Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1913-09-18
POWER ABOVE ALL
Gospel OF Jesus Christ Supreme
Now as It Was in the
Beginning.

viii UOWeu Heau ana u luTtlNe
~ step. and shrinks from notice.
Shame is the acknowledgment OF
some inferiority or defect. mental, NOR
al or physical. Pride is an upward
looking quality. and though it has been
listed as one of the seven deadly sins.
yet 1t is proper that a true man have
pride in that which Is praiseworthy.
In st. Paul's day the Hebrews were
proud nation. They we're proud OF
their religion. of their wonderful his
tory, OF their great men such as Abra-
ham and Moses, of their city OF Jeru-
salem and its ma gniticent temple.
Their pride would not allow them to
have any dealings with their own
cousins. the Samaritans, because they
had intermarried with the Canaanites.
The Greeks were proud people In
those days. They were proud Of their
learning. of their mellifiuous language.
and of their classic literature which
we study after all these centuries. They
were proud of their works OF art which
have never been surpassed, II equaled,
and they were proud of their general
culture and polish, and they looked
upon other nations as barbarians.
Defied Greatness Of Rome.
The Romans were proud nation IN
Paul's day. They considered 1t the
highest honor to be Roman citizen,
and, in fact, Paul speaks of his own
citizenship as a matter of no small
Importance. Rome had eclipsed
Egypt. had absorbed Greece. while
Palestine was only an obscure prov
ince in corner of the empire. Rome
also had its great men---orators such
as Cicero and Hortensius: poets such
as Virgil, Horace and Ovid: historians
such as Tacitus and Livi: generals
such as Caesar, Pompey and Titus.
Men from the provinces were over
awed by the city's greatness and
glory, and felt that indeed all other
places we're inferior and that here
dwelt not only riches and pomp. but
also culture and wisdom and power.
Paul understood all this; and yet he
would stand In the forum and say
Il am not ashamed of the gospel OF
Christ: make the most of your city,
of your institutions and laws, OF your
literature, and your world-power
There Is greater power in Christianity.
for 1t is the power OF God unto saliva
ton" When Nathaniel Hawthorne
first went to England and contrasted
the cathedrals and museums and man
sions and literature of the mother
country with our small beginnings. he
\ did not feel ashamed Of being an Amer
lean. But he appealed TO the future
and said that America would give to
the world men to match her boundless
plains, men to match her great rivers,
men to match her snow-clad peaks
which rear their heads into the sky
Even SO Paul appealed to the futura
to prove that though Rome's power
was great. yet 1t was puny compared
with the power of the gospel OF Jesus
Christ.
Gospel Supreme Over All.
Since that day nineteen centuries
have come and gone. The gospel has
performed great exploits. Its empire
ancient Rome, and 1t is difficult to be-
lieve that there ever was a time when
any strong man was ashamed of
Christianity. Looking backward we
behold the atmosphere of history
roseate with glorious associations OF
the gospel. 1t has always been the
power of God unto the salvation OF
mankind. 1t has never dwelt in
thieves dens or brothels. 1t has never
filled jails or poorhouses, or fostered
schemes of vice Or avarice. Evil men
have often used Christianity as cloak
to cover their wickedness, and many
crimes have been committed in the
name Of the gospel, but after all these
centuries 1t remains pure and unsul-
lied as 1t came from the life and the
lips of Jesus of Nazareth.
Yet are there not some today who
call themselves Christians and yet go
about the world apologeticaIly, always
ready to deny their allegiance. and
would never stand up and say In the
face of ridicule, II am not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ" What poor
specimens Of humanity they are;
neither flesh nor. fish! There we're
some people like that in Laodicea of
old, and to them the risen Lord said:
Il know thy works, that thou art
neither cold nor hot; ! would that thou
vert cold or hot. So because thou
art lukewarm, and neither cold nor
hot, will spew thee out of my
mouth"