The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1916-06-03
THE CALL OF THE WEST.

June 4, 1915. 4
THE CALL OF THE WEST. .
Homer's genius has gilded the
Aegean Isles and main, but among
all his classic scenes of love and
prowess, the New Testament flashes
out a picture that in pathos, signiti-
canoe and power surpasses them all.
After revisiting the converts of his
first missionary tour, an act prompt
ed by tender pastoral solicitude, st.
Paul tried to enter a new field. He
naturally turned to those nearest.
But twodo ors i nsuccession were
shut sharply in his face. The same
hand that barred the way to Bythi-
mia and Asia, however, opened a
third door wide, and by an unmis-
taxable sign babe the apostle enter.
In the weird hour of night, in vi
Esion, a man from Macedonia, recog
niZed by his garb and accent, appears .
and with outstretched hand and in .
suppliant tone cries Come over into .
Macedonia and help u.s." The reli-
gious destiny of Europe was CULVER
ing in the balance. What ii st. |
Paul had been disobedient to this |
heavenly vision?" The history of |
the world would have to be rewrit- |
ten from that date. You must needs |
strike out of the New Testament the |
rest of the Acts of the Apostles, and |
| the epistles to the Corinthians, |
Thessalonians and Philippians. But |
st. Paul had not begun his career by
being disobedient to heavenly Wis
ions. So the early morning found
him on the dock, inquiring for some
ship bound for the port of Macedo-
MIA. Heaven favors the travellers.
They sail before the wind. Brief
voyage! Insignificant company!
How little their passengers
suspected the Stupendous consequent
ces of their passage. Yet they carry
the seeds of new civilization for the
continent of Europe and the then
undiscovered hemisphere. Some one
says that as from Macedon, Europe
sent conqueror to Asia in the per-
son of Alexander, so now Asia sends
a conqueror to Europe in the person
of Paul. There is no finer common
tary on the saying that the Kingdom
of heaven cometh not with observa-
ton than this incident affords. The
first preaching of the gospel west of
the Hellispont was to an insignificant
company of Hebrew women on riv-
er bank. But st. Paul was too vet
eran a missionary to despise an OPP
ening apparently so small and hum
BILE. He unfolded the doctrine of
Christ with as much care in that wo-
mans prayer meeting, as he, later,
did in presence of the AreopagiteS in
Athens. In that little company by
the river side there was one woman
uh Wi no hn1 in eff
ing remembrance as the first Chris
Ter of purple, of the city of Thyati
ra. What if Lydia had not gone to
prayer meeting that day? She might
have reasoned These heather know
nothing about Sabbath. 1t matters
nothing to them whether 1 keep it or
not. Why close since there is no
synagogue for me to go to? Besides
if I do not keep open, these dear
heather may be tempted to do some
thing bad, while otherwise they
would be just buying goods at my
counter" But Lydia was dealer in
purple yard wide and of fast color,
not in sophistry. So when the Sab
bath came up went her shutters and
out she went to worship.
The Teachers Lantern.
Asia and Bythinia, where Paul
was prevented from preaching, were
not passed over" in the Divine pur-
pose. 1t was only question OF time
and agent. These provinces may not
have been ripe for the gospel; or
someone else could work in them
who was not adapted for the field ST.
Paul was about to be called to. May
the inference not be made that the
Lord of Harvest still surveys the
field, restraining here and impelling
there? The Bythinia and PrOconsu-
lar Asia were last evangelical is evil
dent from the fact that st. Peter sa-
lutes them in his first epistle. 1t is
worthy of note that the first convert
in Europe was a native of one of the
interdicted provinces. She may in
letter or person have later been
messenger of grace to her fellow
provincials. 1t is said of the famous
California trees, those tallest spires
of Natures cathedral, that they
spring from tiny seed. So the Chris
tian church in Europe had the small
est possible beginning-a woman's
prayer meeting; Paul, Luke, Silas
and Timothy were nobodies as the
world counts. Roman Imperialism
was born at Philippi when Brutus
and Cassius went down before An
Ithony and Augustus. But an empire
more universal and enduring gained
its first victory on the same spot a
hundred years later. Lydia was re-
membering the Sabbath day to keep
it holy. She might have considered
herself excused from the command
ment in her present environment No
synagogue, no one to read the Law
or Prophets. Gentle shops all open.
Why keep the Sabbath? In that love-
ly Oriental scene, where Abraham's
servant finds wife for Isaac, the
servant utters most significant
word when he says, Il being in the
way, the Lord led mel" So Lydia all
unconsciously by her love and loyal
ty was putting herself in the way of
hearing the gladdest message that
ever falls on human ear. 1.-The Spir-
it of Jesus" Or. W This is the on
ly occurrence of the expression, the
Spirit promised by Jesus, sent in an
swer to his prayer, by whom we are
to be led and in whom walk and live.
1t was this Spirit that gave token to
the waiting missionaries. The Man
of Macedonia in the vision repre-
sented the great unseen multitude in
the night of moral darkness longing
for the dawn of Truth A woman's
prayer meeting was the cradle of the
infant church on the continent of
Europe. Never despise the day of
small things. All circumstance con-
splre to make Troas the most appro-
pirate place for the appearance of