The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-09-16
LESSON FOR SEPTEMBER IT
PRISONER IN THE CASTLE.


GOLDEN TINT lie - uN refuge ana
my fortress. -. 81.
Paul was rescued from the mob b!
the prompt action of ly~ia~. ami MAS
saved from ~rour-ing ~ revealing MS
Roman citizenship CT .-'--- -.
Every true life. real social service. pa
trinli~m and national righteousness
rest upon the value of conversion 1"
Christ. The fundamental me>~"s" "t
the Christian church must always ht
Regeneration. With this message Billy
SUNDAY i gripping tn" Iarg" cities.
and Or john Il. Mott l. reaching the
student lif" "t the world.
|. PauPs Account Of His Early Lie
". 10. by his Us" Of III" Greek tongue
he obtained permission 10 deliver tins
address. and by his Wise Use 81 I'll"
Jewish language he gained the Hurh-
,ion of the excited crowd. Paul AS
serted his Jewish origin. (ActN 2l-"').
TnrSuS. where h. was born. had Il uhi-
vrr>ity which riNalrd those "i Athens
and Alexandria. and Paul had probably
~
an educated man hc was brought up
in Jerusalem from his early h"yh""d
nj the feet of Gauali"l Its greatest
teacher. Thus his religious training
was according Ia the law of the Ia
theirs. and uS "tuUchinG the Fight""uS-
ness which is of the law. he was
blan cleSS phil. 3:6). He was Jealous
for God. doing what h" Thought ne
would have him 10 even when ''p"rH"-
cutrd this way" the way OF forgive
ness. salvation and righteousness.
Jesus said Il am the way Paul was
at this time an instrument in the hands
of the rulers carrying ont their plans
hut he exceeded them in his zeal Tor
"the traditions of our fathers Goal.
l.lA. He WAS not at all like those
phorisceS whom Christ condemned as
white Sepulchers." lie was not what
we would term today, ~ bad man.
He could not have done his work or "c-
cupied his position If he had been. lie
WIS sincere in a bad cause; he was
zealouS i'm a mistaken religion; he was
| honestly on the wrong side. PollucaliE
and religiously prominent and active
| he was in error still.
u. Paups Turning Point w. I'D
! Paul seems To pick out three different
crises in this rehearsal. Cd His inter
view with Christ, when he saw Jesus
as he really was in his glory. living
risen Savior (Cor. 81; 1873. He haC
positive proof of the resurrection IRON
the dead. This proof convicted Inn
of sin. lie had heard Jesus call. lie
had asked Jesus what he would nave
him 10 do. He was ready to obey, ant
something was given him 10 do. The
light which hc met on that journey ar
rested him in his mad course. 1h'
voice gave him his directions. In oh"dl
enre 10 the command. arise and go,
he gained knowledge and skill. CD liz
lights upon his Interview with Anania
". I'D where he received personal hell
from an experienced Christian. In In
darkness and conflict of those thre
davS of loneliness the questions mus
have been: Could he leave rank. honor
friends? Could he enter the service u
the dpSpiSpd one and suffer reproacf
danger and death? During this cor
flict he must have had before him tn
vision of what God would have him dc
and the work for which he chose MI
wv. 1919. His vision and commisSio
constituted strong motive for rigi
decision. During the vision he cam
into the light. and confessed his fait
/ by his baptism. As result of thoS
three days and his interview wit
AnaniaS he came to know Gods WI
more fully. The next step was {
course CD his public avOwal (See Acl
| 2:3S; Heb 10 -; Rom. 1928; Co
GID. The purpose of Pauls who
life and mission was changed. For enC
B of us. In our own degree, converse,
brings similar changes of life. Hay
q we experienced this great transform
4 ton?
~. PauPs Dangerous Position "
y 2O-3W. The mob gave him audlen'
s until his words about the Gentile>. III
& declaration that God had commando
+ him To 20 upon Il mission To the Ge
tiles WAS un OfTenSe To the Jews. III
h his words fell like Il spark upon ;
3 iutlammable mass of fanaticiSm.' Tn
y broke out into Il frenzy Of eXcitemeI
and made preparations 10 stone hi
An Oriental mob is hideOuS beyond q
gree howling. yelling, curSing. CnaS
ing their teeth. tlinging their arm
casting off their garments ". -
throwing dust into the air TO relic
their excitement and to express th'
he cXccra,ion. Ii was a manifestation
their uncomfortable rage. The OppO
no ton of a mob is no proof that I
person Il curses is wrong The wrO
80 WAS not in Paul but in the mob; I
IA cause of the famine in Ahah'S time "
not in Elijah; the CommOtiun of {
-ly day Is not with the refnrmcrS, but "
those who uphold the evils VIII
should be reformed. Paul used CIV,
pow or he had 10 aid his fortune
I'm Roman citizenship. his social poSiti
ne his knowledge Of law and his train
ami quick Wit. The chief captain "
spoke Latin and Greek would not
let derStand what Paul was saving
Oh Hebrew (Aramaic), but from the f
of the people ne concluded that =
must bee some great criminal.
therefore ordered that Paul should
compelled 10y torture Ia confess