Evening journal., 1916-01-05

God"
DR.. Lyon last night said:
The apostle Paul had Just finished
his third evangelistic tour. He had
come to Miletus and had sent up to
Ephesus for the officers Of the church
to come to meet him for a last con-
ference. During this visit the Ephe-
sian friends endeavored to dissuade
him from going up to Jerusalem. for
they said Paul, as you have been
going about the country. in your
evangelistic work, you have spoken so
plainly and pointedly that you have
aroused bitter opposition and made
many enemies who are threatening
your life. The center of this opposi-
ton is at Jerusalem. If you 20 there
the chances are they will kill you.
Paul replied, "The Holy Spirit bears
witness in every city, saying that
bonds and Affections abide me- Then
came ringing out the words of our
text, But none of these things move
me, neither count / my life dear unto
myself" Paul stands forth as a type
of the early Christians. the Christian
ity of the first century.
1t is a glorious thing to march to
victory to the tune of martial music
and the waving of plumes and ban
ners, but far greater still, to toll on
midst privation and danger, knowing
that cessation Of earnest endeavor
would mean an end of trials. but con-
tinuing steadfastly in the course, with
feeling of peace and JOY This was
the spirit of the early Christians. !
.frN. .s--I.N hot non u q
the secret of their power and find in
the man impulse to move us as Chris
tlan workers to nobler effort and en-
deavor.
There were three especial elements
in the lives of these early Christians
that we can we'll covet and emulate
the greatness of their power. The
first was their spirit of enthusiasm
There was nothing temporary or local
in this quality. This zeal of the
early Christians was evident first or
all i'm the holy city of Jerusalem, but
it did not stop there. II spread over
all Judea. Samaria and Galilee. II
crossed over into Europe. This en-
thusiasm was evident among the
mountains of Macedonia, upon the
plains of G-ul, amid the commerce OF
Corinth. yes, even to the very gates
of the imperial city of Rome. More
than this like the flowers that grow
m on the mountain side above the
til er line. in the region OF frosts and
SHOWS, we find a little company OF
earnest Christian disciples in the pal
acc of that most wicked and licentious
of Roman rulers, even of Nero hlm-
self. sending a message TO the
churches of the east-"The saints OF
Caesars household salute you There
was nothing that could dampen or de-
strov their ardor. They were cast
into dungeons. and dens of wild beasts,
thev were burned at the stake. but
others gladly leaped into the breach.
Thev served God with a heroism and
devotion that has rot been surpassed
in twenty centuries.
Church Needs Baptism.
Oh. that we might see similar
spirit in our own day. The greatest
need of the church is baptism Oh en-
th,isiasm. Bv enthusiasm ] mean MOTH
ing temporary or sensational ho.nlns
that like a sky rocket goes up with
great Swish" and then comes down
Try. dead stick. nothing OF the momeh-
tary brilliance of the sky comet OF
meteor. hut rather the steadfast shin-
ing of the sun. Emerson well sald
. NO great cause was ever carried 10 q
successful conclusion without enthusl'
asm." Many a first-class business man
is only a fourth-class Christian. In
politics and finance, he is full OF litt
and energy, but in his religion he Is
dull and listless and dead. Many So
ciety women will iiutter with excite
ment all the afternoon and half the
night over bridge whist or five hun
ired. and if they ever do go to prayer
seeting, they will sit as dumb as oys
ers. Oh, for people that will devote
heir time and their energies to some
hing that is worth their while!
But some one says, Are you no
afraid of zeal without knOwledgeg ?
Yes, but / am more afraid of knowl
edge without zeal. II you have a gur
charged with a large load Of powder
YOU can scrape up enough pebbles il
the street and put them into the barre
and hit something But if you merely
ram down in your gun a hard, cole
bullet without any powder back of 1t
you can hit nothing. Any system o
education in school, college or semi
nary that takes the life and fire ou
OF the student is worse than a failure
n a preacher cannot throw his who'll
heart and soul into a sermon, he hat
better go back in a corner and 81
down. It is a supreme moment TO
any man when he has the privilege 4
stand i'm the pulpit, for half hour, be
tween the living and the dead. II Il
well to be pillar in the church, bu
do not be a sleeper in the church
Beecher once said to his janitor, Il
you see man going to sleep, wax
him up" wake whom up?' 9TH
man?" "No, the preacher!" II dullnes
and laziness are inexcusable anywher
1t is in the pulpit Worse than mex
cusable. il is criminal II the averag
man did not put more energy into hi
business than the average Christian
puts into his religion. he would be
bankrupt inside Of sixty DAYS.
But not only did the early Christia
have a spirit OF zeal. but also of pei
sonal endeavor. Said an early histo
ian, "One of the remarkable thing
about that band of Nazarens is tina
each one seems to feel a personal n
sponsibility for the building uD c
their cause. Would that this might b
said of the modern church! Their
are many churches that have in thes
days but two active workers-the pa
tor and the ianitor. Last year th
churches CT this country reported
net increase of less than 2 per cen
- That is. IL took more than fifty prl
fessed Christians to convert one sou
Eupnncfuor f.,o .c - 1sl