, and both should be used.
The printed word is sometimes more
powerful than the living voice. Il
comes with a quiet, persuasive power
1t has no repulsive manner.
This is a reading age and meI
reach conclusions by reading rather
than by listening. The great objec
of preaching is to move them to act
We must still depend, as in apostolic
times, on the pen for indoctrination
The business of great daily papers i:
not to advance the cause of religion
any more than a hundred other things
1t is a sad fact that too often their in
fluence is against pure and vital Chris
tianity. Christians need to wake III
to the Importance of spending money
in supporting the printed as well a.
the spoken gospel.
The objection that people do no
read sermons or strictly religious ar
ticles is not well taken. l think 1
can be demonstrated that the numbe
of people who read sermons is a.
large as the number who hear ser
mons. / am inclined to think it il
larger. 1t is a very moderate state
ment to say that any man whose ser
mons are published multiplies his con
gregation by two, while in most case
he multiplies 1t by at least 10 an,
in some cases by 10000.
1t is our duty to bring the truths O
the gospel in contact with the people
That is our part; the rest Is with God
We cannot convert men through tn
press any more than from the pulpit
in both cases we must simply prc
claim the truth and trust God to caus
it to terminate and bring forth fruit
OF course there is waste.
The parable Of the sower woul
lead us to expect at least three-fourth
of the seed to be lost. So there seem
to be an immense waste of words an
energy in the pulpit. But we must b
willing to waste, or else we shall d
nothing.
A reporter said to me he believe
the angel of revelation flying through
the heavens with the everlasting SOS
pei was the daily press. In man
cases it is black angel and his mes