The Detroit times., 1916-09-07
The international Sunday school
Lesson for September 10 10. THE
Arrest OF Paul."-Aets 2t:t7.4o.
BY WILLIAM 7. ELLIS.

A few days ago one blazing noon,
! circulated amid the throngs OF
men listening TO soapbox orators In
Madison-sq, New York. This spot
has come to be forum for the dis
Sfssion OF issues which the work.
ingmen deem most alive and I'M.
portant. There were four meetings
under way AT the same time. What
was my surprise TO find that none
was upon socialism or single tax or
woman suffrage or the garment max.
ers' strike, but that al four were
dealing with some aspect Of religion
One was a discuss. rather tummult-
nous, among Jews. over the Ten
Commandments One was a straight
out evsngelistic service. conducted
by the churches. Another was a
rather inchoate presentation of the
social implications OF Christianity.
while the fourth. and largest. was a
Joint debate on the historicity OF
Jesus.
II would have been we'll II every
newspaper editor. every preacher,
every law-maker and every teacher
In North America could have studied
that dramatic evidence OF the pres.
ent popular interest In religion.
Those hundreds. or thousands. Of
toilers spent the greater part OF
their lunch hour in standing In the
broiling sun. listening 10 amateurish
talk about religion. The war bull
letins had no such crowds There
ship In the thing estimated the
number OF men who seemed like
conventional church. members as en-
tirely negligible. The whole demon.
stration illustrated the ancient and
ineradicable interest Of mankind in
the things beyond sense and time.
As says the old proverb, Man Is an
incurably religious animal" One Of
several phases OF Billy Sunday
compaisn more remarkable than the
, evangelist's preaching IL the vast
outpouring OF people, church. goers
and non-church .goers. who are frank.
ly interested in vital religion.
The scenes on Madisonsq.. in the
Sunday tabernacle. AT the great
ChrtutIap cap,n ,roat{pgu opd RON
ferences and conventions. are linked
historically by fundamental tie.
with the riot AT Jerusalem which re.
suited In the arrest OF Paul For
they all spell mans supreme inter
est In religion. No other question
ever arouses SO earnest a discus
sion as religion. Because every.
body has within his own heart what
Wordsworth beautifully calls Init.
nations OF Immortality" he is con-
cerned with the question OF another
life and another world. The preach.
er who thinks he must preach upon
sensational topics. and--to use the
words OF the editor OF a famous re.
ligious weekly concerning a "popu-
lar" minister OF his city-"compete
successfully with the other amuse.
ment enterprises OF the neighbor-
hood" shows himself a poor student
OF human nature. Religion. in every
fresh. genuine. vital expression. is
the most interesting subject in the
world. That proposition can be
proved by great array OF present
day evidence.
An ~ Am Ready" Man.
II was a question OF religion that
set the city OF Jerusalem by the
ears, "a II attempted 10 mob the
apostle Paul: even as IL had been a
question OF religion that had crowd
ed the great theater at Ephesus with
a noisy mob.
Before we get 10 the riot that led
10 Rome. We should recall the cir
cumstances Paul had journeyed
steadfastly 10 Jerusalem, though
warned by loving friends. some OF
whom had the prophet-gift. that
bonds and imprisonment and death
awaited him. His answer 10 the
friends In the house OF Philip OF
Caesarea revealed the man, What
can you mean by thus breaking my
heart with your grief? Why. as for
me. am ready not only TO go TO
Jerusalem and be put in chains, but
even 10 die there for the sake OF
the Lord Jesus"
There you have Pauls great be-
quest 20 this day. a message that is
echoed from every battlefield OF the
great war. II In an easy and noble
thing 10 die for great cause. The
dead are not 20 be pitied, but the
slsckers and the shirkers, the mis-.
cradle creatures who have pur.
chased personal safety and comfort
at the price of honor. Pity the per
son who has no conviction and no
cause for which he would gladly
give UP his life. Envy. II you will.
those great souls who. like Paul, re-
joice 10 burn out for God and their
fellow men. The clarion call OF the
great apostle comes ringing down
the ages. bidding us to live greatly
and TO dare greatly and 10 suffer
greatly in a great time like the
present.
A beautiful picture Is painted by
Luke OF the tender ties that strong