The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-06-13
ST. PAUL IS SONG OF TRIUMPH

ST. PAUL IS Sol
zs;1'- z .-s ls.. e s.. s; 9. : 9.
IS Romans 8. $3.50. .Tor am per-
&suaded that neither Life nor death,
Euor angels. nor prtncipahties. nor
1Dowers nor things present, nor
sdepth. nor any other creature shall
be able to separate US from the
love OF God, which IS in Christ Jesus.
ourLord"
The New Testament contains the
literature of the spirit in its htShest
moods The noblest ASPIRATIONS or
sfa4th and hope there That Is
z WY we call those books inspired.
The persecutfons, tribulations. mar
yfyrd0ms OF that time Witnessed the
highest herodsms and the deepest
trust. The New Testament RECORDS
these experiences From heart
strings, tense with anguish the
sweetest strains of rapture were
struck. Our barren rocks, swept by
tempest. the fairest blossoms OF
the soul grew up From stripes ana
from perils by land
and sea, ST Paul came to visions and
revelations of God The history OF
those early days is un4que-the peri
Cd In which toll and sorrow and su1-
fering and defeat wrote the story OF
Gods wondrous deeds. the anthem OF
mans gratitude and praise What
made 1t possible2 What made those
outcasts OF their race the religious
teachers and examples Of the ages
How came It they could live the
the Life they did2 Why do we turn
to them amid the sorrows and woes
OF today for comfort and help
What was their secret Of strength .
l IT was their belief in the love OF
God-the conviction OF Divine
power and affection. sustaining them
8 and guiding them to the best ana
fine highest. It was the assurance
they were working out Gods wisdom
They were children OF the hv1ns
Cod He was caring for them IN
loftfer and better ways than men
could know. Despised and rejected
OF their fellows, an invisible compane
tonship wrapped them round WITH
its compassion and bore them on
They might suffer. it did but enhance
their glory. The fame might k1nOe
upon them, it would but light them
| the sooner to their home. one can
mot dou0t, as he turns the pages OF
the New Testament that it was a
deep and abidingssense OF the love OF
God that made those early Christians
! what they were. 1t was not a the
ology. but life. It gave them vic
tory In every defeat. It placed tne
crown upon their brows while the
cross was yet heavy upon their backs
s.-I am persuaded that neither life nor
death shall be able to separate us
from the love of God which IS IN
Christ Jesus our Lord" When a man
gets that into his heart, he is bound
TO overcome
There are some things in the New
Testament that one can readily un-
derstand. One can understand the
nassares drawn from local customs,t
the symbols and emblems OF the early
church. This and many other
things are not so difficult. But where
did they learn that God is love2 How
did they get that 3 idea? Whence
arose that dawn upon their darknesse
They had not yet learned the inner,
most nature The universaltty ano
hene6cence OF love-those great
principles were far In the future
Nor were there anything in mans re-
slation to man to suggest 1t. Brother
hood was known as a word. but not
as a virtue Cruelty sat upon tne
throne: distrust sta1ked among the
people. There was nothing In the CIR
cunstances OF the apostles them
Selves Iu4I SQO1AC VI ~
source. killed all the day Ions'
they were accounted as sheep for me
slaughter-s And this was their con
clusion: There is a God who ioEes
u.s., TO me this is the most VOL
derfuI thing Of all that far-on time
They held the doctrine OF the Divine
love. too, in such sensible and man m
Nv way. There was no maWklsn ol
fably sentimentali1ies in it &c was
moi a limp and spineless love I.
vas not an aimless splashing anu
spatfering of affection: but STEADY.
definite purpose and aim. 1t was .
love that meant something tnat
meant to accomplish something. 1e
was a, love that meant to train men
and bring them up to their pest
They did not conceive Of 1t as a love
that sought to shield them from
their trials and Affections h''t TO use
even these for their education HOW
little those Christians OF the Ne"
Testament thought OF their hard
shios and sufferings as Illusions. as
things OF the Imagination. They
we're All very real and very hard 20
bear and they did not pretend 70
10 contrary. Thev did not Try 70
deceive themselves for one single mo-
BUILDING OP
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