Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-05-19
tBx DIR. MARION MICH. HULLJ

tBY DIR. MARION MICH. HULL.)
Tho success which Paul had in Antioch made
the Jews Jealous. and through their influence
with the wives OF those in authority they drove
the apostles from che city. They journeyed
eastward eighty miles to the city Of Iconium.
Here the came thing happened. In spice OF the
opposition, however, they stayed long time
until tho Jews from Antioch came down TO
Iconium and again made 1t necessary for them
to leave. still journeying eastward they went
forty miles TO Lystra in Lycaonia. Each time
they went into a new province so that tney
would be under the jurisdiction of other Off
GERS. At, Lystra two things happened whleh
marked it as one Of the strategic points IN
Paurs life. One of these arc a convert, for
here IL that young Timothy came uhder
Pauls influence. Having been taught the
scriptures from his youth by his mother ana
grandmother, he was we'll grounded ana ready
to see the greater light as Paul showed IL to
him. Timothy became his companion in after
years and the enc person whom Paul loved most
of all of his friends. -
The other incident was one which Paul never
forgot. He refers to il once and again IN
his letters; and no wonder, for it was caicu-
lated to make a profound impression on his life.
A HOPELESS % CASE: -.
One day when preaching he noticed a cripple
who had never walked, who had grown to man
hood, impotent in his feet, as DR.; LUXE ae,
scribes it, No doubt his parents had exhausted
every effort to relieve him through such lnedi-
cal aid as they could secure, and had given
him up as hopeless case. 1t was desperate
case yes. The muscles were withered from
lack of use, the joints were stiff the nerves
unframed. There had never been any powers
of coordination; he was, humanity speaking.
hopeless. Bnt there was something in the man
face as he listened to Paul preach which made
Paul realize that he had faith enough to be-
licve / think it was the way he responded.
As one speaks there is such a difference in
the responses from different people Tho faces
Of some blank no impression has been
made at all. The faces OF others light up
with the eagerness of their response. The quick
eve of Paul detected this mental attitude, IN
the face of this man. He believed that hS
was willing to obey; and so he fixed his eye
upon him steadfastly and spoke TO him with
confidence and conviction, Get up and Walk.
The result showed that he was not mistaken.
The man leaped upon his feet and began TO
walk. Every step he took brought added
strength.
There are many desperate cases all around
us, hut no case is hopeless. The drunkard,
the dope ficnd the HcentiOus, the foul mouth,
blasphemers, the grasping greedy business man
these are desperate cases Nothing but the
hopeless for in every there can be awak-
ened a response. If they believe and obey, the
came into the cripple at Lystra, and the result
will be the power they need Just as IT was
THE CREDULoUs CROWD.
The effect of this miracle was marvellous up
or the crowd. There was a tradition at Lystra
that in years gone by there had been an epiph-
any: the gods had visited them. In fact, the
temple had been established Just outside OF
the city gate to commemorate this epiphany.
Being ignorant and superstitious someone sug-
gested that they had been favored with an.
other visit of the gods in the form OF these
two strangers. The suggestion took like Wild
fire, and it was not long before the rumor
had spread all over the city that Jupiter and
Mercury had come down from heaven into their
midst The priest of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES gate
fell in with the suggestion, and began lmme;
diately making preparations for triumphal
procession in which garlands of flowers and
baskets Of fruits to be Offered, along with
the sacrifice of flesh, as thank offering TO
II is a we'll known fact that when one be-
comes excited they drop naturally into their
ing Greek but in their excitement now, they
used the speech Of Iycaonia, which Paul ami
Rarnahas did not understand. They were ignor-
ant therefore, of the meaning or these prep
arations until they had gone very far. AS soon
as they discovered ii they wrung their hands
and cried out, Men, why do You , 90 these
selves and have TO teach YOU the foolish
ness of Just what you are doing And In the
most tactful way Paul led them from their
sacrifice closing his short address by applying
To Jehovah the God Of heaven the attributes
expressed by them in one of their popular
songs which they had been singing praising
the gods for giving them rain and sunshine
and fruits out of the ground Paul did not
preach Christ that day: He showed his tact
hearing that particular message then. With
difficulty they finally induced the people to
give up their folly.
crowd is usually unthinking, impulsive. and
superficial The crowd is apt TO act without
investigation, indeed they did again, al
though acting in the opposite way that same
REFUSED THE CRowN-RECEIvED THE
CROSS
For inst about this time the Jews from Anti
och and Iconium arrived and found 1t very easv
tc turn the disappointed crowd from the atti-
tude of praise TO that of prosecution. A few
folsehoods from them about Paul and Barnabas
made then, turn upon them. Possibly Barnabas
had gotten away by this time and possibly
,g.,NSua
rock and threw it at Paul; and the unthink-
ing crowd followed his lead Paul was stoned
until they thought that he was dead. Thinking
his body too unfit for burial, they dragged MN
over the streets outside of the gate and threw
what they supposed was lifeless corpse on
the trash heap and dispersed.
Some of his friends am quite sure Timothy
was one of them, had followed at safe dis
lance and now standing around him weep-
them back into the city. probably through some
secluded streets where ne would not be noticed
by any of his former prosecutors. During these
moments Paul's spirit had been caught up into
the third heaven where God is most manifest
and saw things that were not lawful for man to
utter. but he never forgot the experience. 1t is
probable that he was killed. that Is that the
spirit separated from the body, and that
he was brought to life again in order that he
might continue the work which God mad planned
for him.
Il was a great temptation which Paul ami
Rarnabas had, to accept the homage which
these people were giving them in order that
good; but the end does not Justify the means.
Had they not refused the crown they would not
have been able TO WELD the power which was
afterwards theirs.
1t was hard for them to admit that there
was no essential difference between them and
the idolatrous Lycaonians. Only Il Christian
can admit this AMI he does ii because he sees
himself and others in the light Of the face of
Jesus Christ. If he refused the crown he did
not refuse the cross, but received 1t, for in
that way he was filling up that which was
lacking in the sufferings Of Christ. We are
called upon today to make sacrifices. The
crown is placed before us and it is very allur-
ing sometimes. Many failed in the face of this
temptatnn because they lacked far VISION but
the cross is there which every disciple must
take up. II is not physical suffering often; it
IS always, however, a crucifixion of self, put
ting self out OF the question entirely that Christ
may be all in all. Have you even in a small
measure filled up that which lacking in the
sufferings of Christ?
$4,000 Fire.